#Vs Match

[centralcitylibrary]

Arceus vs Solaris: a Battle of the Deities of Light

There’s been a question burning in my mind. A question I am unable to shake away from my thoughts. Eat, sleep, research, it all comes back to one thing, one all consuming question…

Can Solaris, Soleanna’s Sun God, triumph over Arceus, Sinnoh’s Original One?

I decided that I couldn’t take it anymore, so that’s why I’m here in the library, checking out anything I can find in the mythology section. I’ve got the information I need for Sonic the Hedgehog’s Solaris, so we’ll see what I’m able to do for Pokemon’s Arceus.

These won’t be entirely comprehensive overviews (mainly because Pokemon, by the sheer nature of being an RPG with a lot of moves, inherently has a lot to go over), but I will be sure to provide enough information to make sure you all can understand the conclusion.

Oh, and just so we’re clear, when applicable the standard rules for this lore blog will also apply to the Pokemon side of things where appropriate (the key differences being “no word of god”, and by extension using the main Pokemon continuity, a distinction that only matters when not using WoG statements).

Solaris, the Sun God, the Flames of Disaster…

Ah, Soleanna, one of many popular tourist destinations, and it’s hard not to see why. Between the old castle town of Soleanna, the city of water, and the various celebrations such as the water festival, it is truly a one of a kind experience.

Even their mythology is fascinating, with the yearly Festival of the Sun to give thanks to Solaris for watching over them with its eternal light. And it’s no wonder that Solaris would watch over them, as legends speak of the sacred flame being entrusted to the royal family.

But it’s not all good things, as Solaris is also said to have a wrath which, if awakened, would destroy the world - taking the form of Iblis, the Flames of Disaster. As Iblis, it could burn the world to ash if it wanted to, blocking out the sun to keep new life from growing, and even create an unending army composed of incarnations of itself from its rage. And even if someone were strong enough to defeat it, it would merely continue to reincarnate again and again for eternity. Once it’s released, the only way to stop it would be to seal it within a royal soul via a Chaos Emerald (although in theory, if a soul were already alit with flames they might serve as a substitute). Given the mythology is centred within Soleanna, the assumption is that a royal soul refers to the royal family.

Hidden deep within the library, I could also find a few tales of Mephiles the Dark, a schemer and manipulator who can take physical form by absorbing one’s shadow, and then mimics the power from whom he absorbed the shadow of. And on top of that, displays some level of control over time, even banishing others through time. If he’s absorbed your shadow, he can hide within it, unable to be expelled by anything besides the holy light of the Chaos Emeralds (given the lack of information, it’s hard to judge whether this is due to the light in and of itself, or if enough Chaos Energy is required).

Of course, as with every culture, the Chaos Emeralds manage to find a way to sneak themselves in somewhere. It’s said that if Solaris were to channel the miracle gems, it would become a transcendent being with a body of light, and be able to reduce all of time down into nothing, until the very concept of time ceases to exist. That’s even more impressive than it sounds, since to bring time itself down to nothing, it would have to bring Cyber Space, a universe composed entirely of information, down to nothing, alongside Maginaryworld, the 4th dimensional universe that holds the dreams of the entire multiverse.

But that’s not all, this empowered form of Solaris can exist throughout all of time at once, it can summon blue eyes of solaris to pull things in (even ignoring the protective properties of rings), or orange ones to spit out debris. It can fire laser-like beams, and it would even be able to harm the invincible super forms. And given this true form is achieved with the Chaos Emeralds, it might even be invincible itself (and can create a momentary shield that protects it from harm even from beings that can bypass said invincibility).

If this Solaris is a real being, then the people of Solaris have very, very good reason to keep it happy, as enraging it could very well reduce all of existence down to nothing…

Arceus, the Original One, Almighty Sinnoh…

Over in the world of Pokemon, the Sinnoh region has its own legends about the world and the universe. Their own theories on how the world came to be. In the beginning, before space, before time even, there just existed the primordial chaos.

Then within that primordial space an egg came into being. When this egg hatched, the Pokemon Arceus came to being. Arceus then created three beings from within this primordial nothingness: Dialga - whose existence caused time to start flowing, Palkia - whose existence caused space to start expanding, and Giratina - whose existence brought both matter and antimatter (most sources omit Giratina’s presence entirely, as its violent disposition caused Arceus to banish it).

And so Arceus created three more beings: Uxie - which granted knowledge to the world, Mesprit - which granted emotion to the world, and Azelf - which granted willpower to the world.

Palkia and Dialga created matter, and then Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf created spirit. And then Arceus went into a deep, everlasting slumber.

Despite the everlasting slumber, there have been a small handful of claims towards spotting Arceus - one of a trainer from the Sinnoh champion battling and catching it, one of a trainer from Johto with it in their possession being taken to the Sinjoh Ruins and witnessing the creation of an egg, one of a team of Pokemon Rangers situated in the Oblivia region calming it down and convincing it not to destroy the universe it created.

Most interesting one, however, is this old record from the Sinnoh region (back when it was known as the Hisui region), about when the very first Pokedex was created. It speaks of a trainer who was sent from the present to the ancient past and tasked with catching every single Pokemon by Arceus itself; and upon completion faced off against and defeated Arceus. Then to claim that Arceus as we know it is only a fragment of the real thing. Given that the Hisui Pokedex includes entries on what appear to be Porygon, a Pokemon we know the date of invention, there appears to be at least some validity to this time travel.

This supreme creator deity should be capable of everything its creations have been able to achieve, but on a much grander scale. Given that includes the universe, and plausibly many universes, that’s quite a lot of things it’s capable of. Too much to get into, truthfully.

Just know that there’s a lot of Pokemon who are capable of a lot of crazy things, such as Hoopa going through hyperspace, Porygon travelling through data, Eternamax Eternatus shutting down all (or I should say most) Pokemon’s ability to fight, the list goes on.

If all of these legends are true, and Arceus really was responsible for the creation of an entire multiverse, then it’s a good thing that it’s in an eternal slumber. And it’s a good thing that Pokemon Rangers are able to convince it to leave individual universes alone. Because otherwise, there’s not a single being that could stop it…

So, who wins?

I think overall the winner is-

… What?

Oh, you want some kind of fight, don’t you?

Well I technically could write one, but I don’t really want to put outright fanfiction on the lore blog, even if it’s for the sake of hyping up a lore fight.

Hm… You know what, I’ll put it on my personal writing blog, and just link it from here, that way if you want a fight you can read it, but if you don’t you can just skip to the conclusion.

Go read it here!

…

And welcome back, those of you who went to read the narrated battle, and for those who just want to hear the result, let’s break it down.

Speed wise, Solaris exists throughout all of time, and is able to fight against beings fast enough to dodge its attacks, which should grant it immeasurable combat speeds (movement speed is not relevant due to its temporal omnipresence). Arceus predates time itself and created the deity of time, and so should be immeasurable in kind - and should also allow it to land hits on Solaris throughout all of time to boot, even if it has to actively manipulate time to do so.

However, Arceus can easily gain the speed advantage by boosting its own speed up, up to a 4 times speed advantage.

So what about power?

Both can destroy an entire 4th dimensional universe (the size of these universes don’t matter, since breaking the universe itself is more impressive than destroying anything within said universe), but both benefit from intra-verse scaling differently.

The Palkia/Dialga that threatened to destroy the entire universe in Diamond/Pearl (and the Giratina that interfered in Platinum) were all at level 47 - less than half of their maximum strength. We know this event happened in a vague sense even in continuities that are confirmed 4th dimensional thanks to each event still following an overarching vague timeline - after DP is BW, and then XY (which introduces hyperspace thanks to Hoopa, who can traverse hyperspace via its Hyperspace Hole move).

At level 100, Palkia/Dialga/Giratina should reasonably be capable of threatening the universes contained within a singular copy, which includes that of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, where there are so many universes that it’s said to be uncountable (possibly even an infinite amount).

Then consider that stats in Pokemon can be given a +6 modifier, for a x4 increase, which puts that uncountable number even further apart from what Solaris would be able to achieve. And the Legend Plate (which Arceus can use even without the aid of a trainer) ensures its Judgement will always be the most efficient attack option possible, ensuring that Arceus will be attacking Solaris’s consciousness.

Even if we are deliberately overly generous for Solaris, its best scaling for durability (and invincibility) only goes to x40 (thanks to scaling from Super Sonic Powered Up and theoretically using the full power of the Chaos Emeralds rather than just an approximate quarter), and that’s well below an uncountable amount. Heck, some people have passed by more universes in their individual Ultra Space trips than that (such as this video, where someone passed by 89 of them, for a total of 90 alternate universes in this one trip).

And Arceus the Original One might possibly have created the entire multiverse rather than just the multi-universal structures that each game copy finds itself in, which would balloon the already clear power gap by millions, maybe even billions of times over.

So even if Solaris could defeat Arceus the Pokemon, Arceus the Original Spirit can merely create an endless stream of Pokemon at equivalent power for Solaris to fight through endlessly, ensuring that it loses the endurance battle. And as the creator of all Pokemon, it should have access to a greater array of specialised abilities than Solaris has ever had to deal with even as its base components.

Solaris vs. Arceus estimated win rate: 0%/0%/100% in favour of Arceus.

And… there you have it. An unfathomable battle between two deities, but in the end it can only ever end one way.

[spreadicons]

[leoryff]

The Dragon Warrior

The Dragon Warrior

Chase Young (Xiaolin Showdown) vs Po (Kung Fu Panda) 

“Finally.  After twelve long years.”  Chase Young, Heylin Warrior, opened the Scroll of Dragon Tales to double check his preparations. 

The inner temple was decorated with all the items needed for this spell.  Painted urns lined the floor, paper tags riddled with arcane notes hung between pillars.  The full moon was reaching the correct position in the sky, casting enough light through the windows that it was practically daytime.  

 “Casting this spell at the first full moon of the Year of the Dragon will summon a dragon to me.”  The portal started to glow in the center of the room. 

He took a half step toward the portal when the roar of his minions made him turn.  “That would be the Xiaolin Monks.”  He mused aloud, glancing out the window.  The four teens were already fighting through his feline servants.  

Lucky for him, Chase had brought a sizable army for this ceremony.  They would never reach him in time to stop the spell.  “Now, let’s continue.”  He held up the scroll to the portal.  Words started to appear, filling out the story of the dragon being summoned.  

Chase tried to catch a few of the words but the glow became too bright.  He looked away as the portal shook the area, growing into a pillar of light that shot into the sky.  

And then, like a fireball from a volcano, the portal spat something out.  A ball of light that bounced across the floor.

“OUCH!” 

Several times.

“OOOF!” 

Shouting with each impact.  

“Whhhooooa!” 

Before sliding to a stop against the door.  “Urrg.  What happened?  Cleaning the Great Hall doesn’t usually involve a tornado.”

Rising from the floor was a panda.  A talking panda wearing a pair of pants, but a panda.  Distinctly NOT a dragon.  “What?”  Chase asked flatly.  He had thought he’d been ready for anything to come through that portal.  

Clearly he was wrong.  

“Hey, give me a sec.”  Po said, rising shakily.  “Got kinda dizzy in that thing.”  He dry heaved a little.  “Ohh, don’t throw up, don't throw up.”  

Chase opened the scroll one more time, looking it over.  He’d followed the directions properly, right?  “I’m sorry, I think there’s been a bit of a mixup?”  

“Yeah, no probl-whoa!”  Po, having righted himself and calmed his stomach, scurried over to the portal.  “What is that?  It looks totally wicked!”  

“It was supposed to summon a dragon.”  Chase said irritably.  

Po laughed.  “Hah, I get it.  Instead it summoned the Dragon Warrior!  Spells can be funny like that.”  The panda didn’t notice as Chase paused and looked him over with a skeptical gaze.  This was a warrior with the title of a Dragon?   “So hey, can this thing send me back home or-OOF!” 

Chase backhanded Po with enough force to send the tubby panda flying.  “Excuse me, I need to try again before I lose this moonlig-”  

*boing*

Spinning at the noise, Chase turned to see the panda flying at him, fist extended.  The Heylin warrior backflipped out of the way and Poe skidded to a halt.  

“That was rude ya know!”  Po shot.  “Why you trying to summon a dragon?  I doubt they’d be happy to see you with an attitude like that!”   He spotted another scroll on the ground.  “Lao Mang Lone Soup?  Never heard of it.”  Scooping up the scroll he read the ingredients.  

“Wheat grass, way too much salt, dry frog and… a DRAGON!?”  Po looked over at Chase with a look of disgust.  “You were going to eat a dragon!?”  

“Going to?” Chase laughed, tucking the Scroll of Dragon Tales into his belt.  “Oh tubby, this is my grocery run.”  He cracked his knuckles.  “And you are getting in the way.  Step aside or I will season this batch with some panda meat, just for variety.”  

WANT TO SEE THE ENDING? Check it out on my dA account!

Yeah, I am being that crass.

[ryllen]

lost & found x x

[strawberryblondie-locks]

It's a mechanical bull, the number one

You'll take a ride from anyone

Everyone wants a ride, pulls away, ooh, from you

[mortysmith]

eye color hcs

[rodrickheffeley]

"stop bombing palestine" "free palestine"

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

Transcript:

Machine.

Does my ass look fat in this armor?

Audio source

[vgadvisor]

[thesunisatangerine]

playing for keeps – chapter one

alexia putellas x barçakeeper!childhoodfriend!reader

status: ongoing

(a/n in the tags) [chapters: one, two]

word count: 2.9k

The darkness lurched and a sensation of falling brought you back to your senses. There was a momentary confusion–as was the case after leaving the half-conscious state–but it didn’t take you long to piece the world back together. A shudder disturbed the panel beneath your feet and you felt the running tremor that followed accompanied by a low rumble you could barely hear through the stressing pressure in your ears. You blinked your eyes open and there was a rawness to them that made you squint, taking in a familiar scene that greeted you past the window as you did. 

A deep purple tint veiled the brilliance of the sun, casting the world into the cool calm of dusk, as the remainder of the day streaked the horizon with its fading light. You recognised the sloping silhouettes of the mountains that stood tall in the distance, seeming all the more greater against the early evening sky, comfortingly familiar and inviting in their grand stillness.

The intercom played a three-tone melody followed by a voice that filtered through the static.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Barcelona. The local time is six hours ahead of the Newark area, and it is currently approaching six in the evening. Please remain seated with your seatbelts on until the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign has been switched off. It has been our pleasure to serve you on this flight. Thank you, and a very good evening.”

In the moments that followed, chatter erupted all around you. Tearing your gaze away from the window, finally, you unbuckled your seatbelt but made no move to get up, opting instead to rest your cheek on your hand. 

The thing that made window seats great–apart from the view, of course–was the fact that people who were in no rush to get off the plane wouldn’t feel compelled to move to avoid obstructing other passengers. And you, who was normally eager to stretch your legs after a particularly long flight such as this one, very much needed another moment to gather yourself. So you watched on as the other passengers stood and shuffled about, opening and closing the overhead bins to retrieve their luggage.

A restlessness crept over you. It erupted from somewhere deep down your gut to your limbs, and the feeling had you longing to jump out of your seat–to run–but you stayed put. There you waited, drumming a rhythm with your fingers against your thigh as your other leg bounced to the same chaotic pace. And without any bidding, the scenes you’d thought of before you sank into the nap you’d just woken up from flashed through your mind, relentless in their effort to tear you apart again.

You craned your neck to the side to see through the window. Somewhere at the far side of the airport, a yellow light flashed from a parked plane. It reminded you of fireflies and–

No.

You halted the memory and instead resorted to counting the number of times it blinked to keep your mind occupied.

“Excuse me, is everything okay?”

You blinked.

Turning away from the window to the direction of the voice, you saw an attendant looking at you with a curious expression. 

“Yes,” you stuttered out. 

Behind her you noticed that all of the seats were empty, and probably for quite some time now, so you gave her a quick apology when you stood to gather your belongings. You began for the exit after closing the overhead cabin but the stewardess stopped you again with another question. 

“You’re a professional footballer?”

You looked at her over your shoulder. Your surprise at her question must have been clear on your face because she looked down at your duffel bag and then back at you with just a hint of amusement by the way her brow was lifted.

Oh. You forgot about that.

You hefted your Barça bag over your shoulder as you replied, “Uh, yeah. Are you much of a fan?” 

“I love it. Love watching and playing it whenever I can. I’m more of a Madridista, though.”

“Oh. That’s a shame.” 

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at your dry humor but without any hint of offense.

The both of you continued to the exit. 

“What position do you play?”

“Keeper.”

“Very cute. How long have you been playing for Barça?”

“I’m just newly transferred, actually.”

By this point, the both of you had arrived at the plane’s open door.

“Oh, really? Well, I wish you all the best for your season. And I hope this doesn’t come across as unprofessional but is it okay if I asked you for a picture?” 

“Thank you. And no, not at all.”

After you posed for the photo, she thanked you. You felt her fingers brush over yours as she took back her phone before she sent you a playful wink. Her beauty attracted you, yes, and years ago such blatant advances from a fine woman would’ve been received warmly by you but not anymore–especially not today. So instead, you gave her a polite, almost apologetic, nod and parted ways with a small smile as you shuffled out of the plane.

It was a haze, your journey through the gates, the baggage reclaim zone, and the checkpoints. The lights and images melted together in one big blur, the noises coalesced to a low drone, before the world focused again when your phone screen lit up. 

‘I’m in the arrival hall,’ it said.

Despite yourself, your heartbeat picked up upon seeing it and a familiar restlessness made you shiver. You shook your head, rolling your luggage towards the arrival hall, tapping your thumb against the handle of your roller, the strap of your duffel bag clutched tightly in your other hand. 

With every step, your heart jumped in anticipation. 

You turned the corner and your chest stilled. 

And at the sight you beheld, you were gone. It was like you were seventeen all over again.

To you, it was as if the world became brighter, the colors and shapes now sharper, and she was the light that made everything that much clearer. 

A thought rang clear in your mind, Oh, god, she’s right there.  And she’s so beautiful.

She was leaning back against one of the columns that lined the terminal, the darkness of her outfit a stark contrast against the white paint which made her all the more easier to spot. Her eyes were trained on her phone as she tapped away at it with a small, soft smile adorning her face; that, for some reason, made your heart ache. A few locks of her hair escaped the hold of her ear and they framed her face in such a way that made her look inviting and at the same time accentuated that air of untouchability that seemed to be always present around her. Some people recognised her as they walked past, their heads turning and fingers pointing, but none of them seemed to be inclined to disturb her, which you were grateful for.

Just one more minute, one more moment. You wanted to take her in as she was for just that bit longer. 

It was as if she sensed you because, not a second later, she looked up to scan the crowd briefly, and then you were locked in her gaze. There was still quite a distance left between the two of you but even from where you stood, you saw her face lit up to a beaming grin as she met your eyes. She tucked her phone into her back pocket and gingerly pushed off from the column to approach you, sidestepping the people in her way with ease. 

The next thing you knew, the familiar scent of wintergreen and mint, mixed with the faint sweetness of cinnamon and vanilla, washed over your senses. And the warm weight of her arms and body was all you could think about–could feel. Then a peck branded your cheek that left them feeling heated despite the dampness of her hair against your skin there.

Squinting through the sudden rawness of your eyes, you wrapped your arms around the strength of her, looping them around her waist as your hands found purchase on the small of her back. You hid your face in the safety of her neck, just like you’d done many times over the years. Like this, it was as if the two of you were still best of friends. Like you still knew each other like you used to. 

“Hello, pretty girl,” she breathed against your ear. “Welcome back.”

As she said this, you knew in your mind–believed–that you were finally home. And the thought was enough to steal and return your breath to you.

You whispered.

“It’s good to be home, Alexia.”

———

The car ride was silent. It had started to drizzle not long ago and it had grown heavy enough that Alexia needed to turn the windshield wipers on. The wipers made a steady rhythm when they met the hood of the car and made a slight squeaking noise as they moved up and down the windshield–two of the few sounds that made the air in the car bearable.

The world outside the passenger side’s window had devolved to blobs and blurs from the droplets that clung to the glass. Still, you kept your gaze there as guilt gnawed at your gut the same way you worked your lower lip between your teeth. 

The thing was, the walk to the car wasn’t bad at all. The both of you had chatted while Alexia led you to where she parked her car, your duffel bag hoisted casually over her shoulder despite your protests. But the moment the doors of her car slammed shut, so did you–it was as if all the weight of the past few months–exacerbated by the restless plane ride, finally hit you. 

And to Alexia’s credit, she’d done everything she could to remove the silence. She asked you about your flight (again) and when that didn’t work, she began to talk football. She asked you about your last season, about how you won your league and wondered about how that must’ve felt like for you. Alexia briefly turned the topic to Barça and sprinkled in some funny stories she hadn’t told you over the sparse messages you’d exchanged that you reacted to. You were just about to settle into the conversation when she inquired about your negotiations with the club and how you felt about returning to Barça; she solicited the reason that made you inclined to come back. At that, you clammed up again. Alexia didn’t seem to notice because she began to mention things you used to do or like–things she didn’t know you didn’t do nor like now–in the quest to get you talking.

For each question she asked, you’d given her back the same kind of nothing: a yes, a no, a hum. The simple drizzle had turned to steady rain pattering against the roof, and the calming sound did nothing to ease the growing tension in the car. Despite the desire to engage in a conversation with Alexia, it was as if all of your thoughts–or at least the capacity to string them together–were hiding behind the dark curtain of your mind, the heavy veil tailored from the same fabric that weighed in your chest. Weariness pervaded your bones and your soul, and it exhausted you past the point of exchanging pleasantries and niceness, a task now seemingly impossible.

So you excused yourself from the conversation. You told her it was jet lag. Alexia nodded in understanding, but the light in her eyes had dimmed, and she trained them on the road with deliberate focus, her lips tightening to a line fit for silence. 

Despite not having spent time with her like you used to the last two years you’d been away, the language of her face and body was still familiar to you–and how could they not when they’d carve themselves into the tissues of your mind?–enough to know that she wasn’t convinced at all with what you said. Because maybe, just maybe, you were to her as she was to you: familiar.

The thought provided little comfort, and the guilt felt heavier, another stone dropped into the pitcher.

And the feeling gave way to another thought, unpleasant in the way it told you what you already knew. Alexia took time to drive you to your apartment instead of resting for tomorrow’s practice, and this was how you treat her? How nice.

Then another.

Just like how you treated Olivia, right?

Your eyes closed from the sting that followed, a stitch torn from a newly-sewn wound. And you tried to prevent yourself from crying, but the darkness only served to rub salt to the cut as it made the fleeting images clearer and the words ever louder.

“I’m so stupid! So stupid…”

“Go. Please, just go. You won’t find happiness here.”

A touch to your arm startled you back to the present. The jostle from the gasp you let out was enough to make a tear fall, and you turned to Alexia who already had her eyes on you; her face graced with concern and a question. 

The car had stopped, and now parked outside of your apartment complex.

“What’s wrong?” Came the gentle question. 

Your heart lurched at the look she laid upon you, followed by an ache, a longing for the old times–back when you used to tell each other everything. But how could you tell her about this? About what led to this? When the fire from that night remained, glowing patiently as an ember in the dark, waiting for the wind to call her name again–to set her aflame again?

Another tear escaped your eye before you could turn away, which you brushed off with the back of your hand before you met Alexia’s gaze again.

“Nothing. I’m just–I’m sorry for being a bitch.” You said with a small, apologetic smile. 

Alexia traced some invisible path along your face, regarding you with a pensive look. The moment took long enough that you considered she’d press you for information. Instead, she teased softly with a half-smile, “Don’t worry about it. What else is new?”

Your shoulders eased down a bit.

“Still a smart-mouth, I see,” you laughed with more than a bit of air, “Indeed, what else is new?”

At that, Alexia chuckled with you but the pressing silence returned. 

Then Alexia sighed.

“How long has it been since we’ve played together?” 

Her brows knitted together at her own question as she leaned back against her seat, putting her hands behind her head which pulled the sleeves of her shirt up just enough to reveal the tattoo on the underside of her arm.

You casted your eyes aside, your gaze fleeting to the unlit window of your apartment.

A memory intruded your mind again.

“I’m not sure,” you half-whispered. 

“Two years.” Something in her tone told that she knew that you knew, but she didn’t call you out on it. But it seemed she was more inclined to call you out on something you said a long time ago. “I hope you’ve made peace with whatever made you leave all the way to the States of all places.”

You looked at her. Alexia’s brow was raised in silent expectation. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on.”

“‘Come on’, what?”

“You were offered a place in Lyon–in Bayern. Bayern! When I heard you were leaving, I went, ‘That’s it. Bayern has her’. Imagine my surprise when you said you were going to America.” Alexia scoffed as she gestured in the air with her hands for emphasis. A pause before she continued, “Now, tell me why you really went away.”

“I already told you.”

“Yeah. What was it you said? ‘I’ve always wanted to see what the competition is like there’? For someone who talked about Neuer and Bayern all the time second to Barça, it always made me think how and when the NWSL crossed your mind.” 

Guess you don’t know me that well then.

You bit your tongue before you could say it. Instead, you shrugged and sighed, hunching forward so you could rest your elbows on your knees, fingers clasping together as you twiddled your thumbs. “If you don’t want to believe what I said, that’s up to you. I stand by it.”

Alexia regarded you with that same deciphering look she’d been giving you the whole night. And as if she finally understood that she wasn’t going to get anywhere with you, she shook her head and sank back down in her seat.

“Indulge me, then. Tell me, what’s the verdict?” Alexia drawled, dripping with thinly-veiled sarcasm. 

It wasn’t like home.

“Really appreciate the judgment all over your tone, Alexia.” You replied drily then added, “And it was great, thank you very much.”

Alexia tilted her chin up to release a laugh. A strand of her hair fell out of place and she brushed it back with a finger.

“Well, you should tell me more about how you enjoyed yourself, then. I’m sure you have a lot of stories to tell.” You heard the unspoken words, ‘Stories you never bothered to tell me through the phone or during the instances we’d met during the time you were away.’

I would’ve enjoyed it better if you were there.

“Where do you want me to begin?” If Alexia heard the weary sigh in your tone, she made no indication she did. 

“I don’t know. Where do you want to start?”

I went away because of you.

“At this point, we’ll be here all night.” You laughed.

Alexia chuckled, and then softly she said, “Just tell me anything then.”

Distance didn’t work. My heart is still yours.

You hummed, thinking of a story, as you finally eased back on your seat and then you began. 

“Well…”

[ambivalentlandscape]

shoutout to the mountain goats for making the intimate violent and the violent intimate

[spreadicons]

icons by ramonaflomers ♥

like or reblog if you save ;*

[afterthelambs]

Ushijima-Oikawa parallels with Kageyama-Hinata

To me, Ushijima and Oikawa are like a tragic parallel to Hinata and Kageyama. If Oikawa had gone to Shiratorizawa then he and Ushijima could've had the partnership that Kagehina had. But because he didn't, they will never know what it's like to make the other feel invincible.

Shipping goggles aside, the parallels have to be intentional (haikyuu is too well-written for it to be just a coincidence): Both Ushijima and Kageyama were framed as naturally gifted volleyball monsters. Meanwhile Oikawa and Hinata believed that they were just average (even though the people around them know that they have their own strengths). Ushijima was the one who kept winning against Oikawa, just like how Kageyama was always ahead of Hinata. Both Hinata and Oikawa went abroad to gain experience so they could finally beat their rival. Ushijima and Kageyama are both awkward, intimidating, and ASD-coded while Hinata and Oikawa are framed as easy-going extroverted chatterboxes. These pairs are literally so similar it's crazy. Look at them and tell me it's not intentional

It also makes sense when you consider that their playstyles are also complementary. Kageyama and Hinata were a good match for each other because Hinata needed Kageyama's precision and Kageyama needed someone agile to match his own speed. But Ushijima's only requirement is for the ball to be set high and the right distance from the net so it's easy to hit. And which setter is known for dedicating themselves to their spikers, giving them easy sets? Oikawa. They truly could've been a terrifying duo.

I think Furudate was trying to show what Kageyama and Hinata could've been if they didn't team up. They'd still be strong, sure, but not invincible like they were in Karasuno. (as opposed to the Miya twins, who were supposed to show what they could've been like if they had an equal from the very beginning)

But in the end it all worked out for everyone! They all got to play on the world stage together. Ushijima and Oikawa even had their reconciliation at the all stars match (still waiting on the Oikawa-Kageyama reconciliation please please please 👀). They're all happy so I suppose it isn't actually tragic. I just cant help but wonder what could have been if Ushijima and Oikawa learned what it's like to be each other's greatest ally. Hinata and Kageyama were so lucky to have found each other after all.

[menlove]

[ophanim-vesper]

new AVM episode was fun

[nostalgicartoons]

Scott Pilgrim x Ramona Flowers matching icons ☆