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saiyanhajime · 6 years

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DBS: Broly - Review

I was excited to see “Dragon Ball Super: Broly”, obviously… It’s Dragon Ball! But I wasn’t expecting to be as blown away by it as I have been, to fall in love with it. For me, Dragon Ball has always been more about the fandom than the official media. When I first formed a love for the franchise, it was elusive and unattainable, so I had to get my kicks elsewhere.

I think DBS Broly might be my favourite piece of DB media, ever. It’s everything I ever wanted and everything I didn’t realise I needed from this franchise. I haven’t loved a piece of media like this in a long, loooong time.

Worth noting that, at the time of writing, I have only seen the English dub. I’ll wait for home release to see the subtitled Japanese audio version as I struggle to keep up with text and visuals at the same time!

The Cinema Experience

My first viewing was a small, packed screen on opening night here in the UK. The audience seemed to be mostly around 25-30 year olds, almost entirely fellow guys (my friend was one of maybe 5 women - seriously, where are you all??). But the ethnic diversity of Dragon Ball’s audience is something most movies could only dream of attracting. It was a great time, with people audibly laughing out loud and clapping at the end. The movie is genuinely so brilliantly funny, a surprise in itself.

My second viewing, the following night, alone, was a larger screening. Roughly the same audience demographics, but this time, the audience erupted into cheering with each transformation… It was so fucking incredible to be a part of. I was grinning the entire time. It’s hard to overstate just how important the social aspect of enjoying this movie in the cinema was.

It’s incredible to finally be living Dragon Ball “up to date” like this and the excitement shows.

Spoilers incoming...

Story Isn’t King

That's coming from someone who has always wished for more depth to DB, but what I've realised recently is that the level of storytelling the community plugs into this franchise is not something that belongs in the official media. We do it better, because we do it free of constraints the official releases require to be Dragon Ball, that it requires to be so widely popular. The official text is a framework, not a rulebook. I think one of the things that contributes to Dragon Ball’s insane popularity and ability to speak to so many people in so many cultures is how vague it can be. The snippets of depth are there for us to draw our own conclusions. DB doesn’t need canon absolutes in backstory.

Overall, I prefer the old “Bardock - The Father of Goku” telling of the prequel events that set up the Broly movie, though man it's been an age since I saw that. I wonder how much of my preference is just nostalgia? How much is knowing that Bardock: Father of Goku wasn’t “canon”, and so didn’t really matter? That is liberating. Now Dragon Ball Minus and DBS: Broly seem to demand that this is the way it actually happened with no room for headcanon and I feel a little turned off. There is plenty to like with this retelling. Gine is a delight, more of the saiyan homeworld is welcomed and just look at small details like Bardock actually moving his tail in this scene rather than it constantly being wrapped around their waists ready for combat. Ideally, I would like a perfect blend of the best elements from both tellings. And ya know what? That's the beauty of fandom... I can have that.

It is so obvious that huge chunks of story are missing here, yet it already drags for me a little... I’m not sure what the solution is, really. I’ve seen people suggesting it should have been two movies, but I’m not sure I agree.

Once the movie skips forward to present day, the storytelling revolving around the discovery of Broly, Paragus and their recruiting into the Freeza force is entertaining and I’m way more invested. So maybe it is just apathy for a prequel story retold a slightly different way…

But when the insane 30-40 minute non-stop action starts in the latter half, that’s when the movie comes into its own for me. This is Dragon Ball.

Overall, the narrative does something new for the series. It sets up, foreshadows and references back in a more conventional pattern than ever before. It feels, I dunno. It feels… Westernised? It feels, both narratively and in overall quality, more like a movie and not just a tacked on side-story. There’s no unnecessary inclusion of side characters irrelevant to the plot making cameos. Everyone is here for a reason.

Character Personalities

The characters behave like themselves again, and not just through exposition dumping monologues the series is famous for, but through visual storytelling! There is so much not said, so much told through the fight, through their expressions and movements.

From the moment Vegeta’s playful spar with Goku ends at Bulma’s vacation house, you get a very different Vegeta to the one we’ve seen through Super. His turn to listen to Goku and Whis's conversation is full of character. He's so on edge about something. And proceeds to tell us why with a humorous but genuinely livid jab at Goku for wishing Freeza back to life. Vegeta is worried. In the scene where Bulma is reviewing the CCTV footage of the Dragon Ball theft, Vegeta double takes and glares at Goku when it becomes obvious the thieves are Freeza’s men. They say nothing. It’s all character acting. It tells us so much.

Vegeta's anxiety continues on, affecting his fight with Broly… He barely has a chance to enjoy the fight at all. We get so little cocky Vegeta enjoying a battle and instead a very serious Vegeta who feels the need to to end this threat right now. What I take from all this is an example of quality character development - instead of Vegeta simply becoming more friendly, his personality that we all love is still there, but his morals have changed. His entertainment isn’t as important as protecting his family. And having witnessed Goku’ recklessly endanger their friends and families in throughout DB Super, Vegeta is not prepared to take any chances here, attempting to deliver a finishing blow very early on.

And Goku, who’s characterisation in Super felt so utterly insulting at times, is back on form here. His idiotic moments don’t feel so absurdly stupid that they’re unbelievable, but instead come across as cute and heartwarming. Moments like his talk with Broly mid fight, with Piccolo when he’s lying on the ground battered and bruised and when he’s simply watching Broly transform into a super saiyan for the first time convey Goku’s ability to be serious and regretful. It was so refreshing to see Goku back on form. The first half of his fight with Broly is incredible - going from excitement, to confidence that he could talk Broly round, to being put firmly in his place, on the ground. People who criticise the series for having no stakes fail to understand that the stakes are truly nestled in the characters personalities and their pride. The stakes are whether they will be able to overcome their flaws, both metaphorically through transformations, and literally.

Voice Acting (Dub)

Whilst on the subject of the characters, the voice acting is unbelievably good… Chris Ayres as Freeza steals the show, but the others are brilliant also.The line delivery is one thing, the ability to so brilliantly match that to the mouth flaps another, but the writing for a Western, English speaking audience is just superb. I cannot wait to see what differs in the original Japanese - I’ve heard that Freeza’s “Hello Monkeys!” line was a dub change from “Greetings!” for example, which in my opinion is so appropriate and elicits an uncomfortable, awkward laugh from the aforementioned ethnically diverse audience in the west in a such good way. Freeza as a tyrannical, racist, piece of shit, is an important character trait to a Western audience. The jokes that ride on line delivery alone are so numerous - one personal highlight for me is Whis’ ever-so-gay coded “Oh my…” when Gogeta bursts in. Took the words right out of my mouth, Whis. The voice acting is on a whole different level to anything before now from the American team. The scene I’ve already mentioned where Goku is contacted by Piccolo, Schemmel really sells the pain Goku’s in. And lets not forget Broly himself, played by Vic Mignogna, whose line delivery really conveys him as this Tarzan-like character in his sane scenes… But really shines in moments of mania when he’s flailing, yelling, crying as a cornered, manic, rabid ape who cannot control his emotions or immense strength. The scene where he’s just making noises at Goku, copying his fighting stance before he launches at him - wow. Even new side characters like Lemo have an outstanding quality to their voice acting that blows any previous English speaking Dragon Ball performance so far out of the water it’s insane.

Broly

Having a Dragon Ball story focus on so many characters who aren’t Goku is refreshing for a franchise that’s been so heavily criticised for being The Goku Show… For years we’ve wanted to see other characters step into the limelight. I still haven’t forgiven the last movie, Resurrection F, for stealing the win out from under Vegeta.

Vegeta still doesn’t get the long awaited limelight here… But this “new” saiyan, Broly, is something rather special. I wasn’t a fan of the original Broly. Loved the idea, but never liked the execution. His visual design I found personally off-putting, but more importantly it failed to convey his character very well. He looked so prestigious? And the idea of being so affected by Goku crying as a baby next to him, that it sent him into uncontrollable rage whenever he heard the same “Kakarot” is so laughably stupid. I’m glad that’s not here.

The cool concept of the legendary super saiyan, though... I think most people dig that. Here that’s kind of gone too - but the idea of a freakishly strong saiyan from birth who is the embodiment of their animalistic heritage and rage-induced potential is beautifully executed. The great ape form, or rather Broly having found a way of accessing that power without transforming, is referenced more than once throughout the story. There’s this sense that the way Goku and Vegeta have learnt to control themselves has perhaps potentially hindered them. That maybe the ultra-instinct forms Whis has foreshadowed for so long is related, or could be used to tap into the natural potential of saiyans. Huh.

With a visually pleasing design to boot, Broly is absolutely awesome as the star in his own movie as a tragic menace. So much is done to sell this as Broly’s movie, from his sheer amount of screen time and characterisation in both his placid and manic states, to that awesome first person perspective part of his fight - incredible.

Animation and Aesthetics

You don’t need me to tell you this film looks gorgeous and I’ve already mentioned some scenes where the characters convey so much through movement alone. This looks like Dragon Ball never has. It feels nostalgic, but refreshing. It’s stylistically so unique and fluid and choreographed and magical. Impacts hit with such full-force conviction, the characters gracefully zooming around each other in dueling harmony, the electrifying ki beams piercing through the bleak environments with their vibrant colour and form. For once you really believe just how powerful and fast these superhumans are… Perhaps one of the reasons why the first half of the film is so much weaker for me is simply because there's less of this beautiful action. But the entire film is steeped in impressively bold and emotive colour pallets that sell the mood of each location so well.

But there’s a great big elephant in the room… The cgi.

It would seem I have a different opinion to most on this subject. I don’t mind the environmental cgi, but the character animation is jarring and I hate it. It is a blemish on an otherwise gorgeous piece of art. Now, I’m really funny about “bad” cgi. I also don’t know dick about animation. I just know when something looks really, really wrong. It’s as if the cgi characters have no squash and stretch applied that keeps them fluid. They’re stiff. There’s no elasticity, no umph. They move like someone just put strobe lights on. Their joints like that of action figures. I’ve seen so many people say it’s not bad or they even like these parts and I’m really glad it didn’t ruin it for most people, but my god does it ruin those scenes for me. Just look at the awkward mouth flaps and dead eyes, especially on Goky, in the Kamehameha/Galick Gun combo scene. Yuck.

Soundtrack

I love the score.

Before I saw the movie, I heard a lot of people talking about the chanting and how weird it was - but the second it started my first thought was how much it reminded me of Akira. And yeah, it’s kinda weird. And I love it. It hypes up this epic match and I don’t find it cheesy at all. I love it both in context and even when listened to in isolation.

The entire score is all over the place yet manages to feel whole as it attempts, and succeeds, to convey the atmosphere and emotion of each location, narrative beat and every swing of a fist or blast of ki. The only track I’m not keen on is the rendition of Chala Head Chala. I think it’s a pretty pants rendition of the song and is immensely distracting in an otherwise moving soundtrack. The movie totally needs a rendition of Head Chala right there, but not this rendition. I just don’t like it. The weird boingy sound is awful.

Final Thoughts

The success of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, especially in the west, is a joyful reminder what this 30 year old franchise means to so many people. Very few non-fans are going to have set foot in a cinema to see this movie, and yet the current total earnings at the time of writing on January 29th 2019 is $98,584,176 according to Box Office Mojo.

That is truly insane.

It feels like this movie was made especially for me and for that I am eternally grateful. Speaking to fellow fans and reading their reviews, it’s so clear that everyone has different things to love about this movie. There’s so much content here for every fan to find something they love. I cannot wait to get hold of a home release and I cannot wait to see what’s to come, ho-ly shit! What a time to be a Dragon Ball fan.

#dragon ball super broly #dbz broly #broly #dragon ball super #dragon ball #dragon ball z #dbz #dbs #dragon ball movie review #saiyanhajime

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runs-in-the-family · 6 years

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Prompt: their first kiss after admitting to each other they're attracted to one another

Sorry for the delay, life gets in the way. So I hope this suits. My version of this scenario kinda already exists over on ao3 but I tried to make this one a) shorter and b) less depressing. Both attempts were marginally successful.

The rumour was born in the girls bathroom. When enough of the school’s female populace had recounted similar stories of disinterested trysts in the back of his Camaro, assumptions started being made about why Billy Hargrove was the way he was. Initially an in-joke among select girls, soon it spread. Suddenly, threads were being connected and stories surfaced of distant cousins from California who, through wholly improbable twists of fate, would somehow not only know Billy Hargrove, but would be able to confirm, without doubt, that everything was true. Eventually, the boys locker room became an echo chamber of stifled laughter and forced coughs used to mask the word “faggot”.

Steve would watch him bristle at the utterance, eyes cast to the ground and shoulders bunched defensively. He’d never jump to Billy’s defence. He’d never offer a sympathetic look or even the briefest moment of eye contact. Not joining in, he told himself, was enough. That was harder to believe when he’d catch sight of the tears in Billy’s eyes.

When the other guys refused to shower with him, Steve thought that maybe Billy would start biting back. He’d half-hoped to watch him punch some guy’s lights out or verbally strip them all down until they issued frightened apologies. Instead, Billy quit the team. Steve was the only one who didn’t laugh when someone said they should hose down his old locker, in case the next guy caught something.

He’d eat his lunch alone, behind the bleachers. That was when the stories started about his predilection for sucking guys off back there after football games. Of course, no one ever mentioned who these guys were. The slightest bit of investigation would make it all too easy to disprove and, by this time, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves far too much for the truth to potentially ruin it all.

What killed Steve more than anything was that Billy just took it.

One evening, after hours of cramming in the library, Steve left the school and found himself confronted with an unexpected night sky. Finals-induced stress had clearly warped his internal clock. Only a handful of cars remained in the parking lot and the Beemer sat almost achingly far from the building.

He set off on his trek but only made it halfway across the lot before a faint, repetitive gasping caught his attention.

Off to the left, a blue Camaro was parked under the orange glow of a parking lot spot light. The light was almost ineffectual, barely enough to illuminate the entirety of the car, but it was enough for Steve to make out the graffiti on the hood. And on the doors. And to see the broken driver’s side window.

This was a new low for them.

Sitting just outside the shaft of light was a figure, on the ground, head buried in his hand, shoulders shaking. Steve was half way to the beaten-up car before he even realised he’d changed course.

To his surprise, Billy didn’t try to cover up his tears when he copped Steve’s arrival. Instead, he lifted his gaze just short of Steve’s own and addressed him like his eyes weren’t streaming.

“The fuck do you want, Harrington?”

Steve skimmed over the crudely written slurs decorating the car. He was pretty sure he recognised Tommy’s work.

“Harrington!” Billy called out, louder than before.

His attention snapped back. He struggled for a moment to find anything good enough to say.

“You need some help?” He asked, weakly.

Billy’s eyes fell shut. Even in the half-light, Steve could make out the dampness of his lashes and the quake in his lip.

“Yeah, what are you gonna do?” He scoffed. “How’re you gonna fix it?”

“I didn’t say I could fix it.” Steve shuffled awkwardly, wishing he knew what his plan had been when he’d started walking over. “I just…if you need a ride or –”

The laughter that erupted from Billy almost scared him. It seemed forced and manic and not dissimilar to the cackle Steve had heard that night at Jonathan’s. What was different, what made it less menacing, were the tears that continued to roll down his cheeks as he threw his head back. As it subsided, Billy opened his eyes and stared up at Steve, blue irises surrounded by a roaring red.

“Lemme guess. You’re hoping I’m so grateful that I drop down and suck that pretty boy cock of yours?” Buried beneath the tears, Billy’s signature bite worked it’s way through. “Believe me, Harrington, you’re not the first one to offer.”

Taken aback, Steve had no idea how to respond. Billy seemed to pick up on his shock.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “You’d be surprised how quickly guys start swarming around the school faggot when they think they can get away with it. Fucking team won’t shower with me but half the motherfuckers’ve tried to make a move on me when no one’s around.”

Billy rubbed at his eyes, tears no longer falling but still clinging stubbornly to his lashes.

“You know, I might’ve said yes to some of them.” He sniffed. “If shit was different.”

The casual delivery made Steve wonder if Billy realised what he’d just admitted to. It was, as far as Steve knew, the closest to a confirmation anyone at school had received that he was actually gay.

“I wasn’t going to…make a move.”

A small smile flickered across Billy’s face. It came and went in an instant but it caught Steve hard.

“Shame.” He said, simply.

The remark sent a small jolt down Steve’s neck.

“Why’s that?” He asked, before he could stop himself.

Another smile appeared, this one far more forced.

“Come on, Harrington.” Billy cooed. “I can tell the others to go fuck themselves but if you came asking?”

He gave him a once over.

“Pretty little brunette with those those lips.” He hissed. “Might be a little harder to say no to.”

Steve couldn’t tell whether or not Billy was fucking with him. He’d thought, given that he’d found him in what he perceived to be a moment of need, that they might manage a real, honest exchange. Whether that was even possible with Billy, Steve didn’t know. He was willing to try though.

“I’m sorry.” He said, trying not to focus on the last comment.

Billy rolled his eyes and leaned back against the car.

“What, I got you to thank for the new paint job?” He rapped a knuckle against an off-white ‘faggot’ dashed across the door.

“No, I –”

“It’s okay, Harrington.” Billy stared off into the empty car park. “I know you didn’t do it.”

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything.” Steve rubbed at the nape of his neck anxiously. “I’m sorry I didn’t stick up for you.”

Another vaguely manic laugh spilled from Billy. The humour didn’t seem to reach his eyes, though.

“You think I need you defending me?” He asked, mockingly.

Weeks of mounting anger, not only with Billy’s treatment but with his complete lack of reaction to it, started to rise in Steve’s gut.

“Well you’re sure as shit not sticking up for yourself.” He snapped, harsher than he’d intended.

The only response was an exhausted smile and a shake of the head.

“No point.” Billy said, listlessly. “Trust me.”

Steve’s anger spiked again. He’d known it had been brewing, every time he’d heard another piece of gossip or watched Billy silently take another round of abuse, but he hadn’t known how intense it had been until now.

“Christ, come on!” He yelled, losing himself slightly. “You don’t need to take this shit, you know that, right? Most of those guys are pussies, if you just – ”

“What?” Billy interjected, turning from the darkness to finally meet Steve’s eye. “Beat the shit out of them? You gonna explain everything to my dad after I get suspended? Cause I don’t feel like trying to convince him I didn’t get gang banged by my old basketball team or whatever the fuck they’re saying now. Cause I guarantee you, Harrington, that whatever he hears, whatever bullshit they’re coming up with, he’s gonna believe it over whatever I’ve got to say.”

Billy bit down on his lip, trying to force back the tears returning to his eyes. The sight compelled Steve to push his anger aside.

“Trust me.” Billy repeated. “Fighting it doesn’t help.”

The tone told him that Billy spoke from experience.

Taking a deep breath, Steve moved closer and slowly lowered himself to the ground next to Billy. They stayed in silence for a solid minute before he worked up the nerve to ask.

“When did you know? That you liked guys?”

Billy went rigid for a second. He shook himself loose fairly quickly but Steve still caught the tension.

“Few years ago, I guess.” He shrugged. “Probably knew before that but…didn’t know. Didn’t get what it was. Or something.”

Billy threw a glance his way.

“You?”

Steve’s mouth dropped open and snapped shut several times. The reaction made Billy grin.

“Come on.” He goaded. “Don’t pretend you haven’t had some dirty little dream about…Emilio Estevez or some shit.”

Steve bit down on his cheek, begging it to stop blushing.

“God…” He laughed nervously. “I haven’t…”

His ramblings halted when Billy raised one knowing eyebrow. The look somehow managed to be both smug and oddly reassuring. When he spoke again, Steve felt inexplicably relieved, safer than he had in months.

“Rob Lowe.” He clarified, face burning up. “You know, uh, The Outsiders?”

Another laugh slipped past Billy’s lips, this one more genuine.

“Sure.” He nodded. “I get it.”

“It was just once.” Steve said hurriedly, suddenly regretting his decision to share. “It wasn’t even…I mean, I didn’t…”

“Make a mess?” Billy offered, eyes reclaiming their usual bold glint.

Both the remark and the smile with which it was delivered sent Steve’s pulse racing. Suddenly, the apprehension slipped away and was replaced with something a little more assured. He felt a small rush of adrenaline start to speak for him.

“Can you blame me?” He smiled, ignoring the rapid-fire pace his heart was taking. “I mean, eyes that blue, kinda hard not to take notice.”

He couldn’t help but savour the sight of Billy Hargrove caught off guard.

“That what does it for you, huh?” Billy asked when he’d regained his composure.

Steve felt his face flush red again but made no attempt to conceal it. He smiled and shrugged and feigned nonchalance.

“Helps.” He sighed. “That and a good smile.”

“Good smile?” Billy probed, the corners of his mouth ticking upwards.

“Yeah.” Steve nodded, pretending his whole body wasn’t overheating. “You know, that shit-eating grin that makes you wanna slap it right off their face?”

Billy laughed again, full and loud and wholly genuine. Steve watched his face closely, relished being able to pull that reaction from him.

“Yeah, that’s it.” He said, nodding slightly.

“What?” Billy cleared his throat, the remnants of his outburst still spread across his lips.

Steve could feel his breath getting shorter.

“Good smile.”

Billy tipped his head back against the car and gave him a delighted little smirk, gaze shifting from his eyes to his lips and back. Steve felt the shiver run down his neck again.

“Look at you.” Billy murmured, any trace of upset long gone. “This what it feels like to get hit on by Steve Harrington?”

The pounding in Steve’s chest vibrated through his whole body, made his fingers twitch and his voice shake.

“I don’t know, what does it feel like?”

His chest suddenly felt heavy as he watched Billy wet his lips.

“Pretty fucking good.” His eyes drifted to Steve’s lips again. “Like I said. Kinda hard to say no to.”

There was a moment, a split second between when he slipped a hand to the back of Billy’s neck and when he pulled him close enough to catch his lips, that Steve thought he saw worry in those cried-out blue eyes. It was a quick flash, coinciding with a deep intake of breath. He wondered, for that half a moment, if Billy had ever actually kissed a guy before. His mind quickly flashed through every sordid, detailed and often degrading story he’d heard flung about recently regarding Billy’s supposed escapades. And then it settled on Billy himself, sitting there, looking almost terrified at the prospect of kissing him.

“You okay?” Steve whispered, body screaming for him to swallow the inch between their lips.

There was a nod, but it did nothing to hide that glimpse of unease swimming in the blue.

Steve brushed his thumb gently at the nape of Billy’s neck for a moment before finally letting himself lean in.

It felt like arriving at a long-sought destination. Every part of him that had been running double time, his racing heart and itching fingers and the ebbing rage in his gut, had their moment of release, converging for an instant before vanishing completely. He couldn’t help but sigh into the kiss.

The relief didn’t seem to be his alone. From his grip on Billy’s neck, Steve could feel the stiffness in his shoulders slowly sink away. After a moment, a hand brushed past Steve’s cheek and buried itself in his hair, pulling him closer.

He felt almost giddy when Billy parted his lips for him and he took the opportunity to slip his hand forward, cupping Billy’s chin and urging him to open his mouth wide. Steve licked gently into his mouth and couldn’t resist chuckling slightly when it elicited a small whine.

Quick as a flash, Billy retreated, pulling back and swatting Steve’s hand away.

“Whoa, what’s – ”

“Don’t laugh at me.” Billy said, bluntly.

The red in his cheeks made Steve hate himself a little bit.

“I’m not.” He assured him, smile wiped from his face.

“If you’re fucking with me, Harrington…” Billy shook his head. “I can’t do it. Not from you.”

Steve saw more pain in his eyes then than he had over the past few months. Cautiously, he moved closer and rested a hand on Billy’s knee. There was a small flinch.

“I’m not fucking with you.” He insisted, staring Billy dead in the eye. “I’m just…I’m happy.”

Billy swallowed nervously.

“Happy?” He whispered.

Steve nodded, smile sneaking back onto his face.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m really fucking happy. This makes me really fucking happy.” He felt the red rush back to cheeks. “You getting excited makes me really fucking happy.”

A small breath of laughter slipped past Billy’s lips.

“Shit, play a little hard to get, Harrington.” He teased, worry not yet dispelled from his eyes.

Steve shook his head.

“No way. You think you’re getting rid of me after this?”

Billy bit back a shameless grin.

“Shit.” He sniffed. “Well if I’m stuck with you, guess I better make the most of it.”

#harringrove #my fics

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papipopsicle · 6 years

Text

AFTERTASTE PART THREE

Pairing: Archie Andrews X Short!Reader

Genre: fluff, smut

Summary: In which two best friends since childhood test whether friendship and can co-exist without causing conflict. Including my OC’s Flick & Cherry, a lesbian couple and best friends of Y/N. Set Pre-Veronica.

Warnings: FWB, swearing, smut, oral (female)

Words: 2.9K

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

It was early Thursday morning. Usually right about now Y/N, Flick and Cherry would be grumbling about the day of double English and AP Biology ahead of them. This wasn't the case though, thank goodness, as three days of Spring Break were still untouched by the world.

Wednesday night had been spent watching 'The Asylum', then followed by several episodes of 'Santa Clarita Diet' because neither the Y/L/N girl nor her brunette friend were able to sleep. Strange wasn't the right word to describe the trio's friendship; it was simply unique. Felicity Moore and Meredith Simmons have been together for just shy of a year, but nothing had changed about the almost decade long friendship they shared nor it's dynamic in that time.

The trio were residing in the bedroom of a blue haired-girl without a care in the world. The week, as it did when you were having too much fun, had gone by in a flash, and now, the teens of Riverdale didn't want to waste another precious second of their time away from hell.

Y/N messaged a group chat with ten or so of her closest friends and all but Kevin agreed to a picnic in the woods.

Three hours had passed and the group of Juniors now stood on the scorching pavement waiting on Moose to decide which sandwich he wanted. Y/N stood to the side of the group in the shade, leant up Reggie's chest as he stood against the wall. She loved the boy, sure he was a bit of an idiot now and again, but he knew how to make her laugh, and for that she could never stay mad at him.

The sun was shining down on the teens from above, making Archie regret ever bringing a Jacket. He huffed, adjusting his backpack a few times to manoeuvre the unnecessary piece of material away from his body. The boy was currently in a conversation with Betty about what they planned to do over the summer, and just as she asked him about his plans, almost by chance, his eyes landed on Y/N's unassuming figure.

She looked so content in that moment, absentminded smile making her dimples more prominent as she texted back and forth with her sister. Dressed in a simple white sundress and black sandals, she was effortlessly perfect in his eyes. Although the flawless red lipstick adorning her lips would suggest a lot of effort.

At this point, Archie had completely forgotten Betty was even talking to him, and almost jumped when she shook him lightly on the arm to gain his attention.

"Arch?" She implored, eyes flitting to the y/h/c his eyes were transfixed to just moments ago. Betty hid a hurt expression with a pointedly raised eyebrow, her heart aching at the thought of anything happening between them.

"Hm-what?" The redhead stumbled over his words, but luckily before the Cooper girl could question anymore Moose and Midge finally left Earls with a white plastic bag full of food in hand.

"Come on then, kids!" Felicity called a little too excitedly for someone currently getting over a hangover, zipping up her bag quickly then grabbing her girlfriend's hand and skipping ahead of her friends.

"You heard the lady." Reggie called with a smirk, squeezing at Y/N's waist lightly to get her attention. She glared at him, knowing he knew she didn't like her waist being touched, he simply winked and put his arm around her shoulder as they walked towards the park.

The walk was only short, the teens meandering down a secluded pathway which led to a number of different fields. They followed the dirt track down past the playground, through a small woodland area until it opened out into the most beautiful lakeside meadow. This was the other side of town to Sweet Water River, still on the North side though, but twice as beautiful. Water lapped and twinkled as rays of sunlight beat upon it creating s picturesque scene fit of a film.

There was a canopy on the tree boarder, and a few picnic tables scattered around but apart from that, the place was untouched by the hands of men. It encapsulated words like tranquil and peaceful in the most incredible way possible.

Y/N fared away from Reggie and began laying out a blanket with Cherry to put the food on. Setting her backpack on the steps of the canopy, the girl opened various containers and strategically put the foods she preferred closest to her. Her best friend began smiling rather widely partway through speaking, but she thought nothing of it. Up until two large arms wrapped around her waist and threw her over someone's shoulder.

"Archie Andrews put me down this instant you absolute bastard!" Y/N squealed helplessly, earning a wolf whistle from Reggie and giggles from the rest of their amused friends. She kicked and tussled about but his grip only tightened, right up until he stood on the very edge of a fishing pier. He brought her back into his arms properly, holding her princess style as she began to protest again, "Hell no! Put me down right now!"

"You want me to put you down, Tiger? Bad choice of words..." The redhead trailed off with the cheekiest of grins pulling at his lips, and not a moment later Y/N's small figure was flung a few metres into the lake, shortly followed my Archie cannon-balling after her.

She spluttered and manically waved her arms about for a few seconds before swimming over to where Archie was currently surfacing, "You're so fucking dead!" Y/N pushed a huge wave of water in his direction then quickly swam back to the pier not giving the boy a chance to retaliate.

The y/h/c girl pulled herself up onto the wooden walkway, flipping Archie off over her shoulder while wringing out her drenched dress. In that moment, she was thankful for the insane heat, and decided that if he wanted to make her wet, then two could play at that game. She pulled the white fabric over her head, exposing her lilac lace underwear.

"Oh man," Reggie chuckled and gave Archie a hand as he got out of the lake, both boys groaning as Y/N walked away from them "if you had some balls and were actually in a relationship, you just lost sex tonight. She's your best friend, all the more reason hit that, Andrews!"

The ginger boy rolled his eyes with a slight grin and began following after Y/N as she walked to the edge of the trees. He picked up his jacket along the way and draped it over her shoulders as he reached her, "Y/N/N, I'm sorry, baby. In my defence, Flick dared me to, I thought it'd be fun."

The girl put the jacket on and folded her arms, staring up at Archie slightly hurt, "You think I'm upset because of that? I don't really give a shit to be honest, I'm mad because you ignored me for four days straight and then when you see me today you don't even bother to say hello. And, by the way, you may be fucking me but you aren't my boyfriend, you don't get to call me baby."

Those words hit harder than they should've, he watched her for a few moments in shock before pulling her into the tightest hug possible. "I never meant to ignore you, Tiger, I'm so sorry I made you feel that way. You were having some time with the girls and I was helping my dad out at the construction site, not once did I mean to make you feel that way."

Y/N looked up at the puppy-eyed boy with a pout, "Stop making me feel bad for getting upset, you're too good at being cute you need to cut it out before I forget."

Archie took a step closer to the petite blonde, her ragged breaths heavy on his lips as he leant down ever so slightly to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Forget about what?" He asked lowly.

But the sound of their friends loud laughter shattered the moment, and Elodie simply smiled warmly, "Nothing, it's not important right now." She took his hand in hers and began leading him back to the group, "Let's just enjoy today while it lasts."

Hours of shenanigans later, the sun started hiding away behind a darkening blanket of clouds and the teens of Riverdale decided to call it a night. They'd eaten and laughed their way through the day and now it was time to head home. The y/h/c girl's dress had dried only an hour later, but still she found herself wrapped up in the warmth of her best friends hoodie.

Now, it was just Archie, Y/N and Betty walking back to their triangle of homes. The next door neighbours were wrapped up in some strange conversation and the Y/L/N girl happily listened, not having the energy to fully join in on whatever they were talking about. She had her earphones in playing soft music as her arm closest to Archie swung back and forth in the comfort of his.

But the girl was pulled from her champagne haze when Archie decided to flick one of her headphones out, she peered up at him curiously wondering if he'd been talking to her all this time. "My Dad's got to stay late working tonight, do you want to come back to mine for the night?"

"Sounds like a plan, Andrews." Y/N hummed happily, choosing to quickly message her Mum letting her know where she'd be for the night instead of allowing her worry for hours on end. The two said goodbye to Betty as they neared the driveways, finding it equally confusing when she left without even so much as looking back or replying.

But they shrugged off their friend's odd behaviour and entered the house, five seconds later deciding to try and be silent when they found Vegas fast asleep in his basket. Making their way to Archie's room, the girl didn't even wait for him to ask before taking one of his shirts from the drawer. Turning away from him instead of leaving for the bathroom, she unzipped his jacket and removed her dress, pulling the large black tee over her head. She unclasped her bra and pulled it out from one sleeve, flinging it into the pile of clothes now sat on the boy's floor.

"I hope you realise that jackets mine now, payment for ruining my dress." Y/N huffed, turning on her heel to see her red-headed friend leant against the doorway with a grin plastered all over his face. Her heart sped up at the sight, not able to gauge the meaning behind his expression.

"Keep it," he pushed off the frame and stepped towards her, making the petite girl take a step back. His eyes weren't darkened by lust but with the stern grip on her waist she knew he was in control. His smile faltered for a split second, looking so innocent just for a moment, "I'd say some sappy bullshit like it looks better on you anyway, which it does, but honestly all I could think about today was how you wearing that made you mine. I get so possessive it scares me, I just-"

Y/N cut him off with a simple deadpanned look as she concealed a smile, "Stop being annoyingly attractive, I'm not ready to not be mad at you yet."

"Would this make you less mad?" Archie's lips brushed against the shell of her ear, making the girl shiver involuntarily. He pushed her down onto the unmade bed, following and holding himself over her. His lips ghosted over her's momentarily before moving to the nape of her neck, biting and sucking at certain spots eliciting the most explicit winces of ecstasy from the blonde.

"You're so beautiful." He took off his own top before doing the same with the one she had wore, flinging them both who knows where before finally kissing her. It didn't last long though before his lips trailed down again. She yelped as Archie grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her up to wrap her legs around his waist, quickly attaching his lips to her collar bone sucking and nibbling up her neck and along her jaw again.

"I mean it, you're stunning, you're so damn funny, and, most importantly, you're all mine." He said between heavy breaths as he left wet kisses down her panting chest and stomach, looking up every so often through his eyelashes. She squirmed slightly at the overwhelming sensations, warmth pooling between her legs starting to cause discomfort. Something primal stirred within Y/N when the redhead's voice became so low and full of lust. She was his, nobody else's.

But the girl was brought out of her thoughts at the hot breath coming down on her clothed pussy. She gasped, her petite hand shooting to grasp at his hair when he decided to lean forwards and nuzzle his nose on her clit.

"Oh god, Archie, carry on what you're doing don't you dare stop." Y/N moaned pornographically at the foreign feeling. The boy's hands explored her body intimately before meeting at her hips, sliding her thong down her legs irritatingly slow then slipping one over each shoulder, nestling between them with his mouth excruciatingly close.

He hovered there without touching her for a moment then looked his best friend dead in the eye with an expression she'd only seen one other time. "Tell me what you want, Kitten." Archie almost whispered his voice was so low, lips so close Y/N felt every word like quiet vibrations electrifying her skin.

"You." Was all she could muster, jutting her hips trying to find any kind of friction. The boy smirked, finding the sight of his headstrong friend writhing under him after he'd hardly touched her utterly entertaining. The soft moans she elicited were torturous, tonight was meant to be all about her, but of course, blood was rushing to other places too.

"Okay babygirl, as you wish." Archie and lowered his head, licking his tonged from the bottom of her entrance all the way to her clit. He sternly pushed against her stomach with one hand, lowering her increasingly arched back as the sensation became too much to handle.

It wasn't like anything she'd experienced before, Y/N was no saint but nobody had ever made her feel this good by doing so little. Not even her own hands had created such a sensation before.

"Holy shit! Oh my god Arch, fuck that's so good!" She rasped as he lapped at her cunt, licking circles on her clit and moaning in satisfaction as she became wetter from arousal. The boy toyed with her entrance, teasing and taunting her then finally slipping one finger into her pussy. His name rolled of her lips in waves of euphoria, only spurring Archie on to go faster and finger her in perfect rhythm.

"Baby, I'm so close." Y/N squeaked between heavy breaths, her core tightening into knots as she tried to hold onto the newfound feeling. He added another finger without warning, pumping faster in and out and grabbing her lest breast with the other hand, squeezing and harshly massaging it in attempts to overstimulate her.

And it fucking worked. "Cum for me, Kitten." Archie commanded gruffly before continuing his movements. Her entire body was covered in a sheen of sweat as a string of curses left her open lips between explicit noises. It was inexplicable. She grasped at the fabric of his bedsheets and moaned his name as loud as her voice would allow before breaking half way through.

He brought his fingers out of her and made eye contact as he licked them clean, which was probably the hottest and most sinful thing Y/N would ever see. Archie lay her legs against the bed and panted lightly, his back against the cool wall.

"I think now's a good time to say that's the first time someone else has ever made me cum, so, thanks, because that was fucking incredible." Y/N mused from her state of complete bliss with her eyes practically shut, missing the look of shock Archie shot at her.

He felt kind of proud truthfully and let a smile rest against his lips, "Happy to be of service, Tiger."

"Could you pick up my top please, it fells weird to sleep without one." She mumbled, curling onto her side to make room for the boy to hound her. He shook his head and chuckled, taking a second before getting up from the bed and picking up the top he'd leant her.

It didn't take long for her to put it on and cuddle up next to Archie once he lay down. It was quiet, serene even. "Get some rest." He kisses the top of her head before wrapping his arm around her protectively and comfortably.

For a while they stayed like that, it could've been hours for all they knew before Y/N decided to speak up again, "This doesn't mean you can call me baby, though."

PART FOUR

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thealfanator · 7 years

Text

The Steel that Warmed Us in the Night Time ~ Chapter 10

Dandelion burst through the wooden doors with amazing speed, panting like a panther and almost tripping over his own footsteps. The cold, night-time air hit his face unexpectedly like a ton of bricks, though that was the least of his worries. Shortly, his crimson clothing became black with mud as he regrettably slipped over a tiny bit of wood that stuck out of the ground before the steep hill which he now rolled down. Startled, he pushed himself from the wet, muggy floor and desperately retrieved his bearings like a terrified animal. He was the sheep amongst a pack of hounds; choosing whether to focus on looking behind him or run faster to his destination. Coughing and splattering weakly amongst his sprinting, he struggled further towards the weak sunrise.

Geralt and Yennefer watched the sunrise quietly and in tranquillity. Anyone would suspect that they’d drunk a thousand bottles of wine, though they hadn’t. They just perched there all night, dawdling over memories like a wizard would loiter around their flasks and archives from previous experiments. Abruptly, Geralt sensed quick, panicked footsteps from a mile away. He thought it would be Ciri… or the horse, Roach, but no… He lifted his head and looked in the direction of the sounds. Yennefer, oblivious to the event, continued to see into the distance with tired eyes.

“Sir, Geralt. Sir…” the man stuttered through frequent breaths. He dropped his hat carelessly and wiped sweat from his brow.

“Who are…” Geralt started, proceeding to stand and disturb Yennefer who also sighed and stood up. He soon stopped when the witcher recognised the face. “Dandelion, what brings you here?” he sighed again reluctantly like a king being dragged to a music festival.

“It’s Ciri.”

Geralt, ignoring Roach, rushed with Yennefer and the bard towards the direction that Dandelion indicated.

“Wait, Geralt.” Dandelion stopped, “Can I leave my lute on your horse? Is it safe?” Geralt almost laughed at the irrelevance of the matter.

“Yeah, whatever.” He excused as he turned broke into a run. Dandelion sighed, whispering a brief apology before latching on his lute and following the pair. After a few minutes of running, they saw the mansion in sight. Unbelievably, Dandelion frequently stopped of exhaustion and was surprised at how far Geralt and the sorceress could run without tiring. Nevertheless, he barely managed to keep up.

“Wait, stop!” Geralt sounded, stopping in his tracks and clutching his medallion. Yennefer angrily looked at him.

“Why are we stopping?” she shouted, “We have to find…” she was suddenly cut off by the brief explosion that occurred. Dirt in eyes and mouths, they were all distracted.

“Ekimmaras!” Geralt roared through clenched teeth – simultaneously drawing his sword. The small, bug-like creatures skittered around them, circling them effortlessly. Despite their ambush, they were easily sliced by the powerful silver which slashed at their skin by the Witcher. Yennefer cast a few spells in aid whilst Dandelion crouched down, covering his head and shouting in terror. Without batting an eyelid at the matter, Yennefer quickly recovered and dashed towards the haunted mansion, continually shouting and screaming her daughter’s name manically. Geralt pushed Dandelion to follow the sorceress whilst he held back to fight off the rest of the spawning Ekimmaras.

Yennefer dashed towards the mansion with lightning speed, uncaring of her physical tiredness but instead just wanting to reach her daughter. When she reached the house, she saw the front door half on the floor after Dandelion busted it off its hinges when exfiltrating the building previously.

“Stay here.” Yennefer indicated to the bard whilst gesturing with her hand to stop him in his tracks, “Trust me, you don’t want to be caught up in this!” The bard was helpless to do anything; as much as he wanted to help, he knew Yennefer was correct. The raven-haired sorceress took one more sympathetic glance at him before turning and proceeding into the building. Thankful for the instructions from Dandelion, Yennefer swiftly found her way to the place which Cirilla was caught.

“Hello?” Ciri whispered after she heard movement. She heard Yennefer’s voice and immediately sighed pleasurably as if a huge pressure had been released. “I’m so glad to hear your voice.”

“We’ve got to get you out.” Yennefer yelled in concern. She felt the wooden, sturdy wall where she could hear Ciri’s voice. She, unfortunately, noticed that the wall that caged her was too thick to destroy alone.

“It’s fine, really.” Ciri chuckled, “I have a lovely looking item here – and it’s actually quite cosy. Just get me some water and I’ll be great!” Despite her efforts to lift the situation, Yennefer failed to laugh and scoffed at her attempt. She stopped suddenly when she thought she heard a noise…

“You shouldn’t waste your time trying to do that.” A voice said, “You should at least try to find a lever to open the hatch.” Yennefer turned. A silhouette stood not too far away from her across the hallway. A candle wasn’t necessary as the moon conveniently lined up through the stained window behind the man, resulting in a menacing shadow which struck the floorboards. Yennefer knew exactly what it was. She turned her head back again – against the figure. She grew angry. A higher vampire. Using her anger, she aggressively twisted her body around and drained all her effort in frustration to hurl sparks in its direction. Unusually, but to Yennefer’s knowledge, he disappeared without effort. She swore profusely at the air just before Geralt came into view and looked at her strangely, squinting slightly at the darkness of the building.

“What happened?” He swiftly asked as he swept to Yennefer. She composed herself, avoiding the Witcher’s gaze.

“A higher vampire. There you go, Geralt.” She said half sarcastically, half in dread of the situation. “Get your sword out, you can deal with this; I’m sure this is an easy task for you.” She continued – voice of ice. Geralt nodded, motivation drowning him with only one goal: to save Ciri. He found an empty room and started unpacking multiple tubes of potions and blade oils. He lit a candle. Not quite a campfire, but it’ll do. He knelt and exhaled, slowly closing his eyes.

Geralt drifted off into relaxation yet staying perfectly awake; detecting noises and almost flinching like a cat – alert. He stayed, kneeling, breathing in and out. One… Two… Three… One… Two… Three… Beside him lie bottles, potions and dusty boxes that scattered themselves around him. Although there were a few rough edges and worn sides to the items, they were evidently well kept. He additionally tried to keep his mind off Ciri in fear that he may become distracted later by the thought of her. He’d learned that emotion is highly volatile. Yennefer silently sat on the other side of the melancholy room, staring Geralt up and down. Dandelion also sat beside her. It was a long, bare room with a gloomy layer across it. Light shone in, casting shadows and ironically revealing more darkness than light. Large, wooden columns stood ominously and danced in all their glory whilst showing their glistening, precious items inside their glass cages. Carpets rested on the floorboards but looked scruffy and unkept; although they all suspected that nobody in the room seemed to care. Holes were cast upon them at some point, followed by trips and tosses – scrunched up all over the floor. It felt like hours had past. Maybe they had. Next time Yennefer looked, Dandelion had started to snore and his head hung over his knees. Yennefer also felt tired but the sense could not win her over. She fought the fatigue with eyes of ice. She thought of Ciri; she fought within her – took over her mind. Endless thoughts. She hung her head down, equal to the bard, and protruded an invisible tear that she hid from view. She mindlessly fiddled with a piece of leather that was carelessly placed there before they arrived, but was conveniently next to her when she sat there. Another tear fell. Then it happened. A gust of wind woke them all like a storm of icy water. Dandelion scurried up and awkwardly asked if he’d missed any action, standing poised and ready to attack. Yennefer silently noticed Geralt open his sharp eyes. He knew. Swiftly and in what seemed like one smooth movement, he struck upright and juggled conversation.

“Yennefer, barricade the door.” He said, “Dandelion, clear the room!” They both obediently did what he asked of them – with the same goal in mind. Laughter sounded from the air whilst flames from the candles quivered and waved. They were ready.

“You think that will stop me?” the voice scoffed, becoming clearer and clearer until he materialised in front of the witcher. He saw his pale skin and black slick hair which frolicked around his white, elegant collar and just touching his black, exquisite costume and blood-red cape. Unfortunately for him and to Geralt’s realisation, the suit he wore was stylish but not very protective against swords. Geralt laughed at his face, deliberately so the vampire could feel his breath. Geralt touched the hilt of his sword. Before he knew, he was lying on the floor – sword on the other side of the room. Winded, Geralt also recollected that his ears were ringing and that the vampire was darting around the room with incredible speed.

“Geralt!” Yennefer sounded, diving for the sword. Geralt caught it from her and used current momentum to attempt another swing. Shit. It went right through him. Another try. Swing. Miss. Swing. Miss. The witcher saw the figure of the enemy but could not hit it. It whirled around the room, hitting the sorceress in the back with incredible speed. She wailed as she smashed to the floor. Geralt wanted to help but he tactically saw that it was inefficient and that he concluded that the hostility needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible. A few more swings of swords and claws occurred until Geralt realised he’d been pinned up against the wall with the unusually strong grasp of the enemy.

“It was really nice meeting you.” He said, humorously and grinning; showing his fangs. Geralt closed his eyes and retreated his head as far as it would go. More seconds passed. His throat grew tighter. The only noise that could be heard was the groaning of the floorboards. Wait… he could breathe. He opened his eyes cautiously. He failed to see the vampire but instead he saw Dandelion standing over the corpse with a bloody candlestick. Geralt stood motionless for a second before glancing at Yennefer, who had recovered from her fall, and laughed immensely. A grinding noise occurred a few rooms over.

“Oh, I missed you so much!” Yennefer’s voice was barely heard due to the muffled sound produced when she hugged Ciri. Ciri, behind Yennefer’s back, tossed the amulet at Geralt’s chest and grinned. Geralt joined slowly, also smiling.

Geralt, Yen and Cirilla took turns in saying farewell to the bard who nervously clutched his journals and maps, looking pale as a ghost.

“I guess I’ll see you around.” He said faintly, “I promise I won’t get into any trouble… at least for the time being!” he chuckled, looking at Geralt. The witcher wasn’t convinced, emphasising the raise of his eyebrow. They continued to talk for the time being from outside the mansion, joyously breathing the fresh air of the Isles and realising that they never knew they missed it before it was gone in the stuffy atmosphere of the castle. Then, the trio looked at their list of amulet locations cautiously for their next move.

You are nearing the end of this series! Only two more chapters left. Nevertheless I hope you are enjoying it and feel free to leave me any feedback if you wish! Take care :)

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