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eruden-writes · 4 years

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Lights, Camera, Orc-tion! (Part 10)

Summary: With medical debt looming over her head, Avicia Thorn can’t rely on her cam career to make ends meet. She applies for a slightly-better-than-minimum-wage data entry position at a motion picture production company.

On her first day, she stumbles onto the illustrious Kahdreg Vidaroc looming over the HR Recruiter, making demands. By the time she stumbles out of the office, she is Vidaroc’s new personal assistant. Whether she likes it or not.

Her pay gets even better when she becomes Vidaroc’s “girlfriend,” a ploy meant to stave off unwanted attentions from an highly influential siren investor. Farce doesn’t keep feelings at bay as they play pretend.

---

Something caught in Kahdreg’s expression. Avicia wasn’t exactly what it was. Maybe a slight widening of eyes, a sharp - but silent - inhale, a darkening of cheeks. It was too small for her to really notice. Heat rose, without notice, between the two as silence enveloped them, weighing down on them.

Both their senses focused on one another, skin prickling from the muted electricity in the air as body heat and scent lingered around them. Beneath her fingers, Kahdreg’s arms tense and she thought their breathing slowed, like someone trying to regain control of fly-away emotions.

The corners of Avicia’s lips twitched into a broader grin, still amusedly waiting for Kahdreg’s move.

Kahdreg surprised her by pulling away and sharply turning, heading into the living room. Over their shoulder, they called back a hearty, “People that call orcs cowards are subjected to a movie of the orc’s choice.”

The moment was a bittersweet one, a joint victory and failure. Mentally, Avicia scored Kahdreg’s retreat as a win, presuming she had flustered them she half-grinned to herself. Another part of her thoughts were slightly disappointed with the outcome. There would have been much more interesting ways for the night to develop, after all.

“A movie? Aren’t you tired?” She prodded, following after them. It would have made sense to be exhausted, given the day they had. Yet, she’d be lying if she said she wanted to go to bed now. There was something buzzing in the air. Some unlabeled excitement.

“What can I say?” Kahdreg crouched down to finger through a collection of DVDs. “A captive audience has energized me.”

“I’m not really captive,” she taunted, thumbing in the direction of the guest room. “I could just go to bed.”

“You could,” they admitted, before flashing a movie in her direction. “But then you’d miss out on this beauty.”

‘Beauty’ couldn’t have been more subjective, Avicia decided as she peered at the case. Judging from the aesthetics - and the words ‘Blood of the Gods’ in red dripping font - it was obviously a horror flick. Though little could be discerned in the shadowy cover, it wasn’t like she was well versed in the horror genre. It could’ve been anything from a campy horror flick to a gore-a-thon for all she knew.

With a wince, Avicia glanced back up at Kahdreg. “What if I said I already saw it?”

“Who’s a coward, now?” They grinned down at her, their eyes lighting up. The movie wobbled in their grip, like they were taunting her with a fake bug.

Their words were met with Avicia’s eyes narrowing and a frown pursed at her lips. Despite the fact she knew she was playing into their game, she bit out, “Fine, put it in.”

“Miss Thorn,” gasped Kahdreg mockingly as they turned to the DVD player. “Isn’t that a bit forward? Even for you?”

“What do y-” She started to ask as she settled onto the couch, before spotting his teasing grin. The entendre suddenly smacked her in the head a moment later. Heat flared through her cheeks. “Oh. Shut up.”

A cackle of a laugh boomed from Kahdreg as they set up the movie. While they busied themselves, Avicia checked her phone. There’d been a litany of messages from patrons, upset that her day job had cut into her weekend hours or concerned about her disappearance. She managed to send a few replies, smoothing the ruffled feathers with promises of new content and soothing concerns over her well-being.

As Kahdreg stood, her attention flickered from her phone to the orc and she quickly turned her phone’s display off. “All set?”

“Wait a minute,” they waved her question away, returning to the kitchen. “I have to set the theatrical mood.”

She snorted, despite the amused grin at her lips. At the mention of theaters, Avicia’s mind shifted to high school dates. Sitting at the very back of nearly empty rooms, to touch and make out. Little noises being drowned out by the surround sound as she tasted the sugar of soda and candies on her partner’s lips.

Not to mention the at-home viewings. It was an easy excuse to turn the lights down. Hell, there were even people that chose horror flicks specifically to have their hopeful partner cuddle close. At that thought, Avicia’s suspicions turned toward Kahdreg.

While she relived the memories, the unskippable trailers droned on. Kahdreg flitted about the apartment, setting the tone for a quiet movie-watching experience. From the corner of her eye, Avicia watched. They dimmed the lights, retrieved snacks, procured a couple bottles of water. Eventually, Kahdreg was situated on the opposite from Avicia on the rather large couch. Snacks and drinks set on the coffee table, within comfortable reach of both of them.

“So, obviously, your whole personality revolves around movies.” Avicia waved a hand around the room, indicating all the movie-centric memorabilia and knick-knacks. Kahdreg glanced up from the remote, as she illustrated: “Directing, watching, collecting.”

“I have other hobbies,” they muttered, a tad defensively, just as the movie’s beginning played.

“Oh?”

Kahdreg’s lips thinned, their eyes on the screen as they ignored Avicia’s exasperating grin. When it was obvious she wasn’t going to stop staring, they deflected. “How about you?”

“My hobbies?” That smile never left her lips. Now it was joined with a glint in her eye, one that wouldn’t forget their change of focus.

“Or your interests or your family.” Kahdreg waved a hand flippantly in the air, like they were swatting at a lazy fly. “Weren’t those the other ‘dating’ things we were supposed to talk about?”

“I’m just your average consumer of pretty much any media.” Avicia shrugged, leaning further into the couch. “Books, movies, anime and cartoons, video games, comics, online fandoms.”

“Ah, very eclectic,” Kahdreg chuckled, a slight grin on their lips.

Both fell silent as their attention shifted to the movie. Every so often, Avicia’s concentration would be drawn away from the moving images on screen to the orc, as they leaned to grab a handful of trail mix or their water bottle from the table. Likewise, Kahdreg’s attention would shift to Avicia whenever she did the same.

A pressure of sorts strung in the air. Not uncomfortable, but curious. Each waiting for the other to say or do something, so they could react. The surreality of their situation had fully settled. An employer and their personal assistant, spending time together to solidify their ‘dating’ credentials.

“You know, I don’t bite,” Avicia finally said, once they were a third of the way through the movie. She had to raise her voice, between the distance and the sound of tense music throbbing from the speakers.

“Don’t you?” Kahdreg surveyed her from the corner of their eye. A slight grin slanted at their lips. “Pity.”

“Careful.” She narrowed her eyes, mischief coaxing her to crawl across the couch, toward Kahdreg. They turned their attention a little further toward her, the movie casting stark lighting across their face. It was hard to tell if Kahdreg minutely stiffened in anticipation, but Avicia got the feeling they did. Once close enough to not raise her voice, Avicia paused. Leaning forward, her words dipped into soft suggestiveness, “Keep flirting like that and I’m going to assume you actually are interested.”

To Kahdreg’s credit, their expression didn’t break. Their eyebrows ticked upward, the air around them still with carefulness as their grin twitched a little wider. “Who says I’m flirting?”

Without meaning to, her lips pursed into a pout while they simply smirked back at her.

“Look, you’re the one paying for a girlfriend experience,” she huffed, unabashedly nudging at the orc to adjust their positioning.

“You haven’t been paid yet,” they countered, while humoring her, shifting at her touch. Soon, Kahdreg was lounging back on the couch, one leg on the cushions and the other still planted on the floor. Avicia crawled between their open thighs and sprawled atop their chest.

Their size difference came into stark focus, in this position. It made the orc swallow and glance away from Avicia. At the same time, the firm heat of Kahdreg taunted Avicia’s senses. Her thoughts swarmed with ways to teasingly touch and tantalize them, part of her wondering how worked up Kahdreg could get until Definite Bad Decisions were made.

Before getting completely comfortable, Avicia dragged the blanket draped along the back of the couch over top them. Once encapsulated in warmth, she snuggled against their chest. Kahdreg’s heart throbbed against her cheek, hitching slightly as she settled in. Meanwhile, her own face warmed, part of her knowing this position was inappropriate for a boss and their employee while trying to act as if it was all perfectly fine.

“I trust you to honor our agreement,” Avicia finally replied, raising her hand to Kahdreg’s bandage shoulder. At the ginger touch, Kahdreg stilled further beneath her.

Her words caused their steady heartbeat to stutter, their voice thick with seriousness when they answered. “I will.”

“Good,” was Avicia’s simple reply. With a few more small shifts, she comfortably laid atop Kahdreg, her arms curled to her chest and her face turned toward the television. Likewise, Kahdreg had gotten comfortable, with one hand behind their head and the other resting, tentatively, on Avicia’s back.

It was easy enough to pick up the strings of the plot after her location change, at least. Though the suspense and horror of the movie had a hard time penetrating Avicia’s mind. With Kahdreg’s heartbeat in her ear and the steady rise and fall of their chest as they breathed, being unsettled was the farthest sensation from her thoughts. In fact, she felt frighteningly comfortable.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you for the cuddly type,” Kahdreg said suddenly. The words were joined with their large hand moving slightly, as if to stroke Avicia’s back, before the movement came to an abrupt halt.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you - a rich and famous director - would need a fake partner.” Like a cat, Avicia arched her back into Kahdreg’s palm, encouraging their hand to continue.

The internal restraint that had stopped their hand dissipated and, soon, the orc softly stroked her back. Around her lower back, careful not to dip too low into rear territory. In return, a quiet sound left Avicia’s lips as she contentedly squirmed against the touch. As gentle as their touch, Kahdreg chuckled, “Touché.”

“Why don’t you have a partner?” Craning her head, Avicia looked into Kahdreg’s half-shadowed features, cushioning her chin with her forearms folded atop the orc’s chest. With a teasing grin, she added, “Too focused on your job?”

It had took Kahdreg a beat to reply - as if they were tempted to relinquish something else - while their touch slowed at her inquiry. The momentary temptation was ousted as they gave a tepid answer. “More or less. And you?”

“What about me?” Avicia blinked innocently up at them. A deeper part of her mind noticed how they sidestepped giving her a direct answer.

“Don’t you have contenders for your affection?” Kahdreg rolled their eyes as they clarified their question. The orc’s hands came to Avicia’s sides, giving her a playful squeeze. “Like the barista who thought you had a beautiful smile?”

A snort of a laugh left Avicia’s lips. Though she saw the demon barista - Brier - frequently at Java Brava, it’d become increasingly obvious they didn’t quite click. She was surprised Kahdreg even remembered such a small incident. And she tried not to look too much into it, even if her heart caught a little.

With a shake of her head, still smiling, Avicia sighed, “I’m too busy to date.”

“Not too busy to fake date, though?” Skepticism splashed over Kahdreg’s expression, their eyebrows raising. Avicia could see their point. She could have easily made a pointed comment about how needy her boss was on the weekends, but she chose to give them a break.

“Of course not,” she said with a teasing tone, walking her fingers up their chest before booping her index finger against their nose, “For the right price, at least.”

A thoughtful grunt was Kahdreg’s only reply. Something in it made Avicia wonder if they were disappointed. If they were, they didn’t push the conversation. Instead, Kahdreg returned focus to the television. The light of the movie flickered over their face, playing with the angles and edges. Snuggling back into their chest, Avicia resumed watching the movie. Kind of. She angled her head in such a way she could easily side eye Kahdreg’s features. With their half-lidded gaze and even breathing, Avicia wondered how long until they fell asleep. Then she realized their lips moved with the dialogue on screen, almost in perfect sync.

She watched, somewhat mesmerized with how their lips moved, especially around their tusks, while hearing an unfamiliar voice mirror the movements. Avicia completely missed Kahdreg glancing toward her. “What’s with the grin?”

Her brain stuttered, momentarily confused, as she registered the rumble of their chest beneath her and their words lapped at her hearing.

Avicia turned her face away from Kahdreg, not trusting herself to refrain from blushing. She hadn’t even realized she was smiling. Half-acting and half-genuine, she gave a yawn, before adding, “You’re mouthing the lines. It was kind of cute.”

“Oh,” mumbled Kahdreg, shifting beneath Avicia awkwardly. To herself, Avicia grinned, watching the pictures go by on the screen but no longer following the script.

It wasn’t much longer before the room dimmed, only lit by the rolling white credits that drifted up the screen. Kahdreg gave a groan, stretching beneath their guest, as the ending music wafted through the air. “So, what’d you think? Good, right?”

A muttered mash of words left Avicia’s lips, breathy and nonsensical. She shifted slightly against them, burrowing deeper under the blanket and partially turning away from the screen, toward the back of the couch.

“Avicia?” Kahdreg craned their neck to get a glimpse of the woman’s face. Even with the dimmer lighting, they saw her fine. A perk of orcish dark vision.

Before they looked, they guessed she was asleep. With their hands still resting on her back, her steady breathing shifted her body against their palms. But they still couldn’t help staring at the sight of Avicia’s face, relaxed and somehow softer in rest. Without thinking, their hand stroked down her back, quietly appreciating the curvatures of her body even through the barrier of fabrics. When their touch elicited a pleasant sigh from the woman’s lips, Kahdreg stopped.

Closing their eyes and taking a deep breath, Kahdreg’s head slumped back against the arm of the couch. Perhaps hoping Avicia was just fooling them, they peeked down at her and tentatively muttered, “Well, guess I’m stuck out here tonight, hm?”

When she didn’t laugh or move, another heavy sigh left Kahdreg’s lips. Their gaze turned to the ceiling, staring into the dark. Their thoughts turned the day’s events over, examining them from every angle. Conversations and actions dissected to understand. A mix of uncertainty and heat seesawed in their gut, dipping further one way then the other.

Sleep clawed their eyes closed, making their thoughts sluggish. So they forced themselves to ease beneath Avicia, sinking into the couch as they tried to accept the fact this was a job to her. Nothing more.

---

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Hrk!” Kahdreg jerked awake, the sound of knuckles rapping on their front door startling them upright. A weight lifted from their chest and instinct brought their hands up to grab whatever fell. A blunt pain throbbed in their shoulder. When Avicia gave a semi-shriek of alarm and grabbed for something, which ended up being the orc’s own arms, the memories slammed into them.

Both stared at each other, wide-eyed. Adrenaline and shock had both their breathing ragged, their faces gradually flushing as their hands clutched one another desperately. It was lost on either that they were in a comparable to a naughtier scenario.

Memories of last night lapped over them, worsening the embarrassment once they both realized they’d fallen asleep with one another. The heat only intensified in Kahdreg as some deep, asinine instinct preened at seeing Avicia in their shirt the “morning after.” Somehow, the tee-shirt equated to a bedsheet in their imagination. Before that thought could root further in, they shook it away. Forcefully.

“Uh, I-” Kahdreg managed, words thick with grogginess, before the staccato impact of an insistent knocker interrupted them.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Kahdreg threw a dirty look at the door, annoyance creasing their features. With a deep breath, Avicia pushed off the orc, her own body lamenting over the loss of such delicious body heat and firmness. She shifted a little further down the couch, getting distance as she clutched the blanket around her.

In an attempt to alleviate the awkward heaviness in the air, Avicia laughed, “You better go get that before they knock your door in.”

Her stomach jolted when Kahdreg wheeled their gaze back to her. It wasn’t so much their focus, but how their eyes trailed over her, like someone hesitant to part from a lover.

Immediately, Avicia clamped down on the thought. No, nope. They and she were not lovers.

Yet, giggled a teasing voice in her head.

Luckily, Kahdreg had already turned away from her, after pushing themselves off the couch. Or else they would have seen the deep scowl cross her lips. Avicia mentally glared at the vexing inner thought, which sounded remarkably like her Bellamy persona.

“Good morning, Kahd, darling.”

The chipper voice made Avicia’s inner scolding screech to a halt. On automatic, she slipped off the couch and trod closer to the door, careful to keep hidden.

“Kalli?” The strain was painfully evident in Kahdreg’s voice. Something flared inside Avicia, making her hands tighten into fists. After clearing their throat, Kahdreg managed to ask an awkward, “What uh- what are you doing here?”

#exophilia #exo #orc #monster lover #monster fucker #lights camera orc-tion #lights camera orction #LCO #lights camera action #lights camera action!#lights camera orction!#LCO part 10 #lights camera orc-tion part 10 #kahdreg #avicia #my writing

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dpargyle · 3 years

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I'm not doing that podcast anymore. I'm racking my brain here trying to figure out how to build an audience/make $ creatively rn. Every conventional avenue is cut off to me, as I've explained before. I don't really want to write books anymore (due to restricted creative control/sadly losing faith entirely in the medium/business of the novel as an effective art form in these horrendous times) - but trying to build an audience online has just been one failure after another. I really don't know what to do. These days, I catch myself daydreaming about dropping off the grid entirely & farming or some shit but I think realistically my disability precludes me (for multiple reasons) from such foolishness. & I think I'm always going to need to create art of some description. I just wish...like...anyone would care... & this isn't a call out post or anything - like - I get it. Shit is falling apart everywhere (more rapidly than I think many abled folk may realize) so reading/listening to my creative output is nobody's top priority (nor should it be) - especially in such oversaturated markets I don't really know what I'm trying to say here. Like. I'm unemployed - I have no prospects - & even if I had any - the government would cut funding for medical necessities b/c secretly (but not so secretly) policy is set up for people like me to die quietly in the background I'm far more privileged than most in my position, due to my family. At least for now. But if I can't find a steady source of income soon, I'm going to have to move back in with my folks which I really do not want to have to do. Like - I did everything right. I went all the way through a hellish school system. I graduated (with honors) from college. I jumped through all their hoops, I played all the stupid fucking games. & because of my condition I am almost completely cut off from society - b/c no one has given me a chance at the things I actually give a shit about. (This is a rant now oh well lol) & I know I'm a damn good writer. I'm a good artist. But finding an audience is just. I don't even know. I don't even know who I am anymore half the time. I feel thoroughly rejected from society at large. Not that I'd wanna join it right now lmao but like...it'd be nice to be asked. I'm not the only one hanging on by a fuckin thimble right now. I know that. But as a disabled person, I feel the strain before many of you. I feel it when there's not enough people to help me get up in the morning so I get left lying in bed for four hours after my usual times. Sorry, I'm rambling now. I'm also kind of exhausted trying to come up with creative endeavors and putting them up with nobody giving a shit. I put my heart & soul into these things - and I have for years. 32 years of my life, where instead of going out enjoying myself or trying to form friendships (which is already really fucking difficult when I have to get back home every day at 9pm cuz my aides are working 100 hr wks & I don't want to overtax their schedules anymore than I already do) - I chose to forego all that, laying myself on the great altar of art or whatever...all for what? Nobody caring? It's. Fuckin soul crushing. I spend like 95% of my time alone. & I don't think I'm the only one. All I really do is work on creative endeavors, research, and then finally turn off my brain watching football or w/e I don't have energy for any of this anymore. This hyper capitalist mode of....I just. I'm not even making sense & I'm all over the place & I usually outline/plan this sort of shit & probably nobody will read this anyway so I don't know why I'm bothering lmao Shot in the dark, I guess? I dunno. I know I have people who love me. & for that I'm grateful. I hope you all do too. These are dark times & I don't see them brightening in our lifetimes I'm afraid. Hold on to the ones you got I suppose. We all just have to play the cards we're dealt, even if they're all jokers, right? While I do have people who love me, I'm also sick of Utah & the US as a whole tbh, but I honestly doubt anywhere would be much

better if I'm being realistic. Even Mars will be conquered by Musk... Anyway. Just trying to express how it feels to be disabled in these times of societal collapse unheard of since the end of the Bronze Age. Perhaps it's for the best. Wish I could inhabit a different body for a while. But "if wishes were horses, we'd all be eatin' steak," to quote the bard. Like. for just one day, I'd love to experience a day that didn't feel like going to war with myself. With the world. With...like, ok, this is kind of a stupid fuckin example, but on the other hand it shows you the power of art (for w/e that's worth these days) but I was watching the most recent season (series) of Sex Education on Netflix (great frikken show btw) - and for the first time EVER - a disabled character (played by a disabled actor) has an intimate scene with another character where she's not a sex worker (no shame to sex workers but the connotation is always we can only ever have sex if we pay for it) & nobody died lmao - & it was this sacred scene where consent was central & it was playful & sweet & it literally made me cry b/c like - (& I don't cry AT ALL anymore - it's just not me) but I did - I fuckin cried, because like. You can't understand. I'm sorry. But you can't. To never see yourself reflected in such a manner. & then suddenly. You see yourself being tenderly kissed on the nose - & for a touch starved cripple - to see that - like. I know in this life I'm never gonna get that. I've accepted that. I'm too old & too much of a fuckup. But for the youth to see that? For the disabled youth of the world? Fuck. I hope it fills them with the brighter future they deserve. Maybe art can move mountains after all. Just wish I could build a door to get myself out of *here.* It's so fucking hard to see the light right now for me. I hold my head up high. I smile. I'm the strongest person I know. But I just wish I could peel off my shit & be the real me & be loved & I'm terrified none of that will ever be in store for me. But I roll on, as always. Love & strength & sorry to be...this...lmao....

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gigslist · 3 years

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34+ Voiceover Roles & 3 Musician Open Calls - Work From Home - Paid

'F*cking Sober' Podcast

22 + Roles

3 Open Calls for Musicians With Their Own Music

PAID WORK FROM HOME NON UNION

Deadline : September 15, 2021 2:00 PM

Somehow9am Productions // F*cking Sober: the first 90 days Podcast

Katie Mack, coord.

:"A call for artists in recovery for the 2nd Season of The Webby Award Winning Podcast Series 'F*cking Sober: the first 90 days.' We are looking for voice over talent and musicians/music producers for 'FS: Shadai.' 'F*cking Sober' is a semi-comedic mostly non-fictional narrative podcast following Shadai’s first 90 days of getting sober. Thirty-five year old Shadai is the black, queer, strong female in advertising— so what if she keeps shots in her bra for between meetings, right? But after a shitshow holiday party, a fuzzy cop encounter, and a disaster presentation with the new big account, Dry January doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Maybe Dry Forever is better. This is what it looks, acts, and feels like to get f*cking sober. This 8 episode serialized show features music by artists with their own story with recovery. F*cking Sober Season 1: Anita has received 15k downloads since it’s release in Nov 2020, and received a 2021 Webby Nomination for Best Limited Series, and a Webby Win for Best Writing for a Podcast. At this time we are only looking to work with artists who have a relationship/understanding of recovery. Please follow instructions for submitting and what to include in the cover letter to be considered! Thank you! Listen to Season 1 to get the vibe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f-cking-sober-the-first-90-days/id1538804959?i=1000499155627 And check out: www.fckingsoberpodcast.com @fckingsober90_podcast More information about Somehow9am Productions & Katie Mack (Producer): www.somehow9amproductions.com www.mackstage.com"

Roles

Shadai (Voiceover): Female, 18+WORK FROM HOMEproduction states: "Note: We are only accepting submissions from artists who have their own story in recovery, TY! 35 year old, black, queer, cis gender female attorney with a dry sense of humor, who has strong opinions and shares them sometimes, is a powerhouse and knows it all… until… until she doesn’t. Please note your experience with improv/comedy in your cover letter If you have writing experience or are interested in writing please note this in your cover letter. We will be giving writing credits to the right candidate who desires to contribute to the molding of this character."Required Media: Voice Reel

Other Characters (Voiceover): 20-70

"Note: We are only accepting submissions from artists who have their own story in recovery, TY! We are looking for diversity in every sense of the word, from all genders, to ages, to ethnicities, to lived experiences, to food preferences!! In short, we are looking to cast dope, interesting people. Looking to cast various characters through out the S2 Shadai, including but not limited to:

Dad (black, army veteran, a dad’s dad)

Mom (black, hyper critical, the opposite of Shadai)

Dana (any ethnicity, work enemy)

Coco (white, work bestie)

JewBoo aka Therapist (Jewish, confidant, motherly, with a special sense of humor)

Miriam (black, best friend and ex-lover who tells it like it is)

Galen (white, gay, best friend who is warm and caring and pushy)

15 other characters Please note any experience you may have with comedy/improv if any. Please submit your reel along with your cover letter."Required Media: Voice Reel, Cover Letter

Musicians (BIPOC Artists in Recovery) (Voiceover): 18+ music from BIPOC identifying artists.

Musicians (Queer Identifying Artist in Recovery) (Voiceover): 18+ music by Queer Artists.

Musicians (Non-BIPOC/Non-Queer Artists in Recovery) (Voiceover): 18+ music from non-BIPOC or non-Queer Identifying Artists in recovery.

"To be produced over the course of October 2021 - January 2022 Shadai’s commitment is estimated at two hrs/wk. Other characters 30mins. Musicians, all work should already exist. Please be prepared to send stems or stripped down tracks."

Compensation & Union Contract Details

Stipend: $25 - $75Production states: "Shadai (Lead Character), $550 for full season. All Other Characters: $25-$50 per episode. Musicians: $25-$75 per song per episode. Sync license contract."

Seeking talent: Nationwide (United States)

Website:http://www.fckingsoberpodcast.com

======================================

'Rain: Series III'

12 Voiceover Roles

PAID WORK FROM HOME NONUNION

Deadline: September 14, 2021 8:59 PM

JKPRising James Klim, filmmaker

Seeking voiceover talent for "Rain: Series III," a web-series, created in the video game Halo Reach on MCC via Xbox/PC. "This series will have a total of 13 episodes. I have many characters to cast, 12 specifically. If you wish to learn more about the show, you can check out my documentary series regarding the show. You can view the first episode here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlzPQvJS3og A little bit about me, I am a freelance filmmaker who actually got into film through making Halo videos as a kid when I was younger. You can check out some of my work here - www.jkprising.com/ I've always wanted to return to my roots & finish a series I was never able to before, but now I have the time to focus on it. This is a paid position. Rates depend on each character as some have more lines than others & vice versa. I am not the wealthiest person in the world, but I will to compensate each voice actor for their performance. My budget per character is between $100 - $300. This again, all varies per character. In this post, there is a video of what the character will look like in the series. I have also attached a single page from a random episode script from the show. The highlighted lines are what the character will say. There will also be non verbal lines highlighted, this is meant to be voiced kind of like an anime, where every movement usually has sounds. Typically, how would you make a sound if you did any of the following, head turn, turns around, surprised gasp, sighs, etc. Since this a paid gig, I am expecting a professional voice audition & if hired, continued professional audio. This means minimum to no background noise. The audio needs to be crisp."

Roles

Chloe Moody (Voiceover): Female, 18-35WORK FROM HOME29. Voice type: English/United Kingdom accent, polite, doesn't get mad often but when she does, she loses it, anxious, low self esteem, hopeful. Chloe Moody used to be a psychiatrist, but after the death of her soon to be husband, she spiraled into insanity. She met someone later on in life named Tom Rains, who looked exactly like her dead boyfriend. She became obsessed with him & tried to get with him, which sunk her further into a deep depression. She finally hit rock bottom, which causes her to seek out help from the very people she used to serve. Chloe meets a psychiatrist named Jennifer, who is able to help herself almost fully recover. Chloe eventually accidently runs back into Tom, which triggers Chloe to try one last time. After a final rejection, Chloe comes to the realization that she is not redeemable & decides to take her own life in front of Tom. Chloe's death, triggers a massive event for Tom Rains, which has massive ramifications for the series. Chloe is a major character and will appear in a couple episodes.Languages:

English

Accents:

British

Australian

Voice Styles:

Soft

Softspoken

Crazy

Compassionate

Sad

Angry

Required Media: Voice Reel

Dark Daryl (Voiceover): Male, 18-40WORK FROM HOME

32, voice type: Very dark presence, evil. sadistic, look at examples like Yami Marik from the Original Yu-Gi-Oh - www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xaa_ycud6o, manic, darkness. Dark Daryl is the darkness of his original persona, Daryl. Daryl accidentally acquired a powerful technology known as an imperium. This caused Daryl to lose himself to it at some point & was taken over by an alternate personality named, The Professor, which caused tons of damage. When Daryl came back to his senses, the damage had been done & others abandoned him, which caused him to grow angry at something that he didn't consciously do. Daryl once again loses himself to the imperium, which turns into Dark Daryl, a representation of all the anger & hatred he endured over the course of his past uncontrollable actions. Dark Daryl is very aggressive, sadistic & wants to destroy the people who wronged him in the past. Eventually, he comes face to face with Daryl & fights to stay as the one who remains in control, even if that means killing Daryl & anyone who gets in his way. Dark Daryl is a character who appears in the second half of the show, & becomes the series main villain. He will appear in many episodes.

Languages:

English

Voice Styles:

Aggressive

Angry

Evil

Commanding

Straightforward

Scary

Dangerous

Intimidating

Demonic

Required Media: Voice Reel

Nikki (Voiceover): Female, 18-35 WORK FROM HOME

25. Voice type: Energetic, passionate, caring, open-minded, loving, positive, independent, fighter. Nikki used to date Tom Rains. She didn't really have much going for her, as she had no ambition at all during that time of her life. After Tom broke up with her, this was quite the shock to Nikki. It caused her to really dive deep within herself & from that moment, she tried to learn more about herself. She discovered a love for storytelling, & so went into journalism. Nikki is now dating Jennifer & they have been together for almost a year. Nikki eventually gets wrapped up in a major conspiracy, which drags many of her friends in with her. She is in for the story of her entire career. Nikki is a major character and will appear in many episodes.

Languages:

English

Voice Styles:

Comforting

Compassionate

Caring

Amusing

Animated

Brave

Heroic

Required Media: Voice Reel

Talent works remotely with professional recording equipment.

Professional Pay: $100 - $300Pays between $100-$300 depending on character.

Nationwide (United States)

Additional Materials

Website: https://www.jkprising.com/

Nikki Audition.pdf - https://d26oc3sg82pgk3.cloudfront.net/files/media/uploads/casting_call/7f95c65b-ab53-43d3-a66b-9e59d1041acb.pdf

Dark Daryl Audition.pdf - https://d26oc3sg82pgk3.cloudfront.net/files/media/uploads/casting_call/00cfdf46-84c1-4da6-9dee-91c7bcdeed3d.pdf

Chloe Moody Audition.pdf https://d26oc3sg82pgk3.cloudfront.net/files/media/uploads/casting_call/186cbe9e-9c7e-4ce5-bcbe-2407a9dec00b.pdf

#voiceover casting calls #work from home voice over work #music wanted online #jobs for musicians #remote jobs for musicians #music writer jobs #gigs for recovering addicts

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echodrops · 4 years

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The Promises I’m Making (2021 Edition)

So how about we all just pretend that 2020 did not happen and we all call it good to erase the year from our memories entirely? I’m game. But I’m also not going to let 2020 totally ruin a long-standing tradition (14 years as of 2021!), so here are my 50 resolutions for this year! When writing promises this year, I decided to go easy on myself, so if the promises aren’t quite as adventurous as normal, well... you know what happened.

2021 Promises

1) Complete the window well on the new basement window so I can finally call that project good.

2) Get the Utah house sprinklers working again to prevent dead grass.

3) Get the back fence back into place and the greenery trimmed.

4) Get the patio replaced before it honestly does just fall down on someone.

5) Get an official exercise routine including walking/jogging, please.

6) Related to the above, lose 15 pounds. Teaching from home basically meant I spent all of 2020 sitting in front of computer, not moving, and it shows...

7) Successfully use the new Roomba my parents got me to keep my floors cleaner. (So much... dog hair...)

8) Get my wisdom tooth removed. (Holy shit, please Echo...)

9) Get a haircut. (No, really, I didn’t get a haircut at all in 2020 and my hair is so long I’d make Sailor Mars jealous.)

10) Find a real doctor to renew my medicine prescriptions so I don’t have to use an asthma inhaler that expired two years ago... please...

11) Fix the back Texas lawn because I let it get pretty bad.

12) For that matter, uhhhh, let me fix the front yard too.

13) Find a credenza for the foyer. Even if it’s expensive, just buy one already Echo.

14) Finish at least seven new books this year. (This goal feels so small, but when do I ever get time to just sit down and read nowadays?)

15) Organize my documents (especially student papers)—my desktop and documents folders give me nightmares just looking at them.

16) Get a decent paper shredder to shred old mail.

17) Talk to an HR rep about my retirement savings so that I can consolidate my retirement accounts.

18) Do at least one artwork to actually use that new paint program I bought.

19) Get the dishwasher fixed... even if I don’t quite know what’s wrong with it.

20) Pay my credit card down by at least 1/2. I made good progress this last year but I need to get it down a lot more before I’ll really be feeling good again.

21) Have all class changes and updates done before classes begin so I only have to worry about grading, not prep too. (There’s always new prep... I never get a break...)

22) Get the toilet in the Texas house fixed as well as the water heater checked because the shower in the back bathroom is cold, blech.

23) Help King lose weight to help with his arthritis. Aim for 85 pounds!

24) See a groove-billed ani. (It’s another type of bird.)

25) Make it to 3000 followers on tumblr. Can I do it? Maybe if I posted actual content once in a while…

26) Update HaaH at least once. Please. At least once...

27) Force Convince my father to fix the fixture in my parents’ front bathroom so my mother will finally stop complaining to me about the leaking sink.

28) Buy a new pair of shoes. I’ve literally worn the same pair of shoes almost every day for the last four years and it’s like... time to let them go.

29) Finish streaming the Fruits Basket remake with Kacchan.

30) Finish the other two QEP courses I was offered because bonus money...

31) Save up to finally buy one of those Ember heated tea mugs.

32) Help my parents save money on their bills by consolidating their services and making some calls to retention of these companies for them.

33) Get vaccinated for Coronavirus as soon as the vaccine is available.

34) Play the new TWEWY game (if it isn’t delayed)--I’m so excited!

35) Find a way to spend more time with my coworker. She does so much for me; I really need to repay her kindness more.

36) Do a video chat and bake with Kacchan since we can’t meet in person to bake together this year!

37) Learn to take better FFXIV screenshots. I need to learn how to use Gposers. XD

38) I will go birdwatching at least six times this year.

39) I will use the exfoliating mask and sugar scrubs I was given for Christmas. I will this time, I really will!!

40) I will get my kitty Gremory to the vet because there’s something not quite right with his claws and I want it checked out.

41) Get a bedframe for the new guest bedroom bed I was able to buy.

42) Eat fewer snacks in 2021--stop buying Oreos, Echo. You can do it.

43) Help ensure that the Todoroki family zine makes it out to everyone who ordered and we are able to close out that zine project strong!

44) Get all of the wolf mounts in FFXIV, finally. I never bothered to grind these at all lol.

45) I will help my mother go through all the family’s Christmas things because the house is so overloaded with Christmas stuff it’s actually becoming a big nuisance. (My family’s Christmas obsession could probably be a plot of a Christmas comedy movie at this point...)

46) Actually watch the Downton Abbey movie, finally.

47) Take ten “really good” photographs this year.

48) Spend more time with my aunt; we don’t see each other nearly enough.

49) A promise provided by a friend: “Try a new Mexican dish. One that doesn’t have mole on it, for once.”

50) I will keep these promises. LOLLLLL.

#50 promises #new year's resolutions #IRL stuff #please 2021 #don't hurt me

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meltwonu · 5 years

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💕NSFW SVT DRABBLE GAME💕

Hi! I’ve been wanting to try doing a drabble game for a while so I thought now’s the best time~!

🌟 you can request for up to 2 members (so memberxreaderxmember is the limit!) and up to 3 prompts!

🌟 Adding a lil more detail is fine and helps me get a better idea of what you want! (ie. ‘prompt #24 and #29 with dom!woozi’ or ‘prompt #25 and #52 with yandere!jeonghan’ or ‘prompt #25 with sub!chan’) but also if you don’t want to, I’ll just write it how I see the prompt fits~

🌟 you can send in multiple requests but please make them separate asks!

🌟 I do write yandere fic, bdsm, dom, sub, mommy, daddy, etc. but if there’s a request that I get with something I’m uncomfortable with(ie being pissed on dhjfgjs), I’ll probably ignore it. sorry! 😢

🌟 writing takes time, so I'll def get to the requests(and maybe pick off a few that I wanted to write anyway heheh) but it won’t be like, within a hr of you requesting so please be patient with me! thank u!

🌟 I’m also really sorry but I only know how to write in female reader 😭😭

If you’ve read all of that, the prompts are under the cut! and I’d also like to say thank you to https://justforshitsandcackles.tumblr.com for providing a great list of smut prompts!

DRABBLE FAQ

1. “Don’t make me take you home and punish you.” 2. “I’ve never wanted anyone to fuck me this badly.” 3. “You’re not going out in that outfit.” 4. “Don’t give me that look.” 5. “You’re more than just a one night stand.” 6. “Would you just shut up and kiss me already?” 7. “You want me to give you your book/phone/item back? Make me.” 8. “Like what you see?” 9. “Try to stay quiet, understand?” 10. “We’re in public, you know.” 11. “I didn’t know you were so sensitive.” 12. “Don’t be so rough. there cant be any marks.” 13. “I really don’t care. You still look hot and i’m trying not to kiss/fuck you senseless right now.” 14. “Are you sure? Once we start, i might not be able to stop.” 15. “No, i’m supposed to be making you feel good.” 16. “Make me.” 17. “Stop teasing me so much..” 18. “You’re in trouble now.” 19. “Take off your clothes.” 20. “I’m waiting.” 21. “First one to make a noise loses.” 22. “Mine.” 23. “We cant do that here!” 24. “Behave.” 25. “What did you just say?” 26. “Come here.” 27. “Watch me.” 28. “I don’t want to hear your excuses anymore.” 29. “If you cant sleep…then how about we have sex?” 30. “Put that thing away!” 31. “Don’t kink shame me.” 32. “If you interrupt me one more time, so help me god.” 33. “I’m going to put on some clothes before you say anything else.” 34. “Tell me what you want.” 35. “Bite me.” “If you insist.” 36. “Could he make you feel as good as i do?” 37. “You’re n-not ,um, w-wearing anything under that, are you..?” 38. “Are you trying to turn me on or are you really just that oblivious?” 39. “You taste like fucking candy.” 40. “The only way you’re getting off is on my thigh.” 41. “You make a sound and its game over.” 42. “Just let me finish this/this level and i swear ill go down on you until you cum at least three times.” 43. “If i have to stop what i’m doing, you wont be able to walk for the next week.” 44. “I could just pull your bikini bottoms to the side, no one will notice.” 45. “I haven’t even touched you and you’re already this wet.” 46. “Were you just masturbating?” “U-uh..no, i was just..” “Want some help?” 47. “Shut up.” “Why don’t you come over here and make me.” 48. “You’re so fucking hot when you’re mad.” 49. “We’re not just friends and you fucking know it.” 50. “C’mere, you can sit on my lap until i’m done working.” 51. “What? Does that feel good?” 52. “I’m not jealous! its just…you’re mine!” 53. “If we get caught i’m blaming you.” 54. “We have to be quiet.” 55. “Tell me again.” 56. “You have no idea how much i want you.” 57. “Say it.” 58. “If you don’t like my teasing, then why are you moaning?” 59. “Wow, i didn’t realize you were that…flexible.” 60. “I’m gonna fuck you so hard that you forget you ever even met that asshole.” 61. “You better shut that pretty little mouth before i put it to work, doll.” 62. “I think that’s the first time i’ve heard you moan…it was like a fucking melody.” 63. “I really want to kiss you right now.” “Then do it.” 64. “You’re not taking me to bed. ever.” “Who said it had to be on the bed?” 65. “She may seem like lollipops and rainbows but i bet behind closed doors she’s latex and whips.” 66. “Ah, he’s playing hard-to-get. that’s cute.” 67. “For the love of fuck.” “Yep, that’s me. I love to fuck.” 68. “How do i look?” 69. “Would you reconsider if i was sober?” 70. “I’m sure i can get some kind of sexual gratification just from staring at him if i try hard enough.” 71. “Don’t fucking touch what is not yours.” 72. “You don’t need to cover up the bruises/hickeys.” 73. “I’m not sure if its a sexual thing or not.” 74. “We’re…..just friends.” 75. “Friends don’t do this kind of shit!” 76. “How quickly can you cum?” 77. “There’s people here.” “I know.” 78.“I don’t care what you do just fuck me.” 79. “Fuck you.” “I’m up for it if you are.” 80. “Don’t ruin the sofa.” “I'll just have to cum inside you then.” 81. “Stop dancing like that or i’m going to cum in my pants.” 82. “I’m not going to touch you unless you beg.” 83. “You cant tease me like that and expect not to be punished.” 84. “I’m gonna strangle you.” “Is that a promise?” 85. “You look a bit tied up, want me to come back later?” 86. “Stop distracting me.” 87. “Were you touching yourself?” 88. “I know they’re just stuffed animals but doesn’t it feel weird? its like they’re watching us.” 89. “That’s probably the fastest i’ve ever done that.” 90. “Please, remind me again why we’re having sex behind a tree?” 91. “I know for a fact that you can be a hell of a lot louder than that.” 92. “We’ve been at it like rabbits, how are you still horny?!” 93. “It was so worth the injury though!” 94. “Saddle up doll.” 95. “Did you just look me up and down and then bite your lip? ‘Cause if you did we’re having sex. Right now.” 96. “Your ass is going to be seven different shades of red after that little stunt.” 97. “God damn it, now all i can think about right now is you licking my cock like its that ice cream cone.” 98.“If i have to pull over, you wont be able to walk for the next week.” 99. “Do you think they can hear us through the tent?” “Yes we can.” 100. “What are you doing in my bed?!”

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insidethegiftbasket · 3 years

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Yankees (18-16) at Rays (19-17)

Tuesday – 7:10pm on YES and ESPN: Jordan Montgomery (1-1, 4.41 ERA) vs Luis Patino (1-0, 1.17 ERA)

Wednesday – 7:10 on YES: Gerrit Cole (4-1, 1.61 ERA) vs TBA, most likely Yarbrough for the bulk innings (2-3, 4.58 ERA)

Thursday – 7:10 on YES and MLBN: Jameson Taillon (1-2, 5.02 ERA) vs TBA, most likely Rich Hill (1-1, 5.17 ERA)

Rays Injury Report (since we last played them)

RP Pete Fairbanks – activated off IL on May 5th

RP Collin McHugh – activated off IL on May 5th

1b Ji-Man Choi – finishing rehabbing injured knee, expected to be activated for series vs Yankees

RP Chris Mazza – placed on 10 Day IL due to shoulder inflammation, no timetable for return

SP Michael Wacha – placed on 10 Day IL due to hamstring strain, no timetable for return

RP Diego Castillo – placed on 10 Day IL due to strained groin, no timetable for return

C Francisco Meijia – placed on 10 Day IL due to strained oblique, no timetable for return

OF Kevin Kiermaier – placed on 10 Day IL due to sprained wrist, no timetable for return

Rays Pitching

The good news for this series is that the Yankees avoid Glasnow, who’s still pitching at an All Star level. The bad news? The Rays, despite having seven relievers on the IL right now along with three starting pitchers, are still able to put out multiple elite relievers. Obviously guys like Fairbanks, Strickland, Thompson, and Kittredge have put up nice seasons in the past, but they’ve also started to use some of their top end prospects like Shane McClanahan out of the pen too with a ton of success.

McClanahan, a consensus Top 100 prospect in baseball, is a lefty who made his first career MLB appearance vs the Yankees in the ALDS last season, and mixes a sweeping slider with 33 inches of drop and 4.4 inches of horizontal break (both significantly above average) with a 99mph four seamer with 52% more horizontal break than average.

The slider is legit—in 12 at bats ending with the pitch, opposing batters have struck out eight times and only gotten one hit. The fastball however is a different story—despite having a lot of life to it, he’s leaving it smack dab in the middle of the zone and people are teeing off on it to a tune of a .506 xSLG.

The other main new piece the Rays have been trotting out is Tuesday’s starting pitcher Luis Patino. He was MLB Pipeline’s #23 prospect in 2020 when he was with the San Diego Padres organization, and was one of the main pieces of the Blake Snell deal this past winter. His star started to shine a bit less after a messy 2020 season in San Diego, as he had a real trouble with throwing strikes (16.5% walk rate was in the second percentile) and was miserable when even or behind in the count (opposing batters had a .845 OPS when ahead in the count, a 1.118 OPS when even in the count, and just a .495 OPS when behind.)

I saw him pitch when he was with Single-A Fort Wayne, and you could tell then that he had the potential to be truly special. He was just 18 years old, nearly four years younger than the average Midwest League player, but his stuff is just electric- he has a fastball that sits in the mid 90’s and lasts throughout the whole game, but can touch 100mph. It doesn’t have a ton of movement to it, but it does have a ton of spin (89th percentile in fastball spin rate in 2020, to go along with 94th percentile in fastball velocity.) The go to out pitch however is a disgusting slider- only 27.1 inches of drop (20% less than average) but it gets nearly double the average horizontal break on it. The slider has a 45.5% whiff rate this season and has gotten 8 strikeouts in 14 at bats. More importantly, he’s started throwing strikes more:

Those are his 2020 pitch charts, where he was really all over the place and had to use his change up more often (more on that in a second).

Compared to his 2021 pitch chart, where everything is a lot tighter and he’s thrown the slider for strikes.

He also has a change up, which is 88mph with a low spin rate and low movement, and he uses that almost exclusively against lefties—it’s really the pitch he needs to improve upon if he wants to live up to his billing as a top end starting pitcher, but despite not really having the underlying numbers to back it up, it has been successful so far in his MLB career. In his limited MLB career so far, he actually has reverse splits (righties are slashing .259/.368/.414 and lefties .158/.273/.536), but in his last MILB season righties slashed .163/.259/.220 compared to lefties slashing .262/.308/.443. I’d be willing to bet that his reverse splits right now are nearly purely small sample sizes and that things will go back to normal quickly.

Rays Hitting

Tampa has been improving their offensive numbers, and are up to a 99 OPS+ as a team so far this season (tied for 13th in baseball.) Getting Choi back helps, as it can for Tsutsugo out of the lineup more often as his 38 OPS+ is dragging down the Rays offense drastically—Tampa has the 5th worst OPS out of the DH position. Ideally, they’d be able to play Meadows there more often, but Kiermaier’s injury takes away his Gold Glove level defense and forces Tampa to play Meadows’ Garbage Glove level defense in LF.

Tampa has been getting good production from the majority of their team however—Zunino has doubled his OPS+ from last year so far and Diaz, Wendle, Meadows, and Arozarena are right where you’d expect them to be in the heart of the order. Adames has been the weak link so far of the every day guys, which is not a place you want to be in when Wander Franco, the consensus top prospect in baseball, is currently crushing the ball in AAA.

Yankees Focus On: Starting Pitchers

Because we’ve faced Tampa twice in the last month already, I figured it’d be a little better to spend more time breaking down our own starters for this series.

First up—Jordan Montgomery: if you want to look at some upside with Gumby, you can point to the fact that he has really battled back from some lousy starts and moments that he just didn’t have it this season. If you want some downside with Gumby, there’s been a lot of those moments. Gumby has a 6.00 ERA in the first inning this season, batters are slashing a very high .364/.417/.871 when leading off an inning, and against non-Orioles teams he’s been a mess:

He’s had miserable platoon splits—lefties are slashing .138/.219/.138 with 10 Ks and 1 BB in 32 PA, but righties are slashing .272/.323/.489 with 18 Ks and 7 BBs in 100 PA. His home/road splits are similar:

Now it’s easy to say “oh it’s been a month, give it some time” with Gumby, and with some of the other pitchers on the team I’d agree, but unfortunately all his career numbers are similar—significantly a different pitcher at home, vs lousy teams, and against lefties than he is on the road, vs winning teams, or against righties. One of the biggest issues he’s running into is that he just really struggles against the best of the best:

It’s hard to trust Gumby when he’s on the mound because of all this—he’s reached 90 pitches in a game just twice in the last two seasons and pitched into the 7th just once (he was pulled after letting the leadoff hitter on in the 7th inning this season against Tampa).

His underlying numbers aren’t that great either—he’s still not walking guys (just a 6.1% BB rate) but he doesn’t get strikeouts and allows a lot of hard contact. Last year he was in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity, this year he’s in the 33rd percentile, mainly because his sinker and his cutter suck.

Those are two pitches with not a lot of movement to them and not a lot of speed to them that are being left in very hittable places for hitters—here’s a zone chart for SLG and xSLG for righties against Gumby:

Not great! He’s leaving those cutters and sinkers all over up in the zone and guys are destroying those pitches.

That being said, the curveball has been elite offerings from him this season: curveball has a .071 SLG and .192 xSLG and is actually his most used pitch at 23.7% of the time (although he does throw a variation of his fastball over 50% of the time.) His change up has gotten good results- right now it has a decent .314 wOBA (although it does have a much higher .440 xWOBA, and if it starts to perform like that then he’s really in trouble.)

At this point I’m not writing Gumby off, he did have a really nice 2017 after all, but he’s now three years removed from Tommy John surgery and the results just have not been there.

In much more positive news, Gerrit Cole is really freaking good at baseball.

Those are his numbers in his Yankee career, and he’s been really worth every penny of the contract so far.

Maybe the most insane thing that Cole’s done this year is put up a 40.2 K% and a 1.8 BB%: the only two SP with a higher difference are Jacob deGrom and Corbin Burnes, who both have roughly a 45% difference between their K rate and BB rate. He’s also drastically cut his HR/FB% down, last year 18.7% of his fly balls left the yard, this year it’s down to 7%. He gave up 14 homers in 73 innings last season, this year he’s given up three in 44.2 innings.

Obviously the big change Cole made this season, as YES mentions every time he steps out on the mound, is that he has embraced the Matt Blake Change Up Factory approach, and to good measure. Last season he threw a change up 5.6% of the time, almost entirely against lefties and to the tune of a .268 wOBA. This year that number is up to 15.1% of the time, it’s used against righties and lefties, and it has a .041 wOBA thanks to one hit against it in 31 PA. His change up is the third best change up in baseball in run value so far this year, only behind John Means and Ian Anderson. He also has the 17th best four seam fastball in run value, and those two pitches play off each other perfectly:

That is excellent tunneling for two pitches with similar movement but a 10mph difference to them—Cole’s change up actually drops significantly less than the average change up and has similar horizontal movement to his four seamer, so it’s really hard to tell the difference in the two pitches. Here’s a pitch chart from his start against Detroit, with four seamers in red and change ups in green:

He’s able to keep the fastballs up in the zone and use his change up as essentially a low fastball, but with a 10mph hitters are just really struggling to identify it and do anything with it.

Starting the final game of the series is Jameson Taillon, who’s really been improving his last couple times out. It’s interesting with Jamo that he’s had Gary behind the plate for every one of his starts so far, and also very interesting in that his expected stats are all significantly better than his actual stats: he’s given up seven homers already this season, but if it was park adjusted he’d be expected to give up five homers. His expected ERA is nearly two runs less than his actual ERA. What he’s running into, and why I am not worried about Jamo long term, is this:

To me that screams “this dude hasn’t pitched in two years and is just building up his stamina” more than anything. He’s also been significantly better with an extra day or two of rest, and between him, Kluber, and Severino once he returns from injury, I can definitely see the Yankees try to get them all extra rest when possible.

His slider has easily been his best pitch on the season—.205 wOBA against (.301 xwOBA) with a high spin rate and sitting at 87mph. He’s used mostly that and his four seamer, which has a lot better expected numbers than actual numbers—xSLG of .430 as opposed to actual SLG of .612. That said, when your chart looks like this, it’s easy to see why his SLG is higher than it should be:

High fastballs are good, but he’s allowing too many high fastballs to be way out of the zone, and they are all really high up. Five of his seven homers are off the 4 seamer, which is totally believable when you look at how his pitches are winding up. A little more time and a little more control can fix that problem however, and I don’t think it’s going to be too long before we see Jamo living up to his potential.

#Yankees #Rays #New York Yankees #Tampa Bay Rays #Series Preview #Gerrit Cole #Jordan Montgomery #Jameson Taillon #Ji-Man Choi #Stop the Trop #Drop the Trop #Flop the Trop #Crop the Trop

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stephissalty · 4 years

Text

clumsy with your heart

Pairing: Iwaoi

Rating: T

Warnings: Language

Words: 6600

Summary: Oikawa Tooru is fine. Okay, maybe not really. He's running on empty, his work is literal hell, he hardly sleeps or eats, and he could very well collapse at any given second. But! For all intents and purposes, Oikawa Tooru is fine.

Except, he's not, and Oikawa is hurting his best friend by hurting himself, but he doesn't see the damage he's causing. And Iwaizumi's rope is running just as thin as Oikawa's.

AO3

clumsy with your heart

He probably got a little bit greedy. Yeah, that was probably it. He’s always been too greedy, too pompous, and it bit him in the ass when he got too close to the sun and fell back to earth, leaving a path of pain in his wake. Flew too close to the sun, picked up too many responsibilities, played with a few too many hearts. Looking back, that’s probably what ended him up here. He tried to play god, tried to split his own heart in too many directions when it could really only go one. He pushed the one person who would go to the end of the earth for him too far.

That’s how everything went wrong and how he lost his best friend.

God, he hated himself.

The other deserved better than him.

Fuck.

Oikawa Tooru is fine.

“Oikawa, we need you to stay late tonight.” He agrees even though it’s the third night this week.

It’s fine.

“Tooru, you haven’t called in weeks.” He’s been busy, he says. It’s the truth, but his energy is running on empty.

It’s fine.

“Oikawa, come out tonight; you need fun.” He says no, quoting something about being tired.

It’s fine.

He’s fine.

“Tooru, you haven’t left your bed in two days.” Iwaizumi pokes his head into Oikawa’s room, where he’s made himself a nest of blankets to make the best of his long weekend. Even though he’s “relaxing,” he still has his laptop and is doing his homework for the upcoming week so he doesn’t need to worry about it. “Please come out.”

“I’m recharging for another week from hell,” he responds. Iwaizumi is the only person who’s ever seen him like this. Weak.

“We can watch that American crime show you’ve been wanting to watch,” Iwaizumi offers. Not for the first time, fondness blooms in Oikawa’s chest for his best friend at how hard he’s trying. He’s the only person who hasn’t given up on Oikawa.

Oikawa considers the offer and cocks his head. “Okay.”

He slowly peels back his layers of blankets, very aware of Iwaizumi’s concerned gaze from the doorway. Carefully, he stands and makes his way to his friend, who has a soft smile on his face as he wraps an arm around Oikawa’s waist. Together, they walk over to the couch and settle into their usual position. Oikawa lays his head on Iwaizumi’s lap as Iwaizumi runs his hand through the other’s soft hair.

“Thank you, Iwa-chan,” he whispers part way through the show.

He draws one of Oikawa’s hands up to his mouth and presses a gentle kiss to the backs of his fingers. “Anything for you.”

His heart flutters slightly as he directs his attention back to the television. Iwaizumi shifts to reach for a blanket, which he drapes over Oikawa. Oikawa grabs onto his left hand - the hand that isn’t petting him - and doesn’t let go.

“Oikawa, nice serve!”

He serves the ball and the volley begins, bouncing back and forth between both teams until Iwaizumi spikes it down in the other team’s court.

Today’s practice is fairly standard, if not tedious. They’ve been doing practice games a lot recently, which he supposes is better than laps of diving drills, but his head is starting to hurt from the constant court analysis. Regular practice drills wouldn’t be a bad change of pace, he thinks, and then cringes at the thought of some of the especially miserable drills.

“Nice practice, wrap up! See you guys tomorrow morning!” the captain shouts. Right now it is nearing ten o’clock, and morning practice starts at five tomorrow. Barely seven hours.

“Hey, I’m going to run some serve drills if that’s alright,” Oikawa calls over to him. He can feel Iwaizumi’s eyes on him, but he doesn’t say anything.

Once all of his teammates have left, he hits ball after ball over the net, most of them staying in bounds, but still not as powerful or as controlled as he wants. Iwaizumi is standing by the ball basket, drinking water as he carefully regards Oikawa’s energy state.

After a particularly poor serve, he swears, “Fuck.”

“Tooru.”

“I’m not done, Iwa-chan.”

“It’s midnight. You’ve been at it for two hours. Your knee is going to give out. We need to go home and you need to ice your knee.”

“No, it’s not good enough,” he argues, feeling his voice catch slightly.

“Tooru.”

He goes to pick up another ball but discovers that the basket is empty - he’s already emptied three so far. Oikawa doesn’t allow his annoyance to show on his face as he makes to duck under the net to pick up a few of the balls on the other side of the court, but there’s a harsh pull at his collar.

“You’re done. Stretch, asshole,” Iwaizumi demands. He starts picking up all of the balls around the gym.

“Iwa-chan, I’m fine. You really don’t need to worry about me so much.”

Iwaizumi looks back at him. His undereyes are slightly darkened, but Oikawa figures it’s because it’s getting late. “Don’t I, though? C’mon, we’ve gotta get home.”

When they get back to their apartment, Iwaizumi pitches an ice pack at his face with a towel wrap, demanding that he ice his knee. Oikawa reluctantly agrees.

He struggles to sleep that night and instead tosses and turns until it’s close enough to the time when he’d have to wake up for morning practice anyways. Iwaizumi notices, of course.

05 December, 11:13

To: Oikawa Tooru

From: Kindaichi Yuutarou

Subject: Recommendation Letter

Hi Oikawa-san,

I hope you’re doing well. I was wondering if, when you get a chance, you’d be willing to write a recommendation letter for me? I’m looking at applying for some internships and co-ops, and I think that a recommendation letter from you would benefit me greatly.

Thanks,

Kindaichi

05 December, 12:39

To: Kindaichi Yuutarou

From: Oikawa Tooru

Subject: Re: Recommendation Letter

Kindaichi-kun,

Absolutely. Attached is the letter. Feel free to save it and use it as you need. If there is anything you’d like added to the letter, I can do that. Good luck in your future endeavours.

Best,

Oikawa Tooru

Marketing Supervisor, Social Division

Received, 17:00: Yo are you coming out tonight?

Delivered: 17:31: no i’m staying late at work and then i’m gonna workout

Delivered, 17:31: thanks for the invite tho

Received, 17:34: Okay, you’re always welcome to join

Delivered, 17:48: thanks

Delivered, 17:48: miss you and mattsun

Received, 17:50: We miss you too

19 December, 15:09

To: Oikawa Tooru

From: Social Division Management

Subject: Activity Report

Good afternoon,

Can you draw up a report of your division’s activity for the last eight months? Include all new hires, reports written, complaints filled, write-ups, articles, successful marketing schemes launched, unsuccessful marketing schemes launched, and schemes in progress in addition to anything else you see fit. We need this by tomorrow morning.

Social Division Management

19 December, 16:55

To: Social Division Management

From: Oikawa Tooru

Subject: Re: Activity Report

Good evening,

Attached is the report. I’ve put it in an Excel file format, but I can convert it to a PDF or different document format if that would better suit your needs. If there is any missing information, please let me know and I’ll be happy to fix it.

Oikawa Tooru

Marketing Supervisor, Social Division

Received, 14:03: hey oikawa, have you finished the assignment for class

Delivered, 14:15: [Photo Attached]

Delivered, 14:15: there you go

22 December, 15:32

To: Oikawa Tooru, Volleyball Team

From: Team Captain

Cc: Coach

Subject: New Year’s Tournament

Team,

We have an upcoming tournament on 01 January. Please clear your schedules for 31 December and 01 January and allow for more practice time leading up to this tournament.

Captain

[Time Request Off]

31 December

01 January

- REQUEST DENIED -

23 December, 10:39

To: HR Management

From: Oikawa Tooru

Subject: Time Off

Hello,

I recently submitted a time off request for 31 December and 1 January, but it was denied. My volleyball team is travelling for a New Year’s tournament, and it is vital that I attend the tournament. I am asking that you reconsider the time off denial.

Thank you, Oikawa Tooru

Marketing Supervisor, Social Division

23 December, 15:24

To: Oikawa Tooru

From: HR Management

Subject: Re: Time Off

Oikawa,

You will be granted the time, but you must be on call at all times on those days. We will not make another exception like this in the future.

HR Management

[Time Request Off]

31 December

01 January

- UPDATE: REQUEST PARTIALLY APPROVED, SEE NOTE -

Note: On call 31 Dec and 01 Jan

23 December, 16:02

To: HR Management

From: Oikawa Tooru

Subject: Re: Re: Time Off

Hello,

Thank you for granting me the time off I requested. I appreciate it.

Oikawa Tooru

Marketing Supervisor, Social Division

Delivered, 17:45: hey i’m gonna be late getting home tonight

Delivered, 17:46: more things have come up

Delivered, 17:46: i should be out in time for practice, not sure tho

Received, 17:50: What can I do to help you?

Received, 17:50: Do you want me to bring you dinner or anything?

Delivered, 17:55: that’d be great

Delivered, 17:55: thank you hajime

Received, 17:56: Always

Oikawa meets Iwaizumi in the lobby of his office building. Iwaizumi is holding two bags of takeout and smiles sadly.

“Are you coming up?”

“Can I?”

“Of course.”

It’s nearly seven now, and Oikawa is one of the last people in his office left. Iwaizumi steals a chair from the cube next to Oikawa’s and wheels over. He looks up and down at Oikawa, taking in his rough appearance, hunched shoulders, dark undereyes, and sunken cheeks. Oikawa knows he looks bad.

“I’m going to text the captain and tell him we won’t be in,” Iwaizumi says quietly after a moment of deliberation. It leaves no room for argument.

“Are you going to go?”

“No, I’m going to take you home,” he responds. He sounds sad, a voice in Oikawa’s head says. “Please stop pushing yourself like this.”

Oikawa whips his head up at that. “What?”

“You heard me.” Iwaizumi doesn’t look up from his untouched food.

“I’m fine, Iwa-chan.”

“You’re really not, Tooru!” Iwaizumi exclaims, slapping his leg in frustration. “Your boss says run and you run. No matter what it is, you don’t say no to anyone but yourself! You’re killing yourself! You had to beg just to get two days off. When’s the last time you were home before five? I hate seeing you hurting yourself.” His voice sounds thick, and his eyes are wet, Oikawa realizes.

What’s wrong with Iwa-chan?

“It’s just the name of the game,” he mumbles and averts his eyes. Anywhere but at Iwaizumi. “It’s fine, really. I’m a big boy.”

“You’re starting your day at fucking five in the morning at practice, going to classes, coming here, and then either working out or going to practice again! You’re barely eating,” Iwaizumi cries. “I’m your roommate, your best friend, and I never see you anymore. Goddammit, I miss Tooru, okay?”

“I’m sorry, Hajime. I can’t just quit my job for you, though.”

“You don’t even like your job. It’s barely even related to your major.” That is true. Oikawa had changed majors several times - at one point he was a marketing major, but for his master’s he was going for communications. And, of course, Iwaizumi is right. He doesn’t like his job. It just paid well for a job with a fresh non-STEM bachelor’s degree.

Oikawa just shrugs.

Iwaizumi rolls closer to him, invading his personal space, and fiddles with the mouse on his computer. It’s open to a document, so he saves it and shuts down the computer. “We’re going home. And your laptop is staying here. You’re taking tomorrow off. We both are.”

“I can’t do that.”

“I don’t give a fuck. If your manager has a problem with it, they can deal with your very angry best friend,” Iwaizumi declares. His eyes are bright and angry as he stuffs his trash in his takeout bag. “Home. Let’s go.” He extends a hand.

“Bossy Iwa-chan,” Oikawa pouts, but there’s no malice behind it.

There’s no energy for him to have any malice.

They make their way home not long after, and Iwaizumi forces Oikawa into bed, quoting something about “self-induced sleep deprivation” and “taking poor care of himself” and “going to collapse any second now.” To be one hundred percent fair, Iwaizumi is correct on all fronts, Oikawa admits. However, he’s fine. He’s dealt with way worse than this before.

Usually they watch shows out on the couch in the living room, but tonight Iwaizumi joins Oikawa in his bed, hip laptop resting on their thighs. Oikawa’s eyes are glazed over and he’s not really paying attention to the show that they’re watching, but Iwaizumi is warm under him and supports his weight on his shoulder.

As Oikawa’s eyelids start to droop around nine o’clock - the earliest he’s gotten to sleep in probably months - Iwaizumi pauses the episode they’re on and sets his laptop aside.

“Stay,” Oikawa murmurs. His sleep addled brain isn’t thinking, but he’s not willing to give up the warmth Iwaizumi is exuding, and that’s all he’s thinking about.

Iwaizumi is quiet for a moment, and Oikawa thinks he hears his heart rate increase. “...Okay. Let me get up and get changed quickly though, okay? I’ll come back.”

“Come back, Iwa-chan,” he mumbles as Iwaizumi man-handles him and moves out of the bed.

“I always do.”

Oikawa feels safe when he wakes.

His head is resting on Iwaizumi’s bare chest, and Iwaizumi’s arm is curled around him. Fondness blooms in his chest - he hadn’t expected him to stay the entire night, but he is still here, his face soft and content. After a glance at the clock on his bedside table, Oikawa sees that it’s just past nine in the morning. Twelve hours. That’s the most sleep I’ve gotten in half a year.

He reaches for his phone, careful not to jostle Iwaizumi too much. Of course, he finds that he has several texts and emails. The first is from his supervisor.

Received, 08:15: Where are you?

Received, 08:19: Oikawa

Nervous, he quickly types out an apologetic response. He’s usually in the office by seven fifty.

Delivered, 08:57: i will not be in today

Delivered, 08:57: my best friend is forcing me to take a day off. i’ll make up all of my work tomorrow.

Received, 09:01: Please put in a time off request next time.

Delivered, 09:02: yes sir

That’s one down. He sifts through the four emails waiting for him. Two of them are wanting project updates, one of them is out of network requesting info, and one of them is a morning update from an intern. He responds to the intern, thanking her for her work and telling her that he’ll be back tomorrow, and flags the project update requests to work on later. There are a few texts from some of his coworkers asking about him - he hasn’t missed a day of work in over a year - and one text from his mother asking how he is.

Received, 23:19: Hi Tooru, how are you? Iwaizumi-san said you’re working yourself really hard. Please take care of yourself and come visit soon. We miss you.

Delivered, 09:06: hajime is making me take the day off today. i’ll be okay.

Delivered, 09:06: i’ll try to come home soon

He’s about to answer one of the texts from his coworkers asking about a project when Iwaizumi sleepily plucks the phone out of his hand.

“Mine.”

“Hajime,” he whines softly. “Can I have my phone back?”

“You’ve already been doing work this morning, haven’t you?” he yawns.

“Maybe.”

“Then the phone is mine.” Iwaizumi stretches and ruffles Oikawa’s hair. “Let’s make breakfast, okay?”

“You’re being so sweet to me, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa teases. “How cute!”

Iwaizumi freezes for a nearly imperceivable moment and flushes slightly. “I just care about my best friend’s health, alright?”

“Aww, Iwa-chan does care!” Oikawa’s running on false energy and fake bravado that he doesn’t usually use around Iwaizumi, but he doesn’t do anything to stop it.

“Of course I do,” he replies quietly, but his voice sounds sad. Oikawa’s heart clenches. Iwaizumi walks out of Oikawa’s room wearing only a pair of sweatpants and makes his way to the kitchen, expecting Oikawa to follow.

Oikawa hops onto the counter as Iwaizumi gathers the ingredients for pancakes. “What are we doing today?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Iwaizumi responds as he measures out some flour. “You’re going to rest your mind and body because fuck knows you need it.”

“We could invite over Makki and Mattsun,” Oikawa suggests.

“They’re both working,” Iwaizumi says, not looking up from the ingredients he’s whisking together. “Today is about you, not Makki and Mattsun.”

“Okay.”

Oikawa’s head feels weird, kinda fuzzy around the edges, like it might burst at any second. He considers that this might be the first time in a long while that he’s had more than a second to just sit and be alone with his thoughts. He tilts his head side to side and thinks to himself that he feels a little bit like a bobble head. That’s probably not good. But if he tells Iwaizumi, then that’ll lead to a lot of fussing, and -

“What are you thinking about?”

“My head feels weird?” It comes out as a question.

“Weird full or weird dizzy or weird sad or?” Iwaizumi looks up from where he’s pouring the batter in the pan.

“I think all three,” he admits. “It’s just a lot.” The honesty in that statement hits him like a sucker punch, and he wants to take it back, now Iwaiz -

“How can I help?”

“You’re already doing more than enough,” he says with a weak smile.

Iwaizumi walks over to where Oikawa is perched on the counter and gets into his personal space, looking deep into his eyes.

“H-Hajime -”

“Don’t hide things from me, Tooru,” he says lowly, eyes big and searching.

“What if I don’t know what I’m hiding?” Oikawa’s breathing is harsh, but he tries to conceal how his heart is hammering in his chest. What the fuck? It’s just Iwaizumi.

“Then tell me when you figure it out.” He pulls away and returns to the pan.

Oikawa thinks he sees a light blush on Iwaizumi’s cheeks.

Later on in the day, they’re piled together on the couch as they play MarioKart. Oikawa is leaning most of his weight on Iwaizumi, and their legs are tangled together on the coffee table. A nearly-empty bottle of white wine and two glasses are sitting on the table. The visual scene is actually fairly serene, and both of them stay quite relaxed while playing. However -

“You fucking shit!”

“I’ve been betrayed, Iwa-chan!”

“You motherfucker!”

“HA! I won, Iwa-chan lost again!”

Iwaizumi drops his controller on his lap and rubs his knuckles into Oikawa’s hair a little rougher than is necessary. “Yeah, Tooru, you did. What track next?”

“Rainbow Road?”

“No, I hate Rainbow Road,” Iwaizumi complains but navigates the cursor to it anyways.

“You just hate it because you can’t win,” Oikawa laughs. “Anyways, the track itself is pretty.”

“Of course you care about the aesthetics.”

Oikawa scoffs. “Rainbow Road is for the gays, Iwa-chan!”

…

Shit.

That had slipped out by accident. Oikawa’s heart rate increases and his eyes go big as he meets Iwaizumi’s equally wide gaze. “I mean -”

“You’re -” Iwaizumi starts. “Are you gay?” Iwaizumi asks, a cautious note to his voice.

Oikawa averts his eyes. This isn’t how he wanted this to go. Shit. Fuck. FUCK. “Uh -” he stammers. “Y-yeah.” He looks away in shame and sets his controller on the table, ready to leave and hide in his room for the rest of the day.

“That’s fine,” Iwaizumi says simply.

“You… you don’t think it’s weird?”

Iwaizumi scrunches up his face. “Nah. I’m bisexual, so it’s fine. I’d… uh, actually been wondering recently.”

“About what?”

“Your... preferences.”

“Oh.”

The silence is tense, as both men are scared to breathe, as if the moment will shatter.

“Can we play the game?”

“Gay Road, coming up,” Iwaizumi jokes, hoping to break the tension as he passes Oikawa his controller.

Oikawa laughs, loud and full, hiding his face on Iwaizumi's shoulder. This feels right, he thinks.

Oikawa wins that race, as expected. Iwaizumi wins the two rounds after - Delfino Square and then Toad’s Factory. Oikawa whines about losing two in a row, so Iwaizumi picks Oikawa’s favorite track, DK Summit, which Oikawa then wins.

They trade on and off with picking tracks for a while, each winning roughly the same amount. Oikawa makes some commentary about some of the tracks, his tongue loosened by the alcohol and after coming out.

Daisy Circuit: “It’s a lesbian undercover hookup.” “Explain?” “All the Luigi shit is a lie to distract from what’s really going on. Don’t be thick, Iwa-chan. Daisy is a lesbian and this track is about the race to a secret hookup with her lover.” “Of course it is.”

Moo Moo Meadows: “The cows are homophobic.” “Huh?” “I’m gay and they’re being mean to me. Thus, homophobic. Honestly, not that difficult of a concept. A fucking cow just dropped me four places!” “The audacity.” “Right?”

Mushroom Gorge: “Do you think Goombas are allies?” “Considering they’re working against us, no?” “Fucking assholes.”

Peach Gardens: “The continued saga of the lesbian hookup!” “How on earth?” “Look at all the traps Peach has put out for anyone who isn’t her lover! Only her lover is meant to get through, and fuck knows no Italian plumber is gonna be able to do that shit.” “You’re right, that’s exactly the story here.” “Glad you can see reason, Iwa-chan!”

Moonview Highway: “Who the fuck put eighteen wheelers on this track?” “Uh… the designers, I think.” “Not the point! I’m gay, I can’t drive! That’s why I play MarioKart, but these fucking trucks are making it too real! What the fuck!” “Maybe drunk gays shouldn’t drive, then. I’ll be happy to take the win.” “Not a chance, Iwa-chan! And I’m not drunk, I’m just well tipsy!” (Oikawa was a terrible real driver, so Iwaizumi always drove them everywhere)

Mario Circuit: “I -” “This is a classic, what could you possibly have to say about this track?” “Mario is a jealous, possessive fuck. Look at all these billboards.” “You’re one to talk.” “You love meeeeeee!” “Mhmm, I do.”

They’re two-thirds finished with the second bottle of wine when Iwaizumi cuts them off with a laugh. “I think we’re done for tonight. We’re both playing terribly.”

Oikawa drapes himself over Iwaizumi dramatically. “But doesn’t that make it more fun?” He flashes a dazzling smile. Iwaizumi’s own soft smile falters for just a second, but then it’s back.

“Not when we’re both doing this badly. Let’s go to bed, Shittykawa.”

“Will you sleep with me again?” Oikawa asks without thinking.

Iwaizumi freezes. “Okay.”

A few days later, Oikawa arrives back at the apartment after work around six o’clock - damn near a record, he thinks - but the apartment is empty. There’s no volleyball practice tonight, and Iwaizumi should have gotten out of work over an hour ago, so Oikawa is understandably concerned.

He tries to put his concern aside and attempts to make dinner for them.

Iwaizumi walks through the door around eight o’clock, after the sun has set. “Hey.”

“Where were you?” he asks, offering a plate of food that’s now cold.

Iwaizumi accepts the food and goes to microwave it. He hesitates before answering. “I had some stuff on my mind, so I went for a drive.”

That sets off some red flags - Iwaizumi hasn’t gone driving in a long time, and he usually only goes driving when he’s feeling upset or overwhelmed.

“You want to talk about it?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m a big boy,” he jokes weakly. Oikawa notices that Iwaizumi’s dark circles have gotten worse, and his shoulders are hunched. To most people he’d probably look fine, but Oikawa can tell he’s a step away from being on the verge of tears.

“Please, Hajime, talk to me,” he begs.

Iwaizumi ignores the beeping microwave in favor of petting Oikawa’s hair gently. “I’m not okay, but I’ll figure it out, okay?”

“Let me make it okay.”

Iwaizumi laughs weakly and moves to get his food. “You can’t do that. Trust me. This is all on me.”

“Do you want to sleep in my bed with me tonight? You seem to sleep better there,” Oikawa offers, a strange fluttering feeling in his chest.

“No,” Iwaizumi responds, a bit too quickly. “I - I’ll be fine. But thank you, Tooru. You’re the best friend I could ask for.” He takes a bite of the food and tries to hide a grimace. “But I’ll keep cooking. Thank you for dinner, though.”

Oikawa doesn’t push it any further. Iwaizumi goes to bed right after he finishes eating, leaving no room for any further conversation.

Oikawa lays in bed for a while thinking about Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi has always told him whenever he’d be home late; he’s never just not sent him a text and come home that late. That was usually Oikawa’s move. And Iwaizumi had gone for a drive for all that time, which was another red flag. It’s been a few years since the last time Iwaizumi went driving, but Oikawa knows why he does. Iwaizumi had explained it at one time.

He’d said , “I dunno, I just find driving really relaxing. When I feel like everything in my life is really overwhelming and out of my control, when I’m driving, I’m in control of everything that happens to the car. It’s a bad thought, but I’m in control of whether or not I live or die when I’m behind the wheel. And when life’s getting to be overwhelming, I need to regain the control, I guess. There’s also the kind of melancholic euphoria is what I’d call it. It’s the feeling I get when I’m driving twenty-five above the speed limit on the freeway with the windows down, music loud, when I’m alone and sad and scared. Like, I’m going just fast enough to just barely scare myself into paying attention, and the wind and music are fun, and there’s a kind of melancholic overarching aura to the whole thing because I’m alone and sad in the first place. I don’t think it makes sense, but that’s why I drive when I’m overwhelmed and need to escape. I guess it’s self care.”

He thinks about the words and how they can apply to Iwaizumi now, but Iwaizumi hasn’t told him about anything going wrong or overwhelming him right now. Eventually, he gives up and succumbs to sleep.

Around midnight, just as Oikawa is on the verge of sleep, he hears Iwaizumi talking in his room. Confused, Oikawa pushes his covers back and treads over to the wall that separates their walls, and, indeed, Iwaizumi is talking, whether to himself or someone else. The words are muffled.

“Foolish… he’s not… And what if he thinks… Makki, I can’t… He doesn’t know. You know how… Yeah, uh huh. He’s been like this… it hurts. Hate seeing that… I don’t know how long I can do this… Running himself into… No, I… He’s too busy… just another burden on him… bullshit feelings… Fucking nine years, Makki, he doesn’t know… I’m hopeless… hurts… Whatever. Goodnight.”

Oikawa is still standing by the wall nearly three minutes later, trying to decipher what he’d heard, but none of the words are making sense together. Someone is hurting Iwaizumi, someone that means a lot to him, by the way Iwaizumi was talking. Iwaizumi hasn’t told him about anyone new, which means that he’s lying to Oikawa, a thought that makes his chest clench.

Whoever’s hurting Iwaizumi is going to regret the day they were born.

Oikawa regrets the day he was born.

Okay, maybe not that far back. Maybe just when he accepted his job from hell. That’s a bit better.

The following weeks pass in a blur of paperwork, emails, and assignments. He stops going to volleyball practice, which greatly upsets Iwaizumi and his coach, but he’s falling behind on both his work and his school work, so volleyball just doesn’t have a place in his life. Work has been getting worse as his supervisor adds more and more to his plate.

It’s the third night Oikawa spends overnight at the office that Iwaizumi demands he stand up to his supervisor and have some of his responsibilities taken off. Of course, Oikawa doesn’t, because he’s a loyal, dedicated corporate employee.

Iwaizumi has been a saint, and Oikawa thinks he probably couldn’t survive without his best friend. He makes sure that Oikawa eats at least one meal per day - a struggle, to say the least - and checks up on him multiple times per day to make sure he’s okay. Most nights, he’s still waiting up for him on the couch in the living room to ask how Oikawa’s day at work went, even if he doesn’t get home until eleven (usually Oikawa’s answer is “shitty but it’s whatever”). On Sundays - now Oikawa’s only “day off”, but he’s still on call - they usually stay in the apartment and watch movies together. Or, Oikawa naps on Iwaizumi’s lap while he watches a movie Oikawa chose.

As the weeks pass, Oikawa notices Iwaizumi’s energy depleting but doesn’t think much of it.

They obviously haven’t had much time to talk, but Oikawa knows that Iwaizumi’s been taking more hours at his own job. Iwaizumi isn’t going for his masters like Oikawa, so he’s at an entry level position at an architectural firm. Iwaizumi hasn’t talked about his own job in nearly a month, but last Oikawa heard, he enjoys it well enough.

He can’t think of any reason why Iwaizumi might be getting tired.

At least, not until he gets more information he probably wasn’t meant to have (it was an honest mistake, promise).

Oikawa gets home early one night, but the apartment is quiet. There’s a note on the kitchen table in Iwaizumi’s handwriting.

“If you get home before I get back, I’m out for a drive. I don’t have my phone on me. I’ll be home in a few hours. There’s some leftovers in the fridge. -Hajime”

The line that keeps repeating in his mind is “I don’t have my phone.”

Something’s very, very wrong with Iwa-chan.

The last time Iwaizumi went on a drive without his phone was during their first year of university, and it was probably the darkest time of his entire life. He only does that when he feels so out of control that he just wants to scare himself and disappear.

What’s happened that he’s not telling me?

Oikawa’s heart races and his breathing quickens as he dials picks a contact in his phone and presses call. Pick up pick up pick up.

“Yo.”

“Makki,” he all but croaks.

Hanamaki falters on the other end of the line, clearly picking up on Oikawa’s distress. “O-okay, uh, what’s up, Oikawa?”

“What’s wrong with Iwa-chan?”

“What do you mean?” there’s a certain tone to Makki’s voice that Oikawa picks up on. He knows something.

“He’s been driving again, Makki. He hasn’t done that in years. And I got home early, and he went out without his phone,” Oikawa says quickly. He feels like he’s overreacting, but, if he knows his best friend, Iwaizumi doesn’t get upset easily. This has been building for a long time. “He hasn’t done that in years. What happened?”

“I…” Makki pauses. “Fuck, Iwaizumi,” he swears to himself. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” Oikawa screeches.

“First, ouch, mind your voice. Second, I made a promise not to tell you,” he says. The emphasis is clear. “I won’t betray Iwaizumi’s trust, but I’m worried about him. It’s been eating him up.”

“Why me specifically?”

“It’s about you, Oikawa.”

And his world comes crashing down.

“What… what do you mean?” he asks weakly. His voice is faint and his throat feels like it’s closing up as he backs up and falls onto the couch before his legs give way.

Makki sighs. “You don’t realize how much that man cares for you. It’s going to kill him. He might’ve reached his breaking point. He’s been watching you tear yourself apart and it’s hurting him.”

“What?”

“Honestly, can you not say anything else?” Makki jokes. “I’m not going to say more, though. You need to talk to him about it.”

“I… I don’t understand,” Oikawa whispers, voice cracking.

“Shit,” he swears. “Don’t cry okay? He’ll be home soon enough, and you guys can talk about it.”

“Fuck, Makki,” he rasps.

At that moment, he hears a key in the door lock, prompting him to hang up the phone without even saying goodbye. He doesn’t even wipe away the tear tracks on his cheeks. The door swings open carefully, revealing a very dejected-looking Iwaizumi.

Oikawa supposes that this is what all these weeks have been leading up to. Iwaizumi’s back is hunched, his eye bags are abysmal, his spiky hair is even messier than usual, and his facial expression is barely holding it together. He’s wearing sweatpants and an old practice t-shirt. Iwaizumi doesn’t acknowledge Oikawa as he drags his feet into the kitchen and drops his keys. He crumples up the note he’d left and sighs deeply before running a hand through his hair.

Something is very, very wrong with Iwa-chan.

“Hajime?” he says quietly.

“Fuck!” Iwaizumi jumps violently and whips towards where Oikawa is sitting on the couch. “How long have you been there?”

“I’ve been home for like half an hour.”

Their eyes lock and realization dawns in Iwaizumi’s eyes. “I -”

“Hajime, we need to talk,” he says and nods towards the seat next to him.

“Uh - yeah,” Iwaizumi agrees, albeit somewhat reluctantly. “Have you been crying?”

“We’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you,” Oikawa says, haphazardly wiping at his cheeks. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”

“I’ll be fi -”

“Don’t pull that bullshit with me. You haven’t gone driving without your phone since the last time you were suicidal. Cut the shit, Hajime, and talk,” he snaps, eyes fiery. “You’ve never kept anything from me,” he continues, voice softer. “So why now?”

Iwaizumi pointedly doesn’t look at Oikawa, but thankfully doesn’t dance around the topic. He sighs. “I care a lot about you, Tooru.”

“Mhmm.”

“Like, it might kill me, how much I care about you,” he says cautiously. “And recently, you’ve been working yourself so hard, it’s been hurting you. And seeing you in such bad shape and knowing there’s nothing I can do to help except try to make sure you don’t die of starvation… It’s been killing me. I can’t stand to see you hurting.”

“But I haven’t been hurting,” Oikawa argues.

“Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

“Point taken, but I don’t understand why it’s so bad.”

“Fucking idiot, I’m in love with you,” Iwaizumi growls, but there’s no true bite. “Have been for like nine years or some bullshit. You own my heart, Tooru. You could throw it fucking whereever, and that’s where it would go, whether you’re aware of it or not. So, I mean, it’s bad enough to watch your best friend work himself into the ground and not be able to help it. But I’ve been trying my damndest to not let this goddamn crush get in the way of our friendship for so fucking long while still taking care of you because fuck knows you need it. You’re a fucking piece of work, you know that, right? But I can’t bear to lose you, Tooru, and you’ve never implied you want anything more, and we’ve always been friends, so… Uh secrets it is for me, I guess.”

Oikawa meets his eyes. “Fuck, Hajime. Fuck.”

Conflicted doesn’t begin to describe Oikawa at this moment in time. He’d be lying if he said he’d never thought about Iwaizumi in a romantic context before - on the contrary, it actually came to the forefront of his mind mildly frequently. Like, for example, how much he likes waking up in Iwaizumi’s arms, or how much he likes cuddling while they watch movies or while he naps on Sundays. Or, how they go out on what could be considered dates already. Before Oikawa’s job got insane, they’d go to dinner just the two of them at least once a week and spent tons of time together. An outsider would probably think they were boyfriends, he supposes. But on the flip side, dating friends is a double-edged sword. The possibility of ruining the friendship is very, very real, and is very, very, very scary. However -

“Jesus, Tooru, please say or do something else before I combust,” Iwaizumi begs, balling his fists in the hem of his t-shirt.

“How about this?” Oikawa asks before leaning in and pressing their lips together gently. Oh, and it is wonderful. Iwaizumi inhales sharply and kisses back more firmly, reaching up to cup Oikawa’s face with one hand. He tugs lightly on soft brown curls and runs his tongue along Oikawa’s lower lip, a small noise escaping his throat when Oikawa’s lips open for his tongue to slip through. The movements aren’t rushed or feverish. Everything is slow and sweet, just an exploration, as they pull each other closer, Oikawa eventually ending up on Iwaizumi’s lap.

Iwaizumi pulls back wetly. “Uh -” he starts. “Y-yeah, that works.”

“Iwa-chan, will you be my boyfriend?” Oikawa asks, heart pounding.

“Of course.”

Delivered, 21:33: hey makki it kinda worked out

Received, 21:34: Good. Deal with your own shit.

Received, 21:34: Happy for you guys

15 March, 15:45

To: Social Division Management

From: Oikawa Tooru

Subject: Project Division

Hello,

In light of some changes in my personal life and reasonable workload, I’m putting in a formal request to lessen my workload. Over the past six or so months, I’ve been putting in a massive number of hours in order to compensate for the workload for which I have been assigned. This was possible for a short term, but is no longer a possibility for me. In addition, it is not in my job description to be working overnight, over 40 hours, or past eight PM for general duties. My request is to either lessen my personal load or to have 3+ more interns assigned to my department exclusively.

Thank you,

Oikawa Tooru

Marketing Supervisor, Social Division

16 March, 10:13

To: Oikawa Tooru

From: Social Division Management

Subject: Re: Project Division

Oikawa,

We will work with upper management on finding a solution.

Social Division Management

[Time Request Off]

21 March

22 March

23 March

24 March

25 March

- APPROVED, SEE NOTE -

Note: Approved

“This is the first true vacation you’ve had since you started this job?”

“Yeah,” Oikawa replies, leaning into his boyfriend. The train rumbles underfoot. “Thank you for everything.”

“Thank you,” Iwaizumi whispers, punctuating each word with a gentle kiss to the tip of Oikawa’s nose.

“Dork,” Oikawa laughs, burying his head in Iwaizumi’s shoulder.

“A dork you love though, right?” Iwaizumi teases as he drops his head on top of Oikawa.

“Always.”

#my writing #iwaoi #iwaoi fanfic #oikawa tooru #iwaizumi hajime #light angst #they're both suffering #friends to lovers #hq #hq fanfic #haikyuu!!#haikyuu!! fanfic #tooru oikawa #hajime iwaizumi #iwaizumi x oikawa

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thesportssoundoff · 5 years

Text

10 Under The Radar Free Agent Options (for when the Yankees decide to get cheap again)

With free agency getting closer and closer, Yankees fans are dreaming about Thanksgiving dinners headlined by Gerritt Cole signings, Anthony Rendon level flirtations and a Francisco Lindor level trade. The reality figures to be a TOUCH smaller than that unfortunately. The Yankees may make one big move and go "all in" but the idea that they're going to open the floodgates and turn into the Yankees who spent to win in the mid 2000s is probably off base. What's most likely is that they'll make a big splash early (Paxton in 2018, Stanton in 2017) and then calmly tiptoe through the offseason making sound decisions and occasionally flirting with a big name here or there. Remember that the Yankees two best signings, at least offensively, were financially sound and prudent depth moves that paid off big time in the long run with Gardner (1/10) and DJ LeMahieu (2/24). The Yankees do not have a bushel of needs to be filled outside of a starter, maybe another bullpen arm and some sort of solution on the infield. They do have some wants though and maybe these players will prove to be affordable wants who wind up filling needs down the line.

1. Cole Hamels, Chicago Cubs Will be 36

7-7 3.81 ERA 141.2 innings pitched 117 ERA+ 1.391 WHIP 9 H/9 3.6 BB/9 9.1 K/9

Why: Was apparently the back up option if the Yankees couldn't secure a deal with Toronto for J.A. Happ in 2018. Hamels has a proven playoff pedigree, has the prototypical fifth starter make up (gritty innings eater who survives with declining stuff) and the Yankees tend to prioritize left handed pitching given that the Redsox tend to be historically loaded up on lefties. The Yankees just lost CC Sabathia who clearly had a role as a veteran left hander who was capable of getting a competitive start each time out. Seems open and receptive to a one year deal.

Why Not: I mean they DID choose J.A Happ over him for a reason. Hamels, like Happ, was somewhat inconsistent in the juiced ball era with elevated contact rates (despite a lower home run per 9 innings than the four years prior) and elevated walk rates. Hamels has not thrown for 200 innings since 2016 and went for under 150 innings pitched in two of the last three seasons. Soft tossing (by today's standards) flyball pitchers tend to not do so hot in Yankee stadium.

2. 1B Eric Thames, Milwaukee Brewers Will Be 33

.247/.346/.505 25 HR 61 RBI 51 BB 140 K's 117 OPS+

Why: The Yankees have a potential opening for a platoon 1B who can mash righties and Thames had that going for him (.254/.348/.529 slugging for a 131+ OPS). He's got a sweet swing for NYS and would help balance a Yankees line up in serious need of a masher from the left side. Veteran lefty pop for a small fee would be insanely valuable for a Yankees team in need of more power from that side (with Didi likely gone). Has made spot appearances as an outfielder as well.

Why Not: Is he too much of a three outcome hitter (K, BB or HR) for a team loaded up with three outcome hitters? A nonstarter vs left handed pitching limits his appeal. Not a good fielder in the slightest. A poor defensive fit for 1st base or the outfield so he values more as a lefty DH type. Isn't this Mike Ford's job to be for a smidgen of the price?

3. (S)RP Drew Pomeranz, Milwaukee Brewers Will Be 31

2-10 4.85 ERA 104.2 innings pitched 88 ERA+ 1.433 WHIP 9.1 H/9 3.8 BB/9 11.9 K/9

Why: Completely rebuilt himself as a specialist out of the Brewers bullpen, racking up a cool .141 average against and a sparkling 2.39 ERA out of the pen. Could be a lefty specialist weapon to save the likes of Britton from making an early appearance. Reinvted himself in Milwaukee as a power pitcher out of the bullpen and curtailed his walk rate with a new pitch mix. Has been AT TIMES a successful starting pitcher in a pinch.

Why Not: Are you willing to invest 5-10 million dollars on 32 some odd innings of work? Has struggled in the past with walks although it was slightly less of an issue as a bullpen piece. Pomeranz has a continued issue with home runs even out of the bullpen (17 home runs in 77 innings as a starter, 4 in 26 innings as a bullpen arm).

4. C Alex Avila, Arizona Diamondbacks Will Be 33

.207/.353/.421 9 HR 24 RBI 36 BB 88 K's 100 OPS+

Why: Avila is an established name at catcher who has settled into a back up catcher role. Big OPB bat with a 17% walk rate last year for the D-Backs. Another lefty who hits righties well (near .800 OPS). Could provide a reliable back up and a mentor for Gary Sanchez. Not Sanchez-esque with his arm strength but has proven to be tough to run on.

Why Not: Has been on a steady decline since around 2016 both on offense and defense. Doesn't hit for much power or average. A step down from former back up Austin Romine.

5. IF Wilmer Flores, Arizona Diamonds Will Be 28

.317/.361/.487 9 HR 37 RBI 31 BB 15 K's 118 OPS+

Why: Across the last two seasons, he's played 2nd, 3rd and 1st. Has played shortstop in the past as well. Coming off a career year in Arizona with a career high 118 OPS+, average and slugging. A high contact hitter who could potentially alleviate the overreliance on mashers/deepen the line up at the bottom of the order. Already used to the platoon infielder role with limited starts so there wouldn't be an adjustment period. Also let's not forget that Flores was a Met for five seasons and understands the demands of playing baseball in NYC.

Why Not: Has not played shortstop since 2016 and that would probably be the only spot he would see consistent time at. Flores has not been as good defensively as he was in the past and may be on the decline from a defensive standpoint. How much of his offense is courtesy of the juiced ball era and if they deaden the balls, will he turn back into a below average hitter?

6. IF Eric Sogard, Tampa Bay Rays Will Be 34

.290/.353/.437 13 HR 40 RBI 38 BB 63 K's 116 OPS+

Why: Another versatile all contact bat who can pinch hit across a variety of locations. Could provide a more experienced version of Tyler Wade in terms of versatility and the ability to play for contact. Was really good with consistent playing time for the Rays. He's coming off his career best offensive season which when combined with his versatility and ability to chip in at a number of spots, the Yankees would be wise to poke around. Also it's another lefty bat who could balance this lineup that right now features righties Giancarlo Stanton, DJ, Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez.

Why Not: Primarily a contact guy with a career high 13 HRs this season. He doesn't hit for much power and doesn't really walk much either, painting a similar picture to what the Yankees have with Thairo Estrada. He's never been necessarily reliable for a full season. He might actually go from affordable to expensive for his skill set given that bad teams are going to try to sign him so they can flip him in July.

7. SP Brett Anderson, Oakland A's Will Be 32

13-9 3.89 ERA 176 innings pitched 1.307 WHIP 9.3 H/9 2.5 BB/9 4.6 K/9

Why: If the Yankees are god fearing about flyball contact then a guy with top 10 groundball rates might be of great interest to them. A left handed pitcher who could bounce between a long relief role or a spot starter job for this team. He had a 3.22 ERA away from Oakland so maybe leaving the Coliseum can further unlock Anderson's value.

Why Not: Always be wary of the dudes who are coming off career years that aren't THAT impressive. As such, Anderson with his somewhat questionable stuff coming off a career year might be a risky venture. His 176 innings were a career high and he's been oft injured since 2016. Is he any better than J.A. Happ as a #5 guy? Do you want to progress stop on Jordan Montgomery?

8. IF/OF Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs Will Be 39

Why: A reliable professional hitter who doesn't K much and draws plenty of walks. Outside of one season, he's played in 125 games or more for eight straight seasons.

Why Not: Approaching 40 years of age off a shortened season and has an OPS+ under 100 in 2 of the past three years. You figure at some point he is bound to decline and lose value. While he's versatile, it is worth noting that Zobrist doesn't play SS or CF aka the two spots the Yankees figure to have the most available PT at.

9. IF Brad Miller, Philadelphia Phillies Will Be 30

.260/.329/.565 13 HR 25 RBI 15 BB 45 K;s 125 OPS+

Why: A super versatile handyman who can play across a variety of spots. Has seen time at shortstop where the Yankees could use some help. Coming off a really great September where maybe something unlocked for him offensively.

Why Not: I mean the Yankees had him once. He was in their farm system as a veteran hand in case of emergency to start 2019 and then they dealt him away once Gio Urshela proved to be legitimate. He's a career journeyman type who bounces around and is wholly unreliable to stick. Most of his damage as a hitter was done in September (.327/.339/.800 (!) with 8 HRs) so he's probably just riding a hot streak as a hitter. Has been all downhill offensively since 2016 when he hit 30 home runs for Tampa.

10. IF Brock Holt, Boston Red Sox Will Be 32

.297/.369/.402 3 HR 31 RBI 28 BB 57 K's 101 OPS+

Why: Another chess piece who plays a variety of spots and another left handed bat who can add some depth to a righty happy Yankees lineup. A consistent .275 to .290-ish hitter if batting average is your deal. Lauded in Boston for being a big community guy and clubhouse glue type.

Why Not: You probably have to pay a Yankees tax to get him to leave Boston. Has truly no pop whatsoever and in terms of impact, he's a long ways away from his cameo as an All Star back in 2016. Has had issues with injuries recently.

#Yankees #MLB #Thames #Hamels #Anderson #under the radar

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b00bconnoisseur · 6 years

Text

60 questions for @not-my-brain

1. selfie.......Ugghhhh ok. Imma take one rn

Ok here u go (yes thats a bmth shirt)

2. what would you name your future kids?.....Ooo hmmm well when i was a kid i really liked the names disney, and mesiah. I didn't know at the time that mesiah was another name for god i think lol. I liked it cause of handlers mesiah. I still do. Ooo and maybe Tj too

3. do you miss anyone?......Yeah. My friends on Pinterest from a year ago. My friend lucas. Stan lee. Bob ross. My cousin who died from cancer some years ago. Snape. Sirius. Lupin. Tonks. Dobby. *continues to name every unfortunate death in hp*

4. what are you looking forward to?.......SE-YA next month!! Its the south eastern young adult festival at this college. You can have meet n greets with authors and alot of stuff its the besstttt

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?......DEFINATELY. @dirtysocke @mysisterlooksforthisaccountsobye @cristal-kyd1280 @sammchenry my friend lucas and @septembersbloom. ^^

6. is it hard for you to get over someone?..... What like...romantically? Or like a death? If romantically uhhh idk it took over a couple weeks but im ok now. Ive never had another relationship so idk. If death oof yeah idk maybe. Ig it depends on how much i knew them idk. Like when my nanny (great grandma) died i was sad for days (is that alot?)

7. what was your life like last year?.....Sucky af. Still is. But the highlights of my life last year was getting and making friends on tumblr, going to the tøp concert and going to warped tour, volunteering at the library, going to seya and meeting some of my favorite authors, reading, changing and improving my art, listening to all the bands i listen to now, getting into more fandoms, going to a friends house for the first time

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?.......Yes lol. Some years ago when i couldn't find smtn id be so annoyed and pissed id start crying. I dont now but still lol

9. who did you last see in person?.......Hm ig family doesn't count....? Wait do u mean a friend? If so uhh my friends rebekah, anika, and Judah at a TAB meeting at the library sometime last month.

10. are you good at hiding your feelings?......I think so? Like i mean I can hide whenever i get my....time of the month from my mom (talking abt stuff like that with her makes me uncomfortable) and i hid a breakup. And other p big stuff too. So imma say yeah

11. are you listening to music right now?........*pops on earbuds after reading this* yee im listening to bitch lasagna by pewdiepie xD (do i have the best spotify playlist or what?)

12. what is something you want right now?.......To hug @mysisterlooksforthisaccountsobye but SOMEONE has to live so far away

13. how do you feel right now?........Happy that my earbud still works cause they got washed in the wash yesterday....oops. Its not my fault. I told my dad to remind me to take it out of my jacket pocket before they threw it in but noooooo he forgot

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?.......Uhhhhh fuck idk it was probably from my lil 4 yr old bro sometime last week. Other than him (hes my favorite sibling) i dont let them hug me too much

15. personality description.......Nerdy. Fangirl. "Emo". Tomboy. Hotsause obsessed. Book lover. Music lover. Black. Blue. Harry potter. Introvert. Fall. Sports. Values friendship. Loyal. Uhhhh i cant think of much lol

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?.......*sigh* yes. Yes yes yes. Theres some things abt me, or my life really, that i havent told anyone on here or my irl friends that i sooooo want to so bad but i haven't cause i feel like they'd feel bad and pity me and i don't want that

17. opinion on insecurities........I dont really understand this one. Everyones insecure abt something. Is this askin like if i think its ok or not? I say its ok. Im insecure about literally everything about me. My face. My personality. My socialness. My art. What i do. What i say. Basically my whole body. The things i feel good abt are my books, music taste, and my friends (ily fuckers)

18. do you miss how things were a year ago?.........Hmm this time around a year ago....idk its sorta the same but all the stuff i mentioned abt my year from last year didn't happen yet so nah tho my life sucks rn its better than this time last year

19. have you ever been to New York?........Nooo but i want too soo baddd i wanna visit @septembersbloom !! Im coming for ya soon gramps *does the eye watching thing* my dads been to nyc before tho cause he does construction and he had a concrete job to do there. It was a 23 hr drive for him

20. what is your favourite song at the moment?........Uhhh idk!!! So hard! Maybe.....the whole thats the spirit album by bmth ;)

21. age and birthday?.....15 yrs of age and September 27th 2003 (whats yours brainy? I'll put it on my calendar)

22. description of crush......Its weird idk im not sure if its a genuine crush or not but uh....They like hp :).Thats all u get

23. fear(s).......Losing my best friend @dirtysocke and my other friends. Death. Failure. Momo chasing after me then killing me slowly keeping my eyes open to look her dead in the eyes while i die

24. height......5'6 call me short and I'll fuck u up with THIS *pulls out trusty potato peeler named now steve* dont test me boi

25. role model......Hhhhhhhh so many! But uh gosh one of them is @superraedizzle (youtuberrrr) and vexx and bob ross and da vinci and aaaaaaa so many

26. idol(s)......First person that immediately comes to mind is @sammchenry cause he's super cool and he's really nice and his art's reallyyy good (if u havent seen it w-w-what are u even doin with your life?) And he has a great sense of humor and *continues to ramble about why samms the best*

27. things i hate.......Dabs. Transphobes. Homophobic ppl. Basically any hate on the lgbtq+ community. Bullies. The ship starker. Umbridge. Snape haters

28. i’ll love you if….....U you'll eat pizza, draw, and rp harry potter with mee

29. favourite film(s)......Fantastic beasts. Every hp film. Twilight. The maze runner 1-2. The hunger games. Spiderman homecoming. Kingsman: secret service. Into the spideyverse tho i havent seen it yet

30. favourite tv show(s)......Inkmasterrrrr. B99. The mick. The middle. Uhhh idk mostly ink master xD

31. 3 random facts........Ive never had shrimp. I had a beta fish for over a year once. Im eating pizza crust rn

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys?.......G i r l s. I have all girl friends irl and one boy. And on tumblr it seems like i just meet girls? Likei agree with @cristal-kyd1280 its like alot more gals then dudes here. But i do have some guy friends on here too. But mostly girls

33. something you want to learn.......TO DRAW ANATOMY DAMMIT

34. most embarrassing moment........Every moment of my lifes an embarrassing moment. Idk of i can pick a "most" embarrassing one. But one time i i sent my crush (now ex bf) a hey fuckface and like some hearts or whatever for an ask game that meant like "i have a crush on u" "youre adorable" etc and said Hewo but i did it all anonymously. But he confronted me askin if i sent it cause im the only person he knows that actually says hewo lol. Then later on i finally admitted i really liked him and well y'all know the story after i think. Unless you're new

35. favourite subject.......A R TTTT OFC

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?........meet my friends on tumblr. Get into mtsu (college i wanna go to) and study art. And go skydiving

37. favourite actor/actress........favorite actor uhhhhhh probably thomas brodie sangster or tom felton and my favorite actress? Hmmm idk maybe evanna lynch (luna lovegood)

38. favourite comedian(s).......probably kevin hart lol he's p funny

39. favourite sport(s)........basketballllllll and football

40. favourite memory........uhhhhh idk?? One oh my favorite memories was when we went to see tøp in concert

41. relationship status.....single as a pringle

42. favourite book(s)......harry potter and the order of the pheonix. Harry potter and the half blood prince. Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda. Divergent. Maze runner. Twilight. Fangirl. Fallen. Red queen

43. favourite song ever.......TOO HARD DONT MAKE ME CHOOSEEEEEE

44. age you get mistaken for.........16 and 17 sometimes lol

45. how you found out about your idol........i was watching someone on yt and superraedizzle always poped up in my feed and my mom turned on one of her vids cause she always saw her vids too now ive seen most of em i love her. Id heard of vexx but never watched him and i was watching a collab from anthony miller art and shrimpy and i checked out shrimpys channel and was lookin at comments and alot of ppl said his art is like vexxs so i checked out vexx. At first i was like eh ok. Now i cant click fast enough when he posts a vid. And i actually fpund out about bob ross from my grandpa on jan 20 2017 when trump was getting sworn in or whatever. We turned on pbs and my grampa told me to look and bob ross was on and i was IN. I loved it. I even started watching full episodes on YouTube of the joy of painting after that. Wonderful man. My first painting i ever did i think was when i followed one of his tutorials xD (i didnt know it was popular at the time)

46. what my last text message says......."ok your turn"

47. turn ons.....uhh nerds ig idk um book lovers, music lovers, art lovers, potterheads, idk and nice ppl

48. turn offs......jerks. Homophobia. Idk ig whatever i said in things i hate

49. where i want to be right now......uhhhh idk wait didn't i already answer this? Ok this ones different ig so uhh with my friend lucas

50. favourite picture of your idol.....oh shit...favorite? Idk xD i have a fave of vexx but not of rae or bob. But heres pics of them any way

51. starsign......a libraaaaa boiii

52. something i’m talented at......drawing and speed reading. Thats about it lol. Oh and procrastina

53. 5 things that make me happy.......ooooo art, my friends here on tumblr, books, harry potter, and music ^^

54. something thats worrying me at the moment.....if my friend thinks im being annoying

55. tumblr friends......hhhhh so manyyyyyy. @dirtysocke @mysisterlooksforthisaccountsobye @cristal-kyd1280 @chinesewaffles2 @kingantlion @queen-baelin @sammchenry @septembersbloom and more

56. favourite food(s)......green beans, pepperoni pizza, and vanilla madelines

57. favourite animal(s).......basically any reptile. Puppies. Cats. Any animal really but my #1 are snakes

58. description of my best friend.....well she's a tiny bean (5 feet) and she has dark hair, she wears glasses, she doesnt take shit, she's in love with Josh dun, she's awesome, funny, nice (YES youre nice jackie) and shes the best friend ive ever had. Oh. And she has a weird obsession with spaghetti

59. why i joined tumblr.......well i heard abt it on Pinterest over a year ago but didnt want it. Then @mrfastbass-deactivated20181231 on DeviantArt said he got tumblr so i made one then followed him and figured id just post art and that's it cause i thought tumblr was boring as hell when i first got it. Now im p much obsessed with it

60. ask me anything you want.......go ahead brainy shoot. Give me smtn good

#my face #mutual peeps #not-my-brain #asks #60 questions

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pastelbatfandoms · 5 years

Text

Get to know my character

I am using My Character From My ‘The Flash’ Fan Fic ‘Wells of Hearts’

01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded? It’s My middle name so no there’s no Symbolism there lol 02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness? Her powers and trying not to use them after what happened with The Rogues and later when she joins back up with Reverse Flash. Also her love for Eobard which he has been able to use more times then she can count. 03. What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves? Her long Reddish Brown hair and Dynamic Eyes. 04. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical) Harry-His Intelligence and she also likes his Moodiness,she thinks it’s hot. When it’s not directed at her of course.

Eobard-His Intelligence and The fact that he’s a Time Traveler she can learn alot from him and he’s a surprisingly Patient teacher.

HR-His Writing Skills and the fact that he can make her laugh and gives good advice.

Physically-Have you seen them?! I mean Harry and HR are Doppelgangers of each other so of course there both Handsome.

But Harry has a more Mature look about him whereas HR’s is more Carefree and Cool. Eobard as both Harrison and himself exudes a Charm and Dark Charisma that is very Sexy. Plus that Smile and those looks!

05. Are they sexually confident or more of the shy type? Confident 06. Do they have any hobbies that their lover finds unusual, odd, or otherwise annoying? No,I mean they have some pretty unusual quirks themselves,So I don’t think they’d notice. 07. Is there a catchphrase or sound that they tend to make a lot (likely without being aware of it)? No 08. What is, perhaps, their biggest flaw? Are they aware of this or oblivious to it? I mean Her Emotions are probably one of them but she is learning to control them,with help. 09. Do they have a favorite season? What about a favorite holiday? Her favorite Holiday is Christmas and by association Winter. Since that is when HR gave her their first Kiss underneath the mistletoe. Yes She notices the ironic parallel between liking Christmas and The Reverse Flash.

10. Is your character more feminine or masculine? Feminine but she can still kick ass! 11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage? um being Influenced to do so lol Also Eobard dying on her...again. 12. Is there some particular talent, skill, or attribute that they simply could not give up? Well Renee has given up her Powers before or dampened them. So I don’t think that would be one of them... 13. What are your character’s sleeping habits? Heavy or light sleeper? Blanket stealer? One that always rolls onto the floor? Pushes their lover onto the floor? Sleep talker or walker? She’s a heavy sleeper unless she’s had a Nightmare,she’s more of a Cuddler unless it’s too hot. 14. Do they live alone or with family? How do they feel about their family/roommates? Joe adopted her around the same time he Adopted Barry,so they,including Iris,all grew up together. She Moved out after College on her own until She met Eobard Thawne then in the guise of Harrison Wells and moved in with him,much later she moved in with Both Harry and HR,after HR Died She Married Harry and moved to be with him on Earth 2. 15. Is there a certain person in this world that they cannot stand? The very mention of this person’s name makes them tremble with anger or fear. Sometimes Eobard. But despite everything she still loves him. Not many others though,no. Maybe Savitar. 16. Is your character the athletic type or more of a couch potato? What are some sports/games that they like? 17. Does your character have dreams of getting married and/or having children? She is Married,as for Children. Maybe someday,she is now a Step Mom to Jessie. 18. What kind of home would they want to live in? Where would they place this abode? Anywhere she can be happy. But preferably someplace Nice and Clean. 19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily? Depends on who she’s fighting with. But she’s pretty headstrong and Stubborn like Harry (which is probably why they got into so many rows when they first met.) So she tends to not back down from a fight and can hold her own,she also does not let things go easily. 20. Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures? 21. What is one of your character’s biggest fears? How would they react when dealing with this fear? That Eobard has been Manipulating her this entire time and truly doesn’t love her,despite his countless words to the contrary,maybe someday he’ll take her to the past and show her...Also losing Harry like she lost HR. 22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have? Her Eyes that look like an incoming storm when she’s angry and has her powers,also the white streak she gets in her hair once she’s changed into Obsidian Storm. 23. What is your character like when it comes to school? What subjects are they good/bad at? Do they get in trouble a lot or are well behaved? She’s well past School but when she was in College she took Journalism,Fashion and Graphic Design. Afterwards of which She was introduced to Harrison Well and joined Star Labs becoming there Costume Designer and Specializing in Facial Recognition. 24. In their own words, how would your character describe what their lover is like? Just go to these links to See My Headcanons for Eobard and Harry on that. I will be doing one for HR soon. 25. Is there something traumatic from your character’s past that greatly affects them even to this day? Knowing that Eobard killed Barry’s Mother while Barry and herself where in the house still upsets her besides the fact that her Father died in the fire that started in the house and Her Mother died in a Car Accident A month before. Renee was also in the car but was saved by a Mysterious Figure that she thought had been her Father but later learned it wasn’t. 26. What is their lover like sexually? How do they feel about their lover’s quirks, needs, etc? Again see the links above. 27. If your character was going to get arrested, what would be the most likely reason for it? um doing what Villains do. lol She is not innately a Villain but she given the right Push,like Joining The Rogues after Eobard died or Joining The Legion of Doom to BE with Eobard,she can be. 28. If your character became a celebrity, what would they be famous for? Fashion Design 29. What is one of the most courageous things your character has ever done for a loved one? Almost Dying. 30. When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like? Pop Art,Action Movies,Oldies,Anything Fun or Classy looking. 31. Would your character be the kind capable of killing? Would they enjoy killing or only use it when necessary or, perhaps, refuse to kill no matter what? If she was Obsidian Storm yes. To protect those she loved,and only if she felt she had to. 32. If your character’s lover offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do? Eobard-A Fancy Restaurant all over the world. Harry-A Romantic Dinner at Home. HR-A Coffee Shop then maybe Big Belly Burger afterwards. 33. If your character wanted to be alone, where would they go? The Woods or Eobard Thawne’s Time Vault. which has become less and less of a Secret now. 34. Does your character have favorite foods? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, etc) Big Belly Burger of course! lol Coffee,Salads,Italian Food. 35. Is your character afraid of death? If they got to choose how to die, how would they want to go? Not Anymore. She would like to die with a loved one or risking her life for someone. 36. Does your character have any medical conditions? Are they serious or minor? Do they affect their day to day life? No 37. What are some of your character’s pet peeves? What are some things that annoy them or disgust them? Being Lied to. Fickleness,being Elitists,Judgmental. 38. What kind of weather does your character like? Cloudy skies, rainy days, sunshine, etc? Anything that can make a Thunderstorm. 39. When people look at your character, is there some assumption they might make about them just by appearance? Is that assumption correct? That they’re Naive or too forgiving. They might be right about the latter. 40. Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, past times, music, etc that they wouldn’t want known by others? Wouldn’t want known? um no she has no secrets of her own,anymore. 41. Does your character’s family affect your character in any way? They can be a bit too brusque in there handling of certain situations or a bit too selfish at times. But Renee knows it’s only out of love and protectiveness. Especially Joe and Barry. 42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change? Turning her back on Team Flash to join The Rogues. Currently,lying to them about working with Eobard again. 43. Does your character have a switch that changes aspects of their personality whether they are around friends, family, etc. Is there someone who gets to see their true self? 44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character? I think she’s already been through most of them. But of course if something ever happened to Harry,Joe or Team Flash... 45. Is your character the kind to hide their true emotions or do they wear their heart on their sleeve? heart on their sleeve.

46. What is some random affectionate thing that your character always does to their lover? She loves going behind and planting a kiss on their cheek with her arms around there neck. As Harrison, Eobard loves this unless he’s in Reverse Flash mode,cause then it’s business time. Same goes for Harry,when he’s working. HR on the other hand doesn’t mind at all! 47. Is your character outgoing? Would they be the leader of the friend group, or the quiet one that gets dragged along? A bit of both,depends on her mood. 48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious? Her Men being Flirted with or doing the flirting...EoWells.... 49. What is something that your character has nightmares about? Are these frequent? Do they heavily affect your character’s mood? She used to have Nightmares after finding out Harrison was Reverse Flash and again after he died,turns out those weren’t dreams. 50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say? Thawne would Smirk and respond back in kind,he of course already knew it,you were destined he was just waiting on you. Harry would be surprised at first but give him awhile and he would warm up to it. HR would love it,he’d be giddy and respond with a kiss.

#fanfic survey #the flash fanfiction #my oc stuff

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