#i was this close to becoming a baseball fan because of this show

[sharkikive]

Ken Sato with a supermodel!reader pls pls pls

Like they're dating in secret but accidentally reveals their situation and their fans go wild

OMG sure! Sorry this took time for me to write and I really do hope you'll like it <3

runway to your heart (ken sato x supermodel!fem!reader)

Summary: A baseball player and a supermodel, both celebrities in their respective fields. A relationship that had to be kept under wraps.

It was supposed to be a secret... until it wasn't.

Word count: 6,913

CW: Fluff, slightly suggestive (he def talks you through it), Ken Sato being the boyfriend of the year

A/N: I tried my best in writing this because I am not familiar with both fields (baseball and modelling) so here you go! This was purely out of my own imagination and is very, very self-indulgent because damn, who wouldn't want Ken Sato in their life? Rich, soft spoken, a good father, and the list goes on. Hope you enjoy this one just like how I kicked my feet every single time Ken becomes THE boyfriend.

***

Cheers erupted throughout the whole stadium and through the speakers, mixing in with the noise in the dressing room.

Hair rollers tucked in, brush with powder dancing across your face, and a neutral expression to let the makeup artist do his magic. Your eyes dutifully closed as the artist worked on your eyelids, but your ears got sharper to hear the conversations around you.

You knew who the main topic in the room would be, and that was the man that had just scored another point in the game on screen.

“Oh God,” you heard one of your model colleagues groan. “Ken Sato is too attractive. Look at that smile, that body-” she stopped talking and addressed you next. “Y/N, isn’t Ken Sato so handsome? Imagine being his girlfriend. That would be a-ma-zing.”

Your eyes were still closed and you hummed an immediate reply. “He’s okay. I’ve seen better and-” You opened your eyes when the makeup artist told you that he’s done with your eyes. “He seems like a cocky bastard.”

Your colleague, Hina, gave an exaggerated gasp as she heard your reply. “You did not just say that about Ken Sato. If he isn’t your type, I wouldn’t know who else would be able to satisfy you. He is the most sought-after man.”

You shrugged. “You never know. Maybe I like a single dad who has to raise a kid on his own, with him himself having daddy issues.”

Hina narrowed her eyes at you suspiciously, before prancing over and stared at you. “You know that whatever you described was very specific? Y/N,” she said, almost quietly, “are you seeing someone?”

“Yeah, I’m seeing you, Hina.”

She clicked her tongue. “You know, you always answer so smartly. One day, Y/N, I will discover your secret!”

You chuckled, watching as Hina got dragged by the stylist, prepping her to get her up to the runway. Your turn was still a long way to go, so you were left with your hair held up by rollers, while your eyes caught a notification on your phone. You read the notification and smiled, but quickly returned to a neutral expression.

The message read: It’s another win for us tonight, baby. Can’t wait to see you after this. Good luck for your show today, and break a leg. I know you’ll do great.

You typed in a reply, quickly snapping a picture of your prepped face and sending it over to the recipient. You weren’t even able to put down your phone when the next reply came in the next second.

You swore, this person could make you smile without even knowing, which could be a very risky thing considering the nature of both of your relationship.

Looking gorgeous as always, baby. The text message read. I really am the luckiest man to have you.

You put down your phone as your name was called over; your turn was approaching fast. You were practically floating around from one point to another, having different hands adding last-minute touch ups.

The line was moving fast before it was your turn, and you could see that every one of the models who finished their turn returned with a grim look on their faces backstage. You looked at the small entrance, and when you spotted Hina, you quickly signaled for her to come over.

“Was the runway condition that bad?” you whispered to her, whose hair was going in different directions at once.

“They said they wanted to simulate an ‘extreme condition’ on the runway, right?” She did quotation marks.

You nodded, agreeing to her. “Yeah.” You inched up the line. “The theme for today’s show is extreme weather.”

Hina exhaled slowly as she attempted to fix her hair. “All I can say is that they managed to replicate it well.” She shook her head. “Good luck, Y/N. You’ll need it.”

You turned your head back to the front, your turn coming closer as the models in front of you went out to continue the show. It was a rapid show, where you finally had your turn right after Hina disappeared behind a row of clothes.

You understood what Hina meant as soon as one foot was out from behind the scenes. The runway was boxed within a transparent glass, protecting the simulation from the audience.

From years of experience, you put on your best face before walking down the runway, doing your best in showing off the collection.

You were sure they were trying to imitate a blizzard, but the worst they could offer to models wearing heavy dresses and high heels. You saw the model in front of you fall first, the strong winds knocking her back before as she couldn’t fight it back.

One rule on the runway: you keep on walking, no matter the condition. Walk over your fellow models, maintain your expression and show off what you have. It’s an unapologetic world out here.

But that’s exactly the reason why you’re known as the rule breaker around here.

While maintaining your face, you did a show of reaching out to the fallen model, helping her up to let her continue, but you figured this time around, being a rule breaker did have its consequences.

You knew the fallen model; she considered herself as your rival, always trying to one up you in every single aspect. Every, single, aspect including boasting about having a ‘sweetheart’ while you don’t.

Your rival, Mei, quickly took this as a chance to get back at you and embarrass you in front of the audience. She accepted your hand at first, but you realised that she was pulling you down instead of pushing herself up. Not enough with it, she added an extra push, disguised under the pretext of accepting your help to get up.

You were thrown to the side, and coupled with the condition on the runway, you almost tumbled off the path. Luckily, you managed to break the fall but as you landed sideways, you could feel the bruise forming near your right ankle. You cursed silently as you saw Mei picking herself back up and smirking in a split second before strutting away, leaving you stranded.

You knew no one was going to help you up as long as the show was on, so you braced yourself while continuing. Throughout the whole show, you managed to finish without breaking rhythm. You didn’t let the pain hinder you, although all you wished to do was to be lying down, giving your body a much needed rest.

Backstage after the end of the show, your manager, a sweet woman in her 40s, quickly rushed to you. A single mother of 2, Ms. Tornado as you’d like to call her, as she always seemed like she was caught up in something chaotic. She fussed over you, but you quickly brushed her away.

”Ms. Tor,” you cooed, hiding the pain with a calm demeanour, “I’m done for the day. Let’s go back.”

On the way out, you gave a signal of reassurance towards Hina, who looked worried while her right fingers were tapping on her left knuckles. You saw Mei smirking at you, offering no words to you. You gave her no satisfaction of seeing you in pain as you smiled back.

You knew that everyone had seen you fall on the runway, but that didn’t disturb you.

Your phone pinged with a notification. As you read the message in the car, you turned to Ms. Tornado on the driver’s seat. She understood your signal.

”Usual place?” she asked.

Unable to hide your excitement, you quickly nodded.

No further questions asked as she drove towards the city border, bringing you to one special spot you had practically owned with that one person. In fact, you’re sure that he had bought ownership over the whole area. Your smile grew wider as you spotted the person waiting on a camping chair with an empty one next to it, a campfire lit up.

You sneaked up from behind, forgetting the pain in your legs as you broke into a run, almost causing the person to tumble forward as you hugged him from behind.

”Kenji!” You exclaimed, your character a total 180 degrees from whatever you put on when you were ‘the supermodel who revived the fashion scene’.

With him, you allowed yourself to be comfortable; no pretense of having to check your posture, controlling your expressions or giving off a cold demeanour. With him, you were just Y/N, the girl who preferred to be nested in your home, finishing your time up by watching your same favourite shows over and over again.

Kind of ironic how you considered yourself an introvert yet landed a job that essentially thrusted you into the spotlight.

Kenji exclaimed your name back in the same energy you gave him, hugging your arms as he planted a kiss on the back of your hand. He stood up and dear God, you love this man so much. One of your features that contributed to your modelling career was your height, but you loved the fact that even then, he towered over you.

Ken Sato, the name that had revived Japan’s baseball team, who had acquired a celebrity status after essentially becoming the saviour.

Ken Sato, the man who had kept the audience on the edge of their seats as he scored yet another point in the game.

Ken Sato, the one man who had essentially saved your life while unironically revealing his one kept secret to you.

And Ken Sato, your boyfriend.

Though both of your relationships had to be kept under the radar due to your statuses, you were content with what you’re having now.

Who cares if people think you’re too ‘cold’ and that’s why no one wants you? A small smile played on your lips as you thought, Well, Ken Sato does.

How both of you met was bizarre, to say the least. You were out eating dinner alone, under the disguise that you always wore when you’re just a ‘normal’ citizen, when the ground shook. You were sure that there was a monster attack somewhere, but you were calmly eating dinner when the restaurant’s roof got lifted up.

Ultraman’s giant figure was punching the monster, and you were left gaping at the sudden loss of roof above your head. You quickly finished up your dinner, and when you were about to walk back to your condo, you saw the one thing that you were sure you shouldn’t.

You saw Ultraman shifting back into a human-sized figure and lo and behold, it was Ken Sato. Before, you never bothered to dig deeper into his life because you figured out that you would never be affiliated with the baseball scene. You knew he was famous and that was it.

You couldn’t believe your eyes so you gasped, but your hand wasn’t quick enough to muffle the sound until he turned back to look at you. Both were stone statues for a good minute before he finally spoke up at that time, “Um… can you keep… uh the… secret?”

You sure as hell did keep the secret that even after a drunken stupor, a one night stand then turned into a secret relationship with him, it was still safe with you.

You were so comfortable with him up to the point that it was nice to be yourself with him.

”What’s wrong, baby?” He planted a kiss on your forehead, bringing you back to the present. You inhaled his scent as you buried your face in his chest. “You’re thinking of something?”

You shook your head, tightening your grip around his waist. “Nah,” you mumbled. “Just thinking about the time we first met.”

He chuckled as he ruffled your hair. “I’m sure you did great in your show just now, hmm?”

You stayed quiet, debating or not whether you’d like to tell him what actually happened. He most likely hadn’t seen the show yet, but sooner or later he’d find out. It’s just a matter of now or later.

You were in your comfortable clothes; baggy t-shirt with cargo pants and hair tucked underneath a beanie. In public, people would usually leave you alone when you’re in this attire. Today though, the long pants were also an attempt for you to cover up the growing bruise.

You decided to keep quiet about the bruise, figuring later that he would find out and by then, you hoped it wouldn’t look as bad as it was now. You detached yourself from his hug, careful to not make it so obvious that you were limping. You took a seat, beckoning for him to come over.

Ken traced you with his eyes, lips locked before he smiled. He passed by his seat but didn’t settle down. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the sand, facing you. He leaned forward, crossing his arms with each other on your legs and rested his chin on top. He looked up at you, that same boyish smile he had whenever he was with you.

You looked at him, uttering, “Looks like my boyfriend won yet another game today.” You patted his cheeks, and he quickly grabbed your hands to hold them.

”It was the team, really,” he said humbly, but with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I was just one of the players.”

”Whatever you say, Mr.-eligible-bachelor-with-thousands-of-adoring-fans-waiting-to-be-picked.” You rolled your eyes.

He chuckled. “Little do they know,” he drew circles on your palm, “that I’m no longer available.”

He stared at you as you looked into the distance, the crashing of the waves filling in the silence between both of you. He stood up, cocking his head towards the shoreline. “Wanna go for a walk?”

You pressed your lips into a thin line, the trouble you had with your feet coming once again. You didn’t get a chance to answer as he knelt in front of you with his back towards you.

He gently pulled you on his back, your legs dangling on either side of his body as he piggybacked you. “Okay, let’s go for a walk,” he said, firmly placing his hands under your thighs.

You said nothing, circling your arms around his shoulders, your face buried at the nape of his neck. You loved the fact that you’re always calm around him, something that you’d always need after spending hours in a fast-paced environment for work every day.

As you walked along the shoreline, both of you pointed out stars shaped like objects, and he stopped at one point when you suddenly said, “I love you so much, do you know that?”

He laughed. “What’s with the sudden confession? I love you too, baby.” He gave your thigh a light slap. “And I’m glad to call you mine.”

”It’s time to go back, isn’t it?” You asked, hoping the answer would be no but knew the world would have to end for it to be.

He threw back his head to get a look of your face before uttering, “Sorry. I have a game tomorrow.”

You pouted slightly but knew that the circumstances wouldn’t change. Whether you’d like it or not, even though you didn’t mind your relationship was playing this way, both of you had your individual lives that didn’t intersect with each other.

Dates would always be a secret with limited areas you could go to, and you had to make sure you’re not seen within the vicinity of each other. If both of you needed to go to each other’s house, it felt more like you’re on an undercover mission.

Today, though, with you still on his back, he held onto you firmly and made his way back to his bike parked nearby some bushes.

”Kenji-“ you started, figuring that maybe he forgot that both of you were supposed to follow separate ways.

”Tell Ms. Tornado you’re staying at my house tonight,” he uttered, placing you on his bike’s seat, taking a helmet and helping you to put it on. “You’re sleeping at my house today.” He checked his watch. “I know that you don’t have any work scheduled for the next few days, right?”

You shook your head slowly, secretly happy that he actually kept track of your schedule. Your eyes searched for his from behind the visor, and you blinked slowly as he tapped your helmet.

“Stay at my house until you’re fully healed. Mina can take care of you.” He’s referring to the supercomputer his parents had programmed. He wore his helmet and leaned forward. If not for both of your helmets in place, he’d be resting his forehead against yours. “Of course, you’re welcome to continue staying until…” he winked, “whenever.”

He positioned himself in front of you, powering up his bike. You leaned forward, circling your arms around his waist.

Before your voice got swallowed by the roar of his bike, you said, “You knew I was hurt.”

Underneath his helmet he smiled. “I always do, baby. Always.”

***

One of the reasons you didn’t want to stay at his house for too long was because you knew you’d be too comfortable. It seemed that after the fiasco you ran into with Mei, Ms. Tornado told you that she was suspended from any work and your agency gave you time off.

So here you were, warm mug of coffee in hand, cross-legged on Ken’s sofa while wearing one of his hoodies. So far from your side, your manager was the only person who’d known about your secret relationship with the baseball player. You’re grateful that your agency was not the type to pry into your private life, so long it didn’t affect your work.

You made yourself right at home at Ken’s house. You could say that you became best friends with Mina, with her occasionally sharing stories about how Ken was when growing up and you helping her around the house.

You sunk in the plush sofa, watching a live show of another one of Ken’s games. You saw him turn to the camera, winked and did a secret sign that was directed at you. Seeing how he’s so expressive, you wondered whether Ken actually wanted your relationship to be public.

Even then, you wondered whether anyone actually noticed that Ken started doing the same pose to the camera whenever he scored a point, after he got into the relationship with you. Maybe the secrecy of your relationship was just held back by a single click to post on the Net.

As far as you knew, only five were aware of this relationship; both of you, your manager, Mina and Kenji’s father.

Rather than your own reputation, you’re worried more for Ken’s image. He just moved here from America, carrying the expectations of everyone who had set their eyes upon him. He rose to fame real quick, while you’d already established your foundation right in your hometown as you were raised through a family generation of models.

Night was approaching, and you did catch a message from Ken updating you that he would be joining the group dinner to celebrate their win first. He promised to come back as soon as the dinner was finished. While waiting for him, you caught Mina’s red bar from the corner of your eyes and you smiled at her.

“Y/N, Ken had actually asked me to ask you one important question.”

“Sure, what is it, Mina?”

Immediately, Mina displayed a projection showing a website of a furniture store. She changed the page to the ‘bed frames’ category.

“I was told that the bed broke last night. Ken told me this morning to ask you which ones would you prefer,” Mina said without any hint of emotion. “He didn’t want to disturb you while you’re sleeping this morning.” After remembering another point she added, “He said make sure to pick the strong ones.”

You, on the other hand, were already burying your face in your hand as your cheeks reddened. “Oh my God,” you groaned. He could go one day, one day, without making you blush. It didn’t help that Mina was delivering the message so robotically. Well, she was one, but you get the point. “Mina, can we talk about this… some other time? Don’t worry,” you pressed your lips into a thin line as you remembered how exactly the bed broke last night. “I’ll tell Ken that you delivered the message well.”

Mina backed up, doing her gesture akin to a nod. “Sure, Y/N.”

You turned your head towards the front door when you heard the door opening, and you stalked your way to your boyfriend, who was holding his jacket in his left hand. Your face fell when you saw that he was wincing, the skin near his eye bruised and his right hand gently pressing over the injury.

“What happened to you?” You fussed over him, requesting Mina to take a bucket of ice and a cloth. “Who did this?”

He winced once again, but grinned soon after. He threw his jacket on the sofa and grabbed your waist, kissing you, hard. It was like he was releasing whatever pent up frustrations he had the whole day, drunk in your kiss that you felt out of breath as soon as he let go.

You saw Mina hovering nearby, clearly not wanting to disturb both of you. You cleared your throat and Ken ran a hand through his hair.

Mina set down the requested bowl of ice and cloth, but Ken shook his head.

Ken uttered, “Mina, can you please bring a bucket of ice to the bathroom? I’d like to soak myself in the tub.”

“Sure, Ken.”

“Ken, you need to tell me what happened to you. You’re injured, for God’s sake!” Your eyebrows knitted in worry, but your boyfriend was displaying the opposite as he was happily dragging you along to the bathroom.

He only gave you a peck on your forehead as Mina helped to prepare the bath.

You wouldn’t let your eyes off his injuries, assessing how badly he was hurt. As Mina excused herself to leave both of you in the bathroom alone, he stripped and stepped into the tub. The water sloshed around as he settled down, and you gritted your teeth as you sat on the edge of the bathtub.

He lifted up his eyebrows, clearly teasing you. “Care to join me?”

You sighed, clearly dissatisfied at how he’s acting while not disclosing about what had happened to him until he returned with a black eye. You crossed your arms, not wanting to submit to his pleading eyes, not until he told you what happened.

Clearly, you were not strong against this man because now both of you were stark naked in the cold water, Ken hugging you from behind as he rested his chin on your shoulder.

“Now tell me what happened.”

Ken obliged. “So we went for a celebratory dinner at this one grilled meat restaurant.” He buried his face at the nape of your neck. “There was this one group of guys who clearly were too drunk. One of them,” you felt his arms tightening around your waist. “Was making inappropriate comments about your body. My girlfriend. Of course I got pissed and punched him. It was an easy fight, but I was unlucky to get this one hit. I won, of course.”

The knot in your stomach got undone, that heavy feeling finally lifting off as you laughed, relieved. You leaned backwards, muttering, “Oh, Kenji. My idiot Kenji. I really thought you had an encounter with a hater, someone that wasn’t afraid to punch you in public just because they hate you. I was so worried. But didn’t your teammates suspect anything? For you to react that way when they’re talking about me.”

“Even if they do find out, it doesn’t matter. Anyone who speaks like that about you deserves to be punched, baby.” The water sloshed around as he turned you around so that both of you were facing each other. He rubbed a thumb over your lips, his mouth lifting at the corners. “And guess what?”

You narrowed your eyes. “What?”

“I got a personal invitation from one of the biggest sports brands here. They’re inviting me for an official photo shoot for their new attire collection.”

“That’s amazing, Kenji!” you exclaimed, and he shook his head, a smile plastered on his face.

“And you know what’s the best part? It’ll be a duo photo shoot, a collab with one of Japan’s famous models.”

“A man?” you asked, still clueless.

“A woman.” He grinned, “With my woman.”

“Oh!” You slapped a hand to your forehead, not believing that you hadn’t caught on when your manager had told you that you would be having an upcoming photo shoot with one of the most famous athletes. No wonder Ms. Tornado looked all smiley when she was delivering the news.

“They were surprised when I agreed to it without much questions,” he said. “Said yes as soon as I heard your name.”

***

Your leg was all healed, Ken’s bruise subsided, and it was finally the day of the photo shoot. Obviously, both of you had to come from a different place and at a different time to avoid any suspicion, so the night before you had returned to your house, despite Ken showing you his puppy eyes to make you stay.

You left without looking back, having to reassure him that both of you would see each other tomorrow.

The day came. In the makeup room, both of you had your lips locked, only a slight nod of greeting when he first came in before you returned your attention back to the mirror in front.

God knew how much Ken Sato was holding back from pulling you into a hug as soon as he saw you in the room.

You saw him from the corner of your eyes, his eyes closed as he let the brushes and artist do their work. You smiled, your mind thinking about how Hina would most likely go crazy once she heard that you had landed a job with this famous baseball player. You figured that you’d let her find out by herself once the official photo shoot had come out.

In the studio, both of you exchanged a formal greeting before the photo shoot started, and you could see that Ken was trying to hide from forming a smile on his face. As the camera started clicking and poses were thrown, you could hear the photographer yelling out encouragement, including ‘Don’t be shy with each other’ and ‘Stand closer’.

You heard Ken slightly snicker, and he whispered to you subtly, his lips slightly brushing your earlobe. You shivered, and he was smart enough to not let anyone see what he was doing. “If only they know how close we are.”

“Last set!” The photographer announced. “This time around, I’d like to see some contact with each other. No looking like you’re two magnets repelling each other, but attracting each other instead.”

“Oh I can do that,” Ken said smugly as he followed the photographer’s instructions.

Funnily enough, he was the one looking like he had more experience in modelling as he followed the photographer’s instructions to a T, while you felt more like a deflated balloon guided by your boyfriend.

You promised you were a professional model, but with him, well, you faltered and posed like you’re a novice instead. Still, you managed to pull through the photo shoot as the photographer gave a thumbs up, fully satisfied with the session today.

You took some time to relax after the photo shoot alone in the dressing room. As you were leaning against the chair, your head turned to look at the door that just opened.

Ken’s head popped up through the space and he waved his hand. “Hey,” he whispered. He looked over his shoulder before slipping into the room, locking the door behind him.

“Ken Sato,” you said, more of a warning. “What if someone sees you coming in?”

“It’s fine,” he walked over to you, and lifted you up in a hug.

Naturally, your legs coiled around him as he firmly placed his arms around you.

“I wanted to say goodbye in person before I leave for my game this evening. You’ll watch the game live, right?”

“Of course, I’ll be there.”

You practically jumped away from him as a knock came on the door and panicked, you opened the closet door before shoving him inside. You shut the closet tight, catching his eyes trailing your movement through the bars before putting a finger over your lips to signal silence. Steadying your breath, you opened the door to find the photographer standing outside.

“Oh hey, uh…” you trailed off as you realised that you didn’t know the camera man’s name.

“I’m Yuichiro,” he extended his hand to offer a handshake, but you politely declined with a nod of your head. “It’s uh,” he nervously chuckled. “I thought that you looked great and I found out that we’re the same age. I was wondering if you would like to, you know, go have coffee sometime. As in, uh, I’d like to take you out sometime.”

“Oh, really?” You swore you could feel Kenji’s stare digging through the man’s skull as you stole a glance towards the closet behind you. “That’s too bad because I uh,” You silently prayed that Ken wouldn’t suddenly spring out of the closet. “I am too busy. I don’t even have time to drink coffee myself.” You gave a professional smile, hoping that the man would take the hint and walk away.

“Not even coffee?”

“Not even coffee.” You sighed, shaking your head. “I don’t drink coffee, actually.”

“Oh.” He looked surprised. “But I thought I saw you drinking coffee this morning at the set.”

You shook your head, pretending to be disappointed. “I’m afraid you are hallucinating, my friend. I don’t drink coffee. Anyway,” you clapped your hand, “I need to get ready to go to my next destination for another photo shoot, so if you could please leave?”

He looked disappointed as he nodded. “I mean, yeah. Please go on your way. Sorry to take your time.”

You smiled politely but as soon as you closed the door and locked it, you jumped over to the closet, the door creaking as you pried it open. You saw Ken sitting on the floor, elbows resting on his knees as his bangs curtained his eyes. You sat down in front of him, moving his bangs out of his vision.

“Kenji…?” you started, trying to gauge his emotions. 

He stayed quiet for a few moments, and you poked his stomach when it seemed like he’s not budging.

“Are you okay?”

He breathed in and out, before looking up. His eyes caught yours, but still you couldn’t read his expressions. “I experienced this new emotion,” he finally said.

You inched forward.

“You’re doing great, baby.” The compliment came out of nowhere that you were slightly taken aback.

“Kenji,” the grin on your face grew wider, “were you jealous?”

He never broke off his stare to you, and you found it so attractive. “I was.” His eyes dropped to your lips. “I was stopping myself from jumping out of the closet and announcing that you’re mine.”

“I am,” you uttered, ruffling his hair. “You better get going. You have a game to win.”

“I sure do.” He stood up and you mirrored his actions. Before he turned to leave, he kissed you on the lips and whispered again as he peppered kisses on your neck. “With this jealousy, let’s just hope the bed won’t break again tonight.”

***

Of course you lied to the photographer to politely decline his advances. Your schedule was free this evening and you had promised Ken you would see his game live. You dressed as inconspicuously as possible, donning on the merchandise jersey they sold to the public.  

Ken had offered you to wear his jersey, but that would practically mean announcing your relationship to the public. Tucking your hair under the cap, putting on fake glasses and looking at yourself in the mirror, you figured how Clark Kent had managed to turn people’s suspicions away from him being the superhero.

Now, you’re just one person among the thousands of show-goers filling up the stadium. You took up your seat, eager to witness the game Ken would be joining. Announcement blared throughout the stadium, signalling that the game was about to start. You heard your boyfriend’s name announced as he stepped onto the field.

Giants’ supporters cheered for him, and you joined in on the hype as you saw him giving his million-dollar smile to the crowd. You waited for the game to start, and truth be told, no matter how many times Ken had explained the rules of the game, anything barely stuck to your brain. Still, you tried your best to support him even though that meant cheering for him blindly whenever the others did.

The crowd went wild again as the Giants scored yet another point.

You got distracted by a notification coming to your phone. You wanted to ignore it, but as you saw Hina’s name as the sender, you had to sit down and open the message. She rarely texts you out of work, so there must have been something out of the ordinary. You felt your heart drop as you read the message, and a link towards a news website was sent together.

Your eyes caught her message first. Oh my God?! You’ve been dating Ken Sato?

You read the headline next. BREAKING NEWS: BASEBALL PLAYER KEN SATO AND SUPERMODEL Y/N IN A RELATIONSHIP?

You stood up together with the rest of the cheering crowd, but you had to wrestle your way through to make your way out of the stadium. You didn’t know what to do, Kenji was still in game and your feet almost gave way as your shaky hands opened the link to read the news.

Everything was summed up in one news article, and you felt your world getting smaller as you saw the pictures of the night Ken had piggybacked you after you hurt your leg, all obviously looking like they were taken in secret. You read through the whole article, your ears deafened by the sound of roaring cheers inside the stadium.

You were standing outside the stadium, and you looked back at the giant screen you could see displaying yet another shot of Ken doing his signature pose to the camera. You turned back to the news article in your hands, and read through the whole thing over and over again. Several lines caught your eyes, and you finally caught on who was behind this.

Photographer Yuichiro handed over the pictures of the two lovebirds having a secret date at the private beach, which was purportedly owned by Ken Sato. From the pictures taken, I’m sure everyone would come to one very obvious conclusion. The question is; do you find the relationship surprising, or are they a perfect match for each other?

You wondered if it was all planned by him; the photo shoot together with Ken. Was he testing to see whether you’d accept a date with him to assume whether you’d have a boyfriend or not?

You wanted to run away. But from what, exactly? Running away wouldn’t solve this problem.

Well, if it turned into a problem.

Cheers erupted again as you returned to the stadium, just in time to see the final score and then celebrating the Giants’ victory. Chanting swimmed through the crowd, and you gripped your phone tightly as you searched for Ken among the players.

You finally spotted him at the bench, and your mind was as equally noisy as the audience around you.

He looked in your direction, trying to search for you but before he could catch your eyes, his shoulder was tapped by a fellow teammate, showing him an article displayed on the screen.

Everything happened fast, you didn’t know that it was possible as your worst fear came to life in front of everyone. The giant screen in the stadium displayed the news article and the pictures of the both of you displayed in a slideshow. You could hear shouts of confusion and gasps among the crowd as all of them were looking at the same thing.

The noise of the crowd died down as Ken made his way to the edge of the field, where an interviewer was waiting to start the session. The topic of the interview was supposed to be about the win at first, but it had clearly turned into a different direction.

The camera focused on Ken, and you knew he was directly looking at you. He looked calm, the practised smile he had on whenever he appeared on screen.

“Ken Sato,” the interviewer started, as he looked into the camera, “The name that is no longer a stranger to every household. His return to Japan brought waves and hope to the Giants. But today,” she turned to him, “it seemed like you’re the focus on the interview for an entirely different topic. Who knew that this eligible bachelor was actually already taken? I have the man here with me, so, what would you like to say?”

The crowd was obediently silent as they waited for his answer. You felt your heart beating loud in your chest as you, too, anticipated what he would say.

For a split second your mind wondered whether he would vehemently deny the news, but you brushed that thought away. You trusted him.

“I do have a question for everyone here, first, though.” Ken swept his vision across the crowd. “Is it a sin for a celebrity, or at least someone who is quite well known by the public, I mean,” he shrugged, “I don’t wanna sound like I’m boasting or that I’m too full of myself thinking that I’m famous.”

There was a ripple of laughter through the whole crowd.

“Is it wrong for me to be in a relationship?”

Silence. A dread coming over you as you quietly anticipated that there might be protests coming from the crowd. No one spoke up until you heard a female shouting from the crowd, “No, it’s not a sin! Well, we would be slightly sad that our favourite bachelor is no longer available, but you’re still human!”

Your eyes travelled to the female shouting, and realised why the voice was so familiar. It was Hina. She saw you looking at her and she grinned, giving a thumbs-up.

“Thank you, random woman from the crowd,” Ken uttered. He turned back to the camera. “I think that answered the question. I’m still human,” he shrugged, his eyebrows lifting up as he announced, “and I fell in love with Y/N. We are happily in a relationship. I’m proud to say that she’s mine.” His eyes finally fall towards your direction. You could only discern his expressions and gestures from the big screen because he was too far from you. “I love you, Y/N.”

There was a momentary moment of silence that you could hear a pin dropping, and you feared that maybe, the public wouldn’t take it so nicely.

But soon, the whole stadium shook with cheers from the crowd. This time around, they were chanting both Ken's and your names.

Okay, so this was not the reaction that you had expected.

You saw Ken gesturing to you, asking to meet you privately after the game. You nodded, pointing to your phone to say that you would communicate through text.

He sent you a message for the meetup point, and you practically ran towards where he had wanted to meet you.

You saw him at the end of the empty hallway, the noise in the stadium a distant sound now that it was only the two of you. You ran into his arms and he caught you, laughing. You let your breath steady first before saying anything.

“Ken Sato… you…” you started. “You have this way of wording things. I never expected the whole crowd to just agree with you.”

“Hey, look at me.” He tilted your chin, and he gazed upon you. “Like I said, we’re still humans.” He kissed your lips. “And I fell in love with you.”

“Hmm…” You hummed, still feeling slightly worried.

Ken opened the article, scrolled down to the comments and showed them to you. “See, they’re all positive comments.” He cleared his throat, doing his best imitation while reading the comments. “Oh my God, they’re a perfect match for each other! I knew they were dating, it would be weird if they didn't date. Honestly, I don’t know how it happened, but I’m happy for them. Y/N, you’d be better off with me-” He stopped reading when he read one comment that irked him. “You know what, I’m going to report that last comment.”

You burst into laughter seeing how he was tapping furiously at the screen, blowing out an air of satisfaction as he finally reported the comment.

“There, problem solved,” he announced.

“You know that probably some time in the future that there will probably be people who won’t be satisfied.” You sniffed.

“Well that’s too bad.” He bumped his forehead against yours. “Because you’re already mine.”

[yuimatsumatsuno]

Hi! May I request platonic headcanons about the matsu brothers befriending the reader after reader moves to japan? They're very friend shaped to me and I would love more platonic x readers out in the world

Thanks for the req!!!! I absolutely adore platonic matsuno x reader it’s always so cute 😭😭

matsuno siblings x gn!reader

PLATONIC HCS

TW//CW: ???

Osomatsu is really easy to make friends with! Although this guy is an irresponsible slacker, it is still easy to start communicating with him. Of course he is a complete idiot, but this idiot values ​​​​you. he often complains to you about how his younger siblings do not listen to him and he is glad that he can talk to you. he invites you over for a beer or a game of pachinko because he loves your company. when he is drunk, he can sometimes come to you, reclining on your couch and talking about some kind of nonsense. you have to bring him back home when he falls asleep.

Ooooh damn, if you become friends with Karamatsu, you will never know what peace is. This guy adores you like a sibling. Sometimes you can go shopping together and look at his new outfits, which will be DAMN painful. You are almost the only person who does not offend him and treats him well, so he appreciates you and likes spending time with you more. Sometimes he may ask about the country in which you live, sincerely interested in the culture. (he's a really nice guy please let me hug him 😭😭😭)

Choromatsu considers you better than all his siblings, so he prefers to spend time with you. He complains to you about his clueless brothers and endlessly talks about his plans to find a job (he doesn't even try). You are the only person with whom he shares his anime figures and manga, discussing his impressions and thoughts. There are times when you both manage to get to the concerts of your favorite performers, where this “serious” person turns into a crazy fan.

I have only one question - HOW. How did you become friends with such a dark and scary guy like Ichimatsu..? Seriously, he’s shocked that such a nice person like you paid attention to him. You have to invite him for walks yourself, because he is damn shy. His favorite thing to do with you is when you are in the park and there is silence, just feeding the street cats, without saying a word and allowing your mind to rest. Sometimes he shows you funny and cute cat videos that calm him down. You are the closest person, since his brothers don't really pay attention to him, and other people find him scary. he truly values ​​you as a close friend.

Aww, you're really lucky with Jyushimatsu. he is literally the kindest ray of sunshine! you quickly became friends, as he is an open and cheerful guy. Every morning he comes to you with a baseball bat, begging you to play with him. You can just watch him play from the sidelines, he just wants to spend time with you. he talks incessantly, sharing his emotions and impressions. Even though he's clingy, it's nice to have someone who's always there to cheer you up.

Todomatsu is literally a wolf in sheep's clothing. you will meet in the cafe where he worked, when he will make his cute face and serve you, forcing you to give up your number. in correspondence, he often sends you his selfies and asks which ones are better, asking you to like them all on Instagram. In that one episode, he will still take you on a double date, since you are the only adequate person he knows. he is a real gossip, telling you all the gossip and shameful stories about his brothers, pretending to be innocent in front of others.

[m-musings]

Winging It: Buggy The Clown X Winged! Fem! Reader Pt. 1

A/N: bless the one piece fans for getting me into the show and introducing me to this man because he is just so FJSCBKGHLKDGW, like you feel me? anywaysss, first time writing for one piece, let's do this whoooo!

(part 2 here! :] )

Word Count: 2.7k Summary: Buggy asks (Y/n) to help out with an unusual task, chaos ensues. Warnings: a dude being a creep to reader later on and a little bit of ooc on Buggy's behalf, but other than that, just some good ol' fluff!

It all started out as a perfectly normal day.

After another busy day on the Big Top and another successful "show", Buggy had given the majority of his crew the day off to do whatever they wished.

As soon as (Y/n) was able, she unfurled her feathery wings and flew up to the crows nest, needing to get away from the madness down on the deck for a while.

Closing her eyes, (Y/n) took a deep breath of the refreshing ocean air as the breeze blew softly against her face.

Having joined Buggy's crew a few months earlier, she had never expected her life to change as much as it did as fast as it did.

(Y/n) originally came from a life as the sole inhabitant of a tiny island in the middle of the East Blue. One day, the Big Top and its crew happened to be sailing by and stopped to search the island for any supplies they could find.

Fearing the worst, (Y/n) grabbed her baseball bat and and flew out of her hut to stop the pirates from getting any closer.

After fending off a few of the crew members, Buggy swiftly stepped in to try and diffuse the situation, being unusually calm and level headed as he addressed (Y/n).

Realizing her wings could be useful to him in shows and in pillaging, Buggy invited her to join him and his pirates instead of struggling to keep herself alive and entertained on her little islet.

With a hesitant but quick decision, (Y/n) agreed, asking for some time to pack some personal items before Buggy and the rest of the crew led her back to the boat, intent on celebrating a new member of the gang.

Quickly learning the ropes of pirating and climbing up the ranks of the crew, (Y/n) eventually became a high ranking member, just behind Mohji and Buggy himself.

She even managed to become friends with the quirky captain, to the the slight disbelief of the rest of their crewmates. In addition, after getting to know each other a bit more, that friendship slowly turned into a (huge) crush on (Y/n)'s part, but neither Buggy nor anyone else needed to know that part.

And even though the start of her pirating adventure was a little strange, (Y/n) could never say she missed her old life. Being apart of the Big Top Crew gave her the family and friends she was sorely missing on her island.

Reveling in the quiet of the air, (Y/n) smiled to herself as she thought of her new existence as the Big Top's resident trapeze artist, grateful that she now had the world at her fingertips, plus people to fight beside and fight for.

As she reminisced upon the past, her eyebrows perked up when she heard ropes creaking from somewhere down below.

"Hey doll! Figured I'd find you up here!" Grunted a voice from beside her.

She cracked one of her eyes open to see Buggy climbing up the rigging, the tail of his bandana flowing behind him.

"Hey, Cap! Did you need something?"

"Nah, not right now. But I might once we get to the island we're headed to. If the winds are good, we should get there in the next 2 days."

"Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot! What's so special about this island anyway? Isn't the stop just for us to stock up again before we head out to meet Alvida?" (Y/n) questioned, sitting down on the floor of the crows nest as she scootched over to make some room for Buggy.

"That's part of it, yes, but the main reason we're stopping is because a couple of our cannons were destroyed in our last fight with the Marines. There's a few weaponsmiths in a city there that are willing to sell us a few new ones if we can negotiate a good price for both of us."

"So we need them to agree to our bargain so we don't get demolished by another battle on the way to meet Alvida?"

"Exactly! You're one smart cookie.

"Hmm, I try." She shrugged with pleased grin, her wings fluffing out in sync.

"You sure do, (Y/n/n). Anyways, I came to see if you would be willing to come with me, just to make sure nothing fishy happens while I'm not paying attention. Maybe pretend to be my arm candy to trick them, y'know?"

"Me? Can't someone, like, Cabaji do it? He's got way more experience with this stuff than I do."

"He's gonna be in charge of the ship while we're gone. Plus, I mean, you're the only one who would make spending time with dumbasses like these smith guys bearable. You would save me of literally dying of boredom."

"Pfft, I doubt that" Answered (Y/n) as she rolled her eyes at the clown's exaggeration.

Buggy chuckled, smiling softly at the girl as he rested his arm atop her shoulder.

The action causes a very subtle blush to appear on her face, which she tries to keep hidden by scratching at her neck.

"So whadya say, huh? Wanna go on a little adventure with me?"

(Y/n) sighed with a sputter of her lips before turning to answer the blue haired man.

"Sure, Captain, I'll come along. It could be kinda fun."

"Aww, thanks (Y/n), you're the best! Even better than Mohji! But don't tell him that." Whispered Buggy as he jokingly cupped his hand over his mouth.

"You're ridiculous, Captain." she laughed softly, bumping her shoulder with his.

"And I take pride in that. It's all I got goin' for me, after all." Chuckled Buggy, who shrugged and leaned back in reply.

(Y/n) gave him an amused grin in reply before shifting her eyes back towards the big blue ocean that surrounded them.

The two then sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before the voice of another crewmate called out for Buggy from somewhere on the main deck.

"Well, sweets, duty calls. See you later, huh?" Buggy said with a salute before he made his way back down the rigging.

As he disappeared from sight, (Y/n) bashfully put her head in her hands as she tried not to overthink the nickname her captain had given her.

"Oh, damn.... what have I gotten myself into?..." (Y/n) questioned herself as she placed her head against her knees.

After a few more minutes of sitting by herself while she scanned the horizon, Buggy yelled out, calling the crew back to the deck for another show.

With a small shake of her head, (Y/n) stood up, stretched, and flew down to gather with the rest of the troupe.

Just as Buggy had said, the Big Top had reached it's island destination a couple days later. Thankfully, there wasn't many Marines in this town, meaning the crew could go into town to stretch their legs on land and get any supplies they might need for the rest of the trip.

Still on the ship, (Y/n) sat below deck as she tried to find something other than her circus costume to wear, wanting to be able to blend into the crowds better or just in case a high ranking Marine or someone from the World Government showed up and recognized her alongside Buggy.

Rummaging through her chest of clothes, her wings fluttered as she finally found a simple black tank top and a pair of jeans.

After placing the clothing on her bed and gliding over to a nearby vanity to do some basic makeup, she heard a knock at her door while she applied some light rouge to her face.

"Come in, it's open!" She announced as she grabbed another brush from the vanity drawer.

Looking behind her using the mirror, she saw a familiar orange pirate hat pop into view.

"Are you decent?" Buggy said as he entered the room, his disembodied hands floating in front of his face to cover his eyes

"Yes, Captain, you can open your eyes if you want." (Y/n) giggled as she put on some finishing touches of makeup.

Popping off one of his fingers to glance at the girl, he gasped lightly as he finally saw her face.

"Wow, you look fantastic!" Buggy said with an impressed nod.

"Really? It's not much different than my usual casual looks..." Claimed (Y/n) as she timidly placed a hand upon her cheek.

"Either way, angel, you look good. But I suppose that's beside the point. I just came to tell you to be ready to go by sundown. I'll be waiting on the dock, Don't be late." He winked before leaving the room.

With a huff as she tried to compose herself, (Y/n) stood up to get dressed and mentally prepare herself for the night.

Within just a few short hours, the sun had finally set upon the island, and right on cue, (Y/n) left her quarters and strutted over to the deck railing to see Buggy down on the pier waiting for her.

"Ah, (Y/n) there you are! I was worried for a sec, thought you were gonna chicken out on me!"

"No, I'm here. Someone has gotta keep an eye on you!"

"Well, I'm glad that someone is you. Shall we go?" Buggy motioned as (Y/n) climbed down to meet him.

"Yes, we shall, mon capitaine!" (Y/n) quipped as he held her head up high with a light giggle.

"C'mon, let's get going." Chuckled Buggy in response as the two made their way out of the marina.

After a minute or so of idle chatter about their days, (Y/n) spoke up with a question she had been meaning to ask.

"What do we do if they don't agree to give us the cannons for the price you set?"

"Well If that happens, I guess we'll just have to... wing it!" Buggy quipped as he gave the girl a sly grin.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny!" (Y/n) fake laughed as she playfully smacked Buggy's back with one of her wings.

"Thank you! I am funny!" Buggy declared as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, careful to avoid the feathers on her back.

(Y/n) bit her bottom lip in reply as she moved her gaze to the cobblestone ground beneath them.

"So where exactly is this weapons store at?"

"Not far, we come to this place every so often so I know the quickest way to get there."

(Y/n) nodded in acknowledgement as Buggy began to tell her some fun stories about his past adventures here.

About 15 minutes later, Buggy made an excited noise as he realized where they were.

"Ok, (Y/n/n), the weaponsmiths store is just up ahead, I'll lead you there." He announced, taking her hand until they found the place they needed to be.

As the door swung open, a little bell rang overhead, signaling to the two workers that someone had entered the shop.

"Gentlemen! How's it going, am I late to the party?!"

"Ah, you must be the guy that contacted us the other day! Nah, you're right on time! Did you bring cash?" Asked one of the men who (Y/n) assumed was the shop owner.

Buggy rolled his eyes as he pulled out a large stack of berry from his pocket and placed it onto a nearby counter, in front of the younger man with black hair.

"Perfect! If you follow me, I can show you the canons we currently have on stock." the older of the two men said, leading Buggy past a few rows of shelves and cabinets to another part of the store.

Just before they rounded the corner, Buggy and (Y/n) gave each other a reassuring nod.

After a brief moment of looking around at the various weapons and items scattered across the room, (Y/n)'s attention was grabbed by the sound of someone behind her clearing her throat.

She slowly whirled back around to see the younger of the two shopkeepers looking her up and down.

"Hey gorgeous, how ya doin' on this fine evening?" The man who stayed at the counter smirked, looking at (Y/n) with something dangerous flashing in his eyes

"Fine, thanks..." (Y/n) giving him a polite smile

"So, you uh, doing anything tonight?"

"Just getting those cannons, then we're headed back out."

"Aw come on, you couldn't stay for... say, one drink with me at the bar in town?"

"Um, thanks but no thanks, I've got stuff to do back on our ship." Responded the girl as she took a few steps backwards

"Are you sure? I could give you a real fun time, cutie!" Chuckled the man as he walked around the counter to stand in front of (Y/n) with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, positive. Sorry." (Y/n) finalized as she started to walk away, but was near-instantly stopped.

"Oh, come on, pretty birdy, leave that idiotic clown guy and spend the night with a real man huh?!" The man cackled as he grabbed onto (Y/n)'s wrist and pulled her into his chest.

"Ow! Let me go!" Hissed (Y/n) as she began to tug against the mans grasp, flapping her wings slightly to give her a bit more leverage.

The man laughed crudely before grabbing her other arm and trapping her against a shelf.

"Hey, maybe that stupid pirate will let me keep you! Who knows, maybe we can see all of the things those pretty little wings of yours can do!"

With a disgusted scoff, (Y/n) went to grab a small dagger she had hidden in her left pocket, but before she could even find it, a white-gloved hand shot across the store to grip the black haired man's collar.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?!" Buggy inquired, his voice menacingly low as he appeared back from the other side of the store.

"Uh, well, you see I- it's um-"

"Answer me!"

"C'mon, It was a joke! I didn't mean anything by it!" The man tried to convince the Captain as he let out a nervous laugh.

"Didn't seem very funny to me..." Buggy stated as he glared daggers at the shopkeeper.

"You're right, it wasn't, I- I apologize-" he stammered with a fearful whimper before Buggy pushed him back against the counter with a growl.

"If you ever try to touch anyone on my crew again, I'll personally make sure you lose both of your hands, got it?!"

"Okay, alright, I'm sorry! It won't happen again, sir!" The man agreed with a frightened look at the pirate.

Buggy scoffs irately, throwing the man onto the floor before picking the berry back up and stuffing it back into his pocket.

"C'mon, (Y/n), we're getting the hell outta here." Buggy spat as he gingerly grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the shop.

Confusedly sputtering as they clambered back down the road, (Y/n) stared at Buggy with wide eyes.

"Slow down a little, please!" (Y/n) said, stumbling as she tried to keep pace with Buggy.

With an apologetic and upset glance, Buggy released her hand before she hurried over to walk side by side with him.

"Buggy, what the hell was that about?!"

"Don't worry about it, we just needed to leave that shithole before I killed someone."

"That hasn't stopped you before!"

"I'll just say I'm feeling generous tonight then." Snarled Buggy, growing more and more enraged as the pair walked.

"We need to go back, we need those canons or we're screwed!"

"We can get the canons somewhere else, we need to go."

"But what was that all about?! Sure, the guy was a douche, but I could have easily just pushed him off with my wings or cut him with my dagger. Why are you being so weird about this?!"

"Because no one fucks with my girl!" Buggy shouted, spinning around to come face to face with (Y/n).

"W-wait, wait... Your girl?..." (Y/n) asked quietly, freezing as the meaning of his words sunk in.

Buggy halted his rant as he turned to fully face her, finally realizing what he had said. Running a palm through his blue locks, he dejectedly shook his head as he struggled to find the right words to say.

"Just forget about it, okay?! We have to get back to the ship..." Buggy muttered as he continued to stomp away.

As the blue haired pirate angrily marched down the street, (Y/n) stood frozen on the edge of the town, not knowing how to feel about what her beloved captain had just revealed to her.

[bengiyo]

Don't Care for an Old Man's Underwear Ep 10 Stray Thoughts

This watch made possible thanks to @isaksbestpillow.

Last time, Hasegawa had the baseball team talk to Kakeru about why he felt uncomfortable with them. Over a series of conversations, the guys came to a better understanding about how their behavior made others uncomfortable, and realized that sometimes those behaviors make them uncomfortable too. On top of that, we got to see the baseball team mingle with Kakeru's girl friends. Elsewhere, Moe asked Makoto to go with Mika to the concert. Mika shared with Makoto that when she was in a dark place, RANDOM gave her something fun as a mental break and helped her make it through. Makoto listened closely and came to the fantastic analysis that RANDOM is the Okita family's benefactor. He had a great time at the concert with Mika, let her hang out with her fellow fans after the concert, did some research on his new bias, and then finally shared his research with Mika. They had a fantastic night, and met their kids on the way home. They invited Daichi and Madoka to hang out with them, and then Madoka proposed to Daichi in front of the Okita family. They later went to tell Daichi's mom and it was beautiful. I cried. We left at the family waiting to hear from Madoka, who went home to tell his family.

Oh no. Mihoko is definitely talking to Daichi's dad.

The costuming here feels intentional. Daichi and Makoto have come so far together that it feels like they're on the same page with their clothes looking so similar in color scheme.

Also, Makoto has become such a better listener. He can respond in compassionate ways to Daichi now that is supported by the earnestness he's always had.

I just love how thoughtful Makoto has become.

Kakeru looks so much more relaxed these days. He's having big youth moments.

Aw, Makoto was trying on the makeup trivia, and they dunked on my man.

Madoka succeeded!!! 🎉

Is Daichi's dad back to be homophobic? Sir, do you realize you are in the penultimate episode of the improving yourself and unlearning toxic masculinity show?

I am mad. I like Makoto slowing down to think about how best to support Daichi here.

I am with the makeup rival that they may be unintentionally encouraging Shizuka to change herself for her romantic interests.

Sir, your intellectualized homophobia is not cute.

I remain a fan of Haranishi.

Mika is such a good mom. I love the way she listens to Kakeru and gets him to the emotional core of his feelings. I also like that she doesn't disguise that some things aren't easy.

I will never forget Daichi. It's so rare that the characters can tell you how their own internalized homophobia cripples them in front of their relatives.

Yes, Kakeru! Tell him to meddle!

Well well well, Kakeru, look at you taking your own advice.

Wow, this man has gone too far. Do not talk to someone else's kid this way.

Yes, Makoto. Please go kick this man's ass.

This is such a difficult episode. There really is nothing you can say to someone to remove the infection of internalized homophobia. It's so upsetting because we learn shame at home. That's what this man put into his son. He is so rude, and I need him to have his ass handed to him pronto.

This was such a great episode reflecting on where we all fit into the society. I keep thinking about the scene about the colleague of theirs who got downsized. We contort ourselves to fit in only to be discarded when we're no longer useful, and then we lose our spouses.

I'm looking forward to the conclusion of this show, but I know I will miss it so dearly.

[justsomekpopstuff]

seventeen as a baseball team - part 2

A/N: I have had so many thoughts recently, I just had to share!

part 1 | current masterlist | fic recs

team colors are white and serenity blue, and every now and again they get ones with rose quartz accents (its my au i'll do what I want)

their team mascot is something whimsical that has a cloud and diamond theme along with it

the whole team goes absolutely nuts the first time that center fielder!Dino gets voted into the All-Star Game

When they find out, they throw an absolute rager of a party in the locker room complete with champagne showers. When the All-Star game actually happens, instead of taking vacations, the entire team shows up to the game. All of them are wearing Dino's jersey, have their faces painted, and come equipped with horns and signs all cheering for him. It is the worlds most perfect Embarrassing Dad Cheering Section™️. Dino is bright red for the entire game because he can hear them from all the way across the stadium every time he takes the field.

third baseman!Wonwoo, on the other hand, despite being incredibly good, BEGS the fans to not vote him into the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby

He just really enjoys his time off...but alas, one year the fans absolutely do not listen, and he gets voted in with flying colors. He is, unfortunately, forced to go by catcher!Seungcheol. Despite not wanting to be there at all and tired all the time, Wonwoo ends up completely blowing the competition out of the water. In his final interview after winning the All-Star Game and receiving the MVP award, he begs the fans to never do it again.

the whole team holds a fun exhibition game every year during spring training where they all scrimmage against each other

The whole game gives major Savannah Bananas vibes, as well as that one kickball episode of GoSe. They have ridiculous rules like when the other team scores a point, the team on the field has to endure a "punishment" chosen by the fans. Inflatable costumes ARE used. Synchronized rehearsed dances are a must-have and they put their whole CHESTS into it. The fans love it and look forward to it every season.

right fielder!Joshua can always be seen playing catch in the outfield with some of the younger kid fans in the stands during warm-ups

He is very sweet with all of the younger fans, and has a reputation for always taking time to sign autographs and take silly selfies. He is, also, a chaos creator. He has absolutely stolen Red Vines from a child after making a catch that almost went into the stands.

starting pitcher!Woozi will deny it until his dying day, but he absolutely did cry the first time he threw a no-hitter

The whole team went absolutely nuts for him and stormed the field. Hoshi 1000% took pictures of Woozi crying. Woozi found out and threatened to absolutely kick Hoshi's ass if he ever showed those photos to another living soul. Hoshi listened.

first baseman!Mingyu has tripped running around second base more than anyone on the team...probably more than anyone in the league

There are multiple compilations each season of him tripping over second. He swears its an accident every time and that he does not trip over the base intentionally. The team places bets at the start of the official season for how many times he does it during the regular season. Winner gets all the cash pool and first pick of dugout snacks next season.

closing pitcher!Jeonghan has always been secretive about the reason why he wanted to become a closing pitcher

He will always say he wanted to be a closing pitcher because he loves the idea of being able to hold down the lead for the team, or give them opportunities to win. Jeonghan will swear that he likes being relied on and is good under pressure (which, to his credit, is technically true). However, the actual real reason he wanted to be a closing pitcher is so he wouldn’t have to run as much.

despite being injured, catcher!Seungcheol still attends every home game

He is usually sitting in the same place in the dugout, close to where the manager usually stands. Seungcheol, despite not being the manager, is absolutely yelling directions from his crutches in the dugout. The team will often listen to him better than their actual manager. The whole team is taking bets on whether or not Seungcheol will become a coach when he retires.

[victusinveritas]

From an American Literature Facebook group. of the modernist poets had mottoes or credos that pointed to their philosophy of poetry.

a. Robert Frost said a “poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom,” and a poem is “a momentary stay against confusion.”

b. Ezra Pound said, “Make it new” and “Go in fear of abstractions.”

c. T.S. Eliot wanted to “shore up the fragments against the ruins.”

d. William Carlos Williams said, “No ideas but in things” (meaning exists in the world).

e. Wallace Stevens said, “Poetry is the supreme fiction” and “Not ideas about the thing, but the thing itself” (there is no meaning in the world except that which is created by the poet’s imagination).

Marianne Moore’s most famous credos were:

a. “Imaginary gardens with real toads in them.” This combines Williams’ location of meaning in the external world with Stevens’ location of meaning in the poet’s imagination.

b. “Ecstasy affords the occasion and expediency determines the form.” This shows how we get from Frost’s “delight” to “wisdom.”

There are three major principles at work in Moore’s poetry:

1. Her poetry reads exactly like prose. She felt that prose was better written than poetry, that it contained precision, verbal economy, directness, and logic unimpeded by the demands of poetical devices. She wanted to write poetry that was cold, hard, exact, clear, and literal. She called herself a “literalist of the imagination.” She wanted to remove from poetry all fuzziness, convention, romance, self-indulgence, and beauty—everything that interferes with or distorts perfect communication with the reader.

2. Her poetry even tries completely to remove the meter and rhyme that Frost held onto. She avoided metrical feet—what she disparaged as the “tick-tock of the metronome,” and even any accented words or syllables (if you try to scan her poems, you cannot). Her line division, in the absence of meter and cadence, is purely arbitrary. She governs her line breaks only by her desire to highlight or play down certain naturally occurring rhymes that go unnoticed in ordinary speech and prose. Often, her stanzas are governed only by a syllable count.

3. Not only was her poetry like prose—with a didactic moral point to it—but she believed, like her close friend Williams, that anything was a fit subject for poetry, including business documents, baseball statistics, school reports, and scientific data (these are the “real toads” in her “imaginary garden”). Stevens believed that the imagination of the poet created order out of the chaos of things. Even Williams’ “no ideas but in things” at least left the poet free to discover ideas in those things. But Moore leaves the poet only the function of shifting around the “real toads” in some sort of pattern in her “imaginary garden.” Hers is the most astringent, self-effacing poetry ever to appear in America.

"Poetry" (1919) by Marianne Moore

I too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond all this fiddle.

Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers that there is in

it after all, a place for the genuine.

Hands that can grasp, eyes

that can dilate, hair that can rise

if it must, these things are important not because a

high-sounding interpretation can be put upon them but because they are

useful; when they become so derivative as to become unintelligible, the

same thing may be said for all of us—that we

do not admire what

we cannot understand. The bat,

holding on upside down or in quest of something to

eat, elephants pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless wolf under

a tree, the immovable critic twinkling his skin like a horse that feels a flea, the base—

ball fan, the statistician—case after case

could be cited did

one wish it; nor is it valid

to discriminate against “business documents and

school-books”; all these phenomena are important. One must make a distinction

however: when dragged into prominence by half poets, the result is not poetry,

nor till the autocrats among us can be

“literalists of

the imagination”—above

insolence and triviality and can present

for inspection, imaginary gardens with real toads in them, shall we have

it. In the meantime, if you demand on the one hand, in defiance of their opinion—

the raw material of poetry in

all its rawness, and

that which is on the other hand,

genuine, then you are interested in poetry.

Photo: Moore with her close friend Muhammad Ali. Yes, she really was that cool.

[shadowshrike]

Chris' Loneliness

Chris fascinates me in how he's so beloved by his team, yet seems to have almost zero close friends. To explore this more fully, I'm going to reference some extras such as drama CDs and bonus sketches because Chris is often a plot device to help Eijun rather than fully fleshed out in the manga.

Most of Chris' relationships are mentor-mentee. It makes sense - he's a 3rd year with the background of a superstar, and managing the bullpen is his job. It means he's got a lot of people who love him (Eijun, Tanba, Zono, Kanemaru, etc.), but his own attitude is distant from them outside of baseball. He's an idol and teammate, but not a friend.

You'd expect him to be closest with Tanba given their potential as a battery and sharing a year, but (outside of riling Tanba up as ace) Chris keeps the emotional space between them vast after his recovery. This is most notable with his "no regrets" speech. This is later played as a joke where Tanba still doesn't get his battery during the graduation game, and Chris seems unbothered by it.

In fact, Chris isn't seen with the other third years much at all in a casual setting. He doesn't often go to games or practices with them if he doesn't have a job there either, and he walks alone most of the time post-season end.

This distance from his batchmates extends back pre-injury into his first year where he was the one "good" player. It kept him apart from the 3rd years, who bonded as a class through their struggle.

That segregating pressure to perform and be great because of his dad was something he silently carried with him all the time. It meant he didn't form many close bonds because he needed to hide his vulnerabilities from others, which sadly included his injured shoulder.

Even when he mentions it after the fact to the pitcher who's become his biggest fan and pet project, it's met with dismissal because he's amazing, so pressure "shouldn't" be an issue. However, there's one person who consistently sympathizes with his struggle - Miyuki.

Translation Credit: https://www.tumblr.com/tracingdreams/188601397993/daiya-no-ace-the-dramas-5-egg-streme-strategy

Sawamura: It must be tough to be the child of a professional baseball player. Don’t you get lots of hassle like your friends asking him for autographs? Chris: Well, I don’t really mind about the autographs. My Dad is famous for his fan-service and isn’t bothered by people asking him to sign things. Sawamura: Eeeh. Chris: But…there is pressure. Sawamura: Pressure? Chris. Yes. People think that the son of a professional baseball player must automatically have talent. Miyuki: Ah, that does sound like a pain. Sawamura: But! Shishou is full of ability, so that’s fine! Furuya: Mm. Miyuki: In that regard I think it’s better to have no kind of pressure like that [to live up to]. Right, Sawamura?

Chris & Miyuki

Even outside of their constant background meetings during the series, theirs is the one relationship we see persist beyond mentorship and duty on the baseball field. Chris is rarely seen as a mentor to Miyuki at all despite being the only one Miyuki calls 'senpai'. They are bus buddies as equals, trying to strategize for the team.

Moreover, their relationship is rare in that Chris starts being as accommodating to Miyuki's requests as the reverse. Some examples:

Chris is told about Eijun's yips by Kanemaru while walking the grounds alone? Eh, he'll probably be fine.

Miyuki asks him to help? He immediately shows up to teach the pitch they both think might help him recover.

His batchmates are surprised he showed up to a game? Well, of course, the captain enthusiastically invited him to show him something, so he made time to come.

Not only that, but we see Chris walking alone and chatting with Miyuki even though they're not at the baseball field and don't share classes since they're in different years. He's perceptive to Miyuki's moods, too, as if this is a common occurrence.

After Miyuki is injured, we get hints that they spend time together regularly.

These are supported by Miyuki receiving a full email rather than a text about Chris' perceived age concerns, which is filled with his feelings about university life, too.

But perhaps most telling of all is Miyuki's response. There's an undercurrent of seriousness and conscientiousness in Miyuki's answer - before throwing Eijun under the bus with his own return text because it's Miyuki - which speaks of an appreciation of the rarity of vulnerability Chris shows him.

From all that, it's easy to imagine Chris as a prodigy who always has been lonely despite his likeability. Luckily, the other high baseball-IQ, lonely prodigy catcher at Seido is there to understand and stand behind him, whether or not Chris was always in the headspace to reciprocate that support.

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

So, I watched the failed pilot for the 2004 Dark Shadows reboot, and there's a lot of weirdness there, but I can't get over casting the very hot Matt Czuchry as Willie Loomis.

Like Hot Willie is not a concept I can wrap my mind around. John Karlen is a reasonably good-looking dude, but he was never one of the smoldering romantic heroes on the show (at least not as Willie, maybe they let him have that role in Parallel time or the past). Jim Fyfe isn't bad looking either, and was obviously uglied up to play 91 Willie. Matt Czuchry? They give him a scraggly goatee and glasses and baseball cap and still can't hide the hotness. I mean, shortly after the failed pilot, he was playing Rory Gilmore's hot, rich boyfriend Logan on Gilmore Girls:

Maybe that was part of the point? After Willie is bitten and comes under Barnabas's thrall, he has lost the glasses (always Hollywood shorthand for "this character is hot now") and is talking about how he feels "stronger" since meeting Barnabas. Maybe they were going in a different direction for the Willie-Barnabas relationship in this series.

2004 Willie seems set up to be more likable from the beginning. Karlen's Willie and even 91 Willie (despite being a comic relief caricature) were shown as deeply unpleasant guys with established bad reputations in Collinsport pre-Barnabas. Hot Willie is kind of Shaggy-like, makes awkward jokes and doesn't seem to love his job, and comes across as kind of a goofy loser at worst. He even has a girlfriend who pushes him into opening the Collins family tomb to look for treasure, removing some of his culpability there. (Barnabas kills her, but decides to give Willie a make-over.) Willie doesn't seem at all afraid of Barnabas, and Barnabas is never violent towards him after the initial biting scene, although he does get really close and briefly hold a dagger against Willie's neck in a very homoerotic moment.

I'm curious as to what the show had planned for Willie and Barnabas, and I am 100% sure fandom would have shipped them, because holy shit, that dagger scene. Newly-released Barnabas said, "I will drain two women to death or near-death, and I will make this hot young guy even hotter and then turn him into my live-in manservant." There are already people shipping original series Willie and Barnabas - not my ship of choice, but I get it, more power to you guys. I actually think the 91 series is even more homoerotic, with Willie becoming deeply loyal to Barnabas within a couple of episodes, gazing at him in adoration, and sitting there in rapt attention while Barnabas reads from Sarah's diary, even though 91 Barnabas continues to react violently whenever Willie annoys him. I'm sure it's meant to be Willie viewing Barnabas as some kind of abusive father figure or older brother type, but replace uglied up 91 Willie with Hot Willie, and fans would be all over it.

Anyway. Hot Willie. I'm not opposed to the concept, it's just weird. The only character that I object to making young and hot is Julia Hoffman - the woman is an experienced doctor and that shit takes time. She can be hot, but not young. I was going to complain about young hot Julia in the 2004 pilot, but apparently the actress Kelly Hu was around 35 or 36 at the time, and yeah, that works.

[cosmicangst]

finished romantic killer on netflix. really enjoyed it and i like how it handled issues of stalking and boundaries in relationships. i think romance as a genre is great to satirize not just because of the comedic potential but for its ability to comment about the genre and our relationship with it and to a larger extent, romantic dynamics as a whole.

usually im not a fan of work that is so self-aware and self-referential it borders on navel gazing or work that claims to subvert the weaknesses of its genre but doesn't really commit to it substantially. however i think this show (nearly) sidesteps that by being very earnest and sincere in portraying its relationships.

and i say nearly because my one criticism centers around anzu, who i think is such a relatable and enjoyable mc. however, as self-aware as the show is, it falls into the same trap of many in the romance genre by using anzu strictly as an audience conduit rather than a complex character that can exist outside of her relationships. what i mean by this is that we learn a lot about anzu but we don't really end up truly knowing her by the end of the season.

we learn about her otaku interests and that she's disinterested in a romantic relationship. we learn about her protective streak over her friends and her oddball and competitive tendencies. we learn she is clever and has a very strong will and integrity. however, the show never delves further than that. why is anzu so averse to romance in real life and opts for fictional characters instead? is she on the aro spectrum? if not, is her aversion rooted in something else? we learn what is essentially a checklist but nothing more than that.

i'm not saying the show has to necessarily answer these questions directly (or even at all) but i point this out as examples because we don't really get a glimpse into anzu's true inner world. we see tsukasa's source of trauma and we even see her best friend, saki (a minor character), in a similar fraught and vulnerable moment. we see that junta grew from his insecurity through baseball and that he still struggles with his inability to confess to anzu. anzu doesn't have to have a dark past or a crippling insecurity to be compelling but anzu remains functionally the same from the first episode to the last (like even her child self is indistinguishable from the anzu in the last episode)

and that is the root of the issue: anzu doesn't really have any flaws. the plot is always on her side. any "flaws" she might have is that she is judgmental once (ie when she judged tsukasa for being "cold") but this never really becomes a true conflict between them and it's never used as a point of growth because she's normally not judgmental in the first place with how gracious she can be even with people she disagrees with (like ryuya). another is that she's out of touch with societal expectations (eg her clothing and her interests) but these are all ultimately in service of her likability to us (and her love interests) and if anything, it ingratiates her more with her relationships by portraying how "real" she is (*waves airily* unlike all those other romance heroines). her flaws never engender anything with teeth and she never truly loses anything real or struggles in a way that brings character change. the things that happen to her do bring conflict but they're either inconveniences at best or they're used to explore other characters as she's used by the plot as a device for the others to react and self-actualize.

her only change in the end is purely external: she has a more extensive group of close friends now. and this would be a good resolution if this was something she actively desired but struggled with in the beginning. she's a little more open to a romantic relationship but we could make an argument that that was just purely to force the wizards' hand in letting riri go. she remains adamant in staying romance-averse.

so if (1) we don't see the reasons for why she is the way she is and (2) we don't really see her tested and internally changed in some way, anzu basically receives the same flat treatment as many romance heroines do in the sense that she's no more fully realized than they are. and that's a shame! because anzu is very easy to root for and i enjoy her humor and displays of strength but there's a huge gap between likability and being three-dimensional as a character.

this would be a non-issue if she was part of the supporting cast but anzu's our main protagonist. why do we get a truer insight to her best friend than her? is the show really subverting the genre as much as it thinks it is?

and none of this is meant to detract from how thoughtful and feminist i do find this show to be mainly in its portrayal of female-female relationships and its handling of (particularly male) victims of boundary transgressions. one of its biggest strength is that as absurd as it can get, it's very grounded overall. the two male leads in the love triangle are very honest and respectful of the other. everyone talks to each other like actual friends. and i'm all for melodrama like anyone who's a fan of this genre but sometimes seeing a conflict that's handled maturely can be very refreshing and needed.

anyway long and short of it is that i do recommend it. my criticisms aren't meant to bash anzu but rather highlight the ways in which this show might be actively limiting itself in its function of parody and subversion. none of this is meant to paint the series as "bad" but rather "incomplete" because i know this show could do more

[adamwatchesmovies]

Night of the Lepus (1972)

If you seek out bad movies, you’ve probably heard of Night of the Lepus. This means - I’m sorry to say it - the best part of the movie has already been spoiled for you. Even if you don’t know why this movie was doomed from the start, it’s only good for so many laughs. While you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ridicule what’s happening on-screen, I doubt this film will become a new favorite.

To humanely reduce the rabbit population ravaging rancher Cole Hillman's fields, scientists Roy and Gerry Bennet (Stuart Whitman and Janey Leigh, as compelling as a couple of lettuce heads) genetically modify the animals to make them less fertile. When their daughter, Amanda (Melanie Fullerton) releases a test subject into the wild, the state is soon overrun by giant Lepus timidus.

When rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859, no one could’ve foreseen the damage they would cause to the continent's flora and fauna. The incident inspired the horror-comedy novel The Year of the Angry Rabbit, whose tone was completely lost upon screenplay writers Don Holliday and Gene R. Kearney. With the help of director William F. Claxton, they are trying to scare us using giant bunnies. You’d think someone would’ve raised their hands and questioned the decision. Maybe someone did at some point and to show them who's boss, this film takes the premise as if it were gospel. When the army calls for all residents to roll up their windows for fear of the giant, mutated rabbits stampeding their way, they should be laughing their eyebrows off. Instead, the people in this movie take it completely seriously, following every order to the letter without fail.

Incompetently directed, Night of the Lepus doesn’t appear to know how it could frighten audiences even if its life depended on it. Every time you see the titular monsters bounding through the tiny streets, all you can do is “awww” or laugh. There are never any ominous or moody shots. The tension is non-existent. When the film ends, you’ll be shocked. Was that it? There’s no way that was the climax. It was so easy!

Not helping the picture are the weak special effects. I can give a pass to the miniatures - how else would they have made the creatures look big? But you can clearly see the seams in several of the composite shots and whenever we get a close-up of someone fighting for their life as a giant rabbit attempts to chew their arms off, you think you’re watching a tussle between a drunken fan and the baseball team’s mascot. It’s pathetic. The actors underreact as they are about to die and when they’re calm and collected, the performances are awful.

This is one of the dullest horror movies I’ve ever seen - or it would be if it weren’t for the hugely misguided and idiotic premise. Actually, it is still fairly boring because what’s wrong about it is obvious and consistent. A true bad movie classic like Plan 9 From Outer Space keeps finding new ways to be bad. It surprises you. This movie? Not so much. After about 15 minutes, you’ve seen the range all the major actors have and after a couple of shots of the beasts chowing down on people (well, we don’t really see it, but we see the attacks and aftermath), you fully understand why this film isn't going to work. Night of the Lepus is worth seeing once so you can say you’re part of the club but don’t expect to return to this movie over and over. (On DVD, August 16, 2019)

[debbiechanclub]

I was tagged by @softlikesilkchiffon to give three random facts about myself. Thank you, Summer! 💕

I. In 2013 I was a finalist for the MLB Fan Cave, representing the Washington Nationals. The best way I can think to describe the Fan Cave would be like The Real World for baseball fans, except it was on social media instead of TV (here’s the Wikipedia article about it). To enter, you had to submit a video application, and mine was a spoof of A Christmas Carol where I was visited by the ghosts of D.C. baseball past, present, and future. MLB chose the semi-finalists from the video applicants, and then the finalists were decided via public vote. I'm pretty sure the only reason I made it to the finals was because my friend's cousin spent an actual entire day voting for me when he found out it was unlimited votes 😂. I didn't make it into the actual Fan Cave, but I got to go to Spring Training in Arizona with all the other finalists and basically party for a week while filming things with pro baseball players. Fast-forward to today and I haven't watched baseball since 2019 because Sling doesn't carry the channel that broadcasts the Nats games 🙃

II. I've mentioned this before and it's not exactly random given the content of my blog, but it's always one of my go-to icebreaker facts and, ngl, I like telling people this. In 2011, I trained for six months at a dinky little pro wrestling school in Western Maryland. My thought process at the time was basically, I still don’t have a job over a year after graduating college, so I might as well try to become a pro wrestler. (In hindsight that’s horrible logic, but I was also 22.) The school was over an hour’s drive away from where I lived, and I didn’t have my own car at the time, so I borrowed my dad’s twice a week until I started catching a ride with another one of the students who lived relatively close to me. At first, they gave me the name “Katie May” and paired me up with this big hoss dude as a babyface manager, but I turned on him pretty quick and started managing the dude I carpooled with―and I had nuclear fucking heat after I turned heel. There were girls who went to the exhibition shows at the school who shoot hated me because I was the only female trainee and I guess they were jealous of the attention I was getting from the wrestlers? Because apparently psycho fangirls exist even for no-name indie dudes. 

Anyway, I could write ten more paragraphs about those six months, but to make a long story short I quit after I realized the school was a joke and one of the trainers showed photos of mine that I had sent to him in confidence to the entire locker room. That being said, I don’t regret the experience at all and I have to say I was pretty good. Sometimes I think about how different my life might be right now if I hadn’t quit. But not too much because then the “what ifs” make me sad.

III. I have one tattoo and am hoping to get more soon. But the next one I get is actually going to be a cover-up/re-do of the one that I have 🙃. It’s the coordinates to my college, and it’s messy and blown-out because the guy who did it had only been tattooing for three months at the time. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that until long after I’d left the shop. I’m planning to get the coordinates covered up with either a moth or butterfly and then have the coordinates redone... but I am a little worried that my best friend will be lowkey upset if I do get it covered up, because she has the exact same tattoo. But it’s my body and in a place I can see it every day (the inside of my forearm) so yeah. It’s happening. 

Tagging: @comeasyoudar @knifepervert @m00sebaby @sldghmmr @hotyeehawman!

[scisscrking]

anthony bowens is known as aew professional wrestler under his birth name. he is 33 years old (December 18, 1990) and is also a former baseball player for eleven years.

anthony is all about having fun in every single dream he pursues! while nothing in life comes without frustrations and setbacks, he tries to remain positive in the best way he can. before professional wrestling, anthony’s dream involved a ball and a bat, playing for both Montclair State and Seton Hail University. in addition, he also played two seasons each for the Pirates and Red Hawks until discovered by former WWE superstar, Santino Marella.

he started training under pat buck in 2012 and within a year made his debut. despite a setback in november of 2016 when he gained a concussion, he’d been wrestling on the independent circuit for 6 years. however during this in 2020, it was announced by all elite wrestling president tony khan that anthony, along with his tag team partner max, had been signed. this was the biggest break in his wrestling career and the first time he’d been signed by a major wrestling promotion.

1/2 of The Acclaimed alongside Max Caster and accompanied by Billy Gunn, Anthony’s career sky rocketed. The Acclaimed have become one of wrestling’s most exciting tag teams and are currently 1x AEW tag team champs and 1x trios champs.

Anthony can be described as comical, a jokester, passionate, hardworking, and just an all around friendly guy. He doesn’t take much of anything seriously and is 100% the friend that you can always count on, whether to listen and give the best advice he can or bail you out of jail.

Anthony is 10000000% gay and always has been. In the beginning, he was afraid that his sexuality will hinder him from opportunities in whatever he tried to do. However, It didn’t take long for him to just be honest with the entire world. His boyfriend at the time, Michael is definitely the one person who gave Anthony the confidence to just say it in a YT video on their channel. 90% of the world gave him the most positive reaction and he couldn’t be more grateful.

This portrayal is currently exploring a world for Anthony outside of being in a relationship with Michael. He had been with Michael since 2017 up until February of 2024. Although it had only been 7 years, a lot of who Bowens can be credited to Michael since he was the first boyfriend, the first person he opened to completely, and the bond is always there. Anthony and Michael broke up due to the fact that Anthony’s profession takes a lot of time away from people in his life. Anthony will always have love for Michael and still refers to him as his best friend. Shipping is chemistry based and thorough planning because the last thing I want to do is derail from the fact that I had JUST said I was trying to get anthony to discover who he is outside of his relationship.

if I’m not on anthony, I might be on @jhendrys or @shegotnext and so, once again bare with me. not the quickest with paras but! don’t feel you’re being ignored because you’re not believe me. you can always gently nudge me in messages because tumblr can be a dick sometimes and not show me but know the difference between a nudge and stalking. 😅

connections;

max caster; outside of the lads, max is someone that anthony is close with for obvious reasons. they travel the roads, they room together, they bounce ideas off of one another and sometimes clash on said ideas but overall, they are the acclaimed and EVERYONE LOVES THE ACCLAIMED! anthony isn’t naive, he knows that max can push the limits in some of his raps but just like the fans, he doesn’t know what max is going to rap about until he raps about it. anthony checks max on the regular and explains to him how it can come across.

daddy ass/billy gunn; a mentor, a colleague, a friend. he’s grown close to kip so much that he is essentially a father figure of the trio.

the lads; hook, darius & dante martin, action andretti, and various guest lads are all homies. they accept anthony for who he is and are considered family. the coworkers that make work and life pretty fucking fun.

all other connects are open! never hesitate to scissor me in the DM’s. ✂️👅

[thewebinsider]

Journal #1

Hello! My name is Troy Santelmo! Your newest web journalist! Get the latest scoop directly from Hollywood and the Philippines! My scope are Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Technology, M.I.T., Anime and Hollywood tv shows, cartoons, movies and music. I am adept at almost all talents. I am a fan of Superhero and Mystery movies. I also have superjayrVLOGS & Podcast. I am PrinceRuss of Wikipedia. I am a pioneer of M.I.T. Dentistry and Esthetics Dentistry. I love singing and dancing. I graduated with flying colors. I am a man of color dreaming of becoming a U.S. Soldier, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Police Paramedic. I am dreaming of becoming a detective, a forensic laboratory scientist because of Cased Closed, Fringe, The Flash and NCIS. I am also a General Practitioner and inspired by House M.D. while studying BSN. I am now underboards and hoping to migrate to U.S.A. anytime sooner. We have a house in Troy, Michigan. I also want to become a Navigator and an Explorer. I also want to try all sports and be part of NBA and Baseball League. I love Superman, X-Men and Pokemon. I am part of the millennial generation. I am a Born-again Christian proclaiming Jesus and Justice wherever I go. I am now in my adolescent period and will reach young adulthood at 35 years old. I have a twink and slim body right now. I do not watch pornography and I never drank alcohol. I am still virgin and do not have girlfriend until now.

[sportyconnect]

The National Basketball Association (NBA) logo, featuring a player dribbling a basketball, has become an enduring symbol in professional sports. During my childhood, I often pondered the player's identity portrayed in the iconic image. Was it a real NBA player? And if so, who was that basketball player who became immortalized as the silhouette in the logo? As it turns out, the image depicted a real player, the legendary Jerry West, a revered figure in the world of basketball, and a member of the esteemed Basketball Hall of Fame. Let us delve into the story behind how Jerry West came to be known as "The Logo." Seeking a Fresh Image In 1969, NBA Commissioner J. Walter Kennedy sought to breathe new life into the league's brand. With the company expanding to encompass 14 teams, revitalization was ripe. However, two years prior, the NBA had started feeling the heat from a budding competitor—the American Basketball Association (ABA). To rejuvenate the NBA's image, Kennedy turned to Alan Siegel, a seasoned expert in branding professional sports leagues. A year earlier, Siegel had left his mark by designing the iconic logo for Major League Baseball (MLB). Siegel, a close friend of sportswriter Dick Schaap from the Sporting News, approached him with a request to peruse the magazine's vast photo collection in search of inspiration. During his exploration, Siegel's attention was captured by a particular image featuring the prominent player Jerry West skillfully dribbling the ball. The idea resonated deeply with him. In an interview, Siegel expressed his fascination with the image, stating, "I was drawn to it because of its pleasing verticality, the player's graceful lean while dribbling... it conveyed a sense of subtle motion." While Siegel had contemplated using photos of other basketball superstars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and John Havlicek, he ultimately decided to go with the captivating photograph of West. Once Siegel decided, his team meticulously traced the image's outline and embedded it within the NBA shield, giving birth to the iconic logo we recognize today. Unveiling the Identity of the Logo While it is widely known among basketball enthusiasts and insiders that the logo does depict Jerry West, the NBA has never officially acknowledged him as the face behind their emblem. When Siegel presented the design, he neither explicitly stated that it was West in the image nor denied it during discussions. So, why was the league reluctant to acknowledge the West as representing their "new look"? One major factor lies in the league's objective at the time, establishing a standardized rather individualized identity for the NBA. Basketball is the epitome of a team sport, and during the 1960s, the concept of one-on-one or isolation-style play was largely foreign—the league aimed to promote the collective nature of the game rather than highlighting any specific individual. Jerry West: "I wish they would change it." Adding another layer to the story, it is intriguing that West was never officially informed about the logo until its release. Even then, he wasn't entirely sure if it was indeed him depicted in the picture. West and Siegel had limited interaction throughout the years, with only a few brief introductions. Siegel observed that West's attitude towards him was less than amicable. In April 2017, Jerry West made an appearance on The Jump, a famous NBA show on ESPN, where he expressed his perspective on the matter, surprising fans with his response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG_L9Uc9xJY "I don't know, I don't like to do anything to call attention to myself, and when people say that, it's just not who I am, period. If they would want to change it, I wish they would. In many ways, I wish they would." Alternative Options for the NBA Logo When asked if West had any suggestions for a replacement, he had one player in mind: Michael Jordan.

"He's been the greatest player I've ever seen. And I'm probably a harsh judge of talent, in the sense that I admire players that are really good defensive players and really good offensive players... And he made his teams win." Alan Siegel, the designer behind the logo, has been frequently asked about his opinion on updating and changing the NBA logo. His response has consistently been a resounding "NO." "It's a really elegant, powerful presentation of basketball. It's challenging from a graphic standpoint to create something as visually impactful in a static image like this. It needs to convey tension, movement, and grace. It's not easy. I don't believe they should change it. Having worked on numerous sports symbols, I can say it's a difficult task. You can't overcrowd the design with too many elements. It needs to be simple, powerful, and dynamic. The current logo possesses all these elements." FAQs This section will answer some common questions about the NBA logo and explain why it has remained unchanged for so long. Who was the NBA Logo before Jerry West?The NBA logo has always been associated with Jerry West. The designer, Alan Siegel, based the logo on a photograph of Jerry West dribbling the ball. Since its creation in 1969, the logo has featured Jerry West's silhouette.Was Michael Jordan ever the NBA Logo?No, Michael Jordan has never been the official NBA logo. Although Jordan is widely recognized and admired as one of the greatest basketball players ever, Jerry West's silhouette has always represented the NBA logo.Why is Kobe Bryant, not the NBA Logo?Following the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, there was a movement among players and fans to change the NBA logo to honor him. However, the NBA has not made any official changes to the logo. The league's stance is that the logo is not meant to be associated with any specific player but represents the spirit of the game itself.Will the NBA ever change its logo?Currently, it is doubtful that the NBA will change its logo. The league has expressed contentment with the original logo for many years and considers it iconic. Changing the logo would require a significant rebranding effort and a departure from the longstanding symbol representing the league. Conclusion The story behind the NBA logo and the player it represents adds to the history and intrigue of the league's early years. While there have been discussions about updating the logo, it is hoped by many that it remains unchanged. The logo symbolizes the NBA's growth and success since its introduction in 1971. While the league has other priorities and concerns, it remains committed to honoring its past and celebrating the pioneers and the current stars who have contributed to the NBA's prominence. The image of Jerry West's silhouette on the league shield captures the essence of this vision, representing a blend of the past and present in the ever-evolving game of basketball.

[survivor-trinidad-and-tobago]

Cast Reveal: Soca

Alex, he/him, 30

I'm Alex, I'm a therapy director and the communication and flexibility my job demands of me are going to help guide me through the game. My goal with this game is to have a good time, be a friendly presence for the other players to want to work with or come to with information, and to then use that charm to hide my strategic side. My goal is to become Sole Survivor for both the bragging rights, and to justify how much I talk about the show to others.

OCCUPATION: Occupational Therapist

HOBBIES: Theater, Podcasts, Camping

PET PEEVES: Unnecessary rudeness and arrogance

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: I want to say I'm a Todd Herzog but really I'm an Adam Klein. I'm gonna have a lot of enthusiasm and probably have some missteps, but hopefully I'll still come out on top.

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: I think I'll be the sole survivor because my goal will be to build as many relationships as possible. That'll make the game more fun and hopefully help me in the pre-merge, but I also hope that will help me float through the game with a bit of an "anyone but me" strategy while still building connections come jury management. The more information I get, the more I can use it to own advantage for the strategic and cut-throat side of the game that I'll need to channel to make it to the end.

Champagne, she/her, I’m feeling 22!!

Hi! My name is Champagne or you can call me Champ! I’m 22 and I’m a college student pursuing my degree in elementary education! I nanny for a family of three and also waitress at a bar! I am a huge fan or survivor and reality tv in general!

OCCUPATION: Student/ Nanny/ Waitress

HOBBIES: Reality tv of course :)! I love traveling, hiking and going to concerts!

PET PEEVES: People with no manners! Like at minimum say please and thank you😭

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: This is gonna boost my ego but I would say Shonee from Survivor Aus! She is such a social player and often over looked/ underrated game play!

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: I will (hopefully) be sole survivor because I love the game, and have never won any of these games so it’s time I redeem myself!

ANYTHING ELSE: Always feel free to reach out to me :) I love meeting people who have similar interests and would love to have more reality tv friends :)

eman, she/they, 47

I'm eman. A bitter old fanbitch and nerd, but also someone who lives by their "I have done love" tattoo and is willing to put their life on the line for someone they love.

OCCUPATION: civil servant

HOBBIES: dogs, baseball, hiking, and being just a little bit obsessive about a lot

PET PEEVES: people who over-promise and under-deliver; pedants

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: I'm 100% Janet - older, and a natural protector of everyone else.

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: because Mercury is finally out of retrograde and this is my turn

Kaleigh, she/her, 33

My name is Kaleigh and I live in Eugene, OR. I love reading and video games and visiting the forest. I work in retail and love my DOG! I am currently learning to play piano and I want to get better at baking.

OCCUPATION: Retail

HOBBIES: gardening, reading, writing, playing music, cooking, driving

PET PEEVES: capitalism & people who park so close to me that I can't open my car door

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: I guess Parvati because she is hot and iconic.

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: Listen... I'm just here for a good time

Kolby, he/him, 19

hi! i’m kolby, and i live in atlanta, georgia! i’m a server, and in my free time, i enjoy going on city walks, going to gay bars, and watching survivor. i’m really excited to get back into the org world and i hope i’m not too rusty haha

OCCUPATION: server

HOBBIES: going on city walks, bar hopping, watching tv/movies

PET PEEVES: THE SOUND STYRAFOAM MAKES

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: i’ve been a survivor super fan my ENTIRE LIFE so from that aspect, i want to say an adam klein type but i want to play a super social game similar to ricard from 41 where he was just on good terms with everyone, super likable and never seemed to be playing too hard.

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: i think i’m pretty likable and i’m super competitive so i think i have a shot!

Lexi, she/her, 28

I’m Lexi and I live in Austin with my dog Francine. When I’m not playing with her I’m sewing my latest project, watching sports, or watching reality tv, which has somehow never included an episode of Survivor. 

OCCUPATION: Apparel Designer

HOBBIES: Sewing, playing tennis, watching movies

PET PEEVES: When people spell my name wrong in an email when the correct spelling is right there in the email address

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: Michele! I've never watched Survivor but I watched her compete on The Challenge - she was smart and nice and emotionally intelligent but her weakness was overthinking & paranoia, and I think I see those same traits in myself

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: Beginner’s luck!

Nick, he/him, 28

I'm a grad student studying Social Work in Boston. I play guitar and read in my free time. I will probably try and make alliances asap.

OCCUPATION: Grad Student

HOBBIES: Reading, watching baseball, yoga, napping

PET PEEVES: Know it alls, stinginess, and condescending attitudes

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: Christian from David vs. Goliath

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: My fire starting skills and non confrontational attitude.

ANYTHING ELSE: Sauerkraut is a food on its own.

Steven, he/him, 25

Hey y’all! I love survivor and have a competitive spirit so I use orgs as a way to release it. I work as a line cook right now so if you can’t reach then that’s probably what I’m doing. I’m really into any reality competition show, Pokémon, horror movies, and watching way too many tiktoks.

OCCUPATION: Line Cook

HOBBIES: Pokémon, cooking, watching movies, and playing video games

PET PEEVES: When clothes just start getting random holes

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: Honestly not sure but I will go with Kane. We’re both nerdy guys and seem to fumble sometimes throughout the game. We was able to recover from his troubles to regain bonds with someone he already voted for. I have been able to do that in the past and have made close ally with people that I was previously working against in the early part of the game.

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: I’m always willing to learn from my past mistakes and utilize that to help me understand how to navigate in the future

ANYTHING ELSE: I have a cat named Barry and would love to talk about each others pets

Tony, he/him, 28

I’m from El Paso, Texas but have been living in Austin for a decade now. I’m a community mental health caseworker by day and cryptid enthusiast by night. My favorite cryptid is Mothman!

OCCUPATION: Community mental health caseworker

HOBBIES: Party Rockin’ and Pizza

PET PEEVES: People that don’t use their blinkers and don’t put their shopping carts back

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: Ozzy

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: Im consistent and a team player.

ANYTHING ELSE: Love weiner dogs and chili cheese glizzies

Zee, she/her, 19

Hey there! I'm Zee (like Ziti pasta, or like you're saying Bee, but with a Z instead), I'm 19 I use she/her pronouns and I'm kind of a nerd. I'm hella obsessed w/Paleography and Languages in general, I vibe heavily with that. I'm also a dancer, even though I have the physique of a 12 year old boy (what I lack in body I make up for in personality UwU), and I have been for just over a year. I'm also super interested in Survivor! I think it's a really cool show and game, and I'd definitely love to be a part of it irl if I wasn't busy with Uni and things like that. I think I'm a social butterfly, even if I can come off as shy at first, and I'm generally willing to be friends with anybody! Anyway yeah, this sounds hella dope and I'm down to see what happens if I get cast here.

OCCUPATION: Student

HOBBIES: Making Friendship Bracelets (I'm fucking dope at it), Cooking, Talking to my Best Friend

PET PEEVES: Bad Communication

SURVIVOR PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKE: I'd say Maryanne, because she's also a very emotional and social player, and I feel like I definitely lead with my heart

WHY YOU WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR: Because I'm a chill person and I feel like the vibes are there

ANYTHING ELSE: I may not be blonde, but I am a bimbo (insert peace sign emoji and sparkle emoji here, I'm on desktop so you guys are gonna have to use ur imagination here)

-

Soca, here are your buffs!

[indynerdgirl]

Every once in a while I remember the 2016 show Pitch and then get angry all over again about how Fox canceled it after only 10 episodes AND how the show ended on several massive, unresolved cliffhangers.