#photon blast

[dark-falz]

[dreamer-of-ansur]

Try this on for size!

[elytrafemme]

BEAT POKÉROGUE CLASSIC A 3RD TIME!!

so now the winning teams have been:

(1) Cresselia, Jolteon, Aqua Breed Tauros, Tinkaton, t1 Shiny Bibarel, & Mega Garchomp

(2) Miraidon, Alolan Marowak, Ludicolo, Alolan Sandslash, t2 Shiny Ariados & Mega Gardevoir

(3) Shedinja, Torterra, Alolan Ninetales, Alolan Rapidash, t2 Shiny Dedenne, & Mega Houndoom

[productofmtwundagore]

another look at Carol Danvers in The Marvels 🌟

[jayjamjary]

Sometimes I just like to say PHOTON BLAST when like idk the sun comes up or I turn on a light. It's very fun I highly recommend it.

[otiskeene]

Laser Photonics CleanTech: The Perfect Tool For Surface Preparation Prior To Commercial Painting

One of the leading companies in the world developing CleanTech laser systems, Laser Photonics Corporation, has identified a critical use case for these systems. These cutting-edge laser systems have several uses, especially in the industrial cleaning industry. They are made for laser cleaning.

Wayne Tupuola, the CEO of Laser Photonics, highlights the many benefits that their laser technology provides to experts in the field of industrial cleaning. When it comes to solving certain problems that conventional cleaning techniques frequently find difficult to handle, our technology works incredibly well. Because of their versatility, CleanTech laser systems can be used on a wide range of materials, such as concrete, glass, ceramics, metals, plastics, and more. These systems are unique in that they can remove surface coatings with little damage to the base material, which makes them an invaluable tool in commercial and industrial environments.

The fundamental procedure of CleanTech laser systems is laser cleaning, which is directing laser energy onto a material's surface and allowing it to be absorbed by the substance. The surface coating vaporizes as a result of this energy absorption, mainly sparing the underlying substrate. This technique is very useful for surface preparation and coating removal, particularly in commercial and industrial settings, because it works well on a variety of materials.

The CleanTech Laser Blasting Technology, produced by Laser Photonics, is economical, environmentally benign, and very effective. In terms of industrial cleaning technology, it is a major breakthrough. CleanTech laser systems provide a wide range of uses, such as surface preparation, paint removal, rust removal, and more. When compared to conventional cleaning processes like sandblasting and other abrasive blasting techniques, these technologies are especially beneficial.

Read More - https://bit.ly/45ZqOVX

[backtothefanfiction]

Hiii!!! Absolutely love your Joaquin fics rn!! Could you write a Joaquin x fem!reader, who has captain marvels powers? Or atleast very similar. Maybe it takes places during the celestial fight during new world order, and maybe also the aftermath?

No Strings Attached | Joaquin Torres x Avenger!reader

Summary; you had an agreement, a simple arrangement, but feelings are always inevitable in these things

Word Count: 2.1k+

Warning: Smut! 18+ Only! PinV, oral (female receiving), a little dirty talk

A/N: So I’m doing the double today. How very efficient of me. Also I recall a wish for the shower scene I wrote the other day to have turned into something spicy so I figured I’d deliver under this ask. Enjoy.

You didn’t have the time or focus for a relationship and neither did Joaquin. You didn’t even live in the same state. But both working with Avengers on Avengers level missions, you often ran into each other and ended up working with one another every few months or so. And on the occasions when that did happen, you both had found a great way to let off a little bit of steam post mission.

The second he found out his latest mission was going to be in your neck of the woods he couldn’t wait. It took all of his concentration to stay focused on the mission at hand and not on finally getting his dick wet later.

He was chasing down the bogey when your voice came through his comms. “Yo Torres, want an assist?”

He shook his head as he smiled to himself. Although it had been his mission, being in your city meant it was only a matter of time before you got involved. “I was beginning to think you weren’t gonna show.” he said as he looked to his right and you pulled alongside him. Where he needed a whole suit and fancy gear to fly, you had cosmic powers that literally blasted you through the air like a rocket.

“What can I say? I was busy,” you threw back.

“Doing what?” he asked.

“Cancelling my plans for the evening,” you smiled at him with a knowing wink.

“Falcon, we’ve got two more missiles incoming,” a controlled male voice cut through the comm link to you both.

“I’ll get these two,” you said, indicating to the ones you were both currently chasing, “you get the other two.”

“Alright.” he agreed before he began to bank left and turn back toward the direction of the other two missiles.

Chasing down missiles was routine for you at this point. You angled your head forward, your arms pushing back to your sides as you put on another burst of speed to catch up to the missile on the right, coming up beneath it. You quickly began to guide it towards the direction of its companion and the two collided in mid air in a firey blast.

“How you doing back there feathers?” You asked through the comms, coming to a stop and hovering mid air as you sought out the flash of green against the blue sky that would indicate where he was.

“They’re splitting off.” he grunted down the comms as he tried to fight with one of the missiles, willing it to change course and drop down into the sea.

“I’m on it.” you said, spotting the stray missile in the distance. You raced for it but realised you weren’t going to make it in time. Instead you stopped and put all your effort into pushing a photon blast towards it, hoping to detonate it before it got too close to the ground. Your body jerked backwards with the force and you waited with baited breath for it to make contact.

3…2…1! Your arm came up to shield your face as you were knocked backwards by the blast but you quickly caught yourself again.

“Is that all of them?” you asked?

There was a pause before the other male voice from before came through the comms to tell you both that Cap had got things back under control on the ground and you could both stand down.

“Just another day at the office, huh?” you said to Joaquin as he came up alongside you again.

“Yeah, just another day at the office.” he agreed.

“At least I don’t have to do the paperwork on this one.” you taunted before you shot him a small salute and began to divert your course and head back home.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

It was nearly 9pm by the time he arrived. You’d been able to eat, tidy up, shower and even catch a couple episodes of the latest tv show you were binging. The second you opened the door to your appartment and let him in, he was on you.

“Is it weird if I say I missed you,” he panted between kisses and you pulled him inside and he kicked the door closed behind him.

“You mean your dick missed me,” you joked as you ripped the open checked button down off of his shoulders and he quickly slipped his arms out of it, not wanting to waste any time.

“Yeah, that too,” he said as his mouth tried to keep up with you as you guided him down the hallway to the open kitchen living room. “Dios mio eres hemosa,” he muttered to himself as you reached to pull your T-shirt up over your head and threw it across the room.

“Look you want to keep talking or do you want to fuck me? Your call Torres.” you panted as you tried to keep things moving along.

He quickly lifted his white T-shirt off over his head and exposed his golden skin to you.

“Someone’s been working out,” you commented as you took in his abs.

“Now who’s talking,” he grinned as he quickly closed the gap between you again, his hands threading into the hair behind your heads as he smashed his lips back into yours.

You couldn't help but moan against his lips as you felt him push his body up against you, his dick already growing hard and pushing against the zipper of his jeans. You both almost tripped over the arm of the sofa as you blindly tried to move back towards your bedroom, your hands completely lost as they frantically moved across one another’s skin.

“Uhg, fuck this,” he groaned, lifting you by the back of your thighs and slamming your back down into the couch cushions, his fingers scrambling to pull down your sweats and underwear before he dived headfirst between your legs.

You immediately began to whimper as his tongue carded through your folds, flicking hungrily at your sensitive clit. Your fingers tangled into his hair encouragingly as you tipped your head back, your eyes closing as you focused only on the feeling of his tongue against your cunt.

“Oh Joaquin, fuck,” you panted as you felt your muscles already beginning to tingle and grow tight.

He hummed happily into your pussy as he ate you out, your praise and whimpers like music to his ears as you squirmed beneath him. He was leaning over the arm of the chair to be at the right angle and he reached to undo the button and zipper on his jeans to alleviate some of the pressure from his erection, shifting his junk in his pants before he moved that hand back up towards your entrance. His slid two fingers inside you with ease, the tips of them curling in a come hither motion that had you practically writhing beneath him, desperate for release.

“Come on baby, just let go. Vamos bebe, dámelo.” he said huskily and you practically screamed as your climax took over you, soaking his fingers and tongue.

“Ahí está. Esa es mi chica.” His words always made you delirious. Always left you in a haze. And for just a little time you could imagine and play pretend. For those couple hours you were with him, you were his girl. And he was yours.

You quickly pushed him back off you so you could slam your mouth against his again, your tongue lapping your juices from his lips.

“God, you’re a fucking dream,” he praised and once again his words went straight to your head.

“Where do you want to do it? Here, or in the bedroom?” you asked him.

“How about here, then in the bedroom. Then in the shower, on the kitchen counter,” he listed off as your lips began to mark a hungry trail down the side of his neck, your hand moving to palm at his length as he fought to rid himself of his jeans.

“Sounds like a plan,” you panted, wanting to make the most of the limited time you had together, “How long do we have?”

“My flight leaves at 8am.” he said.

“Then, I guess we best get moving then,” you encouraged him.

“You still on the-“

“Yep,” you quickly responded, desperate to finally feel him inside you again after months of just playing with yourself and your magic wand.

“And you haven’t?”

“Nope.” You replied just as quickly. He always asked the same questions just to check in on the off chance anything had changed, but there was no one else other than Joaquin. That’s why you had started sleeping with him in the first place. No strings. No complications. Just really good sex. “What about you? Have you?”

“No.” he quickly said, but there was a flash of something in his eyes that said there was more to that answer than he really wanted you to know. “Okay, enough talking,” he panted as he grabbed your legs and pulled you closer to the end of the sofa, tilting you up at just the right angle and lining himself up, before teasing his way inside. You both let out a deep moan as he began to fill you up, your mouth hanging open as his brow furrowed in concentration, not wanting to blow his load before he had even begun.

You were always so wet for him. So warm and welcoming. Fucking you felt like coming home and that scared Joaquin. No strings, that was what you both agreed, but he knew he was failing. Knew every time he saw you, every time you hooked up, he grew a little more attached to you. He’d wake the next morning and struggle to leave. He’d lay awake after a long day back home, just wondering what you were doing. If you thought of him in the same way. Sometimes he even thought about just buying a plane ticket and showing up on your door. Not even to have sex, but just watch tv and cuddle up on your sofa. To hear you laugh. To be with you when you wanted to cry.

“Oh shit,” he grunted as he continued to thrust into you, the realisation hitting him as his eyes locked onto yours, He was completely and utterly in love with you and he knew all it would take would be one more orgasm together and he would be completely and utterly yours.

You saw how the look on his face changed. You knew exactly what it meant too. “Say it,” you said to him as his eyes moved from your face to where your two bodies met, willing himself to make it less personal again. If he just focussed on that angle he could pretend he was watching porn. Detach himself from the act just long enough to get through this.

“Say it,” you demanded, but he shook his head. “Joaquin!” you said firmly, forcing him to look into your eyes again. “Say it,” you said again more softly and that’s when he saw it. The same feeling reflected in your eyes.

“I love you,” he said.

“Fuck,” you squeaked as he hit that sensitive spot inside you just right, “I love you too,” you panted, finally allowing yourself to admit to yourself and him what you’d known for a while now. “I love you too.” You breathed.

He practically growled in hunger at your words, his hips picking up pace as he became desperate to make you cum again. His girl. His only one. His thumb reached to rub circles over your clit. He knew he couldn’t last much longer, especially with the way you were looking at him and he needed you to finish with him. “Vamos baby,” he began to encourage his words husky, “necesito que te corras para mí.”

Your body began to tense under his ministration, your muscles bearing down in anticipation. You could see the concentration on his face, the effort to not blow his load just yet. Not before he had made you cum one more time this round.

You moved your fingers down to circle your clit, replacing his own fingers to speed the process along just that little bit quicker. “That’s it baby, so beautiful. That’s my girl,” he encouraged until you were able to let go.

Your orgasm hit you like a truck, your fingers reaching to grip tightly onto his biceps and ground you as he continued to pump himself into your sensitive cunt once, twice, three times more until he stilled, his chest heaving as his body fell forward. His arms just about caught him, propping himself up before he collapsed on you completely as he filled you up.

You sighed as you breathed heavily and tried to regulate yourself. “Uhhhgg, so much for no strings attached.” you finally said when you didn’t feel like your heart was going to lurch out of your chest anymore.

“Yeah,” he chuckled and agreed, his head turning so he could look you in the eyes once again. “So much for no strings attached.” he repeated, before you both began to laugh.

[sirfrogsworth]

The original image is stupid. That's a given. I guess they are trying to ask why the Moon doesn't have a bright spot and dark edges.

But the Community Note isn't much better.

The short answer is... the Moon is bumpy and the Sun is far away.

The long answer requires me to do some math. So I apologize in advance if I get some numbers wrong. But I promise you will learn some neat things about light if you are into that.

First, I have no idea why they brought retroreflectiveness into this.

Retroreflection is when light is reflected back at the angle of incidence. Meaning no matter what angle you shine light from, it will always reflect straight back to you.

It's a bit of an optical magic trick. It is how street signs and highway markers work.

Weirdly enough, astronauts placed a manmade retroreflector on the Moon which people can use to reflect lasers and disprove the fake Moon landing theory.

The Moon may have retroreflective properties, but that effect would only really be noticeable if you were to shine a tight beam of light like a laser or something. Retroreflection would be more apparent from the perspective of the Sun, not the Earth.

You know what, I should just read the source and see what they are talking about.

"The edges of the full moon seem as bright as the center, without limb darkening, because of the reflective properties of lunar soil, which retroreflects light more towards the Sun than in other directions."

Hey, I was right about the Sun.

But this is a bad explanation. A rare L for Wikipedia. I even checked the primary reference and it doesn't even talk about retroreflectance. It does seem to be a factor, especially for the very outer edges, but looking at other sources my initial answer of the Moon being bumpy and the Sun being far away is much better.

So... let's learn some shit about light.

First we should talk about surface texture as mentioned. You have glossy surfaces and matte surfaces and a spectrum in between.

A glossy surface reflects light very directly (specular). A matte surface scatters light in many directions (diffused). This has to do with how smooth or bumpy the surface is.

The Moon is very rocky and bumpy and dusty, so it has a very matte surface. And I'm guessing since some rays bounce back toward the Sun, we don't get as many direct reflections that would add specularity. Perhaps there is a Moon expert who can weigh in on how much that actually diffuses the light beyond the matte surface texture.

And the reason the Moon is so evenly lit has to do with the distance of the light source. Again, the Sun is super duper far away.

When light is very close to something, it falls off very quickly.

When light is far away, the falloff is very gradual.

From the camera's perspective, the edges of the sphere are farther away than the center. When the light is closer, the edges of the sphere appear darker. But when the light is farther away, the edges of the sphere appear to have a similar intensity compared to the center.

The surface of the Moon is not a consistent distance from us. It is a spheroid so the edges are nearly a thousand miles farther away than the center. But the edges don't fall off into shadow from our perspective.

This is a property of the inverse square law.

Let's say you wanted to light two people and the light was very close—one person might end up in the light's falloff.

But if you move the light farther away and crank up the power, the two people will seem evenly lit.

You can think of light a bit like a shotgun in a video game. When you are close to something the shotgun has a very tight spread and is more lethal. When farther away, it has a larger spread but the lethality is decreased.

The first shotgun blast is very intense directly in the center but has no effect on the edges. The second blast has more even coverage, but the intensity is spread out and diminished.

From a point light source, light starts out very concentrated but the photons spread out over a distance. This dilutes the intensity of the light. The inverse square law says for every doubling of distance, the light becomes 1/4th as bright.

You have the same amount of photons but a larger area to light up. So coverage increases but intensity decreases.

Check out the background in these images.

In the first photo, the light is very close to her face. The intensity of the light is very concentrated. From the perspective of the camera, her face is super bright, but the background is very dim in comparison.

But as you move the light farther away, the photons spread out. If you leave the light on the same power and the camera at the same exposure, the photo on the right would look very dim—probably just pure black. So you'd have to compensate by increasing the power of the light (more photons) or adjusting the exposure of the camera (higher sensitivity) or both. But once you make those adjustments the background and her face seem very evenly lit.

In the first photo, relative to the light source, the background is far away compared to her face. The light might be 5 feet from her face but 10 feet from the background. It has to travel double the distance to hit the background so the intensity of the light hitting the background is 75% darker than the light hitting her face.

The majority of photons are hitting the face and only a few are escaping to the background.

But if the light is 20 feet from her face and 25 feet from the background, the light only travels 25% farther to hit the background. So the background is only 36% darker than the light hitting her face.

To achieve the same exposure the number of photons is increased substantially, but they are spread out and not concentrated in one area.

If you increase the distance enough, the difference gets less and less perceptible.

Now imagine the light is 93 million miles away. The background would only be 0.0000000004% darker than her face.

From the Earth's perspective, the edge of the Moon is roughly 1000 miles farther away from the center of the Moon. And about 0.001075% farther from the Sun. The falloff of light would be impossible for our eyeballs to detect.

To review, the Moon has edge-to-edge lighting with no specular highlights because the surface is bumpy and scatters light and the Sun is ridiculously far away. I'm sure there are other optical effects at play due to the atmosphere and reflective properties mentioned, but by and large, that is what's going on.

It's the same reason the face of a large boulder in direct sunlight doesn't have any bright spots or quick shadow falloff.

Can you use this knowledge to help your photography?

Yes!

Lighting indoor group photos can be very tricky.

You often have several rows of people. If your light source is too close, you may have difficulty getting a good exposure on all of their faces because of the varied distances involved. The back row of people may appear very dark. But if the light is too far away, you may end up getting harsh shadows.

Large light sources produce softer, more flattering light.

Small light sources produce harder, harsher light.

Distant light sources produce even light.

Distant light sources have a smaller apparent size.

Which means you need really big modifiers so you can put the light far enough away to get soft AND even lighting. You have to make the light sources bigger to compensate for the distance.

If all you have is a flash, you can bounce it off the ceiling or a large white wall to increase the size of your light source. Just make sure it is far enough away from everyone to get a proper exposure of all their smiling faces.

[stellaspectral]

Hi! So you know how rise donnie off handedly mentions he can read lips? What if his s/o mouths something sweat to him?

A/N: Ah yes. And how casually he slips it into the conversation, too. 👀

Enjoy! 😊

A Surprisingly Useful Skill (fluff)

💜 ROTTMNT Donatello/Gender Neutral Reader 💜

CWs: Fluff, kissing. All characters are aged-up.

Jupiter Jim’s Galactic Gladiators: Remastered and Re-Exploded Director’s Cut blares from the speakers—a bombastic mix of laser blasts, dramatic synth swells, and one-liners that, by now, you’ve all practically memorized.

No one, however, is truly watching.

Leo insisted on movie night, but it quickly devolved into everyone doing their own thing in the same vicinity. Sprawled on the beanbag chair closest to the screen, he scrolls through his phone. Raph, at one point, had been trying to follow the plot. But he’d dozed off halfway through. Mikey sits at the foot of the couch, preoccupied with drawing in a sketchbook.

Donnie is beside you, and he’s not watching either. Computer in his lap, he’s typing away, his brow furrowed in concentration. His foot restlessly twitches as he works on complex schematics only he understands. He’d tried, initially, to engage with the film, offering a running commentary on the scientific inaccuracies of Jupiter Jim’s photon torpedoes. But he seemed to have gotten bored with it.

You watch him for a moment, a familiar warmth spreading through your chest. The way his tongue sometimes peeks out from the corner of his mouth when he’s really concentrating, the frown lines that appear between his brows—it’s all endearing. Ridiculously so.

For a couple of beats, he looks away from the computer. His gaze is distant, fixed somewhere beyond the wall, and you can practically see the lines of code and intricate blueprints behind his eyes. Then suddenly, he sighs and closes his laptop before he stands and heads for his lab.

You watch him go, but don’t follow. Not yet. The movie drones on, Jupiter Jim now delivering a rousing speech about the importance of friendship. But the room feels emptier without Donnie. You give it another ten minutes, pretending to be invested in whether the space hero will escape the clutches of Klag Beastnar (spoiler: he always does.)

But the pull towards the lab is strong.

You slip off the couch unnoticed amidst a volley of laser fire, murmuring a soft “be right back” that gets lost in a loud explosion and head off to Donnie’s lab. The door hisses open at your approach, and you step inside, the quiet a welcome change.

He’s there, of course, already deeply engrossed in a project. His goggles are down, magnifying his eyes as he meticulously solders a delicate connection on a circuit board. He hasn’t noticed you yet. So you simply lean against a sturdy workbench, content to just watch him.

The way his brow furrows, the pout of his lips when a wire refuses to cooperate, the almost reverent care with which he handles his instruments. There’s a quiet grace to his movements when he’s in the zone, a focused intensity that’s a compelling contrast to his sometimes-spiky social persona. It’s the visible manifestation of his brilliant mind at work, and you find it endlessly captivating.

He finishes the connection, inspects it with a critical tilt of his head, then looks up at one of his many monitors, his eyes quickly scanning lines of code, cross-referencing something. His profile is sharp against the glow of the screen. It makes an idea spark in your mind.

You remember something he mentioned off-handedly weeks ago. It was a casual, almost throwaway comment he’d made about picking up lip-reading. It was just a blip in his usual info-dump, but it stuck with you. And when you asked about it, he remarked it was a “surprisingly useful skill” and waved it off as just another tool in his extensive arsenal.

You had filed the little tidbit away into your mental Donnie-pedia for future reference.

He’s so wrapped up in his coding, muttering something under his breath about optimizing algorithms. You want to reach him, right now, in his bubble of concentration, but without shattering it. Words feel too loud, too intrusive for the delicate balance of his focus.

So you wait. Observing the subtle shifts in his posture, the tensing of his shoulders as he hits a technical snag, the almost imperceptible sigh of satisfaction when he solves it.

Finally, he pauses and leans back in his chair, stretching his neck with a faint crack as he pushes up his goggles. Momentarily, his eyes leave the monitor for a brief second as they drift towards you, taking a micro-break.

This is your chance.

You don’t speak. Don’t whisper. You simply look right at him, a soft smile tugging at your mouth. Then, deliberately, you form the words, making sure your enunciation is clear even without sound:

“You’re amazing.”

Feeling bolder, your lips shaping each syllable with care, you add:

“I love you.”

The silent words hang in the space between you.

For a full second, maybe two, there’s no reaction. His expression doesn’t change, though his eyes remain on your face. You think, for a fleeting, slightly deflating moment, that he missed it, too lost in his own world. You almost turn to busy yourself with something, a little shy now.

Then, the change comes. His eyes, which had been unfocused, snap into sharp clarity, fixed intently first on your lips, then darting back up to meet your gaze directly. The furrow between his brows smooths out, replaced by a widening of his eyes that’s less surprise and more recognition. He swallows, a faint movement in his throat. The corner of his mouth quirks upwards.

“You know,” he says, his voice a low rumble, a teasing lilt coloring his tone, “I can read lips, right?”

A hot blush creeps up your neck. You offer a slightly sheepish, entirely happy grin. “Yeah,” you manage, your voice a little breathless. “Kinda was banking on it.”

A slow smile spreads across his face, a genuine, heart-melting curve of his lips that crinkles the corners of his eyes—the kind of smile that makes your heart flutter and makes you feel like the only person in the universe. He abandons his project, swiveling in his chair to face you fully. He taps a finger to his own lips thoughtfully. Then, with exaggerated care, mouths back:

“I love you, too.”

You push yourself off the workbench, drawn towards him as if by an invisible current. He doesn’t break eye contact as you approach, his gaze warm and full of an affection that mirrors your own. “So,” you begin, “all those times I was silently mocking stupid lines in movies, you knew?”

He chuckles lowly. “Every single syllable. And might I say, it was far more entertaining than the actual dialogue.” He pauses, his expression softening further. “Though not as compelling as your more recent pronouncements.”

He reaches out, his fingers lightly tracing the back of your hand where it rests on the arm of his chair. The touch, though light, sends a pleasant shiver up your arm. You instinctively turn your hand, lacing your fingers with his.

“For the record,” he says, his voice losing its teasing edge and becoming sincere, his thumb gently stroking your knuckles, “your enunciation was perfect.”

“And for the record,” you echo, leaning closer, your heart swelling with a dizzying happiness, “so was yours.”

He leans forward, too. “Good,” he murmurs, his gaze dropping to your lips for a moment before returning to your eyes. “Because I meant every silent syllable too.”

And then, he kisses you.

You sigh into it, your free hand coming up to cup his cheek. The world outside the lab ceases to exist. There’s only the steady beat of your hearts, the warmth of his lips.

And the overwhelming, joyous certainty that this—right here—is exactly where you’re meant to be.

[dark-falz]

[sirxaibs]

Mirio Togata X Reader

°❀.ೃ࿔Sunshine boy °❀.ೃ࿔

synopsis: the optimist always gets to the pessimistic

this drabble took so long… i haven’t the faintest idea why but i kept on having to come back to it. Also of course hawks is in it because this man will slip into here all the time.

If someone had told you years ago that you’d end up working closely with Sir Nighteye, you would’ve laughed in their face. It wasn’t that you didn’t respect him, he was a brilliant tactician, a respected pro hero, and had an impeccable track record. But you? You were the type to fight with instinct, to make decisions on the ball, to trust in your power and your gut rather than detailed predictions and meticulous planning….So why the hell were you here, standing across from the man himself in his office, flipping through yet another thick case file while he watched you with that unreadable expression?

“You’re still not much of a strategist,” Nighteye remarked, adjusting his glasses as he scanned the aftermath report of your latest joint mission.

You smirked, leaning back in your chair. “And you’re still not much of a field agent.”

He sighed. “That’s exactly why this partnership works.”

/////////

“YEAHHH! IT’S LUMINE!  Alright, listeners, it’s time for another Pro Hero Spotlight! And today, we’re talkin’ about someone who SHINES!! LITERALLY!

!!!!

Name: Lumine!

Quirk: Photon!

!!!!!

“This top ten hero is all about brightening it up, baby! She can absorb and manipulate photons to move at the speed ofwell, light! That means energy blasts, insane reflexes, and even phasing through attacks when she shifts into pure energy! How cool is that?!”

//////

The streets were in chaos. Smoke curled into the air, glass crunched underfoot, and a massive villain with reinforced armor was tearing through the city like a wrecking ball.

Sir Nighteye stood in a secluded location watching every movement below with razor sharp focus. And then

FWOOOOSH!

A streak of golden light SHOT through the sky, illuminating the battlefield in a flash before re forming into Y/n! You landed in front of the villain, body still pulsing with residual light. “You’re making a mess,” you quipped, cracking your knuckles. “How about we clean it up?”

The villain roared, lunging at you. But before he could land a hit “DODGE! NOW!” Nighteye’s voice cut through your earpiece. You didn’t hesitate. Your body shimmered as you phased into photons, the villain’s massive fist passing right through you. Reforming at his side, you unleashed a concentrated beam of energy, sending him skidding back.

“Shut up, i’m the one doing the fighting”

“Four seconds,” Nighteye said through the comm completely ignoring your statement. “His armor is weakest at the joints. Hit the right knee now.”

You grinned. “Got it.” just like that, you MOVED lightning fast, reappearing just in time to drive a photon charged kick straight into the villain’s knee joint. The armor CRACKED, and the villain staggered. “this is so lame, why does this feel so boring” The villain reeled back, dazed, and You exhaled, rolling your shoulders. “Well, as fuuuuun as that was, we still have to find the missing cargo.” Nighteye adjusted his glasses. “Hmph. ” You groaned. “ugh this is such a pain”

——-

Below, the warehouse bustled with activity villains moving in and out, unloading crates from a truck into the building. Whatever they were smuggling, it wasn’t legal, and it was your job to put a stop to it.

“This should be a straightforward operation,” Nighteye murmured, sharp eyes calculating every movement below. “We take out the guards, secure the cargo, and apprehend the ringleader before they realize what’s happening.”

You nodded, scanning the scene. “And what about the new guy you were telling me about?”

“He’ll be assisting,” Nighteye replied, his voice as unreadable as ever.

Right on cue, the rooftop door creaked open behind you. “Sorry for the wait!” The voice was bright, confident, and unmistakably full of energy. Turning, you saw a broad shouldered blonde stepping onto the roof, adjusting his gloves. Even through his mask, his beaming smile was obvious.

Mirio Togata.

Even if you hadn’t known his name, you would’ve recognized him by reputation one of U.A.’s most promising students, currently interning under Nighteye. But what caught you off guard was his presence. He wasn’t just strong; he radiated warmth, like the human embodiment of sunshine. “Lumine, right?” he asked, walking up to you with an easy confidence. “Sir’s told me a lot about you! It’s really cool to finally meet you.”

You raised an eyebrow, glancing at Nighteye. “Didn’t know you were such a fan of my work, Sir.”

Nighteye adjusted his glasses. “I made a passing mention of you. He was relentless in asking for details.” Mirio laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Guilty! But can you blame me? You’re a top pro! It’s not every day I get to work with someone like you.”

You smirked. “are you kissing ass your way to the top?.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it!” he grinned.

Nighteye cleared his throat. “Lumine, you’ll take the east entrance. I’ll enter from the west. lemillion, infiltrate the main warehouse and secure the interior. Stay alert for reinforcements.”

“Yes, Sir!” Mirio saluted, then turned to you. “Stay safe out there!” You gave him a nod before vanishing into a stream of light, dashing toward your position.

———

The mission went smoothly at first. You dismantled the outer guards with ease, your photon based quirk making it simple to blind and disarm them. Inside, Mirio weaved through walls and floors, taking down enemies before they could react. Nighteye, as always, operated with precision, his foresight ensuring every move was calculated. Then, as you were securing the last of the cargo, a villain lunged at you from the shadows.

You barely had time to react before an arm wrapped around your waist and yanked you back just as a blade slashed through the air where you had been standing. A blur of blue and gold moved past you as Mirio landed between you and the villain, his usual cheer replaced by sharp focus.

“Whoa, that was close!” he said, keeping an easy stance but never taking his eyes off the attacker.

You let out a breath. “Did you just—”

“Pull you out of danger? Yup!” he grinned over his shoulder. “Figured you wouldn’t mind.”

Before you could respond, the villain lunged again. Mirio immediately let himself phase, the blade passing through his chest like mist. The attacker barely had time to register what had happened before Mirio resolidified behind him, delivering a precise, forceful punch that sent the villain sprawling.

You crossed your arms, smirking. “Not bad, lemillion.”

“Thanks! But, uh, if I could phase other people, I probably would’ve just pulled you underground instead of doing it the old fashioned way.” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

“I’m glad you can’t,” you shot back. “I’d rather not find out what being buried alive feels like.”

Mirio laughed. “Fair point!”

You both turned as Nighteye approached, his usual unreadable expression in place. “I assume everything is under control?”

“All good!” Mirio said with a thumbs up. “Teamwork makes the dream work!”

You shook your head, amused. “Not a bad first mission together.”

Mirio beamed. “Hopefully the first of many!” as you’d later find out, it was.

—-

You learnt very fast that it was not just a one time thing. He came barrelling into the next big mission that you were working on. As the battle was over, the villains secured, and the dust had finally settled. The tension that had filled the air minutes ago had been replaced by the steady hum of cleanup efforts. You stood off to the side, rolling your shoulder as you surveyed the scene. Another mission completed. Another long night.

“Lumine!”

The familiar voice cut through the chaos, warm and unmistakably bright.

You turned just in time to see Mirio jogging toward you, weaving effortlessly through the debris and uniformed officers. His blue cape fluttered behind him, and despite the scuffs on his costume and the streaks of dust across his face, his grin was as radiant as ever.

He skidded to a stop just in front of you, hands on his hips as he looked you over. “You okay?”

You smirked. “I should be asking you that. Pretty sure you took on half the villains yourself.”

Mirio laughed, but there was a softness in his gaze that hadn’t been there the last time you’d worked together. “Eh, nothing I can’t handle. You, though, you were amazing out there.”

You rolled your eyes. “You always a charmer?”

“Because it’s always true.” He grinned, leaning forward just slightly, voice dropping to something almost conspiratorial. “You know, I’ve seen a lot of pro heroes in action, but you? You’re on another level.” Your smirk wavered for half a second, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. He wasn’t teasing or joking he meant it. Mirio, for all his strength and confidence, never acted like he was above admiration. He gave it freely, effortlessly, like it was second nature.

“…Not bad yourself, Togata.” You nudged his arm, trying to shake off the warmth creeping into your chest.

His eyes lit up. “togata? I haven’t given you my name yet, second meeting and is this a good thing or a bad thing?”

“oh my.” Warmth spread from your face. Respect was a huge thing in your book. But you’d be lying to yourself if his name didn’t reply in your head after your last encounter. you crossed your arms. “i’m so sorry lemilion! we haven’t even left the battlefield and you don’t even know me-”

Mirio’s laughter was bright, like sunlight breaking through the remnants of the night. “Don’t worry about it!! just a silly little slip”

Before you could answer, Nighteye approached, his usual composed expression in place as he took in the two of you. “You did well today,” he said simply.

your daze slightly disappears looking up to him “High praise, coming from you.”

Nighteye adjusted his glasses. “Don’t get used to it.”

Mirio chuckled, nudging your shoulder lightly. “Sir’s just being modest. We both know he’s impressed.” Nighteye sighed but didn’t argue, which only made Mirio’s grin widen.

You shook your head, glancing at Mirio. “i’m starting to think in the inside you’re a bright shiny ball puppies and rainbows in there” “you surround yourself with smiley blondes and people with a very bright outfits.

Nighteye’s expression barely flickered, but you swore you saw the tiniest twitch of his eye at your words. You smirked, pressing your advantage.

“I mean, really,” you continued, crossing your arms. “Mirio? All Might? Bubble Girl? Myself? What is it with you and people who radiate pure sunshine? Do you just absorb their energy like some kind of grumpy solar panel?”

Mirio snorted, clearly trying to hold back laughter, while Bubble Girl who had just arrived on the scene blinked in confusion. Nighteye sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if you were giving him a migraine.

“I surround myself with competent heroes,” he corrected, but there was a hint of exasperation in his tone.

You raised an eyebrow. “Right, and it just so happens that all those ‘competent heroes’ have the same golden retriever energy? Be honest, do you break out in hives when you’re around pessimistic people?”

Mirio was straight up laughing now, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the exchange like it was the best thing he’d seen all night.

Nighteye merely adjusted his glasses again, as if recalibrating his patience. “Y/n,” he said evenly, “perhaps you should spend less time making baseless observations and more time debriefing the mission.”

“Oh, so you’re avoiding the question? Interesting.” You tilted your head. “That means I’m right.”

He gave you a long, flat stare before turning on his heel and walking away. You caught Mirio covering his mouth, trying and failing to stifle his amusement.

“You’re awful,” he whispered between chuckles.

You grinned. “He makes it too easy.”

——-

The hum of fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead as you leaned against one of the agency’s desks, arms crossed, watching Mirio dig through a cabinet with the focus of someone searching for the meaning of life. His uniform was slightly rumpled from the day, his tie loosened, the top button undone. Without his hero costume without the grand, larger than life energy he carried in battle he looked more like a regular student, just a little tired, a little more human. But still, somehow, undeniably bright.

“You lose something, Togata?” you asked, voice dry as ever.

Mirio, undeterred by your deadpan tone, straightened with a triumphant grin, holding up a can of juice like it was a legendary artifact. “Victory!” he declared before cracking it open with an exaggerated flourish.

You raised an eyebrow. “That felt high stress for such little reason.”

“Hey, sometimes it’s the little things,” he said, taking a sip. He sighed contentedly, as if this really was the highlight of his day. Then, as if just noticing, he tilted his head at you, curiosity flickering in his gaze. “You’re here a lot, huh?”

You shrugged. “Guess so.”

Mirio hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger against the can. “Shouldn’t you be at your own agency? Not that I’m complaining, it’s always nice to see you.”

There was something in the way he said it casual but genuine, like he meant it. Like HE liked having you around. It threw you off for just a second.

You smirked, shaking off the feeling. “Oh, I got kicked out.”

Mirio blinked, his whole body pausing mid sip. “…Wait, really?”

“Yeah.” You sighed dramatically, crossing your arms. “Turns out, if you glare at one too many people, they start thinking you ‘disrupt workplace morale.’”

For a second, his face flickered with concern, his brows furrowing just slightly. But then you saw it the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, the telltale sign that he was just now getting the message. there it was. His laughter erupted, full and unrestrained. “No way! You had me for a second!”

You grinned. “I have my moments.”

Mirio shook his head, still chuckling. “Man, you’re something else.”

“I try.”

Silence settled between you, but it wasn’t awkward just a lull, comfortable and easy. Mirio leaned against the desk beside you, close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating off of him. He always carried this… presence. Like standing next to him meant standing in a patch of sunlight. It was disarming.

Mirio, apparently, wasn’t one for silence. “So, if you’re not actually exiled from your agency, why do you spend so much time here?”

You hesitated for a beat before answering. “…I guess it’s not bad here.” You nodded toward the space around you. “Nighteye’s strict, but I can respect him. The work is solid. And the company’s… not terrible.”

Mirio’s lips curled into a playful grin. “Wow, your compliments feel kinda lackluster.”

“Hush now,” you said smoothly. “Don’t tell me you’re tired of me being here.”

“Never!” His response was immediate, like he’d been waiting for you to ask. His smile softened a little. “Actually, I think it’s nice. I was gonna say you’re kinda like an honorary member at this point. But, y’know…” He glanced at you, an easy warmth in his gaze. “That makes it sound like we don’t want you here when we do.”

Something about the way he said it lighthearted, but undeniably sincere made you pause.

“…Huh,” you said, for lack of anything better.

Mirio leaned in a little, grinning. “Huh?” he mimicked playfully.

You rolled your eyes. “I’m just not used to people being that direct, is all.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “That direct, or that nice?”

You gave him a look, but he just smiled wider, like he knew he had a point.

“You’re not bad company either, y’know,” he said after a moment, his voice a little softer now, like he was just saying it to you and not to the room. “I mean, you’re cool, and you’re strong, but you’re also… kinda funny. Even when you don’t mean to be.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m accidentally entertaining?”

“I’m saying you’re interesting,” he said easily. “And that I’d rather have you around than not.”

Your chest tightened, just slightly. It wasn’t often that people just… said things like that. At least, not to you.

Mirio, as if sensing he might’ve thrown you off, nudged your shoulder. “Guess I’ll just have to stick around more,” he said, grinning again. “Y’know, in case you get actually exiled one day.”

For once, you didn’t have a sharp reply. You just shook your head, looking away to hide the small, involuntary twitch at the corner of your mouth. “…Yeah, yeah. We’ll see.”

His laughter was softer this time, but the way he looked at you like he genuinely wanted to know you, like he already considered you a friend made something in you settle.

———

The walk to U.A. was calm, the late morning sun casting a warm glow over the city as you and Hawks strolled along the familiar path. The school loomed in the distance, its towering gates just visible beyond the trees lining the sidewalk.

After a moment of quiet, you sighed. “You know… I feel like we’re getting the short end of the stick here.”

Hawks glanced at you, amusement flickering in his golden eyes. “Oh? How so?”

You gestured vaguely ahead. “Nezu gets free labor, the kids get their little motivational speeches, and what do we get? A pat on the back?”

Hawks let out a light chuckle, his wings shifting slightly. “You mean to tell me the honor of inspiring the next generation isn’t enough?”

You gave him a dry look. “I’m sure they’ll be fine without our wisdom.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe, but a little guidance never hurts.”

You exhaled, watching as a breeze rustled through the trees. “I guess.”

A comfortable silence stretched between you as you walked, the steady rhythm of your footsteps filling the space.

“At least we get a good meal out of it,” Hawks remarked after a moment, stretching his arms behind his head.

“If Lunch Rush is cooking, sure,” you said. “If not, I’m leaving early.”

He laughed. “I respect the standards.”

You smirked. “You should. I refuse to sit through a whole day of talking if the food isn’t worth it.”

Hawks tilted his head, as if considering something. “Y’know… spending the day at U.A. like this almost feels nostalgic.”

You glanced at him. “You think you would’ve been good in school?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “But sometimes I with for the simplicity of it. Having a schedule, training, learning new things every day.”

You hummed in agreement. “Yeah. It was… different.”

“Different’s a good word for it,” he mused. “We didn’t have a normal school experience, but it had its moments.”

You nodded, a small, knowing smile forming. “Like sneaking out past curfew?”

“Or convincing commission teachers we were just ‘exploring alternative training methods,’” he added, smirking.

You chuckled. “We got away with too much.”

“Eh,” Hawks said with a shrug. “Guess they figured we’d be fine in the end.”

You didn’t respond right away, but there was an understanding in the quiet between you. The path ahead felt familiar, but the two of you had changed since your own school days.

Hawks nudged your arm lightly. “Alright, be honest, what kind of student do you think is gonna annoy you the most?”

You sighed. “The overly eager one. From what i’m hearing about 1A i feel i need a Xanax. The one with too much energy, too many questions, and zero sense of personal space.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, there’s always one of those.”

“If we get stuck with a kid who talks back, you’re handling them,” you added.

“Deal,” he said easily. “As long as you grab me some extra food on the way out.”

You shook your head, amused. “Unbelievable.”

And with that, the two of you stepped inside, ready to face whatever the day had in store. It wasn’t often that you found yourself back here not as a guest, anyway. But after Nezu had oh so politely requested (read: roped) you and Hawks into speaking to the students about what it was like to become a pro hero so young, you hadn’t exactly had a choice. It made sense, you supposed. You and Hawks were among the youngest top ranking heroes, and Nezu likely figured your experiences would be valuable to the next generation.

Walking through the towering gates, you let out a quiet sigh. “Alright, if we leave now what consequences would we really have?”

Beside you, Hawks stretched, wings ruffling slightly. “Nezu said guest speakers. I heard free food.”

You gave him a flat look. “We’re not getting paid for this.”

He grinned. “Yeah, but we are getting exposure. And what’s better than exposure?”

You groaned. “Literally anything else.”

Before Hawks could tease you more, the school doors swung open, and there stood Nezu, looking far too pleased with himself. “Ah! Lumine, Hawks! Welcome to U.A.!”

Hawks gave a lazy salute. “Hey, little boss.”

Nezu chuckled. “Now, now, Hawks, I prefer ‘Principal.’”

You crossed your arms. “I prefer to not be scammed into free labor.”

Nezu simply smiled, ever unbothered. “Oh, but this is a wonderful opportunity! You’ll be inspiring the next generation!”

Hawks and you exchanged a knowing glance before he sighed dramatically. “Oh, what an honor.”

Nezu, unfazed, continued, “Before your talk, I thought it would be nice for you to get a tour of the school. And I’ve arranged for some of our top students to lead it.”

Before you could respond, a familiar voice rang out “Lumine!”

You turned to see Mirio, his wide grin already on display as he jogged up to you. “Yo! You finally came to visit us!”

You grinned back, stepping forward to meet him. Before you could say anything, he pulled you into a hug, squeezing you tightly. “It’s been too long! You’re looking good out here, away from the chaos of missions!”

You laughed, half surprised by the bear hug. “Calm down, Mirio. I’m just here for a quick talk.”

Hawks grinned. “Careful, Mirio she’s not used to being this popular.”

You elbowed Hawks lightly, but Mirio only laughed, undeterred. “It’s just cool! We usually only work together in high-stakes situations. Now you’re here!”

Hawks raised an eyebrow, walking over with a smirk. “Should we be worried that you’re this excited to see her? I feel like I’m being replaced.”

Mirio stepped back and smiled at you, his enthusiasm unwavering. “Of course not! I’m just happy to see my friend.” He then glanced at Hawks, before pointing at him playfully. “And definitely not because of him.”

You rolled your eyes, nudging Hawks. “Look at that, he’s already here to steal my spotlight.”

Mirio laughed, pulling away just as Neijire bounded over, her bright energy almost contagious. “Lumine!” She looked at you with wide eyes, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You’re even more amazing than I thought! And you’re here with Hawks!”

“Yep, unfortunately,” you said dryly, though a small smile tugged at your lips.

Nejire suddenly appeared beside him, practically vibrating with excitement. “Oh wow, you and Hawks are so close, right? You work together all the time, and you both got into the Top 10 super young! Wait, wait…. are you dating?”

Tamaki, standing slightly behind them, visibly tensed.

You and Hawks exchanged a glance, the kind that spelled trouble. “Oh, absolutely,” you said smoothly, nodding.

Hawks let out a dramatic sigh, draping an arm around your shoulders. “Nejire, you caught us. Our secret romance, exposed.”

You shook your head. “We had a plan, too. Big reveal, dramatic photoshoot, matching hero costumes…”

“Matching hero costumes?” Hawks repeated, amused.

You shrugged. “Might as well commit to the bit.”

Nejire gasped, eyes sparkling. “Oh my gosh, really?! That’s so cute!” Tamaki looked like he wanted to teleport away.

“No, they’re not.”

You and Hawks immediately stopped, mid tease, and turned to Mirio.

Hawks raised an eyebrow. “Wow. That was fast.”

You and Hawks immediately shared a look, both of you smirking as you were about to go on your teasing tangent again.

“Oh, Neijire, sweetie,” Hawks started, voice oozing with sarcasm. “If you knew the kind of annoying this one brings into my life—”

“annoying ?” You cut in, laughing. “You are the annoying one, bird brain.”

“I’m just saying,” Hawks said, dramatically holding a hand to his chest, “that being with you is like being surrounded by a storm of bad decisions and caffeine.”

You grinned. “And don’t forget the occasional midnight chicken emotional breakdown because you can’t stop talking.”

Neijire’s face lit up with curiosity. “Wait, but are you sure?” She leaned toward you both, wide eyed. “You guys aren’t a thing? You’re so close like, a sibling vibe. But siblings wouldn’t…”

“You’re making this way worse than it is,” you interrupted, barely containing your laughter.

Hawks shot you a look, his own grin widening. “I’d like to see you try to keep up with all of her sass. Wouldn’t recommend it.”

Just as you and Hawks were about to double down on the teasing, Mirio suddenly interjected. “Nope! They aren’t dating.” Both of you stopped in your tracks, blinking. You stared at Mirio for a moment, then looked at Hawks.

“Uh… okay,” you said, a little thrown off by how fast Mirio had spoken.

“Yeah, we’re not,” Hawks confirmed, but he raised an eyebrow, glancing at Mirio.

Mirio, still peppy, shook his head. “I mean, you could be dating, but you’re not. You two are way more like siblings. Plus, Hawks would never stop bragging about it if it were true.”

Hawks gasped. “The little nugget is fighting back!”

You smirked. “No, no, he’s right. You would be unbearable.”

Mirio grinned. “Exactly! So, no, you’re not dating.”

Neijire smirked, her eyes practically sparkling with mischief. “Ohhh, Mirio, I see. You’re relieved, huh?”

Mirio looked momentarily flustered. “What? No, I—I’m just making sure everyone knows the truth!”

Neijire’s smile grew wider as she wagged her finger at him. “So, you like older women, then?” she teased, glancing between the two of you.

Tamaki, who had been standing quietly off to the side, suddenly spoke up, his face flushed. “Wait—no, no! That’s not what—” He nervously glanced at you. “I mean, you’re not old… right?”

You raised an eyebrow, mildly amused. “Tamaki, I’m only twenty. I think I’m safe from the ‘older woman’ label for now.”

Neijire blinked, realizing her slip-up. “Ah! Right! Sorry! I just got carried away…” She quickly backpedaled, practically bubbling with apologies.

Meanwhile, Mirio, still the image of cheerfulness, blinked in surprise. “Huh?”

Nejire leaned in eagerly to mario’s ear. “Well? Do yoooou? Do you like older women?”

For the first time, Mirio hesitated, opening and closing his mouth before laughing sheepishly. “That’s… not really the point here.”

Hawks lost it. He practically collapsed onto Mirio’s shoulder, wheezing. “Oh my god”

You smirked. “So, Mirio, should I be expecting a confession letter soon, or do you need someone middle aged…?”

Mirio let out a goodnatured chuckle. “Nope! But hey, if you do get one, I promise I’ll deliver it personally.”

Nejire mouth dropped all the way to the center of the earth. “PAUSE WHAT”

Hawks sighed trying to segue. “I’m stuck with her as my honorary sibling instead.” You shook your heads in ignorance to the bubbly blue haired girl.

“And I’m stuck with him making chicken nugget jokes at my expense,” you added.

Mirio laughed. “Chicken nugget jokes?”

Hawks smirked. “The students are like chicken nuggets tiny, but still good.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, yeah. U.A.’s finest. A box of premium nuggets.”

Mirio grinned. “Well, I hope we’re at least the good kind.”

Hawks clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, buddy. You’re definitely a top tier nugget.”

Nejire giggled, Tamaki sighed in relief, and Mirio just shook his head, still smiling.

Hawks stretched. “Alright, let’s get this tour over with before Lumine escapes”

You scoffed. “Please. U.A. doesn’t scare me.”

Mirio grinned. “Well, in that case, welcome to U.A.! Let’s go!”

And with that, the tour began—

with you and Hawks following behind, still laughing.

REMEMBER: You’re 20. Then when you get to the school, you’re immediately thrown into a tour by the big three. Mirio being excited to see you. Neijire being bubbly as ever asking questions like if you and hawks are together and all that. Tamaki looks so nervous as if he hasn’t been fighting with fat gum. You and hawks having such a close friendship bully all of them from the question. Then mirio comes in and says you and hawks aren’t dating. interrupting you and hawks mid teasing. Both of you stop really fast, laughing and agreeing that you aren’t. Then pause to think about how fast mirio said it. Other than the missions he knew nothing about you. neijire joking after that mirio liking older women. Tamaki immediately defending you and not calling you not old. then neijire bubbly backtracking. meanwhile mirio is looking flustered and Hawks falling on mirio laughing. Then telling you that your fans are so cute.

——

The day had stretched long, but now, with the sun dipping below the horizon, U.A. had finally settled into a peaceful quiet. The tour, the teasing, the guest lecture it was all behind you now. You leaned against the railing of one of the school’s outdoor walkways, watching as the last bits of golden light painted the sky.

You heard footsteps behind you before you saw him.

“I was hoping I’d find you before you left,” Mirio’s voice was softer than usual still bright, still him, but lacking the usual boundless energy.

You glanced at him as he leaned against the railing beside you, arms resting against the cool metal. His school uniform was slightly ruffled, hair still tousled from the day’s events. But his usual grin was missing, replaced by something more thoughtful.

“Here to give me a final tour of the sunset?” you quipped lightly.

Mirio chuckled. “Something like that.” A pause. Then, “I wanted to apologize.”

You frowned, turning to face him fully. “For what?”

“For earlier.” He didn’t hesitate. “For interrupting when Nejire asked if you and Hawks were together. I just.” He exhaled, looking down at his hands before meeting your eyes again. “I had no right to say anything. I don’t really know you, not outside of missions. I shouldn’t have acted like I did.”

You blinked. Of all the things Mirio Togata had to apologize for today, this was not what you expected.

“You really don’t have to apologize for that.”

He gave you a small, almost sheepish smile. “I do.” Then, quieter, “Because when I thought even for a second that you weren’t available, it made me sad.”

Your breath caught.

Mirio looked back at the horizon, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know it’s kind of silly. We’ve barely spent time together outside of work. But I like seeing you. You’re always so bright even when you’re not fighting. It’s not just about battle, or power, or anything like that. You just are.”

You swallowed. “That’s just the reflection from your own sunshine, Togata.”

He laughed at that, and the warmth of it settled deep in your chest. Then he tilted his head. “You know what else I like?” You raised an eyebrow.

“You’re unflashy in the media.”

You blinked. “…Wow. Thanks?”

Mirio went blank then immediately, shaking his head. “I mean—you don’t put on a show for anyone. You don’t chase the cameras, or try to be something you’re not. You just do the work. You help people. You’re genuine.” His voice was softer now. “You’re a good person.”

Something in your chest tightened, a slow warmth creeping in before you could shove it down. You had been called a lot of things in your career. Powerful. Smart. Even intimidating. But good? That was rarer.

For the first time in a long while, you didn’t know what to say. The silence stretched between you. Mirio, ever patient, just smiled, waiting. And you feeling an unfamiliar heat rise to your face did the only thing you could do.

You turned on your heel and walked away.

“Hey wait!” Mirio called, laughter in his voice.

But you didn’t look back. Because if you did, you weren’t sure you’d be able to leave at all.

[prplepeony]

Promises and Politics

Carol Danvers x Reader

summary: You get upset about Carol Marrying Prince Yan

Words: 932

Carol Danvers had never been one for grand explanations, and tonight, you were finding it impossible to stomach her silence. The argument started as soon as she walked into your apartment, still dressed in her Kree Starforce suit, her blonde hair tousled and her expression as unreadable as ever. She’d barely gotten through the door before you blurted out the words that had been suffocating you for days:

“You married him?”

Carol froze mid-step, her body tensing like you’d just hit her with one of her own photon blasts.

“I—it wasn’t like that,” she started, her voice low and careful.

“It wasn’t like that?” you repeated, your voice breaking. “Carol, you stood in front of an entire planet and promised to love and honor him. How am I supposed to feel about that?”

Her jaw tightened, and she took a deep breath before responding. “It was a marriage of convenience. You know that. Yan’s people were on the brink of civil war, and they needed a symbol. Someone strong enough to hold everything together. It didn’t mean anything.”

“Didn’t mean anything?” You laughed bitterly, pacing across the living room. “You’re telling me that standing there, holding his hands, saying vows in front of billions of people didn’t mean anything?”

“No! It didn’t!” she snapped, her voice rising for the first time. “It was politics. That’s all it was. I did what I had to do to save lives. End of story.”

You stopped pacing and turned to face her, your arms crossed tightly over your chest. “End of story? Carol, do you even hear yourself? You can’t just brush this off like it’s nothing. You’re asking me to be okay with the fact that my girlfriend is married to someone else.”

“It’s not a real marriage,” she said, her voice softer now but no less frustrated. “It’s… ceremonial. Symbolic. Yan and I aren’t even living on the same planet, for crying out loud.”

“And that makes it better?” you shot back. “You didn’t even tell me. I had to find out from a news broadcast like I’m some stranger who doesn’t even matter to you.”

Carol’s shoulders slumped, and she ran a hand through her hair. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d react like this.”

Your heart sank, the words hitting you like a physical blow. “Like what? Like someone who has a right to be upset? Like someone who thought we were in this together?”

“We are in this together,” she insisted, stepping closer to you. “You and me? That’s real. What happened on Aladna? That’s just politics. It’s not us.”

“How am I supposed to know that?” you whispered, your voice trembling. “You didn’t give me a chance to understand. You didn’t trust me enough to even try.”

Carol reached out, her fingers brushing against your arm, but you stepped back, putting more space between you. She looked genuinely hurt by the gesture, and for a moment, you almost caved. But the ache in your chest was too raw, too overwhelming to ignore.

“I trust you,” she said softly. “More than anyone. But this? This was bigger than us. Bigger than anything I could’ve explained in the moment. I didn’t have time to…”

“Don’t,” you interrupted, shaking your head. “Don’t make this about time or duty or whatever other excuse you’ve got lined up. This is about us. About you not letting me in when it mattered most.”

Carol’s eyes dropped to the floor, and for a long moment, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of your uneven breathing. When she finally spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper.

“I’m sorry.”

You blinked, caught off guard by the vulnerability in her tone. “What?”

She looked up at you, her blue eyes filled with something you couldn’t quite name—guilt, maybe, or regret. “I’m sorry. For not telling you. For not… trusting you enough to let you in. You’re right. I should’ve told you. I should’ve…” Her voice broke, and she took a shaky breath before continuing. “I should’ve done better by you.”

The sincerity in her words caught you off guard, and for a moment, you didn’t know how to respond. Part of you wanted to stay angry, to hold onto the hurt because it felt safer than risking more heartbreak. But another part of you—the part that loved Carol more than you ever thought possible—could see how much this was tearing her apart.

“I don’t know if I can just… move past this,” you admitted, your voice shaking. “I love you, Carol. But this? This hurt. A lot.”

She nodded, her expression somber. “I know. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. Just… please. Don’t give up on us.”

You looked at her, really looked at her, and saw the weight of everything she carried. The responsibility, the guilt, the fear of losing you. It didn’t erase the pain, but it made you want to try—for her, for you, for the future you’d dreamed of together.

“I’m not giving up,” you said finally, your voice barely above a whisper. “But this? It’s going to take time.”

Carol nodded again, a small, tentative smile breaking through the tension. “I can do time. As long as you’re still here.”

You didn’t respond right away, instead closing the distance between you and pulling her into a tight hug. She held you like you were the most precious thing in the universe, and for the first time that night, you felt like maybe, just maybe, you’d find a way to get through this together.

[yeonboy]

𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 ♡ choi yeonjun. ⇝ teaser

For the past two years, you have been an ordinary—if a bit more stressed than others—college student with a life so normal, it almost falls on the wrong side of boring. And then in the middle of one uneventful night, your college’s darling ace student, ace sportsman, the ace cutie that every girl has a crush on, Choi Yeonjun decides to slip into your dorm room – and your life turns upside down.

❧ choi yeonjun x f. reader | 16+ | college!au ♡ strangers to lovers!au ♡ humor ♡ fluff

❧ words! 1 k for the teaser [~8 k for the entire fic]

❧ warnings! profanity, suggestive language, exams related anxiety, incorrect econ major related discord + and more in the actual fic (:

❧ note! hey, everyone! tho i'm not a fan of teasers without a concrete posting date, i needed to put sth out there for the sake of my brain :// mental health's been on a rollercoaster and writer's block been heavy this spring! i hope y'all enjoy this lil cracked up (and a lil concerning) bite of fluff and anticipate the actual fic!

❧ masterlist | inbox ⁘

Sighing again, you blindly move your hand towards the light switch in the room – only for a hand to wrap around your wrist. 

Wha—

Heart stopping and brain freezing in bone-chilling fear, you unhinge your jaw to let out a scream. But not even a whole second later, a palm is placed over your parted lips and a body pushes you to the wall next to the light switch with an urgent hush whispered in your ear.

“Please don’t scream, I’m not gonna harm you, I just need your help!”

The stranger sounds and feels like a male. 

What the hell is a strange man doing in your very all-girls dorm?

You wanna scream louder, something that this stranger senses because he suddenly presses his body tighter against you, this time dipping his face into the crook of your neck, lips against the shell of your ear when he shushes you.

Okay, now why did that cover your entire body with goosebumps? Of the good kind?

“I’m not a creep I swear, I was just escaping an embarrassing situation and this room was unlocked so I slipped in, please let me explain!”

You try to calm yourself down, taking a deep breath which immediately lets you know that this not a creep actually smells really heavenly. You kinda wanna sniff him again, but catch yourself at the last moment.

Leaning your head farther away to press it against the wall, you narrow your eyes at the short-haired silhouette of the guy that is lit up at the edges due to the light entering the room from the window directly behind him. The hand which held your wrist moves, then, and flicks the light switch.

You immediately squeeze your eyes shut due to the blast of photons across the room, and the stranger slowly steps away from you, very tenderly letting go of your mouth – which had honestly started to hurt a little – at the end. Massaging the side of your jaw, you slowly open one of your lids, and then the other.

Then you blink. And blink again. And nearly have an aneurysm because damn does the campus It-Boy look even hotter up close.

Choi Yeonjun stands before you in his pale orange hair glory, wearing a fitted off-sleeves, off-white sweater. And, shit, are those pearls around his neck? Yes. Yes, they are.

While you’re still hovering in the limbo between shock and awe, the guy launches into a rushed and stuttered explanation.

“Th–thanks for not screaming. I’m… Ugh, I don’t even know where to begin, but like – I – I was trying to surprise my girlfriend who lives in this very dorm, a floor above—you know, where all popular seniors live—and, um, just as I reacher her door I heard sounds of the…sexual nature…echoing inside, so – so I investigated and guess what? My girlfriend is fucking my best friend behind my back!”

Your jaw drops open. “I… what the hell, man?” you whisper, stunned and disgusted. “That’s so awful…”

“Right? And embarrassing.” He shakes his head. Then his eyebrows suddenly fly up. “Oh! I am Choi—”

“Yeonjun, the uni’s ace Senior. I know. Everyone does.”

A faint blush rises up his cheeks, lips pursing as he shrugs one bare shoulder. Okay, damn, his biceps have got some good definition. “Yeah… well. So you know how I was—or still am, I guess—in a relationship with—”

“Kim Yerim? Know that too, unfortunately, all my friends in all the srats are obsessed with y’all.” You give a small sigh. “Her cheating is such a pity.”

“God, I know right? This is gonna be so horrible,” he murmurs, almost to himself, and bites down on his lip.

You snap your fingers in front of his face. “Um, excuse me? Is that all? I’m sorry for you, man, truly, but um, can you leave now? You’re really wasting my very precious time.”

He really is. The only reason why you didn’t flip out yet was because—as embarrassing as it—you were distracted by the guy’s astonishingly good looks. But his beauty isn’t gonna help you pass tomorrow’s exam.

Suddenly regretting wasting the ten minutes that you had saved by ditching Chaeryeong at the convenience store, you clap your hands together and reach for your door. “Great talk! Or not? I guess? See you around, Choi Yeonjun!”

His eyes grow very wide at that and both hands come up to stop you from unlocking your door, before you have even made the move to fully turn around, and—

Oh.

Now you’re caged between the door and both his arms. The same arms with all that muscular definition you just saw up close. 

“Please don’t kick me out. Let me stay here. Please.”

This time it is your eyes that bulge out. “The hell? Why?”

He retracts his hands to brace one of them on his waist and pinch the bridge of his nose with the forefinger and thumb of the other. “I can’t leave…”

You lean away from him. “Dude, if you’re looking for a shoulder to cry on? You’ve come to the absolutely worst person. And if you’re looking for a rebound hook-up… well, could you wait till I’m done with tomorrow’s exam?”

Yeonjun’s face goes from confused to intrigued to humorous. “None of those, actually, but – I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

His wink shoots sparks through you and you immediately purse your lips. “It wasn’t an—okay, then what do you want? My econ exam is tomorrow and I stand to lose all my credits if I flunk this, so please—”

“Wait, econ?” He spins on his heels to peek at your textbook and the slides you had pulled up on your laptop, leaving you gaping behind him. “Ooh, Consumer Behavior? This is a good one. D’you have flash cards? Don’t skip decision roles, Professor Jeon is obsessed with ’em.”

You look at the guy with wide eyes. “Uh—what?”

Looking at you over his shoulder, Yeonjun flashes you a grin. “You’re talking to a 99 scorer in Consumer Behavior.”

— COMING SOON!

© yeonboy 2024 // do not steal, copy or repost. respect your local content creators, kaythanks.

[auntie-browning]

@magicaldreaming planned for a starter

A subtle groan aired out of Browning’s throat, shuffling her hands around to place her spectacles over her squinting eyes. The sun was out in full force it seems, a far cry from the stone structure she had found herself with. That’s also to say that this place was far different from the realm she had found herself yesterday.

For one, the sky did not glow red with contempt from the ash within the atmosphere. And for another, the residual radiation photon radiation wasn’t enough to cause static in her visual modules. Yet the most telling of all were the buildings and structures not blasted to all hell. They were maintained, kept up to shape, and with that she understood one simple fact: People still resided around.

She was gonna have to tread around carefully, least she desired to spook the residents of this estate. The doll would rather not have to contend with spending another cycle locked up in some sort of prison again. Being a prisoner of circumstance to some power beyond her was trouble enough already.

Adjusting the rucksack on her back, the olive-eyed blonde began by egressing close to some of the stone walls around. She wasn’t going to blend in all too well considering she was still all dolled up in tack but she was trying to manage with the situation she was given. It never seemed to be her choice on just when and where her curse would send her next. Browning just rolled with the punches…like she had done far before this situation.

Skulking besides waist high hedgerows, the doll crouched down to try and break any line of sight on her. With how affluent the property was, she already assumed that it could belong to someone of great importance. Someone that might have workers tend to the vegetation but more importantly…security to defend the place from intruders. Considering that the doll loved to carry on her person at least enough munitions and explosives to get her out of a jam where ever she could be…it wouldn’t exactly work too well for her well-being.

These thoughts running through her neural cloud must have been damn near entertaining to speculate considering she would end up smacking her head against an upcoming bend on the wall. It was enough to cause damage but certainly to have the doll cry out in a bit of pain along with having a cuss leave her lips as she rubbed the top of her artificial scalp. It wasn’t anything too loud but it was enough to certainly catch the attention of anyone who wasn’t paying attention to the shrub ladened walls of the manor’s exterior.

Nothing that stupid would happen to her, right?

[sirfrogsworth]

Understanding the Inverse Square Law

(Without Math)

When I was first getting deep into photography, I kept running into lessons about the inverse square law. They would always tell you the effects and the math but they never explained the cause. Why does the light do this?

It's like when the doctor gives you a pill to fix something. You swallow it, wait a bit, and eventually you feel better. But you rarely know what the pill is actually doing.

So when it comes to lighting, you have to decide if you want to be the doctor who understands the why or the patient who just swallows the pill and gets the desired effect.

Every tutorial will say if you double the distance of a light from a subject, the intensity will drop by 1/4. They will give you a formula so you can do exposure calculations.

Sometimes they will refer to somewhat helpful diagrams with clues on what is happening.

But most just teach the easy version.

If you move the light closer, you will get quicker falloff into shadow and the background will be darker.

If you move it farther back, everything will be more evenly lit, but the background will be lighter.

The teacher will shoot some examples and show you something like this.

By the end of this post, I want everyone who reads it to *truly* understand what is happening.

Because if you understand it on that level, it will change how you think about light and photography. It will have the added bonus of explaining magnets and WiFi and even the sound coming out of your speakers.

If I am an effective teacher, this is something you will think about in your everyday life, even if you don't care about photography.

In a previous post, I talked about how light was a bit like a shotgun blast. The closer you are, the more concentrated the pellets. If you are farther away, the shot disperses.

But this wasn't the analogy I wanted to use. It was just the easiest to find visual examples of.

My preferred analogy was spray paint. And I'm hoping with some janky home-made visuals, I can do a better job of explaining the concept.

Let's start by explaining the humble photon. It's the fundamental particle (or wave) of light. Think of them like individual tiny globs of paint in a spray can. A photon is emitted when something loses energy. And unmodified light sources typically shoot out photon globs in all directions.

A point light source is a theoretical concept where a single point in space shoots light evenly in every direction. For our purposes we're just going to imagine a basic light bulb as the point source.

But our eyes and cameras have a limited field of view, so from here on out we are going to think of the light emitting from the bulb as having a cone shape. We are just concerned with what a camera can actually see.

Well, well, well... what does that cone of light look like?

I'm sure we have all used spray paint before. So let's imagine we are spraying a white ball against a gray wall. We spray for 1 second and hold the can at different distances.

In each scenario we are spraying for the same length of time and the exact same number of photon paint globs are emitted from the nozzle.

Let's think about what each scenario would look like from the camera's point of view.

Here is our unpainted ball and wall.

Here is the spray can held at Distance 1.

Note how the red paint is very concentrated and appears bold and saturated.

Distance 2.

Now the same amount of paint is dispersed over a wider area. The bold red spot in the center is more muted. And some of the paint is spilling onto the background.

Distance 3.

Everything appears to have a light red tint. The background and the white ball appear to have similar intensities of red. The coverage is very even. The same number of photon paint globs are being asked to cover a larger area so they are spreading out and diluting the color.

Okay, now let's exchange tiny photon paint globs for real photons.

I'm bringing back my baseball and showing these same 3 distances.

The nice thing about eyeballs and cameras... they can compensate for different light intensities. Our eyes have night vision and cameras have long shutter speeds, large lens apertures, and ISO amplification.

And if we compensate for the dimming caused by the dispersed light...

Photography teachers will tell you that if you move the light farther away, the background will get brighter. In reality, everything is the same level of dim and the camera exposure is brightened.

What if we wanted to spray the same area from far away without losing as much of the red saturation? We could add a super nozzle to our spray can that emits a bunch more photon globs in the same span of time.

This would be like turning up the power of the light. You have to emit a bunch more photons in that same time scale to compensate. Then you don't have to adjust your camera settings when you move the light farther away.

Let's look at a practical example of when you might think about the inverse square law to help solve a problem.

You have two subjects in a scene, and you put the light just out of view of the camera. You might be thinking that a larger light source is softer, so you want it as close as possible.

Unfortunately only one person is lit in the scene. She is getting the concentrated photons before they can disperse.

So if we want both people to have similar lighting, we can move the light farther away. You will have to comprimise a little softness. And you will have to change your camera settings or increase the power of the light.

Note that the intensity of light in the area they are standing in is very similar now.

By using a large light modifier, the photographer was able to move the light back and keep its general softness, but also evenly light both subjects.

And now I need to talk about one aspect of my spray paint analogy that does not work with the inverse square law. And it has to do with the specular highlight on the baseball.

Spray paint does not reflect paint. It just sticks to things. And reflection throws a tiny wrench into my explanation. Because parallel light rays do not obey the inverse square law. When you light something, the most central photons from the subject's perspective are going to be traveling in parallel. They have a direct path from the light to the camera lens or your eyeball.

Now if the reflection material is perfectly matte, the light will disperse and act as the inverse square law suggests. But if the surface is even a little glossy, the most concentrated parallel rays are going to bounce directly into your eye as a bright white spot.

And if you study this diagram a little closer, you might figure out why specular highlights are usually white.

If you look at the specular highlight on the baseball, even though the rest of the image gets dimmer as the light gets farther away, that spot stays bright.

Though the spot seems to disappear at Distance 1. Curious, eh?

It's still there. It's still reflecting directly into your eyeball. But the light around it is so concentrated and bright, the specular highlight blends in.

Which means if you have some nasty highlights on your photo subject, moving your light closer might make them go away. If someone has a shiny forehead, this can equalize the overall exposure and hide the shiny.

This guy has a bright spot on his nose. It is there in both photos.

But his face is so much brighter in the left photo that the spot blends in. It's a bit of a mind bender because the camera exposure is adjusted so the finished photos appear the same amount of bright.

You have to remember if you only move the light farther away and don't increase its power or increase the camera's exposure level, the photos would look more like this.

So if you make the rest of the face as bright as the highlight, it blends in.

Neat!

So, was I successful?

Does the inverse square law make more sense?

This is why WiFi gets weaker at a distance. This is why magnets lose their attraction when you pull them apart. This is why speakers get quieter when you move away from them.

I can't tell you how much knowing the why has affected my thinking about lighting. I see so many video and photo people talking about lighting setups who are just following memorized placements.

"Put a light above the subject at a 45 degree angle to get Rembrandt lighting."

But the second they encounter light doing something unexpected, things fall apart. They resort to trial and error and brute force the solution.

Knowing how the pill works can prevent that frustrating process.

I no longer care about the math. I can just visualize the cone of influence and predict what will happen. Understanding the behavior of light and not just the end effects has made everything more intuitive. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to understand this. But, hopefully, this post has shortened that journey for you.

[chestnutelm122]

After seeing The Marvels, I realized Carol probably cut her hair short in Avenger’s Endgame in honor of Maria, after her passing. Carol probably couldn’t figure out how to deal with the pain of losing her best friend and family and not being able to do anything about it because she couldn’t just go binary and photon blast her way out of this one so she resorted to the only way she knows how: by keeping a piece of Maria in herself by cutting her hair that is somewhat similar to Maria’s.