#it also could be an issue of excellent and above hits somehow being shown as good hits even though internally they count as excellent+

[rubyrhythmposts-archive]

What in the world...

Okay so for context: I was playing Pretty U to clear daily missions. And I had like 3 Goods and 1 Miss. And I figured "yeah, par for the course" and obviously didn't take a screenshot of those results (because why would I unless it's a full combo).

BUT. Apparently that still counted as Perfect Hits??? I guess it's a bug considering that that definitely shouldn't happen. But I recently had this happen with Fear too. Even though I tried fc-ing Fear for ages and just 1 Good would screw me over. And a long time ago that happened with Hot too.

I mean I guess I can't complain considering I did kind of get those shiny gold badges handed to me for free. But it just doesn't sit right with me that I didn't genuinely get a full combo on those songs.

[kuningannasansa]

A musketeers rewatch (that nobody asked for) 1x04

(warning: not always complimentary towards all characters, especially not aramis, anne and athos. dont like, don’t read)

We start with Louis being a prat and in this instance I love it! 

Richelieu is wearing his red robes over the hideous black outfit. I wish it was just the robes. 

Athos wonders what’s wrong with Aramis and Porthos says “have you forgotten about the massacre at Savoy?”. This is clumsy exposition. Realistically Athos the character would not have forgotten but I guess the viewers need to know. 

“A strategically important pimple” - Lmao! Who says Armand hasn’t got a sense of humour! 

This marks the beginning of these strangely depopulated court scenes. I do wish they had been able to afford more extras!

The Duke’s name is Victor... idk how I feel about that

The conversation between Marsac and Aramis is very well written, the exposition feels natural and also Aramis handles the situation quite well.

Now the Duke is mad and everyone is trying to calm him down. Treville points out that they should wait for the facts and Anne says that the shot could have hit any one of them, they are family and should stick together. This is why I liked her back in season 1! She was clever, had some political acumen and was good at playing her role as queen (women being seen as the gentler sex whose job it was to calm mens anger) while still maneuvering and getting her own way. 

It is funny thou, how everyone else is making good points and Richelieu is pacing around in a panic not saying anything at first, not even responding to Victor’s insults. And when he does speak he miscalculates and angers the duke. He is brilliant when given time to think and consider, but not always quick on his feet lol (as pointed out by @tatzelwyrm in her wonderful fic Reformation, which I really must remember to review cause I fucking loved it).   

Louis calls the duke a pomous arse and Richelieu points out that France needs Savoy, but his face says he agrees xD

There’s definitely some sexual tension between Aramis and Marsac. Or maybe I’m just a shameless slasher... 

“If this gets me hanged, I’m going to take it very personally” - lol, I do love musketeers humour!

The scene between my dear grand deceiver and his bluff honest man of action is SO GOOD!! The dialogue, the delivery, the acting in general!

Richelieu’s room is ridiculously large and empty thou xD 

“Death in battle is one thing, but your world of back alley stabbings and murder disgusts me” - that seems to be the show’s morality in a nutshell and I don’t like it. Whether you’re killed by Milady’s dagger between the ribs or a musketeer sword, you end up no less dead. Sometimes secret assassinations are necessary, that’s why countries have spy agencies. And while yes, in battle you can see your opponent coming and have a good chance to deny him, I am convinced that a big part of why killing in battle is seen as more honourable is that it is the more traditionally masculine option. Also, it is an option most easily accessible to able bodied men. Everyone else can’t always afford to “fight fair”. 

“Not everything I do is pleasant, but it is all necessary.” - well, that’s not true either. Not all.

Richelieu panics again and wants to move the prisoner but Treville says a transfer would only attract attention and Richelieu is like “yeah, you’re probably right” lol. Poor cardinal, he’s trying to run the whole country alone but he needs advisors just like anyone else would to make the best decisions. If he would just admit it, his life would be a lot easier! 

Dartagnan gets all jealous and territorial over Constance. I know it’s meant to indicate their true love, but I’ve never found that shit charming. 

Aramis ties Marsac up. This is making me horny now. 

“I’ve thought of you many times” - omg, I gotta see if there’s fic of them!

Constance finds out that Marsac is a criminal and instead of kicking him out, she kicks D’artagnan out! Bless!

Okay, so the Duke’s men killed the 20 musketeers because the Duke thought that they had come to kill him and put his son on the throne. And Treville told him where to find them through Cluzet (spl?). But actually it was all a distraction to kidnap Cluzet. Noting this down, cause I don’t remember the plot anymore.

PORTHOS DEFENDING TREVILLE!!  <3

And Richelieu just couldn’t resist going to see his prisoner! 

And Cluzet worked for the Duke officially but was actually a Spanish spy! Okay, that makes sense. I wondered why they kidnapped him lol.

Richelieu is gloating now. He should have stayed away from there. 

“Total solitude, unlimited time to reflect... I almost envy you.” - oh Armand! You will learn in the Spanish prison :(

(yes, in this house the Spanish prison AU is canon)

Porthos: “this is the captain we’re talking about” Aramis: “which is why we owe it to him to clear his name” - damn, that’s a good argument! I like Aramis in this episode! That’s probably why I remember liking him a lot when season 1 first aired...

“If it is true, what then?” - @donnaimmaculata made an excellent point about that here: https://donnaimmaculata.tumblr.com/post/109300936446/aramis-was-actually-at-his-smartest-in-this

Louis playing swords with Louis Amadeus is so cute!! And the kid is a more gracious loser than Louis is a winner xD

“I don’t want protection, I want to be treated as an equal.” - that’s a good Constance line, much more feminist than that nonsense about the duchess later in the episode

And D'artagnan apologizes and promises not to lie to her again. Mentioning that cause his respect for her boundaries and acknowledging when he makes a mistake goes totally out the window in season two.

The duke: “Have you captured the man who tried to kill me?” Richelieu: “We should not be distracted by minor issues.” - what is wrong with him this episode?? he is not being at all diplomatic

The duke challenges Athos to a duel and Treville is so cool and quietly confident while Richelieu frets.  

And Treville smirks at his evident distress xD

Treville gets mad at Athos for humiliating the duke. He could have defeated him in a way that left him his dignity, apparently. But Porthos says he would have cut his head off, so Treville should consider himself lucky, really. 

Porthos is very good at spying!

Treville’s filing of documents is “meticulous”, apparently. Sorry, but that does NOT sound like him!

“I will never believe the captain is a traitor” - that’s noble of you Athos. Maybe you could have extended the same courtesy to your wife?

The confrontation with Treville is so angsty and well acted and tense! This is the show at it’s best, dealing with a serious issue and giving it the weight it deserves. I love!

It’s kind of sad seeing how in love the duke is with his wife! I hope he never finds out she’s a spy lol xD

Now Marsac tries to rape Constance. Was that really necessary? Like, really, why?? We understand he is an antagonist, there is no need to make him cartoonishly evil, especially by using violence against women. 

I don’t know what his friend being a seezy rapist says about Aramis thou...

Dart to the rescue, yawn!

I do love how we are led to believe they’re gonna kiss and then she goes “teach me how to shoot” xD

“Honour? There’s no word in the language more likely to cause stupidity and inconvenience” - lmaoo, Richelieu I feel you

“You think I won’t have you arrested? That you’re above the normal rules of soldiering?” - Yesss Treville, have him arrested! You will save everyone a lot of grief down the road!

Aramis punches Treville in the face! LOL! xD

Aramis and Marsac argue how to handle Treville (Marsac wants to assassinate him) and Aramis just cradles his face!

And then Marsac punches aramis in the face and knocks him out cold! LOL! xD

I love how the duke is actually objectively right in this episode. Imperialist France is meddling in the affairs of another sovereign state. The weak suffer what they must. And the musketeers are not on the side of good by helping the King and Richelieu conceal Cluzet. They follow their orders and work for the state, but the state is, well, not always nice. Just pointing that out...

The duchess looks so cool and beautiful riding into the garrison in that yellow dress with her cloak flapping in the wind!

“You traitor!” Cluzet says to the duchess. Pot calling the kettle black

“Not your average duchess then” - I don’t like this line! It sort of implies that an average duchess without fighting skills is somehow lesser and plays into a long pattern in television when women are only valued when they have “masculine” skills. But I do love her character a lot! More on that here: https://kuningannasansa.tumblr.com/post/100754198434/a-duchess-of-savoy-appreciation-post

Richelieu’s FACE when he sees D'artagnan as the guard! xD

But I wonder what his plan was? What if the musketeers had not shown up to save his ass?

“Paris has a number of excellent places of correction, if you’d like a tour of them all?” - aawwww, sassy cardinal! 

He even gives Dartagnan a look of acknowledgement. As well he should! The Cluzet switch was brilliant and funny!

Now Marsac is going to kill Treville, but Aramis stops him, saying there should be a court martial. Well done Aramis, keeping your head! Also, justice! It does exist! 

This is another very well acted emotional scene!

Aramis shoots Marsac, choosing Treville over him. It’s sad and tragic and wonderful television!

“I love my husband, very much” - I like their relationship

Lmaooo now Richelieu is already plotting the Duke’s murder xD  

Wet Aramis at Marsac’s grave is hot!

In conclusion, there were some things I didn’t like, but all in all this was a very good episode!

Red Guards killed in the line of duty: none

Women fridged: also none! this really was a good one guys!

Best dressed: Constance

[taaroko]

In This Essay, I Will Break Down the Mind-Boggling Stupidity of Thanos’s Plan

Okay, so I got a review on one of my Thor fanfics from someone who thinks Thanos had a point, and naturally, I had to write a multi-paragraph reply explaining why that is false. I’ve seen plenty of other excellent posts dragging Thanos, but I’m throwing mine on the pile. Here we go.

Thanos's plan is utter nonsense. He's operating with a very unsophisticated Malthusian understanding of population dynamics that was debunked a long time ago. Malthus assumed that population would always grow exponentially until it vastly exceeded the resources, resulting in mass starvation. But that's not what actually happens. When the production methods improve, there will be a population boom for a while, but it eventually levels off near the new carrying capacity as people have fewer children. New innovations in production and distribution will continue to raise the carrying capacity, and the population will rise to match it. The only time the world's population has ever gone down was after the Black Plague, and that set us back a long way. It did not leave more resources for the survivors to enjoy. And even if cutting the population in half was a good thing, it only sets us back about 50 years, so it's an extremely temporary "solution" anyway. Then there are the short-term consequences of the Snapture. Completely at random, half of everyone flaked out of existence. That means roughly half of all vehicles on every road on the planet are suddenly without drivers, still going whatever speed they were going. Those roads are now clogged with empty and crashed cars. Ambulances will never reach the remaining people who got stuck in crashes, and even if they could, are there doctors left to treat the patients? Without the ability to transport people or goods effectively until the roads are clear (and how do you even begin to do that?), no supplies or shipments are getting anywhere. There are quite a few highly specialized professional fields that may suddenly have no one in them, and many of those could be crucial to running local utilities, governments, toxic waste management, etc. It's not like there are people waiting and ready to fill all of those jobs, so we'd probably see widespread power outages, governmental collapse, and at least a few nuclear plant meltdowns. Every level of society would break down. If we're being generous, only 25% of the population would actually survive the first couple of months, and they would be living in a post-apocalyptic world, not a paradise. (I will be extremely impressed if this realistic outcome is actually what we are shown in Endgame, but I kinda doubt that the writers who believed they'd made a sympathetic villain in Thanos have actually thought this through.) That's just Earth. Maybe there are some planets out there that wouldn't get hit quite as hard by the snowball effect of the Snap, and there are definitely others that would have it worse. The one-size-fits-all approach is completely asinine. Different worlds with different lifeforms will obviously have different needs and different struggles. And on that note, I do not believe Thanos when he claims that Gamora's planet is doing great since his army paid them a visit. We already saw in writing in GotG that Gamora is the last surviving member of her species, and I refuse to allow the retcon. Maybe the people living on her planet now are happy and well fed, but they are not the Zehoberei, who were so wrecked by Thanos’s brand of salvation that the rest of them have since died off.  Even if Thanos has somehow convinced himself that halving the population of any and all planets is a good idea on some level, he doesn't actually care about that or his precious balance. He didn't kill half the dwarves, he killed all of them except their king, who he left disfigured to grieve over his people until he starves because he's all alone and can't use his hands. He didn't do a headcount of the Asgardians, realize that at best 10% of the population survived Hela's slaughter, take the Tesseract, and leave them alone; he wiped out half of what was left because they dared resist him. He isn't really some martyr savior who’s the only one who can make hard choices. He looked Thor in the face while he strangled his brother, and he *smiled*. He stole children from worlds he attacked, made them battle each other for his approval and their right to live, and tore them apart to give them "upgrades." He is a twisted, cruel, tyrannical madman who only cares about making the rest of the universe suffer because he never got over what happened to his planet. And all this is working under the assumption that Thanos was only targeting sentient populations. However, if the Russos and the trailer for Endgame are to be taken at face value, then Thanos wiped out half of all living things. I really hope that's either a mistake or a trick and not what's actually happening in the MCU right now, because if it is, we have left the realms of amateur civics and gone somewhere idiotically insane. First of all, plants and animals *are* resources, so killing half of them too leaves the proportion of populations the same, just a lot sadder. But it's so, so much worse than that. Wiping out half of all living things would include crucial microorganisms such as gut bacteria and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil. Of the people who didn't fade away, quite a few would die horribly because their gut bacteria were wiped out or severely depleted, leaving them unable to digest food. Half of the land on every habitable planet would suddenly become barren without that nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Those are only the most obvious examples I can think of, but Thanos basically just destroyed every single ecological system in the entire universe. This was an extremely stupid plan if his goal was to save it. The only way it would make sense even a little bit would be if everything that flaked away is now in a parallel universe, but all the aforementioned consequences would then apply to both halves, so it's not really better. Also, why would anyone, in a universe with magic and dudes who can quadruple their mass when they get grumpy, be worried about running out of resources? Why couldn't Thanos just use the Gauntlet to fix his own planet, destroy corrupt power systems that keep the resources from being distributed to the needy, make a bunch of vacant planets habitable, or (if he’s really stuck on the population issue) lower everyone's fertility rates? Or all of the above? This didn't occur to me until a friend mentioned it, but I wouldn't have any complaints against Thanos's plan if his motive had been to punish the universe for being greedy and wasteful (like his own planet was, perhaps), his assumption being that the survivors would become stronger and more efficient because of his actions. (As long as the outcome only affected sentient populations. Good grief.)

[mensbodybuildingtips]

Proper Technique Of The Lat Pulldown Exercise

Proper Technique Of The Lat Pulldown Exercise

In a previous workout strategy write-up, I analyzed the Cable Row as well as today I intend to analyze the 'various other' significant back activity: the lat pulldown. In this write-up, I'm going to cover a narrow undergrip, medium overgrip (both in front of and also behind the neck) and also parallel grip handle.

I'm normally not a big follower of very broad hold pulldowns, I assume that a tool overhand grasp functions just as well as well as broad grasps tend to limit the range of motion.

Note: the type issues I'm going to deal with go for chins or pullups. The only distinction is that as opposed to pulling the bar down to your body, you pull your body up to the bar. As well, I'm mosting likely to utilize the term pulldown usually throughout this write-up, just bear in mind that it describes all of the various versions in addition to chins/pullups.

Muscles Targeted

As the name itself suggests, the lat pulldown has as its primary target the latissimus dorsi. This is the huge fan shaped muscular tissue that uses up an extremely large section of the back. While the midback is entailed rather in the pulldown motion (depending greatly on exactly how it's done), the upright line of pull tends to take the midback muscle mass out of the movement.

Since the arms are entailed and there is bending at the arm joint, certainly the various joint flexors, the biceps as well as brachialis, are also included. Much which is involved as well as to just what degree depends on the hold used, I'll cover this more below.

Technique: Introductory Comments

With most drawing motions, consisting of the Cable Row, many lifters tend to experience not being able to 'really feel' the back. They might obtain a tremendous arm pump however the lat appears to go unused. As normal, this typically has to do with inappropriate form (which is commonly second to using much excessive weight).

One of the vital aspects of obtaining the lats included has to do with what occurs at the shoulder. In a correctly done pulldown The shoulders must elevate (go up) at the top of the motion as well as active shrug down at the end (in the Cable Row the shoulders move forwards as well as in reverse).

If the shoulders typically aren't removaling down throughout the pulldown, it's an arm motion. One excellent cue that has been around for years is to consider pressing the elbow joints down, rather than pulling with the arms. This has the tendency to place even more concentrate on the lats instead than the biceps.

A third as well as essential problem (detailed listed below) is that the torso has to continue to be upright or, preferably, with a small arch in the reduced back. If you believe about lifting your upper body to the bar as you bring bench down (or draw yourself up in a chin), you'll get it right. If you're hunched over near the bottom, you're obtaining a wonderful exercise for your abs however not successfully training your lats. I'll cover each of these concerns below.

Basic Technique

First I intend to look at standard pulldown strategy. Both photos below reveal the fundamental begin and surface position for an undergrip pulldown. Keep in mind that the lifter is slightly behind the bar to ensure that bench can come right down to the top of the chest.

In the finish placement, the shoulders are down as well as back as well as the chest is up, the elbows are somewhat behind the upper body (showing complete lat contraction). I'll cover this even more completely in the section on variants yet, of all the sorts of pulldowns I'm going to cover, this has the tendency to place the biceps in the ideal line of pull. Most lifters will have the ability to utilize the a lot of weight with this hold and also executing this movement usually lowers the demand for straight arms work.

One essential concern with all pulldowns is proper grip width and also the photo below shows the proper grip width for the undergrip pulldown. Note that the lower arms are precisely perpendicular with bench. This is necessary and also people who begin with grips that are either also large or slim (not revealed however I assume you could presume just what this looks like) often experience wrist or elbow problems.

There are a number of usual errors that happen with pulldowns and also while I'm going to show them with the undergrip pulldown, you could typically discover individuals doing them with every one of the versions I'm going to review later on in the article.

The bar can be drawn far too low. Somehow, folks find a way to turn pulldowns into a triceps pushdown at the end. In the ideal hand photo, the lifter is leaning as well much back and transforming the motion into a mid-back exercise. This typically occurs when the weight is much too heavy as well as the lifter finishes up using primarily body English and unfaithful making the rep. However it isn't really a lat pulldown.

As I mentioned up over, among the even more usual errors with pulldowns is lifters ending up stooped over, this normally takes place when the weight is as well hefty. While it make the movement a wonderful abdominal workout, it's not ideal for educating the lats. Below I have actually revealed a lifter stooped over (left photo) contrasted to the proper finishing setting with breast high and lower back somewhat arched (right photo).

Correcting the above is typically a feature of both lowering the weight as well as cueing the lifter to think of lifting their upper body to bench as they pull bench down. If the lifter can not do this, they have to keep the weight lower till they can. Once more, on chin/pulldown versions, the very same sign holds and the lifter ought to consider raising their chest to bench as they pull themselves up.

Exercise Variants

Like the Cord Row, there countless variants on the lat pulldown mostly entailing modifications in hold placement (underhand vs. overhand) and width. Since the lats do have various functions at the shoulder and lines of pull, varying the type of pulldown done can certainly be valuable from both a strength as well as hypertrophy standpoint.

The very first variant I want to check out is the tool overgrip pulldown. Unlike the undergrip pulldown which works the shoulder extension function of the lats, the medium overgrip pulldown jobs humeral adduction. The arms have a poorer line of pull and also most lifters will not be able to utilize as much weight in this variant as with the undergrip pulldown.

Proper grasp size for the medium grasp overhand pulldown is revealed in the left picture below, while bars vary, usually speaking the hands will certainly go at the 'bends' in the bar. of more importance is that the forearms, once more, need to be vertical to the bar with the joints flared as this makes certain that adduction is being educated. The right picture below programs the finishing placement. Just like the undergrip pulldown, the bar is drawn to the top of the upper body, the lifter's upper body is upright (or somewhat curved back) with the breast high, the shoulders are down and the elbows are down and also back.

The same basic kind mistakes, drawing the bar also low leaning too much back or winding up in a stooped over position can occur with this version of the pulldown also (the triceps extension variation where the lifter takes bench all the means to the legs is much more usual due to the fact that of the grasp) as well as I'm not going to reveal those.

I 'd note that the overgrip pulldown is usually maded with a really wide grasp, give out to the ends of the bar. The original concept was that 'a vast grasp amounted to broad lats' but this is basically rubbish. The extremely wide hold often tends to limit the variety of motion of the pulldown seriously and it's not a version I ever before see much should utilize. I 'd instead somebody utilize the a little narrower grasp revealed over as well as obtain a full array of motion.

Next up I wish to show a variant of the pulldown utilizing a parallel grip on a V-handle. This variant functions the shoudler extension function of the lats (like the undergrip pulldown) but I have located that some find it a bit easier on the wrists and elbows. The parallel hold often tends to hit the brachialis a little bit much more and also biceps don't have a superb line of pull yet most will discover that their poundages on this are a bit much less (yet close) to the undergrip pulldown yet greater than a medium overgrip. The proper beginning and finishing placement for the parallel hold pulldwn are shown below.

Finally I want to consider the behind the neck pulldown. Recently, similar to the behind the neck press, there has been a little bit of debate surrounding the motion with several saying that it is unsafe to the shoulder (as well as not does anything that other, safer variants, cannot do). And definitely there is some reality to this.

However, I have the tendency to assume that the bigger issue with the behind the neck pulldown is as much to do with the adaptability of the ordinary student as anything else. Lifters with poor shoulder versatility (i.e. the majority of them) often tend to have troubles since they can not do the motion in anything approximating appropriate form. This will certainly make sense in a second.

Generally, a behind the neck pulldown would begin with a hold essentially the same to the tool hold overhand pulldown. A significant modification is that the lifter must currently removal so that they are a little before the bar in the starting placement, this is so that they can pull bench right down as well as not have to lean forwards or do goofy stuff with their head.

Of training course, the right hand picture could occur also when lifters have great shoulder versatility however are making use of too much weight.

Of program, there are extra variations compared to this that I can not cover. One handed pulldowns are not unusual and also there are actaully some good pulldown devices. The Hammer Toughness Behind the Neck Pulldown is in fact exceptional because the manages go outside the head while keeping the elbows right in accordance with the torso. It is just one of my favored makers for training the lats.

I have actually shown the proper coating placement for a behind the neck pulldown aware. As you can see, the arm joints are directly in line with the torso and also the head and also upper body are both up. In the ideal picture, I've revealed what generally occurs when lifters aim to do this motion. A total lack of shoulder versatility, typically working together with inadequate stance (shoulders pulled forwards) brings about the appropriate image as well as this misbehaves. That causes the joints to revolve back as well as the upper body and also head to drop forwards.

Another movement that can often be useful is the lat shrugdown. This is just a pulldown without the arm bend, the emphasis is on letting the shoulders elevate somewhat as well as after that shrugging down hard by utilizing just the lat. I have frequently used this to educate lat participation in the activity, or as a means to end up a collection (after the arms have fatigue). It could be used as an exercise in its own right.

Just remember that for basically all pulldown (again, or chin/pullup) versions, the exact same basic signs and also method suggestions hold. The shoulders should boost somewhat and also dispirit at the end of the activity, the chest needs to be maintained high with the upper body either upright or somewhat curved in the reduced back. If you're needing to use cool form, you're utilizing excessive weight and, chances are, you're not educating the lats in the first place.

[ohmytheon]

don’t threaten me with a good time (1/2)

title: don’t threaten me with a good time

summary: The sequel to There’s Something About Bakugou. After months of figuring out where they stand with their unusual and new relationship, Uraraka couldn't be happier with Bakugou and Kirishima. Of course, after a night of celebrating a friend's birthday, they're all equally determined to prove each other wrong in the most shameless of ways.

notes: YEEEEEEEEEAH omg. I can't believe I'm writing this. I'll send you all a postcard from hell. Also, I can't believe I thought I could keep this a one-shot. There was just too much I wanted to talk about concerning the Kirikacchako relationship and how things have been since they started whatever they have. Turned out I had a lot of feelings over it. So yeah, this first half is mostly fluff. The second half is going to be where the action is at. I might change this to "explicit" depending on how it goes. So if you want just the fluff, then stick with chapter one. If you want the RIDICULOUS and SHAMELESS smut, then move on to the second chapter when I post it. I'm ecstatic that people are digging this ship!

It started out as a relatively innocent night. Kaminari’s birthday was something that none of them could miss. Sure, they all had separate lives of their own and many had moved away to pursue their hero careers, but birthdays were something sacred. It was a time that they all did their best to get together on, a little reminder of the good ole days. Kaminari was big on going all out and they usually suffered for it the next day, but there was no way that they were going to bail on him, not even Bakugou.

They’d made sure to work hard during the day at their respective jobs and get the next day off because there was also no way in hell any of them were going to be good to work the day after.

All three of them getting a full day off was hard. Bakugou put in hours like he was meaning to get his own hero agency any time now. Uraraka was often torn between daring rescue missions that pulled her out of the city at a moment’s notice and also villain fights in the city. The hero agency that Kirishima worked at was forty-five minutes away and he was often in some brutal takedowns. They did what they could to spend time together and it was usually good enough, but having tomorrow off was special, so they weren’t about to squander the night.

Seeing as how the bar Kaminari had chosen was closest to Bakugou’s place, Uraraka had decided to do most of her getting ready there. She’d made sure to pack her outfit and makeup kit before leaving for work this morning so that she could go directly to his place. Bakugou had still been working on some paperwork when she’d clocked out, so he’d given her his key to let herself in.

By the time she’d made it to his place, Uraraka was still buzzing anxiously over the fact that he had casually given her the key to his apartment, his sanctuary. She hopped in the shower, which was much nicer than hers, and used his shampoo since she’d forgot to pack her own. So what if she smelled like Bakugou? It wasn’t like either he or Kirishima would mind.

Sometimes, Uraraka forgot just how...unusual her life had become in the past few months. Ever since Bakugou had been hit by that lust quirk and she, Kirishima, and Bakugou had all come to realize some very interesting things about one another, life had evolved into something both spectacular and strange. Not in a bad way though. Things were brighter. She felt more. She was happy. Oh, sure, she’d been happy before, but this was like “the sun is always shining and the birds are always singing” kind of happy.

That wasn’t to say there hadn’t been any bumps or awkward moments. Uraraka could not deny having a jealous streak here and there. The nights that Bakugou and Kirishima got to spend together when she was stuck at work or otherwise busy had been sour for her at first. It had humiliated her and she’d even worried that she wasn’t cut out for whatever they were trying to do until she’d buckled down and talked with Kirishima about it and he had copped to feeling the same way.

Strangely enough, it had been Bakugou who had helped them get over it. It turned out that he had never once felt jealous over Uraraka and Kirishima spending time together without him. Instead it had helped put him at ease that he wasn’t being a selfish jerk or demanding too much of them. It had been surprising since Bakugou was admittedly the type that demanded attention the most in everything he did.

Also, while her feelings for Bakugou had been quite solid in the beginning, things with Kirishima had been a little different. Whatever they had now had come slowly as they’d found their footing with one another. He could be just as energetic and stubborn as Bakugou, but his enthusiasm was different. He was brighter, in a sense, and much easier to deal with. He had more of an easygoing nature so there was a natural push and pull with him instead of the lots of pushing she had to do with Bakugou sometimes.

Things had developed with Kirishima naturally though. She couldn’t imagine her world without him being such an integral part of it. Not just in a romantic way, but as a friend as well. They’d always been good friends, if only because the both of them excelled in making friends with people outside of their group through their positive nature, but they were much closer now and she couldn’t be happier about it. Who knew Bakugou of all people would have brought them together?

Or well, it had kind of been that villain with the lust quirk.

When they had finally caught him, it had been a real struggle not to laugh. That guy really had changed all their lives, but it wasn’t like she could walk up up to him and say, “Hey, thanks for getting me two boyfriends!” or anything like that. Whatever the three of them had together, they’d kept it private. Sure, Uraraka kind of felt bad about not telling Tsu, but they were still figuring things out and Bakugou, for as loud and flashy as he was as a hero, was an intensely private person. This was theirs and he didn’t want anyone butted their heads into their business.

Honestly, Uraraka thought that Bakugou just liked the idea of having both her and Kirishima to himself.

With the shower done, she set to getting ready. She may have gone a little further in her normal dressing up than usual, opting for a matching set of undergarments. The black bra and underwear fit her nicely and accentuated her curves more. Honestly though, the big deal was that she was matching. Normally she didn’t pay attention to what bra and underwear she wore, but then Bakugou liked to point them out and she was being forced to actually consider what she put on under her clothes.

It was easier to put makeup on before the constraints of the dress she’d picked out. Of course it wasn’t scandalous by any means, but it was a little more than usual. She wanted to look good! It wasn’t very often that she got to dress up and she’d actually pulled in extra money in the past few months, so she’d allowed herself to splurge on an outfit that was on the high end of the clearance section. A simple above the knee black dress with two white stripes around the bottom that hung off the shoulders and cinched at her waist. It was cute .

Uraraka never went all out with her makeup, but in her haste to finish so she could put on her dress and stop standing around in her undergarments, she dropped the lip stain and it clattered noisily on the ground before rolling away from her. “Shit, of course.” It rolled all the way to the shower and she shuffled over there, bending down the pick it up.

Of course, in that exact moment, Bakugou had shown up, hearing her music in the bathroom, and decided to greet her in the most inappropriate way by grabbing her by the hips and slamming her ass back against him. She yelped and jumped up, nearly banging the back of her head against him, but he cackled and let go of her so she could spin around and shove a hand against his chest.

“That wasn’t funny!” Uraraka exclaimed. “You scared the hell out of me!”

“Shouldn’t have had your music on so loud or you would’ve heard me knocking,” Bakugou replied cheekily.

She glowered at him halfheartedly and then turned back to the mirror to finish her makeup, trying hard not to blush over the fact that she was standing around in her undergarments and he was just there. It was difficult for her though. Neither Bakugou nor Kirishima had any issues walking around in their boxers at any given hour of the day. It was unseemly and rude and drove her mad. On more than one occasion, Bakugou had walked out of the shower with nothing on, not even a towel, which had sent even Kirishima into a coughing fit.

Not that she didn’t have their confidence or anything (she didn’t, not in that respect at least), but Uraraka had always been more modest. She could still remember the horror she’d felt upon putting her hero costume on for the first time. She should’ve been more specific on it. They’d made it so damn tight. Even now, though she’d made adjustments on her costume, it still clung to her figure. She was trying to be braver about things like that or at least more comfortable, but it was a work in progress.

Bakugou slipped his arms around her waist and tucked his face into the crook of her neck. “Do we really need to go out?”

“Yes, we do,” Uraraka told him, determined to not get distracted by the feel of his hard body pressed against her back or the way he was nipping at her neck. Somehow, she managed to put the lip stain on even as his hands slid over her bare stomach. There was still what she considered pudge there. She had been terrified that Bakugou or even Kirishima would be displeased with it since they were seemingly made of solid muscle, both it had never occurred to Kirishima that it was a big deal and Bakugou was fanatical about how soft she was in his hands.

“We could have a little fun beforehand,” Bakugou pointed out, his hands going up further to cup her breasts. “Who the fuck did you go shopping with to get this?”

Of course he recognized that she hadn’t worn it before.

Uraraka sternly slapped his hands away. “Not unless you want to be late and leave Kirishima waiting for us.” She turned around in his arms again and began to shove him towards the shower like a dog that had gotten into a puddle of mud. “Now take a shower and get ready.”

Bakugou smirked. “Someone’s in a bossy mood tonight.”

“You know you like it,” Uraraka replied dismissively as she walked out of the bathroom.

She heard the shower start as she shut the door. He should be pleased that she had taken a quick shower, so that he’d have more hot water. His showers were akin to bathing in lava. Picking her dress up off the bed where she’d laid it out, she stepped and wiggled into it. She had tried to sexily slide into her clothes before like actresses did the movies. It had...not ended well. Thank everything she’d tried it at home by herself first before attempting it in front of the boys. Not even Kirishima would be able to hold back from teasing her over that.

It didn’t take long for Bakugou to get ready. Uraraka sat on the couch texting Tsu and Mina while waiting for him. He was wearing snug black jeans and a t-shirt that was loose enough to be comfortable but tight enough to make his muscles noticeable. It made her feel a little silly for being overdressed, but then his red eyes roved over her like fire and her breath hitched in her chest. She uncrossed her legs and he licked his lips. Blush tinged her cheeks.

“You’re so shameless,” Uraraka scolded teasingly as she stood up and smoothed the bottom of her dress.

It was a nice enough night where they could walk to the bar, figuring that they could take a cab back if they drank too much and were feeling lazy. Bakugou had gotten comfortable enough where she could hold his hand in public sometimes. He was flustered half the time and had to constantly wipe his palms in concern that they might ignite, but after brushing hands a few times, he’d snatch her hand and pull her close to him.

The thing about both of them was that they had to be careful holding hands, if only because of their quirks. Sure, Bakugou didn’t mind suddenly finding himself floating without gravity, but he did not want to hurt her with an explosion. It was something Kirishima never had to consider. He’d been caught off guard the first time Uraraka had accidentally floated him when they’d been goofing around at the pool at his apartment complex, but not angry, and he was used to Bakugou’s quirk, like he knew right when Bakugou might explode so he could harden to protect himself.

When they were about a block from the bar, Bakugou jerked his hand out of her grip, as if she was the one with hot and sweaty hands. She rolled her eyes, but didn’t complain or pout. They couldn’t exactly keep things a secret if they walked into a bar holding hands. It was hard enough seeing Kirishima and not tackling him on the spot. She hadn’t seen him in over four days because of their conflicting work schedules. She missed him. The fact that she did miss him made her feel giddy and silly too.

As soon as they walked into the bar, a few feet apart to make it seem reasonable, Kaminari spotted them from his seat on top of the bar and shouted, “Bakugou! Uraraka! The two lost loves of my life!”

Uraraka leaned in to ask Bakugou, “Is he drunk already?” but Bakugou just shook his head and gritted his teeth as he allowed Kaminari to pull him into a hug, still sitting on the bar. He jumped down so that he could pick Uraraka up and spin her around in a hug while she laughed. “When did you start drinking?”

“I haven’t,” Kaminari said cheerfully. “I just missed you all.”

It turned out that they had arrived right on time, as other people began to flood in just a minute after them, successfully distracting Kaminari from the fact that they’d arrived at the same time. Deku and Todoroki showed up on some ten minutes later, Deku apologizing for being late, Todoroki completely oblivious that they were. Maybe she was standing too close to Bakugou, but there was a knowing smile on Deku’s face when they connected eyes and she couldn’t help but blush.

Predictably, Bakugou took issue with it. “I bet he thinks he knows everything,” he grumbled while holding onto his beer tightly.

“Oh calm down,” Uraraka harrumphed, nudging him in the side with her elbow. He did it right back to her and she couldn’t stop the smile if she tried.

Out of all their friends, Deku was the only one that more or less knew what was going on. He had even promised not to tell Todoroki, which was saying something, since they told each other absolutely everything. After all, it had been with his help that Bakugou had been able to kick the effects of that lust quirk so fast. His mere presence had cancelled it out. He didn’t lord his help over Bakugou any, but that didn’t stop Bakugou from thinking it. Not that it mattered. Things had worked out better than expected in the end for all of them.

Uraraka greeted Deku and Todoroki like family while Bakugou stood irritably at her side. Luckily for all of them, neither boy took offense. In fact, Deku appeared amused, even offering to buy them a round. Bakugou couldn’t turn that down and a round turned into a competitive shot for them while Uraraka and Todoroki opted for a simple cocktail. Those two would never fully get over their rivalry, but at least it wasn’t violent anymore. She didn’t want to have to kick Bakugou’s ass for real.

Around an hour into the party, Kirishima finally showed up, a sheepish look on his face and a present in his hand. Kaminari was ecstatic and thankfully not drunk yet. Uraraka caught the heated look in Bakugou’s eyes as Kirishima made his way through the crowd toward them. He was being patient for once, staying still and biding his time, but she knew it wouldn’t last long. He was an explosion waiting to happen.

Uraraka sighed into her drink. “Just go to the bathroom and make out with him already.” Apparently, her astute observation pissed Bakugou off because he shot her a glare and she shrugged her shoulders. Finally, Kirishima stood in front of them and she beamed, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in close for a hug. “It took you long enough!”

“Sorry, I got stuck in traffic,” Kirishima explained. Bakugou snorted, his arms folded firmly across his chest, no intentions of giving a hug in public noted. “So boring, I know. A villain takedown would have been way cooler.”

“Next time, call when you’re gonna be late,” Bakugou said. “We could’ve done something to take up the time.”

Kirishima grinned. “Who’s to say I didn’t call so you wouldn’t leave me out?”

Bakugou scowled and chugged the rest of his drink. “Asshole.” He grabbed Kirishima by the shoulder, turning him around, and shoved him in the direction of the bar so they could get drinks together.

With the boys gone to do their own thing and mingle with their old crew, Uraraka found Tsu and Momo. Standing next to Momo made Uraraka a little feel better about how much effort she’d put into her outfit, if only because Momo was wearing an absolutely stunning dress.

“You look fantastic, Momo!” Uraraka greeted. “Did you make it yourself?”

Momo’s cheeks turned pink, holding a flute of champagne in her hands delicately, and nodded her head. “It’s not that big of a deal, just a little hobby to take the edge off hero work. I was worried that it might be too much, but…”

“No, I love it,” Uraraka insisted. “Next time I need a dress, I’m hitting you up.”

“Really?” Momo smiled brightly. “I would love to make something for you!”

Even though Momo was the smartest person that Uraraka had ever known, she understood Momo’s nervousness. They were all a lot more confident in themselves than when they’d first gone to U.A. and had grown in their own ways, as both people and heroes. Momo was plenty more confident in herself as a hero, but something as simple as fashion design was different. It was more personal. Uraraka had felt the same way about her body and her place with Bakugou and Kirishima. It was just something that they had to work to get over in time.

“You seem awfully close with Bakugou these days, Ochako,” Tsu pointed out, going straight the point as usual. It didn’t matter what Uraraka did; she knew that she was going to blush. “Have you two been hanging out?”

Uraraka laughed and it sounded awkward even to her ears. “Oh, you know, we’ve been pulling a lot of late night shifts. He’s relentless.” Thank gods the boys weren’t around. She didn’t think Tsu or Momo would catch the double entendre, but they would. “It’s nice though! I actually got a raise last month and moved up five spots in the hero ranking.”

“Wow, congratulations!” Momo exclaimed. “I guess working with Bakugou has its perks.”

They didn’t know the half of it. Uraraka somehow managed to keep a straight face. She didn’t like omitting things about her life from Tsu, but she wasn’t going to talk about it until Bakugou and Kirishima were comfortable with it. She thought Kirishima was okay with telling people, but Bakugou was still against it. Not that he was embarrassed or anything. He just didn’t like people being in his business. Uraraka felt the same way honestly. She liked having something that was only hers.

“He’s moving up the ranks fast next to Todoroki and Midoriya,” Momo pointed out.

Tsu tapped her chin thoughtfully. “They’re probably racing to see who opens up their own pro hero agency first.” While it was always something of a dream for heroes, it wasn’t really one that Uraraka was considering. Becoming the top hero had never been her main goal. It didn’t seem to be Kirishima’s either. They’d leave that to Bakugou, who would probably try to convince them to work for him if he did. He did like all his eggs in one basket. “It’s nice that Midoriya and Todoroki can still be competitive with each other while being in a relationship. It’s really helped both of their ambitions instead of hindering them.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Uraraka said.

It had been one of Deku’s concerns when he and Todoroki had got together two years ago -- that their positions as heroes would get in between them. Both of them were aiming for the top, after all, for their own reasons. He cared about Todoroki a lot, but he also had his own goals that he had to accomplish first. Instead, they managed to push and compliment each other. Uraraka could understand it. Bakugou had pushed her forward when they were just coworkers, but it seemed to double now. It wasn’t that he thought she needed to improve; it was that he knew she and Kirishima were capable of more and he wanted it for them as much as he wanted it for himself.

“Alright, girls!” Mina shouted excitedly as she bounded over towards them, very clearly a little buzzed. “Enough with the chit chat. It’s time to dance!” She snatched Uraraka by the wrist and tugged her onto the dance floor, nearly making her yelp and spill her drink. “Let’s show everyone how to have fun!”

Normally, Uraraka waited until she had a little more alcohol in her system before she had the confidence to dance. It was strange how she could face multiple villains head on and jump into a burning building, but shaking her ass on a dimly lit floor to music with a bunch of strangers made her balk. However, she wasn’t going to do that tonight. She was going to go out there and have a fun time with her friends.

When Uraraka began to dance like there was no tomorrow and she didn’t care if anyone was watching, Mina damn near shrieked with laughter. “Get it, girl, woo!” They held each other’s free hands and raised them in the air as they danced. Neither one of them was doing anything spectacular, just bopping to the music. Uraraka knew that Mina was a much better dancer than she was playing at right now, but it didn’t matter. They were just being silly.

It wasn’t long before the birthday boy joined them, hopping around with drinks in both hands, and both girls cheered him on. After that, others followed them onto the dancefloor. Tsu, Momo, Sero, Hagakure, and even Iida, who might have danced worse than her but was at least enthusiastic about it. They bounced around to the music together, laughing bubbling out of Uraraka’s mouth unbidden. Deku came out too and the two of them danced sillily together in a way that would’ve had her blushing before but now her cheeks only flushed from the effort.

When she caught eyes with Bakugou, she waved her hand at him, but he merely folded his arms across his chest and shot her a scowl. No way was he stepping on that dance floor. She huffed, coming to a stop and putting her hands on her hips. He shook his head. She tapped a foot on the ground. He picked up his drink and took the most aggressive gulp she’d ever seen. It was a no-win situation.

Kirishima came up next to him from the bathroom, caught sight of the two of them, and shoved his drink into Bakugou’s empty hand with a laugh before making his way towards her. Sliding behind her, he put his hands on her hips and propped his chin on her shoulder, speaking into her ear, “Why don’t we show Bakugou what he’s missing out on, huh?” His hands gripped her snugly and she leaned back into him, swaying to the music, a grin on her lips. The heat in Bakugou’s eyes tripled and his scowl deepened. Kirishima gave a throaty laugh.

It must have been too much for Bakugou because he slammed Kirishima’s drink back and then stomped towards the pool tables where Todoroki, Ojiro, and Tokoyami had gone. If Bakugou was willingly going to the area of the bar where Todoroki was, then he was deeply bothered. Uraraka couldn’t help but giggle and she turned around to face Kirishima. She felt so warm and happy. Part of it was the alcohol, sure, and the feeling that came from being around good friends, but another part was just them.

“I’m gonna order some food,” Kirishima told her after the song was over. “Have some fun with the girls.” She nodded her head and caught herself leaning into him at the last second. He noticed him and a sharp grin spread across his face. It had just come so naturally to her. He leaned in close, his mouth close enough to her ear to nibble on it. “You look great, by the way, although Bakugou said you had something even better on underneath.”

Uraraka shoved him away playfully. “Go get your food!”

“Oh, someone’s in a bossy mood tonight,” Kirishima joked before sauntering towards the bar.

Rolling her eyes, Uraraka joined back up with the girls, who were trying to decide whether to keep dancing. In the end, it turned out that they were all out of drinks, so they decided to freshen up in the bathroom, get another round, and then take a short break. It had been so long since she’d had an outing like this. It was easy to get swept away by it and she let the easygoing flow take over. She’d missed her girl friends. As heroes, they were always working, so she didn’t get to see them nearly as much as she would’ve liked.

At some point, Sato brought out a cake and everyone gathered around a table so they could sing Kaminari “happy birthday” and let him blow out the candles that Todoroki had lit. (Bakugou had been about to give it a go, but Kirishima had stopped him at the last second. They wanted the cake to still exist, after all.) As Kaminari opened his presents, Uraraka sat comfortably in between Tsu and Iida, like their U.A. days, back before she had started to become more involved in Bakugou’s world too.

It was a great night. Uraraka felt so at ease and happy. It was more than just contentment. She hadn’t realized that being happy in one aspect of her life would help her flourish in others as well. It bolstered her confidence by tenfold, this pure joy and excitement. There would be bad days -- there would be moments that she would have to work through and would hate -- but if she could hold onto this memory, this feeling, then it would be worth it.

They sat at a group of tables, snacking on the various food that people had ordered from the bar. Uraraka reached over to pick at what Kirishima had ordered, snatching her had back before Kirishima could swat her hand. She gave him a cheeky as she ate the food. Bakugou scoffed in his seat next to the redhead, but then ate some of his food as well.

A comically betrayed look crossed Kirishima’s face as he exclaimed, “Order your own food, you fiends!”

Uraraka laughed as the two boys bickered. Yeah, it was worth it. She could get used to this.