#so my mom watched the op live action and adored it

[eunhos]

.

[salty-says]

Going back to my roots and writing. (Haven’t written fan fiction for 3 years 💀). Anyway the One Piece Live Action has caused me to become very active on tumblr and fall down rabbit holes.

So here is a little Drabble about Shanks x Luffy’sMom!reader

A/N: LMFAO I DIDN’T KNOW ANY OP PLOT RLY BEFORE WRITING THIS AND I KNOW KNOW LUFFY’S FATHER IS GARP’S CHILD NOT HIS MOM 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️

Being the daughter of a marine admiral meant that she grew up with an instilled hatred for pirates. Garp put her through training early on in hopes he could mold her to become a great marine like himself.

She developed fighting skills and had a strong sense of justice. That was until she went out on a mission in her teens to monitor a suspicious group of pirates. The other marines she went on the mission with decided to take their anger out on said pirates beating them to a pulp. A nasty feeling resonated within her chest as she watched her fellow marines serve their definition of justice.

That night made her start to hate the marines and the sham they were. She disconnected herself from Garp and moved to Foosha Village to start her own life away from the marines and her father.

She was very wary of pirates still. Always held onto some lingering fear for them deep down, always looked behind her back.

On the island she bought a quaint cottage and began her own garden in hopes to sustain herself without having to rely on the villagers for supplies.

After a couple of years, she found her place on the island and even become well know for her fruits and vegetables. She always brought her fresh produce to the market each morning, where she had a cute booth. The villagers adored her and also took interest in her mysterious past.

She sometimes found herself going to Party’s Bar after she made good friends with the bartender, Makino. They would talk about all there was to talk about on the island. Sailors, pirates, bandits all passed through.

However one day, old memories began resurfacing. Ones she thought she repressed long ago. She ended up going to Party’s Bar to get shit faced in hopes of shutting everything out.

At the same time as she was downing drink after drink, some sailors stopped on by at the bar. One of them was clearly very interested in her. So in her drunken state she let the man take her to an inn on the island to stay the night.

She didn’t think much of that night until one day she started feeling unbearable nausea. She went to the doctor and found out that she had gotten pregnant.

That was 9 years ago. Her small cottage now occupied by her and Luffy. She absolutely adores Luffy and would do anything for him. Sure he would frustrate her here and there but she was his mother and she loved him more than anything.

She was keen on Luffy’s interest in pirates and sailing the ocean. She decided to not share her own reservations about pirates, as she wanted Luffy to establish his own opinions when she herself couldn’t at his age.

a pirate ship became very well known around Foosha Village. A grand ship with a Jolly Roger with 3 lines across the left eye. She was aware of their presence but didn’t take mind as long as they didn’t interfere with her.

Often Luffy would come back late for dinner beaming about the stories he heard from a man named “Shanks”. She learned that he was the captain of the ship that housed itself at the docks.

With a simple reminder of him to be careful she encouraged Luffy to learn more about Shanks and his crew.

One day while she was at her booth in town, a red-haired male approached her. Instantly she noticed how cute he was and how the white shirt he wore let her admire his toned muscles.

With a blush she darted her eyes back to his face and he deeply chuckled. She smiled, “How can I help you today sir?”

“I’m looking to purchase most of your stock,” he smirked at her.

She quirked her head to the side and smiled, “Either your throwing a big party or heading out to sea.”

“Maybe both,” the red-head shrugged.

She giggled and began showing him the crates of fresh produce. He handed her some berry, “got any plans tonight?”

She blushed, “no, none really. Probably just going to make some dinner for me and my son.”

His smile faltered a bit at the last part, “Ah, I presume your married then. Sorry if my advances made you uncomfortable.”

She threw up her hands in dismissal, “Oh no. You didn’t make me uncomfortable. Actually your advances are quite welcome,” she leaned on the counter, “and don’t worry there is no husband you have to worry about.”

“Aye, how lucky am I?”

She smirked, “quite lucky”

He chuckled and leaned forward towards her, “I never introduced myself. The name’s Shanks.”

Her eyes widened a bit and her body shifted away from him. He quirked his eyebrows at this, confused by her sudden change in composure.

“..pirate,” she quietly murmured to herself. Shanks in hearing this now understood her sudden shift. “I can assure you sweetheart,” he grabbed her hands gently, “I’m a very good pirate.”

Her eyes lightened and body relaxed at his touch. And with a slight apology she told him her name. “Only a beautiful name such as that can suit a beautiful woman such as you.”

She blushed. “It’s scary how much you’re flustering me. I don’t think I would let you leave this island if you keep this up.”

“I wouldn’t mind staying a while.”

“I think my son would like that. He’s very fond of you. Your name graces our dinner table every night.” She rolls her eyes.

Shanks’ eyes widen a bit connecting the dots, “I presume Luffy is your son then?”

“Aye”

“That make sense now. He did say his mother was wary of pirates because she used to be a marine. And looking at you now, I’m glad you’re not one anymore because you’re way too beautiful.” He kissed her knuckles.

Her face turned red. “Please take me out to dinner before I pass out from how flustered you’re making me.”

“As you wish, sweetheart.”

[were-wolverine]

percy jackson ep3 live reaction

yesss the attic it looks perfect

the voice crack on “hi” i’m cackling

“oh geez” HES SO PERCY

annabeth immediately i love him.

percy’s gf requirements: has to be willing to push him down a flight of stairs without hesitation

let percy understand the horses PLEASE

“i chose you” i thought it was gonna be like ‘because you’re my best friend’ but nah he is just suspicious of grover dang. “i trust you” DAMN HE REALLY LYING HUH. poor grover totally believes him too. good thing he earns his trust back eventually and remains his best friend forever

“i’m gonna pack the best snacks” HE IS THE BEST KIND OF FRIEND

why tf are there lobster traps in the cabin. WHERE IS HIS BED???

“i think they’re canadian maybe? or from chuck e. cheese i dunno” he’s literally my favorite person ever

“these are… interesting”

thalia’s tree :(

when do they tell percy that grover was thalias protector 🤔

“the most powerful being in the universe’s best idea to save his daughter’s life… was to turn her into a tree?” YEAH FR GET HIS ASS PERCY

bro really does not know how to read the room 💀 “she met a pinecone’s fate” dude she is talking about her dead friend/sister-figure. grover’s literally like “wtf man”

how tf did they get a taxi from long island to the city bro

“i’m sorry to hear that” UR THE BEST ANNABETH

why is grover singing… THEATRE KID ENERGY

“our voting system’s broken” hgjfhdhd

BIG OOF ????

the autism makes decisions so hard very real

NOT THE TOSTITOS /j

“they smell fear” “that’s bees” EXCUSE ME? BEES WHAT NOW??

damn dodds that’s brutal

“perhaps the most formidable demigod child alive” i adore how they make 12 y/o annabeth so fucking powerful. like i really really love that they do that cuz ppl always talk about how powerful percy is but not how powerful annabeth is

defeated by shitty evacuation skills smh

…we’re lost in the woods, somewhere in new jersey

“i didn’t even know they had forests in new jersey” king. what.

ahhh i wish they just made them 13 i really cannot see them as 12 year olds

ope it is revealed. GROVER STOP TRYING TO REDIRECT THE CONVERSATION ITS NOT WORKING

annabeth IMMEDIATELY knows it’s medusa lol

thinking abt how sally used medusa’s story to teach lil percy that appearances aren’t everything and “not everything that looks like a monster is a monster”. very interested to see what they do with her in this version of pjo

“and i definitely trust my mom” percy is such a momma’s boy i love it

i hope they don’t make her evil pls pls pls. SHES NOT EVIL SHES AN SA VICTIM. “a survivor” :(

“the gift the gods gave me is i cannot be bullied anymore” yes 🙌

girl really said “it’s not a gift it’s a curse” as if she was there 💀 ilysm but clearly the story you’ve heard isn’t what really happened

“so did i” :( she was a worshipper of athena

“i wasn’t like you, i was you”

ANNABETH “that isn’t what happened” GIRL YOU WERENT THERREEEEE

you tell them medusa !! her and percy get matching “i hate poseidon” shirts

team #trust issues

oop. yeah fuck poseidon.

okay yeah i really like this characterization of her. like a good person with a skewed moral compass. or at least good intentions but not great actions

leetle snakes hiss hiss

annabeth watching percy defeat alecto… she literally has heart eyes hehe

THEY BETTER SHIP HER HEAD TO OLYMPUS I SWEAR

you tell them grover!!!!!!

oh he really did choose grover because he trusted him aw :,)

YES SHIP THE HEAD

“i am impertinent” ily

the song 💀 this is why they are besties

LIN MANUEL MIRANDA? *lip bite*

[corner-stories]

what the funk?

Todd Rice. Jesse Chambers. Rick Tyler. Damon Matthews. Brunch. Double Dates. Babies. Dramatic DMs. 1407 words. (ao3.)

Todd Rice was smiling from ear to ear. 

Which to the blond attorney sitting across the restaurant table was a common occurrence, but to the couple joining them for brunch was certainly not. 

Nonetheless, Jesse and Rick were happy to see that bringing their infant son on a double date was a fantastically good idea. 

As Todd held Johnny Tyler on his lap and cooed over the little one’s every action, Jesse sat beside the pair and couldn’t wipe the grin from her face. It was always nice to see which JSAers got along well with her son, doubly so if both parties seemed to adore one another. 

On the table was a spread of food fitting for a group of yuppie twenty-somethings in New York — eggs benedict, smoked bacon, everything bagels, and enough avocado slices to justify the hefty price tag. 

And on the other side of said table sat Damon and Rick — i.e the other brunch participants who could only watch as Todd poured all of his attention to the baby on his lap. 

“Well, Todd, you did always have a thing for blonds…” Damon quipped. 

Todd shot his boyfriend a brassy look as a smirking Damon poured cream into his coffee. 

Fortunately, little Johnny hadn’t much time in his life for petty comments. Instead, his priority had become the contents on the table in front of him. Todd and Jesse watched in amusement as Johnny reached his tiny hands outwards and grasped his stubby fingers around the first thing he could find. Hopefully Todd wouldn’t mind the boy stealing the remains of his bagel. 

Curiously, Johnny wasted no time in taking the object and learning more about it in the only way he could — by stuffing it into his mouth and pressing his gums against it.

Todd remained playful as he gently pried the morsel away from the little guy. “Careful, buddy, you don’t have enough teeth for that yet.” 

Jesse nodded along. “Yeah, we’ll work on it later.” Smartly, she found a different piece of food on the table — one that Johnny was more accustomed to eating — and quickly placed it into his hand. 

Despite the dull look in his baby blues, Johnny had no complaints about being handed a strawberry slice and lifted it up into his mouth. 

Just as Johnny did so, Rick looked up from his meal and reacted the way that most fathers did when their child did something adorable. 

“Oh, hold up, I gotta get this!” the Man of the Hour said in a lively, excited tone. 

From his pocket Rick pulled out his smartphone and held it up. Recording little Johnny eating a strawberry while sitting on Uncle Todd’s lap was too good of a photo op to miss. 

The second Todd saw Rick documenting the scene for future generations to see, he grinned. He just couldn’t find it in him to spoil the joy of a father who wanted to remember every good memory of his son’s upbringing. 

Instead, Todd let the moment be recorded and even gave Rick’s camera a cheeky grin.

Once the short clip was recorded, Rick gave it a quick look over before glancing at Todd. 

“Mind if I post this?” he asked. “My mom likes to see… everything, basically.” 

Todd nodded. “Go ahead.”

Rick went ahead with his request as the remaining brunch attendees continued to enjoy their meals. 

As they dug into poached eggs, croissants, and arugula salad, the sun above shined a ray of warmth onto the patio. It was one of those days in May that was either late spring or early summer — one could never truly tell — and what mattered the most was that the remains of winter had finally melted away. 

As Todd watched Jesse feed her son a few more dainty strawberry slices, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Judging by the duration of each vibration, he guessed that someone was texting him several times in a row. Upon retrieving his phone and looking at the screen he realized that he was right, but not in the way he expected. 

As he read the barrage of all caps messages inside of his DMs, Todd furrowed his eyebrow. 

“Jeez, Jennie what the…” 

Jesse shot Todd a cautious glance. 

“...funk,” Todd soon corrected. He held his phone up to the Speedster sitting next to him. “I think Jennie’s jealous.” 

Curiously, Jesse adjusted her glasses and looked over the messages. For the sake of the two himbos sitting across from her, she read the words out loud. 

“Todd, what the funk? You and Damon and Jesse and Rick are going to brunch at some bougie patio cafe and you didn’t even invite me?” she recited in a comically dull tone, which had the effect of downplaying the message’s intensity yet emphasizing the absurdity. 

The message timestamps and the nature of the social media platform confirmed that Jennie was responding to Rick’s newly uploaded clip, the one depicting baby Johnny eating a strawberry while lounging on Uncle Todd’s lap. Whether it be the cuteness of the situation or the sight of the picturesque Manhattan cafe that spurred the dramatics, no one could tell. 

Damon chuckled and Rick rolled his eyes at Jennie’s usual theatrics, whereas Todd let out a sigh. Judging by his exasperation, things like this were common in the life of being Jennifer-Lynn Hayden’s brother. 

“Maybe I should’ve invited her…” Todd bemoaned, running his hand through his hair. 

“Why?” Rick shrugged off. He cut himself a piece of eggs benedict topped with the right amount of hollandaise sauce and speared it with his fork. “So she could be a sixth wheel?”

“I mean…” Todd started, then sighed. “...she likes to be included in things.”  

“Yeah, I can tell,” Rick said, putting the morsel of food into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he continued to speak. “Come on, man, just like… buy her a treat or something, she’ll forgive you eventually.” 

Damon let out a laugh as he took another sip of his coffee. “Rick, she’s a person, not a dog.” 

Rick rolled his eyes as most of the brunch table — sans Todd — laughed at him. “Still, you get what I mean.”

Jesse gently nudged Todd. “Maybe tell her that sometimes you and Damon want to do things with other couples,” she explained calmly, handing Todd’s phone back to him with the softest touch. “I’m sure she’ll understand.” 

Once more, Todd nodded along. For all the talk he had about being able to communicate effectively with Jennie, some things were slightly more difficult to get across. Todd’s general introversion and Jennie’s tendency for theatrics did not help in one bit. 

Perhaps he was overthinking things. Surely, Jennie — who had been in more relationships than him — could understand a couple’s desire to do things with other couples. 

In fact, he and Damon had been looking for friends to double date with for the longest time. Having his sister third wheel them to a movie or an art gallery lacked a certain kind of connection that could only be fulfilled by another couple. 

What made the situation ideal was that everyone seemed to get along — Todd and Rick bonded over their favorite Sondheim musicals while Jesse and Damon discovered that they went to the same school for their undergrad. 

“Exactly, what she said,” Damon added, clicking his tongue and pointing to Jesse in the way that only attorneys with expensive educations could. 

In times like this, Todd would quip about whether this was the stuff that Carnegie Mellon grads paid $60,000 to learn, but now he wouldn’t dare do so in front of another alum. Clearly, the only education he was comfortable insulting was that of his boyfriend’s and no one else’s. 

With newfound confidence in his little brunch crowd, Todd gave a gentle smile. Internally, he decided to tell his sister his thoughts in a few minutes, knowing that given some time Jennie would calm down from her antics, as per usual. 

“You’re right,” Todd said, feeling more grounded with the encouragement given. “I’ll tell her in a bit though.” 

Rick continued to cut into his meal as he spoke. “And… maybe remind her that only one of you knows how to hold onto a man and it’s not her.”

And to that, the entire brunch table burst into the kind of laughter that one didn’t want to give into but let out anyway. 

[captains-price]

Hello, dropping by after a long time apologies for that 🥹 I hope you're doing well, is it getting cold out where you live? We get really warm and sunny afternoons and then super chilly nights and mornings so I'm always struggling lol.

It's so nice to have something to watch with family members, love that you and your mom connect on that. Me and my elder sister also make sure to always Stranger Things together whenever a new season arrives!

I enjoy anything by Mike Flanagan too honestly, I think one of the first movies I watched of his was Oculus and that's still such a favourite of mine. I recently binged The Midnight Club and it was a fun watch too. Though my all-time favourite horror show is in my native language and it aired in early 2000s 😅

Now onto some ~important~ questions! 😉

Top 3 Anime Characters?

Top 3 Anime scenes/moments?

Top 3 Anime OPs/EDs?

★ Animanga Secret Santa ★

It is getting chilly where I live! We haven’t gotten any snow in my town yet but I went with my sister and a few other people to the mountains to cut down a Christmas tree and there was a lot of snow up there!

I’m so glad that you and your sister have something you can watch together, and I also love Oculus! Definitely one of my favorites by him 😁

Those are really good questions and I really had to think about them for a bit! I’m gonna put them under a read more tho so it doesn’t take up too much space.

Top 3 characters

Iida Tenya

He’s my baby boy! I love how sincere and excitable he is, and that he’s such a stickler for rules while also being a huge dork lol the Hero Killer Stain arc is one of my favorites because I love how it showcases what he was going through and his growth ❤️

Kotetsu Kaburagi

Another baby boy of mine(but he’s actually an adult man). He’s such a likable protagonist and unlike a lot of other main characters in anime who are teenagers, he’s a fully grown adult who has to deal with getting older and I loved that storyline! I also love his relationship with his daughter!

Maka Albarn

I’m a bit biased because Soul Eater is what got me into anime in the first place but Maka is another great protagonist! She’s so cool, skilled, smart, funny, and compassionate, I love her a lot! Also, like with Kotetsu, I love her relationship with her dad!

Top 3 scenes

The opening scene of Soul Eater! Again, I’m probably a bit biased here but this was THE scene that got me hooked on anime so of course I had to include it! The design of Jack the Ripper is so creepy yet intriguing, the fight scene is incredibly cool, and I love the way it introduces Maka and Soul so that they explain the premise of the show.

Rescuing Bakugou! I don’t know how to explain it, but I love some good teamwork, so seeing them work so well together even though their powers are so different got me so excited! And the amount of times I go back and watch the moment Kirishima calls for him and Bakugou blasts himself to him is unreal lol

And Reiner and Bertholdt revealing themselves as titans! This scene actually got spoiled for me so I knew they were titans the whole time(and I always think seeing this scene for the first time with no prior knowledge must be crazy) but the reveal was still done so well that even I was on the edge of my seat! It’s so good!

Top 3 openings(hope it’s okay that I did openings and endings, I just got a lot of feelings about them lol)

The first opening from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood! This one’s such a classic, I love the soft singing right before the quick paced change in tempo and how it mixes action scenes with softer moments. Definitely a favorite!

The Kiznaiver opening! I love the song and I love the way it showcases each of the characters and their personality, and actually doesn’t put the protagonist at the front and center unlike most other animes.

And the second opening from Soul Eater! All of the openings from Soul Eater are really good(including the ones from the repeat show, which I adore) and I had a hard time choosing between them but this is the first opening where I tried to learn the words so I wanted to include it!

Top 3 endings

Kyoukai no Kanata’s ending, which is my absolute favorite ending ever 😩 the song is beautiful, the animation is gorgeous, and the imagery is simply stunning, everything about it is just *chefs kiss*

Golden Kamuy! It’s probably simpler compared to Kyoukai no Kanata but I love the song and I love the way it has the lineup of characters leading up to the gold that’s connecting them all in the first place

And finally, Jujutsu Kaisen! I love the upbeat tempo of the song, the different ways the characters dance, and especially the style of it! Could never skip it when it came up!

[gillytweed]

Mx Tweed’s Anime Review: By the Grace of the Gods

Due to an influx of health issues, I now have A Lot of time on my hands, (Like a fucking lot, dear lord) and thus, naturally, I’m binge watching anime. So, of course the natural progression of that is to review anime right? (Or it’s just me and my film degree having ass) 

I’ve been on an Isekai anime kick, cause who wouldn’t want to be yeeted into another world when our world is so sucky at that moment? The first one I’ve managed to finish (mostly because the first season has finished airing) is a cute anime called By the Grace of the Gods. 

By the Grace of the Gods advertises itself as a cute, light, low stakes slice of life Isekai anime and it lives up to that through all 12 episodes of the first season. If you’re looking for an anime that’s light, cute and doesn’t require a lot of brain power while still giving you that nice shot of serotonin we all desperately need, then I’d say give this anime a try.

Overall, I give it 5/5 Gilly’s. 

For a more in depth review with light spoilers, look below the cut.

The main character is a boy named Ryoma Takebayashi. He’s 11 years old and has an ungodly amount of pet slimes. He’s also a precious bean. 

Lookit that faaaace :3 just holding a slime makes him happy. 

Of course, this being an Isekai anime, he originally came from another world, more specifically our world. On earth, he looked like this. 

If that’s not the face of a man who’s fucking done, idk what is. 

Long story short, Ryoma was originally an extremely overworked office worker who’s a bit too jacked considering how much he worked a sedentary job, but I’m gonna let it slide considering how sweet he is. He’s just a dude who loves his mom and really just wanted a day off, but died instead.

When he dies, gods from another world offer him the chance to be reincarnated in a magical world, and of course he accepts. Granted, he is extremely chill about everything, including being dead, but overall he’s one giant “that’s depression baybee” mood.

Thus, he gets yeeted into fantasy land as child, and lives in the woods for 3 years. In that time, he decides his hobby is going to be researching slime monsters, and lets just say it’s fucking adorable. He then meets some people that get him out of the woods and into a town, and that’s where most of the show takes place.

Every episode is very slice of life, with everyday, like figuring out work, making friends, learning more about the magic of the world. Ryoma in general is extremely OP, but it’s never played up as a power fantasy. Instead, it’s treated very calmly, he doesn’t get dragged into outlandish situations that no one else would get into, but rather there’s clearly basic cause and effect happening based on Ryoma’s actions.

Nothing of particular impact happens overall. No giant world shattering events befall the hero. Legit the most significant thing that happens is he befriends a nobles daughter and they very clearly have crushes on each other through the whole thing. 

In any other situation, an 30 something year old in an 11 year old's body having a crush on another 11 year old would be weird af, BUT a really cool, and sadly unique in my experience, thing about this anime is the main character doesn’t just stay 30 years old mentally. Due to being reincarnated, he mentally regresses over time, becoming more and more the 11 year old he physically is. Sure, he has memories of being an adult, but when you have the mental capacity of a tween it’s not gonna help beyond maybe having a surface knowledge of a lot of subjects. Emotional regulation, advanced decision making, and the like come with brain development. Thus, with that, I was surprisingly comfortable with these kids fumbly little crushes on each other that never actually get completely addressed on screen. 

Overall, By the Grace of the Gods is very cute, very light, and very low brain power, so if you need something to wind down to at the end of the day, why not give it a shot?

By the Grace of the Gods Anime Planet here

Want to see what I’m watching? Have a look at my Anime Planet profile!

[revisionaryhistory]

Three Days ~ 88

~*~Sebastian~*~

After the video call with my friends, I went back to the couch with a fresh glass of wine. I am blessed. Family, friends, co-workers, and a woman who loves me. None of us are perfect. I have people to call when times are tough. Today they called me, knowing I’d be struggling, only this time it was in a good way. Not long later Jessica called and invited me to dinner.

Pizza, beer, friends, and a toddler made for a good night. Giulietta thought I was much more fun than mom or dad. I guess they don’t let her use them like a jungle gym. When mom spoiled our fun and said it was time to settle down, I stopped the tears by promising to read her a story. Her choice. Like someone else I know Giulietta was asleep before I was halfway through. At this rate I'll never know how anything ends.

I sent the picture Jessica had taken to Emma. She'd wake up to it and with any luck send me back something fun. Which she did as soon as she woke up. Which was afternoon for me. Dinner break before I checked my phone. Emma struck the perfect balance between sweet and sexy. Her hair was messy with just her eyes peeking over a pillow she was hugging. Those beautiful green eyes I loved to look into. I couldn't see her smile so I could imagine it anyway I liked. The sweet one she often got right before she told me she loved me. Or the other one she got when she wanted me. I loved them both.

Our texts were broken up over the course of the day. Short bursts or long hours between. We talked most days at least for a few minutes. We talked about our days, shared memories, and talked about us. Maybe had phone sex. What didn't happen was whining about being apart or bitching about the time and distance. I didn't hang up feeling angry or guilty. I did my job, hung out with friends, relaxed during my downtime, and did a little shopping. Emma relaxed, did some studying, and practiced guitar. I missed her. She missed me. But we went on with our lives apart, making the best of the situation. It sucked, except it didn't.

I think this is the way it's supposed to be.

Thursday we wrapped for Paris. That was worth a party. Over the next four days production would pack up and move to Rome. I'd spend a day and a half on planes going from Paris to Dallas to San Diego. Then back to Dallas and on to Rome. The time zones were going to fucking kill me.

I called Emma when I got back to my room. I was drunk and grumpy. Hearing her voice helped. Seeing her face was even better. The way she told me exactly what she wanted to do to me and said all sorts of dirty things until I came... I wasn't grumpy anymore.

I had a headache when my alarm rang. I needed more sleep. Hopefully, I'd catch up on the flight. I was still debating going back to sleep and blowing off the weekend when my phone rang. Emma. It was the middle of the night for her. "Why are you awake?"

She laughed, "Making sure your drunk ass doesn't turn off his alarm and blow off the weekend."

I rolled to my side, mirroring her. "I wouldn't do that. I was thinking about it, but I wouldn’t do it."

"Such a professional. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better. Advil, breakfast, and a long nap on the plane and I'll be fine. How are you?"

"Good. Big plans laying by the pool with Mallory today."

"Sounds fun. I will be on a plane."

"Yes, but you will walk out of the airport into sunny California. Then spend two days being adored and laughing with your friends."

"That will be fun." I was honestly looking forward to that part.

Emma yawned. I smiled at her beautiful face, "You need to go back to sleep. I need to get showered."

She didn't argue with me. She was tired.

"Thank you for making sure I was up. I love you."

"I love you." There was my sweet smile.

I cannot begin to explain how very disorientating it is to board a plane at nine am, travel for fifteen hours, to arrive at three pm, which is only six hours after you left. I get to relive eight of the hours I spent on the plane. Only thing is, my body thinks it’s midnight. I slept some on the flight and I knew better than to go back to sleep. The closer to "normal" bedtime for this time zone I could get, the better I would feel tomorrow. Anthony and I had press then an autograph session, before the big Marvel event. Sunday was photo ops and an autograph session. Both long days where I was expected to be pleasant despite how inappropriate or rude fans got. Needless to say, a decent night’s sleep would be best for everyone.

I got to my room by four and quickly realized I couldn't stay there. I needed fresh air. I needed to breathe. I changed into shorts and took off to have a look around. There were several hotels in the area that hosted celebrity guests. We weren't all in one place. I'd requested a beach. It was a little farther from the convention center and I was confident I could wander unseen. Most people stayed right around the center since a lot of packages kept prices lower and being so close to the action was appealing. I wanted the ocean.

Down the beach I could see big boulders and took off that direction. I needed some flip-flops. The sand made me think of Emma. The water. The people surfing. The impending sunset. Breathing. I'd like to say the plan I was cooking up was a product of sleep deprivation. It wasn't. It had been bouncing around in my head since this morning as we lay in bed together thousands of miles apart. I'd dismissed it as selfish. On the plane, when sleep was impossible, and I was panicking, it didn't seem so selfish. I shoved the idea away because I knew it really was. The same reasons I didn't ask Emma to stay in Paris or go to Rome were valid here. Asking her to fly literally to the other side of the country to spend two days with me, asking her to amuse herself while I worked a chunk of that time, was peak me as a selfish asshole. The longer I sat on the rock watching the ocean the less of a bad idea it seemed. Maybe not less of a bad idea, but an idea I could give her a choice in, with the difference being if she said no, I wouldn't be angry or make her pay for not doing what I wanted. Growth in action. Hopefully.

I should check flights before I even think about calling. Or actually call, because I'm already thinking about calling. Might not be possible.

It was. I flipped my phone in my hands several times before hitting the buttons to call her. Apparently, I hadn't grown completely out of being an ass.

"I'm about to be an asshole."

Emma raised her eyebrows, "Uh oh."

"Yeah." I was going to do it anyway. "Fifteen-hour flight with little sleep because the turbulence over the ocean was a nightmare. I'm grumpy, exhausted, and lonely as fuck. I'm on the beach without you. I miss you. I can get you on a flight in the morning and if you come straight to the venue you'll be here before I have to do anything. It’ll be two days. I have to leave for Rome Monday. I know it's a shitty thing to ask, but will you come see me? So I can see you."

"I'd love to."

I was prepared to step up my game and her easy acquiescence caught me off guard. "You will?"

She nodded with a smile, "I miss you too."

I took a deep breath and let it out, "I was prepared to beg."

Her smile was almost a laugh, "While you begging sounds fun, it's not necessary. Do I need to pack anything dressy?"

"Fuck, I hope not. I have a pair of jeans, shorts, and sweatpants." It's amazing how much better I felt. I ran my hands through my hair. "You're flying out of JFK. Sorry."

"You booked the flight already?"

"Not many seats left. I wasn't risking it. You leave at seven, here at ten. My first thing is noon." I could see her grabbing her carry-on from the closet.

"I'm going to spend the night at your place. Do you want me to bring you anything?"

I scrunched up my face, "Underwear."

"You don't have underwear?"

"The one's I'm in and a spare."

"You may not like what I pick out."

"Emma, baby, I will wear yours as long as you deliver them."

"I think that's a little drastic."

"It's really not."

Emma laughed and touched her screen. I could almost feel her. I could definitely imagine feeling her. She almost gasped and broke into a smile, "I have an idea. I need to call Jill real quick. Give me five maybe ten minutes."

I nodded, "Okay. I'm going to lay here on my rock."

My rock was not soft, but I was very comfortable. I was very happy. The sky was blue and the sound of the waves was calming. I only had to wait until tomorrow to see Emma. It was going to be a good day.

A little more than five minutes later Emma was calling me back. "You've made my little sister very happy."

"Excellent!” I smiled, "How'd I do that?"

"We need to change my flight. Monday I'm going to Seattle pick up Olivia and take her back to New York with me. Then we'll meet up with the family in Chicago."

"That's perfect. You're not just coming out here for me."

She picked up on it. "Yeah, because seeing you isn't enough of a reason. You know I miss you, right?"

"I know, but I'm..."

Emma cut me off, "Stop there. I jump on planes to spend weekends on tour with dad. This is fun for me. Dad's doing sound checks, interviews, and charity shit while I amuse myself. You're not an asshole. I love this."

"You love this?" I did not love jumping on planes at short notice.

She was nodding as I spoke, "I love this."

"And you'd tell me to fuck off if you didn't?"

"Maybe, but this is your lucky day."

"No, my luck day was exactly eight weeks ago."

We talked for another ten minutes or so until she was loaded and heading into the city. We've talked while she's driving many times, but I wanted her to pay attention. The sun was going down where she was and it would be dark before she got to my place. I headed back toward the hotel and ordered room service. By the time Emma texted she was at mine and I was deep in a documentary, struggling to stay awake.

Emma ~ Safe and sound in your bed.

Naturally, she sent a picture. Sheet barely covering her breasts and one arm stretched out above her head.

I sent back a picture of me in the same pose, but making sure to show the empty side of the bed. I drew a red ✗ there.

Sebastian ~ Where you will be in my bed tomorrow.

Emma ~ Equally safe and sound Sebastian ~ More. Emma ~ I'm going to sleep. I will see you in the morning. Sebastian- Can not fucking wait

 I was probably asleep before she was. By the time I woke up twelve hours later Emma was halfway here. I felt well-rested and excited for my day. Not just the Emma piece. Mackie and I always had fun together. I'd been sent the day’s itinerary. Noon was press, two thirty was an autograph session, and five was the big deal Marvel panel. We should be done by 6:30. Disney was having a party tonight. I had to make an appearance. It started at eight. That wasn't going to happen. Nine was more likely. I remembered it wouldn't matter because mice can't tell time.

At the venue I was led to a behind the scenes area. There was a large room, guarded by security, set with food and drink. Several smaller rooms encircled the larger area and some were labeled with company names. One of the largest was for Disney, with cloth wall dividers making several smaller rooms, where a stylist would be waiting to make sure Mackie and I looked presentable. Outside of the room was a loading area that was separated from the autograph booths by black curtains. I'd already ducked between them and gave fans nosing around my booth quite a surprise. Those were my favorite interactions. The ones without expectations. Security came over to make sure I hadn't been ambushed. I hadn't, but that was a perfect way to get away and I needed to talk to security anyway. I had them take me to the security office. Some lucky fans got a shot at a sighting of a Sebastian in the wild. I explained what was happening to the head of security and put Emma’s name on a list. They gave me a lanyard with her all-access pass and told me what door to direct her to. Security would meet her and bring her to me.

"About that." Call me paranoid, but I didn't trust they'd remember to have someone waiting for her. They'd call someone when she showed up and gave her name to the person with the list. "I need a Pearl Jam fan."

"Excuse me?"

"Someone on your staff is a Pearl Jam fan. Get them.”

He got on his radio, "Anyone out there a Pearl Jam fan?"

A voice came back, "Big Ed. He works all the shows up the coast."

I looked at my watch then back at the supervisor, "I need to borrow him for an hour."

His face read doubtful, but I was Disney. "Big Ed. I need you in the security office. Anyone see him? Send him."

A different voice, "On my way, boss."

Several minutes later Big Ed came through the door. I knew it was him because he was six-five and an easy two-fifty. He was his name. I held out my hand, "Hey, Big Ed. I'm Sebastian. Nice to meet you."

“You too."

"Walk me back to the guest area." We headed out and I waited until we were away from the office. "Do you know Ed's daughter?"

He smiled, "He has three. Which one?"

"The only one old enough for me to ask about."

"Emma. I've seen her at a couple of shows. I work security up the coast. Great way to see a bunch of shows."

I nodded, "I guess anything you miss at one you can catch at the next."

"Exactly." He pointed to his ear, "And you can always hear."

"Back to Emma. She's on her way here. I'd appreciate it if you would meet her and bring her to me."

"Is Ed coming?"

"No, he's," I stopped myself, "you ask her where he is."

He laughed, "I might take the long way back here."

"I haven't seen her in weeks. Not too long." Two is weeks. Barely.

Emma texted they'd landed. Big Ed changed where he wanted her to go and he headed in that direction. I sat down to wait for her to text she was here. I heard a familiar voice.

"Sebastian Stan? Is that really you?"

"Captain America?" I stood up and turned to the voice.

"Don't call me that. The pressure." Mackie hugged me, slapping my back much harder than necessary. "How jet-lagged are you?"

"Is that code for how much work are you going to have to do because I'm grouchy?"

"Maybe." We laughed.

"I had a good night’s sleep and I'm in a great mood."

"You seem twitchy. Why are you twitchy?"

"I'm not twitchy."

"Yes, you are. You're twitchy."

"If I'm twitchy it's because you're making me twitchy."

He pointed at me, "Ah ha! You admitted it. You're twitchy."

I rolled my eyes and scowled, "Emma's on her way. I might be a little twitchy."

"Here?" He pointed to the ground. With his eyebrows raised.

I smiled, "My girlfriend."

"Yeah, I got that. Plus, Evans told me."

"She’s not a secret." That felt good.

He asked and I answered. Talking about Emma is my second favorite thing having to do with Emma. First is being with Emma. In absolutely any way. My phone went off with Emma telling me she was here. I put my hand on Mackie’s arm. "Stay here. Right here."

[faerune]

💘 + leon and cassie 🔫 now

also asked by @ottobooty!

where they first met and how hot local racoon city survivors in YOUR area want to fuck! no for real, cassie had holed up in a diner with a group of other survivors and prior to leon getting to the police station he helps cassie fix/find parts to load up an old delivery truck in the back alley to get them all to safety. when leon leaves cassie promises to come back and make sure he + claire have a ride out of town and she does appear in that last shot in her shitty little happy dairy truck like hey you guys look like you need a ride.

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved cassie has always been kinda of a flirt just offhandedly and i feel like leon is kinda of the same way just he’s cheesy and awkward about it when he’s a little younger. they flirt during the couple months they’re all trying to get their bearings after racoon city and then don’t really stay in touch much until the gov drags them both in separately. 

after that more flirting, some undercover missions and zombies and leon finally asks her to dinner. cassie teases ‘don’t expect me to put out on the first date just because you saved my ass today’ pft.

who fell for who first cassie will never ever admit it but it was her. like hard. she fell for leon like she was carrying a drink carrier full of hot coffee across a busy intersection in new york, tripped off the curb in front of hundreds of people and slammed her knee into the pavement.

where their first date was and what it was like dinner and a movie! cassie loves film but also is not a snob and adores laughably bad movies so they went and saw a goofy ass B action movie and then went to a late dinner at a diner that they always eat at after work.

who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? ) leon just pretty simply says let me take you to dinner and cassie teases ‘oh are you asking me on a date kennedy?’ and he just shrugs and goes ‘yeah. i am’ cassie admittedly gets like flustered for half a second and she’s like. okay cool fine.

who proposes first cassie. she’s been so weird and avoidant about getting married so leon has always let her bring it up. when they get back together a few months later they’re laying in bed together and cassie is like can you propose to me now? and leon is like well do you wanna be surprised or do you want the ring now? and cassie just smiles and plops her head on his chest and is like ‘surprise is okay’.

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away due to their jobs and them being afraid of having each other just be another thing people hold over their heads to keep them working there, they keep it really quiet at the beginning. everyone on their team kinda knows but they aren’t announcing it everywhere.

where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? ) leon takes her out to dinner and then they take a walk in the park! they sit on a little bench all lit up by the winter christmas lights and he gets down on one knee :’)

if they adopt any pets together absolutely! i just have not figured out what kind yet! probably a cat because cassie has cat person energy.

who’s more dominant it kinda flip flops. cassie is more dominant in terms of talking to people, making decisions but in terms of progressing the relationship that’s definitely leon. in terms of some more ahem other times cassie’s a brat and leon just wants to give her whatever she wants.

where their first kiss was and what it was like they’ve kissed on undercover missions before but i’m not sure if it really “counts”. their first kiss as just leon and cassie was when leon dropped her off at her place after their date and cassie pulled him down for a kiss. after they finished leon was smiling all dopey and still kind of leaning down to her and she just smirked at him and wished him a good night.

if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? ) sdgjksdg i can see them at the most having like a set of cute matching mugs but that’s about it. cassie would die before wearing matching sweaters with him no matter how much she loves him.

how into pda they are they hand hold/give each other pecks/leon throws his arm around her shoulders while they walk but they’re not too obnoxious about it! cassie likes it but if he tries to do anything else she gets flustered. admittedly, leon kinda loves when she does so he’s always whispering sweet stuff in her ears while she tries to elbow him in the stomach sdklgsdg.

who holds the umbrella when it rains leon!! he’s taller so it just makes sense.

where their usual ‘date spot’ is the diner where they just always got dinner cause it was near the facility where they worked together for so long! they both have never been to DC so they just went to the nearest place after their first day and they were like so this is OUR diner.

who’s more protective leon. cassie is very annoyed by it pft. especially when she pops up during the civil war. ya know. in the middle of an actual warzone with possible biological weapons. cassie: :) im here to cause problems on purpose. leon: why in the FUCK is my ex here armed with a thousand dollar camera and a tiny pistol.

how long it is before they sleep together they almost sleep together the day before their second date, making out on leon’s desk but they get interrupted and they’re like okay we gotta chill. leon arrives to pick her up for their date and cassie yanks him into her bedroom. needless to say they miss their movie.

if they argue about anything they bicker playfully but also cassie accuses leon of not treating her like an adult who can make her own decisions because he’s so fucking overprotective. leon accuses cassie of being careless with her life. they have i guess..not arguments but debates over morals?

who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. ) leon leaves hickeys like he’s a teenager but he’s usually good about keeping them in places that can’t be seen. cassie wears red lipstick a lot so leon has to pay extra attention if they sneak away at work to make sure he doesn’t have it smeared all over his lips. she likes to kiss his cheek and leave a big mark too.

who steals whose clothes and how often cassie: not your hoodies babe, our hoodies.

how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? ) they are spooners through and through. cassie needs to be held and leon is happy to do it. 

what their favourite nonsexual activity is watching movies together! leon is happy that cassie wants to share all her favorites with him and they have movie nights.

how long they stay mad at each other leon normally just needs a second to cool down normally but cassie holds a grudge for a day or maybe two then she’s ready to talk. but uh...in terms of big betrayals leon gives off the im not angry im disappointed and betrayed and you hurt me energy loud and clear and takes a long time to forgive and settle. it’s the worst cassie has ever felt.

what their usual coffee / tea orders are cassie gets a tall black coffee (iced or hot depending on the season) and leon likes lattes with whipped cream and carmel.

if they ever have any children together yes absolutely! i haven’t decided on names or anything yet but they definitely have two little boys just because that tweet that’s about that dad and two lil boys getting out of the car and the dad goes “who can go hug mom the fastest?!” is THEM.

if they have any special pet names for each other pretty normal ones! baby, babe are the most common. cassie likes to say honey and dear sarcastically because she thinks those make her sound like she’s a 50s housewife but secretly kinda likes calling him honey.

if they ever split up and / or get back together hah UH yeah. cassie leaks information about completed STRATCOM ops and leon eventually finds out and they have a huge fight. leon leaves the next morning and they end their relationship. he doesn’t turn her in because he still loves her and knows she did it with goodness in her heart but he’s just so conflicted. he just basically says turn in your resignation and leaves. they do eventually get back together! they break up early 2004, see each other in 2006 when cassie reaches out to him for his contacts to help her father who gets sick and then in 2011 they’re present in the civil war in the east and they get together after reconnecting through that.

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like they meet each other’s parents for the first time! they invite them over for dinner along with cassie’s sisters and nieces and nephews. it’s VERY chaotic but it goes really well. leon’s mom loves cassie. uhh cassie’s dad scares the shit out of leon just because he’s a Jokester and lives for freaking leon out because he’s so obviously very nervous lmao.

what their names are in each other’s phones leon’s phone has cassie as “cassidy 🖤”. cassie has him in her phone just as “baby”. bonus she has his name in her phone the few days after they decide to have a kid as “sperm donor”. leon goes “cassie” in his disappointed voice and she rolls her eyes and finally changes it.

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? ) at the moment just their friday movie nights and whenever they go out of country on a mission they buy a magnet for their fridge!

who falls asleep first and who wakes up first leon usually falls asleep first and wakes up first. cassie usually stays up late on her laptop researching and writing.

who’s the big spoon / little spoon leon is big spoon 80% of the time but he likes to be jetpacked too!

who hogs the bathroom leon after he gets back from a really gross ass mission takes hours but cassie usually hogs it day to day.

who kills the spiders / takes them outside cassie flips out and leon gets a cup and a piece of paper, puts the little guy outside. there have been multiple occasions where it sounded like cassie was in legit danger and leon came skidding into the bathroom only to find cassie standing on the toilet.

[keepyourpantsongohan]

Ayesha Liveblogs Cardcaptor Sakura S1

For faithfulness reasons, I’ll forgo rewatching in English even though I’m Jared 19 and never learned how to read 

I will say the original English dub had a BANGER of a theme song and I do miss that

"I’m a Fourth Grader at Tomoeda Elementary” I know I watched this like when I was age 7 or smth but SHE’S LIKE 10?? OH MY GOD who is letting this ten-year-old roam the streets

“I’m gonna stomp on him” [Lucille Bluth voice] good for her

I fully forgot Sakura had a dad I was ready to accept her Grade 11 brother raising her

Sakura’s roller blades give me visceral memories of my barbie skates

Lmao is Yuki’s ability to throw a piece of candy at a child from a moving bicycle backwards foreshadowing his superhero abilities

Okay having checked this scene in both English versions and Japanese, my opinion no one asked for: the Aminax version is bad voices on all counts, Japanese has a better voice for Toya and original English dub has a better voice for Sakura and Yukito (who they called Julian lmao) I am not accepting constructive criticism 

Tomoyo and Sakura sound so similar I could not even tell that Tomoyo was speaking omg

“There isn’t anything cuter or more interesting than you Sakura-chan” Tomoyo is really honest with her feelings I guess ten-year-olds be like that sometimes

“Is someone there” home invasions are what happens when you don’t lock your front door

This is not a study lmao this is a personal library there is hardly a workspace just aisles of shelves

Oh shit The Clow WIND RAIN SHADOW WOOD SWORD POWER THUNDER SLEEP CARD CAPTORS OF THE CLOW EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED NOW

Wait if this is hanging out in her dad’s study was her dad the last Cardcaptor lmao

Or probs her mom, since she’s gone the way of all anime moms

Sakura is accepting this whole “tiny magical flying lion” thing p well

“I accidentally fell asleep” “For how long” “30 years” same

“Stand right over there” Kerberos does not ask permission before magical girl transforming you lmao

“Why are you acting so wimpy” bc she’s 10 and you’re asking her to fight a giant ghost bird???

Honestly I love a good quest-to-collect-important-items maybe Inuyasha and DBZ ruined my taste but it’s a great formula 

“You’ll be a better adult if you have all sorts of experiences in your life” r u going to take career counselling advice from a tiny flying lion Sakura

I do kind of miss Kero’s slightly unhinged young man energy

I like that whenever Sakura’s brother is rude she steps on his foot or kicks him fkjhjgkh excellent little sister depiction

I was expecting more secrecy but it is very funny to see Tomoyo try to convince her friend to be a superhero

“Do a flashy one” kfhkjdhkj Kero supports the use of magic powers for showing off

“Trademark poses and skills are the basic parts of being a magical girl” oh my gooood

I mean if I walked into my school and there was a mountain of haphazard desks waiting there I too would be threatened 

Sakura is the only one in this group who has a reasonable understanding of what ten-year-olds should be allowed to do

LMAO @ Tomoyo’s team of bodyguards dropping her off to break into the school ONLY TO DRIVE AWAY

Tomoyo and Kero’s friendship is killing me the SHENANIGANS

I’m not sure I accept this light logic bc you need light to cast a shadow

Sakura’s “heart-racing first date” ur TEN oh my god

I mean it’s nice that Sakura wants to save the penguin but why did it take that for her to get upset it was going to drown a whole adult woman

Did Toya just RIP APART a WHIRLPOOL with his BARE HANDS

I wonder how Toya feels that his little sister has a crush on his boyfriend lmao

This cell phone is really top of the line for 1999 lmao I love it 

U know if I were a high school student and my friend asked my 10 year old sibling out to lunch instead of me I’d be confused

"They’re not even gonna hold hands? Kids these days” This is a VERY weird vibe for an episode

You know I guess if you never watch the second episode you never have context for all of these superhero outfits LMAO

None of these locations have security cameras I guess the 1990s was a lawless time

Will all of Yuki’s magical advice be delivered in the form of mysterious field trips

LMAO @ YUKITO ALWAYS TAKING SAKURA TO TOYA’S TEMP JOBS

Say what you will about the ominous influence of the other card, I think Wood is being fairly polite since it’s contorting around her house instead of destroying it lmao

“I was planning to film ‘Sakura Dances in the Jungle’ in the park today” I love Tomoyo 

Every little girl in this show sounds so similar lmao this is not good for my distracted watching style 

Wow Ms Maki is really unloading on these two fourth grade girls 

Since Tomoyo clearly interacts with even the more spirit-like Clow Cards I really have to wonder why no one else in this town is seeing these giant ghost monsters loom around the city

Well I guess this episode is a direct response to my previous comment 

“I can’t stand scary stories” says the girl who spends her nights going into isolated areas and fighting magical ghosts

Seeing Sakura activate her Fly card really gives me overwhelming nostalgia for the days I wanted nothing more than to be a Cardcaptor I used to wave around a toy broom like that magic key ahhhhhhhh

In the absence of the first English voice and with the added gentle Japanese intonation for his speaking, I am constantly forgetting that Yukito’s character is a 16-year-old boy 

Toya is really casually bomb-dropping the fact that he used to see ghosts and Yuki’s just like ‘dope are there ghosts around now’

Omg Kero’s sad face as he dropped the flower in Sakura’s lap 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

“I want to see if she wants to tell me something” like maybe ‘don’t run around town at night chasing ghosts ur 10!!!’ 

UHHHH AGAIN TOYA REAL CASUAL ABOUT THE GHOST THING 

Yukito Tsukishiro: Chronic Aid-er and Abet-er of Pre-teen Mischief 

Also if I’m right his name means something like “Ice White Moon?” Very heavy-handed foreshadowing lmao

“After we left, I went to the museum again and borrowed one” TOMOYO U CASED THE JOINT KJDHFKJHF

WHY IS EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KID IN THIS TOWN ABLE TO BREAK INTO THIS MUSEUM SO EASILY

Tomoyo is eerily well-prepared for this mission it’s like she has been planning to burgle a museum all her life

They really made an executive choice to have both a Yuuki and a Yuki that was a decision that someone made

Oh hey it’s the other pre-teen supehero!!! That guy!!

The more I think about it, the stranger the height difference between Sakura and her brother becomes bc compared to him she’s really like 2.5 feet tall they did not pick a proportion scale

U see this what I mean by gentle intonation, Syaoran somehow sounds older than Yuki simple by roughness of voice

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH TOYA U DEFEND UR SISTER

“Here, a steamed pork bun” Yuki sure nows how to de-escalate lmao 

“That is made out of an insulator as well” Tomoyo is really prepared for any and every situation

It’s not fair of Li to compare what is probably years of magical training from his family to ‘trial by fire for eight weeks with a plush toy who doesn’t explain anything important until critical moments’

I’m really not sure what’s happening with Rika and the teacher but I DON’T LIKE IT

“I just want to be with you as long as possible” [cut to floral pattern] Tomoyo is aiming to supersede Yuki as Gentle Shojo Protagonist Sakura Fixates On looool

I’m sure there’s NOTHING significant about this familiar-looking sword brooch

Kero biting Li whenever whenever he says something rude to Sakura kghkjghk direct feminist action

What IS THIS business with Li running away flustered like that are pre-teen Cardcaptors ONLY allowed to have a crush on Yukito

“I guess I’ll have to beat him up once” Toya has zero qualms about fighting a ten-year-old

Two fourth graders giving Yukito chocolate while he peacefully hangs out with his boyfriend is the funniest version of executing this weirdness that could happen

What I’m really wondering is how the hell they cut out or explained away Li’s crush in the first English anime

“You were just a fledgling teacher and you married one of your [high school] students!!” u did WHAT what the FUCK MR. KINOMOTO I’m on Sonomi’s side

“Mother got married when she was 16″ MR. KINOMOTO CANCELLED! BANNED! THE HELL IS THIS!

“It was I who was granted time with Nadeshiko from her 16th to 27th birthdays” GO 2 JAIL DO NOT PASS GO 

This episode has added a lot of layers to this show none of which I like

“What kind of person was my dad” someone who should be banned from teaching

“Your father is a disgusting person” WELL

SONOMI I KNOW UR TRYING TO BE NICE BUT HE HAS AT LEAST ONE MAJOR FLAW

Lmao they’re not even giving context why Yuki is around anymore he’s just an accepted artifact of the Kinomoto household

How is that the Time card is Li’s but not Thunder since he also returned that one to its original form

“Their fastest confirmed speed is over 100km/h” Yamazaki leave Li alone he just wants to adore the sloths jhfkhgjhgkhg

Ahhhhhh Li helping Sakura get the Power card?? These motives are quite hard to read but it seems sweet

OMGGG @ TOMOYO MAKING SAKURA DEADLIFT A PLAYGROUND

“I heard a rumour that everyone who asked Kinomoto out has been denied.” Well. [x]

“It’s one of the seven strangest things at this school, that both Kinomoto and Tsukishiro don’t have girlfriends.” WELL. [x]

AWWWWW YUKI DOESN’T LEAVE THE OTHER PRE-TEEN FAN CLUB MEMBERS OUT OF HIS KIND GESTURES

[Hannibal Buress voice] I was so caught up in euphoria of festival arcs, that for like a minute I lived in a world where the rest of this anime didn’t exist 

TOYA BEING THE STAR OF DRAG CINDERELLA... OP UR MIND

I have no idea what the premise of the next Clow Card is but I really hope it’s “turn u into whatever ur acting as” bc I will LOSE my mind

I have not heard Yuki once intone as passionately as he did when he thought Toya was going to fall 

“You like someone else” 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

“I didn’t promise anyone else a dance” Can I just say I LOVE TOYA?

The moment of stillness before Yukito revealed who he was asking to dance lmao... the repressed teenage wlw inside me LIVES

Yuki and Toya tag-teaming as the Sakura Support Team my heart!!

Geolocating someone from a fax... the incredible 90sness of this act....

I seriously don’t understand this world in which you leave 5- and 10-year-olds unattended for hours where are your child welfare laws

I am really choosing to ignore how absolutely bananas the concept of Tomoyo having a hidden Sakura Movie Theatre is

Speaking of weird, are we just trusting that this old man is normal? Is everyone doing that? I’m still not ready to trust yet the Sakura’s dad situation really burned me

“Girls look their best when they smile” a sweet thought that would not fly if an old man I just met told me that lmao

I’m REALLY not trusting this old man dressing up this girl in his dead (missing?) granddaughter’s clothes and staring broodily when she mentions there is a parent with her

“My great-granddaughter seemed happy” YOUR WHAT NOW 

Their school trips seem much more fun than ours were we never went to the beach or fishing or got disappeared briefly in a cave

It continues to be funny how Sakura and Li have 0% tension re: Clow Cards, 99% tension re: Yukito who is already in a committed Something or the Other with Sakura’s brother

“Why were you on the roof” “Because it’s nice out today” LOL YUKITO

There’s no rhyme or reason to these card types huh some are like “I will destroy an entire zoo for fun” and other ones are like “mood lighting :)”

Sakura really isn’t out here to teach us any lessons lol it’s really a ‘get others to do your homework if you can get away with it’ episode

Rounding out the triad of superpowered pre-teens with Meilin I suppose

“Syaoran is my fiance” I have had it up to HERE with this anime cousinfuckery I don’t CARE if it’s cool in Japan or Hong Kong or whatever STOP BEING WEIRD WITH YOUR COUSINS

Poor Syaoran he was doing so well with getting along with Sakura until Meilin got here

"It was done by a girl again?” Oh my god is Meilin beating up grown men in parks for street cred

“It seems our relationship chart has gotten rather complicated” Tomoyo probably means astrology chart but here’s my understanding so far:

Speaking of complex relationships I wonder how Meilin will react to Syaoran’s crush on Yuki

This rivalry between Sakura and Meilin could not be more one-sided

I really was wondering for a second if the card was going to split in half

I love the vibe of Sakura and Toya teaming up to help their creepy dad but even MORE SO I love that Yukito is In This Household

“The contents are already up here” This episode really doesn’t hit the same way now that cloud storage exists and also what were all those floppy disks for if not to save your work Mr. Kinomoto

I love that Tomoyo always pulls her weight in her superhero sidekick role like she is here to support and help whenever needed 

Sakura using her powers to impress her crush with a ghost duet lmao these priorities 

“Sakura’s Little Adventure” I see what u did there

Kero’s little shoulder pat with his paw to let Sakura know he’s there aw

Omg this Clow Card is so cute “Is it your fault I’m so small now?” [nods pleasantly]

It is very bold of Sakura to be doing magic so casually when her brother and Yuki are right downstairs 

I like that this show recognizes the inherent intimacy of allowing someone to cut your hair

“Information about you has gotten around to the cards” well this is an ominous start to this funky tarot reading

Well the experience of seeing his little sister try to murder him has got to be traumatizing for Toya I hope he doesn’t remember this

UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM DID TOYA JUST FALL OFF OF A CLIFF

“Can you give me a break... and stop looking like Sakura” EXCUSE ME

“My mom’s up there too, so say hi to her for me” OH MY GOOOOD TOYA REALLY DOES SEE GHOSTS AHHHHHHHHHHH

WAIT SO IT WAS A CLOW CARD DOES TOYA HAVE MAGICAL POWERS TOO

Omg @ Toya feeding Yuki from his bed this really is an intimate episode

I kind of appreciate the slow build of this show like it took them 25 episodes to introduce meaningful stakes

“But it might be tougher than the earth going ‘boom!’ Depending on who you are...” Well hello threatening figure in sunglasses standing outside Sakura’s house what’s up

“I’ll look the other way” Ms Mizuki is literally this meme:

I can only assume that if Toya knows Ms. Mizuki then she must be a ghost

Personally if Mizuki gives Syaoran the heebie jeebies I trust his instincts

“Um... do you like Yukito too?” Oh my goooood they’re sincerely discussing being Not Straight in middle school in this 90s anime that I watched when I was 7 I cannot believe

“And it’s been a year since you told me you loved me here” WHY DOES EVERYONE IN THIS FAMILY WANT TO DATE SOMEONE TOO OLD FOR THEM WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING DATING SOMEONE TOYA’S AGE MIZUKI

Also I have to rethink every thought I had about Toya being gay. I mean bi is great too but my thoughts..... racing...........

“Because the next time I see you, you’ll have someone else that you’ll be in love with” Yukito BF confirmed but oh my GOD this relationship chart IS complicated good lord

If there’s anything the episode “Sakura and Her Shrine of Memories” has taught me it’s that everyone in this show is bisexual and all teachers in their neighbourhood should be in jail

I understand that Meilin is a kid but poor Syaoran he is constantly being harassed 

I love Yuki’s bottomless stomach lmao

Syaoran and Sakura have such a genuinely supportive relationship but it is very funny how they try simultaneously to get Yuki’s attention with the exact same words

“I’ve been thinking for a while that Mr. Terada is a lot like my dad” oh thank you Rika for someone finally being normal in this show

“Well it’s a harmless one” You see this is what I mean the dichotomy of Clow Cards is like... “I’m going trap you in a maze until you perish” or “I’m gonna give you a sugar rush :]”

I like that Sakura and Syaoran are starting to partner up as a duo on purpose like yessss I love a 1-2 finish and friendship development

Ahhh poor Syaoran he’s realizing that Yukito’s #1 in his life is the Kinomoto fam

We’re all familiar with the eternal struggle of whether using ur superpowers for school sports is cheating 

AWWW SYAORAN USING HIS POWERS FOR MAGICAL PEP TALKS AFTER HE HELPED TURN REI’S PET FOX INTO A POKEMON CARD THAT’S MY BOOOOY

“I will stomp on him” it’s been 31 episodes let Sakura stomp on her brother

Oh my GOOOD does this Big card mean that Sakura WILL FINALLY STOMP ON TOYA LMAO

Ur telling me that no one else in this ENTIRE TOWN notices this altercation of a giant preteen vs a dragon

Why does the logic for how voices travel based on size apply for the Little card (when Toya was speaking) and not for the Big card (when Sakura is speaking)

Sgskdhgkhkgjh honestly body switching as a trope will never not be funny

Syaoran blushing and running away from Sakura oh how the turn tables

Every domestic scene that Yuki and Toya have adds ten years to my life we love some gay/bi teens about to be gay/bi adults

Ffskhhfkj I absolutely cannot relate to this Southern Hemisphere nonsense of finding ten degrees celsius arctic cold like BRO that is a normal spring day here

“We’re not frozen because we have magical powers” I know that cutaway was to confirm Mizuki’s magical powers again but this would’ve been a hilarious time to reveal that like Yamazaki the Compulsively Lying Classmate had powers

Awwww he likes her now that’s cute 

“I got work that day” I will bet someone ten dollars that Toya is working at that quiz rally

Update from 5 minutes later: PAYPAL ME $10

Kero keeps whispering to the moon when in fact some iteration of the moon is right around the corner (literally)

GOOOOOOOOD SYAORAN REALIZING HE HAS A CRUSH ON BOTH HALVES OF THAT TEAM KILLS ME SWEET BOY

Shared Gaze of People Who Have Dated* Toya and Have Magical Powers They Haven’t Revealed Yet

*Go to jail Mizuki

I am really going crazy wondering when they’re gonna reveal stuff about Yukito like bitchhhhhhh I know you’re a moon man when will u tellll usss

How many more times will Sakura have this same threatening dream before she realizes her math teacher is probably going to try to kill her

Update from one minute later: I guess it was exactly one more time

“That’s right, Yukito’s birthday is on Christmas day” is this coming to be a coming of age where he like suddenly sprouts wings at age 17

I’ve been thinking this for a while but this show makes it seem like Japan has a much more fun approach to athletics than my school experiences

Yukito really is unflappable about hanging out with a bunch of kids half his height huh he’s like the Fourth Grader Whisperer

I KNEW IT YUKITO NEVER GOES WITH SAKURA ANYWHERE UNLESS HER BROTHER WILL ALSO BE WORKING THERE DFHKDFHKJ every time it’s just “Hey Toya :)”

“This kid...” HAHAH TOYA HAS JUST REALIZED THAT SYAORAN HAS A CRUSH ON HIS LITTLE SISTER AND HIS BOYFRIEND THE UTTER SUSPICION IN HIS TONE

“Wind become a binding chain” Whoops Sakura foiled by 4th grade knowledge of the elements

Oh shiiiit love a world-building moment now we have two card combos in play ayyyyy

Lmao @ Kero using his returned powers immediately for fireworks mood lighting is a serious Clow Card priority

“I would like to come again this year” everything in this show feels like foreshadowing for dramatic irony

[thebestplltheories]

PLL The Perfectionists - 1x01 Pilot LIVE REACTION

WE ARE BACK!!!!

Ok I’m gonna do what I was doing for PLL where I react as I watch. But before I copy and paste the live reaction, I want to give my quick overview. That was by far a 10/10. That achieved everything a pilot should achieve. It introduced us to the characters, each of their stories, and the relationships each character has with one another. It set the overall tone, that this is a murder mystery with twists and turns to come. It established what the show is about. And it had occasional small shocks (I say small because there’s only so much that can be shocking in a pilot when everything is brand new). This was exponentially darker than the PLL pilot and for that I’m so grateful. We are cutting the high school airy-fairy (is that word used outside of Australia?) drama and going straight to scandals and a murder. I’m scared to see the ratings tomorrow because I want it to do well but hey it was trending worldwide on Twitter so that’s a good sign!? The show looks SO promising. I think I’m already in love with the cast. I just want to know more about everything and everyone and omg we are back!

LIVE THOUGHTS:

Love this intro! It sets the scene very well about the whole theme of perfectionism.

WAIT IS DYLAN PLAYING POKERFACE BY LADY GAGA HAHAHAHAHA

Okay sorry but that song ain’t it (“two can keep a secret if one of them is dead”). Why does it sound like an auto tuned choir? I’m happy for change. I actually don’t want the exact same version as the original series. But this one ain’t it. Is it too late to change it???

Wait, why is Alison walking around her new apartment like she’s walking around Jenna’s school for the blind in 710? If she lived 2 years of happiness and freedom of A, there’s no need to be so sceptical of danger every time you walk into a room. Anyway, doesn’t really matter.

Just the backing music throughout the scene is very PLL-esque! Yes, there is such thing as PLL backing music. And this is it.

Mona making a grand entrance!

I feel like Ali’s reaction to seeing Mona was a bit... underwhelming? If they haven’t seen each other in 2 years I expected a bit more of an “OMG”, and a “how did you get in my apartment”, etc. But they go straight to the point and cut the fluff so I don’t mind overall.

Mona recruited Ali. I knew it. And she works at BHU, we already knew that.

Emison is having trust issues. But she wants to do this for the kids. Ok I expected more detail there to satisfy the Emison shippers but whatever, I won’t cry at night.

Ok so Mary and Alex escaped Mona’s “dungeon”. That’s fine by me. Maybe that’ll be the storyline for a PLL movie later, who knows. It’s quite a vague answer but what did we expect... Mona to ADMIT to Ali that she captured her aunt? No. Mona could never explicitly say to Ali what she did. Hence the subtle pause before “... escaped me”. Only us the audience know the true meaning of that and I love how subtle yet meaningful it is.

Why do I feel like this security system is gonna play a massive toll throughout the entire series?

Loved the little Easter egg of seeing Mona, and Mona in the mirror (2 Mona’s). A subtle symbol/reference to her split personality in PLL.

I LOVED the scene of Ali teaching in the classroom! I got How To Get Away With Murder vibes...

Remember when we all thought Taylor’s death would be the main death of the show because of that memorial with her name on it... lol. Okay I’m calling it now... come back to this in the apparently mind blowing season 1 finale... Taylor isn’t really dead WE HAVENT TECHNICALLY SEEN A BODY

Love the complicated friendships going on between Dylan, Nolan, Ava, Caitlin! There’s a lot going on about faking being friends and faking tasks to uphold the image of being perfect. I love this theme and I feel like it’s super relevant to today’s world. Like especially social media. Everyone’s instagrams are always filled of their highs. And they’re mostly edited. No one ever posts/shares their low moments.

So no one knows of Ali’s past. Hmmm. We’ve had this discussion before, I don’t think it’s realistic that no one knows the name Alison DiLaurentis - surely that was on national news when “dead girl isn’t dead anymore” made headlines. But anyway. If they wanna pretend no one watches the news, it wouldn’t be the most unrealistic thing PLL has done.

Is Dylan the gay male character Marlene said she was going to introduce in PLL season 5B? Lmao about time.

WOW that flashback of Caitlin and Nolan just gave me PLL season 1 Alison flashback vibes! Nolan plays the bad manipulative guy so well just like Ali played the bully so well in flashbacks!

Two moms don’t make a right hahahaha who wrote that

Sofia looks FLAWLESS in the pool scene OH MY GODDD. AND her voice is so soothing what the hell

Love how the first scene of Nolan’s mother shows her standing on top of the staircase and the camera panning up. Great directing there. Showing she’ll be like a supreme leader. And then the camera being over her shoulders looking down on Nolan. Again great camera work which conveys the message that she is the boss of this town. I think she’ll be our new Jessica DiLaurentis lol

“I’d like some time for myself” ... “to do what?” OUCH why is that so iconic

Eli is... doing great. He comes across very confident. A star in the making?

Love the cinematography period. And Portland is beautiful!! Better than the Warner Bros lot.

Omg Nolan’s mother gathering “attractive” people for her photo op. Lol, they really are big on presenting a perfect image.

“You saw somebody else” NO CAITLIN, ALISON SAW YOU wow these kids will adamantly lie to uphold perfectionism. I keep saying that but I just love this theme!!!

“I know a little bit about manipulation” hahahahaha Ali

Omg Ali is so good at learning their lies. Of course she is, she’s had years of practice

The woods, Nolan? Nothing good ever happens in the woods.

Lol when Nolan tells Dylan to “kiss me” and Dylan actually contemplates it (and does it). That’s the type of power Nolan has over people.

I love how Ali is trying to help them! I can see a bond eventually forming here.

This scene where Nolan cheats on Ava isn’t shocking since they unfortunately shared it in the promos but hey a douche is a douche.

WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCKING FUCK IT’S TAYLOR WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOVE

OK I KNOW I GUESSED ALEX DRAKE BUT THIS IS A NEW RECORD FOR FASTEST THEORY TO COME TRUE

Well it wasn’t really a theory I was just joking that she’s not really dead because we didn’t see a body but still do I get a point? Lmao

Nonetheless that shocked me! I love that they’re trying to take down their own family, that’s so dark and it’s only episode 1!

Yes Alison is already getting suspicious. Solve this one please Ali

Sorry I put my phone down during that scene in the woods. I just knew it would be juicy and I wanted to immerse in it properly. I frickin adore this scene. It’s creepy in tone, set in the woods like classic PLL, they’re referring to Ali like a friend and my PLL heart is content, and this is the first time they’re all bonding over one thing: wanting Nolan dead. This is probably my favourite scene in the whole episode.

So I’m guessing the vibes are that they were being recorded in the woods about how they want Nolan to be killed? But didn’t Nolan turn off the security?

Mona gets in her car and chucks a big bag in the back seat. Where was she and what was in the baggggg

Ok that was a bit dramatic Ali (“why am I really here”)

Lol I had to rewatch that for a sec. I thought Ali said “and his dead sister who I just saw pick him up” and I was like wait what Ali knows Taylor’s alive??? No, “dead sister who I just saw a picture of”.

OH MY GOD WHAT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY!!!! THAT SCENE WHERE THE 3 OF THEM ARE WALKING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER... NOLAN’S BODY SHOULD’VE FALLEN TO THE GROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM RIGHT THERE! That would’ve been iconic. Like “oh well we were just kidding about all that, good night xx” then nope bam dead body. But I guess he had to die with poles through his chest as Caitlin said.

Oh Marlene. That’s a LOT of dialogue for a death scene. I hope you can back up and explain what Nolan is talking about before he died. Don’t you dare tell me that was an interpretative dream. Again that’s a lot of dialogue for a death scene. You better know who that killer is Marlene! Don’t make it up the day you write the finale!

I don’t like how we didn’t see Nolan ACTUALLY be killed. They play it safe because they don’t want to show us the killer in action. they basically copied the format of Mona’s “death”. Just change the scene to a flashing ambulance with a lame transition lol.

Another missed opportunity. Mona should’ve said to Ali “they found a body”! That would’ve been iconic in every way possible. First it was Ali’s body now Ali is finding a body and hearing the news and ugh oh well

My god that’s a violent death. And pretty early in the series for a Noel-Khan-level death. Too bad the photos leaked online and we knew that Nolan would not only die, but die like THAT. Those extras/fillers on set really should get charged for having their phones on them and leaking shit. Isn’t there copyright laws or something???? idk

Ummmmmm what? What kind of sci-fi, dollhouse level bullshit is that? That’s kinda over the top. Ehhhh. We’ll see where that goes.

My brain right now instantly got to thinking if Nolan’s murderer will be the “A” of the series or if the killer will just be the main mystery for season 1? Is “who killed Nolan” going to be the overarching story of the entire show or will they answer that sooner rather than later and then start a new mystery? I wonder what the format of this show will be. That’s where my mind is right now as the credits play.

[saeyounggi]

RFA and V + The First Time They Say I Love You

requested by anon and @josmottt - sorry it took so long! orz it’s ya boy, back with another (overdue) headcanon / scenario post! i mean to post this for the longest time now, but i never got the chance to. i’ve got notes on this piece that i might post; who knows? also, this is really, really long, but i hope you enjoy it! yoosung’s continued scenario (as well as the scenario of the other members) is found under the cut. this is essentially a sequel to RFA + When They Realize They’re in Love, but i did my best to make this a stand-alone scenario post! though i do recommend giving that a read just to build it up better :D a reblog/like would be greatly appreciated, and if you have any headcanon requests, feel free to send them my way! <3 enjoy!

RFA AND V + THE FIRST TIME THEY SAY “I LOVE YOU”

YOOSUNG

Yoosung feels like his heart is going to burst.

Normally, he wouldn’t be so nervous with playing video games. They were his food at this point, and he was so attuned to playing them that they became part of his daily life. Hell, he could probably live out his entire life with only video games to get him going. However, he had promised his mom that he was going to try to be healthier. Though, with the warmth of his object of affection right beside him, he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to last long with the state his heart was in.

The blond tries to focus on the wide screen and blaring speakers set up in front of him, but the way she nearly leaned against him, brushing his shoulder ever-so slightly with her own, was enough to make him chant all the prayers he knew under his breath. He told her he was doing a chant of victory, part of the game and all that. Yeah right, he thinks, taking a deep breath from all the praying he had subtly done. He dodged an incoming attack, letting the high-pitched squeak of [Name] bring him back to his senses.

“Damn, that was a close one!” he heard himself say, subtly taking a glance at the woman beside him. Yoosung had invited the woman to his home to play a co-op campaign of LOLOL, seeing as the other RFA members had turned down his offers. Stupid, he thinks to himself. What made him think his heart was ready for this? He plasters on a wide smile as she shoots him with one of her own. He hurriedly turns his attention to the bright screen, hoping the heated blush on his pale face wasn’t obvious.

Yoosung was pretty sure [Name] was fully aware of her feelings for him, which terrified him as he had never felt this way about anyone. What if he looked stupid in her eyes? He was certainly the most naïve one in RFA; he accepted that, but what if that was a huge turn off for her? She was practically the definition of perfection in his eyes, even if she reminded him over and over that she was far from it. All of her flaws, her insecurities, her everything- she was absolutely divine, and he was anything but.

((continued under cut))

“Okay, I take back what I said earlier. LOLOL is absolutely addicting, and I, too, would waste hours of my short life to grind and level my character,” she comments, eyes never straying from the screen that the game was being played on. He hummed in response, pleased that his first love actually enjoyed the hobbies he took part in. Most people would just say that LOLOL was overrated and a waste of time, but she was the first to break that cycle.

“Those are hours I can never get back, but it’s worth iiit,” he jokes along, letting his character execute an aggressive action towards their rival players. He watches [Name]’s character follow it up with a defensive action to block the enemies’ counter-attack, inciting a bellowed “Yeeees” from the both of them.

“Hey, hey I want to try something out! Cover for me, Yoosung,” [Name] suddenly says, pushing her character to sprint forward. Yoosung just watched in shock for a moment, before following pursuit with his own character, blasting any enemies that got close to his partner. He hears the quick bashing of [Name]’s fingers on her controller, and he watches her character launch a killer combo move on the final wave of enemies behind the barricade.

Before Yoosung could do anything else, the screen faded into black, and both players could feel their breaths hitch in their throats. Suddenly, the word ‘Winner’ was plastered across the screen, with both of their characters doing celebratory dance moves beside each other.

“All right!” [Name] shouts, pulling a grinning Yoosung in for a spontaneous hug. Yoosung feels his body respond, wrapping his arms tightly around her while his heart pounds quickly in his chest. Honestly, he thinks, if I die like this then I die a happy man. However, his joyous state is put to a stop as their tight embrace is ended by [Name] pulling away.

The two lock eyes and Yoosung actually starts to sweat anxiously. The air is definitely, definitely thick with some sort of tension. The blond debates with himself, wondering if this was the right time to pour out his feelings for her. It seemed so much easier in movies. I love you, he thinks. For the first time in my life, I might just have fallen for someone. I have never tried to be a better person, but because of you- I want to change.

But that’s all in his head, and in the end he’s just a coward to his core. So, he decides against it. He decides it’s better to get swallowed up in his unsaid feelings forever than to scare her off with the intensity of his feelings for her- because a lifetime as merely her friend would hurt him less than even a day without her.

“Yoosung, I- I love you.”

The said man is pulled out from his own thoughts and ends up too shocked to respond. Did he- did he hear her right? She loved him? He feels [Name]’s hand on him start to quiver and loosen, and for a brief moment he sees her eyes water. So instead of responding to her abrupt confession, he decides to do it how the movies go.

He pulls on her arm, bringing her closer to him. He watches her head tilt up towards him in surprise, and he closes his eyes (because damn it, this is too much for his heart) and hopes that he doesn’t miss this one shot. The soft warmth of [Name]’s lips that press against his own tell him that he definitely did not miss it.

This, he thinks, was simultaneously the best and the worst way to answer that confession. However, the wrapping of her arms around his neck, and the harder press of her lips against his told him that this response in action was worth more than a response in words. Still, it didn’t feel right for him to not reassure her verbally. His lips gently move away from hers, and he places his forehead onto hers. With a quiet mumble, he says the three words he’s been practicing in front of his mirror since the day he saw her.

“I love- I love you.”

ZEN

Zen takes a deep and nervous breath.

The albino had to admit- this may be the first time he had ever felt nervous about a performance. He usually felt calm on-stage, with the gazes of his adoring crowd focused solely on him. There was nothing quite like being able to control the emotions of the people by merely your words and your actions. Theatre acting was acting in its purest form, and he was a canvas ready to be gifted with that art. The stage was his home, his zone, and he felt absolutely unstoppable on it, but remembering just what he was about to do was enough to make him dread every second on it.

It wasn’t the crowd that bothered him; hell, he definitely wanted a wider audience with what he was about to perform. It wasn’t the fact that the entire RFA was seated in the front row, eagerly waiting for his performance. It wasn’t even the fact that [Name], the woman he had fallen for, was with them- just as eager to see him work his magic. It was the fact that for the first time in his life he was going to be emotionally vulnerable in public.

He was an actor, yes, and he had done numerous roles with him acting emotional to make the crowd empathize with his character. But that was just it- those were merely fictional characters, and what he is about to show are his own true feelings- feelings he’d usually push away until he was alone in the dead of the night with nothing but his feelings.

Zen spent his time breaking down barriers as much as he did putting ones up for himself. He knows he flirts and teases people a lot, but the moment someone tries to see past that (and not a lot of people do, really) and actually get to know him, he is both overjoyed and absolutely terrified. He’s got scars from his past that he doesn’t like flashing around and a deep sense of self-doubt that people merely see him for his looks, and [Name] was the first one who was there for him in the dead of the night- the first one he’s allowed to ever get this close to him.

[Name]’s done so much more for him than that, and while he says Yoosung is the closest thing he has to a best friend, she’s secretly got that title and more in his heart. So, after the whole situation with Echo Girl and Unknown, he’s glad they could at least try to live normally together. Though, it had occurred to him that while she knew about his feelings, he never told her the way he wanted to- publicly, with his friends and his fans watching him admit it.

So there he was, decked in his signature white suit with his fingers nervously poised above the keys of the grand piano in front of him. The only thing he could do as well as acting was singing, and as much as he would’ve loved to re-enact the Romeo and Juliet confession for her, he knew a reenactment of a tragic love story was definitely not what he wanted for his own real-life confession.

“Thank you all for coming everyone,” he finally lets himself say into the microphone, smiling at the audience. He heard someone let out a shh, ushering the entire room into silence. “My beautiful [Name], I hope you like this song.” He slowly lets his fingers down onto the piano. He closes his eyes, imagining the inner workings of the piano striking each note that he plays. He took deep breaths, careful to hit each note at the right time.

The soft-sung lyrics of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic rose into the air, and Zen hoped it was sweet enough to make [Name] melt in her seat. He heard a few people in the crowd hum and murmur the lyrics as well, giving him the kick of confidence he needed to finally open his eyes and look at his beloved.

“Every little thing she does is magic, everything she does just turns me on,” he crooned, sending her a quick wink before continuing. “Even though my life before was tragic, now I know my love for her goes on.” He let his fingers fly over the keys, finally getting into the spirit of this entire elaborate confession. He continues singing, each second making him more confident than he was before.

As the last notes drifted and faded into the air, he stood up and was greeted by a loudly sobbing Saeyoung. He blinked in surprise and watched as the red-headed hacker practically pushed [Name] onto the stage as he cried loudly, “Damn it Zen! Just kiss each other already!” The albino took one good look at his friend’s tear-stained face before bursting out laughing. He forgot about how ridiculous Saeyoung was when it came to relationships. Of course, with Saeyoung leading them all, it didn’t take long for Yoosung to push the crowd to chant with him.

“Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!” Yoosung screamed in mock angriness, and the rest of the crowd followed his example. Zen couldn’t hold back his chuckle at how this entire confession had escalated. Honestly, he just wanted a grand (and planned to a T) romantic serenade confession for [Name], but he got this instead.

Not that he was complaining really; it was a good excuse to kiss her- but that would come after his actual confession. Turning to her, he reached for one of her hands and slowly began interlacing her fingers with his. He cleared his throat into the mic, signaling Yoosung to stop his chanting for a moment.

“[Name], my sweet, I meant each word I sang to you. I want nothing more than to stay by your side, loving you for the rest of my life. I- I love you,” Zen says, tripping over the last few words. He’s shaking, but he feels her squeeze his hand tightly- giving him a sense of comfort. She nods, whispering the three words soft enough so only he hears it. The moment is absolutely intimate and personal, and he feels the microphone fall out of his grasp as she finishes.

Before he knows it, he’s pulled her towards him for a deep kiss, and he hears the crowd explode into a mix of girlish screams and loud sobbing. He could really care less, though; after all, he’s feeling absolutely magical with her lips pressed against his, and that’s honestly all that matters to him.

JAEHEE

Jaehee lets out a tired sigh.

The thought that [Name] was incredibly dense had never occurred to her, but at this point, that would be the best thing to describe her. The one she adored was hopelessly and completely dense about her intentions- even though Jaehee was pretty sure she had made her romantic intent very clear. After all, you don’t just ask someone to be your partner and open up a café with them! It takes years for those couples in movies to actually be ready to commit to something of that scale.

Jaehee was so sure [Name] had understood that she wanted a relationship with her when she asked her back during the RFA party, but ever since then they’ve done nothing remotely romantic other than make coffee for each other in the morning. They don’t even hold hands, and it’s driving Jaehee crazy. Although, she wasn’t really one to talk as she only realized her own feelings during the party itself.

It’s been a long time since the former secretary has ever felt this way about someone, and it’s the first time she’s ever fallen this hard for a girl. She never would have expected it in the beginning, but now that they’ve spent more time together in real life, she knew she was in pretty deep. She thought she could get by with just being friends with [Name], but woman’s unconditional support for the things Jaehee had only dreamed of having made her life feel like bliss. She was absolutely happy with her, and she was determined to show it.

So here she was, scattering rose petals across their café and towards the table she had set up for the both of them. It had been a month since they opened their café, and while [Name] wanted to invite the entire RFA to a celebratory party, Jaehee made it clear that she wanted to have their own solo celebration- just the two of them.

Jaehee took a glance at the wall clock hung up in their café, and she mentally cursed herself for dragging this preparation far too long. [Name] was going to arrive any minute now, and she didn’t even have time to get dressed! Tossing another petal onto the floor, she practically tore through the rest of the roses in a frantic. Her shaking feet led her up to the second floor, where the two were staying together, and she quickly got dressed into her recently bought white lace dress and tied her now-long hair into a loose side bun.

Jaehee did her basic night makeup routine; she didn’t want to overdo the whole celebration thing. She knew [Name] would prefer the whole natural look, and while she wanted to stay true to that, she did want to impress her girl with just a bit more touches to her eyes. Jaehee felt her heart leap at that thought- her girl. [Name] as her girl? Hopefully after this night, it would be official.

The clacking of her matching white heels echoed as she made her way back down to the café. She lets go of a sigh of both relief and worry, wondering just where her partner was. Jaehee pulled out her phone, quickly punching in the numbers of the woman she adored when a light tapping interrupted her. She looked up, expecting yet another customer to shoo away but was instead greeted with a breathtaking sight.

There [Name] was- dressed to the damn tens with her off-shoulder red dress that ended just below her knees, making Jaehee’s breath hitch in her throat. She nearly drops her phone as the other woman shoots her a smile through the glass door of their café. Jaehee immediately walks over to the entrance, fumbling slightly with the locks before finally opening the door to greet [Name]. The woman walks in, taking in the sight of rose petals littered all over the floor as she closes the door shut. Before Jaehee could open her mouth to compliment her, the other immediately produced a bouquet that she had been hiding from her back.

“Happy anniversary, Jaehee,” she says, smiling widely at her. Jaehee’s shaking hands reach out for the bouquet, and she feels this warmth just wrap around her. She closes her eyes, letting her guard down and just feeling the presence of [Name]’s arms around her. Before she can register her words, they tumble out of her mouth- slowly yet with just enough certainty to make it real.

“I love you, [Name].”

Jaehee feels the other stiffen in her embrace, and the sentence that she had said finally registers in her mind. She feels her chest tighten, both in fear and in shame, and she knows that this is the first time she’s ever messed things up with her feelings. She attempts to blurt out an apology, an explanation, anything to fix this, but words do not come out.

Jaehee’s eyes begin to water, but before the tears fall out, she feels the embrace tighten around her. Her neck tingles at the feeling of [Name]’s breath as the woman lets out a sigh against it. She pulls away, and cups Jaehee’s face perfectly with her soft hands. Her lips are trembling, Jaehee notes, and she watches her face grow closer. She expects them to kiss her, square on the lips, but the other woman places a soft kiss on her forehead instead, sending warm feelings to the pit of her stomach.

“I was so afraid that you did not feel the same,” [Name] whispers with a small smile. “I had taught myself not to hope, but I am glad I did. I love you too, Jaehee. Thank you.” Jaehee immediately wraps her slender arms around the other woman’s neck and brings her now lover in for a proper first kiss. Their anniversary dinner can definitely wait.

JUMIN

Jumin wants to just stop and give in.

Of course, being a perfectionist, he wasn’t going to do it, but God did he want to. He looks down at his bandaged fingertips, sighing as he turned his attention at the searing hot pan in front of him. This was the eleventh time he attempted to cook something even remotely resembling a taco. He probably shouldn’t have started cooking without consulting Jaehee. God, he had never cooked in his life; what made him think he could do this?

This is all for her, Jumin chided himself with a sigh. He had to admit, she made it look easier that it actually was. Getting the tortilla at just the right warmth and softness was the first problem he had tackled, and it took him an hour to get the pan at the proper temperature for heating soft tortillas. Now he was stuck with getting the actual filling right and to taste.

He flicks through his phone, searching for the best way to season the filling. He wouldn’t want [Name] having an upset stomach because of his cooking; the mere thought of her being in such a shape made his chest tighten. Any other woman and he’d probably just ask his personal chef to prepare whatever they wanted, but this was [Name] he was smitten for, and he wanted to make sure he did things based on his own skill and not just his money.

Jumin stares at the countertop, racking his brain and trying to recall how she had prepared the delectable dish she had made a little over a week ago- the very dish that pushed him to get off his leather office chair to do something nice for her. He got the correct ingredients that much he was sure of, but there was something off with the way his filling tasted. The man took a deep sigh, rubbing the bandaged fingers he had injured while he was getting the stove to work. He never would’ve guessed that a week later he’d be making, well, trying to make the very same tortilla dish as a profession of his love.

As he mixes in a dash of pepper, he hears the light tapping of shoes on his marbled floor. Shaken, he moves to cover as much of his preparations as possible. Before he could place the lid on the pan, [Name] ends up striding into the kitchen. Hips swaying a little bit more than usual, he notes, though that was probably part of his imagination. Recently he’d been getting more impure impulses than usual, and he knew damn well that it was because of her.

“Jumin? Are you actually cooking?” she says, and he hears the teasing tone in her voice. He would usually be tense around women, but the soft smile that graced her lips as he looked over at her allowed him to relax. With a nod, he responded, “First time in my life, to be exact. I do not usually bother with cooking as I am constantly busy with work.”

He takes his tasting spoon, places a few bits of meat and salsa onto it and raises it to his lips, checking for the taste. His eyes widen in surprise, and he can’t help but smile at the taste. It was perfect! It had nearly the same taste as the tacos she had done for him back then. The light skidding of a chair across the marbled floor tells him that she had taken a seat across from him. “Oh, there must be some sort of occasion, since there’s no way you’d be cooking otherwise,” she says.

Jumin turns around to greet her with a wide smile, a plate of freshly cooked tacos in hand. He watches her raise her eyebrows, but the slight quivering of her lips told him she was trying hard not to laugh. “No occasion really, I just-” he cuts himself off, placing the plate in front of her with a smile. The man takes a seat in front of her and, with slightly shaking hands, says, “I just wanted to surprise you. Last week, you, ah, made these tortilla dishes. It was quite an experience for me, eating commoner food and well, bonding with a woman- with you.”

Jumin watches her delicate fingers pick up one of the soft-shell tacos to bring it closer to her mouth. He watches her eyes widen as she chews thoughtfully. “I am well aware that it might not be as good as your dish, but I wanted to do something for you that would be utilizing my own skill,” he says slowly. “Because, my dearest [Name], that day when you made these tacos? I had realized something important that day.”

Jumin’s eyes look up to meet hers, and the image of her wide eyes and her mouth full of his cooking reminded him that she was absolutely breathtaking. With shaking hands and a shaking voice, the normally calm CEO felt his feelings swell from up his chest as he tried to find coherent words to match their intensity. He never really was one with words, but he wanted to try to be romantic at least- for her.

“[Name], I love you- truly and with all of my heart. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and if- if you will do me the honor of accepting my heart, I believe that I can die a happy man.”

Jumin had expected her to say something in response, but instead, he hears her choking on her taco. His hands tremble as he quickly reaches out to help her, but his hand meets hers in mid-air. She gives him a wide smile, clearing her throat and signaling him that she was good. Still frantic, he hands her the glass of water he had placed on the table a while ago. He watches her drink the liquid, and he curses himself for ever thinking this confession was a good idea. He had nearly killed her!

“You didn’t, Jumin. I was fine, just- just a little shocked,” she says, chuckling at his outburst. He feels himself blush, realizing he was venting aloud. “That being said,” she pauses to take his hand into hers, and he feels himself shiver as she presses kisses onto each bandaged finger. “Thank you, Jumin. For a first timer, your cooking was amazing. And you should know that meeting you was the best thing that has happened to me. I- I love you as well, Jumin Han. More than words can express.”

Jumin watches her face grow closer, and his lips are greeted with the warmth of her own. He closes his eyes, leaning into her and tasting the hint of pepper and salsa on her lips. Their first kiss is chaste, soft, and slow, but they both know that this was enough to get them breathless. He feels her pull back, interlacing her fingers with his. He watches her lips curve into a goofy smile, and that’s absolutely fine because he’s sure he has one plastered all over his face too. With all the money and material things he has, this might just be the first time Jumin Han has ever felt genuine happiness.

SAEYOUNG / 707

Saeyoung feels like launching himself to the sun.

He’s got a Stabilo-drawn moustache across his face, and the lighthearted laughter coming from the woman in front of him definitely made his mouth twitch into a goofy smile. Her eyebrows were shaded thicker with the same Stabilo marker used on him, and he couldn’t help but admire the look on her. Even with caveman eyebrows, she still managed to make his heart skip a beat- which sounds absolutely cheesy in his head, but it was the truth.

It took him a while to accept his feelings for the newest RFA member. He had given up on the notion of love a long, long time ago. He had believed the whole meeting a girl, falling in love and settling down business was nothing more than a pipe dream after joining up to become an agent. He had pushed away any sort of chance at a romantic relationship, believing that finding happiness with a significant other was something he would only have in another life.

Of course, he should’ve known it wasn’t going to be that easy. Nothing in his life ever was; even back during his childhood, he had to grit his teeth through his problems. Meeting the RFA was the first taste of actual happiness he had had in his life, and although he felt guilty for putting up a façade with them, he knew it was the right thing to do. The other members brushed him off as a hyperactive weirdo, which suited him just fine as long as he could keep them safe.

And then she shows up, and she sends everything in his life spinning out of control.

She immediately catches on to his act, but instead of being turned off by it, she joins him. She speaks to him as if she knows what he’s talking about, and he’s pretty sure she doesn’t, but he can’t help but be amused at her attempts on getting to his good side. She speaks to him as if it were normal for someone to use binary code in casual group conversations. She’s got her own quirks in talking to him, and all too quickly, it feels like they’ve made a language for themselves.

They’ve got their own inside jokes, and Saeyoung couldn’t help but feel this intimacy from the bond they’ve got. It’s the first time he’s ever let anyone get this close to cracking his wall, and it terrified him to think that he could be putting her in danger just by sending stupid emojis. His life didn’t allow him to have any personal relationships; it was too dangerous for anyone to get involved with him. Despite it all, he found that he had no regrets getting close to her, knowing her and actually falling for her. Dare he say, it was the best rule he’s ever broken.

It wasn’t easy for him- the whole accepting he was in love thing. He tried to push her away, countless of times, tried reminding her that he was a completely flawed person and that he had merely lied about who he really was. Saeyoung believed that should’ve been enough to push her away, but she refused to listen to him. She was as hardheaded as he was, and that really threw him into the loop.

He was used to being left alone and leaving people alone in return. He did what he thought was best, even if it meant possibly alienating the relationships he had. He figured that time would eventually heal any wounds he or the other party might have. It did hurt, though, the first time he tried pushing her away. It felt absolutely wrong, which was probably the universe telling him to man up and face his feelings.

So there they were, playing truth or dare like a bunch of drunk high schoolers. He wasn’t quite sure how they ended up sprawled across his apartment floor with packs of Honey Buddha Chips and PhD Peppers strewn around them, but he could really care less when she was just in front of him. They’d each done a couple of dares now, neither wanting to spill their secrets but Saeyoung was adamant on confessing his feelings tonight.

“Fucking hell [Name], it’s called Truth or Dare! You’re supposed to throw in a truth once in a while!” he says, faking an annoyed sigh. There wasn’t anything she could do to annoy him, really, but the least she could do was build up to his grand confession. The woman stands up and smiles at him cheekily, before toying with their speakers to blast out another silly chart-topping dance song. He hears her stifle a chuckle before turning to look at him with a wide smile.

“No matter what you say, I’m still picking dare!” she says, grabbing his wrist to pull him up to her level. “And I dare myself to dance with you!” He decides against arguing with her wish, pushing himself up to take her into his arms. The close proximity of their bodies makes the back of his neck start to sweat. They end up doing a weird mix of slow-dancing and hand flailing that’s only achievable when both partners can’t dance, and yet he finds himself enjoying the feeling of her body against his.

“Truth or dare, oh God Seven?” she says cheekily. He scrunches his eyebrows together. It’s now or never, he thinks. “Truth.” He watches her face turn into a surprised expression before quickly turning into an impish look. “Oho, that’s surprising! You must have something to confess.”

“… I love you, stupid,” he says, without thinking. He feels the air get heavy between them, and he looks down to see her wide eyes looking up at him. He swallows, berating himself for the horrible timing. Oh God, this is it. This is how he dies a lonely single man. He braces himself for the incoming rejection, but instead, he feels her jump up to hug him tightly. Hell, she practically launches herself towards him, which ends with her being held up by his scrawny arms.

Their weight shifts, and it’s too much for Saeyoung to hold up, so he ends up slipping and toppling over her. He’s got her pinned down, and he swears his face is flushed as red as his hair. She’s looking at him with eyes squinted upwards in laughter. Her hair is messily framing her face, making her look like she’s just gone out of bed. His face turns a shade darker as he realizes just what he’d have to do to see her like that once more.

Before he could move to get off her, he feels her soft skin against his neck. He’s pulled towards her, roughly and desperately. The feeling of her lips on his is absolutely electric, and the absolute desire that he feels between them makes the hair on his arms stand. He’s been deprived of actual romantic touch that he’s absolutely in need for more of her. Still, he decides there’s more time for that later in the night.

Saeyoung pulls away gently, leaving both of them heaving and blushing heavily. Her lustful eyes are looking up at him, but he scrambles off of her before he decides against it. He sits properly, and he pulls her off his apartment floor. He can’t help but smile at her as he brings her hand to his face. He places it onto his cheek, and he feels her cup his cheek into her palm.

“I love you, [Name]. Took me the longest time to accept it, but here I am now. I promise I’ll do my best to make you happy.” He leans into her touch, and he feels his eyes water at the sight of her soft smile. God, how’d he ever get so lucky with her? He takes a deep breath, trying to control the rush of emotions that swell up inside him. “I know I’ve made you, ah, cry before. I’m sorry for pushing you away. I just couldn’t risk losing you, y’know? It sounds stupid now, but I don’t know what I would’ve done if Saeran hurt you.”

“Shh, it’s alright, Saeyoung. It’s done. Besides,” she pauses to stick her tongue out, “if Saeran hadn’t let me break in to Rika’s apartment, we never would have met. So I guess it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

He laughs at this, nodding his head in agreement. “Of course it did! You had the Defender of Justice by your side after all!” She shakes her head, slapping his face lightly. His hands reach up to his cheek, mimicking the best betrayed expression he could muster. “Ow!”

“I love you too, Saeyoung. Thank you for keeping me by your side. Meeting you might’ve been the best thing that’s ever happened in my life,” she says, looking into his eyes to show him that she means it. He knows just how much pain he must’ve made her feel before he came to terms with his feelings. Silently, he brings her hand in for a gentle kiss.

“And you are the best thing that’s ever happened in mine. Thank you for this chance, [Name]. I’ll bring you to that space station one day.” He watches her face light up in pure joy, and he thinks the stars in her eyes are worth more than those a million miles above them. He silently thanks his God for finally, finally giving him something to call his.

JIHYUN / V

Jihyun is absolutely terrified.

Ever since Rika left him, he always thought he had become half the man he was with her. He never had much self-confidence in his work from the start, and he was convinced that he didn’t really have the talent for the area. So when a pretty blonde girl tells him how much she enjoys his work, it didn’t take long for him to fall for her. Rika pushed him to become who he was today, and he would always be thankful for that. Even if their relationship had become destructive, he convinced himself that it was real at some point. He knew it was real at some point; he wouldn’t be this devoted to her otherwise.

After their messy breakup, he believed he would never again find love.

Those ridiculous breakup posts that Jumin and he used to ignore were now beginning to make sense to him. It was hard- the whole “rediscover who you were before” process. He needed to get away from it all, and taking a trip to do photography seemed like the best thing to do. Of course, he had considered telling the RFA, but he wasn’t the type to pour out his feelings and burden others with them. No, all he needed was the feel of his camera in his hand, and it certainly was peaceful at first.

Naturally, life had to catch up to him at some point, and when Jumin updates him on the newest RFA member, he doesn’t think much about it. At least, until he manages to chat with her for a brief moment, on one of his late night check-ups on the group chat. It doesn’t take long for him to realize why the others are so enthusiastic about her presence. She has a way of connecting with others that he hasn’t seen since, well, since Rika.

Perhaps it’s her words- how easily she manages to get used to Saeyoung’s quirks and how quick she is to comfort and guide Yoosung. Perhaps it’s the way her voice sounds- calm, reassuring yet commanding. Jihyun thinks he might be able to sleep peacefully, for the first time in months, when he listens to her voice. Perhaps it’s how unabashedly honest she is with the rest of the members- something Jihyun can only dream of doing given the multitude of secrets he keeps.

For the first time in a long time, Kim Jihyun considers the very real possibility that he might be falling in love all over again.

It scares him to think of his feelings. It isn’t that he’s afraid to accept that he loves her. He knows he can’t run away from that. No, it’s because he’s terrified of the future he’d be giving her. Sure, he’s getting ahead of himself with all this fantasizing, but he can’t help but be frustrated at the situation he’s been put in. The “V” she knows isn’t who he really is, and if she gets involved with the Mint Eye, he’ll never forgive himself for bringing her into this mess.

So, Jihyun figures he can steal her away from that mess for a moment. Take her some place nice and maybe, just maybe, sort out his feelings in the process. It wasn’t anything special really, just a quite night out to his latest photography exhibit. It’s the least he can do for her, well, for the both of them really- seeing as how they’re both content with each other’s company.

“This was from your trip, right?” she asks, pointing at the third print in his collection. He squints, trying to make out the details of the picture through hazy eyes. He gives her a warm smile as he nods. “Yeah, it was. I was lucky enough not to scare the robin away from the window. Her colors really make the picture stand out.”

She hums in agreement, squeezing his hand for a brief moment before releasing it. “You’ve got a real talent, V. These pictures? I can only capture these moments in my dreams!” she says in amazement. He lets out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

“Well, you’re able to see these moments in 20/20 vision. You’re one step closer to making your dreams come true,” he jokes, pointing at the frames placed atop his nose. She hits him lightly and scoffs. “See that’s the thing! Your disabilities don’t hinder you from making art- from breathing life into pictures. That’s talent- pure talent.”

“Aaand a lot of practice, [Name],” he adds, pointing to one of his prints. “I didn’t get to this point without practicing taking shots.” She nods at him, wholeheartedly agreeing. Just like that, they fall back into their comfortable pace. Jihyun certainly didn’t expect to be joking about his vision with her so quickly, but they’ve grown close enough to know that it’s all good-natured. Besides, she certainly makes their conversations fun.

“That’s what I admire about you, V,” she says, so matter-of-factly, just as he moves on to another showcase. His mind doesn’t register what she’s said at first, but when it sinks in, he immediately stops in his tracks. He turns to her, seeing her smile widely, and he guesses he must’ve had a surprised look on his face as she quickly adds, “I-I mean, you just keep on pushing yourself despite it all. I know you must be incredibly busy helping the RFA too, so it’s amazing how you still have time for the things you love.”

Jihyun nods all too quickly, causing his frames to fall off his nose. He feels his cheeks heat in embarrassment. Of course she didn’t mean admire in a romantic sense, he berates himself internally. It was stupidly hopeful of him to follow that train of thought. God, he could just bang his head on the nearest pillar. He shakes his head, focusing on her extended hand, which held the fallen sunglasses.

His turquoise eyes meet hers briefly, and he’s suddenly enraptured by their color. It’s been a while since he’s seen anything without the lens of his sunglasses to obscure them. He finds himself wondering, for a moment, just how he had fallen for Rika when a girl like her existed. Instead of taking his sunglasses and resuming their tour, he decides that this would be the perfect time for him to confess. He takes a deep breath, feeling his impulsivity get a hold of him.

With shaking hands, Jihyun reaches out to her, wanting to feel her skin against his palms. His heart feels like it’s going to explode out of his chest as he feels the softness of her skin. He watches her surprised expression closely, trying his best to memorize her face- something he may never see again given his condition. He closes his eyes, wanting to savor the feeling. He’s terrified of losing her, truly, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to protect her with all that he has. Rika will never hurt her the way she hurt him; he won’t allow it.

“[Name], I’m sorry,” he starts, trying to silence the hammering in his chest and the ringing of his ears. “I can’t hold it back anymore. I just, I need to tell you how happy you make me. I think, no, I know I have fallen for you.” He finds himself releasing a sigh, feeling relief from the confession. He knows he’s taking such a huge risk admitting his feelings for her, but he’s got enough secrets to last him a lifetime, and he certainly doesn’t want to keep her in the dark forever. She deserves to know how much he thinks and worries about her.

He feels her tremble against his palms, and fearing the worst, he opens his eyes to see her beginning to cry. Her arms have fallen to her sides, and she’s still clutching his shades. He immediately panics, and instead of wiping them away, he brings her into a tight hug. “B-But what about Rika?” He hears her mumble against his shirt. He shakes his head and says, “Rika and I broke up, remember? I think it’s time for me to move on.”

“Besides,” he says, pulling her away so he can look into her eyes. He knows words can’t convey all that he’s feeling, but he hopes it’s enough. “She can barely hold a candle against you. You, you make me feel complete, [Name]. It feels like I’m whole again when I’m with you,” he finally finishes. For a moment, all they can do is stare, and then his blazer is pulled, roughly, and his lips meet hers for a kiss. He hears cheering explode around them, but all that registers is the feel of her lips against his. He hopes the feeling burns into his memory because this might just be the best kiss, the best moment in his life.

[recentanimenews]

Fruits Basket 2 – 01 – The Hideous One

First of all, let me say how good it feels to have Fruits Basket back in my life. It’s truly a salve for the heart! Those who haven’t watched the first season probably wouldn’t agree. It should go without saying: make sure you watch those 25 episodes before getting anywhere near this episode. But holy crap, what a return to greatness!

A gorgeous new OP, followed by an episode centered squarely on … Minagawa Motoko! In which she recognizes Tooru’s positive effect on Yuki. And stops living in a world of fantasy. And acknowledges her flaws. And commits to pursuing Yuki the right way. In other words, Motoko changes…and in doing so becomes yet another character I love and can’t wait to see again. And lest we forget, she’s brilliantly voiced by MAO!

Tooru shows up to put an iron uncomfortably close to the faces of Kyou and Yuki, but otherwise this is basically The Minagawa Motoko Show from start to finish (with a sprinkling of Yuki). It’s a ballsy move to make Tooru’s arrogant, one-dimensional, self-deluded love “rival” the protagonist-of-the-week, especially as the first episode back.

But Fruits Basket has already demonstrated time and again that none of its cast is really shallow; it’s just a matter of how much we know them, and this was the time to really hunker down and get to know Motoko, beyond the scheming president of Prince Yuki—someone nearly bowled over by Arisa’s eager new delinquent minions (a great potential pairing for a future episode, by the way).

Motoko puts her war with Tooru aside to deal with a more pressing matter: the identity of the new StuCo board members. Specifically, she wants to make sure none of them are hussies that will steal her man (who, let it be said, has already been all but stolen by Tooru!) But former StuCo prez Takei can sense Motoko’s intent and isn’t spilling the beans.

Meanwhile, it’s new StuCo prez Yuki who meets the new board members in question, in a very bizarrely staged scene. When he enters, he hears a girl seemingly weeping in the dark in a giant mess of files. Yet after recoiling from his touch, she adopts a stoic demeanor and goes about cleaning up. This is the new StuCo treasurer, Kuragi Machi.

Then he meets the new veep, the brash and grigarious Manabe Kakeru, who had been napping in the next room and reminds Yuki of his repellent brother Ayamu. He has a particularly weird exchange with Manabe later, leading him to wonder if there’s something Zodiac-y or Zodiac-adjacent about these new members…or if they’re just a bit eccentric.

That night, we end up in Motoko’s very rich-girly room as she waxes poetic about Yuki and curses those who would stand between her and him, only to be rudely interrupted by her no-nonsense mom in curls. Turns out Motoko puts on Kongou Mitsuko rich girl airs at school, but is actually from a working-class family who lives above their shop. I’m already more fascinated with her!

The next day, Motoko decides to bypass Takei entirely, enlisting the aid of third-year and fellow Prince Yuki member Aida Rika, to pick the lock of the StuCo office. Turns out the office unlocked, and Motoko and Rika are in luck: the only person in there is their beloved Yuki. Quietly cheered on by Rika, Motoko gets off to a rough start by asking Yuki…about what he ate for breakfast.

But because Yuki is such a nice guy, he dutifully tells her what he ate, and she discovers they like the same kind of natto. Then, unbidden, Yuki asks Motoko if she normally speaks so formally, commenting that it’s “kind of cute.” Motoko would normally be happy beyond words by being called cute by Yuki, but when she sees his warm easy smile that accompanies the words of praise, she sees a Yuki she doesn’t recognize.

The adoring distance she’s kept from Yuki means the Yuki she saw was rarely the Yuki he really was underneath a much cooler, at times forced smile. She realizes how far that distance remains when Yuki could change so much without her knowing, and with the help of someone else … someone not her by his side. It’s suddenly too much to bear, so she runs off.

As she flips on a faucet to wash her suddenly tear-filled face, Motoko professes her hatred of all women who “dare get near Yuki”, but hates none of them more than herself, the “hideous one” who thinks those kinds of thoughts as she’s reflected in her mirror. It’s the kind of honest self-reflection I was hoping from Motoko after her fateful visit to the Hanajima residence (a veritable bastion of Keeping It Realness).

Motoko shouldn’t just thank Tooru’s influence for giving her a Yuki who can smile, but one who didn’t let things sit where they were. He goes after her to make sure she’s alright, and in doing so, confides in her that despite looking so “unruffled”, he’s barely keeping his cool. Motoko can relate, as she just lost her cool back in the office!

Heartened by Yuki’s smile, Motoko vows not to give up the fight. He may have changed, and Tooru may have changed him, but she still adores him and wants him to be hers. Now that she’s actually exchanged more than just polite pleasantries, but shared a moment of mutual vulnerability, that affection has gained intensity and legitimacy.

As I sat staggered at how well they fleshed out Motoko and made her someone I half want to root for in just an episode, Yuki returns home and washes dishes with Tooru, and mentions the almost Zodiac-like strangeness of his new council-mates. He also confesses that he was happy when Manabe said he was “more interesting than [he] thought.”

Earlier, Kyou called Yuki lame, and privately, Yuki acknowledges that yeah, he is lame. It’s why Kyou’s barb is so painful; he believes it. But Tooru assures him that even if tough times are coming, either in the StuCo (maybe) or the Souma family (most assuredly) there will be fun times to cherish as well. Life is a never-ending string of getting hurt and healed by words and actions big and small.

After Tooru delivers those wise-beyond-her-years words, the episode closes perfectly on its heroine Minagawa Motoko, positively angelic in her frilly nightgown and glorious pink palace above a workaday store, gazing at the stars in quiet, hopeful, healing prayer.

By: magicalchurlsukui

[melt-into-the-night]

So...My V.I.P Backstage Experience + The Show Experience

So now that i’m…somewhat well rested (also hungover), thought i’d share the whole experience. I especially wanted to talk about the V.I.P experience just to stop all the bashing over what i guess happened in Vancouver.

So full disclosure, this was my first Lady Gaga show ever, and I decided to splurge. But i’ve also been a fan for a very long time, and i know what the “Meet & Greets” were. I’d also like to point out that this Backstage Pass was never promoted as a meet and greet, but we did get to meet and greet her.

So right at the beginning, we get a Joanne backpack, and a lanyard that also doubles as a charger (yes, that’s not a myth lol), also candy lol.

The first thing we got to do was go into catering for dinner, we had about a half an hour to eat. Some of the dancers and crew members were even eating in there with us as well which was cool! (wearing super bowl sweaters!)

From there, we got a backstage tour from a man who’s been part of the crew since the Monster Ball tour. He showed us all the behind the scenes actions, talked about how many trucks it took to run this show. Showed us all the boxes that contained props, lighting etc.

He then took us directly backstage, showed us how Gaga and the dancers come and go. Showed us where she and the dancers do their quick costume changes. Took us onto the floor and showed us each stage (without revealing how she got to them, as to not spoil those who haven’t seen it).

While we waited for the band to prepare for soundcheck, he sat us down and did a Q&A with us for any questions about what it was like on the road for him. He is definitely a family man, and talked about how sad it is for some of the crew that don’t get to see their family for 6 months. We also learned how much of a pain it is to cross the boarder and how the crew often have to sit and wait for ¾ hours through customs with their 27 trucks. (Gaga of course flies out).And then, the most amazing thing happened. A couple of us catch the crew member on the radio saying “is she aware there are fans on the floor”, and then we see Lady Gaga come out on to the floor, and like…most of the people in the VIP are like…completely oblivious,and kind of old, but the four of us are like…”how are they not noticing this, do we tell them? lets not tell them. So they don’t freak out and scare her away.” LOL. She’s just casually like..filming the floor, and then out come her parents. I’m in fucking shock at this point.  Her crew seem LIVID.So she then comes up to all of us, linked arms with her father, and her mother on her side and says hello to all of us! Asking if we’re having a good time and just chit chatting! I WAS SO SHOOK. She introduced us to her parents, it was honestly the most adorable thing ever. Her father was like “i’ve seen you before” and i just smiled, of course i wouldn’t dare correct him lmao (literally have never been to a show). I got to have such a great conversation with her mom about the Born This Way foundation as well. She’s such an amazing woman i have to tell you.And then they left and we got to see the band do their soundcheck, and we’re like…trying to figure out what each song was, and jammin out. It was amazing. Dancing In Circles had me shook haha.So then, after that we get to go to the VIP lounge, which was AMAZING. They had a set up with the words Joanne, the typewriter, pictures etc. A bar where we could get a free drink, and an AMAZING DJ. Around 7:30 we have to prepare to go backstage again for the photo op. But Gaga was running a bit late, with hair, make up, costume etc.One of her gorgeous security guys just gives us the run down, can’t hug, touch her etc. Not because “celebrity”, but because they can’t risk having hair and make up damaged because it would make the show more late, which is totally fair. We were divided into 4 groups of 6. (24 of us in total). And each got to go in there and take pictures with her. She was SO kind, and talked to my group for a minute. Of course it was rushed because i think the countdown on the stage had already begun. By the time we actually got to our seats there was about 3 minutes of the countdown left, and then the show began!The show, was absolutely AMAZING. She was her bad ass self, giving her all the entire time. THE STAGE omg, the special effects were insane, probably the most extravagant stage she’s ever had. The main stage had so many layers and levels, teetering at times while the choreography was going down which was so epic. And there were 3 other stages stretched across the arena that she’d get to from hovering catwalks, i love that she did this so that everyone from all sides of the arena would get to see her up close.So our seats were stage left, first row so we had a perfect view, from my understanding according to one of the other V.I.P’s who went to the Vancouver show and had general admission for it, it was kind of a bummer when the catwalks went down cause you couldn’t see anything if they were right over you, and they would be blocking your view, of all the other stages, until they raised up again, and of course if you wanted to hold your front spot from the main stage, you’re gonna miss out on her Piano numbers on the other side of the venue, thankfully from our seats we could see every angle.If you’ve seen my clips, you’ll notice most of them are short. I really wanted to be in the moment as much as possible so i kept my filming to a minimum. Some songs i didn’t even record (like the opening) just so i could take it all in, and freakin Come to Mama was a MOMENT. She was hilarious introducing the song “if you aren’t for the equality movement…i mean i can’t imagine you wouldn’t be if you’re here but if not come to mama!” lmao.And, she got so emotional talking about Sonja during Edge of Glory, and gave a speech about what love is supposed to be, how it wasn’t always about checking up on your partner on their social media. “i watched a man love a woman til her last dying breath, that’s what love is about.” She had to stop a couple of times as well to wipe her tears.All her interlude scenes were so good! I hope someone eventually uploads the HD versions cause they were flawless.Of course, she ended the show with Million Reasons, and i cried because it was so stunning. She walked across the catwalks, “My name is Joanne, and i’m not so sure where i came from, and i don’t know exactly where i’m going but i know i got to get the hell out of here” - and despite the emotional moment, she got humorous and stoped to laugh when we were all singing along and talked about how she hopes with each album there’s at least one song everyone knows the lyrics to, and clearly we know AT LEAST one lol.All in all, amazing show. I HOPE at least one of these shows has a professional live stream, or dare we hope for a DVD (i doubt it, but it certainly deserves one or the other given how extravagant the set up is).Anyway, that was my experience. I am hungover, emotionally exhausted, and also flying from cloud nine. Best night of my life.

[forcedapotheosis-blog]

Equilibrium (One Piece Oneshot)

I really don’t have a lot to say about this one, the idea hit me yesterday and here it is. It contains some spoilers if you haven’t read the few latest chapters, but should mostly be safe to read.

Disclaimer 1: OP and its characters don’t belong to me.

Disclaimer 2 (The arguably more important one): I don’t know if this is relevant, but I need to get it out of my system. The violence towards the end of this fiction is used solely for dramatic purposes. If you ever experience that kind of violence in your life, do not hesitate for even one second to talk to someone about it. You might feel as if you deserved it, but that is not true and will never be true. Nobody has the right to violate your bodily integrity in any way, shape or form. 

That said, have fun.

Equilibrium

Time stood still.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was a little respite. Just a moment to catch his breath.

He let himself sink into one of the few chairs that weren’t broken during the final clash between the Straw Hats and the Big Mom pirates. He just had to do it. There were moments to count the cost and moments to take a deep breath. He suppressed the trembling of his hands and put a cigarette between his lips, overcoming the struggle of igniting it with sheer force of will.

It’s not over. But .. it is something.

A moment of clarity in the eye of the storm.

His final duel against Big Mom’s second son, the dreaded Charlotte Katakuri, had taken a heavy toll on his body and mind. No matter where he looked, he seemed to be covered in wounds. Many of them deep enough to incapacitate out a lesser man. Every inch of his body was shrieking out in pain, begging for it to stop. But it would stop, given enough time, as this was the nature of wounds to a still living, breathing body.

The smoke was finally hitting his lungs and he revelled in it. The nicotine made his mind slow down and numbed the pain, eased the nigh overwhelming stress step by step, little by little.

Can’t believe I’m still alive .. that all of us are still alive ..

He had every reason to be happy about that. His wedding had been crashed and for the future, he wouldn’t be forced to be a subordinate for Big Mum .. or just be dead. He got back at his father in the most ironic way imaginable, saving him and his siblings from the prospect of certain doom and finally, all of them together were actually able bring about the fall of a tyrant.

Even though his mind was slowing down by now, he contemplated the fact that it had changed during his fight with the Sweet Commander. He transcended the normal bounds of human perception and came to understand the world a little better. When his Kenbunshoku Haki awoke, the only thing he had to do, also the only thing he could do, was to look at his opponent. He understood him on a level that was so much deeper than what he had ever seen .. no, ever felt before. Every movement, every breath he took told him stories about what his foe was going to do in the nearest future. Not one single story, no precise information, but the possibilities of things to come. Watching Katakuri through the second sight of his Haki felt like dreaming of statistics.

That was the reason on why he had to take chances. And since there had been no other option, he took them head on. It was not so much a clash of titans but a battle of wits, very close to a game of chess. One that was impossible to win with his wits alone. That was when taking chances became the most important part of this fight. Him willing to take these risks was what lead to victory. A pyrrhic one, but a victory nonetheless.

He had been wounded before and taking his opponent’s attacks head on could have very well killed him, but going through wit it anyway had been made much easier by the fact that there just was no third option to take.

One overly obvious move to lure Katakuri into an attack that nearly killed him was all it took to get the single opening he needed to go all-out.  A single attack, filled with tranquil fury was what it took to get the better of him. By now he knew that he never felt wrath before, up until this moment. Pure, barely controlled ire was racing through his body and mind when he finally set fire to the shackles of his soul.

And finally, he had been able to make the shadows afraid, reborn, purified with righteous wrath.  

Kind of a shame that fighting that guy isn’t the biggest obstacle to stand in my way. Vinsmoke luck, always rotten.

He couldn’t have been more right with that. The surrounding circumstances put that particular obstacle in the background, but it was still there, waiting for the right time to crush him. And after all the fights, the tears, after being on the verge of breaking again and again, it slid from the shadows, sneaking in for a coup de grâce.

Well, it’s not like I didn’t know that it was coming. In fact, everything from the moment I broke away from my nakama had been building up to this. I was living on borrowed time.. hahaha.

He didn’t really laugh, for one it didn’t go well with smoking and his body was too bruised to make it feel any good or relieving.

His ‘greatest obstacle’ was still out of breath, sitting on the ground with her perfect Clima-tact lying next to her. Sanji vividly remembered how she had used it to knock Pudding out cold when she tried to shoot him in the back. Again.

I guess you just don’t get inbetween a Goddess and her prey., he thought and couldn’t surpress a smile. The Goddess had protected him from harm just to be able to purge him herself. Irony really did write the best stories.

Now, after all this time, either spent apart or next to each other, each of them carefully avoiding to meet the other’s gaze, their eyes finally met again.

So it begins .. no, this might be how it ends., he thought with a heavy heart, closing his eyes for just a second. It was enough to summon the wraiths that were nourished by his guilt. Two shadowy figures that he could only see in the corner of his eye. One had taken the form of his captain, bruised, bloody and beaten within an inch of his life. But .. there was a genuine smile on his face. His signature smile. Sanji could feel the hand of this great man patting his back. Even hear his voice.

“I can’t forgive you, Sanji. Because there is nothing to forgive.”

But it meant nothing, as the second wraith slowly approached. He could only make out the colour of her hair. Fiery red, seemingly moving around even if there was not a breeze to touch it. But it was her eyes that scared him the most. They rightfully accused him, saw right through him. Even through all the physical pain he felt, this one stood out. It had been a simple slap, like the ones she had given him in the past, but oh-so different this time. She had not hurt his body, but her hit resonnated with his soul.

He opened his eyes again, feeling unable to face his wraiths. Nami finally rose up and, even through the sheer exhaustion of battle, she was the living proof that silk hid steel. Her every step resounded heavily within these silent halls .. and the halls of his heart. When she reached him, there was a long silence of exchanging glances and he cursed the fact that Katakuri didn’t kill him when he had the chance to.

“I’m waiting.”, she began, her voice so cold and emotionally barren that he feared that nothing would ever be as it was again.

“Nami-san, I ..”, but she stopped him in his tracks with just a glance. The Goddess didn’t want to hear his excuses.

“I .. I cannot undo what I have done .. please, Nami-san ..”, again, she didn’t want to hear his excuses and his pleads. Sanji wished for her to be irate again, wrathful, just showing emotions. But seeing her so calm and collected made him fear for the worst.

“ .. I nearly killed Luffy. I insulted his dreams. I lied to all of you, since the beginning of our journey. I lied to you because I didn’t think that it would ever be important for anyone again .. I didn’t expect my prediction to be so terribly wrong.”, somehow, speaking hurt. Not because of his bruised and beaten body, but because judgement was upon him. And instead of speaking in his defense, he just laid down all the proof of him being guilty as charged.

“No one could have foreseen that. Go on.”, the sound of her voice chilled him to the bone. Was her intention to torment him with everything he had wronged his crew in the past? Nonetheless, he continued. If it was someone’s right to do it, it was hers.

“I will never forgive myself for the things I put you through .. not .. not the crew, not our nakama. The things I put you through, Nami-san. Not only that my actions could’ve meant death for you .. oh gods ..”, he tried to swallow with increasing difficulty as his mouth was as dry as the desert. And smoking didn’t exactly help him with that.

“If not for Jinbe and the others, you .. you .. might have died, Nami-san.”, his voice failed him. The sheer thought alone was enough to tear open his wounds again. Sanji never wanted to hurt anyone. But when it all came down, his actions nearly killed the single most beautiful woman in the entire world who had been the center of his adoration for such an incredibly long time, no matter the hardships they faced.

“Until my last breath, I will not forget this, Nami-.., not a single line of this all. Not a single moment. Through my actions, I have chosen this burden. I deserve this penance. And everything that comes with it.”, he had consciously dropped the ‘san’, being sure that this meant the end. Whatever it was that developed between these two, whatever might have been possible before all of this had happened didn’t matter anymore, all that remained was a far cry, telling of what could have been.

Oh no .. please, please, please .. no .. not now .. please!

It was in the backdrop of his mind that his Kenbunshoku Haki slowly rose to power again. It had been awakened during his fight with Katakuri because the situation was life-threatening and it regained its sovereignty over his perception because of the increasingly high stress levels that this conversation put onto him.

The deepest, darkest fear of a human was the fear of the unknown. But somehow, knowing made it even scarier.

His eyes were fixated on Nami and he swallowed heavily when his Haki showed him everything and nothing.

Shadowy wraiths, the same he had seen before, but more numerous, were born from her body. They carried different shades of darkness, different colours .. but her voice. Some of them turned away from him, others silently accused him.

“I will never forgive you for what you have done, Sanji.”

“I swore that I would bring you back to the Sunny. Now that that’s done, we’re through.”

“You’re vermin, Sanji. I don’t care for your reasoning.”

“I want to never see you again, cook. And only because of our captain’s dreams will I even consider to suffer through your mere presence.”

“Maybe it would have been better if you starved as a child. For all of us. Think about it, if you died as a child, none of this would have ever happened.”

“Don’t you dare to approach me ever again, cook. We’re done.”

“If you ever so much as think about endangering our dreams again ..”

“I accept that you have to keep on travelling with us. But you’re no longer nakama. Not for me.”

“Couldn’t you just have ..”

“I will never ..”

“Don’t ever come ..”

“Never ..”

“Never ..”

“Never ..”

PLEASE, STOP!, his mind cried out in pain from all the things his Haki flooded it with. These perceptions were partly based on his knowledge and memories, but mostly they drew their influences from his present feelings and looking at her. Her body language, her voice that was as cold as ice. And it all felt so real. Everything was possible.

It only stopped when she made the next step herself. And for a moment, the slap he received felt .. unreal. Just another trick his mind had played on him. Her voice was just so different now, trembling, barely containing her ire.

“Do you remember Enie’s Lobby?”, she asked, seemingly in need to force herself through every word. The question itself surprised him, everything just seemed to be so far away .. still, he nodded.

Another slap, with more force behind it this time. So much that he nearly lost his balance. The cigarette between his lips fell to the ground.

And more words. More wrath.

“Do you remember the fight between Luffy and Usopp?”, again, he nodded and braced himself for the next slap to come. It didn’t do him any good. This time, it wasn’t the palm of her hand that hit him, but her fist. The sheer kinetic energy behind the punch was enough to effortlessly tear him down from the chair, putting him onto the cold ground. His wounds ached, but he remained silent. That was well-deserved.

“Do .. you .. remember .. me?”, what ..?, listening to hear voice brought tears into his eyes. Of course, he remembered it. Everything. Cocoyashi, Arlong, her tears, her wanting them to believe that she was a betrayer. Every line of it. He heard sobbing and thought that it was his own.

Nami fell to her knees, next to him. He expected another slap or punch or anything else that was supposed to hurt him. Yet seeing her, a neverending flow of tears running down her cheeks, realising that the sobbing belonged to her .. that was what finally did the trick. It was what hurt him the most of all.

“We could have avoided so much pain .. Sanji-kun, so many tears .. if we were only true to each other.”, and she was Just. So. Right. If only they had played with an open hand.

Still, he was at a loss for words. What answer could she possible expect?

“You’re right, .. you’re so right .. I’m sorry, Nami-san, please .. forgive me .. please ..”, Sanji forced the words out of his mouth and took a great risk by what he did next. He took her hand. And to his utter surprise, she let it pass.

More than that. Her fingers began to intertwine with his. And oh, her voice .. it seemed like it had finally found back to its roots. When she spoke to him again, a mighty wind blew away the clouds that hid the sun for so long.

“I swear .. to everything holy, Sanji-kun, that I will remind you to be sorry. Every day. Until the end of days. As long as the both of use still breathe.”

Wha .. does .. Nami-san .. is that .. am I losing my mind?!

It surely felt like it. A wonderful dream of Spring. The smell of tangerines in the air. Hair that playfully brushed over his face. Her warm hand in his.

Lips .. that tasted salty from her tears.

[canaryatlaw]

okay, so today was alright. I had my alarm set for 8:45 for church, but when it went off I didn’t have any willpower, so I reset my alarm for 10:35 so I could go to the last service when I had to be in the nursery, which means I missed the actual church part, but oh well. Got up, ran out the door to make the bus, got the rest of the way there and go to the babies room. Since we moved back to three services we haven’t been getting many babies in the third service, so we’ve been combining the babies and walkers, so basically any child under 2. We ended up have 3 today with two leaders, so that was fine. one was the really adorable daughter of a lady I know from the babies team, and she’s getting so big and she’s just the cutest thing, like she would start laughing and I wanted to like, whip out my phone and record it because I knew the internet would love it 😂 (but of course I’d never do that without a parent’s permission). She’s about 18 months, as was our second baby, big little guy who had this perpetual perturbed look on his face haha so we had to make sure we were getting him occupied. Both of them would periodically go back to the gate in the front, which is generally what happens when they want to see their parents, but we were able to call them back each time and there were no tears, so that’s a win in my book. Our last baby was an actual baby, not like the other two who would be considered “walkers” at this point (because they can walk). She was 10 months old, gorgeous little thing, her mom and dad both dropped her off and her dad definitely looks biracial, and her mom looks like she could also be biracial, and the baby had a lot of those features as well, this isn’t terribly relevant haha she was just really adorable. For a while after she was dropped off she sat on my lap while she played with various little toys, then I got her to crawl around a bit and explore with the big kids (making sure they weren’t getting too rough with her). But yeah, it all went really well and there were no tears, so that’s good with me. At one point someone from the 2′s room came in asking if we had an extra diaper, and they had these new “childproof” locks on all the cabinets and well, they were quite complicated little contraptions lol, I did eventually manage to get them off, but did manage to scratch my hand a a pointy edge, and I’m just like shouldn’t childproof things not have sharp edges?? Granted, it was set up so that a child probably wouldn’t be able to get to that part, but still. So yeah. Since things were relatively calm and we got the tv connection to downstairs working I was able to listen to a good amount of the sermon, which was good. Our female pastor was speaking on grieving and the many forms it can kind of take on in our lives, and one of the things she was saying was grieving a season of our lives when we have to move on, and that kinda resonated with me because no matter what ends up happening, my life is gonna be changing somewhat drastically over the next few months, and I can’t shake this feeling I have that I’m going to get the New York job, and part of me has kind of been dreading that, because at this point I’m not really sure if I want to leave Chicago. But as fun as the last few months have been, if I get the job I know that’s going to be a sign that I need to move on from this. And I think that may be the best course of action anyway. Things have been mostly good, but I’ve had some emotional turbulence lately that reminded me of previous negative periods in my life, and that hadn’t happened in quite a while, and I just don’t know if I should stay in an environment where I’m at risk for that happening. I just don’t want to move back to New York and end up friendless and lonely, much like how I was for the first two years I lived in Chicago. But I’m leaving it up to God, if I get the New York job I am going to take it and move back there, trusting that this is what the plan he has for me. One thing the pastor said was “if you won’t move on from a past season, you��re going to miss all of the great things God has for you in the next one” or something along those lines and that really resonated with me. So yeah, that was good. Service ended, cleaned up the room and headed out, ride home was fine, just made the bus from the train by about 30 seconds, so that’s always a good feeling. When I got home I made some food and then dived into more secured transactions studying, I’m somewhere over 200 cards now and up to page 36 out of 47 so not bad at all. I worked on those until around 7, at which point I called it for the day. I was having a bit of a craving for vanilla pudding, but I didn’t want to put all the effort into making homemade when it would take forever to chill and set anyway, and I did have a packet of instant pudding mix, so I made that and well, it tasted quite artificial unfortunately. I tried to improve it by adding some crushed up oreos, which kinda helped, but also made the whole thing a caloric nightmare, so I need up abandoning that plan. Oh well. I went to watch episodes 4 and 5 of Krypton, during episode 4 I paused it to take a phone call from my parents. So I was telling my dad about the Title IX stuff (I have to tell my civil rights professor about it tomorrow, he’s gonna flip) because the girl contacted me today about how to file a complaint and she’s gonna do it, so I was pleased to do that. She did a bit of digging and found that the school was also violating something called the Clery Act which has to do with reporting crime statistics on campus, which was something they were not at all doing, so I hunted down how to file a complaint under that statute as well. I honestly have zero sympathy for the school at this point because they’ve had this a LONG time coming, we were dealing with Title IX bullshit way back in the beginning of my senior year in 2013, and I’ve heard many other stories of them just totally screwing people over, so the former student lawyer they created being the one to take them down sounds like perfect poetic justice to me. So of course my dad was pleased to hear that. If I ever do end up in private practice, or maybe just as a side thing, I would definitely consider doing some Title IX cases in practice, I’ve had some luck with it so far and it’s an area that desperately needs advocates for the students who tend to fall through the (numerous) cracks in the system. He was then telling me about the crazy case my brother was doing that involved this lady coming up to this guy and telling him that his wife was having an affair with her husband, and guy responds with well hey we should have an affair then and she was like um no??? and then he started stalking her and apparently came to the fucking SCHOOL where she works with a fucking rifle in his car, so he got arrested for that real fast, but then his wife, the one that was having an affair with this lady’s husband, bailed him out, but he violated the OP in like two days so he got arrested again and they bumped the bail up from $10K to $50K, so hopefully that will make him stay put for a while, though then again this is the Hamptons so who knows what will happen. I also told my brother there were some real nuts out there. My dad then was talking about his latest campaign regarding opiate addiction and how to potentially approach it from a legal area, because the first suits are only just being filed now, but it looks like the companies are gonna be HELLA liable for taking huge measures to straight up lie to the public that these drugs weren’t addictive when they very much new they were, so they’re gonna get screwed over there (as they should be). When I got off the phone I realized Brooklyn 99 was on, so I tuned into that and of course it was a fantastic episode, I loved Amy chasing down the guy in the wedding dress and using the sash as handcuffs 😂 that was too hilarious. After that I went back to Krypton, watched the rest of episode 4 and then episode 5, so I’m not officially caught up to what’s currently airing, though I still can’t wait it live because we don’t get syfy (ughh). But yeah, I’m digging it so far, it’s super interesting and I want to know more about their society and how it works. I absolutely love Lyta, she’s such a fucking badass who refuses to take anyone’s crap and basically I adore her. I like Adam Strange a lot too, this dork, he’s just fantastic. So yeah, I’m done with that so I guess I’ll go back to GoT when I have free tv time after watching my various currently airing stuff. It was like 9:45 when I finished Krypton, but I didn’t want to go to bed quite yet so I just turned on the news for a bit before starting to get ready for bed, and then I was here writing this. Tomorrow is my last day of class, ever, so that’s kind of exciting? I’m mostly excited to be done, lol. Can’t wait for this to just be over and be on the other side of finals, and only have to worry about the bar and not a bunch of other things. Sigh. So much to do. But I’m pretty tired now so I think I shall end this here. Goodnight lovelies. Have a positive Monday, even if your Mondays suck.