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pippytmi · 23 days

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kacy au + a prompt from this list: "this is the first time I’m living on my own and my parents decided to spontaneously drop by in a few hours to see how I’m doing pls let me borrow some cleaning supplies and food so that my parents will believe I’m a functioning, responsible adult who totally cleans and doesn’t just have condiments and eggs in my fridge AU”

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“Hey! Hi, you’re—you're 8C, right?”

Kate nearly drops her bag at the sudden voice and its proximity, entirely unused to any kind of attention whatsoever. Embarrassingly, her first response is to reach for a gun that isn’t there, succeeding only in pulling out her keys as a makeshift weapon.

“Whoa,” the stranger before Kate says, raising both hands up. She looks vaguely familiar, dark eyes and curly hair and a short enough stature that Kate presumes she won’t be a real threat. “Is that a…key? No offense, but I don't think that would stab very well.” She squints up at Kate suddenly, almost like she’s trying to figure her out. “Please don't test that theory.”

Kate can only hurriedly lower said keys, feels her cheeks burn under the scrutiny. “Sorry,” she says. “I guess I’m a little jumpy.”

“It’s all good, I totally get it,” the stranger says cheerfully. “There’s not really a welcoming committee around these parts.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Kate asks slowly, cautiously on guard once more. She had first moved into this apartment two months ago, so it’s a little late for a welcome-to-the-neighborhood kind of thing.

“It could be,” the woman says, and she holds out her hand. “I’m Lucy. You might know me better as 12B, I’m the one always throwing empty bottles at the landlord’s head.”

Kate just stares back, accepting the handshake a beat later than socially acceptable. “I…didn’t know anyone did that, actually.”

“Oh it’s fine,” Lucy’s quick to reassure her. “He hasn’t found out it’s me.”

“Okay.” Kate is still very, very confused as to what Lucy of 12B (who throws water bottles at people) could possibly want. Or why she has decided to introduce herself in such a strange manner.

“Sorry to bug you," Lucy says, “but you’re kind of my last hope. I’ve been trying to find one friendly neighbor in this shithole, and so far, everyone has been shutting their doors in my face. You’re kind of on another level since you tried to shank me, but I am completely willing to forget that if you can let me borrow some stuff.”

“I didn’t try to…” Kate trails off as Lucy gazes up at her with such a hopeful expression that her resolve immediately weakens. “What kind of stuff?”

“Nothing major,” Lucy says. “Long story short, my parents decided to drop in on me, and I basically have nothing in my place. Any chance you can lend me some cleaning supplies? And maybe some groceries? I will one hundred percent pay you back. I just need them to think I’m an actual functioning human being.”

“I guess I can see what I have,” Kate says reluctantly, gripping her groceries a little tighter to her chest. “Come in, I’ll get you everything you need.”

This is probably a bad idea. Scratch that—it is definitely a bad idea, and Curtis will actually kill her for this, but Kate invites this literal stranger into her (government-assigned) home and leaves Lucy alone in order to briefly dash into her room and lock up the gun kept in the bottom of her purse.

Lucy, at the very least, stays firmly in the living room where Kate left her, though her eyes obviously wander around the room. “I like the color,” she says, gesturing to Kate’s couch. “Funky.”

Kate grimaces. “It was the only one they had,” she says of that neon-green monstrosity.

“Well, I think it’s really cool,” Lucy says. With Kate back, she seems emboldened, takes a turn about the room with a curious half-smile. “Your place seems smaller than mine. How much are you paying? Because if it’s the same as mine, I can totally get the landlord with a bottle for you.”

“I’m fine, thanks,” Kate says. “Um, I think I should have everything you need in the kitchen.” She ushers Lucy right over, gestures to the fridge and says, “You can pick whatever you want for food. I’ll get the cleaning supplies from under the sink.” Still on edge, she crouches down to retrieve everything while watching Lucy out of the corner of her eye.

If Lucy can feel Kate staring, she doesn’t show it; she happily accepts the invitation to rummage through the fridge, clanking of bottles and rustling of bags audible. Finally, Kate focuses on the task at hand, and packs the basics into a plastic bag: bleach, window cleaner, Lysol.

“Okay, this might be more unbelievable than having nothing in my house,” Lucy suddenly declares. “Do you have anything good to eat?”

Kate lifts her head. “What?”

“This is all health food and green juice, 8C,” Lucy says. Pauses. “Oh fuck. I never asked for your name.”

Honestly, Kate forgot she hadn’t, either. “It’s—”

“I really hope you’re not a serial killer,” Lucy continues, as if Kate isn’t even in the room and she is just musing aloud. “That probably should’ve been my first question. Can we start over? Here. 8C, are you a serial killer?”

Kate blinks. “No,” she says. “But I also don’t think serial killers would tell you if they were.”

“Fair enough,” Lucy says, and peculiarly enough, she doesn’t seem threatened at all by the possibility. Obviously she is not afraid to be in unfamiliar situations with unfamiliar people, and Kate wonders if she should rethink her assumption that Lucy is not a threat. “So what’s your name, then?”

“...Kate.”

“Kate,” Lucy repeats. “Hm. It’s not what I was expecting, but it fits.” With that information, she just turns around and…continues going through Kate’s fridge. “Are you single?”

Kate coughs. “W-what?”

“Single people always have those sad frozen meals, at least,” Lucy says. “I do too, normally, but I haven’t hit the grocery store in a while.” She opens the freezer and actually whoops at the sight of Marie Callender's finest. “Jackpot! I will take these off your hands.”

“And your parents will…be fine with that?” Kate decides that, overall, she is utterly confused by Lucy the neighbor from 12B. There's no other possible way to put it.

“Oh not at all, but it is what they expect,” Lucy says. “I’ll take some of your health foods too, I guess. Let them think I’m trying to stop bad habits.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear with a self-conscious laugh. “I mean, only if that’s fine with you.”

And something about that moment where Lucy becomes a little awkward—when she bashfully looks down at her feet, then looks back up at Kate from underneath her long eyelashes—it endears Kate completely. At the very least, it makes her relax, stomach twisting in itself in a tell-tale weakness for pretty girls in trouble. “Sure,” she says. “Do your parents like wine? You can take a bottle, I have a few.”

“I would never turn down wine,” Lucy says, brightening. “I don’t even care that I don’t have wine glasses. We can drink out of paper cups for all I care.”

Kate opens the liquor cabinet to make her selection: a nice red that had been a gift from her mother. (She’ll just have to email her later and say she loved it when her mother asks.) “I would offer to lend you some, but I also don’t have wine glasses,” she finds herself saying, then immediately regrets it, because Lucy obviously expects an explanation and all Kate seems to be able to do is make a fool out of herself today.

“Are you also a connoisseur of paper cups? Kate from 8C, I think we’re going to be friends,” Lucy says easily, and Kate’s lips twitch from the effort of biting back a smile.

“I actually like to drink wine out of mason jars,” Kate says. “I know it’s a little weird…”

Lucy has absolutely no qualms about smiling, and her smile lights up her whole face in a way Kate can’t look away from. “I think that’s cute,” she says, and Kate’s face burns so hot she knows that her status as this building’s number one gay disaster is 100% secured.

“Here,” Kate barely remembers to blurt out, handing off the wine bottle. “And let me get you a bag for the food too.”

After everything has been successfully squared away, Lucy is left with three large bags that will definitely require more than one trip. “Thank you,” she says. “Seriously. You’ve saved my life and I promise I will replace everything I’ve stolen today.”

“It’s no problem,” Kate says. “Do you need help taking it to your place?”

Lucy feigns a double-take, mouth falling open in an exaggerated gasp. “Already trying to invite yourself over? Wow, 8C. At least buy a girl dinner first.”

Kate’s mouth inevitably twists into that damned smile anyway. “Is that not what the frozen meals are? Technically, I did buy them.”

“Touché,” Lucy says, biting her lip. “You are…surprising.” She snags the smaller of the bags which contains the cleaning supplies, then swings it over her shoulder. “Alright, you can walk me home. But no funny business.”

“Okay,” Kate says with a laugh, taking the last two bags herself.

“But,” Lucy says as they walk outside, “you officially have a rain check.”

“For dinner?” Despite the circumstances of Kate’s arrival here—despite the looming undercover op that is about to consume her life—she feels light. Hopeful, even.

Lucy throws a wink over her shoulder. “For the funny business,” she says, all but skipping in the direction of her apartment.

Kate, meanwhile, freezes in place. Nevermind about Lucy being a threat to her life—she’s just going to be a threat to Kate's sanity.

(Which…may or may not be a bad thing. It’s to be determined, at any rate).

#had to get this out of my system!!#kacy #kate x lucy #ncis hawaii #i need a fic tag #i envision this as the 'first meeting' for the fast & furious prompt i did way back (the angsty one w/the undercover op)#dammit do i need to turn that au into a full on fic ....

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freakadr0id · 2 years

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ROTTMNT Character Fighting Style Analysis - Part 2: Raphael

This is a continuation of my first post about analyzing each of the Turtles' (+April's) fighting style, their strengths and weaknesses in a fight, and how Rise uses that to highlight different aspects of their character. I highly encourage you read that first before hopping into this one for full context. There is a bit of a TL;DR at the end.

[Part 1: Leo] [...] [Part 3: Mikey] [Part 4: Donnie] [Part 5: April]

Next up is our spikey, yet cuddly, Raphael.

Raphael: The Bruiser/Tank

(Note: I occasionally differentiate between Raph's mystic powers and ninpo powers in this because his clone powers in the finale are quite a bit different from the powers he has with his tonfas)

Fight Style:

Aggressive and Heavy

Raph is the team’s resident smasher - he tends to go into a fight with the intention of doing as much damage as possible. He generally prefers to fight on the offensive but has shown that he is capable of handling himself defensively too. His great size and strength mean he can deal strong physical attacks while giving him a distinct defensive advantage, both of which are supported by his mystic powers. He usually fights the enemy head-on, charging in to fight someone one-on-one or mow through a large group of enemies. Raph also has a good bit of speed to back up his attacks, but lacks overall dexterity, causing him to struggle against enemies with better movement or recover when knocked to the ground.

Strengths and Roles in a Fight:

The Bruiser

As the team’s “strong man” it is only natural that Raph plays the role of the Bruiser in battle, and it is the role we most often see him in throughout the show. He is able to utilize his great strength and aggressive fighting style to deliver strong, devastating hits to his foes in order to weaken them or fully defeat them. In this role, Raph is a very offensive fighter as the Bruiser as he goes in with the intention of defeating his enemies right away with a singular powerful punch, then switching to quicker, smaller punches should his first attack be ineffective. His mystic powers enhance his effectiveness in this role as seems to get a boost in strength when using his large mystic form, while his ninpo powers allow him to deliver more punches in faster succession with his clones.

The Tank

While Raph is more often than not seen going on the offensive, he also acts as the Tank of the team, taking on a more defensive role by taking on stronger enemies that may overwhelm his brothers or protecting them directly. Thanks to his large size, Raph usually ends up going toe-to-toe with equally large enemies, pulling their focus on him instead of his brothers. His inherent toughness also means he can take hits his brothers can’t, occasionally shielding them from oncoming damage. His ability to create a mystic construct around himself increases his durability and allows him to better shield himself and his allies.

Utility:

Raph’s greatest advantage is his ability to switch between both an offensive and defensive role depending on the needs of the battle. He almost always starts a fight in the Bruiser role, but should the tides of the battles become unfavorable for the team, he is more than capable of going on the defensive and sliding into the Tank role.

In large-scale fights with many enemies, Raph is best utilized to draw the attention of the stronger enemies, getting them out of the way or distracting them, and allowing his team to better focus their attention on other enemies or the objective of the battle. This technically makes him act as both a bruiser and a Tank, taking advantage of several of Raph’s strengths at once.

Raph is able to effectively hold his own against large groups of enemies as well. This is mostly done with the assistance of his mystic powers, which allows him to extend his reach by manipulating his mystic construct and performing a large sweep over the battlefield. This can also be used against singular enemies, but it becomes far less effective and efficient.

How it Plays into His Character:

The way Raph fights, especially early on in the show, doesn't reveal too many things about his character, but it does do a good job of reinforcing and providing context to many of his character traits.

While the Bruiser is Raph’s preferred role in a fight, it isn’t always the best one for him to employ in certain situations. The bruiser role is most effective when fighting aggressively, but it still requires a bit of thought and flexibility, something Raph struggles with. His greatest weakness in battle is his tendency to rush into a battle with a single strategy in mind – smash. When he goes too hard into his Bruiser role by charging in without a plan, it is likely to work against him by making his attacks less effective or leaving him open to an enemy attack. It exposes Raph's difficulty in adjusting his tactics on the fly and reinforces why Raph wasn't the best fit for the leader of the Mad Dogs.

Raph’s role as the bruiser also plays into a part of his character that Rise doesn’t focus on too much – his anger. In Rise, Raph is a kind, gentle soul who loves his brothers and family to the point where he hates being separated from them. As we go through the show, we see how Raph does have a tendency to get frustrated and hot-tempered, with the most obvious being in Part 3 of the Finale, but we only really see Raph's anger while he's fighting. Raph doesn’t hold back against his enemies and is shown to be more threatening and, dare I say it, angry at villains. Raph is never outright hostile towards his brothers (although he got pretty damn close with Leo in the movie), so we can infer that he gives himself a somewhat more productive outlet for his anger by directing it toward his enemies or protecting his family.

Raph’s role as the tank fits well with his protective, big-brother personality - he has a strong instinct to care for and defend his family, which is why he ends up becoming the Tank in battle. Raph ends up being the one to take on the stronger enemies not just because he is well suited to fight them, but so his team won’t have to. While he may tend to charge forward in a fight, Raph knows when he needs to fall back and protect his allies, quickly switching into a defensive position to help them.

In a Team Battle:

In a coordinated team attack, Raph is well-suited to go either second or last as he can deliver a strong follow-up attack to weaken an enemy or deliver a powerful finishing blow. By going second, Raph can apply his aggressive fighting style by closing in on the enemy and dealing significant damage as a continuation of the previous attack. The same applies when Raph goes last in a team attack, as his overwhelming physical strength enhanced by his mystic powers can create a brutal combination than can hit the enemy with a devastating final attack. Which order he goes in depends on the situation and those he’s fighting with, but I would argue he is generally a better fit for going second in battle due to his attacks being more forceful than precise.

Raph doesn’t do well going first in a team fight due to his heavy fighting style and his single-minded strategies. When Raph goes in first, in only highlights his greatest weaknesses as a fighter (his tendency to rush in) while his great physical strength can actually be a detriment to a team attack. Raph’s punches tend to send people flying which makes it difficult for someone to follow up on if they have to cross the battlefield to deliver a second attack. His team ends up having to work around Raph’s fighting style, instead of with him.

I had a surprisingly hard time analyzing Raph's fighting style and role in a fight. His fighting style is admittedly, a little one-note, making it easy to identify, but hard to examine and break down. I wanted to do our sweet red boy justice and really explore why he fights the way that he does. Despite what his fighting style might initially suggest, he is far more than just a one-note character and Rise demonstrates that best in what Raph does in a fight, instead of just the way he fights.

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[TL;DR: Raph is an aggressive, heavy fighter that acts as the team's offensive Bruiser and defensive Tank and can switch between the two roles as the battle needs. The bruiser role fits with his tendency to rush in and aggressive attitude towards enemies, while the tank role plays into his protective big brother instincts.]

Thanks for reading through another long post. I hope you enjoyed it and that I did Raph's character justice. Mikey will be the next one I cover, so keep an eye out for that (probably tomorrow)!

#rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt raph #rottmnt raphael #rise raph #rise raphael #dammit I did not want to post this so late in the day #but I got caught up with work and school #hopefully tomorrow I can post it earlier #analysis #character analysis #rottmnt analysis

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