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armpirate · 2 years ago

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A friend's help (Part 2) || JJK

Part 1

pairing: Jungkook x fem!reader || Best friends, friends to lovers

w.c.: 2.9k

Warnings: Smut, public sex, protected sex, vaginal penetration, teasing

Summary: After what happened the last time you were together, you've avoided him. Or, more like, you've been avoiding the rejection. Although maybe it'd have been better to talk things out earlier, and make things clear sooner.

After what happened the other day, you for sure knew something switched between you two. You were too lost in the way his dick filled you with every thrust, or the way his digits tightened around your throat in a dominant way to make you aware how he had full control over you, to think about the consequences that would come after that morning. Actually, the consequences were already there two minutes after you both came, with your sweaty and passed out bodies trying to recompose from everything that had happened. As if you two were finally aware of everything that had happened.

And maybe you didn’t make it any better when, instead of staying and seeing how things went, you ran away as soon as he went to the bathroom. You disappeared as if you had committed one of the worst crimes and you didn’t want to deal with the consequences. But they were there on every text, every call… Jungkook even asked Tae and Jimin to reach out to you in case they saw you around college, just to let you know he wanted to speak with you.

But you didn’t want to speak to him. The reason why was still unclear. You didn’t know if it was embarrassment from what happened, multiplied per two after you ran away. or maybe you were scared. You didn’t want to get dumped. Or more like you weren’t ready to hear him say it was a mistake, and that you two should try to forget it and go back to normal -which, knowing Jungkook, was the closest answer to reality. He treasured your friendship, and that combined with how much he wanted to talk things out to keep it that way, made you scared of the next words you’d exchange. Because maybe you weren’t ready to be rejected again, or to be called a mistake.

Sooner or later you’d have to deal with him anyway.

You sighed while trying to focus on the characters in the book. Trying to study in your shared apartment was crazy because of your roommate. But, at that point, the noise wasn’t only from the outside. Your head kept blurting his name every two words you read. It didn’t matter if you were in the library, in class, or in the fucking desert trying to get some peace. Your mind wasn’t able to focus on the concepts you needed to memorize, and it was frustrating you awfully.

Clicking your tongue, you threw your pen over the book and stretched your leg, hitting the chair in front of you accidentally. Your whole body reacted to the several hushes and annoyed looks after the sound it made, sitting straight properly and focusing your eyes back in the book as you apologized.

You didn’t even bother at the -again- scratchy sound of the chair in front of you -and that earned more complaints from those around you-, basically because it wasn’t you who moved it that time. At least you didn’t care until you saw a familiar inked arm through the corner of your eye. You should’ve guessed it was Jungkook, because only him would be dumb enough to drag the chair instead of pulling it by raising it slightly from the ground in a library. Despite being aware of his presence, you still pretended he wasn’t there. You were too bad at hiding your feelings though. Even if you were fighting yourself, your eyes still flew over him, as carefully as possible, while trying to hide your face behind your hand and hair.

“Y/n, please” he finally called you in a whisper, when your eyes clumsily met his in one of those scans. “We need to talk”.

You knew what you had to talk about wouldn’t be good. He was getting the field ready to dump you. And, honestly, you didn’t need to.

Sighing, knowing you’d have no escape from that conversation, you stood up and held the book you were trying to read to put it back on its shelf. And Jungkook followed right behind you, still willing to speak to you even if it got him to corner you in this library and not letting you go until you made things clear.

It had been only a few days since you disappeared, but it honestly felt like weeks for him. He was so used to having you around almost daily, that going four days without seeing you felt like a burden.

He also didn’t understand why you ran away, or why you were avoiding him. At first, he thought that what happened between you two was amazing. He swore he never had that kind of complicity with someone ever in his life. Yet you were running away, and he was chasing after you like the big dumb ass he was. Because he wanted an answer, he wanted to work things out. He wanted to understand a lot of things. And although he hadn't done anythything to hurt you or make you mad, he still asked: “Did I do something wrong?”.

The guilt in his voice got you holding back a lot of your insecurities. He didn’t do anything wrong. He wouldn’t ever do anything wrong. And maybe that was the reason you were avoiding him. Because even if he regretted that morning, he’d never try to hurt you while letting you know, which would only make you fall harder for him. Because what’s more attractive in a man than consideration and care? And Jungkook was all that personified.

“You didn’t do anything wrong” you turned to him.

“Then why are you avoiding me?” his eyes were looking for an answer in your face, because he had known you long enough to know it’d take you a lot to word your thoughts.

And there you were again. Ready to play the role of the bad friend, just like you were used to, only so he wouldn’t be the one hurting you, you told the biggest lie you’d ever told anyone. “What happened the other day was a mistake” and of course you didn’t feel that way, but it was better you saying it than him. “I just needed some time to think, and I guess it’d be better if we set some space between us for a while”.

While Jungkook was processing your words, you took your chance to run away again. Picking all of your things from the table to find somewhere else to study. Maybe an empty classroom could work. But obviously there wasn’t a single classroom open that day, you’d just have to wander around the campus until you found a calm spot where to study.

Or that was the main plan before you were dragged towards one of the doors outside. Jungkook’s grip wasn’t hurtful, but it was harsh enough so you wouldn’t try to sneak away again. Finally setting you free as he closed the door behind him, eyes meeting you again.

He took you to your safe corner. Since it was outside, at the back of the campus, no one ever came around that place. How you discovered it was still inexplicable, but that's another story.

The fact that, out of all the places, he chose to take you there, where your only escape was the door you two had just crossed, blocked any type of attempt to avoid the conversation.

Oh, he really wanted to speak.

“A mistake? Seriously?” both of his hands were on his hips “That’s what you really think?”.

“Yeah” you grabbed tighter onto the band of your bag. “Isn’t that what you think, too?”. When it came to catching hints, you weren’t the brightest. Because not only Jungkook insisted on talking with you, he bothered to chase after you and corner you so he’d get an explanation to your words.

Of course he didn’t regret it. But maybe you also needed to hear it from him.

“No” he seemed horrified to ever think of it that way. “Fuck, no. Why the fuck would I regret it?”.

Actually, you had come up with many reasons as to why he’d regret it, but in that moment you went blank. Because what happened was amazing, and there was no way anyone in their sane mind would think of regretting it.

“What happened the other day was awesome” he assured you, “You’re awesome”. He tilted his head, finding your lips way too tempting even in that situation. “You really didn’t like it? you regret it?”.

Time to be honest.

“I loved it” you sighed, “but…”.

Your heart raced as he stepped closer to you. It was like you said the right words to switch the vibes, and the conversation per se. “But?” he insisted, cornering you between his body and the wall.

“But our friendship…” you started with your voice going weaker with each letter.

“Fuck the friendship�� and those were his last words before his lips crashed against yours without a previous warning.

His tongue was everywhere, his hands were everywhere, as if he had been starving for weeks and he was finally getting his treat. He pinned you against the wall, pressing his body tighter against yours as if he really wanted to make sure you wouldn’t run. His tight grip on your hips also made it impossible for you to even try to move away. Not like you were thinking of doing it either.

“Four fucking days” he muttered between kisses. “You have no idea how crazy I’ve gone these four days”.

And so did you. Going nuts trying to guess were his thoughts and feelings laid regarding this topic. Just to find out you’d been overthinking it for no reason.

You gasped at the sudden touch of his cold hands on the warm skin of your waist under your sweater. But soon your body would get used to them, or maybe it was too distracted on other things, like how both of your tongues swirled together before your lips were linked again.

You thought that was only a waning of what was yet to come later that day, but how wrong you were. Jungkook’s hands sneaked all the way down your sweater, reaching your covered tits. You held onto his shoulders and nape, as if there was a way you could get any closer.

There was.

You raised one of your legs to his waist, both of your clothed crotches grinding against one another, getting both of you ready with every move of your hips. He pinched your nipples over your bra, as a warning for the bulge that was forming under his pants and that you were humping against.

“I’ll have to fuck you here if you don’t stop doing that” his lips made their way down your jaw.

“Then fuck me here” you dared him.

For any other person, it’d have come up as a joke. But not for Jungkook, who was getting ready to fuck your brains out, even if both of you were risking getting caught. He slid his hand between your bodies, down your skirt, to palm your already wet clothed pussy. Your panties moved easily under his fingers, with all the slickness coming out of you, and that made his cock twitch inside his pants. Knowing how bad you wanted him was driving him crazy.

Sliding your panties aside, exposing your pussy to the chilly weather, he slid one of his fingers through your drenched slit, spreading your wetness over your pussy. “Hmm… Do you need my cock here?” he teased you, tapping the tip of his finger at your entrance.

“Uh huh” you were only able to say.

“You deserve it?” he questioned, while unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. “I’m not sure if you deserve to be fucked after ignoring me for four days” you whimpered when he moved his fingers away from you.

And while he was saying all that, you knew he was just trying to push your buttons, because he was looking for a condom in his wallet, throwing it to the floor carelessly to wrap himself with the latex.

“It won’t happen again. Ple…” that word got stuck in your throat when he thrusted in you without a previous warning.

He started moving in and out slowly. One hand behind your knee to keep your leg up around his waist, while the other hand grabbed your neck, making sure you kept eye contact every time your hips met. That movement was tortuous. Not only for you, for him, too. He was battling every single need to fuck you rough against the wall, holding himself back every time your walls hugged him tight.

“You feel so fucking good, baby” he groaned, bending over you to suck and kiss your neck, balls deep in you.

He was being so unfair, making you wait for his good moves, while teasing a sensitive spot in your neck. He didn’t care about your needy hands on his back and waist, or your almost muted whimpers, or your grinds, or how your pussy clenched tight around him. After what happened the last time, he wanted to enjoy every single second he spent inside of you, even if that meant skipping classes -or even being caught.

“Kook, please” your fingers dug in his hair, pulling him closer just to feel his tongue on your earlobe again.

“Will you run away again?” he whispered.

“I won’t. I promise” how needy you were was so easy to tell by the tone of your voice. And that made him proud, making his cock twitch deep inside you.

“Not more running, Y/n” he bit your neck, “and not more depriving me from fucking you”.

Your desperate nods settled the start for everything. Pleased with your answer, he lifted your body, wrapping his waist with both of your thighs before he pinned you against the wall. He attacked your lips first, linking your mouths for a sloppy kiss that would get his lips humid enough with both of your spit to go down to your tits, raising your sweater over them and folding the cups of your bra so he could suck on your already hard buttons.

His warm and wet mouth closing around your nipple made your head fall back instantly, finally being aware of the several windows on the upper floors. It’d only take someone to take a look outside to find you in that position. But before you could even worry about it, Jungkook’s hips started rocking against yours, his cock coming in and out faster with each thrust.

You were crazy for ever thinking of giving it up on this feeling, or on Jungkook in general. The way he looked at you, the depth of his kisses, the promises in each one of his words… You wanted to feel this fuck out forever.

Faster than letting your gasps turn into moans, you were the one who pulled Jungkook in for another kiss, drowning all of your moans with his tongue. He knew how dangerous it was to be caught there, he knew how much you two were risking, but he wanted to hear you again like the last time. No, he needed to hear how good he was making you feel.

Breaking the kiss, he started talking again “I love to hear you, babe. Let me know how good my cock feels” he bit your chin. “Moan a bit for me”.

But that was too much.

Seeing you weren’t going to give in to his petition, Jungkook angled his hips to a particular spot, rubbing the tip of his cock against a spot that would make you tighten your legs around him and hold onto him for dear life as he fucked you in that position. Desperate to shut the incoming sounds, you tried to kiss Jungkook again, but every single time he moved his head back.

Pressing your lips together in an ill attempt to keep yourself quiet, you only encouraged him to go faster. And that was when the first low moan came out, joining the several body claps of your bodies every time you collided against one another. Jungkook smiled victorious, fucking into you, drunk with the feeling and feeling dizzy by the sounds you made.

“Kook” you warned him, throwing your head back.

“Me, too, babe” he hid his face on the crook of your neck, keeping the pace and rhythm, it only took you a few more thrusts to finally collapse in his arms, drowning the guttural moan at the back of your throat. And a few thrusts later, Jungkok joined you, biting the skin of your shoulder while he rocked his hips slower every time.

You hugged each other for a few minutes, trying to recompose from your high, while thinking through what all of this could mean to your friendship.

“I think it’s fair to assume our friendship is doomed” he joked, making you giggle.

“Good thing is that I don’t really care” he rubbed his thumbs over the exposed skin on your thighs, spreading soft kisses across your shoulder and neck.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he finally looked at you, breath still a bit shaky.

“That I want something more” you were brave enough to say out loud what you’d been thinking all of those years since you met him, and acted like you were fine with being just one of his buddies.

“Well,” he sighed “good thing is that I want the exact same” those final words made you smile big, before he leaned for another kiss.

#jjkvibe #ff #jungkook #jeon jungkook #jungkookxreader #jk #bts #kookie #smut #jungkook smut #one shot #reader insert

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roostersup · 7 months ago

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A Friend for Leander Prewett

OKAY- so a few days ago I asked what Leander fans saw as the character's redeemable qualities, because honestly I couldn't see any but was curious. The responses I got were so great; I feel like I am totally seeing him a new light. So thank you @cuffmeinblack, @blueraineshadows, @imagrindylow, and @peppermintpolly362 for helping me see from another perspective!

SO, I decided I would try to write him with more of those redeemable qualities that I missed, in hopes in the future I give his character some more credit. I have had a few one shots already to my finished book 1 of my fanfic and added one about Leander. I call it:

A Friend for my Friend

word count: 6591

I'll put the full story below, but here are the links if you'd rather read it on the other sites (or if you wanna just read the whole fanfic because ya know that'd be cool too.)

Wattpad // Fanfic // A03

I know I am still not doing Leander the justice he deserves, but I think I am at least moving in the right direction (that I want to move in I might add). So I hope you guys enjoy!!

“I swear Leander, if you sigh one more time I am going to knock you upside the head with this textbook.”

The redhead with his face down on the table turned it so he was now looking at her. He had his lips pouted out and his forehead was as red as his hair from laying directly on the table. He had been like that for at least 5 minutes, giving a huge sigh every 30 seconds or so. Jane had ignored it for a while, but she was about to lose it.

“You’re supposed to ask me why I’m upset.” He said dramatically.

“And you’re supposed to be helping me with Herbology!”

She shot him a glare, which usually scared him into stopping whatever annoying behavior he was doing, but it didn’t work today. Instead he just turned his face back to the table, letting out another sigh.

Jane closed her textbook; she wasn’t going to get any more work done when he was like that. And as annoyed as she felt, he seemed to be serious about whatever it was.

“Fine, I’ll bite. What’s wrong?”

“I’m lonely.” His voice was muffled because he was still face down on the table.

“Lonely? What are you talking about? You’ve literally been following me around all afternoon leading up to our this study session.”

“Exactly. I’ve been with you because I’ve been lonely.” he turned towards her again. “Ever since you and Garreth got together I feel like I am all on my own.”

“All on your own? You mean for the three days Garreth and I have been together?”

It was just last Saturday that she had confessed to the other red head, leaving Sunday and now Monday that they had officially been dating. You could technically even call that two days if you really timed it out. On top of that, Jane hadn’t even really seen Garreth yet today since they didn’t share any classes- so how were things different?

“Leander, are you trying to tell me you are lonely because you don’t have a girlfriend?”

“YES!” He said loudly, finally sitting up. “And also no. I mean a girlfriend would be nice, but I just wish I had someone that I could pair off with. Up until this year it had been Garreth, but now I have to share my time with you.”

“Mmmm yeah splitting custody is rough,” Jane said with a smile, knowing only she would get her little joke. “But you know things aren’t going to be that different, I mean, we don’t really have the opportunity to be together all of the time.”

“Yeah but now that you aren’t spending time with Sallow that leaves lots of time for Garreth and we both know that he’s going to choose you over me.”

Jane didn’t answer, she felt like if she agreed with him she would just make things worse- and she didn’t want to lie. It may not be like this forever, but they would probably spend lots of time together since their change in relationship was so new.

“So, you’re feeling lonely now that Garreth and I will be spending more time together and want to find someone that you can spend time with as well.”

“Yes.” he said with a nod.

“And you want my help with that?”

“Well I’ve been trying to do that for years now, and Garreth is all I have to show for it. Since you came along though suddenly Sweeting, Onai, and even Gaunt will actually talk to me. Surely with your help I’ll be able to get another friend.”

Jane thought it over. Sure she had issues with Leander in the past, but that was mostly behind them at this point. He could be pretty annoying, but now most of the time it was endearing. She knew a lot of people seemed to avoid him though because of the things that he would say. He had basically no filter and shared his opinion very freely, with basically as little tact as possible.

He really wasn’t as bad as his reputation made him out to be though. For example, Jane saw some good in the way that Leander spoke to others. Sure he had a hard time reading the room, but you could always trust what he said to be his honest opinion. You never had to worry that he would lie or hide things from you. What he said is what he meant and there was comfort in that. If she put forth some effort to help him it probably wouldn’t be too hard for others to see the same- right?

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

“Really???” Leander asked, perking up even more.

“Yes, but if we are doing this- we are doing it my way.”

Jane pulled the chalkboard closer to the desk and started writing. Some education was in order for phase one of: Get Leander a Friend.

“Is this really necessary?” The gryffindor boy asked, looking up at her impatiently as he sat at the desk just in front of her.

“Yes, now shush.” She continued writing, then moved to the back side and wrote some more.

“Okay!” Jane said loudly as she moved back to the front, making Leander jump. “Let’s begin.”

She reached out with her wand and pointed to the words she had just written.

“Rule number one in making friends. Always be yourself.”

Leander started scribbling furiously down on his paper.

“There is no point in trying to be someone that you aren’t when finding a friend. If you just put on a mask to get them to like you, then they were never really friends with you- just who you pretended to be. That’s not fair to them and it's not fair to you. Sure some people may not like you when you are genuinely yourself, but you shouldn’t be friends with those people anyway.”

Jane folded her arms, pausing to let Leander catch up. He didn’t need to take notes, but honestly she thought it was kinda cute so she didn’t stop him. When he finished writing she continued.

“Now, rule number two-” Jane flipped the board showing the other side. “Be yourself with a grain of salt.”

“Wait but you just said-”

“Shush.” Jane said to the confused looking boy. “Keep writing.”

He rolled his eyes, but moved back down to the paper.

“Everyone has good and bad qualities- that’s what makes us human. When you are making a new friend though, it’s easiest to showcase the good qualities first, while giving them time to adjust to the not so nice ones.”

She started pacing back and forth at the front of the room, true lecture teacher style.

“Take my friendship with Poppy. In the beginning she was drawn to me because I was nice and helpful, two good qualities about myself. We started out as acquaintances but over time as we were together more she saw more than just the good sides of me. She saw me frantic, loud, and anxious- but it didn’t drive her away. Because we had built a foundation of friendship already, it was easier for her to see me as more than just my less endearing qualities.”

“Is that how all friendships are made?” Leander asked, still writing away.

“Well no, technically a friendship can start from anything- but there’s not much strategy to those, you just sorta get lucky. Like with Ominis; he literally only saw the worst of me for like, a decent amount of time but he still chose to be my friend.”

She stopped pacing.

“Actually, I’m pretty lucky that we are friends at all. I made it really really hard for him to be my friend, and still he gave me a chance in the end. Theoretically, he should hate me at this point, but instead I’d say he’s my best friend.”

“Wow, that does sound lucky.” He commented, not looking up from his writing. “But I think you’re a pretty great person. Even if all he saw was bad stuff I’m sure it wasn’t hard to see the good eventually.”

Jane was a little thrown off by his compliment. “Uh, thanks Leander.”

“Sure. Anyway, was there really nothing else that you did?”

She shrugged. “I mean, I guess I just never stopped trying. He would push me away, but I would come back anyway. It was kind of a stupid strategy though because everytime I came back I just did something that pushed him away more. And then in the end it was just up to him to look past all my mistakes.” Damn, he really is the best.

“ANYWAY,” Jane continued, pulling her thoughts away from Ominis. “We want to try to find you a friend by putting your best qualities out there first. So, what are your good qualities?”

“I’m great at quidditch!” The boy responded enthusiastically.

“That's…. debatable,” Jane said hesitantly, starting her pace again. “Also not something we can really showcase at school. What else?”

Leander tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I’m great at Herbology,”

“Okay yeah, we can work with that.”

She moved back over to the board and erased her second rule. Then she wrote out great at herbology at the top. Below she listed some of the things she had thought of before such as; honest and genuine. When she turned back towards him he was making a weird face up at her.

“Awe, you think I’m honest and genuine?”

She krinkled her nose. “Well they were better words than blunt and crude. Now what else you got?”

In the end they only added two more things to the list, which was pretty sad, but it wasn’t without effort. Leander’s self awareness was very strong in that he was aware that there weren’t tons of likable qualities about him…. At least not ones that were easily discernible. But they did put down passionate and fun. Even if it wasn’t a big list though, it was still enough for them to work with.

Now onto phase two- picking out the target or um, potential friend.

“Oh look, they’re carrying a huge stack of books- go now!” Jane said excitedly, pointing at the student who had just come out of the library.

“What now???”

“Yes, now.” She gave Leander a shove and sent him sprawling out towards their first victim..

They had spent the last half hour scouting out random students coming to and from the library and heading to their classes. Jane had decided that now the easiest way for the Gryffindor boy to spark up a conversation would be to help his soon to be friend with some sort of task. Then when he helped them with their books, for example, he could continue talking to them wherever they needed to go.

Well this was actually plan B, since their first had fallen through. Initially Jane had just taken Leander to other 5th years that she knew were friendly and tried to facilitate a conversation. It didn't go well though because apparently within his last five years in school the friendless redhead had said and done A LOT to piss off most of the kids in his year.

She had started with Amit, seeing as the three of them shared astronomy together. Apparently outside of being polite when she was around, the Ravenclaw didn’t want much to do with Leander. In their second year he had said something to Amit that he meant as a joke, but ended up being kinda racist towards his families’ heritage. At that moment there didn’t seem to be much in a way of coming back from that one.

They went down the list of almost all the 5th years that Jane knew, and Leander had somehow managed to offend them all. Jane wanted to start him out on more of a clean slate, but it was hard to do when everyone already had so many prejudices towards him. So she switched tactics and went for new faces rather than old ones.

Now as she watched him nervously talk to the random person behind their stack of books Jane felt a little nervous. This was actually getting to be a lot harder than she thought. The struggle that he had gone through was starting to be much more evident to her. It made her feel for him more, and how lonely his time here probably was. It also made her even more grateful that Garreth was such a good guy and that they had found companionship together.

“Hello love!” Came the voice she had apparently summoned.

Garreth moved in quickly next to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Jane smiled as he placed multiple kisses around her face, planting the last on her lips. It gave her butterflies and made her want to pull him back in for more.

“I’ve missed you! I hate that I was so busy this afternoon, but I’m done with all my things now!” He moved back in close to her face, nuzzling his nose up close to her ear. Then he whispered; “Want to go find an empty classroom?”

Jane felt her face flush and was about to quickly agree when she realized what she had already been doing. So instead she grabbed his face, pushing it away and sliding out of his reach.

“No, no I can’t. I’m helping Leander with something right now.” She looked at him seriously, but melted a little when she saw the sad puppy dog face. “But I did miss you too.”

She reached over and grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. Almost immediately he broke into another grin and scooted back over to her.

“You’re helping Lea? With what?”

Jane pointed over to where the other redhead was still standing. “I’m helping him make a new friend.”

“A new friend?”

“Yeah. I thought it would be a good idea to try finding someone he could help first. That way he can naturally get his foot in the door and hopefully off to a good start.”

“That sounds good, but I think you might have chosen wrong with this one.”

“What?” Jane said, turning back to her boyfriend. “Why?”

Garreth had a grimace on his face as he looked over at his friend.

“Because you just sent him to talk to Zenobia Noke.”

Jane heard a loud thud and turned quickly back to the pair. Zenobia, who was now visible since her books had been dropped on the floor, was currently tearing Leander a new one. The girl whipped out her wand and brandished it at the Gryffindor who looked totally stricken, unable to move let alone defend himself. It seemed she wasn’t going to let the person responsible for her missing gobstones get away as easily this time.

Both Garreth and Jane ran over to them, hoping to stop anything from getting worse. Garreth started to try to appease the younger girl, while Jane just grabbed Leander’s hand and started to run. She figured the best plan was to run away, since she couldn’t really fault the girl for wanting to get even…. It was better they just get out of there.

“This is hopeless!” Leander said, back into his wallowing position; face down on the table.

They were in the Gryffindor common room now, a safe place from feral young Ravenclaws. After escaping Zenobia Jane had convinced Leander to try a few more times to make a friend, but none had worked out. The failed attempts were less dramatic, but still just as disheartening.

“Hey don’t worry about it mate,” Garreth said, patting his friend on the back. “We can always have you try again tomorrow.”

“Yeah, and we have herbology, so maybe we could find someone in there you can connect with.” Jane added, trying to sound reassuring.

“I’m going to bed.” He replied sullenly, and wallowed off to his dorm.

“Poor guy.” Garreth said as he watched his friend go. Once he was gone though he turned quickly back to Jane. “Well now that we’re alone-”

He moved in to try to kiss her again, but Jane held her hand out to his face, meeting his lips to her palm. She stared out towards the fire, totally unfazed by him.

“There has got to be someone in this school who Leander can be friends with. I mean, I think if anyone gave him a chance they would see he’s a great guy, but no one seems to want to do that.”

“Yeah that seems to be the problem,” Garreth said, his mouth still up against her hand. “No one seems to be desperate enough to want to give him a go after all this time.”

“It's true.” Jane tapped her chin with her fingers from her free hand. “So then maybe we need to just look for someone who is as desperate for friends as Leander is.”

“And probably someone who likes Herbology.” Garreth replied, finally giving up and scooting back.

“Yeah, desperate and herbology….”

Then it hit her, like a message from above. She knew the perfect victim.

After Herbology class the next day Jane had invited Leander to play a round of Summoners Court with her, which he happily agreed to. He had still been pretty sulky most of the morning, but seemed to come out of it once they started playing.

Summoners Court for sure was not her favorite thing to play in the original game, mostly because she always lost, but here it wasn’t so bad. Leander was so animated when he played; cheering excitedly when he got points and acting devastated if the ball rolled off. It was kind of hilarious and Jane ended up laughing most of the time.

She ended up losing the first round, so she took the bait when he challenged her for another. When she won the second round they had to play a third to see who broke the tie, and before she knew it they had missed lunch entirely. Jane didn’t mind though, it had been a lot of fun- even if she had lost overall. All his gloating didn’t help though, dude was a sore winner.

When they were done Jane tried to casually bring up the idea of trying at the friend thing again. The boy was in such a good mood she didn’t really want to spoil it, but she also didn’t want him to give up. To her surprise though he agreed, although it came with a bit of complaining. She had noticed that was also kind of his thing. He whined a lot, but never gave up, which to Jane was worth being put in the “good qualities” list.

With his approval to try again though, Jane led them towards a part of the castle where she knew she would find their next potential friend candidate. She prayed inwardly that this was going to go a lot better than the last attempt.

When they got to where they were going though Leander suddenly stopped, throwing himself off to the side.

“Jane no, please anyone but him.” he said, hiding behind a pillar in the hallway.

“You want a friend, he wants a friend, I can’t imagine anything better.”

She grabbed his arm and attempted to pull him away from his hiding spot. She knew Leander had spotted the other person and that was why he was hiding, but she would be damned if she let him give up now.

“But does it really have to be Puffskien Dunkein??”

“Well this isn’t going to work at all if you call him that!”

She let go of his arm and put her hands on her hips, trying to look as much like an authority figure as she could.

“Come on Leander, you have got to give him a chance. He might be the only person left in our year who would be willing to see past your previous mistakes. You’re a great guy, you just need someone to give you a chance!”

She ended her little speech by trying to mimic Garreth’s signature puppy dog eyes. Normally she didn’t think she could pull them off but Leander seemed pretty soft so she hoped it would do the trick. He seemed to go back and forth about it in his head, his face mimicking his thoughts. Then finally he let out a sigh and nodded his head.

“Okay okay, I’ll go talk to Puff- uh I mean, Duncan Hobhouse.”

“Good luck!” She said brightly, watching him turn and walk away. She really REALLY hoped that this would go well.

“I cannot believe you set him up with Puffskein Dunkein” Ominis said, chuckling to himself at the library table.

It was Friday now, and the two of them had just finished their History of Magic class and were now studying charms. It had been three days that Leander and Duncan had been talking, three days of their blossoming friendship. A friendship that, for some reason, Ominis Gaunt had heard about.

“I didn’t set him up, I just nudged him in the right direction.” Jane replied, a smile growing on her face. “How did you find out anyway?”

“It seems to be a popular topic for some reason, I’ve heard more than one person in my classes mention it.”

“Really? Why? Kind of a boring thing to talk about; people making friends.”

“Who knows; people will find anything to gossip about these days. Although it has made the talk about you and Garreth being together lessen quite a bit. Everyone seems to have deemed that old news.”

Jane felt her face get hot, and she was glad Ominis wouldn’t be able to see her flush. She had told him initially that she was going to try things out with Garreth, but it was still weird to hear him talk about it.

“Ah well that’s good to hear. Anyway, I think things are going well between the two of them, Leander and Duncan I mean. I haven’t had much time to ask Leander about it but I’ve seen them chatting together more than once.”

Jane thought about the pairing some more, feeling happy with how things worked out.

“They’re a pretty good match if you think about it. Duncan is great at Charms, which is where Leander struggles, but does well enough with the summoning charm that they can play Summoners Court together. And I don’t know how he does in class but I’ve heard Hobhouse has an interest in herbology so there's something that they can talk about as well. Plus they're both kind of misfits so hopefully that can bring them together.”

Ominis chuckled again, seemingly amused with Jane’s musings.

“Well hopefully it stays that way. Although I’m not Prewett’s biggest fan, I still would hate to know he had to struggle because of that coward.”

“You know, I still don’t know why it is you hate Duncan so much.”

“Yes but Hobhouse knows, and that’s enough.”

When they finished studying they made their way towards the great hall for lunch, talking happily as they went. It seemed things would just play out as a normal day, until they made it up to the doors, in which everything turned upside down.

“You mean to tell us you got that entire thing all by yourself?”

It was Everett’s high pitched voice that rang in around the hallway. Jane turned to see a group of what mostly looked like Ravenclaw students, but there was some red and yellow in there as well. At the center of the group was Duncan Hobhouse, holding a big ass leaf.

“Of course I did- traversed through the hidden herbology corridor all on my own. Plucked the leaf off, and made it back out.”

There were murmuring throughout the crowd, most of them looking pretty amazed. It seemed the only ones who weren’t convinced was Everett- along with the pair listening off to the side. As she listened, Jane got a horrible sinking feeling in her gut. From what she understood about Duncan in the game, there was no way he got in there all on his own.

She put two and two together quickly; figuring Leander was actually the one responsible for getting the Venomous Tentacula leaf. She personally had avoided the side quest, but it seemed her interference between the two found the task completed anyway. But with what intentions had he convinced Leadner to do it…. She needed to figure the truth out quickly.

“Ominis I need you to go over there,” Jane whispered, leaning close into his ear.

“What? To talk to Hobhouse?”

“Yes. I need you to ask in front of everyone if Leander was actually the reason for the leaf.”

“Ah yes, okay-” Ominis immediately pointed his red blinking wand towards the group and started to walk over. Jane took a step back and tried to hide herself around the corner so she was out of sight.

“I still say it's fake.” Jane heard Everett say annoyed.

“We can go take it to Professor Garlick to confirm if you like, but it will just make you look worse.” Was the other boy’s retort.

She could imagine the smug look on Duncan’s face and suddenly her sinking feeling was turning into a bit of range. She tried to calm herself- nothing had been confirmed yet. There was a possibility that if Leander did get it for him that their friendship was still genuine.

“Are you sure your sudden emergence with the leaf isn’t due to your new friendship with Prewett?” Ominis’ voice called out over the crowd. “Seems a bit out of character for a coward such as yourself to traverse such a place on your own.”

Even from her distance, Jane could feel the shift in the crowd. Suddenly things felt a lot more tense, which made her nervous.

“Well Gaunt-” The other boy replied with pointed rage. “That is exactly my point. This proves that the narrative of me being a coward is false. If I can do this then surely a mere Puffskein is nothing.”

“You didn’t answer my question though,” said Ominis, and Jane peaked from her hiding place to see a sly grin cross her friend’s face. “Was it really even you who acquired the leaf, or rather did you use your new friend, who we all know excels within the subject of Herbology, to do the dirty work for you?”

“You’re daft Gaunt, of course it was me.” Duncan responded coldly.

“Well then maybe it was just excellent timing that the two of you became friends right when you got up the courage to get to leaf. But as far as I can tell, this just proves you’re more of a coward than I had initially thought Puffskein Dunkein.”

There were more murmurs in the crowd, and then Everett started going off on confirming Ominis’ points. He talked about how everyone knew Duncan had just started up a friendship with the Gryffindor boy, and that Herbology really was Leander’s best class. It seemed everyone was piecing the truth together.

“WE ARE NOT FRIENDS!” Duncan called out over the crowd, and everyone stopped. Jane felt her heart drop.

“Just because that pratt has been following me around for the last few days doesn’t mean that we are friends. He probably just realized I was the only one who might have been desperate enough to willingly talk to him.”

“So, you’re not friends?” Ominis asked.

“Of course not-” He called back. “Actually having him around has been motivation enough to go and get the plant to prove to you all I’m not as ridiculous as you might have thought. That way I can make sure that he knows he isn’t worth my time, or anybody’s for that matter.”

The smug look on the bastard’s face dropped slightly when he caught sight of Jane walking up to the group. Maybe it was because he thought she might know the real story, or possibly it was the rage that burned within her glare towards him. Either way, he knew he was fucked.

“Where does the Herbology Corridor lead out to?” Jane asked over the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention to her.

“What?” His voice was shaky.

“The hidden corridor, where does the other exit lead you?” She continued walking towards him, the crowd parting for her as she passed by them.

“Uhh, the other exit?”

“Well, I can’t believe you would trek all the way back through the corridor after getting the leaf, when the ladder was just right there next to the plant leading up to the trap door.”

Now that he had made his feelings towards Leander clear, Jane was ready to expose this little bug for the pest that he really was. She may not generally agree with the statement; once a coward always a coward, but in this case it fit.

“Oh well, it comes out in one of the green houses of course.” He tried to look confident as he said it, but Jane knew it was a bluff. It had been a good one though, seeing as it was right, but he didn’t know that.

“Mmm nice try, but the trap door is hidden under the tree by the astronomy table back in the same courtyard. The corridor does a switch back, which you would have known- if you actually went inside.”

“Ah did I say in the greenhouse? What I meant was right outside of the green house.”

“You are a pathetic excuse for a Ravenclaw.” Jane said, now looming in towards him. She could feel her magic start to bubble through her as her rage started to climb, but she kept it at bay- for now. The group was quiet around her, everyone watching the show they expected to see.

“All those brains and you didn’t even come up with a decent lie to tell us all. You could have had Leander come and corroborate your story, to tell everyone that it “really” was you who got the leaf. And he would have done it too, because he is one of the most genuine and committed people I have ever met. But you were too thick headed to see beyond your own ego.”

She held her wand out towards him, and watched as all the blood drained from his face.

“He wanted nothing more than to be your friend, and was probably willing to do whatever it took- and yet you abused him. You dragged him through the mud along with your own shitty reputation, and what do you have to show for it? Well, other than the ass handing you're about to get; you also lost the only person who would have ever willingly called you a friend.”

Jane took another step forward, placing her wand at the boy’s neck. Her anger was almost totally out of control, despite the even level that she kept her voice at. Of course she wasn’t going to do anything too crazy, but he was really going to regret using her friend like he did.

“You really are such a coward-”

She was about to yell out a spell; maybe pull a James Potter and hang him upside down for some total humiliation, but then there was a hand on her shoulder. With a pulse of magic at the contact she turned to see Ominis standing next to her.

“He’s not worth it Jane,” He said quietly, pulling her gently away. “We’re right outside the great hall- as soon as he screams a teacher will be out here in a moment. Your time is much too valuable to waste in detention for Puffskein Dunkein.”

At his words, and touch, Jane started to deflate. Ominis was right, as much as she hated to admit it. It was hard to think of any reasoning against him though so she lowered her wand. At her movement Duncan let out a breath like he was going to pass out and Jane smirked.

“If I ever hear you say anything about my friend again, you wont get off as easily.”

He nodded quickly, looking more than a little relieved. Jane turned to go, Ominis’ hand still on her shoulder.

“You made the right choice.” He said, walking a few steps beside her.

“Only because you asked.” She replied flatly, suddenly feeling a bit annoyed she was walking away. “That bug deserved to be squashed.”

“Oh I quite agree,” Ominis said with a smile and before Jane knew it he had left her and turned back to the group. He pointed his wand towards Duncan and yelled out Entomorphis. Then suddenly Puffskein Dunkein was on all fours with an antenna sprouting out of his head, his face distorting.

The group shrieked, drawing the attention from people heading towards the great hall. Jane watched with wide eyes as Ominis casted Aresto Momentum to stop the now scrambling Duncan from scurrying away. Then the blind boy magicked him up into the air so that anyone in the corridor would be able to see him.

People were laughing and pointing at the spectacle that was Duncan Hobhouse as a bug. Peeves also happened to float by and was left in a giggle fit at the show that was before him. And even though she was enjoying it, Jane ran over to where Ominis was now, a smirk on his face as he held the bug boy in the air.

“I thought you said he wasn't worth it!” She yelled out through the noise of the crowd.

“For you, not for me.” He replied, turning his head towards her. “But this way you’ll stay out of detention, and Hobhouse will learn not to mess with anyone important to you ever again.”

Jane wasn’t able to reply, because Professor Ronan had come out of the great hall, and looked less than pleased with what he saw before him. With a quick wave of his wand he turned Duncan back into a human and brought him down to the ground. As soon as the coward touched down he sprinted away, not even caring that his beloved professor was calling out after him.

“Did Gaunt really turn him into a bug??” Leander asked, his eyes shining bright.

Jane smiled weakly as she nodded. “Well bug like, I think the spell just gives you some bug qualities.”

The boy seemed impressed and more than a little giddy, but Jane couldn’t help but still feel worried about him. She had come to find him after she had given her witness statement to Professor Ronan, and then also Professor Weasley. Even though Ronan was head of Slytherin, she still had to retell what she witnessed to the Deputy Headmistress (since the headmaster didn’t care about things like this).

She had shared her story, along with Everrett, since they had been there when everything happened. They both shared that Ominis had technically good intentions with his actions, but of course he still got in trouble. Five weeks detention actually, which sucked, but it could have been worse.

Duncan also received detention though, once all of the story was told. Apparently Leander going into the hidden herbology corridor for him had landed him in the hospital wing when the giant Venomous Tentacula had taken a bite out of him after he pulled out the leaf. Since the Ravenclaw was the one to persuade the Gryffindor, Professor Weasley thought he should also face more consequences than what Ominis had dealt out.

That’s where Jane was now though- in the hospital wing with Leander. As soon as she finally finished with her teachers she had raced right over. She felt terrible, but for some reason her friend didn’t seem too upset about things. Actually he wasn’t surprised to see her that at, all of which was a little too weird.

“Leander, I’m really sorry about all of this.” Even if he seemed fine, Jane knew she still had to try to make things right.

“Why are you sorry??” He asked, looking really surprised.

“Because if I hadn’t pushed you to go and talk to Duncan you wouldn’t have ended up in here, and wouldn’t have had to deal with such an ass of a person.”

“But you were only helping me out like I asked you to. I mean, you didn’t know that Puffskein Dunkein was this terrible. And in the end, it really worked out for the best.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Well during the whole debacle it turns out you said some stuff about me that made some of the other kids in our year have a change of heart. Amit Thakkar, Samantha Dale, and Arthur Plummly all came by to see me before you came, and said they wanted to give me another go at being friends. Honestly I don’t know much about Dale or Plummly, but I am really excited about Thakkar- I even got a chance to properly apologize about what I said about his family a few years ago.”

“Wow really?? Leander, that's great!” Jane said excitedly, feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders. “So does that mean you and Amit will be friends?”

“Well I hope so, but for now I’ll just keep trying my best. Who knows though, since he’s already seen my less endearing qualities, maybe our friendship will grow as strong as yours and Gaunts!”

Jane smiled broadly, thinking about the Slytherin. “I truly hope so.”

“So don’t be sorry. I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me- you’re a pretty good friend Moore.”

“Well so are you Prewett, and I’m glad that now more people will be able to see that.”

Leander brought his hands up to his head, sticking his elbows out. It looked a little bit awkward with the bandage wrapped around his arm.

“Goodness, I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now that I’m so popular. Seems like having too many friends will be my next battle. How will I manage them all??”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh what will you do? And Garreth; gosh he’ll be so devastated when he realizes you no longer have time for him-”

Loud footsteps sounded from outside the hospital wing and suddenly a mess of red hair bursted through the door. As per the norm, Jane seemed to have summoned him by saying his name.

“Leander!” He called out, rushing towards his friend, nurse Blainey scolding him as he ran. “I just got back from Hogsmeade and heard what happened- are you okay??”

Leander reached out towards the other boy, looking at him very seriously dead in the eyes and holding tight to his shoulder.

“Garreth. I want you to know that no matter what happens you will always be my best friend.”

“Are you dying?????” The other boy asked, his face going white. He jumped forward and threw his arms around the other boy. Leander hugged him right back, the fervor of their friendship evident in their embrace.

Jane burst out into laughter at the madness of these two friends. Leander had been worried that because they were dating Garreth would not be there as much for him, but Jane didn’t think that was going to be the case. No matter what happened, there was no parting these guys- and history would see that their families would one day be united forever (xoxo Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley).

Thanks for reading <3

#hogwarts legacy #leander prewett #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #hogwarts legacy fanfic #garreth weasley #isekai #hogwarts fanfiction #isekai legacy #fanfic #redemption

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renjirukia · 2 years ago

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tbh i don't think too hard about the forty year renruki separation beyond the angst of the pining and avoidance but in an effort to un-vague that time period and make some sense as to why renji is so aggressive towards rukia during the arrest/reunion i have some thoughts.

more under the cut because this got long

first let's talk about the break up. they've been drifting apart since arriving at the academy; they're in different classes ; renji gets sorted into the advanced class while rukia is not and this creates a shift in their dynamic; as it's implied rukia was very much the leader of their little gang. renji doesn't seem to mind the shift as he finally gets an edge over rukia and likes to show off though there isn't any kind of malicious intent in his behavior. rukia on the other hand is going through an intense case of cultural shock, her shift in dynamic with renji is distorting her own self-perception and making her feel cut off from her one friend in the world. enter byakuya. rukia is hesitant to accept the offer of adoption but at renji's boisterous (and somewhat forced) encouragement she takes the offer. i think renji's actions here devastated rukia and saw it as a confirmation that she was right in feeling like she was being left behind or cast aside.

now the intervening years. in the soul society arc the root conflict between them is that she is a noble and he isn't and that class disparity is why they can't "be together" though there isn't much evidence of the gotei adhering to such a rigid caste system and that class mingling is acceptable at least during work hours (and like everyone wondered why renji just didn't get a job at the 13th if he wanted to hang out with her so bad). we don't learn too much of what they got up to during their estrangement other than rukia's kaien trauma and her tenure as one of the more unlucky heroines from an 18th century gothic novel. while renji graduated school went to the fifth got transferred to the eleventh and somewhere in their picked up the goal of surpassing byakuya. we get a glimpse when renji tells ichigo "for a long time... a real long time... for decades... rukia and i... ...had drifted so far apart we wouldn't even pass by each other. it was you... who closed that... distance between us."

Like i said i don't think academy renji was fully aware of how hard of a time rukia was having at adjusting to seireitei life. he teases her about not "getting with program yet" but i think renji was confident in rukia's moxie that he figured she would eventually settle in. i don't think it was much later he realized there were irreparable cracks in their relationship. in chapter 98 as rukia walks away he narrates "rukia finally had a real family. let her go... don't get in the way... that's what I told myself." but it bleeds into the present day and it reads like a retrospective rationalization. "but thinking back...maybe i was just... afraid."

ok the point finally. now this part is just speculation and headcanon-ery but that's the lifeforce the animates any fandom so... basically i think rukia ignored renji. hard. after he finally went to work in the gotei 13 and i think it blindsided him. it's never stated exactly when renji decided to surpass byakuya but in the (frankly incredible) chapter 144 flashback kira tells renji "i suggest you stay away from her. for your sake and hers. i'm sure she realizes that she's not like us." and as that scene does not take place during their academy days i read it as renji only at that moment understanding the full breadth of their separation. i'm not sure i take kira's word as law wrt to her intentions because frankly he doesn't know her like that, and instead i see it more as kira encouraging his friend to move on and uses their difference in social status as a reason for her snubbing him ( rukia doesn't care about social status and it's not something she could have picked up from byakuya because 1. he doesn't talk to her 2. byakuya himself doesn't care about social status). next we cut to ikkaku saying "wow. that's quite a goal. to become stronger than kuchiki byakuya." and finally yumichika in all his wisdom sums up their break up era, "it's a difficult thing. discouraging, isn't it? it's always easier to tear down than to build. and much more difficult to tie than untie."

i read these scenes as a cause-and-effect from the order presented to us. rukia ignores renji (because from her pov he dumped her and she still feels some type of way about it) -> kira witnesses said ignoring and tries to impart some advice -> renji doesn't agree with the advice because he can see different social classes interacting all the time but kira's minor nobility does hold some weight with him so he takes what he wants from the advice -> concocts a plan to surpass byakuya (love the vague word choice surpass him in what? social status? ability? height? i don't think renji really knew instead using it as a launch pad to get back into rukia's good graces, because once they start hanging out again he seems more than fine with being byakuya's 2nd) -> yumichika imparts his own advice (which reads more like a thesis statement of the arc the way "a heart is born between two people" was used during the hueco mundo arc) but in the context of the scene he's sympathizing with renji and his relationship woes; "rukia finally had a real family. let her go... don't get in the way... that's what I told myself. but thinking back...maybe i was just... afraid." renji had doubts about pursuing rukia this way, but kept on course because he was uncertain he was in a position to 'tie' the relationship back together, but doesn't want to 'untie' it either.

now the other point; renji's aggression during the arrest. renji has dedicated a huge chunk of his (after)life into reaching a position where they can be equals again, and here rukia is fucking it all up with her "antics" as he later calls them. and if he's been living with the idea that rukia won't talk to him because of the gulf in their social status and here she is living amongst humans (not sure where humans sits on the soul society social hierarchy but i'm gonna guess they're not even considered they're so low) it probably brings up some deep resentments, i don't think renji has the heart to truly stay pissed at her for long and when ishida and ichigo step onto the scene they make for much easier targets. this isn't renji at his best, but i can see where he's coming from, and he drops the act completely when it becomes obvious rukia is willing to go to jail for a long time for ichigo's sake.

ok wow this really got away from me and i've forgotten the point i was trying to make BUT tl;dr i think the renruki break up is more complicated than initially presented and there are some incredible unexplored avenues of angst.

#renruki #💭#meta #proofreading? i don’t know her

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floatingcatacombs · 1 year ago

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Bandai Taketh Away

12 Days of Aniblogging 2023, Day 1

Last year I wrote a post extolling the virtues of Birdie Wing, 2022’s breakthrough “how the fuck did this get made” mafia golf campfest. It’s the little show that could, animated on a shoestring budget to an audience of maybe two dozen extremely online yuri fans who tried their hardest to get literally anyone else to watch it.

It was almost certainly a financial failure for Bandai Namco, whose hopes for kicking off a VR-focused franchise fizzled in real time during season 1. But the resulting anime was a blast, a shoujo sports melodrama where literally anything could happen.

Birdie Wing took a few seasons off between its cours, during which Bandai Namco’s second lesbian anime of the year began airing: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. My jaw dropped as I watched the first episode recreate Utena’s setup beat for beat, including the female main character taking another girl as her fiancé. It’s a gutsy move which set my expectations high. G-Witch was my introduction to Gundam, and the highs of the first season were amazing. Even if I had some occasional complaints with the pacing, the cliffhanger ending and narrative ambition left me very excited for more.

Season 2 of Birdie Wing was set to fill the gap between cours of G-Witch, but ~something~ happened behind the scenes. It ended up being delayed to Spring 2023, where the two shows would air together. Great! That means double the lesbians. Or…zero?

Fair warning: From here on out I will be both a hater, and a spoiler.

Both seasons start without a hitch. G-Witch finally pops the safety bubble of its setting, with a terrorist attack on the academy followed up by an episode from the viewpoint of Dawn of Fold soldiers trying to survive a retaliatory crackdown from the Spacians. It pulled no punches with its violence and war orphans and trauma, a good sign for the struggles that awaited the main cast. Meanwhile, Birdie Wing continued to pay tribute to old-school Class S after its boarding school arc by involving its cast in a nightmare incest soap opera concerning Eve and Aoi’s parentage and the sins of the previous generation. Both are great developments for their respective shows, suggesting plenty of good stuff ahead.

Unfortunately, this is when both of these shows begin to fall apart. Eve and Aoi manage to beat the incest allegations, but afterwards their relationship just…stops. Their chemistry all but dissipates, the homoerotic rivalry giving way to their personal relationships with golf instead of with each other. The plot keeps the two of them apart as much as possible, devoid of the angsty longing from season 1, as the girls each succumb to a different form of golf cancer (even without the gay-baiting, at least Birdie Wing is still insane).

For G-Witch, a much more ambitious anime, this decline manifests as a creeping realization that they’re simply going to drop most of the open plot threads. The show takes its sweet time, even as it becomes clear that it’s barreling towards a finale at 24 episodes. The long-awaited plot twists are handled fine, I guess. But any sense that the show is aiming for greatness fades away, as it simply tries to drag itself to the finish line, buckling under its own weight. What we see on screen is what we get, and you’ll have to fill in the blanks yourself to really be happy. The Earthian-Spacian conflict ends up as mere set-dressing, and characters who clearly had intertwined backstories never even get the chance to interact. The obvious examples are the man who killed Suletta’s dad in the prologue resurfacing and that never really coming up, and everything to do with Chuchu and Nika’s backstories. I’m not here to nitpick, but it’s a shame that everyone’s characterization is left so thin. G-Witch really feels like it was meant to be a full 50-episode series, and I’m led to believe that this trimming down happened during production, as there’s just no other reason to set so much up without resolving it.

At last we reach each show's conclusion. Birdie Wing is saddled with a final arc full of professional tournaments, which is always going to be weaker than the dirty mafia golf on a conceptual level. The timeline begins to rapidly accelerate and suddenly we’re skipping ahead months, and then entire years. We don’t get to see most of Eve and Aoi’s final game, or even the period of time where they reconcile. An enduring friendship and rivalry is implied at the end, but it’s nowhere near the mutual obsession that the prior season depicted. Not an ounce of queerbait remains, even for the terminally yurigoggled such as myself.

Meanwhile, G-Witch dedicates some of its precious final minutes to a fight with Lauda (Jesus Christ is the Schwartzette is wasted on him), and just like Birdie Wing the two girls at the heart of the show barely get any time together as the end draws near. They ultimately opt for a Macross-Symphogear ending in which Suletta pilots a Gundam that shoots gay rainbow lasers and defeats her mom with the power of love and friendship. That’s fine! But that’s the ending for a show that didn’t happen! In its last act G-Witch retreats into its shell, unable to commit to the moral weight of the world it had built up. Laughably, the epilogue time-skips to a neoliberal utopia where Miorine solves the earth-space conflict through her sheer girlboss acumen. Suletta and Miorine’s gay wedding is implied at best, and an after-credits message states that this is the conclusion of The Witch from Mercury as a story, prematurely killing any potential follow-up.

The rest is history. Kadokawa redacts an interview to remove references to Suletta and Miorine being married, Bandai releases a statement that their status at the end of the show should be left up to interpretation, and everyone is mad forever.

What happened? Both of these shows fell apart at the same time, and both in a manner that defused their implicit queerness. Birdie Wing was always a bit of a trainwreck even at its best, so in a vacuum I would have just concluded that the production ran out of steam, unable to live up to its earlier writing. But the timing of Season 2’s delay, combined with the corporate meddling that affected G-Witch, makes me downright conspiratorial. Something went down at Bandai Namco, and it led to them ordering their productions be revised halfway through to scrub out all the gay shit and play things safe. I wouldn’t be surprised if this occurred at the same time as G-Witch was trimmed down from its initial 50 to 24 episodes with no chance of a continuation. It’s also not too much of a stretch to imagine Birdie Wing receiving a “stick to sports" mandate and Yosuke Kuroda subsequently phoning it in. I don't know how else to say it: there's no reason to do an incest fakeout if you're not even going to follow up on it afterwards once you've gone through the difficult work of exonerating them.

Witch from Mercury was a commercial success (it sold a shitton of gunpla, at least!) so it seems like a surprise that Bandai Namco would clamp down creatively in such a destructive way. Or maybe not. This may be the first female-led Gundam, but in a lot of other ways it’s fairly restrained as far as Gundams go. Perhaps BN decided that G-Witch had to be a balancing act to please everyone, preventing the creative staff from truly swinging for the fences in the end. Of course, that backfired horribly and they ended up pissing off himejoshis and regular mecha fans alike. I know it’s something of a fool’s errand to expect undeniable LGBT representation from anime, but when you begin with an explicit Utena homage, I expect better.

This has all been a bit of a downer, so I wanted to end things by sharing the anime I watched this year that actually gave me what I wanted out of those two shows.

Watching through the original Mobile Suit Gundam made me realize just how conservative G-Witch is in a lot of its storytelling. 0079 is a deeply radical show for its time, and still would be if you made it today. The unhesitating depiction of war and death through the aesthetics of a 70’s children’s show is particularly bold, and even the parts of the anime notorious for being overlong successfully reinforce the overall mood of the work. Amuro’s transformation from innocent child to unrelenting psychic soldier is as inevitable and upsetting as it should be, and even with all the “filler” the script feels much tighter than the G-Witch, which ambles around with side stories that don’t resolve and characters that don’t go anywhere. Imminently watchable. I love that the mommy issues in Gundam go all the way back, and I'm also starting to understand why you fuckers have been arguing about Char Aznable for 40 years.

you.

I also watched Kakegurui this year, which served as a great alternative to Birdie Wing. It doubles down on the best parts of that show – mostly-female cast, high stakes gambling, dubious lesbian rep – with an all-consuming sleaze to it. Grab some friends who aren't easily scandalized and try not to worry too hard about gaze or the intended audience, and it will be a hoot. The production values are great, even if most of it inevitably goes to girls making upsetting faces. The first opening in particular is an animation highlight. Of course, this is a MAPPA production, so they’re far too busy flaying their workers alive in the pits of hell to ever get around to another season. May their company unionize or perish.

#12 days of anime #gundam #birdie wing #gundam the witch from mercury #kakegurui

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digitaljaneaustenproject · 1 year ago

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What Jane Austen Taught Me About Running Zoom Meetings

Many of our social interactions happen digital these days, even “face-to-face” ones like Zoom meetings. It’s still just not the same as in-person, whether for meetings, a book club, or just to hang out. There must be a better way to gather digitally. I think a big piece of why digital isn’t working is that we don’t have social norms there.

Social norms are what make a conversation flow smoothly. You see it in how close you stand or sit together, how you take turns, and in the type of space you choose. Basic videoconferencing has none of this: we can’t control distance, audio lags or mutes, and it’s almost always the same black screen of videos from job interviews to birthday parties.

Some tools try to mimic in-person social interactions and norms in digital meeting spaces, kind of like a video game. Each person has an avatar that moves around a digital space and hears nearby conversation. The word for directly recreating things or experiences into digital tools is skeuomorphism. It’s easy for people to learn because it’s just like the other familiar version. But it also can point out the ways that digital just can’t be the same as in-person. Making a videogame-like social event does bring some social norms into that digital conversation, but it also reminds us that we aren’t in person, we can’t shake hands, we look at the whole room like a map instead of from our eyes.

So digital doesn’t work and just mimicking in-person doesn’t make it all intuitively work. So I’m going to look for new social norms.

Actually, I’m going to look for really old ones.

~~~

Regency era England definitely had well-established social norms. Think Jane Austen’s books, like Pride and Prejudice, or Netflix’s Bridgerton. The middle and upper classes of that time easily knew what to expect from each other and what would be expected of them just from where they were and what was going on, thanks to social rules and etiquette. At least some of these social norms feel overly strict to a modern eye. And this is actually what I was looking for with digital social norms. Computer rules are also very, very strict (eventually it’s all 1s and 0s). They don’t give us wiggle room within the rules. In a lecture, you shouldn’t talk, but you can whisper to the friend next to you. But try whispering in a Zoom meeting while muted. So what can Jane Austen’s social norms give digital meeting spaces? I have 3 ideas to start.

~~~

1. Being a host is a social job, not tech support

The host of Regency ball had little in common with a Zoom host. On Zoom, hosting is muting and unmuting attendees, managing recording, and placing avatars in different rooms; tech support. Being a Regency host was social, they greeted each person on arrival, introduced them people they should know, and generally showed them what the ball had to offer. And this was before they entered the ball.

I think it would be nice to not just appear in a sea of black squares, not knowing who was there and not knowing if conversation had already started. Imagine a one-on-one greeting between you and an organizer who took you to a small group of peers and introduced you, or brought you to the full group after explaining that people are waiting for the actual book club to start but can join breakout rooms to chat in the meantime.

~~~

2. Dancing lets us get to know each other and the group

Don’t worry, I am not going to ask you to dance in Zoom. Like I said, I’m not here for skeuomorphism. But a major reason for dancing at balls (you know, besides it was fun) was a chance for two people to chat one-on-one and for the larger community to know who was chatting with who. Everyone saw who was dancing not just by looking at the dance floor, but also by looking at people’s dance cards (which they carried or hung on their wrist) and seeing whose name was written for each dance.

Hybrid teams struggle to get to know each other because they mostly communicate through text or in team meetings with little time for social chatting. Us remote workers miss having a space to just talk, not about work or anything in particular. We could make digital meeting spaces that use voice chat to let pairs of people quickly connect and talk, and use a digital dance card to let the group see who’s been chatting with who.

~~~

3. Candles set the stage and expectations

Little details at a Regency ball could give important cues to attendees. The length of the candles burning in the rooms would tell people how long the ball was expected to last and that told them what was available at the ball. Short candles? A few hours of dancing and some food. Long candles? Settle in for a long night and look for places to take a break with card games or other amusement.

Digital meetings spaces are entirely missing this. Zoom always looks the same! It doesn’t matter if I’m playing a game with my family or presenting a progress report. The skeuomorphism can help here to bring in the same cues we have in person; make the background a living room for game night or an office for the presentation. But sometimes that just reminds us that we’re not in a living room together and might make the video uncanny. I want digital meeting places to have décor cues that are all their own. Because digital meeting spaces are not just replacements for in person ones. They’re something new and I want us to really explore what we can do with them.

#jane austen #bridgerton #hci #human computer interaction #metaphor #social norms #digital social norms

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milarqui · 2 years ago

Text

Scarlet Lady - Pixelator

Directory | Puppeteer

It was a new day in Paris, and for Mme. Bustier's class, it was a day that they hoped would be interesting: Internship Day.

“M. Bourgeois has kindly offered the Grand Paris for our Internship Day,” the teacher declared, smiling. “Each of you will try one of the many jobs within the luxury hotel!”

The mayor-slash-hotel owner pulled out a list and began to read.

“Lila and Mylène in the spa... Kim on the doors...” he said, assigning jobs to each student, “and Adrien and Chloé on the front desk.”

“Heehee!” Chloé giggled, and he felt absolute dread at the horror that was before him.

“Ah!”

Adrien Agreste wondered what the hell he had done to deserve having to deal with Chloé like this for a full day.

He turned to the only person he could hope would save him (he could have asked Marinette, but no way was he going to subject his Princess to this).

“Hey Alya, wanna trade?”

“Not on your life,” the would-be journalist said with a finger gun.

Ignoring the teen drama, the teacher turned to the mayor.

“Do you have a job for Alya and Marinette?” she asked, and the man checked the list again.

“I can't seem to find–”

“Here, Daddy!” Chloé interrupted, giving him another piece of paper.

“Thank you, ma chérie! Oh, Alya! You'll be sorting trash at the main dumpster.”

“WHAT?!”

Alya turned to him.

“Hey Adrien, wanna trade?”

It was petty, but if he was going to be in hell, at least he wouldn't be the only one.

“Not on your life,” he said with a finger gun.

“Everybody shut up and look at me.” someone interrupted from the main door, and everyone else turned to look at him.

Surrounded by bags, wearing a rocker jacket and skinny dark jeans, followed by his extremely competent assistant and pulling a leash that had a crocodile at the other end, stood Jagged Stone, one of the greatest names in modern rock and roll.

Unfortunately, some people were blind to current pop culture.

“Sir, this is a hotel, not a zoo!”

Such as M. Bourgeois.

“Daddy, that's Jagged Stone, remember?” Chloé said, acting embarrassed about her father's ignorance.

“Honey, I only remember the important people,” M. Bourgeois replied, making Chloé twitch.

“He's an internationally beloved rock star!”

----

Just a few meters away, Jagged Stone was having an equally important conversation with his manager.

“Penny, who is this idiot?”

“The mayor? Bob's friend? You judged a cooking show together?” Penny, the person he owed a good part of his success to, replied.

Nope, didn't ring a bell. But at least he knew why.

“Bob's friend? No wonder I erased him from my memory.”

While Penny gave an awkward smile, he approached the front desk and faced the man who seemed to be in charge.

“I need a room with a real tub for Fang!”

“We have all Mme. Fang needs! Even a top of the line fitness center,” the man said. He could hear Penny giggling right behind him, as he wondered how ignorant the man in front of him was.

“M. Bourgeois, Fang is his crocodile,” the blond kid standing behind the desk – hey, he did remember this one from the cooking show! - whispered, but not low enough to keep him from hearing it.

“Exactly!” This was the kind of thing he liked: people who knew what they spoke about!

“Ah! I – I see!” the man continued, now clearly awkward about his grave mistake. “M. Stone, could I offer your... er, Fang... a nice bubble bath?”

“Sir, reptiles absorb water through their skin, you can't use soaps!” the blond boy intervened again, and he decided a change was warranted.

“Can this kid check me in instead of you?!” he asked, pointing at him. “He seems more knowledgeable than you!”

Suddenly, Fang began to pull from his leash, and he turned to see who the crocodile had decided to jump –

“AH! NO! DOWN!”

He palmed his face.

“Oh Lord, not him.”

He could normally understand fans.

“M. Stone!”

But, this guy? He was impossible.

Why hadn't he requested a restraining order already?

“It's me, Vincent Asa! Your number 1 fan! Just one photo to show everyone we're super friends!”

“We ain't friends!” he shouted, but it seemed like this guy's ears were connected, 'cause it came into one ear and out of the other – which he was suddenly pressing against his face.

“Look at the camera!”

He could have punched him, but he waited for the better option.

“You've clearly forgotten who my actual number 1 fan is.”

“Huh?” the guy said, not realizing his doom was approaching from behind in the form of the tanned beauty that he, Jagged Stone, had been lucky to hire as his personal assistant.

“Heh.”

What was this called? Schadenfreude?

----

This was not the first time she had had to do this.

However, the fact that she had had to do the same thing multiple times meant that she was kinda angry with her current target.

She grabbed Vincent Asa by the neck of his shirt, dragged him away from her Jagged Stone and planted him in front of the door so she could plant a critical hit up his ass.

“How many times do we have to say it: No. PHOTOS!”

Asa went flying and landed on the curb, still shocked that his stalking had had a negative result, and turned around to look at her.

“Get lost! Next time I'm not returning the camera!”

She turned back inside, incensed. And when she turned to look at the gaping doorman, he remained silent.

Good.

----

He was a villain. He admitted it.

The man that had suddenly attracted one of his butterflies still made him feel like his hair was standing.

But, well, he worked with the tools he had, not the ones he wanted.

“Pixelator, I'm giving you the power to capture your idol's smile forever.”

“Then he'll be mine and mine alone!”

“Um, sure.” Seriously? “And people wonder why I kept my son home for so long.”

He really needed to find a way to vet his akumas.

----

Marinette was the only one in her class that had yet to be assigned a job, so she was now waiting patiently until M. Bourgeois decided what she was meant to do – when Jagged Stone's manager came downstairs after the singer settled in his room.

“M. Stone needs new shades for his gig tonight: blue, white, and red with two big Eiffel Towers on it,” Mlle. Rolling said.

The mayor patted her shoulders.

“Marinette, our 'chasseur', will find it for you!”

She blinked, and turned towards the man.

“Your what?”

M. Bourgeois ignored her and left for his office in the building.

“Go on now, 'chasseur'!”

“Your what?!”

Unfortunately, she didn't get an answer before she was left alone with the woman. She grinned awkwardly as Mlle. Rolling rose an eyebrow.

“... is everyone who works here a teenager?”

----

While running for the Eiffel Tower, she checked her phone and learned that a 'chasseur' was meant to be some combination of messenger and attendant.

In other words, a gofer.

Well, at least she wasn't dumpster diving with Alya – her friend had left grumbling fitting names for Chloé and not-so-fitting for Adrien.

Quickly looking around the souvenir shop, she was surprised at how bad-looking the glasses offered to tourists were. Granted, they were meant to be cheap-made stuff that could be sold for a tidy profit, but she knew M. Stone wouldn't want to wear any of them.

It looked like she would have to look elsewhere...

Oh! Don't I have those glasses I never use?

Rushing back home, she began to check in her room.

“Where did I put them...” she muttered.

“Why are we home, my Queen?” Pollen asked, curious.

“You saw those awful tourist glasses at the tower,” she explained, standing up on her chair. “We'll never find what M. Stone wants there. The only option...”

She raised her arm, old metal sunglasses in hand, as the sign of victory.

“Is to make them myself!”

“Ooo!”

Quickly, she gathered all the materials for her new project, which shouldn't take her long.

“Time to make some tacky glasses for a tacky man!”

“Yay, tacky!” Pollen agreed, and she started her work. The sooner she returned, the sooner she'd be able to do more.

Maybe she should check on her friends? Poor Adrien had been dealing with Chloé for a couple of hours now without a filter, which was something she would only wish on three people in the world – and Chloé was one of them.

----

“Rock on, these are perfect!” M. Stone declared as soon as he saw the glasses.

“Thank you, Marinette,” Mlle. Rolling said, as M. Stone tried the glasses.

“Hey, can I get thirty more of these for my VIPs?” the musician asked.

“Oh, actually, uh...” Marinete replied, scratching the back of her head, “I made those.”

Both adults looked at her in silent shock, and Marinette wasn't sure what to –

“WHAAAAAAT?!”

“MADE THEM YOURSELF?!”

“AH!”

Seriously, could they just not give her a heart attack?

----

When Adrien got the alert on his phone, he quickly checked and saw a photograph of a smiling Marinette and Jagged Stone – the latter wearing a set of glasses decorated with the Eiffel Tower.

“Oh, awesome! Marinette got the shades!” he said, smiling. Knowing her, she had done a lot of work to get (or make) those sunglasses.

“Seriously?!” Chloé promptly affixed herself to his side, even after all the attempts to make her back off. “I didn't give her that job so she could shmooze up to my rich guests!”

“Why did you give her that job?” Adrien asked. Given where Alya was sent, he was certain Marinette hadn't been given the job out of the goodness of her heart.

“To get her out of the hotel, of course!” Chloé replied, hugging her arm too close. “So she can't ruin our alone time.”

What was with Chloé and her invasion of his personal space?

When she tried to kiss him, he thought that he should have set some rules ahead. But now it was too late.

“We're just doing our jobs, Chloé!” he said, struggling to keep his face away from hers. “Or at least I am!”

Way he stood, it made that background ZAP! stay there, ignored.

Fortunately, he was able to free himself from her vicious grip just as someone entered, wearing a garish and a huge camera-like lens over his left eye.

“Oh, look what the cat dragged in,” Chloé commented.

“Uhh...” he muttered, knowing that this was most definitely not good.

“I got this!”

And, with her usual lack of self-awareness, Chloé went to confront the newcomer.

“Excuse me! This hotel is for high celebrity status only, like moi!”

The Akuma turned to Chloé.

“Oh, but I am Pixelator, your biggest fan.”

“Oh!”

Adrien wondered what his oldest friend was given to make her this unaware of the obvious.

“May I take your photo, Mlle...?”

“Chloé, of course.”

And she was posing.

“NO!” he shouted and tried to tackle her out of the way. “Chloé, that's obviously an Aku–!”

Pixelator zapped them.

“AHH!”

And when he came back, he discovered he was no longer at the hotel lobby.

“This isn't so bad,” Chloé said, snuggling against him.

No, this was probably the closest to hell on earth.

And only one person could save him now.

Marigold, please, hurry.

----

While Jagged Stone kept checking his new sunglasses, Penny led her to the room's door.

“Sorry we took a lot of your time,” Penny apologized, smiling. “Good luck with your internship!”

“Thank you!”

Walking away, Pollen waited until the door was closed before coming out of Marinette's bag.

“M. Stone is certainly enthusiastic,” Marinette commented, amazed at her success.

“Effort pays off!” Pollen replied as she heard someone knocking on a door behind them.

“Who are–”

“Look at the camera.”

Marinette saw a flash of blue light wash over the corridor, and turned around to see someone wearing a garish outfit entering Jagged Stone's room.

“AHAHAHA!” the man – it had to be an Akuma – laughed.

Marinette didn't voice what was going through her mind.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU–

Time to transform!

----

Before he could ask what the hell that flash had been, a guy wearing the most un-rock-and-roll clothes he'd ever seen, with a camera over his eye.

“Hello, Jagged. Time for your photoshoot!”

“Wha–?!” Wasn't this that stalker guy? “How'd you get in here?! Fang, get'em!”

Unfortunately, Fang misinterpreted his command and began to roll all over his bed, which felt awkward.

The stalker aimed his camera at Fang.

“See you later, alligator,” he said, and with a ZAP of blue light, Fang disappeared.

“Fang, no!”

“He's a crocodile, you fake fan!” a girl – Marigold! – yelled, walking into the room, her top already swinging around as she prepared to attack.

“'Fake'?!”

He really didn't like to be called out.

Before Marigold could attack, though, the stalker guy sent another zap and hit Marigold – in the hand. Fortunately, she managed to dodge most of the attack. Unfortunately, that had left her good hand useless.

“Ahhh!” the heroine yelled, before turning for the stalker guy.

“AHHHHHH!” she continued yelling as she kicked the cart with his luggage into the stalker.

“OOF!”

“AHHHHHH!” she kept yelling on as she grabbed him and they swung out of the room via the terrace.

“AHHHHHH!” she yelled again as she attempted to do all of that without one of her hands.

“Ahhh?” he said in solidarity. Well, first time he met a hero from this close up.

----

Alright, she had lost her hand, no sign of Chat Noir, the Akuma could make people disappear with the camera over his eye and had it for Jagged Stone. There were few places she could be assured to take him that would not have him in public and seen.

She knew one that was certain to be empty enough for her purposes.

“Is this really the safest place for M. Stone?” M. Damocles asked as she explained what Jagged Stone was doing in Collège Françoise Dupont.

“Lame,” Jagged muttered, looking around.

“It's the lamest place I could think of to hid him,” she said.

“Hmm?” M. Damocles mumbled, somewhat angry.

She went over what she had said, and realized what was wrong.

“Uh, I mean! Uhhh, I'm gonna go check this guy's place, stay safe!”

She quickly jumped out of the window and began to move toward the center. She had to make a check on the Internet for Vincent Asa's address and investigate the place. Hopefully, she would find a clue that would lead her to success.

----

The intervention of Marigold had been a bit of an irritant, but given that there was no sign of Scarlet Lady nor Chat Noir, he felt it was little more than a speedbump in his quest: sooner or later, both heroes would appear, and his current Akuma would be able to do his job.

“Pixelator, you'll have to draw out those bugs from hiding,” he pointed out, and he felt his Akuma smirk.

“Let the photoshoot begin.”

He felt like someone was judging him for indulging this stalker's creepy behavior.

Who cared? The moment he made his Wish, everything he had done would no longer matter.

----

The moment she arrived to Asa's house, one thing was obvious: this guy was a total stalker.

“Wow, I hate this!”

An entire two walls full of photos of Jagged Stone in different positions and places.

Alright, she wasn't exactly innocent – she had her corkboard with Chat Noir photos – but at least she and Chat Noir were friends!

But as she looked around, she realized that there was a set of photos that not only wasn't of Jagged Stone – they were actually moving!

“Whoa, what is this?!”

“Help!”

“Marigold!”

These had to be people that the Akuma had zapped! She could see Kim and the doorman there, Fang in that other photograph, Adrien and Chloé...

Adrien!

“How did you get there?!” she asked, shocked.

“Marigold!” Adrien said in a begging tone. Going by his face, he was feeling like he was in hell. Which he was.

“Ah, it's Bugface!” Chloé said.

“Bugface?”

Chloé really needed to work on her insults.

“Help,” Adrien begged, but Chloé drowned him out.

“Listen up, sidekick. I am Chloé Bourgeois, daughter of the Mayor and Paris' Darling, and I demand –”

Sorry, Adrien, I'll compensate you for this later, I swear!

She turned away and found two other schoolmates in another photo.

“Hey, you two, how'd you end up here?”

“She ignored me?!”

If only I could do that everywhere else!

She tuned Chloé out and turned to Théo and Mireille, who were also sharing a photograph.

“We were just walking down the Champs-Élysées!” Mireille explained.

“And some weirdo took our photo and now we're here!” Théo added.

She looked at them, unimpressed.

“What were you doing on the Champs-Élysées on a school day?”

“Oh, uhhh...” the lovebirds replied, unsure of what to say.

----

Nadja Chamack was doing it again.

Some people thought she had too much of a journalist instinct and too little of a survival instinct.

“Sir? Care for an interview with a reporter who spreads the villain's voice?”

“Aw sweet!” the Akuma said. “Your biggest fan is waiting, Jagged! Hurry or Paris will be just a faded memory!”

Seeing this on TV, Jagged had a thought.

“I must go!” he declared, much to the shock of M. Damocles.

“You can't! It's too dangerous!”

“Exactly, my ratings will be amazing! Jagged Stone heroically sacrifices himself for Paris!”

M. Damocles was not impressed.

----

As Pixelator continued boasting of what he might do, it was time for the heroes to intervene.

Or, rather... heroine.

“Hey, itchy trigger finger!” the Bee Heroine declared, ready for a fight.

“Marigold!”

The intervention caused everyone watching to cheer.

“Yay, Marigold!”

“Marigold's here!”

“Hey Marigold, where's Scarlet Lady?”

Until someone chose to throw water into the fire.

“Yeah, Scarlet Lady!”

“Scarlet Lady!”

“Get Scarlet Lady!”

“It's a mystery to me as well,” Marigold growled.

Still, it was a surprise that Chat Noir hadn't arrived yet. She could take on this guy, but without Chat, she wouldn't have a way to destroy the akumatized object. But, given what this guy was doing...

“Look, I know you want to find Jagged Stone. But there's no need to photograph everyone in Paris for that,” she said, and Pixelator looked at her intently.

“I'm listening.”

Alright, this was working. Now, to get what she needed.

“I'll strike you a deal: free the people you've captured and I'll take you to Jagged Stone.”

“Hmm... half now, half later.”

“Deal!”

Chat Noir probably got hit as a civilian, Marigold thought: it was the only reason she could come up for him not being here yet. Hopefully this will free him.

----

Nino huffed as he read his maths book. He was meant to be working on the dance room, fixing stuff. But then the latest Akuma had showed up, got Adrien caught (along with Chloé) and left him having to replace both of them at the front desk.

FLASH

“What the he–!” he shouted, turning to see Adrien (and Chloé) standing in the middle of the lobby as if nothing had happened.

“Nino, cover me!” Adrien said, taking off.

“Me too~!” Chloé sang, leaving him alone.

“Oh, so, the thing I've been doing?”

Seriously, what was up with them?

----

Whatever Marigold had done, it had freed him and Chloé from the Akuma, and had given him the time needed to get away and transform.

And as he reached his partner and his villain-of-the-week, Chat Noir saw she was still distracting him, as he silently prowled behind the Akuma.

“I held my end of the deal, now bring Jagged Stone!”

“I bet the Akuma's in your visor, isn't it?” Marigold replied, grinning as he got closer.

“Stop stalling!”

Just a little bit clo –

“Hurry up and grab the Akuma, Alley Cat!”

And, of course, the millstone had to open her mouth.

“Chat Noir?!” the Akuma yelled as he turned around.

“Dammit Scar.”

----

And now Chat had to fight this guy, because Scarlet couldn't keep her fat mouth shut for five extra seconds.

“Why haven't you used Venom already?!”

“I am not tossing around a paralyzing stun with my non-dominate hand!”

“Ugh, Lucky Charm.”

The ladybugs flew out of the yo-yo, and the result...

“A compact?!” Scarlet cheered. “Finally something useful!”

“Useful for you or useful for this situation?” she asked, ticked off – but then Pixelator caught Chat Noir, who disappeared.

“Ah, Chat Noir!”

“Idiot!” Scarlet said (even though she was partially at fault for this).

“Hey, Pixelator! I heard you wanted a photo?”

Marigold turned to look at the new voice.

“Ah! Jagged Stone!”

“Idiot!” Scarlet said in the same tone as before.

Pixelator turned to look at the rockstar... who promptly began to distract him by moving around.

“Wait, maybe this– no, the lighting sucks here! Ugh, no–”

Yeah, he's picking a pose.

“Pick a pose, please!” Pixelator angrily yelled, and Marigold saw the opening. If the compact mirror could reflect Pixelator's flash back at him...

“Scarlet Lady, use the Chat Noir method!” she shouted, shocking Scarlet out of her musings.

“Huh?! Oh, uh, hngh!” Scarlet mumbled, tossing the compact at the Akuma.

Who triggered his eye camera just as the object flew in front of his face.

“Huh–!”

A flash later, the camera landed on the ground with a CLACK!, having trapped the Akuma in wherever he had sent his other victims.

“Hey! I think your aim is getting better!” Marigold said, cheerful.

“I was aiming for his head,” Scarlet admitted.

----

Finally, the day was over, and the students had gathered at one of the rooms, with Mme. Bustier, Mlle. Rolling, and M. Bourgeois.

“To thank those who were most invested in their internship day,” the Mayor said, “Jagged Stone has donated tickets to his concert tonight!”

Mlle. Rolling stepped up to Alya and Marinette, who got handed two tickets.

“You two had very difficult jobs, excellent work,” she said.

“Yay!”

“Thank you!”

He could see Chloé keeping her hand stretched out.

“And one for you, Nino, you go Nino!”

“Aw, sweet!” his best friend said as he looked to the ticket up close.

“And none for Chloé Bourgeois,” Mlle. Rolling finished, giving him the last ticket.

“WHAT?!”

Alright, that was a bit mean. Granted, Chloé hadn't done anything during the day's work, but... well, he hadn't done a lot, either – mostly because of Pixelator.

“I feel bad, I missed out on half the day! Did I get this because I know about reptiles?” he pondered out lout, before turning to his friends. “Maybe one of you would–”

“Forget it, centerfold,” Kim interrupted him.

“Yeah, most of us already have plans anyway,” Alix fired with a smirk.

“And we've had our tickets for months!” Mylène added, surrounded by the others in Kitty Section.

“Oh!”

“Adrichou~”

He put his face on Chloé's face.

Chloé may be his friend, but he'd be damned if he missed on going to a Jagged Stone concert with Marinette and their friends!

“Then I guess I'll see you there!”

----

“BONSOIR, PARIS!” Jagged Stone yelled, much to the cheers of everyone in the large stadium. It was so hot that everyone was sweating, but totally worth it.

“This is my first concert!” Adrien cheered, turning to look at Marinette (and Luka) who were to his left.

“Really?” Luka asked.

“Isn't this amazing, guys?!”

“Yeah... amazing,” he replied.

He also heard Luka saying the same thing.

He glared at him.

What the hell do you think you're doing?

Luka smiled at him.

I'm still in the running, Agreste.

----

Being in her first concert was amazing.

That it was a Jagged Stone concert was double amazing.

That he was wearing the glasses she had hand-crafted?

Super-amazing.

And then Jagged Stone sat behind the piano.

“I'd like to dedicate this song to the girl who saved my life...”

And the screen behind him shone with the image of her hero self.

“This is for you, Marigold!”

“WOW!!”

Her favorite singer was dedicating a song to her! Well, her hero self, but still!

“Why are you excited?”

She realized too late that her best friend was there.

“Um...” she mumbled, trying to come up with an excuse. “I'm just... happy she's getting recognition? Hehehe.”

----

Guitar Villain

@zoe-oneesama Here's to our favorite heroine, who kicks ass, takes names - and gushes over her favorite singer!

#scarlet lady the novel #milarqui #fanfiction #long post #marinette dupain cheng #marigold #adrien agreste #chat noir #scarlet lady is better than canon

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kkinou · 2 years ago

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lee heeseung -

right person, wrong timing (part 1)

genre/tw: angst, sad ending

ex/boyfriend heeseung and non specific gender reader!

word count: 0.8k

->💔

opening the email, feeling my fingers shake as i scroll down.

i got in.

i felt the tears run down my face as heeseung embraced me, telling me how proud he was, how he knew i could do it. we both cried, holding each other.

in that moment, i felt overjoyed. i couldnt believe it. a few days later, heeseung was told his audition for hybe was accepted. we were both overjoyed at the fact we could both follow our dreams. but in the coming days, reality swept in.

while heeseung would be staying in korea, i would be moving to germany. the realisation that we couldnt be together so far apart, along with his trainee rules set in. we had only two months left together, so we spent every second together.

we went to all of our favourite places, always trying to forget these were going to be some of our final moments with each other. we also tried out new things, like different restaurants and we even took a pottery class together, where we created little bears for each other.

the days went quick though, and i found myself having to rush pack in tears the night before i was supposed to leave. i found at least half of my suitcase was full of gifts and clothes heeseung gave me. that night, i didnt sleep at all. instead most of my night was spent crying with heeseung on the phone.

walking into the airport hand in hand with him was hard. i could feel his grip on my hand tighten the further we walked in, and it broke my heart. as we made our way to the security gate, i turned to him. seeing his eyes full of tears caused me to burst out into tears too, pulling him into my arms. i grabbed his cheek and kissed him softly, tasting our salty tears. after a few minutes of embracing, he pulled back and pointed at the clock.

“you only- you only have twenty minutes to check in, you should go”

he couldnt look me in the eyes, while i couldnt take my eyes off of him. i felt so guilty.

“im so sorry, heeseung. i wish you well in hybe and i know youll get far. please keep me updated.”

“im sorry too, i promise to keep you updated with how it goes”

“also, just know, i love you, so, so much. ill always love you and ill always be supporting you. and please dont forget me when youre famous.”

“i love you too, more than i could ever love anyone else. ill never forget you.”

i start walking towards security before turning again,

“goodbye heeseung”

“goodbye”

as i make my way through security, i feel almost as if my heart has been ripped out. waiting , i sit there, holding in tears. when my flight gets called out, i cant help but have tears spill out as i make my way on the plane. the flight goes so slow, so i decide to create a message to send to heeseung when i land.

when the plane lands, i send the message, throw my phone in my bag, and make my way to the nearest train station.

“heeseung. you probably know this already, but ive loved you ever since you ran into me outside school. your flustered face when you helped me up and kept apologising was the funniest and cutest thing ever. i love your eyes, especially when you ask a question or when you look at something you like. they glow with curiosity and admiration, and its the most beautiful thing ive ever seen (other than your face ofc). i also love your hugs. you’re so incredibly cuddly and it hurts so much to think i wont be able to get hugs from you when im sad anymore. i love your laugh too, its so contagious. its awful i havent been able to see it the last few days. it hurts me to think i wont have you forever like we promised, but i hope you find someone who can love you as much if not more (if thats even possible) than i did, because you deserve it.

I love you, i love you, i love you heeseung, and i wish i could tell you for the rest of my life. ill always be here for you, and although i might not be there right beside you, ill always be right here, only a phone call away. love you xoxoxoxoxoxo”

after a few hours of meeting roomates and getting tours of campus and dorm rooms, i finally lie down, checking my phone.

“i need to hear your voice, ill call you later”

i stayed up, all night, waiting for that call. i never got anything. not then or ever again. i never blamed him though, i couldnt. we just werent meant to be.

soooo, i’ve actually never wrote angst as i’m a very emotional person and this made me cry a lot 😭😭 especially since this is a large fear of mine. i also hate sad endings so i was thinking of making a part two if anyone would like that, or would it be better to leave it like this? i’m indecisive so someone let me know plzzz 🫶 if anyone as tips or criticism i would love to hear it!! thank you for reading this far, i appreciate it!!🤍🤍

ALSO SORRY FOR ANY SPELLING MISTAKES (i hope there isn’t though because i checked this like 20 times. maybe i’m just dumb) 🫶

#enhypen #enhypen heeseung #i love this man sm #😭😭

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parksprout · 7 months ago

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Sprout Journal 11/3/24

Hey Tumblr! There's some stuff I wanna talk about today, so I'm going to do a lil journal entry. I was doing journaling at home with pen and paper, but frankly my handwriting is so bad and I use my hands like that so infrequently that I was cramping before I got even close to writing all of my thoughts out each day. So I decided I'm going to put my thoughts that I can share out like this, it can be somewhat of a log of my own self growth! And also keep me a lil sane if I'm struggling again.

Today has been a really good day, actually! So I was on a really successful diet for about 6 months during which I got a 3rd of the way to my overall weight goal and built a bunch of muscle. Then, when I started college full time, I basically stopped altogether. I didn't gain any weight back, but I have been plateaued (least favorite word to spell omg) for a looonggggg time. This week, I've been finally eating how I want to again. My go to breakfast has been

Overnight oats: 1/2 cup of unrefined dried oats 1/2 cup of 2% milk 1 whole banana cut into thin slices 1 tablespoon of honey

Honestly I had it on like the 29th without any banana or honey and that SHIT WAS ASSSSSSS. It was so bland, but I hate wasting food so I downed that slop anyway and felt siicccckkkk ough. Honestly it's been really hard to eat lately due to my current tweak out sesh (breakup stuff) and forcing myself to down that was terrible ToT. This new version with banana and honey is AMAZING THOUGH LIKE ITS GENUINELY TASTY?

After I ate that I went to work and... honestly? As much as I hate my co-workers? It was really good to see them today. They may be bad people, but they are all really attached to me. I have been giving them all life advice for so long because I thought I had it all figured out, and it's very funny being on the opposite end of things now. I specifically asked them if they think I was being silly for reaching out and breaking no contact with my partner (they are my ex but... ugh it doesn't feel right to say that, it makes my stomach hurt). I explained to them why, how, and when I did it and... they actually supported me, they are the only ones in my life who think that reaching out was anything but a mistake. I probably asked 12 people about it and only those three felt like... maybe I'm not wrong for trying to continue the conversation more than we did. Either way, they responded yesterday and we've been talking a lot today. Us talking naturally doesn't mean we're automatically back together, but it might be a new beginning of sorts regardless of what the end looks like. I'm feeling hopeful that we might be able to talk things out and heal, but I can't say anything for certain for now and probably won't be able to for a long time.

I can say that... I found out today that they were thinking about me too. When they started replying to my texts today I snuck out of work to sit in the back of my car and just... take in what they were saying, and respond. They took a picture at work that had my name on it... that made me cry real, fat tears for the first time since this happened. It's strange how I had been sobbing but my cheeks stayed dry, but the moment I talked to them and saw a glimmer of us in their life I started bawling in the back of my own car.

Today is also the first day I've rested instead of heading to the gym after work since this all started. Oh my god my body is so sore. Right now I'm planning out the rest of my night and physical activity is NOT on the agenda.

- After I post this I'll give myself a bit more time to rest and relax - Then it's time to work on homework! First I have to practice for an oral exam I have tomorrow in Spanish class. Then after that, I have both a presentation and another project in Archaeology due on Friday ToT I also have this re-write of a short story for creative writing that I need to work on a second draft of - Then I want to work on OC stuff? I have some ideas for a sleep token OC that I wanna work on, and also I think I can refine my OC's for DnD, my personal writing projects and more somewhat? I think it'd been neat to try and draw them myself sometime soon - besides that I don't think I have plans. Maybe some video games or reading if I have extra time!

Thank you for listening tonight tumblr, you're the realest <3 if anyone sees this, I'm still looking for more mutuals! I wanna learn more about people who share my interests, don't be a stranger :3

#sproutposting #journaling #personal writing

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steamishot · 1 year ago

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mindset shift

i've been working to shift my mindset to live in NYC as if i'm not moving away soon. it's really hard to be present when i have one foot out of the door. my old expectation was "we're going to move back in X months", which resulted in a lot of disappointment and internal struggles. i'm trying to turn this into "we're going to be here for another year and anything less than that is a treat". instead of focusing on when we're gonna be in LA or our next travel plans out of the city, we've been doing a lot of activities locally. i even signed myself up for a 6 week pottery class at NY togei that starts end of february. the class costs $495 and is a huge splurge, considering i've never paid for any "fun" multi-week classes my whole life. this is really a dream come true for me. that means i have to sit my ass down and not go anywhere! if this class goes well, i might even consider signing up for the intermediate class.

on top of pottery class, i also tried to sign up for an acrylic painting class. unfortunately, the class is very small (8 people) and it's competitive to get into. i was #26 on the waitlist. the idea of going out into a class with a consistent schedule (or like, having an obligation outside of the apartment that isn't a social plan) is very appealing to me. i'll continue to try to get into acrylic painting.

yoga: matt and i are doing hot yoga even more consistently now. we go at least 1-2x/week. yesterday, when we did a wide legged forward fold, i surprised myself because i was able to place my forearms on the floor for the first time. additionally, i finally did a crow pose for like a second! i normally don't even attempt the crow pose because i assume i'm too weak. but yesterday i was in the flow and damn, i surprised myself haha.

work: my workload has been a little all over the place. i'm doing L's old work, and the work i transferred over to her has returned to me. there has been new payroll and compliance matters. we have V joining our team next week. V previously worked in our department and i've met her before on occasions - i remember her to be nice and easy to work with. from my understanding, V will take over L's old duties. i'll still be the youngest person on our team.

week activities: this week, we went to double chicken please (#1 bar in north america currently with taiwanese owners), went to pinos to get dry aged steak, cooked the steak using a reverse sear method for the first time (greatly recommend), completed a 1000+ piece LNY dragon lego set, went to apotheke warehouse, hosted 3 friends for the superbowl. the pro is that i'm happy matt and i are having a lot of fun during his week off. the con is that the extremities of his schedule get to be too much with our studio living situation (it's still either too much time alone or too much together time for me). i felt relieved today when he left for work because i missed having the whole apartment to myself haha

friends: the 3 friends we hosted during the superbowl: R&T, L are all leaving in the next half year. R&T just moved here last september, and T accepted a job in dallas. because his job is a hybrid schedule, he'll be super commuting between dallas and nyc for a few months so that they don't have to break their lease and can have a full year to explore NYC. L is leaving in august to norcal. hopefully, we are leaving as well... so our superbowl party is basically a farewell party for all the people who are leaving the city.

hobbies: i am consistently playing chess with B. i suck a little less now. she used to beat me all the time and i think my score went down to the 400s. now i'm back up to 800s and i'm at a 7W/8L scoring with her. i'm on a 63 day streak learning chinese on duolingo.

relationship: this past year has been pretty challenging to navigate due to expectations (of lifestyle, health, job searching, moving back home) and transitioning to an attending job for matt. residency really felt like he was living under a rock and in constant survival mode. the first year of attendinghood still felt like an extended residency because it was super time/energy consuming, which was against my expectations and disappointing. in fact, he had worked longer weeks (>100 hours) than he ever had during residency. i had a lot of doubts about our future because life was "supposed" to be SO much better after training and it just... wasn't. from his training, he had developed GAD and disordered eating. 1.5 years later, matt's getting the hang of the job and worrying less outside of work. he works 80 hours or less per week now. he's continuing to adopt healthier habits outside of work - eating better, exercising more, taking care of his health. he's at 10 months of doing therapy now which has been invaluable. happy to report that he's really taken over the househusband duties during his weeks off. this frees up mental capacity for me to think of how i can grow my income.

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aitian · 1 year ago

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Mon 01/29/24 1:57am

it's been more than a year. damn. couldn't write all year bc i have been so ashamed & traumatized.

back in school for electrical engineering & honestly i hate it. at least im (slowly) learning some useful things from within the massive amounts of bullshit. when does this end...

if i could have seen into the future, i would be so ashamed & sad to know what im doing now. maybe i wouldn't have made it to today. maybe i would have just done better. what a mess.

it's a bit painful to relive but here are the facts:

terrible teaching job. rude, dirty, sick. kids were funny. one kid won the spelling bee (we would practice together in the hall) & told me she wanted to be an artist. one kid never talked & had bad spoken english but wrote a rly good reflection essay abt boarding schools & american education (postscript "im hungry"). one kid told me stories abt learning to drive a motorcycle with his dad in DR & bragged to all the other kids that i was a great help for his high school application. that is all.

went to taiwan w the roomies. it was ok. really beautiful, wish i saw more of the mountains & oceans

terrible nonprofit job. abusive, useless, malicious. spent a lot of time studying soc*alism w chinese ch@racteristics & material origins of class society. honestly developed some optimism for human progress. fired for working too many hours & representing the org extremely well on a panel where the other panelists and audience really lifted up my perspective. everyone respected my work except the narcissist clowns. i met a nice friend named alan. that is all.

went to china, & felt saved & relieved to see people standing up. this time there was much less air pollution, especially near the coastal cities. luoyang had a bit more, but the city was a giant network of parks. i counted five rows of trees on each side of the streets. my uncles are so smart with critical analysis of history, human progress, world politics, and local affairs. sigh... feels bad to be treated like a dog in this backward country. i realized that i need training that prepares me for the realities of this strange world.

applied to school for electrical engineering. studied python & calculus in the meantime-- & thank god i did... i honestly felt good abt the decision, knowing that i need to develop myself if i want to survive in this world.. & i have reasons or energy to do it instead of waiting for death. is that the end of depression?

hung out w adele, erica, & tracy a bit bc they were all in town for the holidays. i missed my friends. they were rly nice to me.

started school in january. it fucking sucks. ppl r so stupid & rude. ridiculous. im tired & angry every day. i am running a huge marathon full of sloppy, impossible problems that take hours longer than they should. overworked & mad every day.

some reflections i guess..

emmy has been really hands-off with my life. idk if they dont have ideas or dont want to step in, or they r just observing what happens. idk. i dont feel like emmy approves or disapproves of anything. maybe relieved when i escape the shitholes i dug myself into. i hope emmy can help me become someone i feel proud of. i helped emmy apply to masters programs but idk if its the right step for emmy, & they dont have strong reasons honestly. they got accepted by the committee a few days ago. sigh.. i desperately want emmy to have my back.

im back to being so depressed. unsure abt what im doing, feeling doomy abt past present & future. will things get better? im in trouble if i need to tell myself that to cope w the present. im stronger than i was before, i think....

hang in there, love.

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gayboyrocklee · 2 years ago

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I want to elaborate because this is my blog. I do not wish in any way to slander anyone. I just want to talk.

I cut ties with King, for the time-being at least. I know some of you are friends with King before you are friends with me, so for that reason I apologize to you. I do not mean to get you in the middle of this, I just want to talk because this is something that I’ve been dealing with lately. I’ll try to be as objective as I can.

I don’t wish to call King a bad person because they’re not. This is just a mess created by clashing poor mental healths. I just need to vent.

Readmore bc this full story is LONG

Calvin’s Wonderful World of Fixation

Prologue: Favorites

I do not have any diagnoses, I don’t really know what’s wrong with me formally but I have a few guesses. We evidently have autism, some anxiety, diagnosed FND, but y’know c’est la vie.

But there was kinda something else. I don’t wanna name it, because it very well be an overlap from the autism. But for the sake of this story I will make use terms that pertain to the disorder.

We start with a fifteen year old Calvin Orion. He is at the start of his Junior year, and he is scared because someone who hurt him very bad is still his favorite person. He’s got delusions that don’t go away. False hopes that someone who hurt him more than he could ever conceptualize could somehow be better and back.

It goes on through August. Enter someone else, a good friend in his English class. Someone he cares for, but not intently. Then comes some misunderstanding, a false fear of loss, and a dream.

He didn’t realize it when he woke up. He just felt all fuzzy and lovey. It took a month, a confession, the world’s most movie 16th birthday, for it to set in. There was a new favorite.

He wasn’t scared. Why should he be? To his knowledge, he had finally exited the most traumatic period of his life. There was nothing wrong with a little special affection. After all, this time it wasn’t centered in on a not-evil human being.

They were together by the time it set in.

Part 1: Romance

Calvin Orion spent half of his junior year in a relationship that started considerably healthier than the rest, and ended about the same. All in all, it actually wasn’t that bad. It started off real good even. And there were things from it he cherished, a bracelet, body esteem, having someone who loves you, even though you’re a mess.

It was really good for like three months.

He didn’t know what changed but by February it was clear things were falling apart, and badly. Valentine’s Day came with him giving her favorite candy (in a box he made of construction paper, littered with hearts), a card, and a bracelet that took him no less than thirteen or so hours. He got back two Hot Wheels and some track, and a message that, while correct, was phrased so poorly that it tore him into pieces.

Things just kinda. Collapsed, slowly but surely. There was the field trip where he felt like a third wheel, despite being the partner to his partner. He broke down sobbing at a friend’s birthday because they weren’t there and he was so sick of their promises to put more energy into him, to love him, to write him a song, because it had been two months, and that energy was nowhere to be seen.

March came and he thought to himself that it would be okay, they just had to make it to summer, maybe just Prom season. Then she would have actually energy for him instead of the silence and unread texts he had been met with consistently.

Spring break sucked. It wasn’t their fault, he just felt so, so alone and so goddamn stupid for waking up at three to send texts he wouldn’t read.

But they got through! It was time for the end of March. With it came an annotated copy of his favorite book, more asks and promises, a half-planned promposal, and an understanding that things were just falling apart.

I can’t blame her for the day. I can’t blame them for the day they chose because they didn’t know, they didn’t remember. It only had weight to me. I was the only one who hated March 31st. But to him it didn’t hold nearly the same weight, it was a day, one with a field trip where she wouldn’t have to see me fall apart after they did it. I’ll give them credit, if all the break-ups I’ve had, no one has ever said it to my face. They’ve hidden, like I would hide later on.

He was terrified of abandonment, he had nightmares about it a million times. One million ways it would play out. And he knew it was falling apart, he knew it was inevitable.

He never thought she’d cry.

He always thought she… wouldn’t. They wouldn’t care enough to.

He never thought he’d cry simply because he never fully realized that she cared, and that while she wasn’t happy, they didn’t want him to do anything drastic. She didn’t know about the favoritism, not explicitly, but they knew the affection and the weight it held.

Part 2: Friendship

He was not good in the following month. He messed up, he will admit it he fucked up big time. He cried and cried and professed his love and didn’t want to act like things had changed. But they had and when he had to be told that he was being an asshat and making people uncomfortable, he set out to do better.

We have to detour at April 23. It probably isn’t all too special to everyone else. But to him he had cried the night before and vented and then deleted things. He did not see the liveblog.

They probably wouldn’t like that I call it a liveblog but I don’t know what else to call it. Was I being immature, oh yeah, oh yeah definitely. Was liveblogging my venting the best course she could’ve taken? Probably not. I can’t really judge. All I have to measure it was the anxiety so bad it made me vomit, the panic attack I had the next day over all those words about me she kept up, and the song.

I hate the song.

Maybe they’ve posted it by now. I don’t know. I won’t check. But I hate the song. Down to the title! “You wanted a song” you promised! You promised me something and I’m sorry that I threw a hissy fit over wanting that promise fulfilled. I never wanted the chorus proclaiming my crazy bitchness, I wanted you to show me how you loved.Shit dude, my bad I guess. I don’t know. I still hate it.

Things continued about the same for him, Prom night stank but in the end things seemed fine enough. The school year seemed fine enough. Summer seemed fine enough, until that all went to hell.

Part 3: Split

Just as he had learned the epic powers of going nonverbal in the last year, Calvin Orion learnt the unparalleled fun of splitting that summer. And by fun, he meant emotional hell.

Most of it happened for no reason. It was the tiniest thing, and then he was inconsolably angry. He felt so horrible, like some monster masquerading as a man. Like all those awful things he thought in that moment were true.

He had split before, almost certainly. But the first time he measured it was the last day of June.

T’was the last day of June and he tried to talk to her about some things, things that had become more apparent at a friend’s birthday, and he needed to because he just… wasn’t happy as things were. He told them so.

They brushed him off. She was busy all day and then had to go to the concert, and all the boundary talk was exhausting anyway. And when he saw them and a friend having fun at the concert, there it went. Split.

I wasn’t unfamiliar with the paranoid outbursts and sheer emotion, but there was a whole week where it was constant.

I didn’t split at his birthday. But when he teased me for my efforts and singled me out as the one person in the room he would not have relations with, I broke down. I cried. And I cried like a little baby that night not over anything else, but just that I didn’t wanna go home. And they hugged me as I spewed on and wept, and kept repeating that she couldn’t help me.

I don’t think I needed his help. I just needed a friend. I needed someone to just… care about me. And they did then, and we hugged for a while.

I think it’s gonna be the last time in a while that we hug.

Part 4: August

I’m autistic, that plays a rather large part in this. While I perceive social cues, I can’t always explain them. And yesterday when she seemed withdrawn, I didn’t know what I did, or why this was happening. All I knew is that it hurt because I felt so singled out again, same as I always was.

We got in a fight this morning. Some conflict on Friday when we were supposed to see a concert as a collective unit as friends. I had asked her about it last night, but got no answer, and now they were mad “for not telling [him] sooner” if I knew. I was mad because this is what I always had to do, and I was worried about what she would do one day when I wasn’t there to have reminders and pester them to do homework and just. I coddle, that is 100% my fault. He told me she never asked me to do anything for them, but I look back at all the times I felt pressured to share answers or give reminders or tell them important dates and just feel gross.

A friend of ours said they expected it, that she had said yesterday that “he didn’t know how to feel about me” and something clicked as I broke down.

I can’t pretend I was happy. Towards the end I had to start prompting replies, and that made me feel stupid as all hell. I’d say things and she wouldn’t listen.

I said a million times over that I couldn’t take this anymore. To SpaceHey, to friends, to myself.

I can’t pretend they were happy. We were never really friends again, some weird mentally ill in-between. I think we dealt with it in different ways; she tried to withdraw while I stood there with my bloodied chalk and finally, for once, drew a line.

Part 5: kingkajou

You don’t date someone for half of your Junior year and spend much longer than that as friends without getting a feel of them as a person. I’d say King has a very good feel for me as a person, she could tear into me, maybe they have, who knows. My point here is I have a good feel of King.

I’ve got a very good feel of King as a person, I’d like to say, and I’d like to say with that that the reason it was so hard to end things was that I knew for the most part that she really cared about me. I’m sure they still do, maybe they’re just fatigued on me for some reason, but most of their fear now seems to be losing other people.

I can’t say he was happy with the outcome, which is funny, because we had the same goal. Her random withdrawals were something meant to create distance, but it didn’t work out because I’m scared, I’m terrified of rejection, and I can sense it so easily. And I could’ve sworn I said it. And you think when someone is one of your best friend’s, he’d say that he didn’t know if he could do this to your face.

I mean, I did the same for a while I guess. I just feel mad because I never withdrew. I don’t know.

King, I don’t know if you’ll somehow see this. Hopefully you won’t. I just. Final messages I guess:

I have met you three times now in my life, and so far they’ve all ended fairly badly. And I’m sorry that this had to end, but I was not happy and I can’t act like I was. And maybe I didn’t have to say anything, but you know who I am, I go out with a bang and an essay every single time.

Despite this mess, I wanna meet you a fourth time. I want to be your friend again someday, because I mean it when I say you made me happy. You do make me happy, you have a plethora of times, and there’s so much from you I’ll hold onto until the day I die. I just, I couldn’t keep waiting. And I am ill, I am so much sicker than even my worst breakdowns let on, and I can’t be around you until my brain has cooled down severely.

I hope if, hopefully when, I meet you again, it goes better. I hope I am a better person and no longer have favorites, I hope you get better at communicating because dude you do actually need to work on it, like. A lot. I do too, I do too, but that’s not the point.

The point is I’m sorry, I love you dearly, and I hope one day we are better people and can be better friends. I do not think you are evil, I do not think I am evil. I think we are both teens, and that comes with some drama, and we are both sick, which comes with some chaos. I do not and have never looked at you and seen a monster, just a kid, who is trying their best but still has to be willing to take accountability and be open and be willing to grow. I hope when you look at me, you see the same.

It’s funny, most of these walls that I got euphoria from destroying were built by myself. But I felt like for the first time in ever, I was Calvin Orion again, and I was loved and hugged and people cared and I was a real human person.

I hope next time we meet, I can be a real human person more.

- Calvin Orion

#vent

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rose-of-the-underworld · 3 months ago

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Okay since my beloved mutual @athenasdragon kindly asked, I’m gonna yell about the mistress thing but under a cut in case anyone doesn’t want mild plot spoilers. Also, I apologize in advance, this is very long, I couldn’t shut up lol I hope that it’s at least coherent!

So!!! An Offer From A Gentleman is a Cinderella story which I’m always a fan of, another reason (aside from Benedict being my fave) that I wanted to read. Our heroine, Sophie, is the bastard daughter of an earl. He never claimed her, but instead allowed her to live in his home and called her his ward, insisting that she was the daughter of a deceased friend. But she looked so much like him that everyone knew the truth, it was an open secret. Sophie lived a relatively charmed childhood, beloved by the earl’s staff, dressed in fine clothes, well-fed, and educated by a governess. She was mostly ignored by her father, but her life was still pretty good.

When Sophie is 10, the earl decides to marry a woman who already has two daughters, and the new countess does NOT take kindly to her husband’s illegitimate daughter. She constantly attempts to isolate Sophie from the rest of the family, and the earl fights for Sophie’s right to be there every step of the way. When Sophie is 14, the earl dies, and Sophie is at her stepmother’s mercy. We all know how the story goes, Sophie is forced into unpaid servitude and abused and exploited and then one day she gets the opportunity to sneak into a masquerade ball where she meets Benedict and enjoys a two hour love story before she must flee.

Two years later, Sophie and Benedict are brought together again, and while Benedict doesn’t recognize her, he feels the same connection to Sophie the maid as he did with his mysterious lady in silver. As these two fall for each other again, Benedict asks Sophie to be his mistress, and while Sophie wants him just as badly, she refuses. She knows that there’s no chance that a gentleman would ever marry someone so far out of his social class, but she refuses to be any man’s mistress and risk having a child out of wedlock. Sophie refuses to ever put her hypothetical child through the things she suffered herself.

And this leads us to the main conflict between our couple, which I think was done so well. Benedict has lived such a charmed life that he can’t conceive of the suffering that Sophie went through — and honestly it doesn’t help that she refuses to go into full detail about her life for most of the book — and can’t understand why she’s refusing to be his mistress. He sees her rejection of a lifestyle outside of respectability as a rejection of him. And I really think that it is SUCH a man thing — particularly a wealthy man thing — to just simply Not Get It.

Marriage has always been a legal contract. In our modern day, we’re more familiar with the reasons why same sex marriage is such a big deal. And it’s because marriage gives spouses legal recourse for protection against other family members, tax purposes, insurance purposes, and most importantly next of kin rights. This was the same for heterosexual marriage prior to the 20th century (and even a good deal into the 20th century), especially for women.

Women in the Regency era (and throughout most of history) were always at the mercy of the men in their life. They were property of their fathers or brothers or uncles or male cousins until they passed into property of their husband. It was very rare that a woman would inherit any kind of property unless 1.) a male relative specifically legally willed it to them (which was rare and I believe legally tricky) or 2.) their husband died before conceiving an heir and had no male relative who could inherit the property. It was very common for a man to die and for his wife and daughters to be forced out of their home if he had no son and another male relative was to inherit his estate. This is a problem we see illustrated in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and in Sense and Sensibility.

So while inheritance was tricky sometimes, a man of means could specify in his will that his wife and daughters were to be granted at least enough money to live on after his passing, even if they had to move, and he would leave his daughters dowries. In general, a married man was expected to provide for his wife and children as part of the legal contract of marriage. There was at least that security for a woman and her children within the bounds of marriage.

A mistress and her children born out of wedlock, however, did not have that same recourse. Being a mistress was nice enough in some ways, the gentleman she was involved with would pay for housing and clothes and food and she would live the life of what, today, we would call a stay at home girlfriend. And a gentleman with any kind of heart would financially support any children they would have together. But there was no guarantee of this lasting forever. If said man has a wife, she will almost certainly resent her husband’s mistress and illegitimate children, and if he dies suddenly without making specific demands to support his mistress and children in his will, then his wife can very easily turn them out on the street. And depending on the mistress’ skill set/work experience, and especially with the reputation of an unwed mother, finding work would be very difficult. And even if she did, it was very likely that the wages she would make would still not be enough to support herself and her children.

And this is exactly what Sophie fears and what Benedict does not understand. Sophie experienced the wrath of a stepmother toward a bastard and refuses to recreate history. Benedict thinks this is a nice life of luxury for Sophie. He refuses to think of a world where he eschews society’s expectations of him and marries a maid instead of a lady. AND he is selfishly holding out for his fantasy of his lady in silver returning so that he can marry her and still keep Sophie. I really wanted to lightly strangle him throughout this book and I mean this incredibly positively because I think a book should have good conflict and characters that are imperfect. I still love Benedict a lot and enjoy both his positive and negative traits. And I adored Sophie, I’m really looking forward to seeing her on screen.

Now I don’t think that Bridgerton is some feminist masterpiece (the show itself is very clumsy with its purposeful feminist themes), but I do think that this book in particular handles a specific, very real problem for women in the Regency era very well. And I think that the characters address said problem in very realistic ways. I like that Benedict wasn’t some super enlightened feminist king, in spite of being a man with a good heart who is very adamant about ensuring a woman’s safety. He feels like a man of his time for the most part. I like that Sophie is a character who holds firm to her principles and is determined to live a life of respectability and honor that she can be proud of. She struggles with the concept of self-love and the idea that she deserves comfort and happiness, BUT she has self-respect and that’s something that I always admire. Sophie has a romantic heart, but a very pragmatic brain.

I really loved this book, I had a lot of fun reading. Thank you so much for letting me ramble ❤️❤️❤️

Reading An Offer From A Gentleman and I need someone who doesn’t know anything about the lack of legal protection for mistresses and bastards who would actually care to listen to me to scream about this book to. All my friends are well aware of these things even if they would listen to me and all my family who wouldn’t know about this would not listen to me. I know I can just gush to my friends but I specifically want to teach someone KSHWHZIHSHS

#my post #bridgerton #an offer from a gentleman #athenasdragon

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endwalkr · 2 years ago

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#day 2 of missing my friends. sad #the schedule for the next semester means i only get to see my friend once a week instead of a tentative three times :(#at least we will have like a full day together instead of just 1 class #And my other friend will probably join in for 1 lecture as well #tomorrow is our final wednesday where we get a hot drink and hang out in class and then watch something in discord in the afternoon #i am gonna miss it so bad :sob: we will try to turn the monday into that but it will be another 1.5 month until classes resume #6 weeks of screaming crying in discord i guess :(#personal

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ladykailitha · 2 years ago

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Can Anybody See Me? Part 20

Ah yes, the satisfaction of seeing the build up of several chapters get paid off. *cackles in evil author*

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19

***

The next day’s performance went off without a hitch and Steve was really getting into the thrill of being on stage. He loved performing in front of the kids as they laughed at the antics of Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin. He went full bitch every time Thomson was interrupted and the kids ate it up.

He was still struggling with General Washington line but Miss Lucy didn’t comment on it anymore so he figured he had at least done enough to make her stop.

Wednesday was the last performance in front of the kiddos and then that night would be their first full show. The auditorium was darkened and the spotlight was on Steve and instead of staying in the spot he took a half step forward, casting him half in light and half in shadows as he spoke his lines.

Behind him he could hear the sound of rushing water crashing into the stage. Had he not taken those steps forward he would have been drenched, ruining the costume and wig completely. As it was the only thing that got wet was his hose.

It took everything in Steve’s power not to turn around. Not to stop the scene. The kid playing Adams hissing to keep going. They would sort it out after. Steve began to shake as he finished his part of the scene and walked out. Vince was careful of the water on stage and thankful that his shoes had heels to keep his feet mostly dry.

They paused between scenes for the stage crew to clean up the mess, with Janice backstage trying to calm Steve down. Miss Lucy was livid. She explained to the kids that a water main broke and that the show would continue after a ten minute interlude. Then she interrogated every stage crew person not cleaning up the mess. Because it could have only been someone from crew that could have set it up.

The show went on and they were able to finish their performance without further mishap. Steve finished with only the barest tremor to his voice. His hands still shook, but these were kids. They didn’t know what had happened. Not really. But they had a cute little story to tell their parents that night.

An hour before their first nightly show, Janice came running up to Steve. He was getting into costume, thankful his tights had dried out in time.

“You’re never going to believe this!” she cried, gripping his arm tight.

“What? What’s going on?” Steve asked.

“They found it who sabotaged the set today!” Janice said, shaking his arm.

Eddie and Marty who had been talking to some of the other stage crew came over, too.

“I am so livid,” Marty said. “I can’t believe that toad got Ollie and Mindy to do his bidding.”

Steve frowned. “Mindy? As in Mindy Jones?”

Marty nodded. “She’s one of our best lighting riggers. She’s small and agile enough to get in and get out quickly.”

“Dude, she fucking hates me,” Steve explained. “We were in Pottery class together and resented me coming into the class after the semester started when I was forced to quit basketball and baseball due to my concussions.”

Eddie swore. “And Ollie is that baseball kid that knocked into Steve a couple weeks back. Called him all sorts of slurs.”

Janice’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit. That’s how Kyle got to them. They already hated Steve. I thought he’d paid them. But he probably didn’t have to, they were more than willing to do it without payment.”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “Kyle? Kyle Carver? He’s behind the water trap?”

Janice nodded. “He got them to rig the trap to fall during the ‘Is Anybody There?’ sequence because it would just be Steve and Vince and Vince would be far enough away that he wouldn’t get hit.”

“Okay, but why?”

Eddie pursed his lips. “He had been secretly working with Mrs Thompson, Tammy’s mom to get his own costume and wig. Once yours were ruined and you likely sick from being doused with water, he would step in and take your place as Charles Thomson.”

Steve sat down hard. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” Janice agreed. “Miss Lucy is pissed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this angry before. She’s calling for them to be expelled.”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “Shit.”

“They could have seriously hurt you,” Marty said. “This isn’t just some prank. If the bucket had fallen, you could have gotten another concussion.”

Steve nodded. “I knew he was pissed that I got the role over him, but I never thought he’d go this far.”

“Yeah,” Janice agreed. “According to Mrs Thompson she thought he just wanted a costume for some party his dad was throwing.”

“Or so she says,” Eddie said darkly.

Marty nodded. “Yeah, I think she’s only saying that because the cops were throwing around words like conspiracy and attempted assault.”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit.”

“I think you’ve got a friend in the HPD,” Eddie said. “They wanted much stronger charges.”

Steve blushed. “Something like that.”

Steve looked out in the audience as he waited for the lights to go down and the curtain to go up. He smiled when he saw all his kids in the first two rows. Dustin, El, Lucas and Erica, Mike and Will in the first row. With Jonathan and Nancy and all their parents on the second.

He continued to look for his parents. He had told him about it and his mother ensured him that they would be here.

He didn’t see them. But he still had two more nights. It was fine. He went out there and killed it.

Dustin came running up to him afterwards, screaming and jumping up and down.

“Holy shit, dude!” he cried, the rest of them following at a regular pace. “Where did you learn to do that? You were incredible!”

Steve blushed but gave him huge hug. Soon he was being bombarding with compliments and hugs. Everyone telling him about how well he did and how good the show was.

“We’re all going out for ice cream!” Erica said. “You are coming with us, right...?”

Steve nodded. “Of course. Everyone deserves ice cream to celebrate how awesome I am.” He winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

“You’re coming with Dad and me,” El said excitedly. “We’ll drop you back off here to get your car after we’re done.”

Steve agreed. “Sounds great. I just need to say goodbye to my friends and I’ll be right back.”

They all nodded and chatted among themselves as they waited.

Steve went back to where his friends were waiting for him.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted. “They want to take me out for ice cream in celebration, so I’ll catch you guys tomorrow, okay?”

Janice and Marty nodded, but Eddie caught his shoulder. “You want me to wait for you by your car in case Kyle tries something else?”

Steve felt a cold chill in the pit of his stomach. He hadn’t thought of that. So he nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that. I mean, Chief Hopper will be dropping me off, but they could still do something to my car while I’m gone.”

Eddie nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on it. I promise.”

Steve squeezed his hand and then waved goodbye to everyone.

“I didn’t know you knew the Munson boy,” Hopper said when Steve slid into the cab of his truck.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Do you want the legal answer or the illegal one?”

Hopper sputtered as El giggled.

“The legal one, please,” Hopper said after a moment. “I really don’t want to hear about the other one. For my sanity.”

Steve chuckled. “After Billy Hargrove bashed my head in with a plate, Eddie helped me get to the nurse’s station when I started throwing up in fifth period and we became friends after that.”

Hopper sighed. “Yeah, all right.”

“Plus,” Steve continued, “he’s protected me from Billy and his friends wanting to make an example of me to the school that Hargrove is the new top dog.”

“Well shiiiioooot,” he said, El looking up at him with her wide brown eyes.

Steve huffed out a laugh. “So, yeah. If it wasn’t for Eddie and his friends my senior year would have been hell. But as it is, they got me to try out for the play, they invited me over for Christmas so I wasn’t by myself. I’ve had movie nights with them. They’re good people.”

Hopper sighed again. “You’ve made your point.”

Steve smiled brightly. He briefly thought about telling them about Eddie and his relationship. But he wasn’t sure how they would react to that. Plus he liked keeping it private. Just something soft between them. Yes a handful of people already knew, but Steve knew they wouldn’t tell anyone without talking to Eddie or him first.

Steve had a blast at the ice cream parlor. He laughed and swapped stories with everyone. Just enjoying celebrating with some of his closest friends.

After Hopped dropped him back off at his car, Hopper walked him to it. “I just wanted to let you know that there probably won’t be a lot that happens to those kids legally. The ones that tried to prank you earlier today.”

Steve sighed. “I figured. Maybe if my dad was interested in more than chasing the latest skirt and actual cared about me, there might be something done, but right now Kyle Carver’s got the better lawyers.”

Hopper nodded. “Sad, but true. I’ll keep putting pressure on the mayor and other key politicians and see if we can’t get them at least expelled for their little stunt.”

Steve nodded. “Thanks. It’s something. Which is a hell of a lot better than nothing.”

Hopper gave Steve’s shoulder a squeeze and then walked back to his truck. Steve shook his head. He turned around to see Eddie eyeing him warily.

“Like, I know you said that Chief Hopper was dropping you off,” Eddie said, “but it’s one thing to hear it and another to see it.”

Steve shrugged. “You remember my comic?”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied with a shrug.

“Let’s just say that Chief Hopper and his daughter are involved, too. So I got to know them both.”

Eddie nodded skeptically, running his tongue over his teeth. “And that would be why you were able to use their story for your comic for art class?”

“Oh yeah,” Steve said. He got close to Eddie, so close they were practically sharing the same breath. “And he tried to warn me off you. I told him that I am who I am now...which in case you need me to spell it out for you, is happier and healthier than I have been in years, is because of you. Because of our friends. Because you make me happy.”

Eddie blinked and blushed, pursing his lips. “Yeah?”

“Yes, you absolute menace,” Steve teased. “I love you.”

“Did you–” Eddie asked, suddenly worried.

Steve shook his head. “Not without talking to you first, sunshine.”

Eddie relaxed. “Let’s get you home, darlin’.”

Steve looked around and then planted a large kiss on his lips.

Eddie melted into it, pulling Steve flush against his chest. “I love you, too.”

***

Part 21

Tag List: @shrimply-a-menace @strangersteddierthings @throwbackthrowaway @novelnovella @cursedfoxteeth @babyblender @garden-of-gay @anaibis @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring @swimmingbirdrunningrock @steve-the-hairrington @winterbuckwild @spectrum-spectre @matchingbatbites @thing-a-ling @fandemonium-takes-its-toll @artiststarme @sundead @nelotegreitic @gregre369 @butterflysandpeppermint @thedragonsaunt @kodaik97 @messrs-weasley @scarletzgo @deadlydodos @renaissan-vvitch @evix-syne666 @emly03 @justforthedead89 @ashwinmeird @huniibee @phantypurple @stevesbipanic @shucks-yuckyuck @lovelyscot @awkwardgravity1 @bookbinderbitch @reportinglivefromsoda @jinxjinn @chasinggeese @be-the-spark-bitch @kohlraedirectioner @cr0w-culture @xjessicafaithx @whimsicalwitchm @jaywhohasthegay @estrellami-1 @dangdirtydemons @howincrediblysapphicofyou @the-redthread

#My writing #stranger things #steddie #canon divergence #the boy with the bat #ladykailtiha writes

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asher-hyperfixation-hell · 3 years ago

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Hello hi, yes so I'm just gonna rant about an au of mine to you, hope you don't mind.

It's called 'the sea's my sister' and while there's so much angst potential it's just a fun au for me (I"ll think about angst another day). So let's get started

Pre series (before pilots/backstory)

so per usual Nya and Kai lose their parents at ages 3 and 5 respectively BUT two years later, Kai and Nya are playing and Kai ends up almost drowning only reason he didn't die was and you probably guessed he Nya merged with the sea. How exactly she did this I dunno, it's a child panicking her brother hasn't come up for air and he can't swim, and maybe she shouldn't have pushed him in.

Any who she merges with the Sea, but because I say so she stays with kai (he's also nowhere close to the sea so she's have a hard time getting to it)

So any who Kai has a flask that he keeps Nya in when going around and a cup on the counter otherwise. Nya probably has some memory issues but we'll think about that later.

Now onto pilots!

These mostly go as per normal. Nya was taking meaning the flask she's in was accidentally stolen by one of the skeletons. Kai's yelling about losing his sister, (who wu could have sworn he didn't see earlier) and wu takes him in. Faster forward to Fire temper cause nothing else is different and well I dunno yet kai takes the sword for some reason. gotta figure that out later.

Anywho when they're in the underworld Kai goes off and finds nya aka his flask, and when the other lean he has this flask and he calls it his sister, well they think he's crazy, but they still like him so they keep him. and that leads us into.

Season 1!

Mostly normal till we get to full potential because we have no nya, so instead Jay while he's out with the rest of the team sees some old class mates of his and they start picking on him, and then the other three stand up for him, because Jay is jay and that's all they want from him. and bam full potential though it's like a serge of electricity and Jay went all glowey, suffice it to say they were all freaked (jay was first to get his full potential because I want them freaked).

wait was full potential season two?? any who on to.

Season 2

Now everyone still thinks Kai's crazy and just morning his sister, but then lloyd comes along at first he also thinks Kai's just nuts but then he really looks at the at the water and it seems to responds to Kai so he asks, and Kai offers to show him, So they go to the beach and Lloyd meets Nya. Lloyd also gets Nya a transparent flask and decorates it, Nya loves it.

Getting to the dark Island is no problem at all, but they do still find the light house, Nya helps Zane out while he's in the water making sure none of the starfish eat him. Oh and Kai still has aquaphobia even though he can breathe water.

The guys don't really listen when Kai says Nya can just take them to Ninjago city, or at least back to the continent.

Season 3

Everything is pretty much the same except during the middle when the Overlord and Lloyd end up in the sea, Nya takes Lloyd to stix and just traps the Overlord so Neither PIxal or Zane Die.

Season 4

Reason they go to Chen's Ninja work is they're just investigating it. Now Chen can't get off the Island, the Sea wont let him, oh and when he drains Kai's power he drains both Fire and water so it takes a bit longer than everyone else this is just to confuse the rest of the EA.

Skylo still Likes Kai but then she leans he talks to water and calls it his sister, now she still kinda likes him but also thinks he's nuts.

They stop Chen on the island and Garmadon is alive! Oh and when they unlock elemental Dragons Kai flies by the sea and it becomes a freaking Dragon aka Nya and the two fly around and Play together. So Now the other NInja think Kai just might not be crazy.

Season 5

This got the most changes, first of all, Nya just get's Kai to the FSM's tome and he gets the Realm crystal no fighting, Lloyd is still possessed and dealing with Morro, Morro has no friends cause Nya keeps killing them. So unfortunately for Lloyd he ends up being possessed for longer but we get a reformed Morro. So ghost boy is around.

Season 6

just doesn't happen Now I don't remember if Nadakan just messes with the Ninja or if he actually just leaves, but anyway he just stays in djinnjago no fighting.

Season 7

Mostly the Same except it just pixal Making Samurai X since Nya's been the seas this whole time, and Kai goes and finds his parents. Now thought when he's in Krux and Acronix's lair one of the snakes break Nya's flask the gift from Lloyd, so she goes ballistic on them. Kai leaves her to deal and Goes to find their parents. And then he goes to get the Reversal blade, on his own, this freaks his parents. He just jumped off the ship and into the boiling seas on his own! They're worried but he makes it back (and on the fusion dragon? Doesn't he need the master of Water for that??).

Then Krux still fight them and wins but when he get's back to his lair it's just a reck with the Ninja there so they just take the two into custody and revers Wu and Ray.

Season 8

it just doesn't happen Haru convinces her Parents to let her meet/see Sensei g and he helps her through all her problems. Maybe they had to fight a biker gang idk

Season 9

again nothing they were never sent to the first realm so just it doesn't happen.

Season 10

So like they don't have the Realm Crystal or the Golden Armor but like idk Lloyd ends up using his gold powers against them or maybe wu does so they end up decided to go to space and get the Golden weapons that are up there, they never got them in season 3. and then Kai forges the weapons. and bam they win or smth.

Season 11

Now this is just fun since Aspheerra Takes Kai's fire but he still has his Water so he's just angerly taking on Aspheera and throwing water at her.

Part 2 Ice emperor is mostly the same really Maybe Kai leans to control Ice, but mostly he's getting back into using his fire. Though Lloyd get's to have Nya during his Time with Akita, Kai told him to take her. She can't do much since she'll freeze if she leaves her Flask.

Season 12

oh boy now this is fun cause Nya gets to go into Prime empire with them, and now she has a body!! so lots of romance with her and Jay thought it's only the beginning. Mostly goes along normally except every ones' just super excited Nya has a body.

Season 13

I have not watch King of the mountain yet-

Nya got to keep her Body so it goes mostly Normally but instead of her and the queen Murt fighting since Jay's Nya's Ying, Nya and her fight for Jay, Nya's trying to impress him. Plus you can't use vengstone against her Nya's not using elemental power so she can just break out very easily, and she can still turn into water if she wants to.

Season 14

Pretty much the same except like they have the ocean on their side, it's not hard to get Jay back and go take down Ronin. oh and the Overlord is down there too in his own water jail. lol

Season 15

I... I know nothing on what Happens in seabound I mean I know Nya dies and stuff but I really don't know how it goes down so I can't say.

But Ig Kai's having trouble with his water powers?? and goes to Merlopia with the gang?? You'll have to tell me.

Anyway that's all hope you liked reading all this.

AAETFUYEFYBIAU- I LOVE THIS- I'm just imagining Kai talking to this water flask and the other ninja are just watching from around the corner like "?? bitch what??"

Also, Nya struggling to relearn how bodies work after Prime Empire, resulting in there being times where someone walks into the room and just find Nya laying face down on the ground, apparently being there for over an hour

#ninjago #ninjago asks #ninjago nya #nya ninjago #nya smith #kai ninjago #kai smith #ninjago kai #smith siblings #nya jiang #nya jiang smith #kai jiang smith #kai jiang #ninjago au

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