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jamestrmtx · 3 years

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Fairytale Complex - [Undertale | Sans x Reader]

[Gender Neutral, Frisk's Parent Reader | Slow Burn]

Chapter Twenty | Ooo (Part 1 of 2)

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Alternate Chapter Title: Before the Clock Strikes Midnight

• • •

Knock-knock.

However common, the sound makes you jolt. You stop everything you're doing to check on your schedule, needing to consult with it first to better establish yourself into reality. It takes a few pages and some seconds of reading for you to determine you don't expect any visitors today.

Knock-knock.

"One moment," you shout; stress spikes as you fail to wrap things up quicker, having to bring the stew into a boil before turning it off.

You're not sure what to anticipate from the one waiting at the door, nor why it's worrying your thoughts as much as it is. A knock was nothing to be afraid of, as wasn't receiving a surprise visit if you were to consider how tidy your home was and how up-to-date you were with your responsibilities. Regardless, the sound of the door opening sends all meditating techniques aside and panic replaces your search for serenity and reasoning. You rush off to the living room and get ready to face whoever's there, though not without letting that alert state show through your posture and the way you hold on tight to the knife you used for cutting the vegetables.

"Who's-"

Warmth leaves your body the second you see who the person is; the knife almost falls, yet the visitor rescues it by its handle and gives it back to you afterwards. Your offensive stance vanishes and you find yourself incapable of storing the weapon away without making yourself seem like an anxious mess. The man stares at you throughout -- making matters worse, no doubt.

"G- God, I'm sorry!" you blurt out, frowning. "I thought you were-"

"I've had worse welcomes into strangers' homes," Bubbles says, remaining unfazed. "Though that still doesn't excuse the… oddity of your actions." He greets Frisk -- now closing the door of the living room -- with a nod and a smile. He then takes a small step forward and closer to you, cornering you in place without doing much about it. "Is there something wrong, (L/N)? You appear different from the first time we met."

You gulp tension away and attempt a smile.

"It's been a rough couple of months, so I've grown... worried about bad things happening," you reply, taking a breath. "N- Not even those two months without Frisk were as scary as these new changes. Back then, I had little to lose -- I'd already lost my own child; there wasn't much left around for me to keep living for. No reason for it. Frisk wasn't with me anymore, and… And I destroyed all my other relationships, so -- in the end -- I was alone and I didn't have anywhere to go." You huff and follow it up with a shudder. "But now… Now I've got plenty to lose and barely any ideas on how to prevent that from happening. I don't want to lose the progress I've made until now, and I… I don't want to keep screwing up so much, either."

"You should seek some sort of counseling, if so."

He takes a step back and sits on the couch when Frisk offers him to.

You copy the man's actions, choosing the recliner opposite to his seat to maintain eye contact with him.

"There's a fine line between fear and paranoia, and I believe you're crossing the latter now," he adds, frowning. "Or do you consider it normal to come running all the way from the kitchen to the living room, pointing a knife at me -- and looking as on-edge as you were just a moment ago?" He stops for a minute. "I understand you're being cautious, and that you're worried over Frisk opening the door to anyone who knocks on it, but your reaction just now was much different from the first day we met -- in a few ways positive, but in most ways not."

"I… I'll try to find some help, then," you reply, sighing. You then bring a hand to your forehead and rub at your temples, brow creasing in the process. "But... May I ask what's the reason for your visit? I thought our next meeting would be by the end of the year," you stop yourself at the feeling of being impolite, "...Not that I mind you visiting! I just… I thought I had more time to research more about monsters."

He keeps quiet for what feels like an eternity, heightened by the loud ticktock of the clock hanging nearby. "I can answer, but only if you promise me you'll be true to your word, and if you provide thorough evidence the next occasion we meet -- both with your counseling and research."

"I already have some on my research," you say, smiling. "Could I show it to you?"

"You should," he replies, impassive.

"E- Excuse me for a moment, then."

He nods.

Nodding back, you walk off to your room and clear your throat on the way there in an attempt at gaining some strength. You can feel your resolve debilitating with each second, likely product of the surprise visit, but undoubtedly influenced by factors beyond it. The bunny notepad gifted to you was still a work in progress. You'd barely just managed to cover half of the ten main people Frisk was associated with. Toriel, Papyrus, and Sans were the three you'd learned most about, while Undyne and Alphys had been left behind with the whirlwind you'd been pulled into since the monsters arrived at the Surface. It's difficult to admit you'd rather go back to how things were before Frisk ended up at the Underground, yet -- at the same time -- there's plenty of things that outweigh that desire, varying from the help and friendship both Toriel and Papyrus offered you, to the 'friends with benefits' sort of relationship you shared with the latter's older brother.

You brush those thoughts aside when picking up the notepad; priorities are rearranged as you step out and make way back to the living room.

No matter what, you weren't about to lose your child simply for allowing them to keep spending time with a group known to have hurt them first. Something had to be done, even if it involved you becoming an antagonist. As lovely as the monsters were and are, there are some sacrifices you're not quite ready to make yet -- however selfish some of these make you feel.

The routine of breathing in and out is kept in mind as you arrive at the living room, where -- true to his word -- Bubbles is still at. He's still sitting on the couch, but at a different spot as he leaves space for Frisk, who's showing him the hundred-piece puzzle they're more than halfway through finishing. A smile can be seen on his face, and he doesn't have his sunglasses on anymore, making him appear much more approachable now. That -- however nice of a sight to see -- changes when he looks up from the puzzle and stares down at you, smile changing to a firm line and eyes narrowing when meeting yours.

"Is that all your evidence?" he asks, gaze going further down to stare at the bunny notepad in hand. "Forgive me for saying this, but I'm afraid that doesn't seem like much, at first glance."

It isn't.

Bile forms in your throat and you're urged to squeeze the notepad tight, too anxious to let your muscles relax and too nauseous not to grow irate. "It's possible it might not be much," you confess, frowning. You then bite on your lower lip to prevent your voice from lowering. "I've had a tough time deciding, and…" You sigh and loosen your shoulders afterwards. "And then other things got in the way, but... Judging by the situation, I should wait until you ask me what these things are, shouldn't I?

"That would be preferable," he replies, gaze and mouth softening. "Care to place that notebook on the table? I'll only need a few minutes to look through it."

"Of course."

With that final agreement, you approach the coffee table and set the evidence down. An instinct to flee from the scene while he reads overcomes your senses, though you remind yourself of the severity of the situation and what lies ahead. You sit back down on the recliner and tap your foot as you wait for him, an action you can't bring control over with how shaky your entire body is. Even so much as keeping yourself in one place feels like a challenge you're not exactly ready to overcome presently. Regardless, you comply and distract yourself by looking at Frisk, who's still finishing with their puzzle.

"It's been months, and yet this is the only information you've found?" Bubbles asks, fixing the sunglasses now resting on his head as he brings the notebook closer to him. "There's hardly ten people on this list, (L/N)," he adds, face scrunching as he reads through the list again. "Just what have you been up to this entire time?"

A combined sense of guilt and embarrassment take over, causing an overall inability to stare at him, already hard to do with the intensity of his gaze. "I've been touring the Underground," you begin, bracing yourself with a breath. "I was also hospitalized for a while, and then there was some... personal trouble with my ex-husband the day after I, well…" Your face burns at the thought. "Spent the night at a hotel with, uh… monster number three."

Bubbles eyes the list again and stops immediately.

"Serif?" he asks, showing you the notebook and pointing at his name. He then looks back to it and skips through a few pages. A subtle curve shows up on his mouth, almost making him appear as if he's smiling. "I assumed as much, judging by how much there's written about him." Sighing, he closes the notepad and stares at you again. "But spent the night in a literal sense, or-"

"Literal!" you exclaim, too stressed to bear listening until the end. "We're not dating, but…"

"You wish you were?"

"Uh… Kinda?"

His neutral expression changes to a subtle frown. "That doesn't answer my question, unfortunately."

"I'm not sure," you elaborate, huffing as you furrow your brow and grimace, headache returning. "We've… We've called each other nicknames a couple of times, and we almost kissed once, but, well…"

"Wasn't he the one troubling you the most?" he asks, frown growing more prominent. "While I do not wish to question you over who you befriend, this is the same man you informed me about a few months ago, who -- quote: 'threatened Frisk with death and did very little to help them out in the Underground'." He stops to breathe in deep, huffing just as loud after. "Can you sincerely admit to me you've developed a crush on him ever since then -- cross your heart?" he adds, forehead wrinkling and hands folding over the notebook. "Has he shown any repentance over his actions for you to be forgiving him so easily?"

"That's exactly why ren's not dating him officially yet!" Frisk intervenes, standing up from their seat like a lawyer would do when defending their client. "They-"

"Please, do not interrupt us. It's for your own good, Frisk (L/N)."

"But it's true," they state, persisting. "I-"

"It's been roughly three months since I last gave this home a visit, and yet I've seen little progress made with the only task I assigned to you, (L/N)," he says, standing up straight. "You were meant to determine and establish which monsters are safe to have around Frisk, and which ones aren't, but -- so far -- the only information you've given me's going stagnant with how long it's taken you to make a decision."

You're the one to stand up next, against letting yourself feel weaker.

"That's what I've been doing, even if it looks like I haven't made any progress," you reply, fists clenching. Your heart races faster with each moment that passes, making you seek some calm through the reminder of how fragile your current physical state is. "I- I've toured half of the Underground with that same man, I've settled an agreement with Toriel as to how much time she's allowed to spend with Frisk, and I'm... I'm trying to understand number three's intentions by-"

"By dating him."

"Please, let me finish."

Bubbles chuckles and crosses his arms, staring down at you afterwards. "Alright." He sighs and loosens up as he massages the bridge of his nose. "Then, would you be kind enough to explain to me what you've learned about him so far? And just why haven't you made a decision yet, if you happen to know him that well?"

"He's, uh…" You hesitate with a frown. "He's difficult to understand, but he... He means well, and I trust his intentions better these days."

"This is the same man you were accusing of being a hypocrite the first day you met him."

"And now it's been months, sir." You harrumph when noticing the sudden rise in your tone. "I've learned enough now to know he doesn't mean any harm."

"And to what extent would you say your trust towards him goes?" he asks, uncrossing his arms and softening his gaze. "Is it enough for you to accept his and Toriel's offer of having you and your child in that new school? Or enough to still hesitate when asked about the nature of your relationship with him?" His stern mouth turns to a frown, revealing whole-hearted concern. "How can you trust him enough for one thing, but not the other -- if one is much more weighted than the other?"

You take a second to think and calm down some more. His questions make rounds about your mind as you weigh the pros and cons of not only your relationship with monster number three, but with everyone else, as well. Finding an answer proves difficult the more you stay quiet to reflect on the heaviness of both sides. Either way, consequences would soon follow, and you were required to act fast -- judging by Bubble's words. If you wanted to let Frisk keep their relationship with the monsters and for you to maintain your own, you needed to speed things up more than you would want to, given how much willpower you have left.

"Because even then, they're still different things," you speak up, breaking the silence. "Accepting that job offer and letting Frisk go to Toriel's school isn't the same as opening my heart out to someone new, when I screwed up big time seven years ago with a different guy."

Bubbles takes the notepad and gives it back to you. Then, he fixes his attire and looks at the time. His expression is hard to read with how serious his eyes and mouth have become, though his calm tone reveals he's neutral over the situation when he replies with, "Who you date is none of my concern, so long as it is done with another consenting adult, and so long as it doesn't bring any harm upon Frisk. The same goes for your friendships, but time's running out, and I need you to start making decisions soon." He stops to slip his sunglasses back on, masking his gaze, smoothened by sympathy for what seems like a split second -- if not less. "It's either that, or I'll have to make them for you." He sighs. "And as I'm sure you know, these aren't the best for you or your child. It's what the department requires for the safety of Frisk, above anything else."

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• • •

Stay tuned for a Pride Month related notice after the next update is out.

As always, take care, stay safe...

...And Happy Pride! 🌈😄

• • •

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#sans x reader #undertale x reader #lgbt #lgbt themes #gender neutral reader #male reader #female reader #mother reader #father reader #parent reader #chubby reader #long fic #romcom #adventure #mystery #platonic relationships #slow burn

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alnoman25 · 3 years

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How to clean a fabric sofa?

Extend the life of your fabric sofa : Cleaning and care.

The comfort and beauty that give us the sofa fabric have made them favorites to decorate the main hall, and any other environment that we want to dress in a beautiful and comfortable furniture . Unfortunately, one of the main disadvantages of fabric upholstery is that they are very prone to staining and dirt accumulating from continuous use, problems that spoil the impeccable original appearance of our furniture.

Despite the fact that furniture manufacturers have increasingly chosen to use highly resistant and durable fabrics , some even with special anti-stain treatments that extend their life and beauty , a fabric sofa will always need regular care and cleaning on which it will depend. in a lot that we can enjoy our favorite armchair for much longer .

Therefore, it is convenient to know the most important aspects related to cleaning a fabric upholstery, as well as those simple but valuable tricks that will help us keep our furniture with a perfect and pleasant presence for many years.

Before cleaning

First of all, before we risk improvising or trying cleaning products and techniques that may be counterproductive for upholstery, it is important to know some fundamental characteristics of our sofa:

Type of fabric: it is always recommended to inquire about the type of fabric used in our furniture, in general, synthetic fabrics such as microfiber are the most used for their qualities of softness and resistance , which makes them easier to clean ; However, we can also find cotton, wool, canvas, velvet or other covers , with differentiated characteristics that are worth knowing so as not to make irremediable mistakes when cleaning them.

In general, it should be known that cotton, linen and wool are natural fibers , fresh, resistant and light , they quickly absorb any substance that could stain them and therefore require greater care , but they tolerate machine washes very well and they stain with ease. While chenille and velvet should be kept away from the application of heat , such as the dryer or the iron, dry cleaning is always preferable for them . For its part, the canvas is very strong and supports well both washing with hot water and brushing.

Manufacturer's Recommendations:

In addition to knowing the type of fabric, it is relevant to know the specific recommendations that the sofa manufacturers give us for cleaning the upholstery, generally we can find a label among the cushions that informs us about the most precise cleaning instructions that we must try to respect. at all times .

Removable covers:

If we have a piece of furniture that we can undress to put the covers in the automatic washing machine or wash them by hand, this will be a great advantage in cleaning , otherwise we know that we must stick to dry cleaning and cleaning in place , and we probably should Use a professional cleaning service when stains are very difficult to remove with these methods.

Daily cleaning

Once we know the characteristics of the sofa that we will take into account at the time of cleaning, we must also consider that the care of our furniture is a task that must be carried out regularly , such as the general cleaning of the home, and must include care such as the following:

Vacuuming and brushing:

A fabric sofa is usually the perfect magnet to attract dust, dirt, pet hair and other residues that, when accumulating between the cushions and on the surface, represent a difficult hygiene problem that in addition to causing allergy problems and bad odors that they disturb people's rest, impair the aesthetics of the upholstery and the furniture looks dull, unpleasant and unappealing; For this reason, the recommendation is to vacuum the entire furniture every two weeks or at least once a month .

For vacuuming it is preferable to use a handheld vacuum cleaner with the appropriate head for upholstery and with a gentle vacuuming cycle , especially if the fabric of the sofa is delicate. We must also take care to vacuum very well in all parts of the furniture, including the back and preferably follow a crisscross movement to cover everything, without forgetting the folds and grooves between the cushions.

After vacuuming, we can brush with a very soft bristle brush or a special one for fabrics , in this way we will prevent the surface from being crushed and we will remove any lint or peeling that has formed on the fabric.

Simple cleaning:

A superficial cleaning and with a frequency of at least once every two weeks can be done without having to remove the sofa, cleaning the fabrics directly on the furniture . To do this, just use a mild detergent diluted in a little warm water , soak a clean cloth in the mixture, squeeze lightly so that the upholstery does not get too wet, and gently rub over the entire surface in slight circular movements . Then rinse the cloth in clean water , squeeze and wipe it all over the furniture again. Let the cushions dry very wellto later enjoy our sofa completely dry and clean again .

A deeper cleaning:

Although we regularly do a simple cleaning of the upholstery, it will also be advisable to carry out a more intense one less frequently, at least once a month we can remove all the fabrics to sanitize them in the washing machine or do a hand wash . In the event that our fabrics are very dirty, it will be appropriate to soak them for a few hours with a neutral soap and warm water , and then place them in the washing machine on a delicate cycle . It is not advisable to add bleach, fabric softener or some very abrasive product. For dryingIt is important not to apply temperatures above 40º C or expose the fabrics directly to the sun , in any case it is preferable to let them dry in the open air in the shade.

Dry cleaning:

If it is not possible to remove the fabrics from the sofa, we can do what is known as a “dry cleaning” , cleaning the fabrics directly on the furniture ; For this, there are numerous commercial products of very good quality with which excellent results are obtained, among these the spray foams stand out , preferred by many people for their practicality and effectiveness , these foams contain active ingredients that achieve good cleaning and help to remove light stains , it should only be sprayed on the surface and let it act for a few minutes and then wipe with a damp towel, the fabric will look a little wetbut it will dry quickly to let us enjoy a flawless sofa .

The magic of home tricks

If you do not have the budget for special cleaning products for upholstery, there are many very inexpensive alternatives with ingredients that we usually have at home and with which a good cleanliness is achieved .

Alcohol:

For example, common alcohol can be placed in a spray bottle to spray the fabric and then pass a soft bristle brush and finally pass a clean cloth , we will notice that the dirt remains on the cloth and the alcohol evaporates quickly leaving a sanitized surface and nice .

Lemon juice:

Another alternative is to mix in a container with a spray bottle ½ cup of water , 1 glass of alcohol , ½ glass of lemon juice and 1 large tablespoon of liquid or dishwasher detergent , mix very well and spray in sections on the fabric, we will brush each part and passing a slightly moistened cloth to remove the dirt, we will be able to distinguish between the clean areas and those that have not yet been worked on as we progress, the difference is remarkable and the final result is great.

When to clean stains:

To prevent our sofa from looking ugly due to those undesirable stains on the upholstery, the ideal is to act very quickly in the event of any accidental spillage. When any substance falls on the fabrics, the first thing to do is try to absorb it quickly with a clean and dry cloth , to prevent it from penetrating the fabric. After that we can act depending on the type of stain that we are going to treat, but always trying as the first option to simply clean with water and a mild soap , or rub the area with a cloth moistened with alcohol or vinegar .

Do you want to hire a cleaning service?

You do not have time? Don't worry, that's what we're here for. Hire our Sofa cleaning services if you do not know how to clean your sofa properly and if you avoid any contagion of diseases. We are also experts in the maintenance of furniture and carpets.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any cleaning service. Request your budget and enjoy an impeccable office!

Also be like:

The Best Window Cleaning: Tools And Techniques

SPRING CLEANING: 25 VERY USEFUL TRICKS, YOU CAN DO STEP BY STEP

#sofa cleaning #sofa cleaning tips #sofa cleaning hacks #sofa cleaning tricks #best sofa cleaning hacks #sofa cleaning tips and trickls

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #404

“death doesn’t answer when i cried for help”

The person you had the strongest feelings for dies, do you care? I'd be fucking devastated. It wouldn't feel real. Is there something you’re happy about at the moment? A few things. I'm still on that high of my APAP mask working, like I'm actually getting some fucking quality sleep, and I think I'm noticing the effects of my TMS therapy finally, too. My PTSD has most notably been much more bearable, and my interests are beginning to spread again. Do you want someone dead? No. Do you ever wonder what your ex is up to? I mean yeah, I think that's pretty normal, even for someone without my issues. Have you ever fed or taken care of a stray animal? Oh, many times. What is something you tend to worry about? My health and future. What is something you do that is unhealthy? Sit at the computer for way too long. I'm absolutely certain my vision is as poor as it is partially because of me endlessly staring at screens. What is something you do that is good for you? I'm not afraid to prioritize my mental health. What last caused you to force a smile? I was watching a Mark video for the first time in a while and was just reminded of how much I love and appreciate that moron. What was the last video game you played? Was it fun? Because you said "video" game, I guess I'll exclude computer ones, in which case I'm pretty sure it was Silent Hill 2. Given it's one of my all-time favorite games, of course I think it's fun. It's one hell of an emotional ride. What is something not many people know about you? The fact I was a dancer for many years would probably surprise people once they have a good idea of me and what I like. What word describes your basic style? Lazy, honestly. I dress for comfort, and given that's usually just pj pants and a tank top... yeah, I don't put much effort into my clothing when I'm going most places. Have you ever been told you were going to Hell? She kinda beat around the bush, but yes. Have you ever wanted to kill yourself? On more than one occasion. If yes, what convinced you not to go through with it? Well, I did OD once, but on the other occasions, it was the fear of the unknown that deterred me. Have you ever rejected a guy, only to have him push the issue by asking “why?” and insisting that you just need to get to know him better? Omg no, thank god. I would NOT handle that well. Is there something that you believe everyone should do and you can’t believe that some people don’t do it (e.g., recycle or go to the dentist regularly)? I didn't know 'til a survey question asked it that there are people who don't brush their tongue when brushing their teeth. Like holy shit dude, there are SO many germs on your tongue, clean that shit. Regarding the last good choice (healthy choice, kind choice, selfless choice, etc.) you made, what was your real motivation behind it? Ummmm the nearest that comes to mind is I guess taking my meds? I mean I do that every single day, but it's still a healthy choice for me. The motivation was because I am very serious about doing what I can for my mental wellbeing. What is something that you have had to practice at to get the hang of it? If you can’t think of anything, that’s okay, what’s something you are currently practicing at and trying to master? I really can't think of something for the first half of the question, but I can tell you that right now I'm attempting to force a routine of applying a therapy technique called "opposite action" into my daily life, where you, well, do the exact opposite of what your depression tells you to not do. It is WAY harder than it sounds, but I'm doing it with reading 30 minutes a day! Have you ever gone to the store to buy something, like a video game, when it came out at midnight? Not to my recollection, no. Regarding the last novel you read, was there a romance included? If so, was it central to the plot? The last novel I finished, yes. It wasn't central to the plot. Have you ever done relaxation meditations or listened to relaxation guides or positive-thinking/healing recordings? No, except in therapy when different therapists wanted me to experiment with it during a session. They just don't work for me. Do you have any interests that are also often shared by children? Yeah. Those are the one I'm especially self-conscious about. there something that could be a solitary activity but you really only like to do it with other people (e.g., watching movies, playing video games, etc.)? Watching movies or TV. Are you satisfied with the interior design or decoration in your home? Or do you think it needs a total home makeover? A makeover would be nice... Is there something that you’d like to own but you can’t find it anywhere? If not, can you a remember a time when you wanted something? Did you ever end up finding it or did you eventually stop wanting it? OKAY SO I actually have seen this custom-made once long after deciding I wanted it, but it was RIDICULOUSLY expensive. There's a location in the Silent Hill games called Heaven's Night, and I'd love love LOVE to commission someone to duplicate the neon pink sign of it to hang in my room. Hopefully one day I could still do it. Who makes you smile the most? Probably my cat, honestly. What piercings do you want/have? I've talked about the piercings I have, but I'll talk about those I want. My #1 is absolutely collarbone dermals, but as I've explained a billion times, I want to lose weight so the bones are more prominent for the sake of contrast; you can't really see my collarbones now, so I just think it'd look pretty dumb and random to just have random piercings somewhere around there with no dimension. I also want way more in my ears, dermals in my back dimples also once I've lost weight, my right nostril for the dozenth time (but this time I'll wear a hoop), and while I'd absolutely adore an undereye microdermal as well, it'd be pointless with glasses. :/ What's your favorite website? KM is my pride and joy and really feels like my online home, so despite using sites like YouTube more, that 'ole RP site has to be my fave. Do you own a fish tank with fish? No. I had fish bowls (AWFUL idea) as a kid, but never tanks Do you like the movie 300? Never seen it. Do you pop your knuckles? NOOOOOOOOOOO. I absolutely hate the sound. It makes me cringe and shiver. Do you have Photoshop? Yes. It comes in the Adobe CC photography bundle I have. Do you use tinypic or photobucket? I used Photobucket back in the day. Now I just upload to imgur. What’s your favourite song from the 1980s? You're talking to someone who adores classic rock/metal, haha. How about the 1990s? There are way too many songs to choose from. Have you won anything recently? No. How often do you make Excel tables? What for? Never. What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild? There was a poor fawn as roadkill on the highway recently. :/ Are you always available or online? Preeeetty much. Do you have dietary restrictions? Or do you just eat what you like? I can eat whatever. Do you prefer gold, silver or steel jewelry? Or no jewelry at all? Steel. I'm allergic to silver, and I think steel is more subtle than gold. Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what? No. If you dye your hair, do you do it yourself or go to a salon? I do it at a salon. If you have any, do you like your in-laws? I don’t have any. Would it bother you, if your partner had cut contact with their parents? If they had a good reason, no. Have you ever wondered whether you were adopted? As a kid I did because I thought Mom was meaner to me than my siblings, lol. What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe? ........... This question is a setup lmfao. Have you ever grown a berry bush? No. Have you done something new to your hair recently? No. It's been the same for quite a while. I wanna dye it badly. Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? I'm diagnosed with generalized and social anxiety, so yeah. I take Klonopin once and day and Ativan as needed for attacks. One thing you’ve experienced that you thought you never would have? HA, the first thing to come to mind was being noticed by Mark by making a viral (in the community, anyway) gif of he and his doggy. I shit you not, I couldn't sleep for three days lmfao. What was the last thing someone said to you that kept repeating over & over in your head? That I gained fucking seven pounds in two months at my last doctor appointment. I wanted to scream. How often do you have late nights out? Never. I'm a homebody. If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive? No. It would absolutely make me less productive. If you had the ability to change the weather, what would you change it to right now? Cool with a nice breeze, mostly clear skies, crisp air... That'd be nice right now. Is there something that you really need to do, but can’t seem to get motivated to do it? I say it all the time: finish decorating my room. It's funny, because I KNOW I'll feel more at home and cozy with my bedroom more personalized. Most disturbing movie you have ever seen? Paranormal Entity. The ending was... a lot. Has a life goal or dream ever come true for you yet? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think you’ll achieve it? Not that I can think of. .-. I hope I can achieve some... Have you ever had food poisoning? No, thank God. What are you listening to? "The Man Who Made a Monster" by Dance With the Dead. Do you think there will be a WWIII? I find it inevitable at some point down humanity's future. People are too hateful for it not to eventually. Has anyone ever asked you if you were emo? Yeah. Has someone ever liked you that you never thought would? Maybe? Idk. In all honesty, can a person be too nice? Yes, in some instances. Has one of your friend’s boyfriends ever tried to cheat on them with you? Yes, when I was around 12. And I let it happen. It's one of my biggest regrets. Is mental abuse really as bad as physical abuse? Of course it is. Emotional abuse can cut just as deep as some physical blows, or even deeper. Do you shop at Sephora for make-up? No. Zelda: Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time? I'm actually not into TLoZ. Do you own a rosary? I did as a kid growing up in a Catholic Sunday school. If you were homeless, how would you cope? If I had no loved ones in my life and no sign of things getting better, I'm honestly preeetty sure I'd end my life.

#survey #surveys #random questions #lyrics: ''under the graveyard'' by ozzy osbourne

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bouwrites · 4 years

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Even Heroes Have the Right to Dream: Chapter 14

Sorrow hides well in your shell, a fellow man with hurt to spare.

First, Previous, Next. Ao3.

Story under read-more.

When Jon goes to Paris, a few days after Christmas, he and Marinette have their first true date. According to Marinette, she has to bribe Nino and Kagami to lock Alya and Adrien away together just to be sure they won’t be interrupted, but it’s definitely worth it.

Frankly, Jon is just relieved that it seems to be accepted here that Adrien wants to stalk their date in the same supportive best friend way Alya does, and not that he’s jealous or… well, Jon admittedly doesn’t know the guy that well. They’ve only spoken now and then when Marinette was already on the phone, really. That and stories. Him being Marinette’s ex makes Jon just a tad wary – not about him being around Marinette, but for the future friendship between the two of them personally – but he trusts Marinette’s word that Adrien’s alright with them, and he trusts the rest of her friends, too, so he has no reason to doubt the guy.

Either way, Jon’s first date goes off without a hitch. Mostly, anyway. He’s not exactly sure what he’s supposed to do on a date, so he’s a bit awkward, but Marinette thankfully seems to find it more endearing than insufferable.

They spend most of the day wandering around, stopping by major landmarks. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame cathedral, but really, every corner they turn seems to have some crazy landmark on it. Even if it’s not strictly a landmark, but just an old fountain or building. The public water fountains may as well be art pieces, for heaven’s sake! Hell, even the modern buildings are so different here! Jon knows Marinette’s family lives over their bakery, but that’s not a common thing in Metropolis. When she shows him her childhood home, he can’t believe just how cute it all is.

He has, though, had Marinette’s baking enough times by now to believe completely just how tasty her parent’s work is. I am the luckiest boy alive.

It’s not Jon’s first time in Paris, but it is the first time he’s ever looked around. Doing it hand in hand with Marinette makes it the best day ever.

Eventually, they exchange Christmas gifts. Marinette tells him of the scarf she made Adrien back in their teenage days, how his father somehow took the credit for the gift and how she didn’t tell him the truth until much later. She’s nervous about it all, and says she doesn’t want to look like she’s just doing the same thing with him as she did with Adrien, but a scarf was her first real gift to him, she says, and she thinks that turned out pretty well all things considered, change in life paths and breakup notwithstanding.

Plus, she wants to surprise him, and he has to admit he really does expect her to have made clothes that she made such a production of fitting him for last semester. But she’s clever like that.

Jon gets it, and honestly, he doesn’t think twice about the backstory either way when he sees the scarf. The inspiration is obvious, though the technique… Jon hasn’t the faintest idea how Marinette goes about capturing the night sky in fabric. It’s like knitted midnight, stars and all, and Jon – he knows he’s a nerd, but he has to check – quickly finds Cygnus as a reference point and starts mapping out the stars. It’s not a perfect map, not to his memory, anyway, but it’s clearly put together with a lot of care.

Marinette isn’t as much of a geek as him, and this isn’t just the zodiac constellations in order, so he knows she has to have found star charts and referenced them to make this, which is way more work than he’d ever expect for a gift that seems, on its surface, so simple. Especially since she must have done this between Thanksgiving and now, and a lot of that time is dedicated to finals.

Now his present seems lame.

Or, well, Marinette still lights up when she opens the jewelry box and sees the little pewter pentagon inside, so Jon supposes it can’t be that bad. If she’s smiling, he didn’t fail, so he’ll take it. “It means hope.” He says quietly, reminding her as he snuggles into the scarf around his neck.

“I remember.” Marinette giggles. “Thank you, Jon.”

Jon lets out a tense breath. In truth, in addition to it just being really small and lame compared to what she gives him, Jon is afraid it may be a little… too much. Because ultimately, it is his family’s crest. Yes, these days, and on Earth, it’s more associated with Superman and heroism, which in itself poses a potential problem with the gift, but to give her his family’s crest to wear is… suspiciously close to a promise ring.

Now, Jon isn’t anywhere near ready for that kind of step, and he doubts Marinette is, either, but the symbol also means hope, and that… that is something that defines how he views her. She gives him hope for the future. She gives him hope for peace and for a life unbound by Superboy and heroes.

In a lot of ways, the gift of the symbol is extremely ironic. But frankly, Jon appreciates that. And, if anyone asks, he can brush it off by saying he’s from Metropolis (sort of) so he’s a Superman fan. For everyone not in the know, it’s just a small gesture to bring Marinette a little closer to her boyfriend’s home. Perfectly innocuous. It works.

And Marinette’s clever, certainly cleverer than him. One look at her face tells him she picks up on all those little meanings and more, and that she appreciates it.

The glittering of her eyes may as well be the stars out in Hamilton County, though Jon has to admit, the Eiffel Tower lit up as they pass by on the Seine is pretty spectacular as well. It’s there, under the first facsimile of the environment of their first attempt, that Marinette fiddles with the scarf around his neck, bunches it up in her hands, and gently tugs him down.

It’s strange. Out in the tree in the country, there’s no one around. It’s him, her, the bugs, and the stars and that’s about it. Here, on a crowded boat on the Seine, under the sparkle not of stars but of lights not suspended millions of light years away, but towering over them very real and raw and bright, when he leans closer to Marinette, it’s not all that different than it was the first time. The night is colder, but it feels warmer without the biting wind of flat farmland. The light is harsher, but it’s also more grounded. When he looks into Marinette’s eyes, there’s no difference in the night. What he feels inside of him is exactly the same. This moment is the same.

Except that the soft wisp of breath across his lips doesn’t startle him this time. This time, he doesn’t stop until proper contact is made. He doesn’t jump away at all, actually. He can stand here and let Marinette steal the breath from his lungs like this until he suffocates, and he’d be happy.

It’s short. Just a peck, really. Sweet and chaste and Jon really wouldn’t have it any other way. Not yet. As far as he’s concerned, as first kisses go, this is perfect. It’s not Jon’s first kiss ever, though nearly so, but it is his first kiss with Marinette, and that’s just as important.

Everything, the kiss, this night, the date, it’s all beyond Jon’s wildest dreams. Jon almost can’t believe himself for just how deeply in love he is. It’s ridiculous given he hadn’t truly thought of her in such a way until Thanksgiving, but… everything was primed. Perfectly primed for them to fall in love. All they needed was the catalyst, a starlit dance, a magic carpet ride, and that’s it for him.

Jon gets a curious text, before the break ends. It’s from Sam, and the first thing he thinks when he reads it is that she must be drunk. In fact, he actually calls Kasey to ask her to check in on Sam for him, because she has to be either inebriated or delirious and she may need someone to take care of her right now.

Kasey just tells him in no uncertain terms that no, Sam isn’t drunk, she’s just trying to one-up Marinette after the argument they had before finals. Jon is well aware of what happened then, but even still he asks her to double check, because… well… Jon has trashed the entire text conversation with Sam three times now, and is quite frankly too afraid to even click into the conversation at all when he sees that she sends him an image. Not after the first one she sends.

Jon honestly thought only guys did that. He’s had guys send him pictures like that unsolicited before, but girls? Not once, thankfully. Not until today.

Logically, he knows he should keep a record of the messages, but for Sam’s decency he just deletes sight (thankfully) unseen. If he really needs a record, he’s sure Damian or Tim can dig it up. Both are professional, and if it gets to that point, he’ll have a lot more to worry about than people seeing those pictures. Jon is hoping it doesn’t come to that, though. Honestly, given he’s adamantly not looking at that conversation, he’s not even entirely sure the pictures are what he’s thinking they are. But even if they are, and even if Sam isn’t drunk, this is most likely just lashing out and trying to manipulate him with… carnal pleasures, or something. Funny that she thinks that will work on him, or that she’d want him if she does think it’ll work on him.

Clearly, her logic is not there at the moment, so he’s just going to let her tire herself out and kindly refrain from actually looking at any picture she sends him. That, and tell Kasey and Marinette what’s happening. Kasey, because she can hopefully get Sam under some sort of control, and Marinette for obvious reasons.

Funnily enough, he gets a text from Louise warning him about Sam’s little outburst. Too late, but he appreciates that she thinks to try. That’s two testimonies saying that Sam has basically just gone off her rocker tonight. Jon hopes she figures it out. He really doesn’t like blocking numbers, but if this continues beyond this one outburst, he’s not going to have much choice.

Marinette handles it maturely enough that it honestly doesn’t bother him much. He definitely sees more than he wants to, just because the first image is unexpected so he doesn’t know not to look, but she thankfully isn’t completely undressed in that first one. And it doesn’t upset him. He actually feels a bit bad for her. He’s been trying to gently let her down all semester (and he realizes now that he probably didn’t have the best tactic, but even so he’s positive he was obvious), so he figures this is just her last ditch, desperation attempt. It’s… really sad.

Like, really sad. Maybe she’s trying to win him over with pity? Whatever the case, after a short conversation with Louise, Kasey, and Marinette, Jon just silences his phone and puts it away. When he checks it later, he deletes whatever Sam’s sent him and lets the other girls know that it’s stopped for now.

All in all? What a strange day. Jon makes a note to avoid Sam in the future if Marinette isn’t there – not that he usually sees the girls without Marinette around since they’re her group more than his, he has his boys – but otherwise tries to just put the whole day behind him. He doesn’t hear from Sam again, which is sad because she was a friend, but he’s not beat up about it because if she was telling the truth to Marinette, and her recent, pitiful attempt to steal him from her possibly just to hurt her tells him she probably was, that’s not a good friend, anyway. It’s sad, but they’re better off now. He’ll get over it in time.

He’s lucky he was never really that close to her. Her flirting ironically kept her more distant from him than the other girls. He does make sure to stick close to Marinette when he can, though. She’s strong, but it’s still a friend betraying her. She insists she’s been through worse, which Jon is sadly sure is true (he’s been through worse himself), but that doesn’t mean he’s going to let her handle it all on her own.

(When he explains the situation to the boys, he gets a string of four simple messages, one from each of them, reading, “yikes,” which makes both him and Marinette chuckle. A small joy, to lift the atmosphere. It works with aplomb.)

When the next semester starts and Jon has Marinette full-time, he takes full advantage of that fact to hang off of her whenever he can. Not only is he stubbornly trying to stop her from thinking too much about Sam, he also just gets a lot of free cuddles. (He still can’t believe he gets to cuddle Marinette like this.)

It’s hard to say, but he thinks it’s working. Either way, it has a side effect of overcoming the hesitance they have about their new boundaries in their new relationship, and Jon is more than happy to have Marinette draping herself over his lap like he’s just a comfy pillow. So, it’s a win-win.

A lot more goes on, too, but it’s all just casual, normal stuff. Jon teases David about not being with Tamias yet when even Jon managed to make it official with Marinette, he and Marinette give some awkward explanations about how they started dating and their holidays overall, Jon raves to the boys about the scarf that Marinette made for him, sending Jesse absolutely wild because dude, that’s Jagged Stone’s designer and you got a custom piece from her! Holy cow!

All fun and games, and their semester goes well, too. Jon has a semester of his foreign language class under his belt now, and is officially using Marinette to cheat (or, as he prefers to call it, check his work) on his French assignments. Marinette loses all shame about using him as a mannequin. Sometimes, they do both those things at the same time.

Marinette surprises him with a shirt, with a lame, cheeky excuse of some-week-iversary, which prompts Jon to get her flowers “just because” which starts a small gift war between the two of them which only stops when they both sit down and agree to stop wasting money on each other.

Jon adores the shirt, though. It’s just a simple black button-up with large, colored horizontal pleats (red, blue, yellow) on the outside of the short sleeves, but it’s comfortable, fits him better than anything else he owns, and it’s a gift from Marinette. He wears it whenever he can.

And that’s how life is for the next few months. Even summer comes and goes smoothly, despite some frustration on Jon’s part at the distance from his girlfriend (His girlfriend!! That still makes him feel fuzzy inside!) but even then, their powers and pasts are put to good use letting them visit each other much more often than normal long-distance relationships would allow.

Jon doesn’t think he jinxes it. He can’t remember when he does, if he indeed does so. But someone must, because it’s all going honkey dory until he gets a phone call from Damian.

Why is it that phone calls from Damian always seem to end in everything being chaotic for a while? Jon sighs as he picks up the phone, resigning himself to… whatever is going to happen, but rapping his knuckles on his wooden desk just for the hope. He’s barely gotten back to school, and it’s his final year here. He really doesn’t need this.

“Jon. You need to get home. Now.”

Jon knows that voice. That’s the “this is urgent; do as I say or die” voice. He knows better than to fight it. “Metropolis or the farm?” Jon asks, worried now. “Is Marinette in danger, too?”

There’s a sharp sigh from Damian’s side. “You’re not in danger.” He says.

Jon relaxes, and pauses his preparations to leave. If he’s not in danger where he is, then why on Earth is Damian sending him back home? Damian hasn’t bothered Jon about being a hero since their chat after Marinette found out about him. “Then you better explain.” Jon says tersely.

“Of course.” Damian clicks his tongue, a sharp sound that cuts even over the phone. “Last month, some members of the League investigated a fire in Cadmus Labs in D.C. They uncovered, among other things, a so-called ‘weapon’ created to, according to the files and the weapon himself, replace your father should he die, and kill him should he turn evil.”

Jon… honestly doesn’t know what to think about all this. “I haven’t been a hero for three years, dude.” Jon says. “This is going to hurt my brain, isn’t it?”

“It’s quite simple.” Damian snaps. “Using your father’s Kryptonian DNA, and Lex Luthor’s as a stabilizer, Cadmus created a genetic clone with the intention of replacing or killing Superman, whichever is necessary first. Understood?”

Jon furrows his brow, trying to wrap his head around it. “That’s not a clone, Dami. If it’s Dad’s and Luthor’s DNA that’s just my half-brother, isn’t it?”

“If you wish to think of it that way, then that works, too.”

“Where’d the mitochondrial DNA come from?”

Damian snorts. “I’m surprised you know what that is.”

“I did take biology.”

Damian clears his throat, as close to a laugh as the situation, and Damian’s demeanor, permits. “One of the paternal donors, most likely. There were no records of a female donor. This was not a normal process, obviously, and given you’ve manifested powers with a human mother I’m not sure we can know without testing him. Or that it really matters.”

Jon snickers. “Yeah, good point. So, in summary, I have a half-brother now?”

“Simply put, yes.”

Jon breathes deeply. “And… you said this was last month? Why didn’t Dad tell me this?”

“You’ll have to ask him that yourself, I’m afraid. Speaking of, do get going. The weapon seems to be beating him pretty badly right now.”

“Wait, they’re fighting?!” Jon exclaims, jumping back to his feet. Marinette comes out into the living room, looking at him with a clearly concerned expression, so Jon puts a finger to his lips and puts Damian on speaker.

“Yes, that’s why I told you to hurry home. The farm, by the way, to answer your first question.”

“Damian, I don’t fight! You know that! Can’t someone else stop them?”

“Stop two Kryptonians?” Damian scoffs. “Sure, let me just dig out my hoard of kryptonite and head over right away.”

“You say, as if you don’t have a hoard of kryptonite!”

“Do you really want me to use it?” Damian’s voice is terse and challenging, telling Jon that he absolutely will. Jon knows he will. “Because I have no other means to stop them, and you all have been very clearly against kryptonite in any form. I’m calling you because you can stop them without resorting to it. But if you do not want that courtesy, I’ll go stop them myself.”

“No!” Jon growls under his breath. “Damn it, Damian. I’m not fighting them!”

“Then talk to them. I don’t care how you stop them, just make sure that weapon doesn’t kill Superman.”

Marinette’s eyes go wide as the call ends abruptly. “Kill Superman?!” She gasps. “What’s going on.”

Freaking hell, Damian. Every time. “I’ve got a new brother.” Jon says, exasperated. “And he’s not getting along with Dad.”

“…What?”

“Yeah, I don’t know, either. In case you didn’t notice, Damian isn’t exactly the most helpful guy around.”

“That’s for sure.”

Jon sighs. “I have to go. I promise, I won’t fight, but one way or another, that’s my family. I have to-” Jon’s throat closes up involuntarily.

A fight. A Kryptonian, just like him and Dad. Duking it out with Superman. Jon is the only other person in the world strong enough to interfere with any relative safety. Aunt Kara must be really busy with something really far away or Jon wouldn’t be asked in the first place. It’s either this, or kryptonite, and by the time Damian can get the kryptonite over there, it might be over, anyway.

But… Jon hasn’t fought since he quit being Superboy. He can’t fight. Not just because of his promise, but because thinking about it…

“I’ll go with you.”

Jon’s eyes snap open, fixing on Marinette. “No! Not a chance! I don’t know anything about this brother, but he’s fighting Superman, and he has Kryptonian powers. I’m not letting you go out there!”

Marinette just sets her jaw and fixes a stern gaze on him. “Wayzz? Will your magic hold up against a Kryptonian?”

Wayzz titters awkwardly. “Ah, it is hard to say. There are limits to what I can shield from. It should hold up for at least a few attacks, but if you end up in an onslaught…”

“Then that doesn’t happen.” Marinette says simply. Her eyes turn back to Jon. “But I’m not letting you go alone, either. I’m not completely incapable, you know, and I’m not fighting, either. I’m going to support you.”

“Marinette…”

“Jon, you can barely think about seriously fighting without freezing. You are not going out there without protection. Understood?”

Jon swallows down the burning shame within him and nods. “Understood.” It’s strangely easy to fall back into submission when she takes that tone with him. Like when he follows Superman’s orders in the field. It’s the tone of a leader of her team, ensuring everyone makes it through safely, and years of training, even now, make Jon fall quickly into line.

“Wayzz, transform me.” The flash of green changes Marinette’s clothes and gives her a shield, and her piercing eyes fix once more into Jon. “Fill me in on the rest while we fly. Or would you rather I take the horse Miraculous out?”

Jon growls past the paralysis in his chest. “We’ll fly. You need to be caught up before we get there, so we need the time.” He sighs. “I just hope we don’t waste too much time.”

“He’ll be okay, Jon.” Marinette puts her hand on his shoulder. He leans into the touch, finding the same comfort in it as always, despite the suit. “We can do this. Peacefully. This is your brother, right? We can talk this out.”

Jon gets moving but doesn’t stop the conversation. “My brother that I only found out about just now.” He mutters. “Apparently, Dad’s known about him for a month. Damian, too, probably.”

And that hurts. That hurts most. Jon should at least be aware enough of the situation that a brother of all things doesn’t surprise him, even if the fight still does. How could Dad have kept that secret from me? Damian, too, but Damian is… well not family, for one, even if he may as well be a sort of weird cousin at this point. Damian not mentioning it hurts, but it’s honestly not that surprising. Damian always has secrets. He doesn’t make secret of that, at least. Jon’s own father, though…

Jon slips his arms around Marinette and takes off. They get out of the building in a blur and fly away too fast for anyone to see. Jon only slows down once he’s far enough that they can talk safely, and then only long enough to explain the situation fully to her, then he goes full speed once more to the farm.

They touch down in a smoldering field. Jon notes off-handedly that it’s an off-season field. Least none of the crop is destroyed. That I can see, anyway. Not too far away, Jon’s father, in his Superman suit, is being punched out of the sky by a feral-looking teenager.

That’s… an interesting, and very concerning, sight. Jon shares a look with Marinette, both unsure how exactly to step in.

When the teenager drops down to start beating Superman into the earth, Jon steps forward, but freezes, as if rooted to the spot. He can’t… he can’t step in. He can’t see those fists swinging, he can’t feel the heat of those stupid eye lasers, he can’t handle the rush of adrenaline through his system.

“Breathe.”

He can’t breathe, either. What the hell? What is even happening?

“Jon!”

“Jon?!”

“Jo- Superboy?!”

For a few, terrifying minutes, Jon doesn’t have any idea what’s happening. It’s almost like he blacks out, but he still sees everything. Blurs all around him, out of focus, everything’s green, there’s a roar in his ears, drowning out sound, cotton muffling his brain. It’s like he just shuts down.

It comes so quickly, but clears slowly. A steady hand and voice guide him back, and he follows it for its familiarity, muted as it is. When he shakes the last of the fog away, breathless and trembling, Jon needs a moment to reexamine the field.

The green is Marinette’s magic, a dome surrounding the two of them, a little birdcage of safety, where Jon can regain control of himself. Outside, Superman and the black-haired teenager stop fighting, both staring his way with open mouths. That’s one way to get them to stop fighting, I guess. Jon thinks bitterly. God, this is why I don’t fight anymore, Damian.

“I’m good, Marinette.” It’s mostly true. He’s fragile, liable to burst – into rage or tears he’s not quite sure yet – and he’s experiencing a number of things physically that he’s not sure even make sense to be feeling right now, but he’s present and he’s focused, as much as he can be, on the task at hand. That’s the most important thing. The rest can wait until they’re back home, just the two of them.

Marinette adjusts her hold on her shield, glaring at both the teenager and Superman, as if either of them may attack at any moment. “You sure? They’ve stopped fighting. No rush.”

“I-I’m good.” Jon repeats.

Marinette scowls, but drops her shield. The green dome around them disappears.

“Jon?” Superman speaks first. He looks pale, cold, clammy, sort of sick, almost like how Jon feels. “What are you doing here? You should be in New York. Are you okay? Who’s this?”

“I was in New York.” Jon hisses. As the numbness of his panic disappears, something much hotter fills in its place. “Until I got a call saying that my dad is fighting with my brother – thanks for telling me about that, by the way – and that I need to get over here before you kill each other.”

Jon makes no secret of the pure and simple fact that he is absolutely pissed off right now. Marinette, with how well Jon knows her now, looks no better, though she’s certainly controlling herself much better.

“You’re the original Superboy.” The teenager says quietly, with something like awe in his voice.

Jon sighs. “Yeah. I was Superboy. I’m not anymore, so I would like to know why I’m being called out here. If one of you would kindly explain?” Jon crosses his arms and looks at the both of them with the same look his mom gives him when he misbehaves.

Parental disappointment is… the only sort-of positive outlet he can think of for the rage he’s feeling right now. On the bright side, both Superman and the teenager have the sense to look abashed under Jon’s stern gaze.

“I’m Superboy.” The teenager says. “I was created by Cadmus to replace Superman should he fall, or kill him should he turn from the light.”

“Superboy.” Jon repeats, unimpressed. “That the only name you got?” Ordinarily, Jon would assume not, but an organization making people in secret doesn’t exactly give him faith in humanity.

The teenager falters for a moment. “…Yes.”

Jon sighs. “Okay. This is fine. Care to explain why you’re fighting Superman?”

The teenager hesitates for one more moment, then huffs grumpily and turns away. He looks like he’s only sixteen or so, so even though he’s a big guy considering that, the expression is kind of cute. Great. Jon thinks. My new brother is a Damian. He rolls his eyes. “Superman? Any input?”

“You shouldn’t be here!” Superman says, finally spurring into motion to approach him. Marinette plants herself between the two. It must be a hilarious image from an outside perspective, or even from Superman’s, considering she’s so much smaller than both the men. Even so, Superman stops advancing when Jon doesn’t call her off from her defense. “And who’s this?”

“I’m his girlfriend.” Marinette snaps. “And I’m just as angry with you as he is.”

Superman’s eyes go wide. “Marinette? You’re a-”

“Dad.” Jon snaps his fingers impatiently.

Superman clears his throat awkwardly, sending a wary glance over to the teenager. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t know if he was…”

“A spy.” The teenager says huffily. “Or an assassin.”

Superman sighs. “I’m going to have to figure out who leaked our address to him.”

“Good luck.” The teenager retorts.

“Enough!” Jon rubs at his temples. “Let me get this straight. You found my genetic half-brother a month ago. You decide to not only not tell me that I have a brother, but you hide him… where, exactly?”

“With the Titans.”

“Yeah, sure, because if he’s here to kill you, the Titans are totally safe.” Jon scoffs.

“They’re my friends!” The teenager protests.

Jon takes another deep breath. Marinette rubs his back. Thank God for Marinette. “So, my brother is with the Titans for a month, all the while you… investigate your son? And turn up with nothing, I assume?”

Superman sighs. “I didn’t ask for this.”

“Yeah, well neither did I!” Jon snaps. Superman recoils and ducks his head. “In fact, I distinctly remember asking to stop this! So, don’t try to play that card with me. Not right now. You’ve been investigating him for a month. So? Is he, or is he not, a threat?”

“I didn’t find anything to suggest he’s dangerous.”

“Thank you.” Jon sighs. “Now… Superboy. Bro. Whatever. What’s this fight about?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything.” The teenager says.

“Fine. Dad? Explanation?”

Superman sighs. “He’s upset because he feels like I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t.”

“…No. I don’t.”

“Ugh. Why, why, why, am I here?” Jon tilts his head back to look at the sky.

Marinette’s hand through his hair grounds him. With that and a deep breath and her murmured words, “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out. Superboy doesn’t seem like a bad kid. I think he’s just acting out.”

“Yeah.” Jon says back, under his breath. “I’m thinking the same thing.”

“I thought you retired.” The teenager says. “The original Superboy disappeared. That’s why I was made, because there’s no replacement for Superman anymore.”

“I did.” Jon says. “I am. There’s a reason I didn’t put on the cape to come out here, bro. I’m retired from hero work, and I’m living non-violently. I don’t fight. I’m just here because I found out my family is, and if I couldn’t talk you down, you’d have kryptonite being carted here by the buckets. I figured we’d all prefer that not happen.”

The teenager does recoil at the thought. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh. Did both of you really think the rest of the League would just ignore this?”

Superman rubs his neck. “I didn’t really have a choice, Jon.”

Jon firmly believes that one always has a choice – he has to, to stay true to his principles – but it’s not worth criticizing his dad for this. It’s clear the kid started the fight. “Look. Bro.”

“Why’re you calling me that?” The teenager is pulled back, guarded. Jon shares a look with Marinette and sighs. She’s got that analyzing look. “What? Bro? Because you’re my brother, and it’s a lot easier than saying Superboy. I may not use the name anymore, but that’d still be confusing right now.”

“You- just like that? I’m your brother?”

Jon calms down fully and softens his gaze as he looks at the teenager. “Yeah. You’re my brother. Aren’t you?”

A little too quickly, too eagerly, the teenager nods. “I am.”

“Good.” Jon thinks for a moment, watching the teenager. “The Titans didn’t give you a name? A civilian name, I mean, or even a Kryptonian name?” There’s no reason the Teen Titans would give him a Kryptonian name, Jon knows, but if he’s been around for a month, there must be something.

The teenager looks away. “No. I haven’t even been on missions with them. They’re just babysitting me.”

Ah, familiar disappointment. League’s orders, no doubt. They don’t trust him, they hope that a bunch of kids his age will get him to open up despite them clearly not trusting him, they ignore the danger that, if he is an actual threat, he risks to a bunch of teenagers.

Yeah, it’s the same old song. Jon can’t hate them for it; not long ago he probably would agree with them, and even now he doesn’t have a better alternative, taking into account the very real danger that a potentially mind controlled Kryptonian poses, but still. Jon really hates heroes right now. “Do you want a name?” He asks.

And damn, the kid nearly tears up just like that. Jon shares another look with Marinette. We are going to parent this kid so hard, aren’t we? But we haven’t been together long enough for kids. There’s a flash of amusement in Marinette’s eyes, like she reads his mind, and Jon sighs. I’m going to be that big brother. Great.

“You…” The kid says. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Jon says. “If you want to be a hero, you can go ahead and use Superboy if you want. I’m not using it anymore. But you’re going to need an identity if you aren’t just full-time, or you don’t pull a Beast Boy. But… since Dad and my identities still need to be secret, unless you get a civilian name, we can’t officially claim you as our family. See? So… I’ve got a name in mind. Two, technically. If you want.”

“Yes! Please!”

Jon doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the desperation the kid is trying so hard to hide. “How do you feel about Kon-El? We can call you Conner for an Earthling name. Last name Kent, obviously. Or Danvers, if you want to be Aunt Kara’s. I’m sure I could convince her.”

“Kon-El.” The kid repeats, awe clear now. “Conner Kent?”

Superman makes a face. “Where’d you get those names?”

Jon smiles. “Aunt Kara tried giving me a Kryptonian name, once upon a time. Kon-El was one of the options.” Jon looks over to the teenager. “If you don’t mind that that was mine, once, too.”

“Not at all!”

Aw. Jon swears he can see the kid smile. Just a little bit, but it’s there.

Superman frowns. “She didn’t tell me about that. What’d you land on?”

Jon flashes his dad a cheeky smile. “Jor-El.”

Superman steps back, like he’s hit by a train. “Named after your grandfather.”

Jon nods. “Just like my human name.” Superman retreats into thought, so Jon takes the chance to look to Marinette. She grabs his hand, entwining their fingers. Jon smiles. “So, I assume you two aren’t going to fight anymore?”

“No.” Conner says. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Jon lets go of Marinette to walk over him. “Hey, Kon.” Conner looks up at him. Jon gives him a patient smile. “It’s alright. No one got hurt.” He glances over to Superman and Conner himself. “Much, anyway.”

“But you… when we were fighting, you…”

Jon struggles to keep up his smile, but he manages for his new brother. “There’s a reason I retired, Kon. That’s why I’m not a hero anymore, but that’s not your fault.” Jon puts his hands on Conner’s shoulders, pleasantly surprised that Conner doesn’t try to push him off. “I’m going to be honest with you, I’m still figuring everything out. You, and all this. But you’re my brother. If Dad’s ever a problem for you, you’re welcome at my place.”

Conner tears up again. Wow, that tugs at Jon’s heart. “Really?”

Jon smiles and looks back at Marinette. “Well, actually it’s our place, but… Marinette! What do you say?”

Marinette giggles. “Family is always welcome in our home, Kon. You stop by anytime. I’ll make some cookies for you.”

Jon gets the breath knocked out of him by Conner practically tackling him to hug him tightly. “Thank you.” He mutters, before quickly separating, face flushed. From embarrassment or the tears he’s still fighting to keep back, Jon isn’t quite sure.

Yeah, we are definitely going to parent this kid. Why is my life like this?

——-=——-

Tag List: @moonystars14 @pawsitivelymiraculous @magic-miraculous @vixen-uchiha @buticaaba @bigpicklebananatree @lozzybowe @moonlightstar64 @amayakans @theatreandcomicfreak @toodaloo-kangaroo @too0bsessedformyowngood @justcourttee <3

#miraculous ladybug fanfiction #ml fanfiction #ml x dc #maribat #marijon #ehhtrtd

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ryqoshay · 4 years

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Tri-Arame: Braided Delight

Primary Pairing Trio: YuuAyuSetsu Words: ~1.7k Rating: G Time Frame: During their 2nd year in high school Story Arc: Stand Alone

Author’s Note: Mainly just setting up some trends and playing with a few headcanons for future scenes. Hopefully it still works as well as a stand alone scene as I believe it does.

“Ne, Yuu-chan.” Ayumu’s voice caught Setsuna’s attention. “Do you think I should change my hairstyle for our next Live?”

Setsuna turned away from where she was contemplating her hidden cache of manga in the clubroom, deciding what to keep readily available and what to hand over to her friends for safe keeping. The other two girls in the room were sitting at the table, the redhead checking her hair in a mirror and the twintailed girl checking something on her phone.

“If you want.” Yuu replied. “I think your current style is cute as it is, but I’m sure whatever style you choose will be cute as well.”

The small pout on Ayumu’s face probably meant that Yuu hadn’t given her the answer she desired, but she didn’t necessarily dislike it either.

“Setsuna-chan” Ayumu turned to the other occupant in the room. “What do you think?”

Wait, she was asking her advice? Setsuna’s mind blanked on an answer. “I’m sorry, what was the question again?”

“Should I try something other than my normal style for our next performance?” Ayumu repeated, pointing to the braided bun she usually wore.

“Hrm…” Setsuna considered. “Well, alternative hairstyles are a trope many fans enjoy.” She pondered aloud. “However, you’ve only appeared in your introduction video and our first live, so it may be a bit early to start changing things up. Perhaps once you’ve performed in a couple more Lives you might consider something different. Maybe for our first photoshoot as a group?”

Ayumu nodded. “I see. That makes sense.”

“Besides, Yuu-san isn’t the only one who thinks your current style is cute.” Setsuna found herself continuing. “I saw many comments about it on your videos so far. To be honest, I’m a little envious of your styling techniques. I figured out loose braids for when I need to be Nana, but I wasn’t able to get them to hold properly at the base of a bun like you.”

“You tried to make a bun like mine?”

Setsuna nodded. “I thought it was cute and tried to emulate it.” The words she had just spoken registered in her mind and she felt a touch of heat gather in her cheeks.

“You think this style is cute?”

“I do.” Cuter than most of the other girls in the club, even Kasumi-san, Setsuna added silently, though probably only as cute as her… Her gaze shifted momentarily.

“Would you like me to show you how to make it?” Ayumu offered.

“Yes, please.” Setsuna replied, a bit quicker than may have been appropriate.

“Alright, come on over and have a seat.” Ayumu stood and motioned to the chair she had just vacated.

“Ah,” Yuu suddenly spoke, staring at her screen “I’ll meet you two in the practice room.” Without further explanation, she stood, grabbed her bag and all but ran out of the room.

If she hadn’t been paying attention, Setsuna would have missed the flash of disappointment Ayumu displayed before returning to her gentle smile as the raven-haired girl sat down.

“Here, hold this so you can watch what I’m doing.” Ayumu handed over the mirror she had been using earlier.

“Thank you.”

Setsuna felt a bit of excitement building up within her. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had worked with her hair. Obviously, she had gone in for the occasional trim, but she didn’t consider herself close to any of the salon employees. Ayumu was a friend, a close friend, and that made a difference Setsuna felt was worth the anticipation.

As soon as Ayumu’s brush made its first pass through Setsuna’s hair, she knew her feelings had been correct. It felt wonderful. So much different than when she did the exact same thing herself. Setsuna felt her shoulders relax and she let out a content sigh.

A giggle came from behind her.

“Ayumu-san?”

“Sorry, Setsuna-chan, it’s just that your reaction there was kind of cute. Yuu-chan reacts pretty much the same way.”

It was then that Setsuna realized that the girl standing behind her could see her face in the mirror.

“Oh, I, uhm, it just felt good to have someone else work with my hair.”

“I know, right?” Ayumu smiled. “That’s part of why Yuu-chan and I often help each other with our hair.” She giggled again. “That and Yuu-chan is bad at remembering to take proper care of her hair. Oh, speaking of that,” she ran her hand through dark strands, causing a delightful sensation to run down Setsuna’s spine “you two have a similar type, but yours is in much better condition. Do you mind if I ask what products you use?”

“Not at all.” Setsuna proceeded to name the brands and types she preferred to use.

“Thanks, I’ll try to remember those the next time Yuu-chan and I are out shopping. Or if you’re with us, maybe you can recommend them? Between the two of us, perhaps we can convince her to take better care of herself.”

“Is Yuu-san really that bad?” Despite asking the question, Setsuna couldn’t say she was surprised by the information.

“Not all the time,” Ayumu admitted “just when she gets hyper-focused on something, like right now, with idols.”

“Well, I cannot blame here there.” Setsuna grinned. “School idols are amazing.”

“Yes, they are.” Ayumu agreed.

“You know, I’m really glad you and Yuu-san spearheaded the reformation of the club.”

“Kasumi-chan probably did more than either of us.”

“Perhaps, though I’ve already spoken to her and expressed my gratitude. But I haven’t really thanked you two for your efforts; Yuu-san for her support and you… how to put it…” Setsuna paused “for being a worthy rival.”

“Eh? Worthy rival? Me?”

“Very much so.” Setsuna chuckled. “I loved your first Live and look forward to what you bring to the stage next time. The others were great too, but there’s a certain… purity to your performance that the other just don’t have, myself included. You’re helping me realize that there is more to being a school idol than I first thought. A lot more. But it’s a wonderful learning experience.”

Ayumu was quite for a moment, just long enough for Setsuna to start worrying if she had said something wrong. Or said to much, again.

“Thank you.” The redhead finally murmured.

Setsuna could see in the mirror that pink was beginning to dust the other girl’s cheeks. It was a somewhat similar reaction to Yuu’s compliments. And for some reason that made Setsuna feel good.

“Anyway, you’re all set.” Ayumu’s voice returned to normal. “How does that look?”

Wait, she was done already? Setsuna realized she had been so focused on the conversation and how much she was enjoying Ayumu working with her hair that she hadn’t paid attention to the process. She quickly glanced in the mirror at her new style.

“It looks good. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Think you can do it yourself?”

“Oh, uhm…” Quick, think of something “I actually learn best by doing…”

“Do you want me to guide you through doing it on the other side?” Ayumu offered.

“Yes, please.” Thank goodness.

“Ayumu! Setsuna-chan!” Yuu’s attention homed in on the two girls entering the room.

“Senpai, wait!” Kasumi’s call fell on deaf ears as the twin-tailed girl ran over.

“You two look soo~ cute!” Yuu practically squealed. “I love it! Oh, what’s this?” Her hand found the braided tail off one of Setsuna’s buns.

“Since Setsuna-chan has longer hair than I do, I thought we might try to get a little fancy.” Ayumu explained.

“We?”

“Ayumu-san is a good teacher.” Setsuna stated proudly. “While I can’t say I’m completely confident that I could do it perfectly on my own right now, I think I could practice enough with what she’s taught me so far that I could eventually make one as good as hers.”

“Ah, I see.” Yuu laughed. “Or you could just have her do it again for you.”

“Huh?”

“Ayumu taught me how to dye my hair like this.” She brushed at the end of one of her side tails for emphasis. “But I still like it better when she does it.”

“Well,” Ayumu spoke up “there was also the time you…”

“Ayumu~!” Yuu interrupted with a whine. “That’s supposed to be secret!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Ayumu couldn’t help sticking out her tongue a bit as she didn’t feel particularly apologetic. It was fair to turn the tables on the teasing every so often after all.

“Oh, idea!” Yuu quickly returned to her former excitement. “You should teach me how to make that style as well, then I could help you with it!” She bounced on the balls of her feet. “And then if I learn other styles, I could help all of you guys, or anyone that needed help before Lives and photoshoots and stuff.”

For some reason, Ayumu felt a tiny flash of disappointment that Yuu didn’t mention styling her own hair. Granted, her childhood friend had worn twin tails almost the entire time they had known each other, so she was fairly set in her ways. But Ayumu couldn’t help imagining what Yuu might look like wearing different styles.

Setsuna, on the other hand… The raven-haired girl seemed much more open to the idea of different, or alternate as she called them, hairstyles. Perhaps Ayumu could test a few ideas on her…

“That’s a wonderful idea, Yuu-san.” Setsuna’s voice brought Ayumu back to reality. “I love how you’re always looking for new ways to support us.”

“What do you think, Ayumu?” Yuu asked, her gaze not having left the redhead.

Ayumu nodded. “I agree that it’s good idea. And I will help where I can.”

“Awesome!” Yuu cheered. “Now let’s get to practice!” She grabbed the other two girls’ hands and dragged them into the room.

As she and Setsuna followed their energetic friend, Ayumu stole a glance over. She’d done quite a nice job. Twin braided buns suited Setsuna surprisingly well. She watched as several other club members turned their attention to them and offered their commentary. Setsuna was the target of most of the praise, but that was fine; the passionate idol handled such things far better than Ayumu anyway, what with her contagious smile and all.

Even as she deferred the compliments that did make it her way, Ayumu was still happy that something as simple as a couple hair buns could earn such a positive reaction from her friends. Yes, Ayumu was confident that she needed to style Setsuna’s hair again. Soon.

Author’s Notes Continued in Followup Post

#YuuAyuSetsu #Takasaki Yuu #Yuki Setsuna #Uehara Ayumu #Tri-Arame #Love Live Nijigasaki #fanfic

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chopstickchild · 4 years

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ok i need to rant for a bit (read at your own risk)

also tw for body image issues

for a bit of background, i do ballet, and im pretty damn serious about it. as in its the centre of my life and i plan to make a career of it.

well my mom is rly supportive about this, but sometimes she gets to be a bit too much. as in extremely insensitive about how her « helping me » makes me feel. the subject of obsession tends to be something important, or some milestone, such as a performance, competition, or audition. in this case it’s two audition videos: one for a prestigious international competition (which could change my life if i got in), and the other video is an audition video for my dream school (and again, life changing if i get in).

These two videos are EXTREMELY important, and we wanted everything to be as perfect as possible, but the focus on perfectionism is where the problem lies. i’ve gotten better about not dragging myself down over every single detail, but my mom on the hand has not. she doesn’t obsess over my dancing (i do that enough already) but over details like lighting, camera angle, the line my leotard makes, my shoe color, my bun angle, the amount of makeup, the video quality, etc. she has a really good eye for those sort of things since she used to be an artist (and majored in fine art), and if she was the one filming my videos there would be no problem there.

But evidently there is a problem (which is why i’m writing this all out cause istg if i don’t i WILL lose it). Actually there’s two, one per video, though the second problem has nothing much to do with everything mentioned before.

The first issue is something that’s been haunting me for two weeks, and not in the good halloween haunting way. The video for the competition was filmed over the course of a few weeks by one of my teachers, and she and my mom have an *interesting* relationship. as in ive learned to brush off my mom cussing her out in car rides or at home (which happened today twice lol). My teacher wouldn’t allow my mom to be in the studio to help with lighting, camera angle, etc., saying that the studio wouldn’t allow more than two people in at a time (a lie, cause when we went with my contemporary teacher for one section of the video my mom was able to go in and film that portion). My teacher is a really well intention person by the way, but since my mom is so similar to how her mom was, being in her prescence triggers her which i think may be why she tried to make it so she wouldn’t have to interact with her as much.

So anyways my teacher and i worked on the audition video and we finally completed it, but the way she filmed it was not up to my moms standards. so we filmed it again. and right now it’s STILL not up to my mom’s standards, but at this point there’s literally nothing we can do. the deadline is in a few days and there’s no way we can refilm it then. in terms of my dancing, i feel pretty satisfied, though it’s not perfect, but i feel ok sending it in. but for thé past few weeks i’ve been constantly hearing how the video isn’t good enough, and how it doesn’t present me well enough, and if my mom could just have filmed the barre and centre i would look so much better. and that if i really want to catch the judges eyes then the video quality would need to be better. and i argue back at that point, saying my dancing should be enough to do that, and that i’m not auditoning for a film school but for a DANCE competition. and i know my mom has a point. we are drawn to things well presented, even if the content may not be the best. but after hearing that my video is not up to par for WEEKS it hurts a lot. and if i ask her to stop focusing so much on that because at this point all that is doing is making us feel unsatisfied with something unchangable, i’m ignored and she goes on saying i don’t understand her point. I’m also told that she’s saying all this because she cares so much and wants me to succeed. and that is all true, but i don’t CARE that she’s saying all this because she wants to help me with my goal. there are so many more productive things to do than fixating on unchangable shit, and there’s a voice inside telling me that if she really cared about me, the real actual me and not the dancer side of me, she would take a moment to understand how much certain things she says hurts. no matter the intentions behind, no matter that she always adds that my dancing wasn’t the problem and that it was all my teachers fault (which also pokes me in a different way), i ALWAYS leave that conversation with an extremely tight knot in my chest and a bunch of self doubt. sometimes when the convo evolves into an argument, my mom tells me that it’s cause she’s stressed about this and the video and because she cares so much, but i’ve reached the point where i don’t give a fuck. i’m stressed too, and i care a TON. i sacrificed so fucking much for this (not to say she hasn’t like good lord i worry so much about her sometimes) but being stressed and caring about something does not excuse harping on about something someone has EXPLICITLY told you to please stop going on a bout and try to let go of. multiple times. which is why i really want to scream sometimes, and why i decided to just let it out here. (it’s worked by the way. as of right now the knot inside has loosened and the negative energy about this problem has almost dissolved, which why i’m now moving on to the second issue)

ISSUE NO. 2- thé audition video for my dream school. now this is a different direction than the other video problem because this video hasn’t been filmed yet. so i should start out with saying that as a by product of doing ballet, i have body image issues. it got worse over the course of the past year because i put on a few pounds. and i know that honestly, i shouldn’t worry too much, but doing an art form where your body is constantly critiques in so many ways kinda has a way of making you always wish it was better. now my mom knows about how i feel about my body, and in the past she has completely invalidated my feelings if i try to talk about it (because in her eyes i’m perfect yaddayaddayadda and i’m just manifesting these insecurities out of nowhere cause i have nothing to be worried about). the thing is tho (and i’m pretty thankful for this) is that she will tell me if i’ve gained weight, and she will help me if i want to lose some and stuff. so it’s like she has this weird mix of telling me to not worry about my weight cause i’m perfectly fine, but also telling me that i need to watch what i eat more and that i need to lose a little weight. and i hate it so much. recently i just stopped weighing myself every morning cause i realized i was literally basing how i felt the whole day off the number on the scale. and honestly i’m so much happier now cause i stopped. everything is the same except that one thing, and i have no intention to start obsessively weighing myself again.

And that brings me to issue two. because we were talking about the video for the school, and my mom said “you need to start weighing yourself every morning again”. well i saw every single color of the rainbow when she said that, and i was enraged. because my instinct was to be angry in order to protect one of my biggest insecurities, my body. the implications that came from telling me i needed to start weighing myself more HURT, and thinking about it right now is making me almost cry. and her saying that also pissed me off SO MUCH. because my mom KNOWS how i feel about my body, about my weight, and my eating habits. i have explicitly stated MANY time that i would prefer if she would not make those little comments about those subjects, and i have let her know how much it hurts me. i don’t think she understood that though, despite the amount of times i’ve completely shut down or started crying. but that one comment is hanging over my head right now, acting as a smoke cloud twisting around my heart and making me have some rlly self deprecating thoughts. and so tomorrow morning if she asks me what my weight is i don’t know what i’ll do. i’m considering just saying something above what ik she wants it to be, no matter what i may actually be, but i’ve also considered just tossing the scale in the rubbish bin. actually won’t do that though cause i would get in a ton of trouble lol. but a problem is that as a result of her comment, i’ve also begun considering starving myself, of making myself throw up, and other unhealthy ways to lose weight because right now, i feel like my body is too fat filled, too squishy for ballet. which is bullshit but the negative voice is drowning the positive one out now.

ok i have gotten all the rant energy out now, and no longer feel like punching a wall, cry screaming, cussing out the next person i see, or any assortment of high negative energy release techniques that would hurt others or myself. if you read this far, props to you cause i sure as hell would not have been able to make it thru that 😂.

also i should add that my mom and i are SUPER close and she honestly a great person in every aspect except certain dance related stuff. i really really appreciate everything she has done for me, all her sacrifices and all the effort she has put in to make sure i am where i am now. it’s just sometimes i feel like she forgets that i’m a person with feelings about topics, not just a dancer. thank you for coming to my tedtalk 😌

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a-strange-inkling · 5 years

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SASUSAKU Month Day 7: One of These Nights

Rating: T (for language)

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke finds that he can’t sleep. (Some genin sasusaku, because I loved them first)

One of these nights, he was going to fall asleep before she did.

It was stupid anyway.

One of the far too many stupid things he did where the kunoichi was concerned. But, this was one of the earliest and longest running practices that needed to come to an end.

It all started on their first real mission together, the first one away from home.

Naruto had fallen asleep first when they had made camp, snoring softly in contentment, as if they all hadn’t just almost died.

Kakashi had already gone to keep watch a few yards off and the bridge builder was snoozing comfortably against a nearby tree. When the fire turned to embers, Sasuke thought he would turn in as well, but his mind had other ideas.

Sakura…

Sakura was still awake, wide awake. Her chakra practically buzzing. After a long while of trying to ignore it, he had turned over in annoyance, wondering just what was keeping her up

Across the small distance, the kunoichi had been laying flat on her back, hands folded neatly over her chest, eyes fixated on the heavens above, gazing at the stars.

Sasuke watched her in confusion, his dark brows furrowing. It wasn’t wise to forgo sleep on missions, and they had a long way to go still. She should have been sleeping like the rest of them. He had wanted to tell her just that, but she must have sensed his staring, because she tilted her head his direction and he felt heat crawling up the back of his neck when she smiled at him in that Sakura way.

He had scowled in return, turning over to his other side to hide the heat that had pooled over into his face. Let her stay up, what did he care? It wasn’t like she, or Naruto for that matter, were any real assets on the mission anyway.

And, Kami as his witness, he had tried to fall asleep. He wanted to fall asleep… he started counting backwards from a hundred, even thought to steal a swig of the bride builder’s sake, but it didn’t matter. He was too aware of her, of her breathing, her general consciousness. It wasn’t until her breaths were even and chakra faintly humming, that his eyes had finally drifted shut.

He hadn’t thought much of it the next day, it was assuredly an anxious tic from being used to sleeping alone. He would have probably had trouble sleeping if anyone else had still been awake… He pointedly ignored the point his subconscious made about Kakashi being up keeping guard.

It wasn’t until the following night, she wasn’t even in the same fucking room, that he had realized this might be more of a problem than he thought.

And it carried on, night after night, mission after mission. Uchiha Sasuke could not fall asleep until Haruno Sakura did. Nearly a year later and he still didn’t know why. He couldn’t even use the excuse of needing to be the last person awake on missions, he would often drift off under Kakashi’s watch or when Naruto would stay up to do some extra training.

Nope, it was her. She was the problem… in fact she was becoming more of a problem than he ever thought possible.

At first, he wrote the pull off as just his desire to protect her. Something natural and instinctive. She was the weakest and he was the strongest on the team (and he would stay the strongest, despite Naruto’s looming progression) it made sense.

But, since the Forest of Death, it was different, he couldn’t deny that. They were both different.

Kami, this wasn’t supposed to happen.

None of it was.

He sat against a tree trunk, sharpening his kunai, he might as well be productive if she was going to just lay there and not sleep.

He was tired and agitated, it’d been a long day, and the journey home was longer than usual.

“Sasuke-kun?” he winced at her tiny voice breaking the silence, she rose from her sleeping bag, sitting up, her head tilting to the side.

“Why are you still awake?” she asked.

He frowned deeply. Wouldn’t she like to know.

He gave her an irritated sideways look, eyes heavy.

“Could ask you the same thing.” he replied, his voice gravelly with annoyance and exhaustion.

Her lips pressed together for a moment. “How did you know I’ve been awake?”

He paused mid stroke.

Fuck.

He closed his eyes, grimacing at his own stupidity.

“I meant,” Okay, this was a stretch. “What woke you up? Was I being too loud?”

She blinked twice as he thought of gutting himself, before shaking her head. “No, I just can’t sleep.” she told him.

“Hn.” he hummed. “Why?”

“A lot on my mind I guess.” she shrugged her shoulders, but did not elaborate.

“Rest is essential to a successful mission.” he told her.

“But, you’re awake.” she pointed out.

“I’m just finishing this, then we should both go to sleep.” he told her, keeping his turmoil deep inside. “We don’t want to compromise the others.”

She nodded in reply, but rather distractedly, and he could feel his teeth drag over themselves, realizing that she wasn’t really listening to him, her gaze was on the stars again, lost in thought.

It must have been how weary he was, because he briefly thought of telling her the truth. She would put all her effort into sleep if she knew she was causing him such discomfort.

What was wrong with him? Why didn’t he just tell her he liked the way her thumbs swayed back and forth against the fabric of his shirt whenever she embraced him while he was at it? Or that he liked to walk behind her to make sure that she didn’t fall behind from the team? Or that even when he was actually asleep that he dreamed of her more times than he would like to admit?

“Guess you’re right.” she replied, breaking up the brutal mental spar he was having with himself. She turned over and resettled in her sleeping bag. “Goodnight, Sasuke-kun.”

“Goodnight.” he emitted quietly, watching her and hoping she meant it. He climbed into his own sleeping mat with a long sigh and a quick prayer.

It was about eleven minutes and thirty five seconds until Sakura fell asleep and about thirteen minutes and forty two seconds until Sasuke followed.

…

Seven years later…

“Are you still awake?” Sakura asked from the other side of the bed where she sat reading her long medical scrolls, going over some ancient blood transfusions techniques.

“Mm.” he hummed softly. He was, despite his best efforts, but he could only manage to feign to do so.

Seven years, five separated from one another, and this was still a problem. He had grown suspicious that the restless nights he spent in Orochimaru’s hideout and on the road had something to do with her being awake somewhere under the same sky.

“Why?”

Because of you, damn it! he mentally shouted. That’s why.

“I can’t.”

“Nightmare?” she asked.

“No.” he murmured. He hadn’t gotten that far.

“Is my lamp bothering you?”

“No.”

He had her full attention now, she set aside her reading and loomed over him, and he could picture that worried, perplexed look on her face.

“Are you sick?” she asked, placing a hand over his forehead, pushing up his hair.

“No, Sakura,” he brushed her hand away in annoyance. “I’m not sick.”

“Then what is it?”

“I just can’t…”

“Can’t what?”

Kami, he’s told her everything else at this point, made vows to be with her until the end of his days. What was this small admission?

“I can’t sleep when you’re still awake.” he murmured under his breath.

She leaned closer in confusion. “What?”

He opened his eyes to see her green saucers peering down at him in all their large, shimmering glory. “I. Can’t. Sleep. When. You’re. Still. Awake.”

Her brows furrowed at that, but only for a moment. “...Why?”

“I don’t know, I just can’t.”

“Sleep when someone nearby is awake?”

“Not someone.” he muttered. “Just you.”

“Me?” she asked. “Why me?”

“I don’t know, I just never have been able to.” he closed his mouth quickly at that last confession.

Fuck.

He had assumed that he wouldn’t have needed to be as mortified by confiding such an intimate secret with her as he would have back then…

He was wrong.

She was smiling, smiling that damned smile, and suddenly he was thirteen again, blood climbing up the back of his neck, pooling into his face.

“Never have been able to?” she asked coyly. “That’s a long, long time.”

“Shut up.” he turned away, embarrassed.

“Many things from back then are starting to make sense.” she laughed, before gasping when he suddenly moved, pinning her firmly against the bed.

“It’s not funny.” he admonished her as she laughed louder. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep because of you.”

“It’s not my fault…” he kissed her, stifling her laughter and logic.

“It’s all your fault.” he told her, but his kiss had only made her smile more broadly as she brought her hands around his neck, her thumbs circling against the collar of his shirt. “I suppose, then, we shall just have to fall asleep together from now on.”

#sasusaku #ssmonth2019 #ssm19d8 #ss #sasusaku fanfiction #sasusaku month

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carry-on-my-wayward-butt · 6 years

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what did u do to your hair !! i love it !!! whatever it is i wanna try it lmao

hope it’s cool if i answer public!

step 0 starts here: resolve to never brush your hair again. ever. your fingers are your comb now.

anyways I stumbled across r/curlyhair and read their big shiny START HERE!!! post. and the wiki, I basically inhaled the wiki.

the main product is Tresseme Boutanique Coconut and Aloe Vera Conditioner. the starter product list for the US (theres different region lists holy fuck!) is available at literally every Walmart and then entire list generally costs less than 20$, but I only picked up the conditioner.

other materials that I used other than that conditioner include:

palmers mycelliar rose water cleanser (a great low-poo that I’ll only need once or twice a month if I get really gross)

herbal essences tousle me softly mousse

a very wide toothed comb

a 100% cotton t shirt

microfiber towels (I cant afford big ones, I got mine at target for like 3 dollars on clearance, they’re advertised as duster cloths. they’re blue if it helps.)

the beginner guide I linked recommends gel, but if you have thin hair, wavy and not too tightly curled hair, or hair that’s prone to flattening, a mousse may be a better idea since its lighter.

the techniques matter more than any brand name honestly, its called Squish To Condish, and heres a video explaining how. you dont need that many products at first, just gently cleanse your scalp to ‘reset it’ and when you’re ready get a shitload of conditioner and go to town. by letting it work for about five minutes then detangling and squishin gud.

once I’ve got a shitload of conditioner in my hair, I include mousse into the mix. like a grapefruit sized quantity of mousse, but not all at once. I do it in about 3 handfuls, I’m just guestimating it adds up to about a grapefruit sized dollop overall.

then I use one microfiber cloth to gently pat my hair in much the same way I’ve just squished. this obviously leads to the towel getting very silky-slimy with conditioner. I try not to grab too hard, but enough the get the water off my scalp so I can dry easier. then I plopped it.

most curlies and wavies should be familiar with plopping already, it’s when you plop your head into a wrap of some sort, letting gravity tell your curls which way to go. then you wrap up your head for an appropriate amount of time. let me tell you right now, 5 minutes is enough for thin hair. never plop overnight unless you know EXACTLY what you’re doing. and dont experiment if you have something important happening soon lol. heres a video on how to plop if you need guidance. like I said, you dont need tons of products at first, stick to routine-building. az for a shirt I recommend a men’s large 100% cotton tshirt, but 100% is a rare find nowadays if I’m being honest. I was lucky and found mine lying around in an old box of lootcrate stuff!

you then allow your hair to dry. whether you use a diffuser on LOW speed and COLD temp, or let it air dry on it’s own is up to you. I diffused for like 30 seconds then its it air dry for the rest of the time.

finally, once its dry, Scrunch Out The Crunch! if you used a gel this will feel much more satisfying than a mousse does. also I used a second microfiber cloth for this step, because I worried about my hands frizzing my hair.

this seems daunting because I wrote it all out and it looks rly long lol, it’s a bit time consuming but honestly the results are worth it. my hair is less frizzy because it’s getting the hydration it needs, I’m not greasy because my scalp is properly cleansed and not over-producing oils, my curls actually EXIST because I actually NOURISH and ENCOURAGE them instead of screwing them over with brushing and terrible shampoo and awful terry-cloth towels and heat heat heat with the dryer.

putting in the effort to be kind to them is worth it!

also pineappleing or a satin bonnet is a good idea for nighttime. my hair is too short for a pineapple tho. maybe someday!

#op #ask #anonymous #thanks for asking bb #REMEMBER TO TRANSITION PROPERLY WITH A SULFATED BUT NON-SILICONE SHAMPOO AS IS LISTED IN THE WIKI #these techniques do not work on type 1 hair. i am soz.#they only work to guideyojur already-present curls into ppace #hydrate them properly #and be kind to them!#always use cleanser if yourve worked out or are anxious or sweaty.#protect your hair at night #love u

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uruhabuns · 6 years

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it’s all about the foundation (fem!makeup artist!reader x ruki) (part 1)

A/N: so i’ve been toying with this idea for a while, and after reading true beauty i finally had the guts to write it out LMAO also this is my first dot-point scenario, so I tried to keep it as to-the-point as possible. I hope you guys enjoy!!

_________

(Part 2) / (Part 3)

You were an assistant makeup artist at DeepEnd, and you usually work with KPOP idols when they have promotions in Japan

You were an expert at everything to do with idol makeup (especially glitter, gradients, and dewy looks)

Since you were younger than the senior makeup artists and stylists, you had to stick with being an assistant and helping them

If you were to do makeup, you were never allowed do a full face; either base or eyes or lips

One day kaolu frantically called into management saying that his assistant was deathly sick and needed someone QUICK.

Because guess what

That day was GazettE’s tour final

And coincidentally it was your day off

So your phone went berserk at 6am while you were sleeping

WHAT THE HELL DO THESE GUYS WANT

“H--”

“Sorry to wake you up so early, ______-san, but Kaolu urgently needs an assistant today. Can you help out?”

You wanted to throw your phone away and say no, but that extra cash sounded v tempting, so you accepted.

You knew of Kaolu and that he works with bands and some idols, but you never talked to him because he was always busy, and the assistants don’t usually talk to other makeup artists and stylists who weren’t on their team

So when you got to the company building at 8am with all your gear, you waited nervously for Kaolu, and not knowing who you were going to work on that day

When he arrived, the two of you greeted each other formally before getting into the car to take you to the venue

Which ended up being Shin Kiba Studio Coast

During the car ride, the two of you got to know each other more, and talked about each other’s makeup styles

When you told him you usually work with kpop idols and that you usually use korean makeup brands, he literally made the 😬 face

Welp guess i brought all my stuff for nothing

So then Kaolu showed you his portfolio, so you knew what you were up for

You saw ruki and uruha’s makeup, which looked slightly intimidating because it was so smokey and heavy, and you’ve never worked with this kind of style before

Since korean makeup probably doesn’t have as much impact on the face as western brands, you probably had to use twice as much product as you usually would use

Seeing your reaction, Kaolu told you not to worry bc he would be doing most of the work, and that Ruki and Uruha’s features make it easier to do this type of makeup

When you guys arrived at the venue, he lead you to the makeup room where all the GazettE members and the other makeup artists were waiting

“Sorry we’re late, my assistant called in sick last minute so we had to get another one”

They understood and began to work

You tagged along behind Kaolu to wait for his instructions

“______-san, this is Ruki and Uruha,” he introduced, “Don’t be shy~”

As soon as Ruki saw someone unfamiliar who wasn’t their usual assistant, he immediately noticed how cute and pretty you were

Judging from your makeup and style, he guessed that you probably never worked with visual kei before

You saw the two males, who were already in costume, and bowed, greeting them shyly, to which they returned the greeting.

Kaolu then instructed you to start with Ruki’s base makeup, and to use his makeup products rather than yours, because he felt that yours wouldn’t last as long as his

You had to comply, so you nodded, and took a bottle of hand sanitiser and some hair clips from your duffle bag to start

You sat down in front of Ruki, taking a small breath to calm yourself down

Ruki only smirked softly when he saw how shy you were

He observed the slight blush on your cheeks, the soft brown that coloured your eyebrows, and the glitter on your aegyosal and eyelids that complimented your pinkish coral gradient lips; your makeup style was exactly how he preferred on girls -- fresh and pretty, rather than dramatic and heavy.

You applied the sanitiser onto your hands, rubbing it dry

You brushed his bangs to each side of his face, and clipped them back with the hair clips

When you did so, Ruki couldn’t help but notice the subtle sweet scent of your perfume, and feel how soft the back of your fingers were when they brushed against his forehead

That’s when he decided to start talking. “So...are you new here?”

You nodded. “To visual kei, I am. But I usually work with kpop idols when they come to Japan.”

“Sorry, I meant to DeepEnd.”

“Oh! No, I’ve been here for a year.”

“A young one, then, huh?”

You smiled shyly, and tucked your hair behind your ear, something you usually do when you get shy. “I graduated beauty school last year, but I like to do my own styles too.”

As you reached for the primer that was next to Kaolu as he was working on Uruha, Ruki smirked at how cute you were.

You then asked him if he applied anything before coming to the venue

He said only moisturiser

You then told him you had to refresh his skin because it might have accumulated dust and dirt while he travelled to the venue, so you took out a cotton pad and a bottle of Etude House skin freshener, and sprayed it onto the pad.

Just as you were about to put it on Ruki’s face, Kaolu immediately fREAKED as he was working on Uruha’s base makeup

“______! I said to just do the base!”

His reaction caught the attention of the other members too

You froze in your seat. “W-we usually do this with idols before doing their make-”

“He already applied skincare, don’t try to wipe anything off.”

You chewed on your lower lip and nodded. “I understand. I’m sorry.”

You put the bottle back into your bag and threw the cotton pad into the bin.

“Yo, it’s her first time doing makeup for us. You don’t have to be so hard on her.” Ruki defended you.

He couldn’t help but feel bad for you for being scolded during your first time doing visual kei makeup

You grabbed the MAC makeup base, and pumped it a few times onto the back of your hand.

“Thank you...” you said quietly, careful to avoid eye contact with Ruki.

“It’s nothing. I know it’s hard, but for now just do what your senpais tell you, even if you have better ways to do things. I’ve been there before.”

You nodded and dabbed some primer onto your ring finger, applying it by delicately tapping it evenly across Ruki’s face -- a new technique that he hadn’t come across with Kaolu before that didn’t make his skin feel like it was pulled on

Ruki felt the awkwardness in the air, so he decided to make a conversation with you to make you more comfortable working.

“I guess idol makeup technique is different to visual kei technique, huh?”

You nodded softly. “Y-yes...”

“How so?”

“Everything has to look fresh and clean and flawless. That’s why I needed to clean your face first. After that I would apply essence and moisturiser anyway...”

“Ah...”

You took out your trusty beauty blender and freshening mist from your gear bag, and sprayed the mist onto the sponge.

You squeezed the sponge a few times to let it absorb the mist before spraying again. You repeated this until the sponge was damp enough to be able to blend without absorbing product.

Ruki watched you as you did so, observing your delicate hands, before you began to blend out the primer on his face

After that, you applied Kaolu’s concealer and matte foundation in the same way; spread by tapping with the ring finger, then gently blending out with the beauty blender

Ruki couldn’t help but feel his heart race a bit more every time you came close to him

The smell of your perfume, the feel of your gentle touch, and the sight of your flushed cheeks kicked his senses up several notches

NO THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!!!

Before he knew it, you were already done with Ruki’s foundation makeup

His skin looked flawless and perfectly matte, and felt fresher with less layers of foundation and powder than how Kaolu would usually do it.

Huh...must be idol technique...Ruki thought, She is really good.

“Kaolu-san, I’m done.”

He went over to Ruki to check your work

“Perfect, _______-san. You did well.”

“She did a great job,” Ruki added, “My face doesn’t feel like a cake, either.”

You couldn’t help but blush slightly at the compliments, feeling accomplished since you’ve never worked with these guys before.

“Great. _______, you can take a break, just come back in half an hour.”

“Thank you. I will.” you said, beginning to make your way out of the room with your handbag.

“Also, I’d hate to ask, but is it okay if you could grab a coffee for me on your way back? There’s a Starbucks nearby the venue. I’ll pay you back.”

You nodded, half-reluctantly. “Of course.”

Once you left the room, Uruha began to tease Ruki.

“I see you.”

“What?”

“Are you really trying to play dumb?”

“Says the actual dumb one. What are you even talking about?”

“You like her, don’t you?”

Ruki flinched at the assumption. “What? Are you out of your mind? You out of all people should know I don’t do love at first sight.”

“RUKI LIKES SOMEONE?!” Reita yelled from the other side of the room, causing his makeup artist to scold him to sit down and stay still.

“Wait, since when did Ruki have crushes on people?” Aoi added.

“I never said I liked anyone!! Geez!”

Uruha smirked in amusement. “It’s been a while since someone made you feel this way, huh? I saw the way you looked at her. I didn’t know you were into the cute girls now.”

“Doesn’t his type always change?” Kai asked with amusement. “How old is she, anyway?”

“Too young for him, obviously.” Aoi replied with a laugh.

“WOAH, HE LIKES THE YOUNG ONES NOW?!” Reita exclaimed, “Why don’t you ever tell us these kinds of things?”

By then, Ruki had enough. “SHUT UP!! You guys are talking fucking nonsense. I have no time for girls or relationships.”

The other members only snorted to contain their laughter.

Uruha lightly poked Ruki’s arm. “Sure, keep telling that to yourself. But if you do end up dating her, or someone like her, don’t break her heart. She seems too innocent for someone like us.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ruki felt something spark inside him - a feeling he had learnt to forget.

#the gazette #mine.#the gazette scenario #ruki #ruki scenario #i hope this was okay :'))#will write part two soon!!#i'm sleepy af adjskgfh

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justbtscenarios · 6 years

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Perfectionist

J-hope Drabble - 1.8k words

One word that described Jung Hoseok to a T was perfectionist. He was always extremely hard on himself. He never thought he perfected a dance move quite right so he had to practice it at least twenty more times. He never thought the flow of his lyrics were up to par with everyone else’s and would spend hours in the studio straining his voice until he got it right. He never thought his turns or transitions were as smooth as they could be and would turn and transition from one dance move to the next until callouses formed on the balls of his fee. He never thought his style was on point with the latest trends and feared people would judge his look which caused countless changes of clothing and shoes until everything was perfect. That’s just who he was. He was a perfectionist in every sense of the word. He always said if you’re not going to give your all then what’s the point? You conceded with him, however only to a certain degree.

He took perfectionism to an entirely different level, to the point where it was almost inhuman. You admired his tenacity, determination, persistency, drive, and on rare occasions you envied it because it encouraged you to work harder to reach your full potential. That was until you saw the toll that it took on him. Every second he spent perfecting a dance move, his energy progressively decreased to the point where he would almost pass out due to the exertion. Every time he rerecorded a verse, he put a heavy strain on his vocal cords as the friction of them being rubbed together caused him to lose his voice on more occasions than one. Every moment he spent forcing perfection on himself put his physical as well as his psychological health in jeopardy. You wanted to be the girlfriend that supported him no matter what but seeing how hard he could be on himself proved to be difficult.

You knew he took a lot of pride in his work so you bit your tongue when it came to him arriving home at one in the morning as you were passed out on the couch in an attempt to wait up for him. You zipped your lips when it came to him vanishing every morning at five to rehearse with the guys, leaving you with nothing but a kiss on the forehead you weren’t conscious to feel. You awoke every morning without fail to a cold bed and a note he scribbled out and deposited on the pillow beside you to remind you that you had a boyfriend despite never being able to see him for longer than an hour or two at a time. You had to work every day but Sunday and somehow that was always the day he was the busiest with company meetings, new music proposals, brand endorsements, and discussions of the quickly approaching comeback.

Comebacks were the absolute worst for Hobi in particular. Being as it was that he was a perfectionist, comeback time was when he became a perfectionist on speed. He didn’t just practice or rehearse choreography twenty times, it was a minimum of fifty times, whenever, wherever. On the seldom chance that he was home at the same time as you, you could be brushing your teeth and you would hear him humming the tune of an unknown song and see him in your peripherals bending his body one way and swinging his arms the other. You would internally sigh, trying to be the understanding girlfriend that would keep her mouth shut so as not to come off as needy. You didn’t want him to think that paying attention to you was more important than his career because the two weren’t comparable. However, you craved his attention, so much so, that if he wanted to show you a new dance move he was working on you would nod in approval and applaud his performance because at least he was acknowledging your existence. Even if it was the fifteenth time he had showed you, that meant nothing when juxtaposed to the feeling you got when he looked at you awaiting some sort of praise. Although, the amount of pressure he was putting on himself was beginning to be too much as of late and when he finally hit a wall, he hit it hard and you no longer cared about being a supportive girlfriend. You no longer cared that he might see you as a needy girlfriend but what you did care about was his health and wellbeing. He cared so much about his fans but you knew if he didn��t stop expending himself so much he would reach his limit and being perfect would be the least of his problems if he wasn’t able to perform ever again.

The night of the comeback the seven boys were rehearsing on the stage where they would be performing their latest single as you stood in the pit while the managers conversed off to the side with the production crew. Everything was going swimmingly until the one dance move Hobi had been incessantly practicing came up. He knelt down then twisted his body to the right, outstretching his hand to hold the weight of his body as he kicked it over. However, instead of landing perfectly on his feet, he underestimated how much force to use, coming up short and landing on his right knee with an audible crack that echoed throughout the venue. You hopped onto the stage and ran over to him, bending down to help him to a sitting position with the help of Jimin and Taehyung.

“I’m fine,” he said waving us off dismissively.

You sat next to him, intertwining your hands and squeezing his comfortingly as he paid no mind to you and the look of sheer worry plastered on your face.

“Do you wanna start from the top or the part where you messed up?” Namjoon asked.

“From the top,” he said releasing your hand from his grip and standing to his feet as you sat there in astonishment.

“So I think you’re not propelling yourself with enough force to land on your feet,” Jungkook said.

“Jungkookah is right you have to do it like this,” Jimin said demonstrating the proper technique to execute the dance move properly.

“Right right,” he said quickly, nodding his head and internally kicking himself.

They all got into position to start from the top but you remained glued to the floor with your mouth agape, staring at this idiot that you loved so much. Your eyebrows were knitted together as you blinked in confusion at him and he continued to ignore the fact that you were burning a hole in his face with your intense stare.

“Okay so from the top. Five. Six. Seven-”

“No!” you shouted getting to your feet and interrupting Yoongi’s counting.

“It’s eight. Five. Six. Seven-”

“No,” you repeated, interrupting Jin this time.

“Eight sweetie. I know math isn’t your best subject but eight comes after seven. Not nine,” Hobi said.

It took your brain a moment to register that you had been saying no but in German so you were saying nein as in no but they were hearing nine as in the number. Odd considering that was about the only word you knew in German.

“No,” you said this time in a language they could understand.

“What do you-”

“I’ve tried so hard to just stand by and watch you do what you love all the while you were unintentionally hurting me but more importantly yourself.”

“What are you talking about y/n?” Hobi asked confused.

“Hoseok please let me finish,” you pleaded, inching closer to him.

He assessed the look of concern and pain on your face before he closed his mouth and nodded for you to continue.

“You have been killing yourself over every dance move, every lyric, every beat, everything. I know you guys are supposedly used to it but it hurts me to see the pain you’re in, on the off chance I get to see you. You’re never home. You’re always at the studio, at the dorms, at the BigHit Building, in meetings, conferences, photoshoots, video shoots, promo videos but the one place you aren’t is with me. I know that comes off as selfish and needy but right now I don’t care. I’m only saying all of this because I care about you. You’re such a perfectionist and I love that about you. I really do but not when it gets to the point where you injure yourself and then force yourself to push through it. I’ve stood by and watched you do it so many times that this time I can’t be a bystander any longer. You’re going to see a medic right now and if they say you shouldn’t dance tonight then you shouldn’t. I know you think it’ll disappoint your fans but I promise you that ARMY will understand that your health and wellbeing comes first. If they can’t then they’re not really ARMY. Will you please have someone look at it?” you begged him holding his hands in yours.

“Okay,” he said reaching a hand up to rub his thumb soothingly over your cheek.

They had a medic on hand backstage so it took less than a handful of minutes for her to evaluate the extent of the injury and come to a conclusion on whether or not she thought it best for him to perform tonight.

“Although not dire, an injury is an injury. If you were to perform even one song tonight the intensity of the choreography you guys do could be too much for your knee to handle causing further damage to it. It’s my professional opinion that you don’t dance, however, the decision is up to you.”

“Thank you,” he said nodding gratefully at her before she left.

“I love you so much Jung Hoseok. My Hope-ah Oppa. Words can’t even begin to describe how much you mean to me. I know ultimately it is your choice to go on stage or not but I just have to let you know that if you decide to…” you bit your lip and swallowed the lump forming in your throat with tears built up in your eyes threatening to spill over.

“What is jagi?” he asked tilting his head in confusion, lifting your hands to his lips to press against the top of them.

“If you decide you want to perform tonight…I’m going to leave,” you said locking eyes with him.

His face dropped and he slowly let go of your hands as you pulled them close to your body, crossing your arms over your chest to serve as ineffective armor.

“So,” you said clearing your throat, “What would you like to do?”

“I…”

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mcphersonseerup38-blog · 5 years

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IMPORTANT BEAUTY TIPS YOU NEED TO FIND OUT ABOUT - ESCORTS MUST BE BEAUTIFUL

Ready to get started together with your own personal beauty plan? Zero? Precisely the make a difference, you may really know what to be able to perform or maybe in which to help start out together with attractiveness? Not any worries, this informative article provides your back. Down below can be some tips in addition to stunts that can certainly get you started off with the fundamentals of attractiveness therefore that you could carry out this your technique. Gently spew your encounter using a new hydrating water to help help to make your cosmetic final more lengthy. The mist will assist established your cosmetic, keep it looking fresh and provide anyone that just simply performed makeup look intended for several hours. This can be best for retaining your current cosmetic in place with regard to those people extended days from job or night times out and about using friends. Try out black mascara using water-repellent qualities to focus on the sight. 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frederator-studios · 6 years

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Tiya Zhong: The Frederator Interview

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Tiya Zhong, known to the interweb as Addictiya, is an animator, illustrator, designer and doll artist still brushing off glitter from her graduation just a few weeks ago. Her final film as a student of Sheridan College’s Animation program, “Lost, Stolen, Dropped,” is an autobiography of her daily struggle. It is also among the most relatable, inspired and squishy 2 minutes of animation I’ve seen in a good long while. Enjoy the short above, then read on for Tiya’s journey from schoolgirl doodling in her textbooks to professional artist!

Did you always want to be an animator or artist?

I discovered my passion for drawing when I was 4 years old, and I have always loved doodling figures on my textbooks, reading comics, and watching animation. When I was little, I never thought about becoming an artist - I just thought it would be fun if I could draw forever. In high school, I wanted to be a comic artist, but I became fascinated with making characters come to life. Animation was even more vivid than comics, which is why I chose to major in it.

How did you decide to move from China to Canada to attend Sheridan?

I grew up in China, so at first I planned to attend a university in Beijing that features the best animation program in China. In an extra-curricular art school where I was studying to pass the university’s entrance exam, I met a substitute teacher who'd studied abroad. Talking with him made me realize how many opportunities and great artists are out there. That’s when I started to research animation schools in North America, and got to know Sheridan.

What did you like best about studying at Sheridan?

I learned a lot at Sheridan. The school has great, experienced teachers. But I learned the most from my peers, who are all amazing artists. Being in that group gave me no choice but to improve. What I enjoyed most is how free the environment is, compared to the one I’d been in. I also had a lot more resources at my disposal. Being at Sheridan really helped me discover my own art style.

Did you work any jobs during your time in college?

Since high school, I have always worked on stuff for conventions: things like zines, charms, and commissions. During college I actively kept my eyes on the industry and started to take freelance jobs. I’ve done character illustrations for games, art for a published illustration tutorial, design work, and more commissions, mostly with Chinese companies. I think it’s really important for artists to have at least some experience working with partners or employers before finishing school.

What are your favorite techniques, considering you've worked in both 2d and stop-motion? And those are just the two I know for sure!

Yes, I’ve done a little bit of 3D for assignments, but so far I’ve only worked in 2D and stop motion. I love both techniques equally! They are two different forms of art and each has stunning aspects. I love how free 2D can be, and how much you can play with crazy distortions, squash and stretch. I also love the process of crafting puppets and sets and being able to hold them in my hand.

What inspires you and your work the most?

Japanese anime definitely influences my work. They are my childhood and what made me keep the pencil in my hand! In the process of creating, I also look for references in many forms: live action movies, fashion, short films, photography. Anything related to art.

Is there anything that comes up in your work over and over?

I built my interest in life drawing while studying at Sheridan. Now, emphasizing the beauty and curls of human bodies has become a core part of my drawings.

How was the experience of creating "Quarters" in a team of 9 animators?

Creating “Quarters” with 8 other amazing artists was a really great experience! It was our first try, but there were no conflicts and everything went smoothly. Everyone pitched an idea for the film and we voted for the ‘four neighbors’ idea, which became “Quarters”. I worked on layout designs, prop and sets fabrication, shooting area setups, animation, and some post-production color corrections. We spread the work pretty much equally to everyone, so that we could all gain experience in every stage of creating a stop motion film.

vimeo

What inspired you to create "Lost, Stolen, Dropped"?

I had two other ideas for my final film before “Lost, Stolen, Dropped,” but they didn’t feel authentic to me. Personally, I prefer telling stories on subjects that I’m knowledgeable about, or have experienced myself. So one month into my 4th year, I gave up my first idea and all the storyboards I’d done for it. I thought, “What subject am I really familiar with? Is there anything that I know better than anyone else?” At the same time, I lost my brand new Cintiq pro pen. Not long before then I had lost my wallet. Aaaand my portable hard drive. My roommate commented that losing things is my everyday life. That’s what inspired me - I am really good at losing things! So I decided to make a film about that.

Love it. Do you often pull from your own life in your stories?

Actually, I can trace it back all the way to primary school! I used to draw comics as my diaries. With four panels comics, I’d record anything that happened in my life that I found fun. By the end of grade 7, I had a whole sketchbook of my personal life. I only showed it to my closest friends.

What were the biggest changes you made to "Lost, Stolen, Dropped" while working on the film? What were the biggest challenges?

I made a big change in the story. At the end of the first version, I made lots of copies of the main character, which came from all the different scenarios or timelines. They all appeared in her messy room, staring at her and guiding her to find her phone. That ending had a very dark and absurd feeling to it. The problem was, in order to explain that story and deliver the right feeling, the film would need to be a lot longer. And so, too much work for me. In the end, I changed lots of things and compressed the storyboard so I could finish it.

What do you plan to do now that you've graduated? Sorry to ask that question, I know it's the worst for new grads, haha.

Haha, I was so lost on this before, but now I kind of have a blueprint! The very first thing I want to do is find a job that I like, start saving, and get my PR (permanent residency) here in Canada, which is very realistic. I'll use my savings to go to grad school or take online classes: anything to improve my skills and broaden my perspective. Eventually, I want to work on personal projects without having to worry about financial issues.

Do you have a favorite cartoon, film, or artist?

Different films have been my favorite at different times in my life... I just love work that has great stories or strong emotions. I can’t really pick one film as my favorite, but Masaaki Yuasa is definitely one of my favorite directors! What I admire most about his films is how the abstract parts serve the expressive storytelling, and the drawings are always loose. That’s what I need to learn!

What's your biggest dream?

My biggest dream used to be becoming a zoologist! That was when I was 8. Now, my dream is to connect with great artists and studios over the world. To learn from them, work on fun projects, live a happy, healthy life, and occasionally go on vacations so that I can work on my other hobbies!

What are your hobbies outside of animation?

I’m interested in a wide range of things! Biking, gym exercise, photography, choreography, sculpting, sewing, leathercraft. But my greatest interest, outside of animation, is dolls and puppets! I love all kinds of dolls and toys. Different doll artists always make dolls with different characteristics, and that self-expression element is what appeals to me. I want to be able to create my own porcelain or resin doll one day. I am working hard toward that goal! ❀

Follow Addictiya on Instagram

Thank you for the interview Tiya! Love your work and am so looking forward to seeing what you do next. Enjoy home and your summer vacation pre-Adulting, you’ve earned the heck out of it!

- Cooper ❀

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