#Until then enjoy mayblade

[sobashahzadi]

yeah so babygirl right here

[may-blade]

MayBlade 2024 After Party!

As this year's MayBlade comes to an end, just like previous years it is time for the after party! Starting tomorrow, 01/06 and until 15/06 you can post drawings you didn't have time to post during actual MayBlade. Please, still tag your works as mayblade 2024 so I will be able to find them.

I wanted to thank everybody who participated this year - we had beautiful artworks and wonderful writings. I hope everybody had fun! Now enjoy the last day of MayBlade, the after party and after that - I will be back on this blog next year to host another MayBlade event.

Much love - Mod Akemi

[darkened-storm]

Mayblade Day 27: Defeat

Working out of order, here is a little snippet from G Rev from another point of view.

~*~

She found the Blitzkreig Boys in the corridor leading back to the locker rooms. Tala, as expected, looked furious and Kai looked as though he couldn’t care in the slightest, his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned against the wall. Bryan and Spencer waited a few paces behind. Both of them were watching Tala carefully, ready to step up in her defence if required.

“Oi - Summers!” Tala stepped forward, the anger emanating from him. “That was an underhanded move,” he said, forcing himself to keep his tone level. “Using Kenny to analyse my moves so Daichi could get the jump on me.”

“Well it serves you right,” she said, forgoing sympathy. Tala wouldn’t care for it, and as far as she was concerned, he didn’t deserve it. “Of course Kenny was a decoy, but you might have realised that sooner if you’d bothered to think with what’s between your ears instead of what’s between your legs.”

Tala stared at her, speechless. Bryan snickered and Spencer coughed unconvincingly into his elbow.

“Oh - and it wasn’t Hiro’s idea to bench Tyson this round,” she added, throwing a meaningful glance in Kai’s direction. “It was mine - so I wonder what’s making you madder: the fact that we tricked you, or the fact that you lost to us when we didn’t even have our trump card.”

“She’s got you there, Tala,” Bryan said, grinning. He was enjoying this too much.

Tala tsked, glowering at the lot of them as he decided on a rebuttal.

“You got lucky this time,” he muttered, roughly stowing Wolborg into the pouch at his belt. “Tell Tyson to pull himself together, because next time, I won’t be making any mistakes.”

He turned and stalked down the hallway. Kai followed without a second glance back in her direction and only when they both disappeared around the corner did Steph let go of a breath she hadn’t realised she’s been holding in.

Spencer placed a hand on her shoulder. “Well played, kiddo,” he told her, giving her a gentle squeeze.

“Thanks,” she muttered, letting go of a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. “At least I think … “

“Don’t worry about Tala,” Bryan said, offering a sympathetic smile. “His ego is bruised, but he’ll get over it. If anything you’ve reminded him that this tournament isn’t the shoe-in he expected.”

That had been the point, hadn’t it? Steph realised. If they could just keep their heads above water until Tyson was back to his old self again, maybe they still had a chance at winning this tournament. She felt a little guilty of course for tricking Tala, but he would forgive her eventually - when he’d had the time to cool off of course. For now, she’d savour this little victory; knowing it would take a lot more than cheap tricks for Daichi to beat him next time.

[azikarue]

MayBlade 2023 : Day 1 : The Past

Saint Shields | FFN Rating: K | FFN Link ❖ “Thinkin’ about Blondie?”

Mariam groaned, inwardly cursing her luck, and whipped around to glare at Dunga.

Something about him rubbed her the wrong way, and it wasn’t the smug tone in his voice when he’d asked about Max Tate just now. No, she’d pegged him for a pain in the neck from the first time the Saint Shields team had gathered. It had been almost a year now, and he’d yet to prove her wrong.

“For your information, I was enjoying some peace and quiet. Then I heard a something big and bumbling tromping through the forest,” she explained, narrowing her eyes and looking him up and down. “I guess there’s something to those Sasquatch rumors.”

Dunga’s bushy eyebrows knit together. “Don’t get testy because I interrupted your daydream,” he teased, coming agonizingly further into her clearing. He sat down on a toppled tree trunk and stared at her with a cocky gaze. “I heard you gasp when they gave you your target. See something you liked?”

A close-lipped smile spread across Dunga’s face as he chuckled.

Mariam doubled down on her glare. When his smile grew wider in response, she changed tactics and forced the scowl off her face.

“Oh, that,” she said with a nonchalant flick of her wrist. “That was just your stench getting to me. Friendly piece of advice: buy a stronger deodorant or make sure you stand downwind from Kai if you want to have any chance of taking him by surprise.”

She rolled to her feet as Dunga sputtered and gaped at her. She needed to find a new hiding spot now that he knew where this one was, and there was no time like the present. The other option was going home and her father had been in a mood ever since she was given her target.

Mariam knew from experience that the more time she gave him, the less likely they were to argue about it. Especially since his sour mood and the excitement she hadn’t been able to hide earlier – the same excitement that had Dunga crying crush – had the same cause: Max Tate’s current location was on the other side of the world in New York City.

To Mariam, who’d been dreaming of adventures outside the borders of the village for as long as she could remember, it was a dream come true.

To her father, it was another reason to wish Sharkrash had chosen somebody else.

“Well,” Mariam said, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder and willing thoughts of her father’s doubts from her mind, “see you at training tomorrow.”

Dunga grabbed her arm as she passed. “Ozuma called for a team meeting,” he growled with a lingering sour look from her earlier comment on his face.

She yanked her arm out of his grasp and fought back a smirk. “You should have started with that.”

Together, they traipsed back through the web of trees and underbrush. When they breached the forest, they made the unanimous decision to take the long way to their team meeting spot and skirted around the treeline until they couldn’t anymore.

Mariam was silently thankful; she didn’t plan on being anywhere near her father until he was asleep for the night. And, for as boastful as he could be, Dunga didn’t actively seek attention either. It was one of his more tolerable attributes.

Luckily for them both, they reached the training grounds without fanfare.

Mariam started toward the hut that served as their base of operations automatically. She crossed the threshold and threw the door shut behind her, just to hear Dunga swear when it nearly hit him in the face. She snorted and Dunga was about to chew her out when Ozuma spoke.

“There you two are.” He was standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the rickety table they used for meetings and meals alike. “Took you long enough.”

Joseph was perched on a stool, elbows on his knees and a smirk on his face. “Where was she?” he asked as Dunga shut the door behind himself.

“Right where you said.” Dunga shot Mariam a smug look. “Unfortunately.”

“Yeah, for both of us,” she quipped. “What’s the big idea, Ozuma? What’s so important it can’t wait until training tomorrow?”

The fact that all three of the boys made eye contact before anybody answered her did not bode well. Mariam put her hands on her hips and stared at each of them in turn. Dunga wouldn’t say anything until Ozuma said he could. Ozuma still seemed to be putting the words in order in his head. Her best bet was her brother.

“Joseph. Tell me.”

Joseph sat up straighter and glanced Ozuma’s way before answering. “All I know is that Dad went to meet with the Elders tonight.”

“What?!”

“I was there when he arrived,” Ozuma said, before Mariam could go on a proper tirade. “He’s concerned for your safety in New York. He wants you assigned to one of the more local bitbeasts.”

“Or off the team altogether!”

“He didn’t say that.”

Mariam’s heart was pounding, pumping what might have been lava through her veins. Her father, who spent his days not caring where she was unless it meant he had the chance to scold her for not being where he thought she should be, decided to care about her well-being now? She balled her hands into fists.

“I told you she’d be mad.” Joseph’s voice sounded strangely far away through her rage.

Ozuma ignored him and said, “They asked me my thoughts before I left. I told them you were chosen like the rest of us and I didn’t see any reason to change our plans.”

“You think they’ll buy that, Ozuma?” Dunga kicked a chair out and sat at the table. “The whole village is talking about whether Mariam should even be on the team.”

Mariam fought the urge to punch him. Her nails were digging into the meat of her palm.

“It’s not their Mission,” Joseph argued. His eyebrows were drawn close and his eyes were steely. His was always a quieter rage. “And it’s not our dad’s decision who goes where. It’s luck of the draw that we aren’t all heading to America.”

“I don’t care what anyone says,” Mariam said, voice wavering with feeling. “I’m going whether they like it or not.” She’d been training, physically and tactically, with the rest of them for months. She didn’t put up with Dunga’s jabs, the villagers’ unequal expectations, the aches, and the exhaustion just to be sidelined at the last minute.

“What if they kick you off the team?”

She lunged for Dunga, but Ozuma caught her before she could get within punching distance.

“They won’t do that,” he said, arms tightening around Mariam’s middle as she struggled against his hold. “When Sharkrash chose her, she became a member of the Saint Shields team and will be a member until Sharkrash decides otherwise. It doesn’t matter what Tobias wants,” he finished with a grunt as Mariam’s heel stamped on his toes.

“Let me go!”

“Sit down, then,” Ozuma countered, loosening his grip.

Mariam shrugged him off, shot a glare at Dunga, and perched on top of a supply crate. She didn’t want to sit around the table with the boys, talking about whether or not she was going to be allowed to battle. She didn’t want to talk about whether or not her one chance at freedom in the coming years could be slipping through her fingers.

Ozuma looked around at them all in the sudden silence.

Mariam crossed her arms with a huff. She could feel when his gaze fell on her and met it defiantly.

“The Elders won’t jeopardize the Mission to keep Mariam closer to home, no matter what her dad says,” Ozuma began, centering himself so he was equidistant from all three of his teammates. “Traditionally, Sharkrash is always sent after Draciel. Vanishing Moot and Vortex Ape don’t have the finesse to take on its defenses and, as Dragoon is the most powerful, the duty of taking it down falls to me, as your leader.”

“Our plan is to lure Draciel back to Japan with the others anyway, right?” Joseph asked, glancing at Mariam before fixing his attention back on Ozuma.

Ozuma nodded. “Mariam will be in New York long enough to set the plan in motion. You’ll be in White Tiger Hills doing the same. Then you’ll meet Dunga and I in Japan.”

They’d been over the plan half a dozen times since that morning. That was before Mariam had learned of her father’s disapproval and before a certain realization came crashing down on her: she had a long way to go before his opinions, and how they differed from her own, no longer held sway over her life.

“We should all go home and get some sleep,” Ozuma said, when none of them seemed to have anything else to say on the matter. “Training starts early tomorrow. We only have a few weeks left before we leave.” He looked pointedly at Mariam as he spoke, then dismissed them officially.

Mariam reluctantly trudged home with Joseph. They beat their father back and she crawled into bed before he could arrive. Part of her would welcome a good argument, but the rest of her didn’t want to know if Ozuma had been wrong yet.

Despite that, she lay awake listening for her father’s return and whatever news he brought with him. Eventually, the front door slammed. The agitated sound of his complaints drifted through the house, confirming that he hadn’t gotten his way.

Mariam let out a sigh of relief and pulled the covers up over her shoulders.

As she finally drifted off to sleep, her last conscious thought was that Max Tate would have no idea what hit him when she landed in New York.

[blossommoonwrites]

NOCTURNAL CANDLES: Mayblade 2024, day 3 - Candles

Series: Sweet Dreams Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade Genre: General/Romance Setting: Delhi, India, and Kai's dream. Characters: Kai Hiwatari, Julia Fernandez Pairings: Kai/Julia Rating: T Summary: The candle's flame may go off, but the radiance and glow remain.

FFN | AO3

The Bladebreakers were on a trip to India. All except Kai were in their rooms, sleeping peacefully. The dual-haired wandered in the streets of the subcontinent's capital. It was Winter in Delhi. The chill air flirted with his scarf, which fluttered wildly against the breeze. He bought some coffee and sipped on it slowly. His glances showered the vast sky that was infinite and beautiful. The mist blinded some parts of the city, but Kai was able to manage and walk past them. The culture was rich, yet some states had a poor economy. He stood in front of the Indian gate and saw the surroundings. Long walks were a hassle for Takao, but not for Kai. He felt relaxed and content after a couple of months.

"Hmm." Kai closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace coming from inside. He braced his scarf further to protect himself from the cold.

He turned and saw someone familiar. He knew her but never talked to her for once. She is none other than Julia, the captain of F-sangre. She was wearing a trenchcoat with her messy hair fluttering in the wind. Kai was never into girls, yet he found her pretty. Of course, he doesn't have anything romantic for her. Julie gave a side-eye and her jaw dropped. Kai quickly turned back, pretending not to see her.

"I know it was you, Kai. I never expected to see you here," she remarked and walked to him.

"I clarified if it was you, nothing more," Kai walked away from her. Julia was stunned by his attitude. She seethed and said, "You have no manners for sure."

Kai stopped along his trance and turned back. He gave a 'hnn' before he started again. "You do know about me, after all. But, there is so much you still aren't aware of," he smirked and walked off. She can never understand guys like Kai, or even guys in general.

Julia walked back to the hotel she was staying in. Coincidentally, it was the same place where the Bladebreakers were staying. She saw Kai reporting to the reception before he walked to the room. His room was somewhere on the second floor. Hers was on the fourth floor.

Kai knocked on the door several times, but Takao was fast asleep. Kai facepalmed. He informed Takao that he would be out. It was his fault too, he should've thought twice before roaming out. He gave up. He decided to sleep on the corridors until Takao would show up.

"Your roomie is not opening the door, pathetic," Julia mocked. She smirked and leaned against the wall.

"I can sleep here, I don't need your help."

Julia sighed and walked to him, "I knew you wanted to sleep on a cozy blanket this winter. Don't lie. I can give you room. Come with me."

Kai blushed at the thought of sleeping next to a girl. He couldn't help but accept her offer. She chuckled. Kai felt dreamy. She was beautiful. He smirked and followed her to the room.

It was the same as his's, except the aspect was different. They removed their coats and scarves and hung them. Julia grabbed her nightgown and went inside the restroom. She returned a few minutes later.

"Make yourself comfortable," Julia assured him. He sat on the sofa.

"Come to the bed!" she exclaimed. Kai blushed.

Julia's cheeks turned beet. She gasped, 'Wait, did he assume that I…'

"No, I didn't think like that. I-uhh… just… um… don't sleep beside girls… you know. I hate sleeping with Takao too, he is a loud, snorty kid. I hate his snoring, ugh."

Julia burst out laughing at Kai's remarks.

"Alright, I'm going to turn the lights off. Have a good night's sleep."

Julia shared the blanket with him.

"Am I troubling you, girl?" he asked.

"I've been feeling lonely since my brother is not here. He's on a date with his new girlfriend. It's nice to have you as my companion. Just get some sleep."

"Well, promise me one thing. Don't tell Takao or anyone that I stayed with you this night. He'll never get enough of me once he learns about that. I will have a tough time dealing with that doofus," Kai mumbled.

"Sure, I'll take care of it, but by the time I wake up, you will not be there," Julia mocked. Kai sighed and was frustrated with her remarks.

She turned the lights off and lit a candle. Kai felt the illuminating presence and turned to see her. She kept that on the thick yet flat headboard of the bed.

"Do you love candles?" Kai asked her.

"I do, they are beautiful. I'm going to purchase some of them tomorrow in the market. The Indian candles seem to be lovely. I'd love to have some."

"Nice," he gently smiled.

In a few minutes, Julia was fast asleep. Kai struggled since he was with a girl, all alone. He brought the candle towards her to see the breathtaking face. He laid the strands of her hair on her ear. "You are beautiful, of course. I hope you get more candles like these. They'll make your face glow."

Kai placed the candle aside and drifted off. He dreamed of Julia in a beautiful Indian outfit and makeover, with the room decorated with beautiful curtains, rose petals, and cushions. Red shawls were hung along the corners covering the bed. She held a big candle, waiting for Kai to lie by her side. The dark room was illuminated with beautiful candles around the confines of the room. Her smile was radiant the moment Kai came to her.

"Come close, Kai. I need you by my side this night."

Kai climbed on the bed and faced the beautiful girl. His fingers crawled on her cheek and drew her closer.

"I will never leave this radiant beauty," his amethyst eyes were interlocked with her emerald ones. His hands slowly crawled down to grab her by the waist.

"I will make this night memorable for you," he whispered into her ears.

...

The next morning, Julia woke up to see Kai still fast asleep. She didn't expect to see him by her side. He was cute. The candle was gone, but the glow and radiance were still on his face.

[ceruleanmusings]

Mayblade Day 2: School // TyHil Love Countdown: Autumn

I've been working on this entry for the TyHil Love Countdown prompt of autumn for ages. It's only when Mayblade came back around that I finally got the motivation to finish it because the prompt for day 2 was school and it fit both themes. I know I'm super late for both but I hope you all enjoy it anyway! Can also be found on FFN and AO3

-------

Deciding to have the Bladebreakers as the main draw for the café was somehow Hilary’s best and worst idea.

Uttering a long sigh, she dropped into a chair and stretched her arms upward and back until satisfying pops zippered down her spine. Leaning forward, fingertips dragging against the slightly sticky surface of the desk, she rested her cheek against her arm. The soft, cuffed uniform sleeve brushed against her cheek and may as well have been a cloud beneath her weary head. Her eyelids drooped and fuzzed the remains of her hard work littered around the room. The throbs in her feet pulsed along with her heartbeat, a glaring reminder she still had work to do but her body couldn’t bring her to get out of the chair. It was the first time she’d been able to sit since they opened.

“You didn’t have to stay,” she commented when Ray stepped into her line of sight.

Humming, he folded a cloth over a few times and dropped it into a nearby desk. It landed with a wet smack and he scrubbed it against the surface in large circles. He flashed her a kind smile and said, “I don’t mind giving you a hand.”

“I should be thanking you for giving me a hand.” Leaning back, she propped her chin in her hands. Her eyes followed his rhythmic strokes. “This café wouldn’t have worked without your menu.”

He shrugged. “It was a group effort.”

“Don’t be so modest! Everyone ranted and raved! Your ramen was amazing! And the daifuku and dango were a big hit.”

“Yes, well, the ramen I can’t take all the credit for. It helps that Kenny was able to bring me his mother’s recipe.” With a deft flick of his wrist, the towel arced through the air and landed on the shoulder of his once pristine shirt. A long day in the school’s nearby kitchen left him with bits of food on his shirt, but it was an equal trade to the pieces of his heart he left on every plate. “As for the rest, you all provided your input as well.”

“Just take the compliment. It won’t kill you.”

Chuckling, Ray rubbed the back of his neck. “I appreciate it. I didn’t want to let you down. I know this was important for you.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that important…” She attempted to wave him away but the look he nailed her with made her break into a grin. Who was she kidding? Important didn’t even come close! It was imperative her class’s café was a success! Especially because they were going head-to-head with the café from the year above them. They had models and wannabe idols in their class as their draw. Hilary knew she’d have to go big to ensure their café was profitable and that meant more than having the best menu, the best decorations, the best theme, and the best advertising. Anyone could do the bare minimum and call it a day. But Hilary wasn’t anyone and she certainly didn’t do the bare minimum.

She was class president. They all looked to her to think up ideas, execute, and provide. The money they could raise would go to support their class trips or provide extra money to their clubs. Their café had to stand out. It was a no-brainer for her to utilize the resources she had at hand, namely being the manager of a world champion beyblading team. They owed her, anyway, for all the times a bunch of spinning tops somehow threw her life into danger.

Thankfully they all agreed with little fuss. Even Kai got involved, though she had to compromise where to place him. She wanted him as a server, he wanted to have as little interaction with people as possible, so she placed him as host. His disinterest and obvious disdain for having anything to do with it won him fans; Hilary couldn’t help but laugh every time he passed her with blushing girls in his trailing wake. The more he ignored them, the more they tried to gain his favor.

Max, however, she knew she put in the right place as a server. Saying he thrived would be an understatement; Hilary couldn’t chalk it up as a coincidence their customers tended to spend more if only to get the chance to be in his charming spotlight. Their orders came with compliments and praise, all as sincere as the ever-present smile gracing his lips.

Kenny pulled double duty, being a server and working in the kitchen. He wasn’t one for personal conversation like Max, but he did a great job talking up the menu and explaining which options lived up to the price point. Acting as a sous-chef helped Ray keep his delivery smooth and on time. And as the class treasurer, he kept a good real-time account for how much money they were bringing in.

Every now and then Ray would leave the kitchen when requested, accepting compliments and raves about his food with a small bow and a humble smile, sending their customers into a high-pitched frenzy.

And Tyson. Well. Tyson was in his element. Hilary didn’t have to tell him his place in the café, he jumped at the chance to serve his public and regale them with tales of his beyblading adventures and minute-by-minute recaps of all his championship wins. He moved from table to table, boasting and raving about Dragoon and answering any and all questions. The girls inflated his ego. The guys loved poked at his bravado.

Hilary didn’t rein him in, no matter how many times she had to bite his tongue. That was the whole point of the café being centered around the team and their appearance, after all. Each menu item was hand-picked by them so the customers could order Ray’s daifuku, Kai’s dango, Kenny’s ramen, Max’s taiyaki (with a side of mayo), Tyson’s namagashi, or Hilary’s anmitsu, all served with Ray’s special blend of green tea. It was getting the Bladebreakers on a plate, an all-senses experience. Besides, she’d never seen Tyson so excited for anything school related in her life, and she wasn’t going to cut him at the knees for it. If he wanted to brag, he could brag. He had every right to be proud of his wins.

“You have to give yourself some credit as well.” Hilary’s eyebrow lifted as Ray pulled a chair over. He sat and stretched his legs out next to her. “This wouldn’t have been a success without your organization.”

Hilary snorted. “Even with my clipboard?”

“You wouldn’t be Hilary without it.”

At least he appreciated it. Some of the boys in her class didn’t keep it much of a secret their thoughts on her ways. Snide comments and mumblings under their breaths when she assigned them a position or asked them to take care of an inventory task were commonplace. The girls, however, tended to voice their displeasure to her face, wondering why she wasn’t doing the work. Hilary pointed out she had to keep a running tally in her head of what was in stock or running low, where everyone was, the tables occupied vs the tables needing to be filled, and that was without throwing in remembering all the places they borrowed chairs, desks, silverware, table clothes, and centerpieces from to put them back. All they did was stick their noses in the air and got back to cleaning the empty tables. The clipboard kept them on track. And she may have sometimes used it to give Tyson a good whack when he made a comment about her being a dictator.

“I’m sure in the end they’ll see it’s a good thing you’re so on top of things,” Ray said.

“Maybe.”

“I mean, you somehow managed to keep Tyson in line.”

“It only took me, what, eight years? And he was around food so I’m sure that helped.”

“Sure. That’s what helped.” Ray’s lips twitched and a sparkle appeared in his golden eyes. She sat up straight, eyes narrowing, and he stood. “I’ll be right back. I want to make sure I packed my knives.”

Hilary waved him off and settled into the silence of the empty room. She allowed the weight of the day to press down her eyelids and lower her shoulders and ease her into the first bit of peace and quiet she had all day. Finally, no one talking back, no questioning her judgement, no pushback, no one running to her for help. It was only fitting, after keeping an eye on everyone, she was the last one left to clean up everyone’s mess. Heck, Tyson was the only one who hadn’t given her grief all day.

Her lips pursed. Hmm. It was a bit odd, wasn’t it? Tyson not being the one to give her grief but the rest of her class taking up the mantle. Usually anything coming out her mouth would have Tyson jumping down her throat, ready to tell her she was wrong or she was boring or she needed to lighten up. But not today.

In fact, not lately.

She wracked her brain, trying to remember the last time they’d actually argued, only to draw up a big blank. She’d spent more time talking to Tyson than she had argued with him. Especially when they went to the gardens.

Her lips lifted into the trace of a faint smile. That was a nice day. In the end, she didn’t notice her missing friends. Tyson happily ate his portion of the food she prepared and lay down afterwards, hands stroking his distended belly with a large, satisfied smile. Before long, his eyes drooped, and his breaths evened out and the bits of sun peeking through the leaves mottled his face. She pulled out a book and, every now and then, peered as his serene face. She’d almost taken a picture of it, the urge pulling at her strings, when he surprised her by asking about the book. Her hasty and surprised shuffling to hide her phone switched to shocked surprise at his inquiry. It didn’t last long, of course, when he jumped up to throw around the frisbee she’d brought but it returned when he asked about it again on the walk home, stopping at their friends’ houses along the way to give them their portions of Hilary’s meal. By the time they reached her home he gave his opinions on it. The fact he had opinions alone nearly bowled her over and it was his off-hand comment about preparing himself for the next rom-com book she read that kept her standing in the doorway of her home, staring at him, until her father’s throat clearing from somewhere in the home yanked her back to her senses.

Even when she brought up her café suggestions during their class meeting for the Culture Festival, he was the first to say it was a good idea despite the fact others were doing cafés as well. And when she brought up the idea of using the Bladebreakers as their main hook, he cut through their accusations of her bragging and brought the rest of the class around, not with his achievements but simply off the strength that it was Hilary’s idea and, as he’d witnessed firsthand, her insight tended to be spot on, so he trusted her.

And the moments between, where he’d wait by her shoe locker on the days they didn’t arrive to school together so they could go to class, or when lunch came around and he’d immediately plant himself atop her desk so he could figure out what she had to see if she wanted to trade, or when they studied out back of his home by the koi pond on the beautiful days, sharing equally exasperated looks and snickers at Kenny ranting over something that happened in Ming-Ming’s newest variety show. All places they would have argued or bickered before, but…for some reason they hadn’t.

Her eyebrows furrowed, puzzle pieces slowly fitting together in front of her eyes. Every time Hilary walked by as the day wore on, checking in on everyone, he asked if she needed him to do something. Your job, was the first thing that came to mind the first few instances yet, over time, it hit her he wasn’t asking because her presence was interrupting his stories. He was asking.

“I can handle it,” Hilary said, every time, with a smile of reassurance. And he’d nod, his eyes lingering on her a bit before being pulled back in to telling a customer about the time he was warped to a different dimension (which were at least three occasions more than a normal person should be saying.)

But he got annoyed by it, she supposed, because the last time she said it he huffed, crossed his arms, rolled his eyes and said, “I know you can handle it. Believe me, no one knows more than I do. But that doesn’t mean you should.” She didn’t have time to sit in her surprise when he continued, “Maybe I want to help handle you.”

The din of chatter, teacups tapping against their base, and chairs scraping against the floor lowered in volume in favor for her heart pitter-pattering against her chest. Her lips pressed together, the glossy and sweet lip balm she’d applied hours ago left tiny traces of strawberry against her dry tongue. Somehow, beneath all that, she heard the odd chuckle come out of Tyson’s mouth as his arm flew back to rub at his neck and a bright red blush appeared on his cheeks.

“That’s not…what I meant…”

So what did he mean?

Hilary’s eyes flew open and she let out a long, agonizing groan. She knew the day she let Tyson into her life he’d go and mess up all her plans and expectations, but she never expected this. When beyblading was in season she knew what came with it, she knew what Tyson she’d be handling, she practically knew what he was thinking. But this Tyson…she couldn’t get a heads or tails of him and that left her with too many sleepless nights replaying her day in her head, dissecting everything he said and the way he smiled at her and how she felt about it all. And right now she felt, decidedly, very, very confused.

“Have a nice nap?” Hilary sat up as Ray took his previous seat. Her eyes trailed from the amused expression on his face to the plate he pushed across the table to her, where three perfectly pink and beautifully shaped nerikiri wagashi. If she hadn’t smelled its sweet scent, she would’ve thought three chrysanthemums sat in front of her.

“Wow, Ray! These are amazing!” She briefly clasped her hands together in her gushing appreciation, eyes widening, and took a hearty bite. The bean paste melted in her mouth and washed over her tongue. “Oh, it’s so delicious!” She bit again and restrained from kicking her feet in the air, savoring her favorite sweet. “I didn’t know you knew how to make these.”

“I don’t and I didn’t.” He spoke so calmly as he lifted a piece of fruit up to his mouth. Even as he chewed, his lips curled up into a very cat-like smile at the corners.

Hilary held her hand in front of her mouth as she chewed. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, these had been left for you.” Her chewing stalled while Ray’s continued. Puffing a breath out his nose and shaking his head, he dug into his pocket and passed over a folded bit of paper. Her wagashi landed on the plate with a thud as she took the paper and hastily opened it. Slanted, scratched lettering stared back at her:

I didn’t see you eat earlier

Short quick and to the point. The direct opposite of a note Ray would have left; he and Max were more thoughtful with their words no matter the occasion. Kenny took out the emotion and went for something more clinical. Kai, on the other hand, wasn’t one to write notes and when he did remember to text back, it tended to be short words or just “k.” (she was still trying to teach him better texting manners). And she wasn’t particularly close with anyone else in her class, certainly not so much that the same ones who looked at her over their wrinkled noses would extend their thoughts to her past what she as class president could do for them.

Hmmm.

Ray’s gaze burned the side of her head as she carefully folded up the note and put it in her pocket. Avoiding his gaze, she popped the rest of her sweet treat into her mouth, her free hand dug deep in her pocket, her thumb flying over the buttons to shoot out a quick text: thank you.

It was when Ray waited for her by her locker to switch out her shoes that her phone buzzed against her hip. Pulling it out the pocket of her blazer, she flipped open the screen with her thumb, spying Tyson’s name with a quick message below:

;)

[curedeity]

It’s anniversary day!!!!!!!!!! It’s anniversary day!!!!!!! Gonna put a readmore here because its gonna be a long post.

If I’m being honest, I’m struggling to feel like celebrating today. While this year has been amazing, its also taught me that I’m not ready for a lot of things, and these last few months especially I’ve struggled to be happy with what I create.

But I don’t want that to stop me from celebrating what I’ve already accomplished, because my god, I have fucking written!

So, to start, just wanna shoutout all the friends I’ve made over the past year! Yall are amazing, awesome, incredible, showstopping---I’ve learned the wonders of online friendship, at long last.

Second, I wanna shoutout Bladies Week! This was an event week I hosted celebrating the women of beyblade, and I wanna thank everyone who participated with me! That week was... rough... but seeing other people contribute was the highlight of it, every time! If you havent checked out the bladiesweek tag to see that art, I dunno what to tell you, it’s amazing! The fact anyone else participated with me is something I cherish

Third, I wanna mention Fanfic Friday! It’s a weekly event each Friday where I draw art of other beyblade fanfics, and everyone is welcome to participate by doing the same or going and commenting on a fic! I have lots of ideas to continue with for this day, and I’ve been really enjoying it!

On that note, it’s onto the main event! Fanfic!

As of two years on ao3, I have 471,878 published words. Just so you understand, 50,000 words counts as a novella for nanowrimo, I have written a whole lot. A loooooot. It’s kinda incomprehensible to me, tbh.

I have 115 published fics total.

55 of those fics are Beyblade fics. I’m going to be honest, I probably need to create a collection for some of my shorter fics, just so people dont get the wrong impression of what I normally publish. The length of my fics has gone up the past year, by quite a lot, and there are tons of fics from this year I can shout. The Hikaru’s Adoption Agenda series was all this year, and I also have last years Mayblade that still falls in. I would like to specifically shoutout my Bladies Week submissions though, specifically Hikaru’s, Mei-Mei’s, Sophie’s, and Ren and Maru’s.

Aquario’s Cracked Fist is 3,142 words long, and Hikaru’s focus fic. Hikaru was probably the character I was most comfortable writing, and it shows in the ideas I’ll explore with her. I don’t know how to describe this fic without some spoilers, but it focuses on Hikaru’s trauma and how violence intersects with her thoughts.

When We All Fall is 6,036 words long, and it’s Mei-Mei’s focus fic. Honestly, the premise of this fic is super simple: I throw Mei-Mei off a cliff. It’s hopefully structured a bit like a shonen episode, where we focus on one hurt character having to survive alone and make their way back to the group. I really enjoyed drawing on those structures and tropes to write a story centered around Mei-Mei! 

Cetus Bouquet is 8,337 words long, and Sophie’s focus fic. This fic is about me trying to narratively write all the things I get to learn in gender studies classes. I’m just quite proud of the dynamics I wrote in this fic. Sophie is a very charismatic character to write, in a way, she has this sort of gravity and confidence that I wanna explore more.

Stolen Rivalry is 9,018 words long and the fic focused on Maru and Ren. This fic honors my brand of “why don’t I try to narrativize the sexist attitude of the show and my critique of it.” Focusing on Shogun Steel, I really tried to dig into how this show makes me feel, as a woman, and how Ren and Mau would react to the sexism Ren constantly experiences. You don’t need to read any other fic I’ve written to understand it, and it only deals with the first half of Shogun Steel (up to Ren vs Takanosuke actually, but you wont be fully pissed at the show until Ren vs Sakyo).

Beyblade is probably my main fandom at this point, and I’m very proud of so, so, so many of the works I’ve written for it. I have... a lot to say about future fanfics for this fandom, but right now, I’m going to celebrate what I’ve done.

Onto Pretty Cure, my other main fandom! I have 20 Precure fics written in total, and most of them focus on Futari Wa. I’m always happy to have a Precure fanfic idea, the reception I receive is always quite nice, but I wanna focus on my big project in that fandom right now.

Watashi Wa Pretty Cure! Seed is a Futari Wa spinoff focusing on Misumi Ryota (Nagisa’s little sibling) and is probably a fancure season at this point. It’s about Ryota becoming a Pretty Cure, discovering her gender, and having to care about life. It currently has 3 published chapters (I’m halfway through writing the fourth) at 20,909 words.

I’d just like to thank the warm reception this series has received, from the art and designs I made to the fic itself. Its really hard to get people interested in a fancure series, I think, so I’m very grateful to all the attention my series has gotten, and I hope I don’t disappoint!

I don’t have many published Madoka Magica fics, only 4, but that’s because Madoka Magica fics are some of my favorites and hardest to write. I really try to lean into stylism in these fics, and I want them to present an idea.

Once I Was Her was probably my favorite fic to write in this fandom, coming in at 3,553 words. It’s a post-rebellion Madoka focused fic dealing with the possible fallout of her tearing. I’m still so proud whenever I think of this fic, being able to actually stretch my wings as a writer always makes me feel good.

Also, quick apology to the Winx Fandom.... I’m sorry I do wanna finish Daphne’s Ascension! Someday, probably.

But, basically, I’ve really doubled down on my fanfic writing this year, and I’m so proud of a lot of the pieces I’ve put out. I’m really glad I came back to fanfic, as it gives me a new way to interact with the fandoms I’m in and contribute. I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading my fanfic, because getting to know people like my fanfic... well... it means a lot. I love getting to see that people like something I’ve done.

Thank you if you read all this self-indulgent post, art will be coming soon, I’ll try to finish up a fanfic for today, and thanks for sticking around! I’m honestly surprised any non-beyblade follower stuck around after the ask games-

[ashxketchum]

★Fanfiction Writer’s Appreciation Day★

◎Currently reading: 

⇢Smells like Teen Spirit by @zadien : Honestly there won’t be a time when I’m not reading this fic haha, I just LOVE the TyHil interactions in this one and I always keep going back to read them. But I also really enjoy the fact that there are so many characters which leads to rare dynamics and ships, and a lot of drama which is so entertaining to read. I always end up with a new perspective for the series characters whenever I read through this fic because it is just that rich in development. 

⇢The Sinensis Affair by @earlgreymon: I just love the heartbroken character goes on a journey far from home trope, and this fic just has the perfect setting for this. I’m also a big fan of characters breaking out of the shell that the canon or fanon has assigned to them, and here we have bad boy Takeru which I adore and Koushiro and Hikari navigating their lives far away from home and familiarity. Also the traditional proverbs and the superstition easter eggs that are scattered through the fic which keeps you on the edge the entire team you’re reading. 

Looking forward to reading soon: 

★ Whatever @mimatosstuff has in store for us for Mimato Week, but especially the Gossip Girl x Mimato content that is guaranteed to be the best thing I read this week! 

Recommendation from recent reads: 

✿Mayblade TyHil Collection by @velox-the-knight - just some really cute and fluffy TyHil oneshots that made me squeal. 

✿Just a Moment by @azikarue - another collection that came from Mayblade, this is a diverse set of oneshots featuring a lot of characters and so well written, my favourites are of course the TyHil and RaySal chapters ❤️

✿Literally EVERYTHING @likeevalikeeve has written for Mimato so far, but especially the 13 going on 30 au. 

Eternally reading until the end of time: 

❤︎ Teacher’s Revenge and Loose Lips by @redwheeler - these fics are like my TyHil bible, I have to keep reading them every few months to feel alive. Call me crazy but I can actually recite dialogues from these two fics and I’m so grateful that they were written. 

❤︎ Phantom by PinkFalcon - this fic has been incomplete for years but that doesn’t stop me from re-reading it because it’s just that good and a pokeshipping dream come true for me. I think I’ve rec’d this fic a billion times already but here it is again. 

❤︎ Senior Year by Bittersweet Romanticide - The only HS X Anipoke fic that I still truly adore, Misty’s characterisation in this fic was truly a gem and I always go back to read this one when I’m seriously feeling low on Misty Motivation. 

And a huge shoutout to all other writers in my circle, thank you for all the effort you put into writing and sharing your stories with us - @darkened-storm @ceruleanmusings @snorlaxlovesme @scripturienss @rainbow-pearls @misdre @kuroinana @dutchforstrangers ❤️