#you will never see me pay attention to the algorithm i’m just chilling over there for the gallery view… ^^

[rhinoyo]

oh if any of you use insta & would want to see my art there i am over there too now :) <3

[fyeahundergroundmusic]

#MusicMonday - July 3rd, 2023

I feel like I’m always looking for a new way to do #MusicMonday because I can’t quite get it to go the same across all of the platforms I post on. I do it one way on TikTok, another on WhatsApp, a different on Facebook, and I gotta figure out another way for Instagram because the volume doesn’t work anymore. 

Returning to SoundCloud works for me because it allows me to make a playlist. I’m a bit stuck in my ways, but SoundCloud kind of forces you to try new people and a lot of them tend to not be mainstream. The decision to properly blog #MusicMonday also means that I’m reviving my Tumblr blog, F Yeah Underground Music, so the artist selection on SoundCloud works best for that vision. 

Just about all of the artists featured this week are all new to me and were chosen mostly by sound. I may not always catch the words, but your girl loves a melody.

MiLES. 

I don’t know too much about MiLES., but it looks like he’s from Atlanta and recently graduated high school. He may or may not have been valedictorian, but, from the pictures, he gave a speech at the ceremony. Congrats to the young man. 

As I said earlier, I really pick these things by sound. As long as I can groove to your music, I’m probably going to get into it. It take me about a month’s worth of listens really get into anyone’s lyrics, and I just don’t have the time for that in regards to this measure. 

What I like about MiLES’s “Oxygen” is the groove of it. I could see myself listening to this on a drive, or even playing this during a kickback. It gives me a very chill vibe, and that’s something I like on a normal day. 

I’ve given the rest of MiLES’s current project Everywhere and Nowhere At All a listen, and I think it’s a solid effort. If you think “Oxygen” is something you could get into, I suggest given the rest of it a try to. 

Oblé Reed

There’s probably a lot to know about Oblé Reed, but he doesn’t seem to have an About section on his website. That doesn’t work for me. I’m not bothering to listening to enough to become a fan, and I’m not invested enough to do a deep dive. 

So what do I know about Oblé Reed? He’s from Seattle, WA, he’s biracial, and he looks like he’s younger than me. 

So how did he get on this list? The same way everyone else did: I liked the sound. All things being fair, rap is not my genre, and Oblé Reed only found his way onto this list because I wasn’t paying attention to SoundCloud’s algorithm. It worked though. 

In my head, Seattle, WA had always been a music city because I remember Nirvana and I’m an Allen Stone fan. However, I wouldn’t consider Seattle a rap city, and, in my opinion, that probably helps Oblé Reed, not hinders him. 

Kanii

I feel like Gen Z is all over this list. Kanii is a 17-year-old, TikTok darling living his life on the Jersey Club scene. 

I really need these cats to get someone to write their “About” sections, because I’m way too lazy to do more than casually skim. 

I was put on to Jersey Club about the same time as I was made aware of Baltimore Club, which was about a decade ago. A former friend of mine was from Baltimore, and House music was having a small mainstream resurgence, so he felt like he needed to show me some things. I’ve been a casual fan ever since. 

As a TikTokker myself, I’d be lying if I said that I’d never heard “I Know”, but not enough that it clicked while I was listening to it on SoundCloud. I actually didn’t realize what was going on until I went to make my #MusicMonday posts for TikTok last night. I won’t say that Kanii has gotten big due to the virality of his songs, but he definitely knows how to market himself well. 

Kiana Ledé

I keep running into Kiana Ledé, either because I’m supposed to or because she’s just been around since forever. My first introduction to her was a cover of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” back in 2016, but I’ve heard that she may have been a Kidz Bop girlie back in the day. 

I have no idea what Kiana is about or has been about, but bless her for bothering to have a Facebook page. Bless her for writing anything in the “About”, and being around long enough for a proper Wikipedia page. Maybe it’s because I like her that I’m even bothering to look, but I don’t trust the previous three to have even that right now. Gen Z needs to have a little mystery, and people who can’t bother to write “About” sections are unlikely to have Wikis. What would be there to tell? 

In any case, “Bitter Bitch” is the first song on Kiana’s Grudges album, and I thought it was a great intro. Is it the best song on the album? Hell no, but I’m willing to hold those for another day and an official video. It’s cute though, and that’s really all I cared about. 

Hiroba

The addition of this song might raise some eyebrows, because it’s in Japanesse, but I have to remind everyone that I really be picking these songs off of vibes and sounds. 

“Futatabi” is the end theme for The End of the World With You, and I have been obsessed with it since the first episode. It is exactly what I want to hear while holding someone’s hand as we wait to die during a meteor strike. 

I can’t tell you anything about Hiroba beyond the fact that he’s a Japanese man. He has all of the right music accounts, but nothing that will tell me what I need to know in English. Again, I’m also being lazy about this, but #MusicMonday is really a labor of love for me, and I’m not looking to do work. 

Ai Otsuka is featured on the song, and, to may understanding, she is also a Japanese artist and actually has a Wikipedia page. 

If you’ve made it this far, I really appreciate it. As I’ve said before, #MusicMondays is a labor of love. It’s also a good reason to restart F Yeah Underground Music over on Tumblr. So while I can’t promise that this will be an every Monday thing, I at least can promise that I’ll do my best with it when I do. 

I wanted to upload the SoundCloud playlist in full, but neither WordPress nor Tumblr is embedding it right. However, if you’re interested, it’s the post directly under this one. 

Written for both eurydicehowell.com and F Yeah Underground Music

[daenqyu]

— they accidentally confess to their crush

includes: shinsou, bakugou, midoriya, todoroki and hawks

warnings: swearing

a/n: thank you for requesting <3 i love this idea! it’s so cute🥺 also, hawks’ may be a little longer than the others because it’s my first time writing for him and i got a bit excited👉🏼👈🏼 

ps: i don’t mind writing for hawks if it’s a headcannon and/or texts! so feel free to request him :D and yes, this is a repoost because the algorithm hates me.

( gif isn’t mine !! credits go to @tetsuruo )

shinsou hitoshi:

it would happen so randomly and out of the blue

as i said before, i think shinsou is a really reserved and quiet type of guy

but that seems to vanish whenever he’s around you

he’s more talkative and constantly goes out with you so you guys can have some quality time together

you also make him really nervous 

he’s pretty chill with everyone and seems to not give a fuck about most things

but with you?

that’s a whole different story 

whenever you keep your gaze stuck on him when he’s talking and his eyes meet yours, his heart never fails to do backflips because fuck you’re so cute

(oh to have shinsou think i’m cute D:)

ok back to the actual hc,,, 

you two were hanging out in your room, listening to music and just talking 

even tho your best friends, shinsou never really tells you much about his personal life

of course you know the basics like his hobbies and all his favorite things

but he never talks to you about...crushes or anything 

and you don’t like that because :( friends are supposed to tell each other this stuff, right? 

it’s fun and makes the bond even stronger

so you decide to ask him because why not?

“hey shinsou?” 

he’s sitting down next to you on your bed, your legs draped over his

which makes him feel all warm inside

it’s stupid and definitely not a big deal, 

but it’s little things like this that make him fall more and more for you

“yes?” 

“do you have a crush?” you wiggle your eyebrows at him in a teasing way, although he’s not even looking your way

a part of you is nervous to hear his response 

because unbeknownst to shinsou, you reallyyy like him

and have been crushing on him for quite some time now, but since you’re so sure the feelings are one sided, you don’t tell him

he’s too invested on the game he’s playing on your switch, eyebrows slightly furrowed as he concentrates

so he almost misses your question

and when he does answer, he’s not even paying attention to the words that leave his mouth

“apart from you? no”

it takes him a good minute to process what he said

meanwhile you’re sitting there like :o

you certainly weren’t expecting THAT

like it’s a good thing!!!! but you’re kinda flustered 

especially when shinsou finally looks up at you, eyes widened in surprise at his own bluntness as he opens and closes his mouth a few times, not knowing what to say now

“wait! i didn’t mean it like that!”

“you didn’t?”

he notices the slight pain in your voice and the way you move away from him slowly and he’s quick to apologize 

“shit, okay...yes i like you but i didn’t say anything because i don’t want to make things weird between us or ruin what we have right now”

he’s looking everywhere but you

because he doesn’t exactly want to face you when you reject him

but you don’t ???

instead you giggle and before he can ask you what’s so funny, you climb on his lap to hug him, causing him to blush furiously 

“i like you too, toshi”

the nickname makes him hug you even tighter while he hides his face on your neck 

it was such a cute confession and even when you two start going out, you never stop bringing it up

which makes shinsou extremely embarrassed 

“hey remember when you confessed and-”

“y/n, we’ve talked about this”

“oh come on! you were so adorable”

he pouts at you 

“were?”

people think he looks so scary but he’s actually a whole ass baby

you roll your eyes before leaning down to give him a sweet kiss, 

“you’re such a baby”

“hm, your baby”

“oh my god you did not”

yeah no, he’s in love with you👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

( gif isn’t mine !! credits go to @bakugousmyboy )

bakugou katsuki:

i feel like it would be pretty difficult to have bakugou accidentally confess directly to you

he knows how to control himself and his emotions so i doubt he’d actually ever do something like this

however,

he’s not that good at hiding his crush on you and mostly everyone on class 1A knows the boy is an absolute sucker for you

except you because apparently you think he’s just being nice

and everyone else is like wtf???? 

like he’s ALWAYS screaming at everyone 

but when it’s you he doesn’t 

in fact, sometimes he even lowers his voice so it won’t bother you 

so that behavior is the one that caused him to be stuck in the situation he is right now

he sat in the common room with kirishima and kaminari, trying to eat his food in peace but the two idiots, as he likes to call them, wouldn’t shut up

he had completely blocked out both of their voices, focusing on finishing his meal and getting the hell away from them

until he heard your name being mentioned 

“dude when are you gonna ask y/n out? everyone knows how much you like her  so might as well you know,” kirishima bumps his shoulder against the blonde, only to receive a glare. “get some action”

“yeah bakubro, she’s super cute too” kaminari buts in and bakugou is about to punch them both in the face

“shut the fuck up. i don’t like her” bakugou scoffs

“but you’re such a softie for her”

“huh?! i treat her the same as i treat all of you extras!” oh but he knows he’s lying, you can’t even compare to any of your annoying classmates 

kirishima smirks, “i’m pretty sure you’ve never once, raised your voice at her”

“so? that doesn’t mean shit”

kaminari looks at kirishima and the redhead nods at him, giving him the green light

“well since you don’t like her, you wouldn’t mind if i ask her out? because i’ve been wanting to-” kaminari can’t even finish his sentence before bakugou grabs him by the collar of his shirt

kaminari yelps, looking over at his other friend for help but he moves his head quickly, knowing better than to get involved 

“you try and make a move on her and i swear to God i’ll blast you all the way across japan, dunce face”

bakugou’s voice is threatening and low, and kaminari knows he means every word so he quickly raises his arms in defeat and nods his head

“okay, okay! i swear i won’t”

little do they know that you’ve been standing behind them for a while now

you’re happy to know your feelings are reciprocated 

but of course you want to tease bakugou about it

“hm did my ears deceive me or does boom boom boy have a crush on me?” 

kirishima and kaminari take that as their cue to run away to their rooms, leaving you two alone

“tch, how long have you been standing there?” even as he glares you down, he can’t hide the blush on his cheeks 

he didn’t want you to find out this way

or at all tbh

you walk over to him, a wide smile on your lips

“long enough”

afterwards you ask him if he wants to go watch a movie with you the next day and he’s lowkey mad because he wanted to ask you on a date first, but he doesn’t say no

you end up having way more fun than expected and you actually confirmed that bakugou was a softie for you 

(turns out you were the last one to find out because literally everyone else knew)

( gif isn’t mine !! credits go to its rightful owner )

midoriya izuku:

OKAY HE’D BE THE MOST FLUSTERED OUT OF ALL OF THEM

he can barely function around girls in general so like, what does that tell you?

he likes you so much but he’s so scared 

but he’s also so sweet to you even before you start dating oml

midoriya is a sweetheart, we all know this

and he pays so much attention to you

like if you are the mall one day and you see something you really like but can’t buy it for whatever reason well…

a few days later he gets it for you

he would say something along the lines of, “you seemed to really like it so i got it for you”

“you didn’t have to, izuku!”

“but i wanted to”

you’ll try to pay him back in some sort of way but he absolutely refuses

he loves pampering you

yet whenever you try to do the same he doesn’t let you and it’s: ✨annoying✨

anyways,

you were supposed to go to the movies

but midoriya had forgotten he had some homework to do, which was due the next day

“i’m so sorry y/n! i completely forgot, but i promise i’ll finish quickly” he tried to reassure you and you chuckle at the boy, so cute

“it’s okay, izuku. i don’t mind waiting”

you lay down on his bed, trying your best to keep your eyes open 

but as much as you tried, you eventually fell asleep against the soft sheets, your best friend’s bed being just too comfortable 

midoriya sat on his desk chair, writing down the answers as fast as he could so you guys could go watch the movie you were so excited about

he let out a sigh of relief when he finished, before taking his phone out to check the time

6:37PM, the movie starts at 7PM so we still have time

he stood up to tell you he had finished, but was met with your sleeping figure

your eyes were closed and soft snores left your slightly parted lips, hands gripping his sheets to your chest

the curly haired boy almost combusted at the sight

you looked so peaceful, so pretty

a smile grazed his lips as he made his way over to the bed

he sat down beside you, quietly admiring your features 

feeling the mattress dip thanks to his weight, you began to wake up, but quickly shut your eyes when you noticed midoriya was looking at you

truth be told, you just wanted to scare him by suddenly jumping

but his next words made your breath hitch

one of his hands moved up to your face, resting it gently against your cheek as his thumb massaged the skin

your heartbeat was out of control and you forced yourself to calm your breathing so he wouldn’t notice you were awake 

his touch was so gentle and sweet, you couldn’t bring yourself to push him away

“i wish i could tell you how beautiful you are” he whispered and if you hadn’t been so close to him, you probably wouldn’t have heard him

after hearing him say that you couldn’t stay still

you opened your eyes, a smile quickly spreading across your features as you turned around to face the green haired boy

midoriya almost had a heart attack when you moved, hoping you hadn’t heard him

but based on the mischievous grin you wore, he knew you had

“well you just did”

“y-you were awake?!”

“yup, i’m glad i was tho”

hE’S INTERNALLY SCREAMING

your gaze is flirtatious and you’re still grinning and he’s just >_<

“now let’s go or we’ll be late!” 

midoriya can only nod before following you outside

once you’re on your way to the movie theater, you notice midoriya fidgeting with his fingers, his eyes glued to his shoes

you smile as you suddenly take his hand in yours, interlacing your fingers together 

midoriya looks at you with a nervous expression, what is she doing?

“you know, you’re beautiful too”

you were looking at him with nothing but love in your eyes and he felt so embarrassed yet excited at the same time

because holy fuck you just called him beautiful AND held his hand???

he thinks it can’t get any better than this

and then it does when you kiss him a few weeks later😳🤚🏼

( gif isn’t mine !! credits go to @ambershaydeoffical )

todoroki shouto:

like bakugou, i don’t really think he’d be clumsy enough to accidentally confess

however, he does like to speak his mind and isn’t afraid to do so

he’s just really honest and blunt

way too honest 

which gets him in trouble sometimes but oh well, that’s just the way he is and everyone is pretty used to his personality by now

though, after figuring out he liked you as more than a friend, he started to think more before talking

sometimes you liked to get his opinion on your outfits and/or hairstyles

so you’d drag him to you room and force him to be honest and tell you which one he liked most

it doesn’t matter what you wear, you always look beautiful 

he wants to say that, but instead he goes:

“they all look good, i think the purple shirt really fits you tho”

“i was thinking the same thing!”

he doesn’t want to scare you off or make things weird

so he forces himself to hold back on his bluntness 

at least when he’s with you

but one day he just can’t help himself 

you were on your way back to the dorms after a tiring day at school

todoroki walked next to you, eyes glancing over to you from time to time so you knew he was listening\

you were currently rambling about how shitty your love life was

claiming that there must be something wrong with you since no one seemed to pay attention to you- at least romantically 

“i mean seriously, am i doing something wrong or is everyone i’ve met just not for me??” 

you had your cheeks puffed out, a pout on your lips as you kicked the small rocks on the floor

todoroki smiled softly at your complaints, thinking irony could be quite funny sometimes 

until you spoke up again,

“maybe i’m just too ugly or boring, that’d make more sense”

todoroki almost stops dead in his tracks to see if you have a fever 

how could you say that????

you’re so gorgeous to todoroki, and interesting 

you’re probably the first girl he’s ever liked this much in his life

and you have the audacity to doubt your worth just because other people can’t seem to appreciate you??

uh uh, he’s not having it

and so, the words come out before he can even register them properly

“if you were as ugly as you say are then, i don’t think i’d like you as much as i do”

your eyes widened and you stopped walking, wondering if you had heard him right

todoroki stops walking too, and once he realizes what happened, he’s looking away, trying to come up with a valid excuse as to why he said that

you, however, can’t stop staring at him

finding the way he glares at the ground adorable

a sense of happiness takes over your whole body when he doesn’t say anything to deny his sudden confession 

because he cannot lie to you

you walk towards todoroki until you’re standing right in front of him and before he can even question what you’re doing, you plant a sweet kiss against his cheek

“good thing the feeling is mutual”

your words make him smile and he looks so happy

probably the happiest he’s ever been

and you feel proud of being the one responsible for that pretty smile of his

neither of you really rush into making things official 

but the way todoroki lets you cuddle on his left side whenever you’re cold or how he waits for you every morning so you can walk together to class makes it more than clear that he really likes you

( gif isn’t mine !! credits go to its rightful owner )

takami keigo (hawks)

he’d be the type to not give a fuck about it

like he already confessed so what can he do?

nothing. exactly

he’s so cocky and flirty the whole time oml

he’d be shocked for a few seconds, but after seeing you were way more flustered than him, he’d just start teasing you

in a loving way of course

he’s also surprised you hadn’t noticed earlier on, considered how much he flirts with you, but then again, that’s part of his personality so

kinda makes sense you didn’t suspect anything

but he’s so cute and soft for you 🥺

okok so it happened the same day you got your results for your midterms

(you’re a college student here lol)

you had studied your ass off for this tests

staying up until 4AM and having to ditch your friends when they invited you to go out

so you were really positive

you squealed when your teacher hands you back the papers and you see the grade on the right corner

you felt happy to know that all your hard work wasn't in vain

the nerves you had been feeling since the day you took the midterms quickly vanished and were replaced with the feeling of pride

as you walked out of the building, you dialed the person who you wanted to share the news most with

he picked up after the second ring

“what’s up?” his voice was raspy and you ignored the butterflies that appeared in your stomach at the sound

“hey, i have great news!”

“care to elaborate?”

“you’ll find out when i get to your house”

“oh? and who said you could come over?” his tone is teasing and you can practically hear the smirk on his face, which makes you roll your eyes

“i did, now bye. i’ll be there in five minutes and order some pizza to celebrate” you don’t even get hear his complaints because you’ve already hung up

anyone who saw the way you two acted with each other would automatically think you guys were a couple

you were rather affectionate with each other; occasionally holding hands while you walked down the streets and even calling each other by your first names

that was just the bond you two had, and you loved it

he brought you so much comfort

it was almost ridiculous the way he was able to make you smile by simply calling or texting you

you had grown quite attached to the number 2 hero, but you constantly told yourself you needed to snap out of it

because you were friends

nothing more and nothing less

oh but how you wished there was more to your relationship than just that

you shook your head, as if that could help you get rid of the thoughts

true to your word, you soon found yourself outside of keigo’s house

the college you went to wasn’t that far away from there so

you pushed the doorbell and waited around two minutes before a sleepy looking keigo opened the door

his hair was messy and the way he rubbed his eyes and kept yawning let you know he probably had been taking a nap

you scoff, “were you sleeping?” you ask him as you walk into his home, smiling at the familiar scent

he chuckles from behind you, following you into his living room, “maybe, but you woke me up”

“can’t believe your lazy ass earned the number two spot”

“what can i say? it’s a talent,” he shrugs before sitting down next to you on the couch, resting his face on his hand. “so, what’s the good news?”

“so you know i took my midterms last friday, right?” keigo nods. “well, i got my results today” he raises his eyebrows in surprise and waits as you look for the papers inside your bag

once you get them out, you place them in front of your face so he can see for himself

keigo smiles proudly and it only widens when you look up at him expectantly, biting your lower lip

“holy fuck, that’s amazing! you did so good dove”

the nickname makes you weak on the knees but you’re quick to brush it off

you should be used to it, since keigo has been calling you that for quite some time now, yet it never fails to make your heart beat insanely fast

you nod excitedly and put the papers down before you start talking about your experience

keigo can’t help but admire you

you look so happy and cute

it makes him want to kiss you

he wants to shut you up by kissing you, and it sound mean and disrespectful but you just look so gorgeous 😡

and instead of randomly kissing you, he blurts out a confession

“math was probably the hardest but i managed to pass it too, surprisingly, so i-”

he doesn’t even know what you’re talking about anymore, too focused on your smile

“God i like you so much”

you shut up instantly

did you hear that right?

or was your mind playing tricks on you?

keigo looks away momentarily, before locking eyes with you and tilting his head to the side, waiting for a reaction

which he gets soon after because you can’t handle the way he’s looking at you

you look away, hiding your face the best you can

“w-what did you say?”

he smirks after hearing the stutter in your voice

he gets closer to you, until he’s right in front of your face, before saying:

“i like you, y/n”

you don’t know what to say

what are you even supposed to do???

keigo just confessed

your best friend and crush just confessed to you

that’s not something that happens everyday

“i um, like you too” you don’t look at him and he almost chuckles at your shy expression, but decides not to embarrass you any further

“happy to hear that”

he doesn’t say anything for a while and you wonder what the hell is going through his head right

he’s probably just messing with me. oh my God he probably is and i just said i liked him too so what-

your train of thought is cut off when you feel the blonde ruffle your hair while looking at you lovingly

you slowly look up to him

“i’m proud of you, dove”

fuck

“t-thanks”

“now, i think this is something worth celebrating and i’m not talking about pizza. so let me take you out”

“it’s fine, keigo. you don’t need to-”

“can’t hear you, give me about fifteen minutes and then we’ll get going”

you try to tell him no, that it’s fine and you can just eat pizza but he ignores you and still takes you out to eat

i’ll say it again: he’s so sweet :(((

he pays for the food and gives you his jacket when you get cold

he even treats you to some dessert !!

he also kisses you good night when he drops you off at your house <3

[th3-0bjectivist]

    I promised a few weeks’ worth of music you can just listen to in your car and by God, I deliver! If you’re in the mood for something a little harder and faster (MY kind of music), join me next week... I got something loud, obnoxious, and German queued up for my dear listener. Lately my Soundcloud algorithm is recommending some very good lite material, and although much of it is not my usual fare, many of the acts I’m being told I should listen to deserve more online promotion. So, here’s MTNS ('mountains'), a group from Brisbane, Australia that I’ve never heard of before and likely neither have you. I gotta tell you, giving exposure to unheard-of acts like this gives me a special kind of thrill. I went online to do some research and found barely ANY information about them, save for the fact they apparently make a genre of music called ‘drone music’ and that it’s a trio. Wow, thanks internet! Their Facebook page hasn't been updated since 2020, and they seem to have given up on Twitter at the end of 2021. And, let me just say, fuck Failbook and Twatter, I can see why you gave up on both. Folks, I think I may have accidentally stumbled onto an underappreciated and over-talented gem here! I find listening to this song, Lost Track of Time from 2013′s Salvage a unique and gratifying experience. I don’t know about you, but these days I need to CHILL. I am emotionally and mentally at an extreme, and this tune helps to sooth me lately, plain and simple. This is a rare variety of music that can help a human heal and put things in perspective. And it reminds me, if you ever need to put things in perspective, you really weren't paying attention. Were you? I am convinced that the ONLY reason I couldn’t uncover more information on this band is because they are in the Eastern hemisphere of this planet, and I happen to be located on the Western. Smash play and enjoy a tune that makes you look forward instead of back.

[starryseo]

a rose for you. | seo changbin

pairing ↠ changbin x gn!reader genre ↠ fluff ! bin is a cutie !! wc ↠ 2200 summary ↠ changbin can be a sweetheart sometimes. warnings ↠ swearing, suggestive remarks a/n ↠ a less chaotic day for the pair, but i enjoyed writing smth calmer. enjoy!

series masterlist

"You got any plans later today?" Changbin asked as he lazed on the sofa, switching between several animal documentaries on tv - Nat Geo’s big cat week shows were a blessing to this planet.

You walked into the kitchen, grabbing a breakfast bar as you answered, "Nope, why?"

"Because it's Valentine's day."

"So?"

"So," he drawled, dropping the remote and facing you as you headed towards the door, "I thought someone would try swoopin' in for your booty."

"Why do you always say weird shit, man," you rolled your eyes, "But no, I'm free. You?"

"Shut up you love it," he grinned, "I'm free too, baby, we'll go out later."

"Sure, sure, see ya later."

"Bye, have fun!" Changbin called out just as you left. He would leave for his class in an hour but, until then, he’d happily watch whatever cat fights were on screen.

You had about ten minutes before your lecture would start so you made your way to the building's entrance where Felix was already waiting for you. You envied Changbin's timetable since he wasn't plagued with 9am classes this term, but Felix was always bright and excited which made early mornings slightly more bearable. 

That, and he had bought hot chocolate for you today.

You thanked him as you took the drink, the heat instantly warming your hands up nicely - a contrast to the bitter February chill that tinged your fingers. 

When he also gave you a rose, you raised a brow.

"The guy selling 'em said he'd give me free drinks if I bought loads, so," he grinned, "I bought, like, 50 roses. Have another!"

"Nope, I'm good, thanks." You laughed when he showed you the inside of his bag; you could barely see his laptop and notebooks peeking out from behind all the flowers. "You're such a dumbass."

"I'm trying to be romantic here," he retorted, following you into the lecture hall. "I don't know who else to give these to, though. I have, like, 8.5 friends."

"Who's the half friend?"

"Seungmin. I'm pretty sure he's tried to kill me, but he helped me out yesterday so…" He shrugged, "I think we're cool."

"I'm pretty sure if Seungmin really wanted you dead, you wouldn't still be here so you've got 9."

Felix nodded, murmuring, "Yeah, you're right," just before the lecturer called for your attention.

At the end of the lecture, you packed up slowly. You stifled a yawn - because staying awake through 2 hours of algorithm talk was exhausting - swinging your bag over your shoulder before you headed down the steps to the front doors to leave.

"Wait, hold up," Felix said, nudging you to the side of the lecture hall. You watched as he ran to the lecturer, digging through his bag to pull out a rose. You snickered when he held it out to your lecturer, the awkward half-grimace on their face making you burst out into laughter. You laughed even more when you heard him exclaim, "I don't love you like that!"

Your lecturer just nodded, eyes pleading for Felix to just leave before he made the situation more inappropriate. He stumbled back to you hastily, cheeks bright and pink which had you chuckling all over again. "So smooth, Lix."

"Not a word to the others."

You zipped your lips, wishing you could've recorded that moment.

After the rest of your classes were done, you headed back to your room. Felix had run off to meet Hyunjin - wanting to add to the inevitable collection of roses the other would have; for as long as you’d known Hyunjin, the boy had received an abundance of chocolates, roses and love letters on this fated day. He hated the attention but loved the gifts, though you weren’t complaining because he’d always share with you.

You’d have about an hour to yourself before Changbin would come home and destroy your peace. You had perfected your schedule: put the kettle on as soon as you got home, spend three minutes changing into jogging bottoms and a hoodie (one you’d stolen from Hyunjin, but you’re pretty sure it’s actually Chan’s), use the now-heated water to cook some instant noodles, gather whatever other food you were craving, load up the next episode of The Office, carry everything into the living room, and, finally, be lazy as shit. In just under fifteen minutes, you had done everything, wrapping a blanket around yourself to be more comfortable.

Time flew by and, before you knew it, Changbin was bursting through the door, yelling, “Honey, I’m home!”

You greeted him, eyes still on the screen and he made his way next to you, dumping his bag on the floor. “No noodles for me?” He pouted, and you offered the dorito in your hand to him as compensation. He took a bite of the crisp straight from your hand - the savage - before leaning back, arm running along the sofa behind you so he could drape himself over you. “You’re paying for dinner now.”

“Guess we’re starving then,” you shrugged, resting your head on his shoulder. You opened up your blanket and he pulled it over himself too, snuggling into the warmth.

“Could you be any more romantic?” He fake-swooned, fluttering his lashes before he stared at you dully. “Don’t places do discounts for couples today?”

“No? If anything, they’d up the prices because people’ll feed into their commercialism, lovestruck dumbasses.”

“Right, sorry, forgot I was dealing with the V-Day Grinch; you need to get laid. Seriously.”

“Sorry for not wanting to bend over for capitalist pigs, Bin.”

“You can bend over-”

“I swear to God-”

“Okay!” He backed away when you hit him before he could finish his lewd remark, “Takeout then, if you don’t want me to spoil you?”

“I thought I was gonna buy dinner, though.”

“Yeah, you never do on Valentine’s. Breaks my heart every year,” he says, sighing dramatically, “I just wanna be wooed.” He even presses the back of his hand to his forehead, swooning backwards, his brows pinching forlornly.

“Lix would be more than glad to do that,” you rolled your eyes, batting his hand away when he pretended to rub away his tears.

He scoffed, “Damn right he would, you should be jealous.”

“I’m green with envy. Green. Greener than the hulk, that’s how green I am, I’m-”

“Okay, fuck, no need to be so condescending, babe,” he pouted. “Punch me, it’d hurt less.”

You don’t understand why he cried out when you did as he asked, but whatever. You rubbed the sore spot to appease him. The baby.

“And to think,” he said, his lips still downturned into a small pout, “I went out of my way to get you something.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, Binnie,” you cooed, “What’d you get me?”

He grumbled but bent down to reach his bag regardless. He pulled out a slightly-squashed rose from his bag, biting down on the stem before he turned to you, a brow raised seductively.

You snorted, pushing his face away before he opened his mouth, the flower dropping easily into his hand. He held it out to you, fully expecting you to take his offering.

You grimaced. “I’m not taking that, it was just in your mouth.”

“You jealous of that, too?”

“Of course,” you shook your head, “How’d you know?”

“Always knew you wanted to smooch me,” he grinned before leaning impossibly close to you. “Now’s your chance, sweetheart,” he said, puckering his lips exaggeratedly, making disgustingly-loud kissing noises to make matters worse.

“Ew,” you groaned, “I’d rather kiss the ground.”

“Be my guest,” he said, sweeping his arm out, gesturing to the floor. You rolled your eyes, getting up - for a split second Changbin thought you might actually do it, before he realised you were heading to your school bag.

You sat down besides him again, looking for something within.

When you handed him a slightly-bent rose, he chuckled. “Felix?”

“Yeah,” you grinned, “he got ‘em in the morning.”

“Yeah, he showed me,” Changbin said, shaking his head fondly, before accepting the rose. He put his bag back on his lap, showing you its contents. “He gave me, like, five before he ran off.”

He tucked the rose you had just given to him behind your ear, murmuring cute. He shot you a quick wink before grinning and leaning back. You rolled your eyes at his antics, facing him to do the same. But when the flower was perched atop his ear safely, you scrunched your nose, mumbling gross.

He flicked your side and you snickered, “I’m kidding, stop being a baby.”

“You better be kidding,” he huffed.

You watched several more episodes of The Office before his stomach started growling, desperate for food. 

Instead of ordering takeaway like usual - because you were university kids, of course cheap fast foods were your go-to - you decided to heat up some frozen pasta and whip up a nice sauce. Changbin had helped to the best of his (limited) ability, before you sent him away, telling him to clear the living room and set up the table instead.

You listened to Changbin as he rapped along to the song, going quiet when he started to sing too. These moments were rare - he didn’t sing nearly as often as he rapped - but it was stunning listening to the way he carried the melody so well. He couldn’t cut basil to save his life, but he had the voice of an angel - life had a funny way of balancing talents like that.

He didn’t stop until the song ended and when the next played, he hummed along instead.

“Damn,” you sighed, “Here I thought you were gonna start serenading me.”

“Maybe next year, baby,” he smiled, leaning against the counter beside you as you finished mixing the pasta with its sauce. “But only if we actually go out then.”

“What if I have plans next Valentine’s?” He raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, and you scoffed at his insinuation. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t even say anything,” he smirked.

“You never have to.”

When you turned around to put the pot on the table, you laughed at the way he had set the table. He had put 2 roses in a glass, placing it at the table’s centre, with the other roses shaped in a heart around the glass. He had even lit a small candle, the smell of vanilla meekly peeking out behind your pasta sauce’s aroma. 

“It’s beautiful,” you said, lips lilting into an easy smile. You hadn’t expected him to do anything more than put a couple of plates and forks on the table, but the set-up was cute and greatly appreciated. You put the pot down before going to sit down.

“Of course it is, I did it,” he quipped, pushing your chair in behind you. You rolled your eyes at him.

You could never be truly annoyed at his constant teasing - especially not when he would suddenly switch to being endearing; moments like these - playful but calm, easy-going yet fun - were ones you cherished, and with Changbin around, you were never disappointed.

“Dinner by candlelight, what did I do to deserve this?”

“I did this for me, not for you,” he grinned, taking a large bite of the pasta. “S’real good, babe.”

“You’re such a pig,” you said, scrunching your nose as sauce trickled down his chin. He used his tongue to lick it away and you laughed when he struggled to reach it all. He gave up, wiping it away with his hand before he licked that too. “Such a pig.”

He winked.

After a rather peaceful dinner, Changbin washed the dishes (on his own accord!) as you put away the leftover pasta and tidied the table.

You took out a half-empty tub of ice cream, spraying whipped cream over the dessert. When Changbin was done cleaning, he got out chocolate chips and sprinkles, drizzling the toppings over as well. You grabbed two spoons as he carried the sugary monstrosity over to the living room, wrapping the blankets around the both of you as you held the tub in your lap.

You ate the sweet treat, relishing in the crunch of the sprinkles.

Changbin grimaced and his wince made you giggle when he groaned, “Brain freeze. Ouch.”

“Aww, poor baby,” you pouted, “I’ll suffer instead.” You pulled the tub more to you so he couldn’t reach and he shook his head fondly.

“I’m here for a good time, not a long time, sweetheart,” he said, pinching your hip, gently, so you’d flinch. He used that as his chance to snatch the ice cream tub back, happily taking a large scoop and opening his mouth wide - he became the embodiment of :O.

He shivered as he swallowed, scrunching up his face and you laughed at him again. “Worth it.”

When the ice cream was finished, you rested against Changbin’s shoulder and he naturally let his head droop to lean against yours.

You don’t remember when you fell asleep, the voices on tv becoming a blurry murmur as you slowly drifted off. You do, however, remember waking up in the middle of the night, warm arms embracing you from behind.

That was a nice feeling.

[fanfic-scribbles]

Lunch Buddy: Chapter Two

Masterlist

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Overall Story Facts:

Fandom: MCU Captain America/Avengers

Story Summary: Steve Rogers makes a friend. A prickly, generally people-averse friend, but they’ll both take what they can get.

Quick Facts: Friendship (/Eventual Romance) – Steve Rogers & Reader (leading to Steve Rogers/Reader) – Female Reader

Story Warnings: Reader-insert that verges on OFC, written in 1st person past tense

Chapter Two: Something New

Chapter Summary: Steve’s new acquaintance gets him to try something different.

Chapter Word Count: 1639

A/N: I really love vignettes and if that wasn't apparent before, it will become so in this chapter. Also author bias pokes out a little bit more; Spotify is the only streaming service I have any familiarity with so that’s what I’m using. I’ve excised most of my musical preferences in this story (it used to make up a fairly big chunk) but my frame of reference will pop up from time to time, as these things tend to do.

   Steve Rogers was boring.

“Okay, no.”

He leaned his head to one side. “It’s just a coffee.”

I hadn’t meant to actually blurt that out, but fuck it; I was rolling with it now. “I just mean– you always pick that. Why not try something new?”

“I don’t want to try something new. I want that,” he said and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, like he was scolding me? Fuck that. “You said you’d buy my coffee. That’s my coffee.”

“Come on, I’m paying. This is the point where you pick something you thought about getting but didn’t want to spend your money on.”

“What happens if I don’t like it?”

“Throw it out.”

He made a face. “That’s wasteful.”

Maybe so, but he didn’t want a little change? His face said ‘no’ though so I rolled my eyes and got up. “All right; I’ll buy your boring coffee.”

“You don’t know exactly what I get,” Steve said, craning his neck as I walked away.

“You order the same fucking thing every time. They sure as hell know your order.”

Of course they knew exactly how much cream or sugar he did (mostly did not) want. So I got his drink, and then I got a little something different for myself, with a tiny empty cup on the side. I came back and plopped my stuff down before I could spill, but I handed him his drink properly. “I have to admit, I was a little relieved about the flavoring; I didn’t know you had it in you.”

He stopped just before he could take a drink. “I don’t–…wait.”

I tried to contain my laughter. It shook my body and he gave me a hard look. “Sorry, sorry!” I said and started pouring out a little of my drink into the cup. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“That’s cold,” he said.

“No. This is cold,” I said and gave him his little sample. “Here. It’s something I ordered and it’s just a little bit– enough to taste, not enough to waste.”

“You’re a poet and you didn’t know it,” he quipped as he held the cup.

“I absolutely knew it,” I said, which got him to smile. The drink sample itself was already on very shaky ground by the way he regarded it. He looked hesitant but he sniffed it, very slowly took a sip, and…put it down with a weird look on his face. “That’s okay,” I said and leaned back to toss it before he could worry about it.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” he said and took what I assumed was a palate-cleansing sip of his own drink.

“A ringing endorsement,” I said and unwrapped my headphones. I didn’t take it as a loss– there were a lot of good things on that menu board. I’d get him. Eventually.

~

He didn’t show up for a few days. When he came back, he was coming in just as I was leaving and all we did was say “Hi” in passing. I felt a little…not bad, but disappointed. Oddly enough. We didn’t talk all the time, but he was pleasant company to have. He was actually perfect for my not-super-social tastes. It was nice to have someone who I could just sit quietly with.

One day, he was already there with his usual. I picked out something different but warm, and sort of closer to coffee. Might as well ease him into it.

“That’s pretty good,” he admitted and put down the empty tester cup.

“Good,” I said and made a mental note of it.

“Good?” he asked, like he was suspicious.

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Um…yeah,” I said. “What? I’m not trying to horrify you.”

He lifted one hand and shoulder, like ‘okay.’ “I’m used to people trying to shock me with things.”

“I’m not out to antagonize people. Generally,” I said. “If we’re friends, then yes, that’s completely reasonable. But I just barely met you, so you don’t have to worry. Yet.”

“Yet,” he repeated, his smile leaning to one side.

It was my turn to shrug. “You never know.”

~

Despite the random admirers, Steve was mostly left alone. There was a good handful of regulars and apparently most people wanted so badly to play into the ‘cool, unaffected by anything’ New York image that they’d rather stare longingly at Captain America than approach him. Some did, of course, but I was a bit surprised at how few those were.

“Do you need something?” Steve asked, and I suddenly realized I was staring in his general vicinity.

“Oh, no, sorry,” I said and rested my head on my hand, and fixed my gaze elsewhere. “I’m just staring off into space; don’t mind me.”

His smile looked a little strange, like he kind of wanted to ask why I was so weird. Or maybe I was just projecting. If only he knew that was only barely the tip of the iceberg. He didn’t get the chance to speak though– he suddenly sat a little stiffer and I barely realized why when a couple of young women approached him from behind. I put my head down to my book. How did he do that?

I thought I might ask him, as a conversation piece, but those girls kept talking…and talking…and talking. What they talked about I couldn’t say; it was mostly them fangirling but in a way that made me want to grit my teeth. Steve too, apparently, by how tight that smile was, and how hard he gripped that sketchbook. He hadn’t seemed so badly affected by that girl who had stammered at him for ten minutes, so they must not have been saying anything good. It seemed wrong to just sit back, but…

I had an idea, but I didn’t know if I should step in. I didn’t want to– this had the chance to be humiliating, if Steve didn’t play along. However, I thought he might, just out of politeness? Either way I decided, fuck it, I was going for it. I cleared my throat, but it was only enough to get Steve’s eyes to flick at me. I cleared it louder, and actually got his full attention, which (eventually) got the gaggle to shut up.

I smiled at Steve. “Uh, I found that song I was talking about, but you’ll have to listen to it now. I gotta get back to work soon.”

Steve practically slouched with relief; it was ridiculous that the impromptu fan club didn’t see it for what it was. I did get some dirty looks though, and they only intensified when Steve politely thanked them and sent them on their way. I wiped one of the earbuds and handed it to him, and randomly picked a song I thought he might like.

“It’s a little different from what you might be used to,” I murmured into his free ear. “But it’s pretty chill. A couple songs, okay?”

The look he gave me said ‘thank you’ better than words could. I sat back, navigating the minefield of my music, until I had to go. Apparently done with people, Steve packed up when I did, and we parted ways at the door.

~

“I try not to be…like that too much, you know?”

I looked up at Steve and could not, for the life of me, figure out how we got from “hi” and “hey” and a half hour of utter silence to that. “Uh…what?” I asked.

“Sorry,” he said and looked askance for a moment. “Those girls yesterday. I feel bad for brushing them off– they weren't that rude– I just…didn’t feel like talking much.”

“Oh. Yeah, I get that,” I said and looked back at my book.

“You get that particularly right now?” he asked, but he sounded amused.

“This is the age of multitasking. Get used to it,” I said but I put in my bookmark and shut it. I was close to having to leave anyway; starting a new chapter now would be a bad idea. “I was worried that would be overstepping. So I’m glad it worked out.”

“It wasn’t. I really appreciated it,” he said with a smile that showed it. “I actually liked the songs.”

The way he said it was…well, not intentionally insulting, so I went with it. “Why so surprised?”

“I don’t like a lot of music these days.” He shifted and then shrugged. “Maybe I’m just not used to it.”

That could have been it. Or. “Who’s been exposing you to music?”

“Tony,” he said. “Oh, right– Tony, my friend, is actually Tony S–”

“Tony Stark, yeah, I got that,” I said and he laughed. I rolled my eyes. “Smartass. See if I teach you to appreciate modern music.”

“I’ve been told I’m hopeless,” he said.

“I doubt you actually are, if your music timeline jumps from Bing Crosby to ACDC.” I scoffed at the thought. “That’s like going from Baroque to Blues.” Well. “Okay, maybe not, but hopefully you get the idea.”

Steve stared at me. “You know Bing Crosby?”

He sounded so hopeful, I couldn’t help but rope myself in. “Do you have any music streaming service? Like Spotify or something?”

“I probably could ask Pepper,” he said.

“Cool. Ask them to hook you up.” I scooted over to him. “Here; check this out.” I showed him the basics of Spotify, using Bing Crosby as an example. “The algorithm for some of the playlists can be a little…odd. Just zero in on what you like for now and I’ll figure out some playlists to make you when I have more time.” Speaking of which– I glanced at the clock, cursed, and started packing up. “I gotta go; I’ll see you later.”

“Have a nice day at work,” he said, overly cheerful. I flipped him off and he just laughed.

<<Previous Chapter Next Chapter>>

[onewaywardwitch]

Just A Typo (6/?)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Hacker!Reader

Summary: It was a simple challenge between a very competitive group of friends. A challenge that ended very differently than anticipated.

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 2275

A/N: I’m so happy to finally get to post this part! I’ve been most excited for this one. Thanks for all the love on the previous parts, enjoy part 6!

If someone had told me a month ago that I'd be spending my days working as the security analyst for Stark Industries and my nights chatting with the Avengers, I'd have asked how much they had to drink. It's amazing how an illegal act can completely turn your life around, and not in the ‘sent to prison’ sense.

Fortunately for me, Wanda took me under her wing. She was determined to have another female presence around in a tower overflowing with testosterone and I wasn’t complaining. I appreciated her company just as much as she did.

Everyone was far more welcoming. Well, almost everyone. Natasha still seemed adamant on ignoring me. But with Sam constantly joking around with me, it was easier to forget about it. I had become a common visitor of the residents upstairs and I loved getting to know their actual personalities rather than the superhero personas the world had grown so used to seeing. Like how Tony won’t speak to anyone before his morning coffee. Or how Bruce has to be brought food throughout the day, or else he would simply forget to eat.

But Bucky remained an enigma that I couldn’t crack.

It wasn’t that we didn’t spend time together. We did. And many times, I enjoyed being near him more than some of the louder Avengers. We were never hanging out alone, though. He was a lot quieter when I was around, but I didn’t take it personally. He was obviously still a bit nervous being around anyone other than his teammates, but I liked to think that I was growing on him. At least he sat down and talked to me with everyone else now, instead of just running out of the room. And I adored having more than just two friends. The top floor had quickly become a second home to me.

~~~~~

I ran my hand through my hair for what felt like the seventh time in five minutes. For some reason, the system I was planning on installing for Stark Industries was not cooperating with me. I was forced to keep changing around the algorithm and every new sequence was rejected, not working in the slightest. It didn’t help that I had already gone through a full pack of Haribo and had none left. Timothy, one of my co-workers with a strange love for the worst movies ever made, kept glancing at me every time I let out a frustrated groan. Whenever he looked over, he opened his mouth as if to ask me something, before closing it again. It didn’t take long for me to snap.

“If you’ve got something to say spit it out. You look like a fish doing that.” I should have felt bad for snapping at him. He was a nice enough person, and I had been informed by the secretary down the hall that he harboured a small crush for me. Unfortunately for him, I was prepared to pick a fight with anyone. He just happened to be on the receiving end of it.

“I, um, I was just wondering if you... if you needed a hand with whatever you're working on?” he asked me, nervously wringing his hands.

I stared blankly at him. My lack of response caused his expression to change from slightly hopeful yet nervous, to absolutely terrified.

Stop it, don’t be a bitch, he’s just being nice. You can do this, politely decline his offer. There's no need to make a scene.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Well, that didn’t work.

“Am I not capable of doing it myself now, huh? I can do it perfectly fine. The system is stupid, that’s all. I don’t need your help because you'll end up pissing me off even more than you already have.”

Wow, ok, enough. Close your mouth. Bite your tongue. Walk away. Do anything other than talking to him.

“And also, you are literally the only person in the world who actually likes ‘Sharknado’.”

Why? Why would you say that? You absolute idiot.

I turned back to the computer that I was incredibly close to smashing as I ignored Tim’s deflated expression. He moved back to continue on with whatever he was working on himself. I typed in new lines of code on my screen, praying that these would work. While I waited for the outcome, I started to feel a bit guilty. I was stressed about my job that I was really desperate not to lose and I was taking it out on whoever was closest to me, which just so happened to be Tim.

“Oh shit!”

The second I turned to apologise, I felt hand on my shoulder, scaring the absolute crap out of me.

“Sorry! I called your name and you didn’t answer. You looked deep in thought,” Bucky said uncertainly. I instantly relaxed in his presence and chuckled.

“It's ok, my fault anyway. I should have been paying attention to what was going on around me. It just gets interesting up here sometimes,” I tapped my head as I spoke.

Great, now he thinks you're a lunatic.

Bucky offered me a small smile, which I had come to expect from him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tim. I tried to ignore him. I really did. When he first saw Bucky come over to me his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. That look of awe turned to one of amusement when he saw me make a complete fool out of myself. I stared pointedly at him until he got the message and returned to his computer. Bucky raised his eyebrows at me, and I shook my head in reply.

So much for Tim’s apology.

Bucky cleared his throat. “Um, Tony sent me to get you. He wanted to talk to you about, er… something computer related, I think.”

“He could have called me, you know. You didn’t have to come all the way down here.”

“He wanted me to get you in person. Plus, I had to talk to someone down in communications anyway.”

I nodded and got up to leave with Bucky, completely forgetting about the system that had me wound up only minutes ago.

~~~~~

Why does elevator music always make everything so uncomfortable and awkward? I was desperately searching for a way to fill the silence but for once in my life my mind was blank. I heard Bucky mumble something, seemingly to himself. I brushed it off before he spoke up more confidently.

“I like your jumper.”

I swear, I had never turned red so quickly. It felt like my whole face was on fire. How did everything he say make me feel so giddy?

“Thanks! But it's actually my friend, Angie’s. She left it at my apartment a few days ago and I haven’t had a chance to return it yet. I don’t know why I said that, it's a lie. She forgot it at mine over a year ago and I really like it.” I didn’t think I could blush any harder. I was wrong.

“You're really close with your two friends, huh?” Bucky questioned. I relaxed quickly. I always found it easier to talk about anything that wasn’t about me directly.

“They're complete idiots, but I love them. They're my family. I'd be lost without them. I mean, Becca’s good fun and Angie is our designated babysitter most of the time.”

He let out a low laugh. “I guess I know how she feels. I'm always running around after Steve, trying to make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.”

“Really?”

Bucky also seemed more at ease with the direction the conversation had taken. “It was worse back in the 40’s though. He was picking fights left, right, and centre. There was no super soldier serum to help him back then. He was just a kid with good intentions and twig-like arms.”

The ding of the elevator interrupted our chat. We stepped out, but I paused before we walked any further. Bucky turned to question me, and I stared open-mouthed at him.

“God, I was such a bitch to Tim!” I exclaimed suddenly, Bucky looking at me in surprise. “He was just trying to help me, and I-.“ I couldn’t even finish my sentence as I was overcome by fit of giggles. “I told him that nobody likes ‘Sharknado’ except for him!”

“Shark what?”

“Have you never heard of ‘Sharknado’? We have to watch it! It's a terrible film.”

“If it's so bad why do I have to watch it?”

“Because, it's a good bad movie. You watch it knowing it's going to be terrible and then you just give out about it afterwards. The full 21st century experience,” I explained to a very perplexed superhero. “Let’s go, best not to leave his royal highness waiting.”

~~~~~

Turns out Tony had summoned me to ask a single question about my work, before requesting advice on the nicest cafés in the area to bring Pepper to. We spent nearly an hour arguing over which is nicer, pancakes or waffles. He refused to accept the fact that pancakes are clearly superior and resorted to folding his arms and huffing like a child.

I finally made a move to leave when Tony told me he had some Avengers business to attend to.

“Next time you want a chat,” I said to him as I put on my jacket,” just give me a call. You didn’t need to send poor Bucky all the way down to me. He probably has better things to be doing.”

Tony snorted. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? He volunteered to get you. The second I mentioned I needed to talk to you, he all but ran off to find you.”

I scoffed and chose to ignore what Tony had said. “Bye, Mario!” I yelled back to him, making sure to close the door on his sounds of annoyance.

~~~~~

Some people can sense bad things just before it happens. Hairs standing on the back of your neck, chills down your spine. Some sort of sixth sense, I guess. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of those people.

I was sitting in my empty, broken bathtub with my laptop, as you do, when I heard the crash. My head shot up immediately, staring at my bathroom door that I had left slightly ajar.

“It's nothing, you're imagining things.” I tried to convince myself I was hearing things until I heard what I assumed was one of my mugs crashing to the ground.

I could feel my heart thumping in my chest, and I willed myself to calm down. Placing my laptop carefully aside as quietly as I possibly could, I crawled out of the bath and creeped my way towards the door.

I peered my head out, nervously chewing on my lower lip. It was only a matter of seconds before I gasped and closed the door in panic. I made sure to do so silently and I held a hand over my mouth to control the ragged breaths that I could no longer control.

With shaking hands, I locked the door and took out my phone that felt stuck in my pocket. My only focus was calling the first person that popped into my head.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered, begging for a small ounce of luck.

“Miss me already?”

I sighed in relief. “Tony, there’re people in my apartment. Can you- can you send someone over please. I'm kind of panicking.”

There was a momentary pause and a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the phone before-

“Y/N listen to me. You need to get out of there right now. We’ll be there as fast as we can. Can you get to your front door?”

“I can’t, they’ll see me.”

“Shit,” I heard Tony breath out. “Alright, odds are they’re looking for your laptop so hang tight, hopefully they won’t be looking for you.

I groaned internally and stared at my laptop that I had forgotten about in the bath. Just my luck.

“Yeah, that’s not going to work. My laptop is with me.”

“You bring your laptop to the bathroom?”

“Some people bring their phones, I bring my laptop. Stop judging me.”

Tony decided to ignore my last comment, instead informing me that they were on their way. He asked if I could still hear the people in my apartment.

“Um, no, I don’t think I- “

The bang on the bathroom door made me jump and I clutched the phone tighter. I covered my mouth with my hand, willing myself to stop shaking. A second bang, and I took a few steps backwards slowly. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the door that I knew wouldn’t withstand much more. It took me a few seconds to realise that Tony had been shouting my name.

“Tony,” I whispered,” please tell me you’re nearby.”

I could hear him talking to someone else, his impatient tone not doing anything to reassure me.

“Still 10 minutes out, kid.”

Before Tony could even finish his sentence, the door came crashing down. I screamed, trying to shield my eyes from the splintered wood.

A man dressed entirely in black tactical gear made a move to grab me, and I dropped my phone in a panic.

“TONY!” I screamed. My attempt to remove myself from his grip was futile. He had grabbed my body and dragged me to where the rest of his team were waiting in my now destroyed kitchen. I was so distracted that I didn’t notice the fist that flew towards my face before everything went black.

Taglist (open):

(if there’s a strike through your name it means I couldn’t tag you)

(if I forgot to tag you just send me a message)

@amybarter15 @imperialoath @throw-some-music-my-way @mamaraptor @marbleowl @lydklein1 @wantingtobekorra @alysawrites @uhholyhazza @ladymelissastark @sarcasm-n-insomnia @foxylupines @myrabbitholetoneverland @amazingficsthatididnotwrite @markusstraya @padfootormoose @worldofchoices @just-some-stuff-in-life @colie87 @catsandbooksinafarawayplace @littleblackdressxx @thequirkypeach @astronomicparker @asguardiansoftheavengers @awesome-alysia @sebbystanlover-vk @unknownwonder @wowstiless @d-eracine

[xxforsaken-angelxx]

=> Chat with your helmstroll.

After you finished your work for the night, you looked back over the conversations you’d had regarding that...ethical problem. The ethical helming problem, as you’d been phrasing it. The ethical helming problem of your ship being allegedly fond of Goldwave for some godforsaken reason, and you wanting to kick his ass to high heaven. Also, reportedly they might even be friends with Goldwave? That part still felt like a stretch to you, but any sign of anything was cause for a little alarm.

Like, no matter how you put it together, there just wasn’t much you could see to the situation beyond a silver-tongued, dastardly manipulator, and someone who would almost never say a single word that wasn’t generated by their algorithms. And Goldwave had already found some exploits in your security systems. Who’s to say he wouldn’t find more there? Loopholes up in Hydromatics whole system? Then you’d all just be fucked. Again. Just like the candy magic thing. You felt like you had to do something about him and Hydromatic preemptively, to make sure it could never happen.

And according to the internet, what you should do about Hydromatic is...talk to them. Which in retrospect, seemed pretty obvious. Ask a hippy ass question, get a hippy ass answer, or something. But you were willing to try it. Out of all the theoretical options, it was the most morally sound one that didn’t require a miracle in the ‘they only talk on script’ department. You could be all open and honest and shit without them choosing to talk back. What mattered was that they heard your side of things.

So there you were, sitting backwards in a chair that you dragged to the middle of the helmsblock, and matching the blank, unblinking stare of their glowing white eyes. It was your way of trying to signal that your presence in the conversation is humble and nonthreatening, yet frank and attentive, or something. You couldn’t exactly ease into the conversation with small talk, so you were doing this instead. Just kind of sitting there, looking casual and relaxed, until you finally decided to pipe up and call for them.

“Hydromatic?”

Their synthesized voice pumped in over the room’s speakers immediately, as courteous in tone as it is chilling in actual sound.

“How may I be of service, Grinmaww?”

“We need to talk,” you said, and they answered without hesitation.

“My communication channels are already open to you, Grinmaww. You may do with it as you wish.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed.

After collecting yourself, you tried to continue, finally admitting that “It’s about Goldwave.” They, in response, remained completely silent and motionless. You were beginning to think this was kind of a dumb idea.

But also, you were starting to think that maybe you just needed to force some words out and get past the awkwardness to hit the good ones. To that effect, you started with listen. When literally anything failed to follow, you said listen again, with more force. Hydromatic filled the pause that follows.

“My communication channels are already open to you, Grinmaww,” they said. “You may do with it as you wish.”

You sighed. Again.

“Look,” you said, intoning more seriously. “All I want here is to say some shit in your direction, and all I need you to do is be there and shut up and pay attention ‘till I say I’m done. Got it?”

It felt like there should've been a beat in the conversation at that moment, but there wasn’t. They immediately answered with “Understood, Grinmaww.”

Great. Wonderful. Room’s yours now. Just you and your quiet ass helm and like, emotions and shit. Bitchtits.

You took a deep breath, and began for real.

“I...don’t actually know how fond you are of this Goldwave guy. Maybe he’s your best friend, maybe he’s just a guy you know, maybe something else. Doesn’t actually matter. What matters to me is that he’s a bitch and a bastard, and I don’t like the thought of him taking advantage of you. As in ship you or just you you.”

Another steady breath, and a mental reshuffling of your notes.

“I want to make it very fuckin’ clear that I’m not gonna cut your contact with him unless I have to. Like, danger to the ship or he’s hurtin’ you have to. If he makes you happy, or even if it’s all just a whole lotta nothin’, then it ain’t my prerogative to stop you just because. I also wanna make it clear that I know you’re smart enough to handle just about anything, ‘cause otherwise they wouldn’t have put you in here. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get fucked over, and I’m concerned about it. I’m gonna trust you, a ‘lil more than they teach me to, but I’m concerned about it. So I...wanted to make sure you were aware of that, I guess.”

With that, you felt about finished, and there was a small weight off your shoulders. You almost slumped in your seat in its absence, breaking eye contact to look at the floor. After a moment filled with more controlled breathing and feelings of awkwardness, though, you then met their gaze again.

Between their undercut and the gas-mask they wore, only a quarter of their face was visible, and between a few second ago and now, that quarter didn’t look a single micrometer out of place. You wondered how the fuck they even did that. Like, sweeps of practice, sure, but having so much control over every little muscle twitch was still a goddamn talent. You remembered that thing one of your opinion benefactors said, about trying to find something else they cared about so they wouldn’t be as attached to Starship Asshole. Maybe they used to have some kind of hobby that gave them all that facial control...? Like acting. Or some kind of amateur modeling, maybe. Or dance. Don’t ballerinas have to stay real stony faced? Doesn’t seem like their thing, but there’s probably other stuff like that.

You caught them blinking. That’s another thing they have a weird amount of control over, you knew that they tried to time it so nobody would see. Apparently they like having that creepy, perpetual stare. Or maybe it’s like a game to them, too. The tiniest, saddest game in the world.

It’s about then that you realize you never said you were done talking, so by the letter of your orders, they couldn’t say anything even if they wanted to.

“I’m done,” you said, explicitly. “Any questions?”

Then they speak. “I have no questions at this time, Grinmaww.”

As fucking always. You gave one more sigh and rose out of your chair, grabbing the top to start dragging it back out of the room again, muttering

You’re almost to the door when you shut up, and they give their final canned response.

“It is a pleasure to be of service,” they say. 

[idio-cies]

Broadsword Scene Breakdown

I had to, I’m sorry, I love this scene too much. And in honour of Lance’s birthday tomorrow. No one asked for this but oh well!

Also loads of people are doubting Lance’s Altean Broadsword will come back and I’m over here wanting to dish out hope for you all with analysing this shit, so here we go!!! :D

I’ll try and keep things just to one point, so I’ll just keep to the analysing of the cinematography ;)

People pointed out that this scene is a slight reference to 0102 training drill. 

And that’s totally right. There’s just a slight different algorithm on it that means Lance won’t fall into a hole if he’s hit. It shows you his loneliness, but also, he actually does need help and protection in this scenario (to be a team that has your back)- it was what was meant to teach them in that simulation. So that’s why it’s like that here. 

The rest lies under the cut:

Something that intrigues me is that Allura witnesses this whole scene. Technically, upon coming into the training room we are looking through her eyes but then she is completely taken out until her voice is heard later and she is revealed. Also it’s just cool staging to have us see the doors open.

It attracts your attention, like curtains pulling back. See how all the lines lead to Lance at the end as well. 

It’s a visual aid for the viewers to draw all of our attention to something. The thing is Lance isn’t in the centre of the room? As in he’s right at the back and it puts across the idea that he’s in a corner. Doors opening simply means that someone is entering his space. The ending of this scene explains why this is Allura.

It then keeps to close-ups/mid-shots of Lance this keeps us focused on him, so we can see his expressions etc. We see Lance not having much luck in using his Rifle. We also get angered expressions. Okay, I know he’s training and that can just be a default because of focusing etc, but he audible is getting angry as well and it seems to throw him off.

He is missing them. They are fast and they’re small and there’s a multiple of them. Plus, they are incessant, they won’t wait for him to line up a shot and with his Rifle Lance is basically just firing randomly at the air.

It’s annoying, but I couldn’t find a GIF, but you get the gist. Lance rolls out of the way of a shot and I can’t stress this enough, but he changes his bayard from a rifle into a sniper with ease. 

We knew he could change it from 0306 as it opens with him being the sniper in the shadows:

Though it was never acknowledged in the show. 

Slightly relevant, but anyways; I remember seeing a post ages ago about the paladins and their bayards when they form into weapons. Saying how they all still keep the form of the bayard even as the weapon. You see this especially with Pidge’s and Keith’s weapons. But even Lance’s rifle and Hunk’s canon still keep the shape of the bayard as handles. Allura’s whip does too, but the Sniper doesn’t really. It can’t really, It’s too slim. Well the Broadsword even more so doesn’t retain the shape of the bayard. Even when Zarkon and Lotor handled the Black bayard, it retained something reminiscent of the bayard shape. I just thought this was so interesting! Plus, if anyone else knows what post I’m on about, and can find it, please tag it/send it to me!!! 

Anyways, the fact that Lance is able to change his bayard easily like that suggests that it’s a natural thing; he does this often. It’s a shame that we don’t see it more, but anyways. I think this links to his growth though. The fact that he can change the bayard and in the way that he does means something. Also being the only paladin to do so outside of Zarkon and Lotor is... interesting. And Lotor wasn’t even a paladin!

There’s actually a vignette on this shot which is really weird considering nothing needs to be isolated since Lance is in your face, either way, it’s a close up, It’s intruding. You can really see his focus and agitation really.

This is really cool that we get to see through his eyes. The fact that there’s an extreme close-up going into this creates more interaction with the viewers and the character. Also, I have a feeling that because it’s through Lance’s eyes and it slows down, it shows you how concentrated he is.

Things “slow-down” and the sniper locks onto one of the drones and he is successful in taking it down. To slow down this like they did just really embellishes just how fucking awesome this scene is, again, a feature that is meant to draw your attention. It also adds to the emotional intensity that the scene holds. The whole point of slow-motion is that it basically just elongates whatever we are meant think is awesome/cool/key. They use slow motion a lot in this scene in particular. 

To expand upon the idea of Lance being focuse/concentrated, it’s the same thing you take away with this scene:

You see him/hear him take in a deep breath before shooting (where it then goes into slow mo) and it really does let you know that Lance has a lot of patience and focus; he has skill. Though, arguably in 0210 it was a situation that held a lot of weight, it was much more intense. That’s also what held us on edge. They elongated that and brought so much attention to the fact that Lance was successful in making that shot and he goes away like it was nothing. It was great. Lance had only one chance and Slav was someone that was a huge part of the operation. In the Broadsword scene, Lance is only up against drones in the comfort of the castle. That’s nothing in comparison. Both scenes are fucking awesome though and really do show you his skill. Also Lance had his Sniper lock down on a target, whereas in 0210 he had none of that, that was all him, he had no help and he was under so much pressure.

Anyways, sorry.

The thing is, with doing this, Lance is way too slow. He literally watches the drone fall and roll across the floor before almost being hit. He needs to be a lot faster and not wait to see whether it was actually demolished...

Again, no luck. The drones are becoming more demanding. He needs protection and he doesn’t have the time to lock onto a target. Also he needs two hands to hold the Sniper, just like with his Rifle, it’s not like a handgun where you can use one or two hands to be steady and on target. It makes him vulnerable and he needs a shield. 

Honestly, Lance can be really shit in protecting himself. The worst offender has to be in 0304:

You can see how far forward and central he is, he actual goes  a little more to the right (his left) so Keith is central. But look. Allura, Keith and Pidge have their shields up, Hunk is close to an alcove, so is Sven and Slav on the other side. Lance is completely open, not even realising that this is a T junction. 

He was completely exposed and he was stunned in his spot when he was about to be blown to smithereens, probably.

But yeah, I think Lance must forget that he needs a shield. I mean, he could have done something that Hunk and Keith ended up doing:

I mean, they actually replace where he was so it’s noticeable and acts like a “spot the difference”.

Anyway. The point is Lance either needed someone else there to give him protection or just a different weapon.

You can tell Lance is getting angry in this scene though...

He audibly grunts and you can just tell by his face. He can’t shoot back because he needs cover and a proper lock on a target to get one.

We all know what happens next. I’ll show you the GIF’s because I want people to pay close attention to his expressions, then I’ll expand upon it with stills.

I mean, you get the cool extreme close-up again. This is gives us an interaction, It’s kinda uncomfortably close if you will, but you see the bayard start to glow/change and all you see is Lance’s eyes snap open into action as things slow down again *chills*

This one doesn’t really need stills, but upon re-watching and really taking this all in under a critical eye, I got the feeling that this eye snap was like an awakening, he knew what he was doing, the rest of what I’m about to point out will help explain that thesis, even if he wasn’t fully aware.

Right so first look at this:

I know, it’s rather quick and people are probably going to think I’m mental, but trust me! This is art guys, I mean look at his eyes, the bayard is still fucking glowing with the change and he has already cut a drone! It slows down on this still anyway. But man his eyes!!! They sorta get framed by the drone he just cut but damn!! It shows you that this is something that he is not doing tentatively, this is within him; dare I say, natural?

Then it gets to a normal close up where we see his eyes roll around. This is what gets me, he pauses for a brief moment, but it’s like “what the fuck just happened?” but it hasn’t fully sunk in because he was still taking in his surroundings, it’s why we get the roll of the eye as he looks around and changes his position; carrying on and putting away his shield. Also, it’s the only shot we get that’s relatively eye-level, but even then it’s like (if there was a camera there) is below his eye-level.

He cuts a couple more, but look at this. I shit you not, this is his expression whilst he’s shopping up these drones.

He is completely and utterly baffled, yet he is still carrying on. He looks like he’s just ripped his trousers or something 😂😂. It’s like his body was just working on his own; he had no control. Then he continues to be fucking awesome!:

 *This bit here... I saw a post the other day a post about how both Keith and Lance are ambidextrous. I was like “I know Keith is, but Lance isn’t, is he?” Bitch! This scene kinda confirms that*

He blinks and continues to admire it. It doesn’t retract or reform back into the rifle or sniper. Indicating that this wasn’t a one time thing/default or something of that nature, even when he goes slack with it whilst talking to Allura. 

I can’t get over his expressions though. That one with it still changing and the cut drone framing his eyes is so fucking badass. That shit came to him naturally, no two ways about it. That badass slow-mo cut with framing his narrowed eyes coupled with him then being like he just crapped himself though still being badass is not something that he was intently concentrating on like he was with his gun. It’s so weird though. Why would they give the impression that Lance wielding a sword was something he was a natural at? Why did it happen to be the same variation of a weapon that Keith wields? I understand the significance of it, but why play that he is naturally gifted with this sort of thing when it’s Keith’s thing which Keith just seemed to be a natural at too- just like Keith’s piloting?

Anyway. This scene shot here:

It’s a very low shot, the closer he gets to the screen, the more obvious it is, but this bit is framed from below and it’s meant to make you feel intimidated. Also, I’m no expert in this sort of thing, but I don’t think Lance’s stances in all of this scene are far off. He’s not wobbling or anything, he even makes cute little “heee-yas” as well as he swipes his sword.

Yeah, anyways. They made this part of the scene look way too awesome for it not to resonate/be something that will come up later. Also the context.

So why I know the significance of Lance being a natural? Because Lance strives for everything that he does, his facade, for the people he loves, his ambition, piloting etc etc. His insecurities put him in a place where he feels like he doesn’t amount to anything, because he’s always searching for his “thing” yet, he doesn’t realise that he’s the whole package. He is the “jack-of-all-trades”. This makes him even more so. Everything you get from this entire scene is natural. That, I think, is what it was meant to be. The fact that the bayard changes from Rifle to Sniper with ease, then for the Sniper to then change into the Broadsword on it’s own volition, but acting like it had awoken something in Lance and for him to continue and not fail, in comparison to him missing with the gun. I like how after every upgrade, he didn’t fail either, it’s a reference to growth/his growth. 

Wielding a sword is a completely different set of skills to handling a gun. Swords are more about movements. To me, they are also more elegant than a gun which comes across as threatening in any scenario. I looked up the symbolism of swords and it was neatly compacted into this list: Aggression, Protection, Courage, Strength, Action, Unity, Justice, Leadership, Decision, Duplicity. Guns were a much harder thing for me to find and it was a completely different story. It was mostly: Fear, Protection, Anger/Aggression, Power, Control.  Don’t get me wrong, both weapons can both strike fear, it’s just the symbolism's of swords goes wwaaaaayyyyy back, whereas guns are a rather modern invention.

Anyways. I just thought some of those things were interesting to note. Also the fact that under the Christianity section of the symbolism of swords, it was going on about the Archangel Micheal, and how his sword is sometimes depicted to be flaming, it blocked the gates of Eden so only the purest of heart could walk through. symbolising truth, purity and equanimity. He also had that paired with scales, which is a wacky coincidence because Lance keeps a level head about things/tries to keep a balance, you see this play out when he talks to Allura in the very next bit.

Anyway. Now the frame is at eye-level. A comfortable level.

Allura then comes on screen/makes herself known. She steps up next to him, explaining what it is; an Altean Broadsword, one like her father wielded. And then the framing goes to so it is placed above them, at a higher angle. The fact that the sword is the thing that is in the foreground makes it seem a little intimidating, or of importance.

This is where I further put in the notion about Lance actually knowing how he did that.

He says “I have no idea how I did this” and Allura replies with “I think your bayard has shown you what we’ve all been noticing. You have greatness within”- God bless you Allura. 

She turns her head when she said “You have greatness within” with this expression, she really means it. His face doesn’t even look like he’s listening to her, he looks worried. Lance isn’t looking at her and in response he says “I don’t think Shiro has noticed” and his face and head drops. It does the opposite to what that comment was meant to give.

Is it me, or does this frame emphasise how much taller Lance looks as opposed to Allura or is that just me? Anyway, the close-up means that the attention goes fully to their expressions compared to them admiring the Broadsword which we have our attention on at this point also.

Allura agrees that Shiro had been quite difficult of late and she turns away herself.

“Camera” change so we get a full shot of them, at a higher angle again.

She actually closes herself off. We don’t see her fold her arms but she has them folded now and even steps her feet together to gain more distance. Having a full shot of this as well gets through to us their relationship and she steps to the side, making more space.

Lance then puts in his views. “You guys are under a lot of pressure. Having Lotor around doesn’t help.” and she continues about how fighting the Galra may have been easier than working with them. “Camera” change again with Lance leaning into the frame as well showing that he is making himself known to her, basically so he’s in her line of vision as well as ours.

“You both have the coalitions best interest at heart. Don’t forget that. Shiro isn’t the enemy”- oh how wrong you were... But this is also what Lance was trying to tell Shiro when he got yelled at.

“Shiro, we’re all on the same side here-”

For Lance, that was the overall arc for him throughout the entirety of this episode.

“You’re right. I need to stay focused on the big picture” Low-angled shot, looking at Allura. It shows her vulnerability. 

“Thank you Lance” eye-level shot, meaning they’re on common ground; it’s comfortable.

“Talking with you has actually made me feel better” 

“What do you mean actually?

They have a cute little giggle. Thing is about this is that Lance helps Allura out more than Allura helping Lance out. It’s strange because either Lance is so deep in self-loathing that a compliment from Allura of all people won’t make him feel better, or he prefers actions rather than words, or maybe a bit of both.

It is undeniably cute that Allura and Lance are laughing like they are. It’s such a nice, natural sight to see. It just gives you a look in of how much they have grown as friends. But also the “What do you mean “actually”?” Is like, so sweet because it’s something that Lance would probably actually like validation on, that he does give out good advice and it’s nice to see him laugh about it in that way, although it is a little sad in the grand scheme of things. 

Look at that face. It’s so precious. But mid-shot a.k.a social shot. Make sense.

Was it me or was anybody else expecting him to blush in this scene? I mean, to be honest, he doesn’t really smile either, he’s practically turned into a statue.

Then we get Low-angle again, making Allura look intimidating. The shot we have here would also most likely be what Lance would see, so it’s like looking through his eyes. He looks up to Allura still, more than Allura sees Lance as an equal. The dynamic we see from S3 onwards with them. Also, the bayard retracts under Allura’s touch, it brings finality to the scene. Plus what she says “Oh, and Lance, if you are going to try to control a sword this powerful... you’re going to need to work on your stance”. That sentence alone suggests that Lance will use it again/will train with it again. In fact, the theme of control runs through piloting Red and also when Lance provides as Keith’s stability. I think Lance is up for that challenge. 

This interaction with Lance and Allura could have easily have crossed a line into romance. I think the biggest one where it veered off was when Allura told him that he had greatness within. She could have said “I” instead of “we” when talking about what they have all been noticing, also, in response to that, he could have smiled back at her with a fond look himself, but he doesn’t. Then, the fact that Allura continues to close herself off could come across like she was trying something and it didn’t work, but it was evident that she closed herself off because the situation with her and Shiro with Lotor was serious business and she didn’t like being at odds. Then again with her tripping Lance, again it could have come across as her trying something, and the music is the same as with the cute mice stuff, but then changes to the equivalent of the pitiful failure music when Allura trips him. Plus, like I said, Lance could have blushed in response, though the closeness does leave him rigid, but he doesn’t seem to smile either, it’s a weird sort of straight face. It’s probably the “What’s happening? Can’t compute” face. But yeah, you get the gist.

Going back to this:

It symbolises/indicates that Allura is looking at Lance under his facade. She lets herself in. It’s slightly different to what has been used with Keith and Lance though. Allura letting herself in explains a lot actually, because it shows that she’s looked past his facade and really does see him for who he is. She thanks him and takes his words. They leave a mark for her and build her up. She, like Keith (and probably Shiro) know what Lance gives to the team. Then to match that with it ending with this:

and how I explained what that put across about Lance looking up to her. It makes complete and utter sense. Allura has seen Lance as an equal ever since 0302 where he doubted himself and Red called for him, it was one of those moments where she accepted that she won’t be a complete copy of her father (she is still learning this). From then on really she has seen/knows Lance’s mind-set sometimes being a good one (0303) and also valuing/listening to his words of advice and/or encouragement like she does here, in 0406 and in 0606. Lance on the other hand still looks up to her. Whether he really did let he go in that scene in 0606 I don’t exactly know, but Lance is slowly getting there to realising he doesn’t have a chance romantically with her, but he did give her and himself some dignity in 0302 when he let his childish pursuit of her go with the “passing the baton” scene.

To conclude. This scene, especially with the way it ended and the whole scene of him actually using the Broadsword is too powerful to but that aside. You don’t draw that much attention to something like this if it wasn’t coming up later. It was way too cool, and it would be over-emphasised; anti-climactic. Not to mention it’s linked to his growth. His growth with Allura, with Shiro and also just being a paladin/the person he is. Also, it would be an absolute robbery if we didn’t see Keith’s reaction to this😂😂. I assume it to be one of startlement; close to that in 0306 when he made that fucking iconic shocked expression to then go on and lay on a fond smile. 

I do have loads more to say on this scene because it goes everywhere but I will leave it here because it will be way too long. Hey, maybe I’ll do parts or something if people are interested. I’ve just been trying to cut down on how much I write...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I hope this brings back some hope for some people who wanted to see the Broadsword again :D

Later paladudes ;)

[abiteofnat]

SLOWLY LEARNING THAT YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL...

Because when luck suddenly strikes, it strikes in the form of a lot of free food and a couple hangovers at 5pm. I took those headaches gladly as they meant we took advantage of a good time when it presents itself, and given that nearly everything I ate/drank this weekend involved sugar, carbs and booze I’m really proud of the fact we let no bite go unbitten. So what on earth was I up to besides ruining my skin and healthy arteries, you ask? 

WELL. I lived my dream foodie weekend. I’m still pinching myself. And in blatant transparency, it’s because it was all. fo. free. Not a penny spent except to go see a movie and indulge in my favorite fall-time beer, and to buy a hat for one of the events because my hair was *humid* and felt hats are VERY fashionable right now... or so Instagram tells me. Now, there’s never any issue with paying for experiences that make you happy, because literally everyone who reads this blog knows that I lack any sense of saying “no” to my stomach and a good time involving food. If it’s financially feasible, do it, fuck it, you’re on the Earth for  a LIMITED TIME ONLY. But... I also like living a life of pretend luxury sometimes, when luck should have my back. Disney gave me such high expectations as a kid. 

But here we go! Starting off on Saturday, I got to round up some of my favorite ladies and our favorite men for ping pong, mimosas, and Eggs Benedict PIZZA thanks to Ace Bounce! My sorority group that’s lasted past the post-grad blues is a core group of (mostly) PR women who share a love of beautifully crafted cocktails and a dope weekend ambiance, so we tend to tag each other in EVERY SINGLE giveaway on social media that offers a chance to experience either of those hobbies. Beautifully crafted cocktails, you may ask, are indeed a hobby. The algorithm behind the perfect Instagram photo involves time getting ready, time securing the location, stalking the menu for the right option that will take the best photo, and of course finding the right lighting to execute said photo. Yes, you’re rolling your eyes, I can feel it. But that’s the reality behind the science of why we love to live in Instagram world; it’s fun when people do all of that for us, isn’t it?

So, back to Ace Bounce. They found my comment on Facebook buried amidst the rest in a contest to win FREE BRUNCH!!! and somehow, I won FREE BRUNCH!!! I almost fell out of my chair at work because these things... they do not happen to me. Warning: I’m not going to be chill this post; not at all. 

My group of seven showed up at noon on Saturday for two hours of debauchery, and after living right near the Ace Bounce in Shoreditch (London) during it’s opening I had so many questions what this one in Chicago would be like. Seeing as the one in London was the typical basement-style bar with men in their navy suits drinking endless beers after work while playing polite games of ping pong, I imagined bottomless brunch might be a bit... different. To my enjoyment, the atmosphere was incredible and the design was really brilliantly done! With lots of dark leather, strange zoo-like details, exposed mint green brick, and some delicious neon signs suggesting naughty things I was sold on the environment. And don’t forget the many, many ping pong tables! As I tried to prove to Eric that I AM talented at ping pong, very attentive waiters came around with the start to bottomless mimosas poured in very Gatsby-esque glasses for us to get some game-time courage from.

The mimosas were wonderful, the ping was being ponged, and then there was time for food! Carts of luscious little buffet-style things came around for the second half of brunch, once everyone was a little more spirited and awake, and we filled our plates with a very hearty variety of food. My plate included mac & cheese (I chose to ignore the brisket on top since it didn’t touch my spoonful), breakfast potatoes with sour cream and chives, coconut shrimp, little donuts, and EGGS BENEDICT PIZZA. This pizza stole the show for me. It had a thin crust topped with eggs, spinach, cheese, and hollandaise sauce strewn about. Holy fuck, between that and the mac & cheese I was in heaven. 

That night, once the mimosa headache set in and Eric and I were done handling my energetic terror of a dog who literally cannot get close enough to Eric without suffocating him, we went to my favorite movie theater in Evanston to see “A Simple Favor” starring my queen, Blake Lively. Anna Kendrick didn’t even strike a match next to her. Blake. is. Everything. 

ONTO THE NEXT! Sunday was the event I still can’t believe I was so lucky to attend- Chicago Gourmet. Yep, the biggest foodie event in Chicago that costs an arm and a leg to go to if you want access to all the yums! Since my entire Instagram feed is comprised of foodie accounts that have reached a wayyyy bigger following than mine, I've dreamed of attending this event for years and just never saw it... happening. I think honestly, I didn’t want to allow myself to go and feel like a fraud for not being top tier enough. Social media gets to us that way! But when Brett Firdman of @hertastylife announced I won the tickets I entered for weeks ago, in her partnership with Country Financial, I freaked. When the tickets arrived in my email, I screamed and woke Eric up and he didn’t care AT ALL until it was 10am the next morning and he knew he was going with. He understands why it was such a big deal now! 

Sunday we both woke up pretty jazzed to get the day started, and then after a trip to Walgreens for blister Band-Aids and a trip to Staples to print the tickets out we got ready, chugged some cold brew, and headed out the door. Then in transit, I realized I forgot the tickets at home. After very quietly admitting my mistake and expecting Eric to lose his mind from hunger, he instead proved to be the best boyfriend ever and did not roll his eyes when we had to go to another Staples to print the tickets. Thank goodness for Staples! 

Finally, it was time to enter the fantasy land and I was actually kind of nervous! I didn’t know what to expect, what to eat, what was worth it, and what kind of people would be there! Walking in they hand you a wine glass and a plate with your swag, and you just LOAD THAT SUCKER UP. The wine flowed endlessly from the nicest suppliers ever, the plate was suddenly full of smaller places featuring Indian delights and tiramisu and sushi and pasta and sooo much goodness. Part of me wishes I had paid closer attention to what I was eating from where, but I think part of the fun of this event is just enjoying everything in the moment and then seeing what you look back on fondly to find again. I’d eat the curry sauces topping all of the little plates all over again, RIGHT NOW.

We really did not waste any time eating and drinking everything, from brightly colored cocktails to the deepest red wines, and even though it rained a little being stuck under a tent with endless wine and my love until it passed seemed to good to be true. 

The entire aesthetic of the event was intriguing; there were people in cute fall sweaters and jeans and dresses and expensive little booties (not like mine, lol) and there were also people in running clothes and what could pass for pajamas. Since it’s an outdoor festival in the fall, in the middle of Millennium Park, it’s understandable that one would want to be cozy. But it was really cool to see people just enjoying themselves and their endless wine on a Sunday, comfortable and sharing good times with friends! I think the lesson learned for next year (tickets ARE worth the price) is wear shoes that can get a little dirty, expect some lines but know it’s worth it, and go on a Saturday so it can be a longggg day of really savoring every bite. We stayed the perfect amount of time since it was a Sunday and rainy, but sit me in a chair with wine and I can stay all day!

So was it as magical as Instagramland makes it all seem? Indeed it was. I felt like a kid at... you guessed it, Disney. Reference my high expectation meter earlier; Chicago Gourmet really did blow me and my Prince Eric out of the water. I’ll stop.

I want to repeat I feel beyond lucky to have won access to both these events this weekend, so the biggest thanks goes to Ace Bounce and Brett / Country Financial. I’m always counting my blessings that I’m part of Chicago’s food scene, and weekends like this just keep confirming Chicago will have my heart forever and ever. You can’t get bored here! 

Until next time, Happy Eating!

-Natalie