#but a lot of them are worded awkwardly or kinda stilted???

[irishvampireboy]

do y'all ever read through a list of dialog prompts and just think.... no one fucking speaks like that

[jouska-the-deer]

Sonic Frontiers Spoilers

Alright so I have the feeling I’m coming up on the end of the second island and I have some thoughts. 

Gameplay; I love 90% of it. The 2D stages can go eat whatever the hell this this. Otherwise, I’m smiling the entire time I’m just running around collecting things. Despite unlocking fast travel I’ve never used it because I prefer to get to places on my own. This is the first Sonic game where I feel like we’re getting a taste of what everyday adventuring is like for Sonic. 

The music is good so far. We all knew it was going to be. I was pleasantly surprised at there being an actual metal song in there, though. If some people thought Infinite’s theme was too heavy, I wonder how they handled Undefeatable. I also want to say Kronos island’s music reminds me of the Gaia gate music from Sonic Unleashed. Kinda in the instrumentals, but more in the atmosphere they give off. 

Negativity incoming.

Everyone is saying the writing in Frontiers is amazing. I think it’s alright. There have been a few bits of dialog that felt stilted, with unintentional end rhymes and awkwardly repeating words. The most notable thing about the dialog is just how... not notable it is. It’s very subdued... even in places where you’d expect characters to be freaking out. 

One of the biggest things I see people praising is the voice acting, or more accurately, the voice direction. Every single character, Every, Single, One, talks more calmly now. Honestly, to me, the lack of energy is extremely jarring in places. Casual conversations; That’s fine. But, I feel like Sonic would normally freak out a bit more at losing all his friends. I feel like he should be a little angrier at the person being openly hostile to him. I feel like he’s handling all of this... a bit too well. 

So, as I watched the cutscenes, something that really stuck out to me is how mature everyone is acting. Even the various let’s players I’ve watched have pointed this out. They have a decent amount of emotional maturity and are capable of having level-headed conversations in times of stress like reasonable adults. ...The problem is that they’re all children. Like... Amy’s supposed to be 12 and yet she’s acting like a young woman, staring into the distance pondering a greater purpose in life. Sonic had his character flaws laid out to him by Sage (being short-sighted and short-tempered) yet he’s been acting the opposite so far. Knuckles has similar flaws, yet he’s been pretty mellow too. Was there a time skip? Why is everyone so different? 

I’m kinda worried, honestly. On the first island, Amy made a comment about wanting spread love to the world, and Sonic replied that he’d be waiting for when she came back, with the entire scene being framed as really important. My thoughts were, firstly, that what Amy just said was vague and meaningless no matter how profound the line was read, and secondly, that Sonic was weird to say he’d be waiting for her to come back after finishing such a vague task. Then, I got to the second island, and Knuckles commented on possibly going on adventures sometimes, and alarm bells starting ringing in my head. 

I hope, so much, that they’re not going to pull that dumb ass trope of the friends going their own ways at the end of the story. Not only is it just a cheap way to snag unearned tears, but for Sonic games specifically, it is an insult to the very core of what they are. Sonic values his freedom to run off on adventures, but he also loves his friends and trusts them to have his back when it’s time to save the day. As cheesy as it is, The Power of Friendship is at the core of 90% of the franchise. If they toss his friends aside for a cheap bittersweet ending (and probably due to idiot “Sonic’s annoying friends” critiques) I’ll be extremely pissed.

That’s a lot of time talking about characterization, now... lore... It’s fine so far. I bought all the Egg memos and it’s mostly just continuity clarification like in the TailsTube videos, with a mild amount of exploration into Eggman’s relationship with Sage. The memos and cutscenes so far make it seem like the writers are trying to get all their ducks in a row. It’s obvious that this game is supposed to be The Big One and they’re probably trying to catch up new fans while clearing things up for old ones. Not to be sacrilegious, but I’m not particularly lore hungry, so I don’t care much. I’ve always been more into the current struggles of main characters rather than the past struggles of long dead randos. If they do something neat that’ll actually affect the main cast, then I guess I’ll have a reason to care.

Anyway, that’s all I think I had to say. Now, I’m off to save my million screenshots of the game to my PC while continuing to wonder when the writers will remember that Knuckles is supposed to be guarding the master emerald outside of side gags. 

[omg-imatotalmess]

Avoidance

Hey guys! So, this is for @thisismysecrethappyplace who tagged me in their writing challenge. I’m sorry this took so long to get out. I hope this helps you through your birthday blues. Hope y’all enjoy!

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Requested: Kinda

Warnings: Slight angst (it ends nice and fluffy I promise) 

15. I’m hopeless and awkward and desperate for love!

                                                              ---

Love was a funny thing. It had the power to make people do the stupidest things without even realizing it. It had the power to make people forget themselves. Love could completely turn someone inside out and set them on their head, and they'd be happy about it. You couldn't fathom it. How anyone could be happy about tearing their heart out and handing it to someone for safekeeping was a mystery to you. In fact, you thought it was total bullshit. Then you met George. 

Well, that's not exactly it. It wasn't love at first sight by any means, but sometime in the years you'd known him, it crept up on you. You hadn't even realized it at first. It had come on so slowly over the years that it felt natural. Then, all of a sudden, sitting in a sunny corner of the library, it hit you like a ton of bricks. You were in love with George Weasley. The boy who taught you to play quidditch, who laughed at all your bad jokes, who had been your best friend forever. Of course, you loved him. It was inevitable. And that's why you'd taken to avoiding him. 

You couldn't stand to be the aching, puppy-eyed girl grinning ear to ear as you offered him your heart. Never in your life did you want to feel that stupid. You also didn't like the very real possibility that it would ruin things between you. All you wanted to do was wait it out. Let yourself slowly fall out of love with him, and then things could go back to normal. However, George seemed to have other plans. After a good week of avoiding him, he finally caught up to you while you sat in the astronomy tower. 

"There you are. Been looking for you for ages, you know," he said. You could feel him grinning at your back. 

"Uh, yup, here I am. You found me," you said, cringing at your stilted words. 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't want to see me. Silly me, I didn't know we were playing hide and seek," he laughed, dumping his bag on the floor and sitting down beside you. In typical George fashion, he left a tiny gap between your shoulders but knocked your knees together as he sat. It was friendly. You wished it wasn't. Then you hated yourself for wishing that. 

"Yeah, silly you," you said. 

"C'mon, don't tell me you're really avoiding me." His tone was still teasing, but you could hear the tightness beginning to form. 

"Well..." you began. 

"What? Why? Is it because Fred and I let you take the fall for that prank on Snape? Because I feel terrible about that, and I really am sorry," he said. 

"I am still kinda mad about that," you muttered to yourself.

"Does that mean you're avoiding Fred, too?" he asked, looking very much like he hoped the answer was yes. Just for the safety of knowing it wasn't just him. 

Things would have been so much easier if he didn't turn those big brown eyes on you. When he looked like that, you could see how devastatingly handsome he was even with that wounded look on his face. You hated it. The last thing you'd ever wanted to do was hurt him. How the hell were you supposed to explain to your best friend that you fell in love with him and wished you hadn't? You had the feeling that it would come out wrong if you tried anyway. You looked away. 

"You're not." It was a statement. 

"Well, no, not exactly," you mumbled. 

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" he asked. 

"No!" you said, just a little too loud. "No, of course not." 

"You don't exactly go around ignoring your best friend without a good reason. Especially not you. Unless you forgot how to speak English or something. Even then, I bet you'd still come mess with me just because you knew I wouldn't understand you. You'd get a real kick out of that," he babbled. 

"George, take a breath," you reminded him. 

"What did I do?" he said, cutting off his rambling. You shifted uncomfortably, blushing under his gaze. If only he was just a little less endearing. If only he was ugly. If only you weren't dumb enough to fall in love with him. 

"You didn't do anything. I'm just being stupid," you said. 

"That doesn't exactly tell me much, you know," he replied, reaching out to take your hand. It was something he'd done a million times before. Your skin shouldn't have prickled under his touch. 

"No, I guess not. It's really not a big deal, though." The tingling spread up your arm. 

"Tell me about it anyway," he said, giving your hand the most unbearably sweet squeeze. It was like he had a direct line to your heart. That one little squeeze sent it into overdrive. You shivered, pulling your hand away and standing up. 

"I can't. Not right now, okay?" you said quickly. Snagging your bag from its place by the window, you turned to run like the coward you were.

"(Y/N)." Your name sounded heavy and tragic on his tongue. The whole situation felt like something out of a ridiculous romance novel, which made you hate it even more. 

"I'll explain it all to you when I get it straight in my head, okay? I promise," you said. While you never really planned to tell him about being in love with him, you would eventually be able to go back to normal. 

Taking one long step forward, he grabbed the sleeve of your shirt. His grip was so gentle that you could have pulled away if you'd really wanted to, but you didn't. Both of you stood there. Neither of you moved or spoke for a moment. You just kept your back to him, letting him curl his fingers into your sleeve. Eventually, he brought himself closer, leaning his forehead onto your shoulder. 

"Please don't ignore me anymore. It's only been a week, and I miss you," he whispered. You weren't sure you'd ever heard him so quiet. 

"George-"

"Please? I'd really rather you talk this through even if I don't have a clue what you're on about," he said. 

Jesus, having him so close you could damn near hear his voice inside your head was painful. So was the thought of walking away. George was your best friend. He deserved an explanation. It was cruel of you to do this to him when he didn't do anything wrong. You just weren't sure how to start. 

"I'm hopeless and awkward and desperate for love!" you blurted. Well, that was one way to do it. 

"You're in love?" he asked, somehow sounding more upset. 

"That seems to be what came out of my mouth," you said. 

"You're in love," he said again. This time it was more to himself. 

"Yeah," you sighed, turning to him. You rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly, feeling your cheeks flushing with heat. This wasn't a conversation you really wanted to have. He'd reject you in that sweet yet joking way only he could pull off, and you'd have to pretend to be okay with it, and things would be so much worse. If the castle was capable of swallowing you whole, you wished it would. 

"With who?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Who is it?" 

"Who... am I in love with?" you asked. Oh no. Oh god. George, that sweet, stupid boy. He didn't get it. 

"Do I know them?" he asked. A frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. 

"I should hope so. You know, come to think of it, he actually looks a lot like you," you laughed, suddenly dizzy with mortification. The whole situation was laughable. Completely bizarre. What could you do besides laugh? 

"Oh," he croaked. "Fred then." 

"Fred?" you asked, blinking dazedly. 

"It's alright. You could have just told me. I would have even put in a good word for you. We're close, you know, I have an in with him. Wouldn't have minded setting you up. Can't imagine why you didn't just ask," he said with a half-hearted laugh. He began to back away from you. You watched as he ran a hand through his hair and bit his lip. For a split second, you thought he was going to cry. 

"I'm not talking about Fred," you said. 

"'M not sure who else you'd be talking about," he said. 

"You dense--" you muttered. Shaking your head, you figured you'd better give this another shot. 

"You, George, I'm in love with you," you admitted. It was his turn to blink at you. If the situation hadn't been so painfully awkward, you might have laughed at him. Half bent over with his bag hanging from one hand, lanky limbs paused mid-movement and sticking out at odd angles.

"Me? You really mean that? Me, as in George Weasley?" he asked. 

"You know a lot of other George Weasleys?" 

"Me! You're in love with me!" he hooted. A grin cracked across his face as he dropped his bag and swept you up in his arms. 

"I'll assume it's reciprocated then," you said as he crushed you against his chest. He laughed. It sounded a lot like years worth of built-up worry finally being released—a wonderfully contagious sound. A smile pulled at your mouth, and you buried your face in his chest. 

In lieu of an actual answer, he pulled you up, so your feet dangled off the floor and kissed you. You'd thought about George kissing you a thousand times, but you never imagined it would be like this. He kissed you like it was the only thing he'd ever wanted to do. Despite the enthusiasm that you could feel emanating from every pore, he was gentle. His mouth was warm, stretched around a familiar grin, and tasted faintly of honey. You wondered briefly why you ever thought about denying yourself this before  George overtook all your senses. Reluctantly, the two of you parted to breathe. 

"Guess I should have said something sooner," you panted. 

"Definitely," he said, sounding a little breathless himself. 

"So, I guess it really would be safe to assume you like me too," you teased. 

"I've been in love with you since fourth year. Glad to know you finally caught up," he said. His face was flushed a soft pink, making his freckles stand out more. You loved them. You loved him. 

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," you said. 

"This was definitely worth the wait." Smiling, you leaned in and captured his lips again. Now that you knew you were allowed, you weren't sure you'd ever stop. Maybe love wasn't so funny after all. 

@hufflepuff5972

[skellebonez]

Oooh! New prompts! How about 21, with it being a 'Pigsy is Bajie' reveal

Hell yeah, my turn at this fantastic idea! Naturally I had to make it FreeNoodleShipping. Because that's who I am now.

Listen, I haven’t exactly been truthful with you.

"Listen," Pigsy started, rubbing the back of his neck with awkward stilted movements from trying not to bump into the walls of his shop. "I haven't exactly been truthful with you."

He sat at a table in his noodle shop... or rather, he sat on the floor at a table in his noodle shop. His noodle shop with a chunk of the front of the entrance missing due to demon attack. He was far too tall to sit in one of his chairs and not hit the ceiling. Tang, his ever constant friend not yet but wanted boyfriend companion, sat in a proper chair across from him.

"Oh really?" Tang asked with a high laugh. Pigsy would be worried that he was angry if he didn't have this amazed and shocked smile on his face. "I never would have guessed, what with the turning twice- no, thrice your size and punching another demon so hard they flew into the horizon line." His words were increduous but his tone was just like his face. Shock and awe. "MK still can't find him!"

That didn't stop Pigsy, now in his full powered form that he hadn't used since he last went by Zhu Bajie, from bowing his head in embarrassment. "I probably should have come clean a lot sooner, huh? Like when ya told me ya studied Sun Wukong and our Journey to the West..."

"Yes, you should have," Tang agreed, reaching across the table to pat his hand (his hand was so small now, so so small compared to his and in the back of his mind he could only think 'how have I been protecting him when he's normally bigger than me?') and chuckle. "But this does explain some of your... odder interjections in my stories."

"Hey, I was a right asshat back then and even I can admit that!" Pigsy pouted and apparently something about seeing a pout on his more intimidating face made Tang's smile soften. "What?"

"It's just..." Tang looked away and Pigsy could see the barest hint of a flushed tint on the tip of his ears. "You transformed to catch me. Carry me to safety. And then punch a demon in the face. And now you're sitting here trying to apologize to me and pouting about me making you look better in my stories." He chuckled again, raising his shoulders a bit to hide the blush forming on his cheeks. He failed miserably. "It's... kinda cute?"

Pigsy was pretty sure he heard his own brain stop working for a second as his own face flushed a deep crimson. "W-what?"

"If we're being honest now," Tang continued, the hand holding Pigsy's lacing their fingers together as best he could without looking. "I've always been a huge fan of Sun Wukong... but Zhu Bajie was always secretly my favorite in the stories. I guess you could say I had a bit of a crush on him." Oh yep, yup, Pigsy's brain was clearly not working. There was no way he was hearing this. "And I always thought you reminded me a little of him and I kinda developed a crush on you, so... I... can I do something?"

"What?" Pigsy repeated, and he froze as Tang stood from his seat. "I-I... yeah? Yes." He had a slight idea of what he could be hinting at but he couldn't bring himself to imagine it, there was no way...

Their hands were still clasped together as Tang climbed onto his chair and leaned forward, legs braced against the table as he placed his other hand on Pigsy's chest. He leaned forward more and more and more and suddenly all Pigsy could see was Tang and he was right there. He stopped as his nose touched his snout, blush more pronounced and eyes half lidded behind his glasses.

Pigstly swallowed nervously as he felt Tang's breath against his lips and that's when he realized he was waiting on him. So Pigsy closed both his eyes and the distance between them.

He felt Tang gasp under his lips and lean into the kiss, putting his body weight entirely on the pig demon as a thunk was heard against the table. Maybe his legs had given out from the strained position, but Pigsy didn't care in that moment. He held Tang's hand firmer as he brought his free one around to lay it on Tang's back. It was awkward, their size difference was much more exagerated in his form and the kiss was awkward and miss fitted making it completely chaste and it would have been so much better in his smaller "civilian" form.

But it just felt right anyway.

Too soon Tang pulled back and Pigsy opened his eyes to see his glasses fogged and him kneeling on the table. He felt he should be angry about that but he couldn't bring himself to be.

"Wow," Tang breathed, taking his glasses off to see a bit better. "I... wow."

"Yeah," Pigsy agreed, pulling the hand on Tang's back to his face to try to hide his blush. "Wow."

"So I guess we're-"

"Together?"

"Together. Wow."

Pigsy couldn't hold back his laughter at the third "wow" and shook his head. "I should have transformed way sooner... or just asked."

Tang laughed softly, awkwardly clambering off the table to stand next to the sitting demon. "Or I could have back when you gave me a place to stay in your house?"

"Damn we are oblivious."

"Yep," Tang smiled, leaning his head against Pigsy's shoulder and damn that felt right too. "But uh... I don't think you're going to fit back into said house right now."

"I won't fit for a while, I kinda... I'm too hyped up on adrenaline to change back still."

"Oh really?" And this time Tang's voice had a pleased undertone to it, one that made Pigsy laugh.

"Not because of you nerd," he said with a shake of his head.

Yeah. This felt right.

[angst-fairygodmother]

Hello there! Idk if you’re still taking requests, so if you aren’t, ignore this! But I was wondering if you could write Diego x reader, where she meets his siblings for the first time, and at first it’s kinda awkward, but then they get more comfortable and maybe just like fluff after when they get back home? It might be totally stupid but idk. I love your writing!💕💕

A/N: Babe, it’s totally not stupid at all. Meeting the family shenanigans is basically the perfect trope for this show.  Sort of accidentally ended up a sequel to this fic, so I ran with it.  Word Count: 1678 Content Warnings: Season 2 spoilers

“Are you sure you want to do this, Y/N?” Diego asked, gripping your hand tightly as the two of you walked toward the restaurant. “It’s not too late for us to just leave.”

“Diego Hargreeves, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you didn’t want me to meet your family,” you teased, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “It’s one dinner, it’ll be okay.”

“You say that now,” he muttered and you rolled your eyes affectionately in response before pulling open the door and walking inside.

When you gave your names to the hostess, she smiled brightly and told you that the rest of your party was already waiting for you, before leading you to a large table in a private room off the main dining area. Four pairs of eyes turned to you appraisingly. You swallowed nervously and put on a smile of you own.

“Hi everyone, sorry we’re late,” you said, taking one of the two empty seats, somewhat awkwardly as Diego still refused to let go of your hand. “Someone didn’t believe me that traffic was going to be a nightmare on a Friday night.”

One of the women at the table, who you vaguely recognized from a cheesy romance playing on late-night cable and therefore deduced was Allison smiled in a way that felt indulgent and false; it didn’t quite reach her eyes; it was rehearsed.

“Oh he never listens to anybody, don’t take it personally, Y/N,” the smaller of the two men said, stretching across the table and offering you a broad grin and a hand with the word hello tattooed on it. “I’m Klaus, and you’re the gorgeous creature my brother’s decided to shack up with, huh?”

You couldn’t help but giggle at his greeting, shaking his hand politely while Diego glared. “Nice to meet you Klaus,” you said with a smile.

“You know, I already like you better than his last two girlfriends. You haven’t tried to arrest or kill me!”

“Sorry what? Is that a joke?” you frowned in confusion as you let go of his hand and leaned back, glancing over at Diego to see his tight jaw and stony face, clear indications that he was upset.

You hand sought his under the table and you gave it a gentle squeeze, drawing his gaze to you and smiling at him.

‘It’s all good, relax,’ you mouthed.

“No I’m deadly serious,” Klaus continued. “For a while he was with this lady cop on-again/off-again style and she’d arrest me for drugs when she caught me around. Until she was tragically murdered by time-travelling assassins who kidnapped me looking for Five. Then while we were in the 60s, he fell for this girl from the nuthouse who turned out to be a plant and totally tried to kill us!” He gave a pained little chuckle, as if to say, ‘can you believe that?’

You stared at him, open-mouthed and aghast.

“Ignore Klaus, he’s never known when to shut up a day in his life,” the woman you had first noticed said. “I’m Allison.”

Klaus shot her a look that somehow combined a pout and a glare, but fell silent. You felt some of the tension sink out of Diego beside you, though he still didn’t seem comfortable. You smiled at her.

“It’s really nice to meet you,” you said, still trying to shake off the information Klaus had given (which seemed to line up with what the small, angry brother who was oddly not at dinner had said, and was far too much to actually process at the moment).

You turned to the two who hadn’t yet spoken. “So you must be Luther and Vanya?”

The man nodded, shifting in his seat and giving you an awkward little wave. The other woman glowered at you and said nothing. You frowned, wondering what you had done to earn her ire already.

Allison cleared her throat. “We ordered some bruschetta and sangria for the table before you arrived.”

The rest of dinner passed in much the same way as those first moments: Luther was mostly silent and clearly uncomfortable (whether with your presence or very fact of being out in public seemed unclear) but he started to relax and warm up as the evening went on, even once or twice sharing a stiff joke; Vanya was cold, barely responsive to your attempts to engage with her; Allison tried to play the hostess and keep topics light and small-talk-esque, breaking long silences with new conversations, obviously trying her best but ultimately resulting in a stilted performance; Klaus blurted out evidently whatever thoughts passed through his mind, usually bizarre and outlandish, sometimes profound and deeply sad. It was like none of them knew how to be normal people or have dinner with their sibling’s significant other, or an average conversation and you couldn’t help but feel oddly warmed by that, but the fact that they were so…human.

You did your best to keep up with all of them, appreciating Allison’s best efforts, laughing at some of Klaus’s jokes or countering his philosophical points, trying not to call too much attention to Luther or make him feel put on the spot. Diego felt his heart swell with pride at how well you did, and how you took everything in stride, even as the minutes seemed to drag on and he started to fear that dinner would never end.

The only thing that kept rankling at you was Vanya’s attitude, so when she got up to go to the bathroom, you excused yourself as well, cornering her in the hall of the restaurant.

“Hey, no offense, but what the hell is your problem with me?” you asked, tilting your head to one side, more curiosity than animosity in your tone.

She rolled her eyes, trying to push past you, but you resolutely blocked her path.

“I know I’m dating Diego and there’s like a whole weird history there or whatever, but don’t I at least deserve a chance before you decide to treat me like the devil?”

She sighed, shaking her head. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”                                        

“You seem nice, and you’re…normal. Our family doesn’t do well with that,” she explained, folding her arms over her chest. “I don’t want to do the whole friendly, welcome to the family or whatever bullshit. Cus you’re either going to turn out not actually normal and screw us over, or you’re going to turn out actually normal and get hurt or bail before you do.”

You stared at her for a long, silent moment.

“I’m not going anywhere. I love Diego, and I think for all that they’re weird, I like your family a lot.”

“You say that for now, but we’ll see.”

“If there’s really no way for me to change your mind, fine, but maybe the reason people leave is just because you shove them away.”

You turned and returned to the table with that, not giving her a chance to respond. You still weren’t thrilled, but at least you felt like you understood her better now, and she seemed to soften toward you at least a little for the rest of the evening.

By the time the check came (a check you noticed that Allison picked up without even glancing at the numbers) you felt like you had really gotten to know Diego’s siblings, and seen a different side of him as he slowly loosened up around them.

As you all got up to leave, it became a chain of “it was nice to meet you”s and “we should do this again”s. Allison moved in for a hug and you returned it happily enough. Luther patted you on the shoulder awkwardly, his big hand enveloping it as if you were a child, surprising you with his size more close up than the other end of the table. Klaus moved as if to follow you home, and then pouted much like a stray puppy when Diego gave him a stern look that communicated without words that he was not allowed to do so. Then he turned to you and hugged you. But where Allison’s was polite and somewhat formal, Klaus’s was anything but, his long limbs folding around you and his chin resting on your shoulder.

“It was sooo good to meet you,” he purred in your ear. “And I’m glad Diego found you.” He pulled back to look you in the eye, his hands still resting on your upper arms. “I mean it. You’re good for him. Take care of him.”

“I will,” you said with a smile. “And you take care of yourself.”

Vanya offered you a polite nod, and you took what you could get.

~

“Y/N, I’m so sorry about tonight,” Diego sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he sank down onto the couch.

“What are you talking about D? It was fine.” You hung your coat on one of the pegs near the door and then, with a roll of your eyes, picked up his from where he’d tossed it on the floor and hung it as well.

“It was torture. In fact I think I’d rather be tortured.”

“I mean sure it was awkward, and your family’s a little weird, but I knew going in not to expect anything else.”

“It didn’t make you regret the day you ever met me?”

You dropped onto the couch next to him, leaning into his side and tilting your head to kiss him, smiling against his mouth.

“I could never regret that babe.”

His arm circled your shoulders, drawing you closer as he returned your kiss fervently. He groaned as you pressed against him and ran your tongue over his lower lip, opening up to invite you in. It wasn’t often that he let you take the lead, so you took full advantage while you could, pressing him back against the cushions and straddling his lap, running your hands through his hair.

“Besides,” you said, pulling back to smile teasingly. “Now I won’t feel so bad when you meet my family.”

[the-cult-of-russo]

Push and Pull (Part 16) (continued on)

Pairing: Matt Murdock x OC

A/N: continued from last post.

Warnings: cursing

----------

"We should do this again sometime," Karen said eagerly. Her cheeks flushed red at her words and she glanced at Foggy like he was going to say no to another date. But Foggy had a dopey grin on his face that he couldn't even hide. She didn't want to say anything about how her and Matt weren't really dating. That was something they'd figure out another time. Foggy could tell her it hadn't worked out and that was that. But they could still all hang out. Foggy and Karen as a couple with her and Matt as 'not really friends but sometimes okay with each other'.

Karen moved to give her a hug and she accepted it with a smile.

"Make sure you keep in touch," Karen murmured to her.

"I will," she said softly. She meant it too. It was such a change of pace to hang out with a girl. It also made her miss her sister. They hadn't spoken in months. That's what always happened. They would connect for a period of time and then go months with nothing. The last time they saw each other was when her niece was born 7 months ago. Karen gave Matt a quick hug and whispered something to him. It made him chuckle awkwardly, whispering something back and glance in her direction. She was curious what that was about. 

"Alright, you two," Foggy beamed, pulling them both into a hug at the same time. He squeezed the shit out of her and Matt laughed as he patted his back.

"My cake," she squeaked. He mumbled an apology and let go only a little.

"I love you guys. I can't thank you enough for this," he whispered quickly. She smirked into the hug and finally breathed when he let go. Her cake box was a little smushed and she made a pitiful noise.

"I'll fix it!" Foggy winced grabbing it from her and popping out the dents.

"Are you guys going to be doing anything interesting tonight?" Karen asked, genuinely curious. Daphne decided to have a little fun since the night was over. Mainly knowing how Foggy would react.

"Honestly, probably go back to Matt's, eat some cake and have sex. Or maybe the cake could partake in the sex," she mused, deadly serious face. Foggy swore, the cake box falling to the floor and the cake fell out with a splat. She whined comically, too distressed to see Karen's amused flushed face at her comment or Matt’s jaw slack. 

"Wh- my cake," she whispered. Foggy looked at her with wide eyes before he smiled sheepishly. 

"Uhhh… I think maybe the cake sex will have to take a rain check," he uttered, face still beet red. Daphne stared at the pile of what was once a delicious looking cake with sad eyes. She wasn't really going to Matt’s and that cake was all she was looking forward to.

"It's fine, I'll get another piece," Matt said softly. She shot him a glance and he gave her a small smile. Could he sense how genuinely sad she was? Was he taking pity on her? 

"Wow, you really want that cake sex," Foggy muttered. Matt thwacked him on the back of the head and Foggy cried out.

"Good aim!" Karen giggled, making Foggy shoot her a betrayed look. 

Matt grabbed Foggy's arm and the pair went inside. 

"You're really gonna have sex on the first date? Karen asked quietly. She was grinning and it looked like she was enjoying the little gossipy girl talk. Daphne considered what to say. Now she'd gotten to know her a little and actually liked her, she did feel bad about all the lies. Maybe a little truth sprinkled in wouldn't hurt.

"I'll be honest… we've already kinda done it… twice," Daphne replied. The delighted giggle from her new friend made her smile with pink cheeks.

"Oh my god, how did that happen?" She asked eagerly.

"There was a lot of tension.  It just… I don't know, built up until it happened," she snorted. She didn't know how to explain it without revealing too much.

"Wow… was it good?" She whispered cheekily. Daphne laughed as she flushed harder, covering her cheeks.

"Oh my god," she murmured into her hands. She shouldn't have said anything. When was she ever embarrassed to talk about sex? Maybe it was the fact Karen was friends with Matt or the fact she hadn't had girl talk in too long.

"It was, wasn't it?" Karen giggled. Daphne moved her hands, well aware of how red she was as she smiled.

"It really was," she snorted. She wouldn't deny it. The man annoyed the shit out of her but the sex was mind blowing. Karen laughed as she looked at her, biting her lip.

"Do you think I should… with Foggy?" She whispered shyly to her.

"Do you want to?" Daphne asked curiously. Karen tucked some of her hair behind her ear and smiled.

"I do. It's just weird, you know? Because we're friends and I'm used to that. But there's always been something there. But now it's out in the open… it's like I don't know what to do," she said softly.

"Just do what feels right. When you get home if you feel like you want to then just do it. If you feel like tonight's not the night then that's fine too. Don't rush it. Just take your time and let it happen on its own," her advice was sincere. Despite wanting to see how far she could plant ideas in their heads, she really liked the pair of them. She could see they'd make a great couple and she wanted them to work out.

Karen gave her a quick hug before pulling away with a warm smile.

"Thank you. It's honestly really nice to have a girl friend I can talk to," she said.

"Same," Daphne snorted. The doors opened then and the boys walked out. Matt was holding Foggy's arm in one hand, the cane in the other and Foggy had the box of cake.

"There you go, miss. One perfectly intact fudge cake. All set for the crazy sexcapades you're gonna have," he beamed, handing over the box. Karen slapped his arm with a chiding look and he gave her face as if to say 'what?'. 

"Alright, we're off. Have fun guys," Daphne smiled. The pair smiled back at her. 

"See you guys tomorrow," Matt said softly as he took Daphne's arm. Foggy and Karen started to walk away.

"Don't have too much fun!" Foggy called out to them with a laugh. She shook her head ruefully with a sigh as she watched them walk away. Now it was just the two of them and it suddenly felt awkward again.

"Cake sex? Really?" Matt asked after a moment. He looked more than amused and she snorted, poking him in the chest.

"I wanted to see if they took the bait," she grinned mischievously.

"Did they?" He asked curiously.

"I guess we'll see," she shrugged.

"Really?" He drawled.  He quirked a brow and she snorted as she realised her words.

"Alright, I guess I'll see," she laughed. He chuckled and gave her a mock dirty look.

"That's just mean," he huffed, holding a hand over his heart.

"Wait? You have feelings?" She gasped. He looked shocked for a moment before he snorted, swiping her prized box out of her hands and holding it above his head.

"My caaaake!" She whined, reaching up to get it but even in her heels she couldn't reach.   

"Say sorry," he smirked down at her.

"Sorry," she huffed, sounded every bit like the petulant child she was.

"I don't think you mean that," he whispered devilishly. 

"I will take your cane and beat you with it," she somehow managed to growl and pout at the same time. That was new. Matt barked a laugh but handed her the cake anyway.

"I'd like to see you try," he teased.

"You're so getting your ass kicked next time we train," she muttered in contempt. She clung to the box like it was about to float away.

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" He smirked. She pursed her lips but couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips. He could be a cheeky little fucker when he wanted to be but she liked this playful side to him. 

"I'll walk you home, come on," he smiled after a moment. They'd both still been standing outside the restaurant, not really knowing what to do. His hand went to her arm, holding it lightly as they walked at a leisurely pace. She was grateful. The heels and alcohol wouldn't be good for walking at a brisk pace. 

"I really think Karen and Foggy are gonna work out," she mused after being silent for a while. It was chilly but not too cold and the stars were twinkling in the sky. It was actually pretty nice.

"You think so?" He asked carefully.

"Yeah. I mean she really likes him. And he's smitten with her. I think once they get over the weirdness they'll be good together," she murmured. She felt that pang of envy again and she hated it. She didn't want to feel that way. It wasn't like she wasn't happy for them. She was rooting for them. 

She didn't often feel lonely but it would happen every so often and with the tequila in her blood, it seemed to be one of those times.

"Why does that bother you?" Matt asked quietly, glancing in her direction. She whipped her head to look at him before she shook her head.

"It doesn't," she said defensively. He was silent for a moment and she thought he'd dropped it.

"Twice tonight, your heartbeat’s changed because of Karen and Foggy," he said quietly after a moment.

"You know how weird that is? Stop listening to my heartbeat," she grumbled. He smiled sadly as he looked away.

The silence bothered her and the awkwardness seemed to have ramped up a notch.

"It doesn't bother me. It's just… sometimes I get lonely. I'm not necessarily… normal. I don't connect with people easily. Sometimes I wish I could. To know what it feels like," she whispered after a moment. Why she kept revealing her most vulnerable spots to him of all people, she didn't know. He nodded, gazing out at nothing as he took a deep breath.

"I'm sure you'll find it one day," he mumbled, keeping his blank gaze in front of them. She smiled her own sad smile then. She knew it wouldn't happen. But she didn't want to talk about it any more. They stayed silent until they reached her apartment building and she moved away, his hand slipping from her arm.

"You don't need to walk me up. I'll be fine," she said softly, still clutching her cake box. He nodded, gripping his cane in his hands as he stood there.

"I'll see you round then," he nodded at her. It all felt so stilted and weird. She had no idea how they could cycle through so many different states when they were together.

She glanced at him for a moment longer before turning on her heel, walking up the few steps to the steps to the door and yanked it open.

"Daphne," he called out. She looked over her shoulder and saw him standing there.

"I really do like the dress," he smirked a little. She snorted, shaking her head as she bit her lip.

"I really do like your eyes," she retorted, a faint blush to her cheeks. She told herself it was the booze. He smiled, lowering his head looking almost bashful. With that she slipped inside and made her way to her apartment. Once she got in she kicked her evil heels off and breathed a sigh of relief. She padded over to her kitchen, grabbing a spoon from the drawer before she flopped onto the couch.

She ate the cake, which was the best cake ever and well worth all the hassle it had been to get it. As she enjoyed it she thought over the rollercoaster that had been the night. The dread of the impending Court case was still lingering in the back of her mind but she chose to focus on the fun she’d had. She really hadn't expected that at all. The night had its downfalls but she didn't regret going. And she really was rooting for Foggy and Karen. 

[harringtonstudios]

teenage dirtbag. (part I)

plot: you’ve just gotten a job at Chipotle, your co-worker’s kind of an ass. part 2!

A/N: icky day of another icky week. this keeps me sane! lemme know your thoughts :) gif credit: @mgkgifs​; inspired by Kells’ own interview haha 

masterlist!

Life after graduation was supposed to be amazing. Some big thing, attending college and living up the seemingly best years of your life. Of course, that’d all gone up in flames when you’d been kicked out over some stupid argument, leaving you to fend for yourself. 

Cleveland wasn’t the nicest place to sit on the streets until the sun came out, but you’d managed to nap on park benches until you could piece some things together. A week later, you were staying with a friend, sleeping on their couch and you’d finally gotten a job at Chipotle in the mall. 

You’d caught a break for the first time in a while, and after knowing that you had secured that stupid job, you’d ended up crying just thinking about everything. It was time to get your life back on track.

-

The next morning, you’d walked in to Chipotle, changed into the uniform in the employee’s only bathroom and that’s when you had run into him. 

He was waiting right outside, leaning against the wall. His head was hanging down, sunglasses on, as his fingers fumbled around with a bright green lighter. 

Stumbling out of the bathroom, you ran a hand down your apron before muttering out, “Hey! I’m Y/N.” 

He looked up at that, acknowledging you through a nod. The lighter in his hands flickered. You stared a second before extending out your hand, hoping for a shake. 

“Colson,” he mumbled, letting his hand meet yours, slightly shaking it. You smiled before leaving the area, walking up the counter. Nothing was going to ruin your mood right now, not even the weird co-worker with shades on inside. 

-

Twenty minutes into manning the front by yourself, Colson had come up, standing by the cash register. 

“So you’ve been trained?” he asked, hands stuck in the pockets of the apron. 

“No,” you muttered, rolling up a customer’s burrito at the other end of the counter. The customer gave you a look as you finished wrapping the order in foil before throwing them a dazzling smile. 

Looking back at Colson, you saw a surprised look on his face. His mouth was open and he scoffed a little as he rang up the order. 

“So what you’re just a Chipotle fan? How’d you get everything down so fast?” he asked, returning the change before turning his attention back towards you. 

“I read the instructions,” you responded, pointing at the directions that were printed and pasted on the countertop. 

“Mm, rule follower,” he declared, leaning over to fiddle with the stereo system. 

“I literally just got hired,” you stated back, trying not to be short with him.

While he’d been fooling around in the back, you’d snuck a peek at the work schedule for the next month. Most of your shifts were with Colson B., written in a scrawly scratch on the big calendar. You didn’t want to fight with your co-worker. 

Soft static filled the air between you two, and Colson grimaced before moving back to change the radio station. Within seconds, Iron Maiden flooded the speaker system and you lit up. 

“Keep that on?” you asked, already feeling a little lighter as you bounced on your heels to the music. 

“You like Maiden?” he responded, tone sounding incredulous. 

“Yeah dude. They’re my favorite band,” you responded, tapping to the beat now. 

“Sick,” he shouted out, throwing up a rock sign. You smiled at him, maybe he wasn’t insufferable. 

-

An hour later, you took that thought back. Colson had disappeared again, claiming he had to piss ten minutes ago. The lunch rush had started, and you were struggling to keep up with the crowd. 

People were shouting over each other, loud in the small store. You couldn’t hear the customer ordering, and you’d already messed up an order, having to refund the man. 

Shoving lettuce into a bowl, you moved a strand of hair out of your face before sliding the bowl down to the next station. Colson stepped back out and you huffed before muttering, “Finally. Little help?” 

“Yeah,” he laughed, before shouting out, “Yoooo!” 

You looked up to catch him reaching over the counter to dap a couple of guys up. They all started chatting with him, and he was pulled into the ebb and flow of their conversation. 

You scoffed. Typical, you were stuck with most of the work and you were putting up with it too. 

Baring a grin, you walked to the cash register, slamming the bowl on the tabletop. Colson looked at you, unimpressed as you mumbled, “Steak burrito bowl. Extra guac.” 

“Congrats princess. You’ve charged someone for guac,” he stilted, reaching to put in the order. You furrowed your eyebrows, confused at his words. 

“Lots to learn young padawan,” he responded, waving a tattooed arm around. 

“Oh shut up,” you mumbled under your breath, turning to make the next order. 

-

Fifteen minutes later, the store had cleared out. Exhausted, you slumped on the plastic crate sitting in the corner of the little space behind the counter. 

Looking up at the thud, Colson laughed before walking over. 

“First lunch rush is over!” he put his palm up for a high five, and you gave him a glare before reaching up to hit it. 

“Yeah man, no thanks to you,” came tumbling out of your mouth. Immediately, you paused, trying to gauge his reaction. 

He gave you a once over, then shrugged his shoulders before saying, “Don’t really care about this place. I’ve been here too long.” 

“Well, I haven’t. So could you please just help me along? I don’t wanna fuck this up already,” you muttered out, exasperated with his reactions. 

“You’re good dude. Prime example of a Chipotle worker. Reading all the instructions and shit, I just played around with the food the first day,” he counted off, knocking your shoulder with his hand. 

“How haven’t you been fired?” you prompted, looking up at him. 

Raising his sunglasses, he put them atop his head, smirking he stated, “Guess I’m just that charming.” 

You rolled your eyes, hearing him laugh. His own eyes were on display, blue laced with just a little bit of bloodshot. The door dinged and you started to get up before he waved you down, moving as he mumbled, “Stay. I got this one.” 

-

A week into, things had gotten better. You and Colson turned out to have a lot in common, falling in love with the same bands, following the same artists. 

He had apologized for his behavior the first day, claiming he was just super hungover. At first, you’d been reluctant, but then he’d worked through every lunch rush to make it up to you and you’d felt good about something. 

Learning more about him, you had been kinda shocked to see he was still working in a shitty Chipotle. He was talented, way beyond anyone you’d ever met. Could rap real fast, creating lyrics out of thin air. 

Sometimes, during the empty parts of the day, you throw him over an ingredient, ask him to freestyle something. It was great, never the same thing twice, and always to a different beat. It drove you crazy knowing he was filled to the brim with talent, but was stuck here instead. 

“Ay Y/N! Come here,” came his voice, shouting from the front. You had snuck to the back, calling up your friend to let her know you were going to be home later tonight since you had to do closing. 

You walked out front, shoving your phone in your pocket only to see a group of guys gathered around the first table. They looked oddly familiar, and then you placed them. They were the guys that had come in during your first day, the big distractions. 

“Y/N, these are my dudes. Dudes, Y/N!” Colson offered, waving his arms to the both of you. You got on your tip-toes, reaching across the glass to shake their hands. 

“I’ve definitely seen you around. Where ya from?” one of the guys asked, hand lingering on yours. Pulling your arm back, you grinned before saying, “Around here. Graduated from Shaker.” 

At that Colson gave you the strangest look as his friends laughed. 

“We’re from Shaker. Class of 08. I’m Slim,” the guy clarified and you gave him a thumbs up, tuning them out as they continued talking. 

A few minutes later, they waved at you, stepping out of the store. Waving back, you awkwardly turned to look at Colson, reluctant to admit that you weren’t really paying attention to his friends. 

“You weren’t listening huh?” he asked, not even letting you fully turn. Laughing a little, he took his visor off, running a hand through his hair. You grimaced, laughing back before saying, “Sorry, it’s not like that. I just didn’t really know any of them.”

“So what I’m getting from this is you can be bad sometimes?” he continued, scuffing his Chucks against the linoleum. 

You let out a snort before going, “Colson what does that even mean?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” he mumbled out, securing his visor back on as the doorbell rang. 

Returning your attention to the food in front of you, you thought it over. Ever since you’d started here, he’d made fun of you, constantly egging on you for the way you followed the rules. 

He was much more lax with his position, coming in high or hungover, playing with the radio all day long and once even lighting up in the backroom. You didn’t really care what he did on his own time, but the last one had caused your anxiety to spike and you’d yelled at him just a little. 

Finishing up, the customer dropped a dollar into the tip jar before heading out the door. It was just you two again. 

Reaching over to tune the radio, you grinned as another Iron Maiden song came on. He smiled, eyes not really leaving his phone but you were determined to spend just the right way killing time. 

Poking him in the shoulder, you danced a little on the floor. He looked up at that, nodding along to the bass. Soon enough, the both of you were shuffling to the song, hands in the air. He was playing air guitar, and you laughed at his technique, mimicking it across from him. 

“What,” he breathed out, flushed from the rock concert you’d just put on. 

“Never saw someone play guitar like that,” you uttered, moving a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“You play?” he asked, motioning the fake guitar towards you. 

“Yeah, I used to,” you responded, taking it from him. Adjusting the air strap, you flashed back to high school days when your guitar was your escape. Playing the strings, you let a couple of chord songs drop out of your mouth. 

“Learn something new about you every day,” he observed, watching you string with your eyes closed. 

“Huh,” you asked, breaking out of your bubble. 

“You had a guitar?” he continued, running his tongue over his teeth. 

“Um yeah, back in high school. I had to leave it at my old place,” you mumbled out, fingers going to run over the small tattoo on your wrist. 

“Sorry,” he peeked out, seeing the discomfort on your face. 

“No, you’re good. So, you went to Shaker?” you asked, changing the topic. 

He snorted out before saying, “Messed around at Shaker is more like it. Don’t really know how I graduated but here I am,” he finished out, waving his arms around at the empty space around you. 

“Hey dude! Same!” you shouted out, palms reaching over to clap them onto his shoulder. He laughed at your enthusiastic face, shaking away his smile as you tapped your fingers against him. 

Motley Crue filled the air and you bit your lip, resisting the urge to bang your fists onto his shoulders with the beat. 

Moving away, you handed him two straws, taking a paper cup of your own. He got the message, drumming in thin air as you pretended to string along the guitar. 

The whole song, you two kept flashing smiles at each other, raging as the music just got louder. Finally, the song came to an end and you grabbed two cups, moving out of the counter to get water from the fountain. 

Trying to catch your breath back, you smiled to yourself while pressing the buttons, thinking about how Colson’s energy had matched yours perfectly. 

“C’mon live a little,” came a voice from right behind and you turned your head to see Colson right behind you, closer than you expected. 

“Mm no thanks,” you responded, bringing up the second cup to the water option. Within a second, his arm came from behind, hand guiding yours to the Lemonade option. 

You begrudgingly held the cup as he filled it up, waiting to hand it back to him. 

“We’re not supposed to do that,” you murmured, moving back to the counter, moment gone. 

He let out a loud groan, facing you from the other side before saying, “Y/N. I promise you they don’t care.” 

“How do you know that,” you spit back, sipping at the water, eyes motioning to the cameras on the ceiling. 

“They don’t work. Believe me, I’ve been doing stupid shit since I got hired and I’m still here.” 

“Stupid shit?” you wondered, interest peaking a little. 

“Yeah extra chicken if I’m on scooping. Don’t charge for extras, and sometimes you know I just give out food,” he listed before continuing, “it’s why the tip jar’s usually full. You gotta work for the people.” 

You laughed at his self-righteousness, watching him refill his cup. “You do all that?” 

“Yep,” he popped, flashing you a grin. 

“What a rebel,” you sighed out loud, mocking his whole spiel. 

“Shut up, corporate doesn’t care if you suck their dicks,” he shot back, eyes twinkling.

“Hey give me some credit, I’m a lot more selective with the dicks I suck,” you shot back, laughing at your own joke. 

He moved closer to the counter, leaning on his elbows so that he was looking up at you, hands balled up at his cheeks. 

“Tell me more about these dicks,” he asked sweetly, grinning at the blush building on your cheeks. 

The door rang and you threw up a peace sign, moving over to assist the customer, happy with a distraction. Colson sighed again loudly, before walking around to get at the cash register. You moved along the line, filling the burrito with all the items before rolling it up just right. It was like a secret talent, folding it up perfectly so that none of the contents would fall out. Satisfied with your roll, you put paper over it before passing it off to Colson. 

He looked at you for a second, winked and then faced the customer. “Hey dude, it’s on the house. You’re our 100th customer today, enjoy!” he rattled out, smiling as he handed the food over. 

You widened your eyes before smiling over at the customer, blurting out, “Happy 100!” making jazz hands. Dropping a $5 into the tip jar, he turned around, leaving with his free food. 

As soon as he left, you wacked Colson in the shoulder, grumbling, “What the fuck was that man? 100th customer bullshit?” 

“So we were talking about your type?” he continued, without missing a beat. 

“Huh?” you asked, shaking your head. 

“Your type of guy? Like what you’re into,” he gestured, focused on you.

“Uhm, I don’t know. Why does it matter?” you questioned, turning away from the bore of his eyes, taking off your plastic gloves. 

“It doesn’t I guess,” he murmured, letting the air around you fall into silence. 

You threw out your gloves, and then turned around just to see him biting his lip over at you. 

He took a breath before saying, “You wanna go out with me after this?” eyes meeting yours. 

“Like- on a date?” you clarified, playing with your own fingers, nervous for his reaction. 

“Yeah,” he nodded out and you tried to hold in your smile. 

“Nope, I don’t like you,” you answered, keeping your voice as montone as you could. 

He grimaced, shoulders sagging a little. Watching him, you burst out laughing, going over to his side. 

“Yeah dummy, I’ll go out with you. No more of that good girl shit though,” you slightly scolded, hand reaching up to pat his cheek.

“Rule breaker huh?” he mumbled, tilting his head just a smidge to lick your palm. 

“Colson!” you shouted, pulling your hand back, rubbing it on your apron. 

He just grinned over, teeth shiny white on display and you rolled your eyes before saying, “Dude stop looking at me like that!”

Your heart was fluttering just a little and even though you were dreading the closing rush, knowing that Colson was stuck here with you and that there was something to look forward to tonight made you feel so much better. 

-

taglist: @iamdorka @no-shxt-sherl @bakerkells @findingmyth @rosegoldrichie @mayaslifeinabox @itjustkindahappenedreally @hnbtx @backoftheroomandnotbelonging 

[fuckinuchihas]

Double date with Kuroo (me, obviously) Tsukki (you), please! Gym 3 double date! 🤩

🥺 anon

So sorry 🥺 anon....I low-key untintentionally made our double date about me and Tsukki umm but there’s a happy ending with Kuroo so...umm.. peace offering?!?

🥺🥺🥺

If you want I can redo it after I clear out my inbox

“You owe me,” I hear this tall blonde say to his darker headed friend and I chuckle a bit at them as I pass by to enter into the small Italian place where you’re waiting for me.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you but to say I was skeptical when you said the words ‘double date’ would be the understatement of the year.

I meet your eyes across the restaurant and smile fondly at you, my best friend.

“Hey love,” I say, making a stilted attempt to sit beside you in the booth before you push me back out.

“Finally, you’re here.”

“Hey!”

“Other side. This is for Kuroo,” you say and I sigh.

“Gross, I swear to god if you try to do something shady under the table, I will know and I will leave.

“Not everyone is you,” you shake your head at me and I reluctantly slide in on the other side, feeling a bit trapped.

“Rude.”

“Kuroo!” You say, lighting up and I turn to see the two guys I’d just seen outside.

Great...so I’m what inspired the debt.

Well this is definitely going to be the highlight of the evening because I’m fairly sure once he opens his mouth I’m only going to find interest in seeing how far I can make that debt climb.

“Hey, Kitten…” Kuroo says, sliding into the booth beside you. His tall friend is still standing there staring at the empty space beside me.

I curl up my nose a little at the pet name and then scoot toward the middle of the seat. “Feel free to pull up a seat if you’d like,” I say, with the fakest smile I can muster.

“Kel!” you scold me, making me feel momentarily guilty for ruining things for you on your date by being a jerk.

Ughhhhh fine I guess I’ll try to be nice.

There has to be another way to piss off the lanky blonde.

I scoot back over, “Sorry, it was just a joke…” I lie, and he seems to pick up on it but he doesn’t call me out for it.

Kuroo just smirks at me and it feels weird but now that I’ve seen it, I can see why you might think he’s cute at least.

His friend could be objectively attractive too, had I not heard the tone of derision in his voice earlier.

“Kelly it’s really nice to meet you, this is my friend Tsu-.”

“Tsukishima,” he says, cutting Kuroo off with an abrupt but well timed response.

I narrow my gaze at him. What the hell was Kuroo going to call him if not his name? They sounded similar but I guess maybe a nickname?

It doesn’t matter to me anyway, I’m surely not going to remember it later.

“Should we order?” you ask, looking adorable as always and immediately lightening the charged atmosphere with the promise of food.

“God yes..I’m starving, I forgot breakfast this morning and then I got busy with ...stuff so I haven’t really had time to eat.’

“Stuff...how informative.” Tsukishima says, drawing my gaze back to him.

“I know, right? It’s almost like it was personal stuff that I didn’t want to address but I suppose you wouldn’t know anything about that, huh?” I said, smiling genuinely at him before turning back to Kuroo, “So what was it you were going to call him again.”

Kuroo just laughed and you awkwardly cleared your throat trying to signal to me to stop being such a bitch but also knowing me well enough to know that wouldn’t work.

“Tsukki is what we call him,” Kuroo smiles.

“Awwww, how cute.” I say, and he makes some sort of Tch’ing noise but if it’s not the lighting there might be a splash of red on his cheeks and the top of his ear looks red as well.

“What do you want to eat,” you say, trying to distract me.

Clever tactic, it works.

You rolled a nat 20 for persuasion.

“I could murder some breadsticks right now,” I say, “but I want the white dip not the red pleaseee,” I say offering my best puppy eyes in your direction.

You smile and give in because you’re used to me being like this.

“A pie or individual dishes?” I ask, wondering if we could all actually share a pizza that wasn’t just plain pepperoni.

“What, one murder isn’t enough for you?” he says to me and I just blink up at him.

“Well honestly, I’m considering two at the moment but the pizza is safe,” I snark back at him.

Kuroo gives you a look that says something akin to “I’m sorry my friend is an asshole,” and you just shrug and reply with a similar look that says, “same.”

He seems to be a little flustered from my response but I ignore it and go back to talking about the food because I am genuinely hungry and it smells amazing inside the restaurant.

We decide on individual dishes and you and Kuroo both order spaghetti to which I say that if you start trying to recreate Lady and the Tramp I might actually be sick, and I see the asshole’s mouth turn up at the corner but I ignore it.

I try to settle down a little, stay quiet more so you and Kuroo can enjoy your date as well and he seems infatuated with you, I like that about him. You deserve someone that’s going to look at you that way.

The food comes and we eat quietly except for the required amount of polite small talk.

It’s somehow not the worst date I’ve been on but honestly the bar was fairly low to start with.

You and Kuroo have plans to go to the aquarium after dinner and you invite the two of us to join you but I cut that off quickly. As much as I wanted to mess with his head a little, I actually like Kuroo so I’m not as eager to put him in more debt for Tsukishima having to deal with me.

“I have some work to get back to but it really was good to meet you,” I say, smiling at Kuroo and wrapping him up in a hug when he offers a handshake.

“Tsukki,” I say with a bow of my head before heading across the parking lot where I left my car.

“Sorry about her,” you say, wincing a bit.

“No need to apologize,” Tsukishima said, and Kuroo’s brow lifted immediately. Before he can stop himself the words are out, “We should do this again sometime.”

He turns away and immediately leaves, both you and Kuroo look at each other with surprised expressions before chuckling softly at your ridiculous friends.

★・・・・・★・・・・・★・・・・・★

The aquarium is gorgeous and honestly, it’s romantic as fuck so you kinda fall just a little deeper for him. His face is beautiful any time but against the pale glow of the tanks, he’s breathtaking.

He feels the same about you and waits for his moment.

You’re standing alone in front of the Polar Regions display when he tilts your head back just a little.

‘Can I-”

“Yes,” you say quickly and a soft chuckle escapes his lips.

He leans in and presses his mouth to yours in a soft, sensual kiss. He doesn’t push further, doesn’t force it, it’s nice and warm and it fills you up inside. When he pulls away you’re both a little flustered and breathless but you don’t regret a single second of it.

“Tsukishima was right about one thing at least,” Kuroo says, “We should definitely do this again.”

★・・・・・★・・・・・★・・・・・★

MASTERLIST

[shikai-the-storyteller]

CYBERVERSE WATCH!!!!!!! (Season 3 Episodes 1-4)

Episode 1

Lord have mercy on my soul IM TRYING TO CALM MYSELF DOWN ENOUGH TO WATCH THIS BUT IM TOO FRICKIN HYPED

Ok here are the things I know / were spoiled to me going in:

Gal Skywarp (can I get a Hell Yeah)

WHIRL (MY BOY!!!!!!!!!!!)

Quintessons (IM SO FRICKIN PUMPED TO SEE THEM)

“Transformation. Everything in the universe transforms. Sometimes, it is for the better. Sometimes, it is not.” *HAS TO PAUSE VIDEO FOR A MINUTE TO SOAK IN OPTIMUS’ WORDS*

“For this, I blame myself” OP when do you NOT blame yourself I mean SERIOUSLY DUDE....I GET WHY YOU FEEL BAD BUT YOU GOTTA STOP LITERALLY SHOULDERING THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD’S ISSUES

OHHHHHHH OH??????????????? OH???????? MEGATRON AND OPTIMUS BACK TO BACK AGAINST QUINTESSON??? BLACK ARMOR RODDY?????????????????????

EYYY SKYFIRE

I frickin scream EVERY time I see a bot I recognize

“There seems to be no Decepticon presence on Cybertron” THATS NOT SHADY AT ALL....did the Quints get them or are they hiding (probably the latter)

AW BEE.....don’t be so down on things it’ll be ok bud

CHROMIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

PERCY OMG HE”S SPEAKING (AND HE”S NOT TEXT TO SPEECH)

“Now you’ll be responsible for the deactivation of all the autobots” PERCY PLEASE SHE WAS TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

“Thanks a lot Perceptor” LMAO NICE

“Please do” PERCY COME ON NOW

HIS GLASSES??????????????????????????????? THEY JUST CAME OFF

PERCY OH MY GOSH someone please get this boy to a medic

“I have other means of perception” DANG CYBERVERSE PERCY IS SO COOL

I like the way Percy talks, it’s somewhat...stilted? And automatic? I’ll find better words to describe that later but it suits him. Really dig the voice choices for Cyberverse

PERCY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE LET HIS SURVIVAL STAT EXTEND TO THE CYBERVERSE UNIVERSE

lmao I thought she was gonna say “Gotta lose these cops” me 2 Chromia

LASERBEAK!!!!! LASERBEAK BABY!!!!! I KNEW YOU WERE IN CYBERVERSE I KNEW I SAW YOU IN THE BACKGROUND ONCE!!!!

SHE PUNCHED A BIRD

OH SHOOT SOUNDWAVE’S GONNA KILL HER

BACKPACK ALL SPARK

Gosh Hot Rod you’re such a frickin jock I love you

FRICKIN

DRIFT

THERE”S SO MUCH TO FRICKIN UNPACK IN THAT SEQUENCE

DRIFT TALKED!!! AND THEN CAME OFF SOUNDING TOTALLY CREEPY LMAO

I LOVE RODDY DIPPING RIGHT OUTTA THERE BYE BUD

SOUNDWAVE!!!! BABY!!!!!!

They’re gonna shoot that outta the sky aren’t they OH NO THAT”S SO MUCH WORSE

Gosh I cANT GET OVER THE FACT THAT DRIFT SPOKE AND RODDY AWKWARDLY FINGERGUNNED OUTTA THERE THAT’S HILARIOUS 

Drift: How do I invite Roddy to hang out and be my friend. Wait I know, I’ll say it in the most threatening way possible. Yes, he’ll absolutely want to be my friend now. :)

Episode 2

Megatron: Yes.... Me: *BEAST WARS FLASHBACK*

“SHOCKWAVE! You finally did something right!”  Shockwave: >:/

SYWARP!!! SKYWARP??? SKYWARP!!!!!!!

Aren’t they worried by blowing up the ship they blew up the AllSpark

“WHO DARES? WE JUST FINISHED REMODELING THIS PLACE”

LET TELETRAN SWEAR!!!!!!

OH NO OPTIMUS IS GIVING HOT ROD THE LEADERSHIP SPEECH, IM WORRIED....

Like on the one hand I wanna see my boy taking charge but on the other PLEASE DONT KILL OPTIMUS

The shoulder touch.... :’) Papa Optimus is the best

Every time Megatron calls Optimus “Old friend” I cry

HELL YEAH AUTOBOTS ROLL OUT--oh they didn’t transform lmao that’s still cool

I’m so glad ShadowStriker is the leader of some of the Decepticon forces that’s cool

PROWL PUNCHED A CAR HELL YEAH

GET THEM WINDBLADE aw man I feel bad every time a seeker explodes, rest in pieces

ARCEE RIDING GRIMLOCK IS THE COOLEST THING EVER

OMG STRIKA

KUP?!??!!??! 

WHIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!>?!??!!?!?!?! OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH WHIRL!?!?!?!?!?

WHIRL COME BACK I LOVE YOU

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

RATCHET!!!! SMARTYPANTS HE”S SO CUTE

SOUNDWAVE I LOVE YOU BUT PLEASE GIVE RATCHET A BREAK

BEE!!! SAVE YOUR MEDIC YOU GUYS ONLY HAVE ONE

omg Bee and Hot Rod fighting is so good

IS THAT IRONHIDE????

LMAO LASERBEAK JUST FLIES OFF WITH -- AHHH WHIRL!!! WHIRL SPOKE!!!! MY BABY BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH NO THEY SHOT PROWL IN THE BOOB

RIGHT IN THE TIDDY

I love that Shockwave is watching this all go down like “Whatever

UH WHATS THAT NOISE 

PREDACON??????

Episode 3

IM LEGIT HAVING TO TAKE BREAKS BETWEEN EPISODES MY HEART CANT TAKE THIS

IM JUST SMILING SO MUCH!!!!!! WHIRL!!!!!!!! DRIFT / DEADLOCK!!!!!!! KUP!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I LOVE THE CYBERVERSE CREW

I totally thought Megatron was gonna say “I won’t, but THEY will!” but the episode intro cut him off so it just sounds like he confidently said “You’re right! I can’t beat you!” lmao

SCRAPLETS...SOMEONE GET SOME SPRAY PLEASE

OH GOSH PLEASE DONT REMIND ME OF THAT HORRIFYING SCRAPLET SCENE IN S2

oh wow Optimus is traumatized by that (I MEAN, THAT MAKES SENSE BUT WE ACTUALLY GET TO SEE IT WHICH IS NEW) poor dude, someone give this guy a vacation

LESBIAN MIND MELD

Chromia please don’t make Percy blow out his eyes again

“Team Hot Rod? Is that us?” YOU GUYS ARE SO PRECIOUS IT ACTUALLY HURTS

DRIFT!!! YO DRIFT!!!!!!! HIS EYES ARE BLUE RN

oh my gosh please don’t tell me he’s gonna follow Hot R--YEAH HE’S FOLLOWING HIM LMAO

Drift: Oh!! There goes my best buddy! I should follow him! :) Hot Rod: GO FASTER GUYS GO FASTER

IT”S A FRICKIN SHOCKWAVE ARMY

What’s stopping Shockwave from just overthrowing Megatron I MEAN REALLY

Lmao Hot Rod is so cute, he’s like “oh the floor’s sinking? Down we go I guess”

Man it’s so exciting to see the environment of Cybertron and how the planet looks, LIKE THIS IS THE STUFF I LIVE AND DIE FOR, THANK YOU CREW

DRIFT WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!!!!!!!!

“Why the surprise? No one ever leaves the Decepticons” I LITERALLY GASPED OUT LOUD IN HORROR

DRIFT YOU CANT DO THAT!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!! BAD BOT!!!!!!

PLEASE SAY SIKE

HIS EYES CHANGED BACK TO RED JUST TO HAMMER THAT HOME JEEZ

“Hail this” OH MY GOSH RODDY

GOSH THAT MAKES ME SO SAD....DRIFT WHY!!!!!!!!

HOT ROD LOOKS SO FRICKIN COOL THOUGH OH MY GOSH

THIS FIGHT SCENE IS SO AWESOME MORE OF THIS PLEASE

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I JUST GASPED AGAIN IN HORROR AND PAIN, NO!!!!!! RODIMUS NO!!!!!!!! DRIFT HOW COULD YOU!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS SO DARK OH MY GOSH nO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LIKE OBVIOUSLY HE”S NOT DEAD BECAUSE HE HAD BLACK ARMOR IN THE SERIES OPENING BUT IF I DIDNT KNOW THAT ID BE FRICKIN SOBBING ON THE FLOOR FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING

Jeez team frat boys is not doing so hot

NICE ONE WINDBLADE

“OHO, I HAVE SOME IDEAS” WHEELJACK BUDDY...

TELETRAN NO!!!

WINDBLADE KICK HIS BUT

CYBERVERSE STOP PLAYING WITH MY HEART LIKE THIS!!!!!!!

Episode 4

INSECTICONS??????

lmao oh Bee

Man I love Wheeljack’s VA

“THIS is for Slipstream!” OH SHOOT YOU GO WINDBLADE

YOU BOTTLED UP UNSPACE?????????

“We got ‘em. Got ‘em good!” PLEASE STOP MEMEING (jk)

SHOCKWAVE OH NO

OH SHOOT RIGHT IN SHOCKWAVE’S CANNON

ARCEE IS SO FRICKIN COOL

Wait if the Allspark fixes things then it might bring Roddy / Drift back to life

OPTIMUS’ POWER WALK IS SO FRICKIN HOT

HE JUST SUPLEXES A SHARK AND SOUNDWAVE AND MEGATRON’S LIKE “OH NO THAT WAS KINDA HOT???”

BABY NO DONT SELF DESTRUCT

OH SHOOT WHAT

THAT’S SO MUCH WORSE

imagine ur soul is so corrupted you destroy heaven that’s essentially what’s happening here

CHEETOR NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Thank you for being my friend, Bumblebee” IM SOBBING INTO MY HANDS

“Wherever Bumblebee goes on Cybertron, Cheetor goes with him” SOBS!!!!!!!!!!!

Cybertron is gold! :O

LMAO GOT HIM GOOD OPTIMUS

“Don’t mind the shrieks in the background”

“It is our duty to make sure it Transforms for the better” wahh

[leonawriter]

Last night I read a Voltron reincarnation AU - basically, they had vague memories of having been in this situation, flown these lions, before. There was a lot of hinting toward DotU compliant ships, too.

I went in thinking ‘hey, this could be really interesting if done well’, and I came out thinking ‘I would have done it differently’.

[cut for length]

The main thing I was unsure of was... well, not the shipping at all (which was only in hints, so that could even have been expanded upon) but the feeling like their ‘past’ selves were pushing them into becoming or wanting to fit into those past roles again, which made them having different roles feel awkward and stilted, sometimes creating tension in the team where in either canon, there isn't any.

There was not enough distinction between the past and present. Or, at times, too much distinction, enough that things were confusing for them.

In a purely self-indulgent version, I’d write it that perhaps DotU happened in an alternate universe - perhaps something like a Beta reality - meaning that we aren’t left wondering when, exactly, this previous set of Voltron pilots flew the lions, if the lions in VLD were only created during Alfor’s reign (as shown in S2 ep Space Mall). 

Not to mention, in VLD? Zarkon has been reigning for ten thousand years, during none of which have there been any other Voltron pilots. No alternate Allura. And also in VLD, Earth has only just started developing space travel to the edge of our solar system. It’s unlikely we had space travel over ten thousand years ago, let’s be real here.

So. With that, we’ve got a starting place.

Going with the idea that if they are reincarnations then they’re the result of, essentially, a doomed timeline - possibly one where they failed somehow like in one of the comics, but with more widespread repercussions. 

Next thing is understanding that the DotU characters and the VLD characters are different people. Sometimes, they might seem very similar! They’re supposed to. The VLD ones are based on the original DotU/GoLion/VF versions. But they are not the same. This is important, because although in the previous series Lance might have flown Red straight from the beginning and Keith was always the leader, here they are not best suited for those roles at the beginning, they’re kids, and if they are going to end up in different Lions (like in S3) then it’s because they’ve grown as people, and they’re better suited to those roles at that time.

Memories and deja vu would still happen, but... not in a way that would have Lance longing for Red, or Keith thinking up plans in way as though he’s the leader! 

Lance is clearly happy and best suited to Blue, and yes, I can see him having moments of jealousy over Red, but it’s more the kind of thing where he’s seeing Keith as getting the most attention again, picked out for the ‘best’ things - ‘hey, I can fly a speedy Lion! I can rely on my instincts and prove myself! I can do this too!’, with a mix in of feeling like he’d done this before. 

And as for Keith... I’m sorry, but I really can’t imagine him strategising competently in the first couple of seasons. I just can’t. We even see what happens when he tries (no, Keith, don’t rush the guards, we need to not hurt the Balmera). Maybe, though, he might look back on things they’ve done, and once the mission is over, be able to see what went wrong, and how he’d do it better next time, and sometimes have a sense of frustration that his mind isn't working like it somehow should, he should be able to do this, to think like this, why can’t he.

Shiro, I can see not having too many issues, though mainly because his memories/echoes from Sven are so similar to his own issues of dying/nearly dying/being imprisoned.

Pidge, I think, would probably try and ignore it all? She’s a scientific mind, down to earth and all, not one to put stock in the idea of reincarnation. Although, I do think she’d maybe have some gender issues here more than in VLD canon, where she really is some form of genderqueer due to DotU Pidge being male - but I think her preferred pronouns would still be female. And because I think it may even have been as early as DotU that introduced the idea that Pidge was from another planet (confirmed, by the wiki! Although in DotU Pidge wasn’t born on Balto, and I don’t know if it’s confirmed whether or not he was in Force), Pidge ends up going to Keith in the aftermath of him finding out he’s actually part Galra, to have some time bonding over being a different species, or remembering you were once - such as how Katie got teased and encouraged by her family for talking about Balto when she was little and it was all awesome.

Hunk might even have his echoes of having been a hotheaded ‘let’s rush straight in’ kind of guy make his anxieties even worse, being like, ‘er, guys, I have a funny feeling if I just rushed into that something bad would happen. Let’s not.’ 

Allura - now her, I can see taking all of her memories and listening to them. She’s attuned to the Lions and the castle, too. I could see her looking back at the castle on Arus and seeing the DotU castle, and hearing/seeing the word ‘Arus’ and thinking ‘I feel like this is safe/home’, and being sad to leave. I can see her becoming more at ease when she hears the new Paladins’ names, because those names feel familiar. I can see her feeling uneasy about Zarkon when she’s growing up, because he’s in her nightmares, but she doesn’t understand why - because he’s also her father’s good friend. She’d also feel a sort of kinship with Blue, which might be part of why she doesn’t just continue after Lance cuts in on her explanations, but she’s so involved in making sure she’s in control of everything that up until it’s needed, the idea of flying Blue is just a flight of fancy. 

And... Coran? Coran I can see having feelings of wanting to keep holding onto everyone as long as possible, not wanting his princess to go into dangerous situations but, at the same time, understanding better than previous versions that you can’t stop her if that’s what she’s got her mind set on. 

The bit I’d call this ‘self-indulgent’ for, though, is my ideas on shipping. 

Like... the VLD characters aren’t just blank slates? You can’t just say that they’re always going to end up with the same people, even in a reincarnation AU. Some of them might even have dated before they find themselves with Voltron, and liked their partners, and split up for reasons entirely separate from ‘I have this feeling in my head that I’m not supposed to be with you and I’m waiting for That Special One In My Dreams’. And they might meet the one they were in love with in a past/other life and just... that’s not who they are now.

Sometimes reincarnation shipping works, and sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes it just takes a lot of good writing to make it work. Simple as that.

My own personal take would be that... every so often, Keith gets certain feelings whenever he looks at Allura, and it’s, well, weird? Because it’s really more like he’s seeing someone else, not the Allura he knows. And when the moment is gone, so are the feelings, and it leaves him disoriented. 

Allura even gets something similar, where she’ll sometimes look at Keith and expect him to say or do something other than what he ends up saying or doing, and again - she might have moments where it feels like there’s a crush going on, but then the moment will pass, or she’ll actually look at him, and she’ll go, that’s not the same person. Again, confusion.

I can see after a while, Keith actually asks to have a word with her, after they’ve all agreed that something is going on, and asks if she’s getting this as well. He awkwardly apologises, but explains that he’s, uh, it’s not going to happen. There’s a reason it’s particularly weird on his end. Maybe this other Keith and Allura were involved, but... this Keith? He’s kinda not into girls like that.

He ends up red in the face from having to say this in such a way for such a reason, but even though Allura stares at him for a few moments, she starts to laugh, and then they’re laughing together, because - let’s be honest, the situation is ridiculous. 

After that, they end up as good friends, accepting that although their relationship isn’t the same as before, there’s clearly still some sort of understanding there. 

Partially because of this, Keith is the one Pidge goes to with her gender issues after Keith accidentally admits his ‘other’ self was in a relationship with Allura to the team (and a jealous Lance, possibly in a similar situation to Arc of the Taujeer in S2). They’ve both got memories or echoes of being some sort of identity that they’re not that isn’t just down to where they were born. 

(Lance picked up English far faster than any of his family expected him to, for someone with an often short attention span and some kind of learning disability.  Same with Shiro, whose first language is Japanese, where he picked up English quite well, but also ends up translating Swedish in his head whenever he’s not paying any attention.)

[gskarth]

Secrets Don’t Make Friends

All Time Low Imagine - requested by Anon, hope you enjoy this! Request: Can you create a imagines where the reader is transgender and they come out to the guys? Word Count: 1,320 A/N: I’ve been requested similar things to this a couple times before, but I’ve put it off because I don’t have a lot of knowledge/experience with stuff like this, so forgive me if any of what I wrote isn’t exactly how you would’ve liked it to be. I tried my best, although I did struggle ahaha, so I hope this turned out to your liking!

Send me an All Time Low imagine request

If you read & enjoy, please leave a like to show support!♡

“Hmmm,” you grumble as you begin to stir; the sound of your phone buzzing on the nightstand weaving in amidst your blissful sleep.  You reach over, your eyes still tightly shut as you snuggle further into your pillow, trying to dull the burning red of the sun, pouring in through the cracks of your blinds, against your eyelids. You blink a few times, regaining vision, and take a glimpse at your phone.

You had 2 missed calls from Alex and a text from Rian asking where you were. You groaned, before stripping the duvet from your body and rolling out of bed. You'd totally forgotten that you'd agreed to hang out with the boys today. Rubbing at your eyes, you make your way into the bathroom.

You let out a deep sigh as you're confronted with your reflection; some days were a lot harder than others when it came to coming to grips with the person you saw in the mirror – and you could already tell that today was going to be a difficult one. Taking a few steps forward, you place your phone beside the sink and have a closer look at yours. Your fingers run over specific features; the bags under your eyes, the acne on your cheek, the imperfect arch of your brows and the crookedness of your nose – features that no one else except you seemed to notice.

With another sigh, you began running the water. Another buzz from your phone egged you on as you quickly splashed the water over your face; the cold rush still not managing to wash away the bitter taste in your mouth. You grabbed a towel and dried yourself off, glancing down to see it was Jack who'd text you this time.

'Are you still coming over?' it read. You let out another sigh, wanting so badly to just continue ignoring your phone, but you knew you couldn't. Today was a big day; it was the day you were finally going to confide in your best friends about what you had been struggling with lately; your gender identity. You could tell that they knew that something was up with you, but anytime they asked, you just brushed it off. You were still coming to terms with things yourself, and telling people was going to be difficult, but you desperately needed to talk about it – preferably with your best friends who knew everything about you and always gave the best advice.

You grabbed your phone and quickly shot a reply to Jack. 'On my way,' you lied as you quickly threw some clothes on and headed out the door. It was just going to be a typical Friday with the guys – spending the day watching them rehearse, playing video games, watching old movies and eating junk food. Usually, you looked forward to days like this, but as you hopped in your car you noted just how hard your heart was hammering against your chest.

“Y/N!” Zack exclaimed as he opened the door to Rian's house, revealing you stood outside. You mustered up a smile as he pulled you into a quick hug, simultaneously dragging you inside. “We thought you were standing us up,” he chuckled as he shut the door behind you. You let out an awkward laugh, looking around – for what? You had no idea. Zack cocked a brow at you; noticing that you were acting a little strange, but he shrugged it off. “Hey guys! Y/N is here!” Zack called out, leading you through to the living room.

You smiled shyly as you entered the room filled with happy, familiar, comforting faces, however, right now, they stirred up the nerves in you. “Sorry, Y/N,” Rian began, patting the seat beside him. You moved to sit down next to him. “We had to start the movie without you.” he chuckled.

“I told them to wait!” Jack spoke up, “but they wouldn't listen,” he shrugged, smiling at you. You let out a lacklustre laugh, turning to watch the movie playing on the TV screen. It was some action movie from what you could tell – something that didn't really interest you anyway.

About half an hour into the movie you get to your feet, letting the room know that you were going to get a drink, before heading towards the kitchen. You let out a sigh as you grabbed a soda from the fridge; you knew that the boy's were a little suspicious. You'd been practically silent since you'd arrived; only laughing uncomfortably and nodding awkwardly when necessary.

“...Y/N?” you heard Alex's soft voice behind you. You turned to face the floppy haired boy, who was peaking around the door frame like a child; a cheeky smile on his face. You couldn't help but smile in return, popping open your soda and taking a drink as Alex stepped into the room. “Is everything okay?” he asked, his voice gentle as he spoke.

You nibbled on the inside of your cheek, weighing up your opinions. You let out a small smile; knowing what you needed to do. Your heart was pounding in your chest, your hands were clammy all-of-a-sudden, and your breath was stilted. “Um... I kinda wanna talk to you guys about something...” you finally admitted, avoiding Alex's gaze.

“What's up?” he asked, worry coating his voice as he moved closer to you, placing a hand on your shoulder comfortingly.

You swallowed. “Um... can you...” you motioned to the door and somehow Alex knew what you meant. He called for the other boys; the serious look on his face greeting them as they entered the room and telling them that this wasn't a laughing matter.

You let out a deep breath which you'd been holding in; your eyes were still downcast as you played with your fingers. “I just wanted to let you guys know...” you trailed off. It felt like your heart was in your throat, suffocating the words as they spilled from you. The boys had moved in closer to you now, but they remained at a comfortable distance; their eyes boring into you. “...that... uh, I am... transgender,” you finally spit the words out, feeling winded as they leave you.

You look up at the circle of boys surrounding you; tears which you hadn't felt until now trickling down your cheeks. Immediately you felt arms around you; they were Alex's. He shushed you, holding you tightly to him. Jack's eyes were on yours, whilst Rian rubbed up and down your arm comfortingly. Zack was off to the side; concern and worry dripping from his hazel eyes as he watched you.

“Don't cry, Y/N,” Jack whispered, leaning forward to wipe the tears from your face. “This isn't something to be sad over,” he continued, a genuine smile spreading across his face. His words seemed to lift a weight from your chest.

“Yeah, this is a good thing!” Rian chimed in, his pearly whites flashing your way.

Alex pulled away now, resting his arm around you casually. “And this doesn't change anything,” he added, the rest of the boys nodding profusely in agreement.

You sniffled a little, breathing a sigh of absolute relief. It felt so good to have said the words out loud, and to know that you had the support of your best friends was incredibly reassuring.

“You're still Y/N and you're still our best friend,” Zack spoke up, the corners of his lips tugging up into a smile.

“Thank you guys,” your voice was weak, but you no longer were.

“...And I can still beat your ass at Mario Kart,” Jack snickled, a cheeky smirk on his face. Alex scoffed as Rian rolled his eyes at the taller boy.

You let out a laugh as you watched Jack sprint for the front room. “Oh, it's on!” you call out, chasing after him.

[mint-sm]

LOS CAMPESINOS! REVIEW/ANALYSIS: Romance is Boring

Let’s talk about a word for a minute: Tryhard.

In an (at the time of writing at least) mildly recent interview with Noisey on the subject of this album, lead guitarist Tom Campesinos! (Tom Bromley) described “Romance is Boring” as “probably the most self-conscious record, and it's probably the most try-hard record as well,” describing it as a reaction to that whole “twee” and “pop” label they were most popularly recognized with from “Hold on Now, Youngster…”, and even after the release of “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed.”

Like I said on my reviews of both albums, I feel that “Youngster” was an excellent release if only for the sound it ended up with, and not necessarily the band’s initial visions, which would then be addressed and accentuated in “Doomed,” which more clearly defined the groundwork that the band wanted to pursue underneath the indie pop exterior roof formed with “Youngster.” With this album, “Romance is Boring,” they definitely wanted to challenge that idea even further; become more experimental, create much more blaring, aggressive songs in unusual time signatures and beats, with more complex and detailed production alongside Gareth’s self-deprecatingly bitter, but intricate and atmospheric lyricism. In other words, “Romance is Boring” was a self-imposed challenge, and if they wanted to be “try-hard,” they succeeded.

At the same time though, Tom seemed to be somewhat disappointed about what the band would make in the future in comparison to this album, saying “I would never make songs like that again, at the moment I'm not in that frame of mind where I would, so when I listen to them I'm like 'shit I can't believe we made this'.” The sad truth about trying really hard to be as fucking wild and complex-sounding is that it might be something you never wanna try again because you might never, ever reach that adrenaline-fueled mindset you were in to originally craft it again in the future, and as we’ll discuss with “Hello Sadness” next time, reality just might hit you hard enough to stray away from that.

It’s a shame, but as an artist who often gets fatigued of just trying to work on a passion project for years that burns out for a while after releasing a thing, I can sympathize a bit. Creating and experimenting is very tough, and it takes a lot of time, and you will be often be surprised as hell by what you make in the end, but at the same time it can be really straining, only made bearable by sheer passion and emotion (mostly frustration, it sounds like) that, sad to say, can dissipate just like that, and getting it back isn’t something you can just “do.” And “Romance is Boring” is passionate and emotional, and the experimentation clearly did pay off, but was their process something they should be willing to go through again? Well, I don’t know Gareth and the band well-enough to decide for certain, but I’m gonna say… probably not?

CAN WE ALL PLEASE JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN!?

But anyways, let’s talk about “Romance is Boring” itself. Simply put, as you probably might have inferred from other reviews, “Romance is Boring” is my favorite Los Camp record. They put a lot of fucking effort into this album, likely more than with any other record they’ve ever made, and it shows. It contains basically everything I think the band excels at, and even the parts it doesn’t normally do the absolute best in, they do exceptionally well here. Witty, poetic and dense lyrics, blaring, catchy, and diverse instrumentals, wild and conflicting yet consistent moods, and hauntingly vague but vivid imagery following and exploring complex and dissonant themes and narrative, such as the idea of falling in love, disappointing mental anguish, depression, creepiness, selfishness, bitter sarcasm, and regret, among others. It sounds a lot better than the emo shit it just came off as, honest.

The album is much more narratively flowing than “Youngster” or “Doomed,” and as you might expect from the title, it’s about romance, but not necessarily in a completely despondent way as it also might imply. While an overall theme it provides is one of dissatisfaction and heartbreak, once again, Los Camp’s ability to simultaneously yet fluidly meld together multiple diametrically opposed emotions shines through here.

The second track, “There Are Listed Buildings,” is a very good example of this, because the instrumentation is by far the poppiest and free-flowing track on this album, almost “Youngster”-ey in quality, with these cheery “BAH BAH, BAH BAH, BAH BAH BAH, BADDADA” choruses with what I think is a tuba or trombone, and just a wonderfully-sounding electric guitar riff pre-chorus, it all feels so bright and carnival-ly, and honestly, so are the lyrics, which are playful and strangely optimistic for the band. I think it’s about a like a couple deciding to actually pursue a relationship, with lyrics like “I think I'd do it for love, if it were not for the money / I'll take any scraps that you can give,” which is made honestly kinda cute and sweet-sounding in a sepia-tone, sarcastically hipster kinda way.

I REMEMBER BEING NAKED TO MY WAIST, THOUGH NOT IN WHICH DIRECTION 

[YOU ARE A GLUTTON FOR LOVE, CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME ROMANCE? I'M A GLUTTON FOR SIN]

However, the opposing feeling from this song comes from the exact details and the context in which this song ends up in, because other lyrics seem to reflect more of this idea that the girl is actually really a little too desperate because “You dangle fishing line for crabs, but they're not interested /  I'm your only bite,” which kinda reminds me of that XKCD comic discussing that “nice guy” that at first seems sweet and caring for a lonely girl but is actually disturbingly manipulative and creepy as shit (which some people unfortunately seem to unironically agree with). Plus, as was shown by Los Camp songs before and after, Gareth has simply never believed that “true love” exists, and this budding relationship is uh… yeah, it’s kind of doomed to not end well.

It’s made so much clearer with the song right after it, the title track, and I just love it for how utterly SPITEFUL it is. Whether these characters played by Gareth and Aleks are supposed to be the same throughout the entire album, I don’t know, but this relationship has gotten incredibly bitter and sarcastic, the instrumentation is so fucking blaring and distorted and crashy and violent at times, and the chorus features the band absolutely screaming “YOU'RE POUTING IN YOUR SLEEP, I'M WAKING STILL YAWNING, WE'RE PROVING TO EACH OTHER THAT ROMANCE IS BORING,” it’s so gleefully hateful. I don’t think I’ve heard many tracks of a mutually mentally abusive relationship that sounded this damn cathartic.

WE ARE TWO SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT 

YOU AND I, WE ARE NOTHING ALIKE 

I AM A PLEASURE CRUISE, YOU ARE GONE OUT TO TRAWL 

RETURN NETS EMPTY, NOTHING AT ALL

Really, I could go on with these tracks all day and pick apart the little intricacies of each song to dissect how great each one is, because this is probably the absolute densest Los Camp has ever gotten instrumentally and lyrically. There’s so many little moments as to what makes every track work so much, and rarely is it just as straightforward as the title track, but even when it is, the production and poetry just feel so incredibly potent, it’s essentially like instead of listening to a song and being gradually surrounded by atmosphere, “Romance is Boring” fucking clocks you with it.

Just getting out of the way, I think maybe the least experimental track on this album is “Straight in at 101,” because instrumentally, structurally, it really does feel the most straightforward, even with little moments with like a sudden blast of distortion at one point or how it immediately goes from feeling bright and upbeat to somber, then complete silence as Gareth sings about how “the talking heads count down the most heart wrenching breakups of all time / imagine the great sense of waste, the indignity the embarrassment when not a single one of that whole century was mine.”  It, and maybe “A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte” are probably the most “standard-sounding,” or like baseline to Los Camp, which doesn’t mean they’re bad, but yknow.

I’d still consider it a very strong track because it’s still very consistent, it’s got a very continuous but evolving groove to it, and the lyrics are still jam-packed with wordplay and description that paint just this really fucking selfish, but also really kinda(?) sympathetic narrator, who makes his utter disappointment with what I’m assuming was a one night stand very clear. Los Camp is a very self-aware band and Gareth’s a very self-deprecating writer, but the way he manages to be both really ugly but astoundingly relatable, and also so mean-spirited to a point where you can’t help but really laugh at how much of a shit he is is kind of admirable.

I THINK WE NEED MORE POST-COITAL AND LESS POST-ROCK

FEELS LIKE THE BUILD-UP TAKES FOREVER, BUT YOU NEVER TOUCH MY COCK 

AND WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU MEAN NOW BY, "WHAT CAN YOU EVEN EAT?" 

AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT HOW I'LL GET OFF THIS EVENING?

Two of the most unusual tracks that I both love from this album are “Plan A” and “I Warned You: Do Not Make an Enemy of Me” (goddamn that title just makes me so giddy for some reason), with “Plan A” being probably the harshest, off-sounding and most punk-like track Los Camp has ever recorded, with its atonal, distorted mashing chords and screaming call/response vocals (it’s so fn weird hearing Aleks sound panicked and frantic, but goddamn I miss her) before suddenly segueing into like this sing-songy, but still distorted and oddly free-flowing, almost twee-like chorus, and “I Warned You” sounding so stilted and awkwardly tense yet cheery with its weird tempo and beat shifts, almost feeling kinda outsider-music-y at times.

BROKE DOWN LAUGHING AND SCREAMING FOR MORE 

BUT IF THIS CHANGED YOUR LIFE, DID YOU HAVE ONE BEFORE?

Another personal favorite track is the intro, “In Medias Res,” which starts off the album just perfectly, starting with like these gentle, but already kinda already compressed and messy acoustic guitar chords before slowly building up into this like surprisingly reverbed, ethereal and charming instrumental, with a backing that almost sounds like it came from like a shoegaze or dark dream pop track, but with like this really, dreamy and cute duet vocals and glockenspiel. It sounds so oddly saddening yet so weirdly uplifting, especially with that little breakdown near the end with all the distortion effects placed against the glockenspiel, keyboards and brass; I’m pretty sure you can hear at some points Gareth screaming some lines, but it’s so blended-in with the instrumental, but it sounds kinda… beautiful.

And the lyrics, oh god, the lyrics. For some reason, the first and last lines just have so much damn atmosphere loaded into something that just feels so… simple. I can’t explain it without the context, but the very first line, “But let’s talk about you for a minute,” just really gets to me for some reason, probably because within this album itself, it just says so damn much about its themes, that while incredibly toxic and awesomely angry at times, can also get really intimate, melancholy, and depressing, especially with the song’s outro lines:

“IF YOU WERE GIVEN THE OPTION OF DYING PAINLESSLY IN PEACE AT FORTY-FIVE, BUT WITH A LOVER AT YOUR SIDE, AFTER A FULL AND HAPPY LIFE, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WOULD INTEREST YOU? WOULD THIS INTEREST YOU AT ALL?”

Keep in mind, Gareth believes that true love doesn’t exist.

And in a really cruel reality, despite how playful, giddy and sarcastic or self-deprecating it can be dancing around the topic, Los Camp STILL can’t prove to us that heartbreak, however, isn’t anything but incredibly real. The final 3 tracks on this album (not counting the bonus track, “Too Many Flesh Suppers”) perfectly reflect this mindset.

The fan favorite “The Sea is a Good Place to Think About the Future” is simply put Los Camp’s most beautiful, poignant track they’ve ever made (and also one of the most devastating and emo), and it serves as one hell of an emotional climax for the album. While Los Camp hasn’t really been one for imagery and instead prefers mood most of the time, this track is the perfect marriage of the two; everything about it just seems to paint this incredibly vivid mindset about a depressed, suicidal and utterly broken lover (if it’s the same one from “There Are Listed Buildings,” it’s even more so), who I can just imagine is like sitting on the far end of a dock on a very gloomy beach with gray overcast and an sea, maybe like rocking her legs back and forth sitting on the edge with her feet just touching the salt water as she just stares hopelessly out onto the endless horizon. Y’know, happy stuff.

The lyrics on this track are just some of the most utterly concise and madly specific descriptions Gareth’s ever written, with simultaneously pointless yet (ugh I normally hate this word in this context but) deep and precise lyrics, and Gareth’s vocal delivery just slowly escalates to this heartfelt, like pouring-out-his-soul-in-desperation, perfect climax. Everything about this track just works, and it plunges you into this visceral, atmospheric world of gray skies, salty seas and contemplation, where it really does feel like that the sea is a great place to think of the future… or maybe a lack of one.

SHE SAID ONE DAY TO LEAVE HER, SAND UP TO HER SHOULDERS, WAITING FOR THE TIDE

TO DRAG HER TO THE OCEAN, TO ANOTHER SEA'S SHORE, THIS THING HURTS LIKE HELL... 

BUT WHAT DID YOU EXPECT!?

But like I said, Los Camp likes to dance around these sort of maudlin themes, and immediately after one of the bleakest tracks they’ve made, we suddenly get more cheery, upbeat, and snide in “This is a Flag. There is No Wind,” whose first lyrics are literally the band shouting “CAN WE ALL PLEASE JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN!?”, singing another almost-kinda-sorta indie-twee track about a couple stupidly in love, but we all know that it’s all unhealthy and it’s going to end poorly, right? Like, any song about love that has the chorus “The story of the winter I forgot how to speak, my mind was like a nation's flag but my breeze was too weak / How they dragged me to the hospital saying I had gone deaf / But I heard everything they said, it's just I had no interest,” no matter how crowd-pleasing and roucous and glockenspiel-accompanied it sounds, can’t have a story that ends well, right?

Well, considering how the album ends with “Coda: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State,” a much slower, a lot more ethereal-sounding ballad with the lines “Run the water 'til it scalds, you know that I'm listening / Pitter-patter runs the shower, hits the bare porcelain” and “I fall to my knees, my piss-soaked jeans / The first time, the last time, all the times in between”... it’s probably safe to assume yes, it didn’t. Actually, considering “The Sea is a Good Place” and the chillingly repeated outro of “I CAN’T BELIEVE I CHOSE THE MOUNTAINS EVERY TIME YOU CHOSE THE SEA,”  it probably ended VERY horribly. And… that just fucking sucks, you know?

Goddamn, there’s still so many tracks I didn’t cover, but damnit, if I make this any longer, this is gonna just turn into a track-by-track thesis paper, since there’s just so much to talk about. These are basically the major elements I love the most and find the most worth-addressing, but the thing is that this entire album feels worth addressing, because once again, it’s just so damn packed with just about everything I feel makes an album work in my eyes. There’s not a single track that’s not worth analyzing and appreciating, but christ, there are only so many hours in the day! D:

BY NOW IT'S JUST THE THREE OF US

ME, YOUR SHADOW, YOUR ECHO

“Romance is Boring” is just a fantastic album. It manages to contain all of the things I feel an album needs to be heavily engaging, and the fact that most of them came from a band who normally doesn’t do that great in some of those aspects such as actual concrete description or instantly recognizable context makes this feel all the more surprising and welcoming.

And that’s where it all comes down to: it is just really, really engaging. It’s powerful without being overbearing, it’s noisy while being incredibly and consistently precise, it’s descriptive while being pretty accessible, and it’s varied but also manages to maintain a consistent sound Los Camp have finally pinpointed down as that which can be identified as uniquely their own. It plays up the band’s unique strengths just enough that you never feel alienated or feel forced or anything like that, and not only is it as adventurous as the band might ever get, it’s one hell of a fucking adventure. Hail try-hardiness. (5/5)

...So what happens now?

FAVES: “In Medias Res,” “There Are Listed Buildings,” “Romance is Boring,” “We’ve Got Your Back,” “Plan A,” “Straight in at 101,” “Heart Swells/100-1,” “I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know,” “The Sea is a Good Place to Think About the Future,” “This is a Flag. There is No Wind,” “Coda: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State,”