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hauntingkiki · 3 months

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Venture x Reader

OverWatch

2nd POV

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"you're coming home saturday, yeah?" you asked your partner over the phone, taking your calendar that was hung up on your fridge. you placed it on the island, pulling your phone away from your left ear and switching it over to your right, your elbows propped up on the counter as you leaned on it, grabbing a nearby pencil and twirling it around in your fingers.

a sigh escaped the others lips, a faint 'i'm telling her right now.' makes its way through the speaker of the phone. "no...no, no, not tomorrow." the huffed, clearly annoyed.

you perked up at the news, dropping the pencil as you pushed yourself off of the counter, wondering around your apartment. "what?! what do you mean, 'not tomorrow', sloan?" you cried, disappointed in the news. you ran your free hand through your hair, stopping at the top of your scalp as you gently pulled at your hair. "w-why are you guys staying longer? i thought you guys found enough artifacts at the site!”

"apparently, the boss found another site he wants to visit, it'll take us all day saturday to get there, sunday is our rest day, then we'll start exploring monday through friday." your partner, sloan explained, looking at the written schedule that was in front of them as they spoke, bouncing their leg.

“ANOTHER site?!” you scoffed, walking back to the island and taking a seat, snagging the calendar and pencil to fix the dates. “are you fucking kidding me?! this is the fourth one you’ve been too! in what- the span of three weeks?!” you pulled your phone away from your ear, putting it on speaker as you placed it carefully on the marble countertop as you erased the pencil marks.

sloan scoffed, humming in agreement on how stupid the whole thing was. even though it bright in good money, enough to feed you two, pay rent, go out on dates and travel, it pulled them away from you more than they would like. “tell me about it.” sloan huffed, standing up from their seated position. "we should hopefully be home by next sunday, and have that dinner with the crew at that one joint..."

you groaned, remembering the celebratory dinner. "right! i forgot about that." you muttered, biting on your thumb nail.

the line was quite, besides the loud laughter that came from sloan's end. it suddenly went dead silent, a door clicking shut was all you heard as you sat at the island. "what do you want to do?" sloan asked, taking a seat at their bed that was freshly made, their clothing, toiletries and other things they brought with them packed in their suitcases.

"what do you mean?" you asked, scribbling down the dates sloan mentioned a few minutes prior.

"with the reservations! and the plans we made." they waved a hand around, sighing as they hunched forward. "should we just move them until i get back? or you can go with your friends or whoever and we can go another time."

you pressed the eraser against your lip, looking at the name you had sloan saved under as well as the picture of the two of you that was saved as their profile. “i…i uh, let’s just move the dates.” you sighed, sliding the pencil behind your ear. “i’ll call the restaurants and whatnot to move them to next week, it won’t be a big deal.”

sloan softly nodded, whipping out their wallet from one of many jacket pockets they had and opened it single handedly, pinching their phone in between their right shoulder and their face. “okay…text me when you get the new reservations.” sloan meekly smiled, opening one of the wallet pockets before pulling out a polaroid of the two of you, small hearts doodled the white boarder that surrounded the picture.

you hummed, muttering a small ‘will do’ under your breath as you click the speaker button to cancel it before bring the phone up to your ear. your eyes darted around the kitchen, a mess of pots, pans, and silverware was no where in sight in your sink, which you grew fond over. you always loved seeing sloan in the kitchen, cooking away at their family recipes which had the place smelling like the amazing spices for weeks on end. sure, you had stocks of food that they cooked before the mission in the fridge from weeks prior, but it wasn’t the same, since all you had to do was to warm them up, either on the oven or in the microwave.

it never tasted the same as when your lover made them for you.

your eyes started to become glassy as your lip quivered, your teeth sinking into your bottom lip before any noise sneaked its way out of your throat. it’s been three weeks since you’ve seen sloan, going on four since sloan is staying longer. you were missing them like crazy, the apartment was unbearably quite without them home. you wanted to voice your opinion out about the matter for a while, but they’ve been working there since they’ve been sixteen-ten years at the same company! you couldn’t and wouldn’t do that to them in your wildest dreams, they meant so much to you for you to do that.

you softly shook your head, telling your brain to cut it out and save it for when you were off the phone so they didn’t feel the guilt of hurting you. but, that plan was quickly abandoned as tears rolled down your cheeks, shaky breaths filled the silence and alerted your partner on the other end of the phone.

“cariño?” venture gasped out, their attention snapping away from the photo and towards the sounds of your sobs. they placed their wallet and the photo to their left side, the mattress slightly creaking as they shuffled around on the bed. “what’s wrong?”

you wiped away your tears, choking on a sob as your hand holding your phone began to shake against your face, focusing most of your attention onto that in oder to make it stop. “it’s just…” you swallowed a lump that clogged your throat, making it hard to speak. ‘might as well tell them.’ you let out a cry, sniffing before looking down at the marble countertop. “it’s so hard to be away from you. especially for four weeks, sloan! like-it’s absolutely crazy!”

sloan nodded softly, taking your words into consideration. their attention snapped to the door that creaked open, covering the bottom of their phone as they locked eyes with zane, one of their coworkers.

zane took the hint and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

“but.” your voice startled sloan back to reality, their undivided attention back to you. “i didn’t want to say any of this because this is your dream! you love this job and i don’t want to stop you.”

the two of you went silent, besides your faint sobs and sniffles.

sloan ran a hand through their hair, their fingers twirling around the hairs of their undercut before stopping at the base of their neck, gently massaging at the muscle. “i…i get it.” sloan reassured, dropping their hand that was at their neck back to their lap.

you blinked, your lashes soaked in your tears as they brushed against your brow bone. “really?” you muttered, your voice soft.

sloan nodded, their attention glued onto their boots. “yeah! i miss you so much, you’re all i think and talk about!” they chuckled, smiling warmly at the sound of your faint snicker. sloan’s smile faintly dropped, becoming serious as their eyes darted over to the picture of you two that was to the left of them. “these long and far trips suck. and-and i know this year has been full of them, but i promise you that there won’t be as many later in life.”

“promise?” you bit back a small smile, your heart slightly fluttering at the sound of sloan’s chuckle.

“promise, mi amor.”

•••

today was the day.

sloan camron was coming home.

you were practically bouncing off the wall as you paced around the living room, phone in hand as you reread the long message that was sent in the wayfinders groupchat that you were so grateful to be added to (as well as other’s family and spouses).

hello members and family of the wayfinder’s society,

as you all know, today is the day we’re all coming home from a four week exploration that took place in australia. during these four weeks, we were thankful enough to visit, explore and research five sites scattered around the land. with great discoveries of artifacts, gems, rocks, fossils and much more, we have decided to come home, and let our members have a six month ‘break’ from traveling. during this ‘break’, members, and family members, will be called to our company building for meetings, dinner parties, and other events we will be hosting during those six months before we start up traveling again.

we will, hopefully, arrive to the airport at 7:10 PM. it’ll take about 30 minutes to an hour before we’re all off the plane, then you all will be expected to be at our celebratory dinner at 9:20 PM, at the local bar and pizzeria uptown. (oliver will provided the location when we land)

when we arrive to the airport, we will be leaving the plane in alphabetical order by last name. so family, please do the following:

if you have someone in the A-K range, show up to pick up your person then immediately go home to get ready for the dinner.

if you have someone in the J-Z range, be ready before you pick up your person. you should have time to let your person freshen up before going to the diner. if not, bring a change of clothes, cologne/perfume and whatever’s necessary for them to look somewhat presentable.

members of the wayfinder’s, please wear your jackets to the dinner. we need to represent the company while we’re out having a good time tonight.

- thanks, ben (the boss)

you bit your lip as you grinned, throwing your arms up as you cheered, jumping around with a laugh.

you snapped out of your trance and made your way to the shared bedroom, checking-for the tenth time- that you had everything laid out for the two of you.

a cute outfit for you laid on the bed and some makeup was already out of your makeup bag and lined up in order along your desk. you also had some jewelry laid out, your shoes and a bottle of perfume.

a fresh pair of clothes was laid out for sloan, just a simple jeans and t-shirt for your lover. you also placed some of their rings, a matching necklace that you two had and their cologne bottle on the mattress for them.

as of now, it’s 6:32. if you leave now, you’ll get to the airport by 6:52 if you were lucky, 7:05 with the light traffic that was on the freeway.

smiling, you grabbed your keys and made your way to your car. you locked the door behind you before practically skipping down the steps and towards the parking lot. you, shockingly, got to your car within two minutes. unlocking it, you got inside and into the drivers seat, putting the keys into the keyhole and starting the engine. taking a deep breath, you put the car into reverse and backed out before shifting gears and driving out of the parking lot.

••• (i ain’t writing the drive)

chitter filled your ears as you walked through the building, the clicks of shoes were drowned out by the voices, but if you listened hard enough, you could hear it. you gently rubbed your hands up and down your arms, trying to keep yourself slightly warm from the cold air. the roars of engines echoed through the building as airplanes flew overhead or as they made their way down the runway.

you glanced around the airport, people waiting at their gates with their luggage or people walking to and fro with suitcases dragging behind them filled your view. it surprisingly not too crowded, but you guessed it was because of how late it was.

“y/n!” a voice called out, snapping you out of your trance. there stood a girl who was about 5’7, she had green-hazel eyes with tan skin, dark freckles covered certain areas of her skin, as well as a faint, natural blush on her cheeks. she had gorgeous, wavy dirty brown hair that fell a little past her mid back, faint pops of orange peeked through her hair as well. she wore a beautiful, light orange sun dress with a plaid pattern that fell a little short of her knees. she also had simple white flats on with her gold anklet.

“katie! oh, my god, hi!” you beamed, jogging over to the girl and engulfing her into a hug. as the two of you hugged one another, you got a strong scent of orange blossom. ‘man, does she love orange.’ you joked to yourself, the two of you pulling away from the hug. “how have you been?”

she faintly waved a hand around, rolling her eyes in a playful expression. “ah, you know. bored out of my MIND!” she laughed, gently pushing your left shoulder. her smile softened slightly, her brows knitting together as she gestured a hand in your direction. “but what about you? this is the longest sloan and you have been apart- the two of you are a packaged deal!…how are you holding up?”

you sighed, biting the insides of your cheeks as you remembered last week; you crying to your dear partner about their work and how hard it’s been on you. you blinked a few times, chuckling awkwardly before clearing your throat. “it’s hard, but um…i’ve managed.” you confessed, feeling a little embarrassed that you were getting vulnerable in a fucking airport, but you’ve seen worse things; both online and in real life. “definitely different then the two week trips.”

katie nodded with a hum, crossing her arms. “no, i totally understand. it still bugs me when zane’s gone for anything longer than a week.” she reassured in a way, placing a hand on her chest.

you let out a sarcastic sigh, throwing a hand on her shoulder which made her let out a laugh. “FINALLY! someone who gets it!” you joked, laughing along with her.

a taller man, about 5’11 with black, shaggy hair and light blue eyes walked over to the two of you, a faint smile on his lips. “i hate to interrupt…BUT the planes here and they’re making they’re way out.” he beamed, gently nudging you both over to the crowd that started to form around the door.

katie gasped, throwing her arms around the man as she jumped up and down in excitement. “ugh, thank you travis!!” she grinned, letting go of the man before turning back to you, placing an arm around your shoulder so she wouldn’t lose you.

members of the wayfinders started to make their way out of the jetway, immediately looking for their family, friends and significant others.

as you watched the faces walk by, you realized something. you slowly turned to katie, opening your mouth to point out your observation before shutting your mouth when you saw her pale, wide eyed expression. “hey…hey abby?” you called, slipping away from the dirty blond and making your way over to the ginger.

abby smiled brightly, waving at a nearby group before turning towards you, her eyes going wide when she saw you. “y/n?” she gasped, walking over to katie with you at her side. she ran a hand through her hair when it clicked in her head, groaning faintly. “did ben not send the new message?!” she snapped, adjusting her bag that she held in her right hand.

katie glanced over to you before going back to abby with a quirked brow. “what new message?” she asked, shaking her head softly to finalize her thought.

abby sighed, darting her attention between the two of you. “ben changed the order of how we get off-it’s by first name!” she huffed, jerking her head to the side as she walked off, the two of you following after her. “so since you’re here for zane and your here for sloan, you two have to go back home to get ready and whatever.”

you groaned, slapping a palm to your forehead. “fucking ben.” you spat under your breath, making abby click her tongue in agreement.

“will we have time to leave?” katie asked, tilting her head softly.

abby nodded. “yeah, it’ll take way more than an hour for everyone to get out of the plane.” she shrugged faintly.

“alright, but thank you for the heads up, i greatly appreciate it.” you smiled, nodding at the advice that she gave.

abby smiled softly, pulling you into a quick hug. “anytime! it’s nice to see the two of you again.” she gushed, pulling away and taking katie into a hug before making her way over to her family.

katie sucked in a breath, turning on her heels towards you. “let’s ride together, yeah?” she offered, gently taking your hand into her and she dragged you towards the parking.

you nodded catching up to the girl before you two ended up running out of the airport doors.

•••

“thank you for letting me use your flat iron! you’re a life savor!” katie sighed in relief from the small bathroom, ironing her hair until it was somewhat straight.

you hummed somewhat loudly for the girl to hear you from the bathroom, brushing your eyeshadow onto your eyelid. it was a simple, light shimmer, faint f/c sparkles peaking through when you blinked. you threw your brush into your makeup bag, snatching your mascara before twisting the bottle open and applying it onto your lashes until you were satisfied. “you’re more than welcome to touch of your makeup, too!” you called out, adding some highlighter to your inner corner and your nose. “feel free to use my makeup if you’d like!” you grabbed your lipstick, popping the cap off before twisting it up and swiping it onto your lips.

“awe, thank you, y/n!” she cooed, turning off the flat iron and sliding over to your room. she walked over to your desk, grabbing your mascara tub and applying the product onto her lashes. “we’re cutting it super close, we should probably get ready to go soon.”

you nodded in agreement, fixing your hair and outfit before standing up. “yeah, i think we should go now.” you made your way over to the bag that held sloan’s clothes, picking it up and throwing it over your shoulder.

katie closed the mascara, nodding with a hum before following after you, grabbing the bag with zane’s clothes before the two of you headed out of your apartment and towards her car.

the drive back to the airport was quick and tense, the two of you anxious for if you missed seeing your partners coming out of the jetway.

once you two arrived at the parking lot, you grabbed the bag you packed and made your way to your car, throwing it into the backseats when you unlocked it before locking it and running into the building with katie in tow.

“think we made it on time for them?” you asked, yelping when you almost pumped into someone. you called out an apology, spinning around them before running alongside your friend again.

“i hope so!” katie gulped, the two of you slowing down. the two of you started to walk over to where the wayfinder’s where at, katie pointing to a group before excusing herself over to them, leaving you with a wave.

you swallowed nervously, peering over the crowd of people while you stepped onto your tippy toes. brushing some of your hair behind your ears, you glanced around the surrounding area before stopping in your tracks.

there they were.

standing ways in front of you was sloan camron. or someone that looked like them. they looked so different, but so familiar at the same time. maybe it was the uncut, poorly kept hair and the new scars that imprinted into their tan skin.

the two do you stared at one another in shock. this couldn’t be real, it didn’t feel real to you. you felt lightheaded, overwhelmed at the sight of them.

you slowly inched forward, your feet dragging against the white tile underneath you. tears started to prick at your eyes, the realization hitting you like a ton of bricks, and soon, you were sobbing and picking up your speed, running straight at them.

sloan also had tears in their eyes, dropping their heavy bags of equipment and of clothes onto the tile before also making their way towards you, tears streaming down their face.

the two of you quickly met in the middle, the two of you almost falling over from sloan’s brute strength. the two of you clawed and gripped at each other, both of you sobbing uncontrollably into each other arms.

you pulled away, reaching out and cupping sloan’s cheeks, rubbing your thumbs under their eyes which smudged their tears into their skin. your glassy eyes darted around their face, noticing a few small scars scattered around. but the things that’s stayed the same where their dimples, the chip on their tooth, and their eyes. oh, how you could get lost in their deep caramel eyes.

sloan leaned into your hands, a weak smile twisting in their lips as their eyes sparked in the airport lightning. they leaned their face into yours, your lips connecting with a small desire, a small hunger between the two of you.

your hand snaked around their neck, pulling them closer into you and deepening the kiss. sloan pulled you closer by the waist, crouching down slightly and picking you up, their arms hooking around your upper thighs and spinning you around slightly, making the two of you break the kiss with a faint laugh.

“i’ve missed you so much, mi amor.” sloan sighed shakily, nuzzling their face into the crook of your neck, softly kissing around your neck and up to your jaw.

you pressed your lips on the top of their head, tears still slowly rolling down your cheeks. you gently nudged their head back to make eye contact with them, your eyes darting in between theirs. “i still can’t believe you’re here.” you whispered, chuckling softly as you were placed back onto your feet, their hands still around your waist.

sloan nodded faintly, smiling as they kissed your temple. “it’s feel so great to be back.” they murmured against your face.

the two of you leaned into another kiss, pulling back sooner than you’d both liked as a pair of hands were pressed onto your shoulders.

“hey, i’d hate to be that guy.” zane meekly smiled with a shrug. “but we got a dinner to get to in like…hmm…i dunno-20 minutes?”

“hey, if we’re late,” sloan pointed between the two of you before pointing at zane and katie. “then you’re late, too.”

“hey, you’re lucky ben changed the time for the dinner.” katie jabbed back, zane and her waving before walking off.

you pulled at the black tshirt that was almost fully caked in dirt and grime. “cmon, you smell like dirt and sweat and you need to change out of these clothes.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

YIPPIEEE IVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR TOO LONGG BUT IM FINALLY DONEE!!

I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED!:) SORRY IF ITS A LITTLE CRINGE OR ANYTHING😓

but im cringe but free

#fanfic #reading #request are welcome #overwatch #characterxreader #overwatch2 #venture #venture overwatch #venture ow2 #venture x reader #sloane x reader #sloan x reader #sloane cameron #sloan cameron #hauntingkiki

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arivsxq · 10 days

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Pairing: Jungkook X reader

Theme: angst, friends to lovers to enemies

Warning: +18, mention of drugs, smut, angst, JK is kinda an asshole

Song: Friends-Chase Atlantic

Word count: 1k+

A/N: hey, I was bored last night so I thought “why not write a little one shot?”. Hope u like it and sorry english is my second language so I tend to make some mistakes. Have a great dayyy

One thing I learned in the past few months is to always keep your promises. I didn't do that which led to, me lying to every single person I love only to be with the man that I loved. Can you even call it love? I think so. At least from my perspective, but from his? Did he love me or did he love the rush of excitement that came with the forbidden romance between us? I don't know and I probably won't ever know but what I know is that we both screwed up. The promise we made many years ago had its purpose and we ignored it because we were blinded by the mind-blowing sex we had when none of our friends were around.

Now we're sitting here, pretending like the past months never happened, keeping up this facade for our friends in the hope that they will never find out. The smell of weed lingers in the air, taking me back to the night before everything went down. "You want sum' "J.T. holds a package of cigarettes in his hand. I stretch my arm slightly to take one and light it up before I blow out the smoke into the cold night air. "I thought you wanted to quit" His raspy voice reaches my ears, making me stop my movements for a second. "I've changed my mind" I try to make my voice sound as normal as possible but even an idiot could see that something was off.

We were very close, even before our 'little romance' but now I couldn't even look into his eyes. "You guys are fine?" Cora asks. "Yeah, why wouldn't we?" and another lie. "You two seem off. I just thought you fought or something" She's right, we fought but that's the consequence of fucking your best friend behind closed doors. They drop the topic fortunately and out of one cigarette becomes a joint. Our five friends talk and laugh but the only quiet ones are me and him.

"I should head home now. It's past midnight and I have practice tomorrow" I get up from the bench and take my bag. "How do you get home?" Dane asks, reminding me that he had quite a few drinks by now. "Walkin' " I feel his gaze on my body and before I can think any further he stands up and says "I'll drive you". I want to say something. I want to say no, I really want to but I can't because our friends are listening. I wave them goodbye and start heading into the dark with him behind me like a guardian angel.

"I can walk" my voice echoes through the darkness, making him let out a laugh. "What's so funny?" "When will you stop lying, y/n?" I stop in my tracks and turn around to face him. "You are scared of the dark. You hate walking around at this hour"

"Things change" my answer makes him laugh again. "I still wonder how the others never found out because baby you are a terrible liar". My eyes widened at his statement but also because of the pet name he always called me when no one was around.

"I'm not a liar" another lie. "You are. You never have practice on Sundays". Fuck this son of a bitch. How does he remember every detail about me and makes me feel things I shouldn't? "I'm not the only liar here" my arms crossed in front of my chest, trying to make myself feel less exposed. "You're right but the difference is that I don't deny it" I want to rip this damn smirk off of his face, that he always makes when he knows he's right. He gets on his bike and puts his helmet on while I stand there dumbfounded. "Get on top" he throws the other helmet and I catch it. My eyes roll before putting it on and hopping behind him onto the bike. He puts on the engine after making sure my hands are secured around his waist that I knew so well and before I could feel my heart beating faster, we drove off into the night.

***

I should've known better when he said he wanted to follow me upstairs and make sure I would get home safely. But I was too dumb to think twice or maybe I hoped that this would happen. That's the reason why he's pounding inside me, right? Making me cry out the noises that he loved so much while my acrylic nails bury into his skin. I feel his muscles flex under my touch. "Fuck" he curses when my walls clench around him. His heavy breaths tickle the side of my neck while his tattooed hand goes down to stoke my waist. Soft moans escape my mouth and I feel his lips again.

My legs feel numb, the kiss deepens and I feel him hitting the spot that makes me want to scream out his name. It's like he can read my mind. Fuck you Jeon. "Do it baby. Say my name" he grunts beside my ear. I whine at the pleasure that starts building up inside me and as much I hate him, I still can't get enough of him. "Say my name baby. Tell me who makes you feel good"

"Fuck you, Jungkook" is the only thing I get out before the knot in my stomach explodes and my orgasm rolls all over my body.

He moans at the feeling of my walls tightening around him and increases his speed, pounding faster into my dripping core. "I missed you" did he? "Fuck I missed you so much" my heart clenches and I feel what I did when he whispered sweet nothings when he had me in his arms. And that's the moment I start thinking that maybe he has changed. Maybe we can try to be something again but this time stop lying about it. Dumb little girl. Because the next day I wake up he's gone...again.

#jungkook #oneshot #bts #x reader #smut #jeon jungkook #jungkook oneshot

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shirefantasies · 4 days

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Marti it is Moss *does small dance* sending in a Hobbit imagine should it strike your fancy to answer. If not feel free to delete you come first and foremost! Your blog is always a delight and i read everything you post like its the morning newspaper.

Im wondering if you would write a hobbit headcanon for a reader who uses a mobility aid like forearm crutches!

I myself use forearm crutches (named Catcher and Holder a la Dwalin) for dizziness and weakness due to neurological issues, but there are many reasons for their use from joint pain to hypermobility. Sometimes people use them all the time and other times they are only used when they have flare ups (some have to have them available all the time in case of The Return tm)

Sometimes you use one and sometimes you use two. All depends on condition severity, needs,what youre doing, and preference

Even when you have a flare up you may not prefer to use them for short distances ie in your house some people choose not to. I use mine on the steps unless im doing something hazardous and dont want to risk a fall (and be able to walk in general)which ive become prone to over the last two years.

You still live your life and do what you do sometimes its a bit different other times its not. Sometimes you have a stick or two.

You can make a lot of fun decorations and functional tools like cupholders and pouches for your crutches and stickers make them unique and customizable. Honestly the biggest challenge for me is mugs and stairs+ other two handed tasks 😩 let me see someone smack a warg protecting their bestie and then lament not planning their cuppa retrieval rofl.

Im wondering how our lads would have a time with this- not acceptance wise as i know Dwarves are very accepting. More along lines of shenanigans wholesome fun bonding the good daily stuff that you write so beautifully and capture each one of them so well!

Thank you so much and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out

🌿🏹moss🏹🌿

Hello Moss 🥰💚 OMG Catcher and Holder that's perfectttt! Sorry this post is so fuckin long in the making but hopefully you enjoy it and this captures it well! I confess I don't personally use a mobility aid at this time so I may not have the greatest frame of reference 😅 but yeah I hope you like these little moments! *does small exit dance in return*

Warnings: canon typical violence in some

Thorin's Company + Reader With Mobility Aids

Balin

“Might I ask who built that?” Polite as ever, Balin motioned to the chair upon which you had affixed a pair of wheels. “I did,” you answered, “I was the only person in my little village who needed something like this.” “Well, you are quite the craftsman. Would that you had no ties to your hometown and the Lonely Mountain could snap you up! You could see those skills built up tenfold.” “R-really? I came here to Laketown for something just like that! But I’ll confess I think you will be a far better teacher.” Winking, you gave Balin a smile he mirrored. “You’re resilient. Smart as a whip, too! It would be my honor.” “And after all,” you added, “If anyone would know how to mount a crossbow on the arms, it would be dwarves!” At that, even as polite a dwarf as Balin could hardly help bursting into a wicked grin.

Dwalin

“Nice axes.” “Forged them myself,” Dwalin answered with a nod, “Grasper and Keeper. One grasps your soul, the other keeps it.” “How funny,” you remarked, raising your forearm crutches, “I call these Catcher and Holder. Same idea only with the body. Suppose that isn’t nearly as impressive, though.” “Impressive?” Dwalin burst out. “We’ve all got our battle scars. Our wounds. Never be ashamed of that. The fact that you’re still up ‘n’ going? Be proud. I can show you plenty o’ scars myself!” At that last bit, Dwalin began lifting up his tunic to reveal toned skin paled in some places and darkened in others by all manner of scars and at that, you couldn’t help shyly laughing. Proud indeed.

Thorin

Yes, the king had not denied you entry into his company when Gandalf had recommended you, but he had raised and furrowed his regal brow in the skeptical look all but branded into your mind. He’d asked Gandalf if he was certain, and from then on the fire in your heart blazed. Certainly Thorin treated you as an equal, giving you the tasks he gave all others, but he had been yet to see you in battle and you knew that was where your proof would solidify. In fact, the first time wargs closed in upon you, you were one of the first to run back at them. Hearing the way Thorin called your name, but thoroughly ignoring it in favor of landing a solid crack upon the nearest adversary's skull. Luckily your body was having a better day anyway despite all the walking, because you spun and smashed your way through the orc pack, especially once you saw the way one bowled Bofur and Dori over. Fire took over your heart and eyes as you swung your mace until you could swing no more, all but deaf to the cracking of heads and the clattering of your allies’ blades through that pounding adrenaline. At the end of it all, Thorin approached you, his expression surprisingly mild. Then it broke into a smile. “The wizard was right about you,” he told you, clapping a hand to your shoulder, “Invaluable in all respects indeed.”

Oin

“Oh, that’s clever, that is!” “My eyes are up here,” you quipped, crossing your arms and smiling sardonically down at the dwarf bent over peering at your wheels. At that, Oin tilted his head up to look back at you, giving a raucous heh heh heh of laughter. “Never seen anything like this lot before,” he commented, shaking his head and running a hand over the frame of your chair, “You’d think dwarves’d be the first to make ‘em! ‘S beautiful.” Your lips parted wordlessly for a few moments before you spoke, head still slightly tilted. “Beautiful?” “Course!” Oin replied, smiling widely as he rose to his feet again. “A real beauty for sure. A marvel, actually. It is quite the privilege to get to see it in action!” “No one has ever told me that before,” you replied quietly, a smile spreading across your lips.

Gloin

Orcs rushed you from every side, sending you scrambling as fast as your crutches could support you. Carrying a sword aside it all was about as unwieldy as one imagined, but you knew no different. In fact, your best strike that fight had nearly taken a whole arm off. Catching sight of you, though, the nearest of your blood-spattered adversaries grinned and gave a savage kick, sending your crutches flying from beneath you. Teetering, you pitched forward, trying to catch yourself with one arm and steady your sword with the other as the shout rang out. “You think you’re so clever, you great filthy buzzard? I don’t think so!” With a savage growl of his own, Gloin flew into the fray, and with a violent swing of his axe the orc’s head was sent unceremoniously tumbling to the dirt. “Serves ‘m right, eh?” Gloin asked with a smug look as he extended a hand, helping you up, handing you your crutches, and even gently dusting you off.

Bifur

You had seen the way he glanced your way. How his eyes traced the lines of the crutches extending from your forearms, the extensions of steel that made walking less painless. And running more painless if you were a charging warg on the receiving end of a bash to the face. Bifur had seen the way you slid your arms free to motion and sign to him, indicating the interesting things seen along the road. If you had a tendency to go nonverbal, he would aid you in removing your crutches when you needed to sign. Such things had been floating in your mind when you sat by his side, asked him if he understood in a way. You certainly felt understood in his presence, after all. Bifur glanced away with haste, but still you caught notice of tears in his dark eyes, just for a moment. A moment before the smile spread across his face and he leaned in, gently resting his forehead against yours- carefully, of course, so you barely felt the brush of the axe against your joined skin.

Bofur

“Bofur!” Uncaring how earsplitting your scream may have been, you charged forward, heaving one leg before the other as fast as you could while still keeping a hand on your walker. Which was faster than even you realized, sped by adrenaline and rage and urgency all pounding through your ears. Loading your crossbow again and again, you fired three successive shots into the assailant’s side, shoulder, and finally with the last you struck his ugly head and knocked him down onto his ass. For good. Sighing heavily, you leaned for just a moment on your walker frame before making your way to Bofur’s side, this time at a less painful pace, and turned it around to take a seat. Leaning down, you reached for his hand. “Bofur, are you alright?” “I am thanks to you,” he chuckled, his hazel eyes fixed upon you fondly, “Maybe I need to get myself one of those. Seems to aid the aim, having something to lean on.” Grinning and blinking back tears, you procured a cloth and a strip of bandage and started to dab away the blood on his shoulder.

Bombur

“Hope this isn’t rude…” You were surprised by the sound of Bombur's soft voice coming from your side, turning from the journal you wrote in and setting your implements aside. A part of you wanted to roll your eyes, well aware of all the 'not rude' inquiries you'd received over the years as to why you carried crutches, especially if some days you did not. However, knowing this one came from sweet Bombur softened you. He actually meant it. "...But what's the hardest part of having those?" You couldn't resist a snicker at the thought that immediately rose to your mind. "You'd really like to know?" "Yes," he nodded, "If I may." With another little snort, you smiled and told him, "Mugs." "Mugs?" "Mugs and stairs. Can't tell you the number of times I've spilled on my way up. Anything that takes two hands, really." "I see!" The conversation ended with Bombur's eyes lighting up. At least you thought it had ended... Several days later, he came shuffling up to you with that same sweetly eager glint and his hands behind his back. "I've made you something," he told you, pulling out an open cylinder of steel and unfolding another little piece from it, "Hope it works. It's a little mug holder. Go on, let's see if it fits." Snapping the little unfolding piece to your crutch, Bombur watched your face break into a grin as it remained in place. "This is the sweetest thing anyone has done for me, Bombur. Thank you." "You deserve it," he replied, smiling fondly at you.

Dori

“I wouldn’t exactly mind having one of those.” “A cane?” You arched a brow. “I’ve always thought it made you look distinguished,” he admitted with a smile. “Now that is a new one,” you commented wryly, “All for use of my leg.” “Nothing wrong with it,” Dori shrugged, “We all do what we must. Seems a shame you’ve such a plain one, though.” At that, your proverbial ears perked up. “As opposed to what?” “Well,” he shrugged, “I don’t know. Haven’t you seen all the nice silver tips and things they put on canes?” “Ah,” you nodded, “I see what you mean! It is a bit of a shame I haven’t anything to decorate mine with, isn’t it?” “Haven’t anything? What do you call this?” With that emphasized last word, Dori reached behind into his pack and procured a little silver charm, one carved richly with dwarven runes and even centered with a little green stone. Fiddling at his back more, the dwarf also found a section of string and hastily tied it to your cane’s handle. “Now what do you call that?” He asked, waving a hand over the charm. “I have a bit of luster dust if you’d like something more.” Needless to say, it was the most fun night you’d had in those endless weeks of trekking.

Nori

Raising one eyebrow at Nori, you stared in skepticism as he held a hand out and repeated his request. “Your cane, please?” “How do I know you won’t just run off with it?” You shot back. “You’re sitting,” he pointed out, “Not like you really need it. Besides, do you really think I’d be so incorrigible a scoundrel as to make off with someone’s means of walkin’ for no reason?” Nori’s gaze slid upward from your carven wood cane back to your eyes, which remained as they were. “Second thought, don’t answer that. Just trust me, hm? You won’t regret it. Dwarf’s honor.” At the invoking of honor, an action infrequently taken by Nori, your brow lowered to form a more neutral, though inquisitive, expression as you handed your cane over. You were quickly distracted by conversation from Dori as you sat, folding your hands in both complacency and content and shivering a bit in the snow. The conversation continued for some time until an ‘A-ha!’ rang out and Nori came running back up, triumphantly hoisting your cane, to which he had crudely affixed one of his many knives. “And what,” you asked, “Is this?” Nodding beyond your night’s campground, Nori indicated the ice extending across the ground. “Aid in your trek! Can’t have you slipping, can you? Not that I won’t catch ya.” He winked.

Ori

“Your sticks!” Ori gasped, brown eyes wide with horror. “Where are they?” “My crutches?” Eyebrows sliding upward in amusement, you made your way toward the young dwarf, who was stitching a sock a handful of feet away. At that, he simply nodded, repairs completely abandoned upon his lap. "Oh, I simply had no need for them today," you answered with a small shrug of your shoulders. At that, Ori gave a curious little frown. “So you can walk some days?” “It isn’t only a matter of walking,” you chuckled, “Moreso that some days my pain and balance are worse.” “Like when Gloin’s leg bothers him?” Ori asked, face turning to childlike eagerness. “Or how Bifur doesn't talk some days?" A little smile spread across your face and your chest expanded with warmth. "Yes," you agreed, "Just like that, Ori."

Fili

Mind drifting off in tandem with the pulsing ache of your limbs, you gazed at the flicker of the fire, faintly drifting smoke curling into the air from pipes and the kindling itself. Your hands idly wrung your cane until the sensation of warmth brushing your leg drew you from your empty focus spiral. Shifting your gaze, you were met with the sight of Fili sitting at your side. "Think I might need one of those after today." Following his gaze, your eyes fell back down to your hands, more specifically the cane held there. "Your own mobility aid or the other?" At your last words, Fili quirked up a golden brow. "The other?" He repeated. Smirking proudly, you slid the end off your cane, revealing a sword hidden within. “The other,” you repeated once more with emphasis, “Guess you weren’t paying attention to how I heaved so many goblins off that bridge.” “You’re right,” Fili agreed, blue eyes lighting up in the fireglow, “I do want that. How long has that been there?” “Whole time.” “Just waiting for the right moment, eh?” “Of course,” you bantered back, “Gotta make a show.”

Kili

“Can I try?” Kili smiled up at you as you blinked at him, face blank with thought. Reaching down, he pantomimed using your crutches for a step, swinging his arms back and forth. "You want to give my crutches a go?" Your eyebrows shot up, a smile building upon your face. Memories flooded your mind, deep knowledge of the struggle that nearly always comes with those first steps and even far beyond. Loosening the grip you had upon your aids, you handed them off to Kili as you took Oin's hand and allowed him to help walk and lower you onto a makeshift camp seat. Hooking his arms in, Kili stood up, adjusting his posture after several moments. He took a step, then swung them. "Wait, that doesn't make sense. Hold on." You giggled from your seat at Oin's side as Kili raised one leg, thought, brought the crutches down again and wobbled such that you were tempted to extend hands that could catch him.

Bilbo

“I was scared first, but trust me: you’ll be grateful in the end once you get on these fellows,” Bilbo told you, looking down at you as he patted the pony he sat upon. “It isn’t that,” you answered, gaze dropping from the hobbit’s, “It’s…well, it is a bit embarrassing, to be honest.” The dwarves had been sweet enough to fortify the feet of your forearm crutches, though they still could not understand why you didn’t ride. The answer, quite frankly, rose a bit of a flush to your cheeks. Bilbo must have caught this. “You shouldn’t be ashamed. Nothing of it is your fault. You can tell me. Probably better me than all those dwarves, right? I won’t tell a soul.” His voice dropped to a playful whisper for that last sentence, which though it didn’t help the heat radiating beneath your skin did open your heart and your mouth. “If I were to get lightheaded or a shock of pain riding a pony I could fall off. And...And I would need someone to hold onto me.” “Ah,” the hobbit replied, this time taking his turn to shyly gaze away, “Well, if you ever change your mind, I would be more than happy to hold you.”

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storiesbyjes2g · 7 months

Text

3.89 Lose control

During our conversation about pre-wedding activities, Sophia and I found the idea of having a party appealing, but we had reservations about the traditional bachelor and bachelorette party. I'd never been to one, but I'd heard stories about them. Getting wasted and dancing with other women didn't appeal to me at all. My party didn't have to follow that formula; we could spend the night however I wanted. But the real reason we were anxious was because we both we both had a small circle of friends. We loved kicking it with our respective squads, but a party with just one or two sims wouldn't be lit.

"What if we did a joint co-ed party?" she offered.

That was the most brilliant idea, and it relieved us both. I mean, the whole point of a bachelor/bachelorette party was just to hang out with friends and have a good time, right? Who's to say we couldn't do that together? Our friends and their plus ones were enough sims for a fun, intimate party.

We tried to take Mama's advice and not show up early this time and walked in with the first wave. Heh, if Sophia had agreed to my offer earlier, we could have been super late, but let's not dwell on that. While getting a drink, I saw Alessia. I was low-key pissed, to be honest. Not enough to make a scene or even snub her all night, but we were definitely not okay.

Dub snuck up on me, and I almost dropped my drink.

"This is a nice place," he said. "The food selection is...interesting."

"Yeah. I guess I should have been more specific when I requested light refreshments."

"It's all good. Nothing like a little natural sugar to get you pumped up!"

"That's right. I expect to see everyone dancing, Dubstep."

"Dubstep??"

"Yeah! I think it's about time I gave you a nickname."

"But Dubstep though? I can't stand that music! It's everywhere at home!"

"Sorry, dude. I'm not often this clever. It's sticking!"

"Ugh! You better be glad your name can only be shortened, or I'd come up with something annoying for you too!"

"HA! Thank you, granddad I never met, for a boring name."

"Oh, hi Dub," Sophia said. "Thanks for coming!"

"Of course I'd come. I gotta make sure my boy Luc stays out of trouble!"

Sophia laughed.

"That's kind of you, but totally unnecessary."

I loved she said that. We had several conversations about my female friends, and she always expressed her acceptance of them. I believed her, but part of me wondered if she was actually cool with it or just trying to avoid conflict. Those conversations triggered her sometimes, and I knew she was still dealing with scars her ex-trash man inflicted. I never gave her a reason to doubt me, and I intended to keep it that way. Even so, her display of trust touched me deeply.

Less and Justin were chilling in the corner, probably relieved that I was busy. Did they keep in touch? Probably not. Regardless, I was happy they maintained a small connection, even though I still believed he was much too old for her. Once Rashidah and her husband showed up, Sophia hit the dance floor and got the party going. I sat down and watched her, mesmerized by the thought that tomorrow she would be my wife.

Chi Chi latched onto Maia as soon as she arrived and did not let her go. When Dub noticed, he not-so-casually got closer and watched their every move. I don't know why I thought it was funny, but I laughed anyway. Seeing him transition through this relationship, going from uncertainty about pursuing it to worrying about someone encroaching on them, was fun to watch. I knew Chi Chi was harmless, but he didn't, so I didn't laugh too hard. Still, what was Maia thinking? She was so gracious to endure all that talking for two nights straight. I knew all too well how draining it could be, trying to keep up with all the words that flew out of her mouth.

I eventually finished my drink and got out there to shake it with everyone. Poor Dub didn't even take one step and spent the whole night watching Maia and Chi Chi. I made a mental note to talk to him about it before we left, so it didn't become a big deal later on.

The fruity drinks were lame, so I invited everyone to the bar downstairs and bought us a round. The thumping bass from the DJ downstairs reverberated through the walls, injecting a surge of energy into our group. Moving the party downstairs was a genius move. The room was buzzing with excitement. Lively conversations and laughter filled the air. In the midst of all the excitement, I spotted Less trying to slip away, but I quickly caught her eye and called her out.

"Where were you last night?"

"What?"

"The engagement dinner? You didn't show."

She shrugged.

"I didn't want to go."

I needed a moment before replying, because her response struck a nerve. Her indifference was no stranger to me; I'd been dealing with it my whole life. It annoyed me then, and triple annoyed me now. I usually coped with it by ignoring her, but this was something I could not shrug off.

"You couldn't at least call and tell me you weren't coming?"

"I guess. Why are you so upset? You had the dinner and now this party. They're pretty much the same thing, so why do I have to come to both?"

I was teetering on the edge of losing my cool, and it caught me off guard. Despite all the challenges I faced in my life, I could never truly feel angry. I could've been mad at Dad taking us away from Mama, but I was just a little kid and more scared than anything. I couldn't bring myself to be angry with Mama for breaking up our family because my love for her was too strong. Less always got on my nerves, and I could've been mad at her countless times, but I felt pressured to always be in control as the oldest, especially since she always copied me. I just wanted to experience losing control for once, but was that the moment to waste my chance? In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that serious. Less was just being Less, and as much as it pained me to overlook it again, I just took a few deep breaths and re-centered myself before responding.

"You're my sim of honor, Less. Does that even mean anything to you? We were doing toasts, and you weren't there. Dub did a toast for me, and we just met. Maybe I should have asked him or Maira to be my sim of honor."

"I'm sorry, Luca! I thought it was just a casual dinner or something. I didn't think you'd be mad."

I sighed and shook my head at her.

"You never do, Less."

Speaking of Dub, I saw him stewing on the sidelines, so I let Less go and went to de-escalate him.

"Am I crazy?" he asked as I sat down. "Is she really that bold that she would try to take my girl in front of my face?"

I was glad to have something comical to take my mind off my annoying sister.

"She's harmless, man. A bit of a flirt, yes, and she talks a lot, but she would never do that to you. She's sweet."

"Brooo! The talking! I thought maybe she liked me too because she had me hemmed up all night last night. I barely escaped in time to make a toast!"

I laughed.

"Believe me...I am aware. I feel like she has a word quota she has to reach every day or she'll explode or something."

"Yeah, and she's spending it all on us!"

"Seriously... But for real...I really appreciate you doing that last night. My sister should have been the one making that toast, but she wasn't there, and that really hurt my feelings."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I got you, bro. Whatever you need."

"I appreciate that, Dubstep."

"HEY!"

Dub and Maia by @mysimsloveaffair

#ISBI challenge #sims 4 story #sims 4 gameplay #adolting #adolting gen 3 #wade banks #maia tilley #luca winston murillo #alessia amina murillo #sophia aguilar #xochitl luna #banks collab

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odinsblog · 5 months

Text

Have you ever been over something, and then years later, someone, out of the blue, brings it up and it really just knocks the wind out of you?

Okay, so this is about high school. I’m nearly 40, so that’s multiple lifetimes ago, right?

I’m pretty sure that I’ve posted about this here at least once, but I can’t find the post to link to it

Here’s the deal

In high school I wasn’t …. hmm …. Idk exactly how to describe it. I played sports (track, football, swimming), but I wasn’t POPULAR popular, right? But I also wasn’t NOT popular

My high school (in Florida) hadn’t been desegregated for very long, and there weren’t a LOT of Black students but there was enough of us so that we felt as comfortable as you possibly could given the circumstances

But I was like a universal joint: I played well with others and I fit in well with almost everyone, and if you don’t include some of the overtly racist teachers, I had almost no enemies (don’t get me wrong, I definitely had my share of fights with school bullies, but after you win enough of those, they kinda stop trying you)

Anyway,

I cannot even tell you why, but for some reason in senior year I decided to run for president of the student class

Wild, right?

So after all of the preliminary votes, it narrowed down to two people (I was more surprised than anyone that I actually made it that far - I guess bc I never really expected to win, maybe running for student class president was kinda like a high school bucket list thing for me?)

Anyway, my final opponent was a white guy named Bill. I knew Bill because in high school somewhere along the way, it was impressed on me that I should participate in as many non-athletic extracurricular activities as possible, to make me a better rounded person, and I was in the SUPER FUCKING RACIST Interact Club with Bill. How racist was Interact, you ask? Well, you had to “apply” for membership to Interact. When I applied, I had no idea what it was. I just knew that my student counselor had suggested it to me, and why not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(my graduating class was 2,500 students large, so it wasn’t as big as some of the schools I had attended up north, but it was “big” for Florida)

A teacher was responsible for actually running Interact, but the students really RAN it, know what I mean? Even though I had been working since I was 10yrs old, my Interact Club interview was probably my first real interview. It was kind of a big deal. Like, you had to schedule it and dress up for it and everything. And if you got accepted, your name got put up on a placard, prominently located on one of the main halls of our school

My first interview question, from the teacher in charge of the “club,” was: “Can you take racist jokes against Black people without getting angry?”

WTF??

To say the least, I was 100% completely caught off guard—I knew what racism was, and I definitely knew that it was present in my school, because I’d experienced it firsthand from other students and teachers, but for some reason I wasn’t expecting it to happen at Interact Club. Silly me

I suddenly became acutely aware that I was the only Black person in a room full of white people: the teacher/advisor, about 10 students who were already members of Interact, and mf Bill. Because OF COURSE Bill was already in Interact, and he was just grinning from ear to ear as I sat there in front of the classroom in this fucking “interview” from hell

BUT…! Anyone who knows me knows that one of my core personality traits is, if I get hit—no matter how hard—I always always always hit back. After a moment or two, my response was: “Yeah, can YOU take racist jokes about crackers?”

NGL, I’m not known for my quick wit, or always having the deftest or best clapbacks, but I surprised myself. I really patted myself on the back for that one

Nobody said a word for what seemed like an eternity. It was enough time that I still remember wondering if I might get detention or suspended or something

Finally, the teacher just said, “Okay. You’re in” and he got up, and quietly left the room. Leaving me alone with Bill and 10 not very amused white boys. Bill wasn’t grinning anymore

One or two of the guys got up (I was fully ready to fight, and I was cocky enough to believe that I could take them all down), but they just shook my hand, congratulated me and then they all left the room too

I would later learn that I was the first Black student in my county to get (“accepted”) into the Interact Club. This motif of, “first Black person to…” would follow me around in a lot of aspects in life, until my late 20s

Now, fast forward to the day before Election Day for student body president. It was my very first time giving a public speech. To a crowded auditorium full of my classmates. It was a little bit nerve wracking, but once I got into it, it was easy peasy. Enough so that I actually remember relaxing on stage and even ad libbing a few jokes into my speech. All in all, it wasn’t a bad experience. In fact, I kinda enjoyed it

Lmao, I made a shit ton of promises that I had no idea how I would keep, like getting the school to play music from the local Black radio station in the cafeteria during lunch—and the auditorium exploded in cheers and applause with this impromptu commitment of mine. Like I said, it was a good experience

Bill gave his speech, but I remember it being flat, bland and boring (kinda like Bill) and there was a smattering of claps here and there, and I distinctly recall thinking, “Is Bill really bombing here?” It surprised me because I was like, he had home field advantage, right? I mean, I could count on the Black students to vote for me, but collectively we didn’t account for more than about 15% of my student body class. We had to be bussed in. Bill shoulda been killing it. He had home field advantage, right??

The day after our speeches, was voting day. The principal told Bill and I that we would each be given the results in person before last period, and then the winner would be announced via intercom at the end of the school day. The principal made it clear that the loser would be expected to gracefully accept the outcome and shake hands with the winner. He was looking directly at me as he said this, but it didn’t bother me that much because I never really expected to win. I was outnumbered, but I was proud of myself for making it this far. And everyone who I passed in the hallways was telling me, “Don’t worry, O, I voted for you. You got this in the bag.” A surprising number of white kids were saying this to me. The football team, cheerleaders,… like … a lot of white kids. Hmm… interesting

Weirdly, the closer that me winning seemed like a real possibility, the more I wanted it. But there was no fucking way that I was going to actually win

In the middle of that day, announcement day, I was called to the principal’s office via the p.a. system. I was shaking walking down to the office

I made my way into the office and the school secretary smiled at me and told me to go to another room down the hall where “they” were all waiting for me

And now I’M SUPER NERVOUS

I get to the closed door of the room, take a deep breath, gather my nerves, open the door and go in

And the ONLY people in that room are Bill and that fucking Interact Club teacher, and a few members of the Interact Club. Bill is wearing this giant smirk on his face, and the teacher is smiling. “You lost,” the teacher bluntly told me. “Now shake hands with Bill”

And I start to shake hands, because all of the wind is rapidly leaving my sails, and I’m literally deflating in front of everyone, but just before my hand meets with Bill’s hand, I pause and ask, “How much did I lose by?”

This wasn’t me trying to buy time or anything, I genuinely wanted to know. I was just curious. The teacher looked like this question caught him off guard, and he looked back at two of the students, and then they looked at each other, and they whispered to each other, and then one of them raised one finger, and the Interact teacher said, “You lost by one vote”

Somehow, that was even worse than losing by a hundred votes

And Idk where this presence of mind came from, but I asked if I could get a recount (losing by one vote wasn’t sitting right with me)

The Interact teacher said he didn’t think that was allowed, but he must have seen the look on my face (I was definitely going to go ask the principal) and he gave me a disapproving sigh and said, “Okay, we’ll do the recount. Come back in an hour.”

And I was like, “WHO will do the recount?” and he gestures to the Interact Club members and himself

Oh. Okay.

I just walked out without saying anything. Bill and his friends and the racist teacher were in charge of the vote counting. Great. Fine. Whatever

Needless to say, when the “recount” was done, I still “lost” but this time, I was told that I lost by 2 votes

So yeah, it wasn’t thee worst thing to ever happen to me, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth, ya know? After it was announced to the entire school, everyone was coming up to me for days afterwards telling me that they voted for me and they couldn’t believe that I didn’t win

I always believed that I had won, but it was high school. Whatchagonnado? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It wasn’t a life defining moment or anything, it was just something that happened, but it’s not lost on me that I still recall everything as if it happened last week

But I did let it go and I moved on

It’s something that I haven’t thought about literally in years. Decades, in fact

Until recently

I was out running one morning and a guy was going in the opposite direction and he kinda stared at me as I went around him. And then he yells, “Hey, is your name Odin?” and I stop and go back and tell him yes, and we start talking, and it turns out that he went to my high school. I completely do not remember him, but whatever. It’s always kinda nice to see old faces from old places

So after a few minutes we do the obligatory, “hey let’s exchange phone numbers and keep in touch” thing, but even though I gave him my phone number, I had absolutely no intention of ever contacting him. I’m busy. I got shit to do

Maybe a month later, I get a phone call and it’s the dude who I bumped into who knew me from high school. So in real time, it’s last week

We’re talking and I’m ready to hang up after about 30 seconds, but I don’t want to be rude so I let him keep talking and waited for the right moment to jump in and throw in an excuse to end the call

He’s going on and on and says, “I know you didn’t recognize me that day, but I was trying to talk to you and tell you something, but you seemed like you were in a rush…” and I’m thinking to myself, yeah, much like right now, and for some reason I get unusually blunt (in social settings I’m normally more patient and accommodating, but something felt off, and I really was busy)

Then he says, “I need to tell you something, but I …”

Long silence

Look, man, whatever it is just say it

“Thanks, I just never thought I’d … I want to get it off my … (long sigh)”

Just say it

“You won that election back in high school. I was one of the people counting the votes. You won. You won by a lot. We gave it to Bill”

……

#and i havent stopped thinking about it since last week #it feels like i *just now* lost something physically #a post about me #im not surprised but still #i feel silly for letting this bug me still

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lightwise · 6 months

Text

TBB S3 E9 Reaction

- Oh boy. I am not liking that opening shot that makes Pabu look like Tantiss 😭😭

- It’s so cloudy and dark—it must be the fall season going into winter

- Wrecker AND Crosshair making lady friends…I see what you’re doing there Jen

- “Does it matter? We’re not handing her over.” The 👏🏻 character 👏🏻 growth 👏🏻

- “Can’t be prepared if we don’t know what we’re dealing with” Hunter is fully back in sergeant mode

- Also this is the first time we’ve seen Crosshair without his outer pauldrons on!! Now he can’t stab someone’s eye out if he stands next to them 😆

- I love how Omega says Batcher

- Oh yeah Omega go walk into the scary cave that Batcher is afraid to go into. And walk up to a strange ship that you don’t recognize 😅

- I do honestly wish Ventress’ character reveal had been kept a secret and wasn’t in the trailer. This moment would hit so much harder. But it’s very good to see her finally show up.

- Love the subtle nod to how Hunter seems to hear Batcher first, and Crosshair sees her first, showcasing their different skill sets and how well they work in tandem.

- Wow Ventress looks so good!! The hair! The outfit! Her in this animation style!

- Lol of course she already knows everything about them.

- Why does Crosshair keep suspiciously leaving a space between him and Hunter where a certain bespectacled Batch member is supposed to be standing 🥺

- “We never gave her our coordinates” 😬😬😬

- Love how serious but also calm and curious Ventress is. You can already see how much more at peace with herself she is compared to TCW (I have not read Dark Disciple but I am aware of the basics of her arc in it).

- “It’s for a friend…you’re saying I’m a Jedi!?!” Baby girl, don’t you know that Nala Se basically engineered you all to be TERRIBLE liars 🤣🤣😅 absolutely no one ever was going to believe those words coming out of your mouth, not with that adorable face

- Loving the lore drops that Ventress is giving here. Using the word midichlorians, tying force sensitivity and blood count to TPM and Ahsoka and the OT. Acknowledging that training is what makes you a Jedi, not your m-count. That the Force connects all living things. Bringing up the age old fandom question of whether clones could be force sensitive.

- “There’s your intel” turns around to leave

- “No one’s been able to give me answers” and we’re not going to leave this episode with any either 😅

- Omega isn’t usually this impatient, so I wonder if her focus is easier to hold when she’s focused on people and creatures rather than tasks that she can’t connect to what she’s trying to accomplish.

- “You must be a Jedi, right??” Immediately shuts her up with a hand to the mouth 🤣🤣

- Tech mention by Cross 😭😭😭

- How can she hear them? Force usage? Or do Dathomirians have sensitive hearing?

- Poor Omega. I wonder too if she’s a little intimidated by Ventress and that’s also impacting her ability to pull off this test.

- “Well? What happened?” A good teaching method, that she wants Omega to explain why she’s having trouble rather than immediately telling her “oh you failed” and helping her up 😄 TCW Ventress would never

- “The sun’s already started setting” nooo I don’t need that parallel

- They’ve made some really interesting shots with framing through the caves this episode

- Yeah girl work smarter, not harder

- Aaand the name of this boy band is? 💀 (serving c—— everything, that’s what 🫠😅) Hunter my boy that hip pop should be illegal

- Ventress has not lost ANY of her sass though

- THIS FIGHT. THE MUSIC. THE MOVES. THE LIGHT. AGAIN EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE AND WE ARE BEING SERVED

- Idk if we’ve ever seen Crosshair@/ agility like this

- Girl is fighting dirty

- I also love her going mostly for all of their weak points and joints that allow her to take them down while barely moving a finger herself

- Ahsoka 🤝 Ventress - some of the strongest force users in the galaxy who can take down an entire group of highly trained combatants with just martial arts moves, flexibility, and sheer nerve. No force usage needed. 🔥

- That knife throw 👀 🥵

- “We’re not big on following orders” THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN AHHHHHHHH

- Literally I could look at this scene all day. (They’ve never been more beautiful) 🔥🔥🔥🔥

- Poor Omega has no idea what she’s about to walk into

- *jaw drop* y’all every time I check I’m pretty much certain that I’m straight but….but…dodging those blaster bolts and just casually pulling out a yellow lightsaber like that? Respect.

- Lmao it’s so much worse than I expected 🤣 Jennifer I didn’t know that TV’s below TV-MA rating ever anticipated Hunter flat on his back with his knees spread like that…I just…I think you broke some rating scales there 🫠🫠🫠🫠 I love to see you fulfilling all of our fantasies in one fell swoop (I think I uh, need to go take care of some things, I’ll uh, I’ll be right back 👀)

- Lol kidding. Anyways….

- “What, stop!!!” You tell ‘em kid

- “Times have changed. Something you clones should be familiar with” yeah Hunter, what have you been up to the last two years??

- “We are not the same”. “No? We were pawns in the same war. And we ALL lost.” SAY IT LOUDER FOR THOSE IN THE BACK. girl just literally summed up the entirety of the saga.

- “I’m many things. But I’m not your enemy” character 👏🏻 growth 👏🏻 again 👏🏻

- Hunter, I love you, but your prejudice is showing. Interesting how he’s never had a problem with separatists in general before, and had to convince Echo to help rescue Senator Singh in episode one. Sometimes his distrustful nature really gets the better of him

- “We were just getting warmed up” uhuhhhh sure Wrecker

- “You’re being naive” I never gave up on you, did I?” Crosshair. Honey. Is it really just now hitting you full in the face just how much Omega has believed in you? And look at how far you’ve been able to come. His expressions just pierce my soul 🥺

- I kind of really love the seaport vibes and the neutral lighting here. I can just see Omega as a fisherman’s daughter or running off to be a pirate in another life

- Lol Ventress isn’t used to being around someone as optimistic as Omega

- “You did” lol

- I do find it interesting that almost no force user ever explains what reaching out “feels like” when trying to teach other people about it. You would think they could come up with a better description so that people can grasp it more easily. Unless their goal is that you can’t unless you have perseverance and/or capability

- “This is different than being a soldier” so much to unpack there.

- “Why should I listen to you” years of hardship and trial and experience and loss and growth and change

- Ooooh pretty creatures

- “I’m not the one holding back” 👀

- Ooooh scary (pretty) creature

- “Not intentionally” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I love her vocal inflection here. “No omega I was just trying to teach you a lesson not accidentally kill you” 💀I wonder which one of them actually summoned it

- *furiously screenshotting the Marauder while we still have it*

- So we’re really gonna get everyone with wet hair except Hunter, huh?

- Crosshair 🤝 Ventress rescuing Omega from drowning in the ocean

- Don’t make the angry tentacle crab angrier!

- The animated movement on Omega’s hair is amazing

- Ahsoka 🤝 Ventress reaching out with the force and calming a wild beast

- Welp. This is probably one of the most powerful instances of a force user connecting with a creature to calm it/communicate with it that we’ve ever gotten

- And what it says about Ventress’ inner calm and serenity and confidence and authority that she’s gained since TCW and Dark Disciple—I’m so proud of her 🥹🥹🥹

- What a beautiful creature

- THEY HELD HANDS 2.0

- Crosshair is just becoming the consummate gentleman and I am HERE for it 🥹🥹🥹

- Crosshair 🤝 Ventress - literally 😏

- Okay in all seriousness I’m not truly shipping them but I love seeing everyone have fun with their ship names

- “But I’m…already a target”. Baby girl still needs answers. She sounds so sad and confused

- Look at Wrecker’s emotional intelligence saving the day

- I love how this show uses little nods between people to show understanding. More of that in real life please.

- “You’re lying” “about which part?” The two of them would have a blast sassing each other that’s for sure.

- Interesting that her take is that omega would have to be trained, when decades later Ahsoka’s response to Grogu is that he shouldn’t be trained at all and should let his powers die out due to attachment.

- LEAVE PABU BOYS. She’s not warning, she’s telling. Ya know, not like it’s the title of the episode or anything

- “You’re not worried about the empire coming after you?” Love how even after all that and all his distrust, Hunter is still capable of caring about her well-being

- “I’ve got a few lives left” can’t wait to see when and why Ventress shows up next

#the bad batch #tbb #star wars #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #asajj ventress #Ventress #tbb ventress #the bad batch season 3 #tbb season 3 #the harbinger

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mysteryshoptls · 2 years

Text

SSR Sebek Zivgolt Dorm Uniform Personal Story: Part 3

"There is no time to whine!!!!"

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[Coliseum – Field]

― The next day, Joint Protection Magic Class, 4th Session

Sebek: It is almost time for our team to present.

Sebek: Are you ready, humans?

Classmate A/B: Yeah…

Sebek: I CAN'T HEAR YOU, HUMAN!!

Classmate A: Who cares about how loud my voice is…? It's not like anything'll change because of how much I shout or anything.

Classmate B: Man, I don't feel like I can pass this assignment if I gotta work with Sebek.

Sebek: You lack the will to win. If you are as you are, there is no way you would be able to win even the easiest battles.

Sebek: You do remember the magic you have been tasked with performing, yes?

Classmate A: I have water, this guy has fire. We're all using magic we're good at, right? Obviously, we can remember that much.

Classmate A: …But dude, was it really okay for us to choose the magic we get to use first?

Classmate B: If we have to have three types of magic, that means you have to use something else.

Classmate B: Kinda means you won't really have the freedom to choose whatever magic you want…

Sebek: No matter. I practice an extensive array of magic every single day!

Sebek: And I am aware that it would be difficult to overcome any weakness in one night.

Sebek: In order to achieve a passing grade, we should take advantage of whatever strengths you already possess.

Classmate A: I-I see…

Classmate B: See, he sounds inspiring, but I know exactly what he's trying to say…

Sebek: Now… WE BEGIN!

Classmate A: Go, water, envelop the doll and stop its movement!

Classmate A: Urgh… It's moving faster than I expected, so my music can't hit it at all!

Classmate B: Mine neither. I can't even get close!

Sebek: That doll is much quicker than I had expected. It also moves akin to a person… This exercise is really invigorating.

Classmate A/B: …

Sebek: Hey, you two, what are you standing around for? We go again! Do not stop until you've hit the target!

Classmate B: But… We don't have much time left, isn't it gonna be impossible for us to clear it?

Classmate A: I knew it, this dysfunctional team wasn't gonna be good enough…

Sebek: SILENCE!! THERE IS NO TIME TO WHINE!!!!

Classmate B: Ack!? You scared me…

Classmate A: You're so loud, man!

Sebek: Humph. You were both showing your loss of conviction, so I was merely shooing it away.

Sebek: No matter how impossible the objective may seem, as long as you never give up, there will always be a means to succeed.

Sebek: To give up only after a few tries like this is absolutely pathetic.

Sebek: Is this the extent of your determination? Do you not have any pride on your name as a student of Night Raven College?

Sebek: IF YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, THEN WHO WILL!?

Classmate A: Sebek… You…

Sebek: I absolutely, definitely must pass this task for the sake of the Young Master, someone who is very, very important to me…

Sebek: Which means that, in the end, the two of you also have the great fortune of acting on behalf of Malleus-sama as well.

Sebek: I CARE NOT IF YOU GIVE UP OR PASS OUT, DO SO AFTER WE SUCCEED IN THIS ENDEAVOR! DO IT FOR MALLEUS-SAMA!

Classmate A: SEBEK, SERIOUSLY!?!

Classmate B: WAS ALL THOSE WORDS JUST FOR YOU AND DRACONIA-SENPAI, HUH!?!

Sebek: Humph. Looks like you've gotten your spirit back.

Classmate B: Huh? Oh, you're right… When I shouted like that, I felt a little bit of energy coursing through me.

Classmate A: There's no way I can let this end with Sebek looking down on me like that… Yeah, I'll do it! Let's go!!

Ace: Wow, Sebek's team suddenly got their second wind. Was that their strategy all along?

Deuce: Yeah, but they're just haphazardly throwing spells around, they're not hitting the doll at all. I wonder what they're gonna do now.

Ace: Who knows, maybe they're just gonna brute force it?

Ace: Well… No matter what kind of magic Sebek uses now, I don't think they'll get anywhere if they're just gonna attack with reckless abandon.

Sebek: …Alright, the team's morale has increased. That is the most important aspect in a real fight.

Sebek: I cannot allow this opportunity to pass. I need to make the decisive strike now…

Sebek: …There!

Sebek: Hey, human! Send your fire magic to that puddle over there!

Classmate A: That puddle…? Oh you mean the one from the attack I missed earlier?

Classmate B: Man, I'm starting to get used to Sebek's commands… Fine, I just gotta do it, right? Hah!!

Ace: Woah, that's a ton of steam! It's gotten so white, I can't see a thing in front of me…!

Sebek: Right, here is my chance!

Sebek: If it is a precise copy of how a person would act, then if it were to be robbed of its senses the same as any real person, then it shouldn't be able to move.

Sebek: This was a fascinating exercise, but…

Sebek: It was rather fortuitous for me that this was not a mere target, but rather a humanoid one.

Sebek: If this were a test that focused only on one's magical strength, it may have been rather difficult, but… I am more than capable of any kind of training towards people!

Sebek: I will have you perish here, all for Malleus-sama!

Sebek: TAKE THIS!!!

Ace: Dude, Sebek's magic just hit it directly… And the doll broke! Wait, was he just waiting for his chance the whole time?

Deuce: Isn't Sebek the first one to actually break the target with a single hit? That's amazing…!

Sebek: …I will now read the critique the professor gave our team.

Classmate A/B: Gulp…

Sebek: "…Despite the initial slow magical attacks, and the many issues with actual control of your magic, the indominable spirit you all showed in the second half to come back full force was impressive."

Sebek: "Taking into account that the team each used one of three different types of magic and destroyed the target, as assigned…"

Sebek: "You all pass."

Classmate A/B: H-HOORAY!!!

Sebek: But it wasn't a perfect score, hm… There is still much room to grow, myself included.

Classmate A: You're just gonna mutter to yourself while we're trying to celebrate? Man, you really need to learn how to read the room.

Classmate A: But hey… Honestly, hearing you say that kinda put me in a good mood. In a good and a bad way, I guess.

Classmate A: Thanks.

Classmate B: Yeah. I think I might understand why you're always shouting all the time, too.

Sebek: …I see. I will say that the two of you did a good job this time, as well.

Sebek: You showed me what spirit you actually have. Not bad for humans.

Classmate A: Heheh, it actually feels kinda weird when Sebek's being open like this…

Sebek: Although, if it had just been myself, I would have been able to do such a simple task in half the time it took us this time.

Classmate B: Haaah!? Weren't you just saying that we all worked hard together to get that passing grade!?

Sebek: Huh? I never said such a thing. Your hard work, and my ability are two separate things.

Sebek: This time, I simply complied to the tasked assigned to me. I would have been able to do it by my lonesome, without any help from you humans!!

Classmate A: I think I regret thanking you…

Classmate B: I take back everything good I just thought about you! Sebek, you really gotta do something about that attitude of yours!

[Courtyard]

―After school, same day

Sebek: Young Master, today I alone will be escorting you.

Sebek: I AM AT YOUR SERVICE!

Malleus: Right.

Malleus: …Ah, I heard that you passed your assignment in the joint protection magic class today.

Sebek: Eh!? H-How did you come to know of that, sir?

Malleus: I met with Lilia and Silver on the way here. I heard from the both of them.

Malleus: You've grown well, Sebek.

Sebek: M-Malleus-sama…!

Sebek: …Far from it. This assignment was a mere trifle.

Sebek: As long as it is for you, Malleus-sama… No matter where life may take us, everything I, Sebek, do is for you!

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

#twisted wonderland #twst #sebek zigvolt #ace trappola #deuce spade #malleus draconia #twst sebek #twst ace #twst deuce #twst malleus #twst translation #mention: silver #mention: lilia

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sl-newsie · 8 months

Text

Query: Q x 00 Agent- Ch. 8: Distrust The Future

As planned, we’ve kept our eyes out. It didn’t go unnoticed when Mallory proposed inserting nanobots in the bloodstreams of 00 agents. Once Q began production I kept a particularly close eye on it. Bond taught me that if an agent should ever need to disappear, they should be able to without question. After the incident with Silva I don’t have as deep of trust with MI6 anymore.

The good news is that Bond eventually did come back. He told me about burning his childhood home down, which seemed to help him let go. Last I know he decided to take a holiday in Mexico. He’s there, while I’m posing as a trophy wife in Hamburg, Germany. My mission was to extract information about a potential underground sex trafficking gang, and I was fortunate enough to get close to one of the head leaders to get what we needed to bust them. It was done, but not before I put a bullet between his eyes. Unfortunately my escape brought on an explosion that didn’t go unnoticed to M, who’s waiting for me outside the airport.

“Welcome back from another successful mission, 0011.”

I haven’t had time to change, so I’m still wearing heavy makeup and using a trenchcoat to cover up my red dress that is practically nothing.

“Not entirely. I had to kill the sleazy bloke.”

M huffs. “Well at least you’re not like Bond and go about destroying a whole building in Mexico.” I follow him to an MI6 SUV and we start driving. “You’ll be pleased to know that you’ve been given new quarters in our new security building.”

“New security building? What about the old one?” I ask as I stare at the passing buildings.

“That’s going to be knocked down. I reckon they’ll put a parking lot there or something else that’s worthless.” He points to a newer building built along the river. “The new Center for National Security will replace it.”

I frown. “It looks modern, twisty, and ugly.”

“Good to see you haven’t lost your sense of taste. C runs it, you’ll meet him soon.”

“Who’s he?”

“The Director-General of the new Joint Intelligence Service. He’s been pressuring us to join the global surveillance initiative Nine Eyes. It would allow surveillance and intelligence from 9 different countries to be monitored.”

Flashbacks of Silva hacking Q’s computer system trigger a sense of untrust with this new program. Who’s to say this C fellow is on the right side? I keep my mouth shut and we drive in silence to an empty parking lot next to the new security building.

“I’ll escort you downstairs. Q is waiting for you.”

My head perks up. “He’s here?”

“Has a new lab away from prying eyes,” M explains as we head down a set of concrete stairs. “Right this way.”

The whole place is a labyrinth. Endless hallways filled with so many twists. I’m beginning to wonder how Q’s going to stand being cooped up down here. M leads me to a large metal door and swipes a key. As it opens, I get a good look at the room that puts Q’s old lab to shame. It looks like a computer threw up in here. So much technology you’d think the whole room was a machine itself. No doubt Q’s been overworking himself with new inventions.

“I’ll leave you to Q. I’m going to wait for Bond.” M gives a nod and walks back to the hall.

I step further into the lab and spot the crazy-haired scientist himself working off in a corner.

“Oh my God you have your own evil science lair! This is wicked!”

My words startle Q from the gun he’s working on. He rolls his eyes and walks over with his arms crossed.

“It’s an official laboratory, and- what are you wearing?”

I’ve partially undone my coat, allowing my red dress to be displayed.

“Disgrace is what I’m wearing,” I groan. “If I have to hear another politician boast about himself I’m going to jump in the river! I feel like a complete Jezebel.”

Q squints. “Who?”

“Jezebel. She was an Old Testament queen who worshiped Baal. She’s famous for wearing makeup while she schemed and murdered her husband’s enemies. Even today her name is regarded as a vicious woman who is evil and scheming. I’m wearing so much makeup my face feels like a brick wall.”

Q nods. “I heard the mission went well.”

“I aim to please.” After spotting a water closet I hold up my duffle bag. “Now if you’ll excuse me I’ll slip into something more comfortable.”

Q goes back to working while I enter the water closet. In my bag I have a fresh pantsuit, kitten heels, and a washcloth. First I wash my face with scalding hot water in hopes to wipe out my humiliation. Now that I look like myself, I shed the seducing red dress and put on my pantsuit, the armor of a 00 agent. When I step out I feel like a new woman.

Q looks up, his expression unwavering. “There you are. Now that you’re yourself again I’d like to show you the latest tech. I will instruct Bond as well once he returns.”

Every model of guns, grenades, and knives is hung up or scattered throughout the room. A scientific arsenal of death. I’m led to a table that's displaying a silver bracelet.

“I see you still wear the tracking pendant I gave you?” Q points to the necklace around my neck.

Indeed, the blue pendant is still gleaming around my neck. “I call it my good luck charm.” That, and it’s a thoughtful gadget.

“Well, good news.” Q holds up the bracelet as if he’s a jeweler selling a bargain. “I made this to go with it. Each piece folds out to become razor-sharp shrapnel.” He points to the clasp. “Just snap the clasp and throw it.”

I hold out my hand and he clips it around my wrist with gentle hands. Though the longer Q touches me, the more stiff his hands become. Strange.

“It’s considerate that you’ve kept wearing the tracker,” Q hurries away to another room where a medical chair is set. “But as you know we’ve invented a more efficient way to track agents. One that C approves very much.”

“Yes, about that. Doesn’t unlimited access to security files raise a red flag? I would think you of all people would be cautious considering it was your system Silva hacked.”

The geek shows a look of conflict. “Yes. But we also have to trust the future. Nine Eyes may be the next big security technological breakthrough.” He shakes whatever internal struggle he’s fighting and walks towards the end of the lab.

“We shall continue with the smart blood once your old partner arrives. I think Bond will like what I have in store for him.”

“As impressive as your gadgets are, Bond’s not one for easy impressions.”

Q turns around with a mischievous smirk. “You’ll see.”

He presses a remote to activate a large metal garage door. First I see wheels, and now-

I gasp. “You didn’t…”

Q’s smile brightens the whole room. “I did.”

Now the entire car is in view. Elegant, silver, and powerful. It’s a shame Bond’s probably going to wreck it.

My mouth is still agape as I slowly catch up to where Q is standing. “It’s magnificent.”

He sighs, looking at the machine with strong pride. “I know. It’s an Aston Martin DB10. Zero to sixty in 3.2 seconds, bulletproof. I even added a few extra tricks. She was originally assigned for Bond, but was then reassigned to 009.”

My mind does a flip-flop. “So then what does Bond get?”

The Quartermaster digs in his pocket and pulls out a simple Rolex. “This.”

I stifle a laugh. “A watch? You expect Bond to be taken by a watch?”

“A tricked-up watch with an explosive,” Q replies as he shuts the door and we walk back to the front. “He should be grateful I’m still repairing his old car.” Q now clicks the remote again and another smaller door opens, revealing a sleek and gorgeous black motorcycle. “This is for you.”

My breath catches. I’ve always loved motorcycles, despite their dangerous circumstances. Sadly Bond always wrecks whatever motorcycles we’re given so I’ve never been assigned one. Until now.

“It’s my take on the current Brutus V9,” Q says proudly. “Still takes petrol and has a more old-fashioned look.” He gets a cheeky grin. “I thought you’d like that. Unlimited range, up to 200 miles per hour. Like the Aston Martin I also added some features such as guns in the taillights. There is also a storage compartment under the seat.”

He walks me through the ins and outs of the vehicle while I still stare at the gleaming motorcycle.

“You really outdid yourself, Quartermaster. I promise I will do everything I can to keep this beauty from getting a single scratch.”

Q laughs. “If Bond taught you how to drive, I have my doubts. Just be careful when you first try it out.”

I hum in response and go to take another look at the smart blood program. This isn’t like any other trackers I’ve dealt with. I had one in my arm once during my early days before 00 status, but that was different. You can remove a single tracker. It’s much harder, maybe even impossible, to remove something from your entire cardiovascular system. It seems so permanent.

Now I hear: “Ah, hello 007. Please excuse the mess.”

Bond? I turn away from the disturbing blood analysis and peek my head out to see my old mentor examining a very buff gun that looks like it has a good kick to it. However his curiosity is disrupted when Q takes away the gun.

“Shall we get started?”

Bond keeps silent and follows Q. When he sees me I give a nonchalant wave. “Greetings, Bond. How was Mexico?”

He chuckles dryly. “Rather exciting, actually.”

“Ah, yes. M told me all about it. Just casually walking atop a roof carrying a machine gun. Sounds like you, Bond.”

007 ignores my comment. “I hear you had quite a handful in Hamburg.”

I shrug. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“You should be glad you’re not like Bond,” Q states as he prepares what looks like a large needle. “007 mine as well be grounded right now.”

I huff. “Grounded? I didn’t think 00 agents could be grounded.” I snicker at Bond. “You must be a special case.”

Bond isn’t fazed. “Nothing that won’t blow over.”

Giving a deep sigh, I face the older agent with legitimate concern. “Face the music, Bond. All the rumors point that you might be fired. Call me sentimental but I really don’t want my favorite partner being kicked out.”

He must see how serious I am because Bond puts a hand on my shoulder with a look I can only describe as determination. “I won’t be, Levie. My end as a 00 agent will be something more than just being fired.” After a while his look fades to slight disappointment. “You care too much, Levie.”

A match has been struck near dying embers, threatening to spark. Bond knows that my emotions can get in the way. Unlike him I’ve never gone through seeing my parents killed or having extreme heartbreak. I guess he’s always so emotionless because Bond has no love left in him. But that doesn’t give him the right to belittle me for being human.

Thank God Q notices my predicament and ushers 007 to the medical chair.

“Step this way, please.” He wraps a strap around Bond’s arm. “Hold still, that’s it. You’re going to feel a slight-”

“Christ!” Bond flinches as the needle plunges in.

“-prick,” Q finishes, looking a bit alarmed.

“What is it?” Bond grunts.

“Cutting edge nanotechnology. Smart blood. It allows us to track your movements in the field. It can monitor your vital signs anywhere on the planet. A sort of post-Mexico insurance policy. By order of M.”

Another jab at Bond’s recklessness. Maybe now Q will lay off of me and heckle him instead.

After Bond gets up and walks away grumbling, I start to follow him when Q blocks my path.

“Alright, you’re next 0011.”

My face is as emotional as tap water. “I think I’ll pass.”

He frowns. “Pardon?”

“Excuse me for sounding too paranoid, but I’d rather not have mechanical bugs in my blood please.” I hold up the blue pendant. “I’ll stick to this. If M hates it then he can yell at me.”

I brush past the awestruck Q and go back to the table where the new guns are laid out. Why is Mallory being such a pushover to this new Nine Eyes project? I’m sure the old M would have told C to go to Hell if she was still alive. After I’ve inspected the new ammunition (very impressive), I spot Bond and Q walking back from the garage door.

“Seen the car, Bond?”

The amused look on his face says it all. “Oh yes.”

I point a warning finger. “You can look, but no touching. You can have your old car back soon.”

Q nods in agreement. “Precisely. Not that there was not much to work with, only a steering wheel. I believe I said “bring it back in one piece,” not bring back one piece.”

He goes into a short burst of laughter and I swear it’s the first time I’ve heard Q crack a joke. Bond and I exchange glances, typing to decide if we should be concerned.

I give the geek a half smile. “Are you trying to be funny?”

Q stops laughing and looks to the floor. “Depends. Is it working?”

I let out my own laugh. “It’s adorable how hard you try, Quartermaster.” I give him a pat on the shoulder. “Stick to being smart.”

Bond isn’t as amused so Q just shrugs. “Anyway, enjoy your down time, 007.”

The older agent has a look that tells me he’s up to something. “Levie, will you wait outside for a moment? We gentlemen need to have a chat.”

Oh boy. I roll my eyes. “Far be it from me to deprive you gentlemen from your testosterone-filled chats.” I mock-salute the two men. “Ciao.”

Sometimes keeping Bond and Q at bay is like handling Dobermans. Between Moneypenny and me it’s a miracle that they don’t kill each other.

#quartermaster x reader #quartermaster #q x reader #james bond #daniel craig #ben whishaw #skyfall #spectre #no time to die #007 #james bond 007

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landofzero-archive · 1 year

Text

Nagisa Ran - Sub Story

Writer: Akira

Season: Autumn

(Setting: Outside the main gate)

Nagisa: (……

…… It’s been a long time, Yumenosaki Academy

…… It hasn’t changed at all. No- it seems livelier than when I was here last.

…… Everyone is smiling.

…… That’s good.

………)

……? You there, is there something you need?

…… Eh, Anzu-san? The producer, Anzu-san?

…… I wonder if you came to fetch me?

…… Wait.

…… (Reading from some kind of booklet)

…… Thank you for waiting. Umm~

“Good work coming to get me.”

“I am Shuuetsu Academy’s ruler, Adam’s own Ran Nagisa”

…… Pause.

“Every idol besides me will perish”

…… Ah, wait.

…… It said to look intimidating to my utmost ability. And to laugh loudly too, I suppose?

…… I’ll restart, sorry.

“Fuhahahaha! Every idol besides me will perish!”

“There is no path ahead of me, for my trail paves the path! I am the king of kings!”

“Kneel, you imbeciles! Before the brilliance of Ran Nagisa! Fuhahahaha!”

……… Nailed it. (Victory pose)

…… Ah, sorry. You must have been surprised. I’m in the process of building my character.

…… But I’m not used to it yet, I’m still practicing.

…… I withdrew from idol activities for a while.

…… Wandering around foreign countries on an introspective journey.

…… But in the process, I lost my “self” instead.

…… For a short time I even forgot how to speak Japanese.

…… But Hiyori-kun asked me, “Let’s do our best together again.”

…… That’s why I returned to this country.

…… Honestly, I wasn’t fond of doing so.

…… Both back then and now, the idol industry has always been brutal.

…… I don’t wish to fight others.

…… I wonder why we can’t all get along.

…… Why can’t we all love and watch over each other.

…… Even though we're family, all born onto the same planet.

…… I wonder, is it because we’re weak?

…… Ah, sorry. You don’t have to be concerned about that, Anzu-san.

…… Um. Could you show me to the student council room?

…… Yes, I thought I’d visit for a greeting before Autumn Live.

…… The venue seems to be our territory.

…… Maybe it’d be more conventional for them to greet us.

…… I’ve been absent from this country for a while.

…… So I wanted to see, feel, and grasp the current atmosphere of Yumenosaki.

…… I felt it’d only be proper that I should come by for a greeting since we’ll be borrowing those Yumenosaki children.

…… I wish to see Eichi-kun as well.

…… That one tends to be cunning. So I have to meet him face-to-face to decipher what he’s thinking.

…… Additionally, it’d be awkward to meet him only after everything’s ended.

…… So I think I should apologize in advance.

…… Trickstar, was it? The group we’re performing a joint live with.

…… I want to tell him, I’m sorry if I break those children.

………

…… What is it? Please, guide me to the student council room.

…… I used to attend Yumenosaki Academy as well, but I’ve forgotten almost everything to do with it.

…… If you don’t lead me there, I’ll get lost.

…… I get lost easily. Rather, I get entranced easily.

…… I wonder if I’m too empty. I lack many things.

…… I trust you’ll guide me properly.

…… Come, let’s go.

…… Umm.

…… Sorry, what was your name again?

#ensemble stars #enstars #enstars translation #Nagisa Ran #Era: !#Type: Sub-story

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gender-collecting-forest-goblins · 10 months

Text

I never realised how hard it is to exist with plurality when our trauma isn't really defined as trauma.

TW:Death, mental health issues, physical issues, self harm, body dysphoria, suicide/suicidality, medical trauma.

So like, nan died when we were five, I don't have many childhood memories, but seb was the first to "exist" other than me. Then there's the bullying and masking of autism, ADHD, and the trauma of having a post alcoholic parent trying to be a parent again. All with the struggle of things a kid shouldn't have to deal with that mom didn't know how to keep away from us, such as money stuff and food issues. We lose marmalade, a beloved family cat. Then we lose Monty her daughter not long after. The memory of her being cradled in my brothers arms as she has a seizure from the stroke and falling down the stairs, forever imprinted on my mind. Skip to a few years later, it's gotten to the point where we don't know how many we are, because our mental health has already reached the point of passive suicidality and everything that goes with it. Age eleven, deciding whether or not to jump into traffic before school. We form a protector with no name, a shadow figure. He later becomes void. The trauma of not knowing if I'm autistic was way more present around that time. It got way worse and then of course, we didn't know that autism was something to consider, we just thought we were broken. Never mind the trans trauma of being plural and a traumatized child with trust issues, seeing people that aren't there and being terrified of losing my "friends in my head". The bullying gets really bad. We realise we're trans. We're in denial. We think "Oh what if we just come out as non-binary?" It doesn't go well. We are severely suicidal at age 13, finally diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Hospitalised multiple times from then on. Everything is blurry. There are times where I can recall the trauma timeline perfectly, but today is not one of them. This is all quite vague but I think the protectors are ok with that. I needed to get this off my chest. Many have come and gone. I still don't know everyone and everything about the system. I don't know if we'll ever be diagnosed as a system. For now, I just want my life to get easier. We are in constant physical pain. We have hypermobile joint spectrum disorder, recently confirmed. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is also suspected. We use a walking stick just to get around the house. We can't stand for more than five minutes. We're still masking our system from our family and friends. Mom thinks we have a dissociative disorder of some sort. The trauma is too complicated even for us, to explain to her how "broken" we feel. Being plural with trauma that is probably nowhere near what people would consider enough to form a system is exhausting. It feels invalidating. Like we shouldn't be this way because we weren't sexually abused or groomed or beaten or tortured or something. We have trauma, it should be enough. So this is me, getting this off my chest. I needed to vent. It hurts so goddamn much. I'm always fronting. I never switch out unless something major happens, like if seb triggers a switch for our safety or if Kai is triggered in due to talking about a memory I'm not supposed to know about to keep me safe. I'm always co-fronting with somebody. I barely know who I am, let alone the fact of being plural making it even harder. What I do know is that, my plurality has saved me. Even if I wish sometimes I wasn't plural. Even if sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I could remember all of the school trauma and the hospital trips and the self harming and the surgery from when I was a kid to fix my eye that I only sort of know about from void. I'm just tired. The body is always hurt or ill or in pain. We never get a break. We mask constantly. We can't even call ourselves we. It's I or me or single anything. We aren't diagnosed with anything system based or plural based. The only reason I have some knowledge of how our system might work is because of the helpful information from other sysblogs on here. Like the info about p-did and median systems and autism based system stuff. Hopefully, we'll get to a good place mentally. For now, we'll just have to take each day as it comes.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know it probably doesn't read very well or make much sense. I might redo our system intro at some point. Its kind of outdated now. I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

#autism based system #neurodivergent based system #system #trauma #actually adhd #partial did #grief #transgender #did osdd #plural system #sysblr

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the-himawari · 2 years

Text

A3! Promotion Event Translation - Doll House (4/9)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Izumi: All of you look adorable, just like real dolls!

Masumi: I’m happy to hear your compliment…

Izumi: These costumes have Yuki-kun’s tastes reflected in them, right?

Muku: Not just the outfits, they went all out with the makeup as well!

Masumi: …They painted some stuff on our joints.

Azuma: They used makeup to recreate ball-joints just like a genuine doll.

Hisoka: It’s like we turned into dolls. It feels strange…

Izumi: They paid great attention down to the last detail.

Yuki: I think Azami was interested too, so I’ll take some pics and send them to him. Stand over there, Banri.

Banri: Got it, got it.

*click*

Banri: I mean, wouldn’t it be better to get the data from the photoshoot afterwards?

Yuki: I’d like to get some full body shots for reference. This is a good chance, so I’ll get you guys to stand one-by-one. Masumi, you’re next.

Masumi: Take one of Director and I together.

Izumi: These are reference photos!

Staff: This time, we want to go with a slightly more aesthetic atmosphere, so please keep your smiles modest. Also, since you’re marionettes, we’d like to attempt a slightly more difficult composition in addition to the regular shots. Here’s the reference.

Izumi: It’s not just their hands, their whole bodies are tied up and suspended by strings…!?

Banri: Are they for real?

Hisoka: …Impressive.

Staff: Of course you’re not actually going to be suspended, so please rest assured. This reference photo is simply the image we’re going for.

Muku: T-thank goodness…

Staff: We’d like everyone to take turns giving it a try and see how it goes, so please bear with us.

Banri: That’s a dynamic composition, for sure.

Muku: I-I wonder if I can pull it off…

Azuma: Let’s just give it a try for now.

Cameraman: Alright, let’s start off with Rurikawa-kun.

Yuki: We should pose like we’re hung up, right? Something like this?

*click*

Cameraman: Great! Your expression is spot on too!

Masumi: …

Hisoka: That’s Yuki for you.

Azuma: He knows a lot about this stuff, so he also has lots of poses, hm?

Cameraman: Okay. I was able to capture the pattern, so I’ll ask Yukishiro-kun to go up next.

Azuma: I wonder if it would be alright to lie down here.

Cameraman: Yes, that’s it!

*click*

Azuma: Should I fan out my hair?

Cameraman: Nice idea. You can really feel the aesthetic vibe!

*click*

Staff: He looks like a real doll…!

Muku: Azu nee-san’s allure is nothing to scoff at…!

Banri: He’s got a mature aura that’s different from Yuki’s.

Izumi: (As expected from Azuma-san…)

-pause-

Izumi: Great job, everyone.

Masumi: I’m tired.

Banri: I did too many weird poses and now it hurts in weird places.

Yuki: Not enough exercise, huh?

Hisoka: …*Snore*.

Azuma: Fufu. It looks like Hisoka fell asleep as well.

Staff: Now we just have to select the cover photo… All the shots are spectacular. It’s hard to cast some aside. However, this time, the image has a slightly aesthetic atmosphere… Can I use these shots of Yuki-san who has a faintly ephemeral, doll-like innocence, and Azuma-san who has a totally mature vibe?

Izumi: Of course. Please go with those.

Azuma: This is Yuki’s second time gracing the cover.

Yuki: Guess so.

Muku: I can’t wait to see the guests’ reactions!

Izumi: Same here!

---

previous | next

#a3!#a3! translation #yukishiro azuma #act! addict! actors!

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charlieslowartsies · 1 year

Note

Would you mind giving me a director’s commentary on Finding Freddy? I was curious why you didn’t like that one as much.

I know I've mentioned it in passing before but yeh sure. It's a personal tale tho, not much fun haha

Finding Freddy was a strange beast for me. I went into it wanting to pull the story away from being centered around Mike and the OG 4, wanting to explore the world thru the kga lens better. I shoved the timeline 9 years.

Okay. I brought in Danny, since he was the logical choice of who Mike would trust and who I thought me and the readers would enjoy. I brought in Springtrap as a good guy, separating him from William Afton while still making it clear that wasn't going to last long, but that Springy was someone we should sympathize or even empathize with. I wanted a story of fear of the unknown.

Ghost Strings was about loss and grief. Finding Freddy was going to be about finding oneself in the darkness and being afraid of what's inside you, but also what's behind you too.

And a finger on the monkey's paw curled lmao.

At the same time, in my real life, I was in the process of moving from my childhood home. I'd lived there for about 25 years, and though old and spooky and occasionally grouchy it was a wonderful house for a kid. The joint was full of nooks, crannies, two basements, (respectively titled the Old Basement and the New Basement, despite New Basement being 25 years old in 1993 when I came along, that was just it's name by then.) It had ghosts in every corner, stairs that creaked in unison on dark nights, about 2 dozen mice and it was safe and warm and familiar to me as my own bones.

For those that know the stories well, you can see where the restaurant's descriptions came from, especially in the opening of Finding Freddy.

Well, I wrote myself right into a corner, uncertain where I wanted Danny and Mike's future to head. Danny died in a few renditions. Mike died in others. Killing them off seemed like surrendering something I didn't want to give. I stalled out on the story. We moved into our new build around June 2017, FF had begun in Feb of that year. My golden Joey died around April, he was older and it was a relief because we worried the move would stress him out. Herbie, my graduation gift in 2015, filled out and completed his training and took a lot of my spare time that art wasn't getting.

Standing in my empty room the day I dropped the keys off, which had not been empty since...forever...it ended up leaving a deeper wound that I refused to address. I called myself silly, sentimental, I shrugged. I was being stupid.

It found a way out, though, because our troubles always do.

FF languished in the word doc. I started BATIM/Make Believe around then. The FNAF games weren't as fun for me as they used to be. I loved the new house, I was so so grateful that my folks gave me the second floor of our cape cod. I cooked with my mom in a big, new kitchen with appliances that worked and breakers that didn't trip. I took care of my father and his health issues. I explored the acres of woods we moved onto.

My rabbit I had through college died the following March. Hiccup. Old time readers know that Bonnie's loyal and sometimes snotty personality came directly from Hiccup.

I subbed for my mom's school, and Hiccup died one day before I started a two month job. I wanted out of it for the first few days, I wanted time to grieve. I wasn't given it. I didn't ask, my mom refused me. "You made a promise to work there. You made a commitment."

I didn't fight her. She was right. It was just a silly pet rabbit. The world shouldn't stop for me, for something trivial. I had no energy to do free lance work, and less energy to write for a fic I couldn't enjoy.

Turns out, living with Hiccup for so many years meant I slept to his background presence. His lil bunny sounds, monching hay and digging about in his cage and cannonballing my bed in the morning to greet me.

His ambience was gone, and for 3 months I got about 3-4 hours of sleep a night until I realized the problem.

FF started to rot. Another Five Nights was tended to, sometimes. More fics worked on. FF ignored. I felt so bad. I felt tired, angry, annoyed. I missed Mike. I felt I was writing Danny all wrong. I missed the Marionette. I wondered if I had taken Springtrap from the plot too early. I questioned Afton's motives. I questioned my motives.

I missed my childhood home. I missed college. I missed going to classes and having tons of work and dreaming of being an illustrator and getting paid to do what I loved. I missed having a life for myself.

Danny was trapped in the underground. I was trapped up on the third floor, feeling like Rapunzel in her tower. (When will my life begin?)

Danny became that mouthpiece for me. If nothing else, I learned more what Danny Fitzgerald wanted, even if I didn't show it until later stories.

Finally, finally, I pulled my shit together and updated the fic. 2020. Not as long as I've let other stories sit in purgatory, but for some reason with KGA it felt more personal to me. It hurt more. I was pretty pleased with myself for pushing onward. I had concurred this dragon, I was proud of myself.

And then I got a review that asked why I had taken 2 years to update. Nothing else in that comment.

I also received other kinder comments too, but in that one moment I remember sitting there and thinking 'wow, okay. Why am I bothering with this again? Why is this hobby draining me and why am I letting it?' All I saw was the negative in that situation, which was wrong of me.

It was a lesson I needed to learn. Write for yourself. Write what you want. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

I was able to justify bringing Marion back when I saw Lefty in Pizza Sim. I was able to bring in Mangle and explain Mike's survival because she protected him. Springtrap and Afton were given an escape so they could go ahead and set up plot for Last Shift. (And then in Lies Within, too.) The Michael Afton/Michael Schmidt theory was yanked until I had two Michael's to work with. Hiccup was further immortalized into Scraptrap. Max Afton was so much fun to create and write.

But Finding Freddy never quite lived up to my expectations.

I never lived up to my expectations for the story. It was a lot of things that culminated in me carrying a grudge for the fic.

I don't really carry it heavy as I used to, time heals all wounds. But it's the problem child of the series for me. London Bridge is old and the gang wasn't realized. I could excuse LB not being a good read, but at the time I liked writing it. Devil's Spine was fun, but perhaps shouldn't have been a prequel. That was okay, because it set a lot of building blocks. And DS lead to Ghost Strings, which I loved working on.

FF I didn't like writing, and nothing excuses it. It became a chore and I felt forced to write.

But the one thing I do like about it, is that I did finish it. And that did feel good.

#kga #knight guard au #long post #ask #answered #a heavier reply im sorry #but i dont think i explained at length what i was going thru back then

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twilightmalachite · 2 years

Text

Twin Peaks - division by zero 2

Author: Akira

Characters: Hiiro, Kaoru, Hinata, Yuuta

Translator: Mika Enstars

Proofers: 310mc & feesh

"We move like a pendulum and collide, again and again, and it hurts every time—I don’t like being like this."

Season: Autumn

Location: Shopping District

Several days later, the day of the twins’ new and improved showdown, Twin Peaks…

Hiiro: “And thus! Here we are formally holding the never-before-heard-of twin showdown, Twin Peaks!”

“I am your host and judge for today, ALKALOID’s Amagi Hiiro…and!!”

Kaoru: “Somehow I’ve been dragged in along the way—it’s Hakaze Kaoru from UNDEAD.”

Hiiro: “You have to be more excited, Kaoru-senpai!”

“Although the leading roles for today’s event are the two from 2wink, we’re also in front of the audience and cameras! That means we shouldn’t cut any corners! Isn’t that right!?”

Kaoru: “I’m not cutting any corners, buuut… If you start off full-throttle like that, you’re gonna run out of steam, ‘kay? Try to pace yourself a little. You really are the same type of person as Souma-kun, aren’t you…?”

Hiiro: “I’m not “Soummakun”, my name is Amagi Hiiro-kun!”

“Thank you for your support! Thank you for your support! Ah, and I thank the people passing by for your support as well!”

Kaoru: “Are you running for election or something? Being enthusiastic is great and all, but we’re here only to spice up the show, the tsuma[1] by the sashimi, you could say, so… Don’t be too excessive, alright?”

Hiiro: “Okay! I don’t know the right level of energy I should have during these situations, so I shall trust my senior who is abundant with experience!”

Hinata: (Huhm… Seeing those two getting along is kinda… yeah… I’m pretty jealous.)

(While the two of us brothers have to crush one another, they’re all peaceful and harmonious together… It’s like they’re rubbing it in our faces.)

Yuuta: (Though, we’re not actually fighting this time around, which is unusual for us..)

Hinata: (Ahaha, wouldn’t it be even more unusual to not see us fighting~?

Yuuta: (Well, whenever we have a joint show with other units, we make sure to avoid making the atmosphere bad.)

(But every time we’re the main stars of the show, it’s like we can’t help but just… feel on edge with each other.)

(When it comes down to it, we’re not very compatible, are we?)

Hinata: (Ah, horrible! You didn’t have to say what everyone’s been thinking out loud!)

(…Any skill I had as an idol, I used it to make the best out of our twin characters, but…)

(By trying to forcibly bring myself up with a completely opposite personality, I wonder if that’s why we’re not as compatible anymore.)

(Even though we’re usually so distant, once it’s time to go on-stage, we quickly have to latch onto each other. I think that’s why we end up crashing into each other and go splat.)

Yuuta: (Don’t make sound effects when you talk. I do get what you mean though, somehow. We move like a pendulum and collide, again and again, and it hurts every time—I don’t like being like this.)

(But this has always been the norm for us. We grew up like this, so it feels like there’s nothing we can do anymore.)

Hinata: (Don’t give up, Yuuta-kun! I know you can do it!)

(…No, it’s more like the reason I’m here is so Yuuta-kun can “do it”.)

Yuuta: (Huh?)

Hiiro: “And now, without further ado, let me introduce to you today’s protagonists! Let us all welcome 2wink up on the stage~! ♪”

Kaoru: “Let’s start off with introductions, while bringing out charm in front of everyone here at the shopping district with some song and dance~! ♪”

Yuuta: (Right, right. That’s the plan, after all. Roger that!)

As a result of our family meeting the other day, we re-did the structure of Twin Peaks.)

(The premise that the winner of the match will appear in Volcano Island hasn’t changed. But…)

(“Increasing the appearance quota isn’t an option…” …Is what we thought when we originally came up with this plan.)

Hinata: (But after talking it out, we came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth anything if both of us couldn’t appear on Volcano Island.)

Yuuta: (Mhm. We’re the two in one twin idols. We challenge everything together, to become the strongest individual, second to none—we become “us”.)

Hinata: (It’s our greatest individuality, our greatest weapon, and greatest eccentricity.)

Yuuta: (Our creed we discovered during our days in Yumenosaki, that were spent laughing and crying, so we wouldn’t be left behind. Our backbone, and our pride.)

(But putting it the other way around, neither of us can topple any top-class idol as individuals.)

(Each of our individualities instead became an obstacle in order for us to become a perfect combo, to emphasize being “two in one”.)

Hinata: (But since it’s much more convenient to be differentiated in the case of day to day life, we came up with distinct characterizations as the older and younger brother.)

Yuuta: (And then while onstage, we’d become so similar to the point others wouldn’t be able to tell who is who.)

Hinata: (‘Cause it’s easier that way. We’re twins, so we resemble each other.)

(Rather than trying to make two similar people appear different, it’s easier to resemble each other more instead.)

(“Twins who really resemble each other” was a better fit for an idol than “twins who don’t resemble each other”, at least on stage.)

Yuuta: (This distinct identity of ours was a straightforward advantage!)

(Hiiro-kun said that too, that nobody else can replicate us—a unique existence only we can exhibit, because we are twins.)

Hinata: (A special weapon only we are capable of, one not mentioned in any textbook.)

Yuuta: (But, as a consequence of relying too much on this special weapon, it’s become difficult for us to handle ordinary weapons.)

(We have quite a bit of expertise of course, so we won’t lose to the more average idols out there, but…)

Hinata: (We’re no match when it comes to the “real deal”. Of course, we don’t know what will happen until we try—But pit us against those who earnestly honed their skills on a level playing field, and we won’t stand a chance.)

Yuuta: (We instinctively think this. In Yumenosaki, we’ve been nothing but side shows to so many amazing people, after all, y’know?)

Hinata: (When we see the “real deal” up close, people who’ve mastered their skills authentically, we end up hesitating.)

(We think to ourselves—“Would we be able to do this much, as individuals?”)

Yuuta: (We doubt ourselves. Because in reality, we don’t have the confidence that we can compete against other idols one-on-one and win not as “us”, but as “just myself”.)

Hinata: (If we were confident, then we would’ve just sent one or the other to the program at random.)

(That even though we can’t be “us”, we would be confident we’d produce results, even as “just myself”.)

Yuuta: (That even as “just myself”, we can be sure that 2wink will be okay no matter what.)

Hinata: (But we just couldn’t do it.)

Yuuta: (Instead, somewhere deep down, we were giving up because we think it’s impossible.)

Hinata: (That’s exactly why we clung so desperately to our greatest weapon, “us”—Our strongest and most unique weapon that we know we can win with.)

Yuuta: (Because of those circumstances, we had completely stagnated—and we’ve finally come to realize that…)

Hinata: (Becoming “us” didn’t lead us to achieving perfection.)

Yuuta: (I think what actually happened was that at some point, we reached a definitive defeat—)

Hinata: (Until we were consumed and digested by the monster called “us”, and became nothing but nourishment for it to keep moving.)

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The edible garnish served beside sashimi.

#twin peaks #yuuta #hinata #hiiro #kaoru #event #translation

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aeoki · 2 years

Text

Ghostic: Exorcism - Chapter 1

Location: ES Halloween Stage (fine) Characters: Touri, Keito, Eichi, Wataru & Tatsumi

< Two hours later. >

Keito: Eichi, I came because you called for me all of a sudden, but what’s with this mansion?

I owe you for helping with the arrangements for a joint “Halloween Party” with ES, so I came but…

You’re not thinking of anything weird, are you…?

Eichi: Fufufu, you see, this is a special haunted house built for ES Halloween – A.K.A the “ES Haunted House” ♪

I will have you perform a “purification ceremony” right here and now.

Keito: …A purification ceremony?

Why? I don’t understand.

Besides, I’m the son of a Buddhist priest, not an actual priest. The one whose profession allows him to perform exorcisms is my father.

Touri: Ah, I knew it! He said “I’m not an actual priest”, Hibiki-senpai! You owe me a juice box ♪

Wataru: Hmm~ My guess was incorrect. I truly thought he would say, “Are you making fun of me, Eichi?”.

Keito: Hold it. You shouldn’t be betting on what I would be saying.

Besides, why did you ask me to perform a purification ceremony? You should be hiring a specialist instead.

Eichi: No, Keito. You’re making a huge mistake if you think you’re the only one taking the full brunt of it.

I figured you wouldn’t like the idea of a “purification ceremony”, so I brought a reliable friend along.

Keito: No, that’s not the issue here–

Eichi: Why don’t you come in, Clergyman Kazehaya-kun?

Tatsumi: Hmm. I don’t really know what’s going on, either…

I came because of a direct order, but what do you require me to do exactly?

Eichi: Isn’t this wonderful? The pride of ES – the two sons of a Buddhist priest and a clergyman. With this, the “purification ceremony” will most definitely be a success…♪

Keito: Don’t get complacent on your own.

Explain the situation, Eichi. That’s a bad habit of yours.

Tatsumi: I’d also like to know what’s going on. I can perform rituals as a clergyman, but do you require that sort of help for “ES Halloween”?

Eichi: Fufu. I suppose I do enjoy seeing people’s bewildered expressions, but there’s no point in making you two feel unpleasant.

Actually, Yuzuru isn’t feeling well. It’s believed the cause of it lies here at the “ES Haunted House”.

Tatsumi: Hmm. That is rather intriguing. How is this building related to his well-being?

Eichi: Well, Yuzuru was sleeping in the medical office and he was having a nightmare and muttered, “There is no such thing as ghosts”.

Yuzuru isn’t the kind of person to speak his thoughts so easily and we don’t know the cause of his health deteriorating.

But the Student Council and “ES Halloween” might have been a heavy burden for him.

That’s why I want to ease Yuzuru’s burdens by having a “purification ceremony” performed.

Keito: I understand the situation now but I’m not convinced. How can a purification ceremony lighten Fushimi’s burdens? All I’m seeing is you having fun, Eichi.

Eichi: That’s not true.

Keito: Oi, Eichi.

Eichi: Actually, this “ES Haunted House” is something Wataru and I prepared. I wanted to have a rehearsal here once the pre-opening is finished.

I had also wanted Touri and Yuzuru who were busy with student council work to have fun here, but…

Yuzuru isn’t feeling well, so I was searching for someone else to play with me.

In order words, a “purification ceremony”. I just came up with the name.

Keito: I see. I have a lot to say about your naming sense, but I’ll put that aside for now.

This means you chose us to ease Fushimi’s burdens by playing in the “ES Haunted House” in his place.

Tatsumi: I finally understand. Certainly, we are both people who do not fear ghosts due to our family backgrounds. We would be most suitable for Yuzuru-san’s replacement.

Keito: *Sighs* But I finally understand why you called me here. Abusing one’s power and a sudden ridiculous request… It definitely is all the bad parts of Eichi stuffed into one idea.

But it’s not difficult to imagine Fushimi’s worries. I may not be able to do much, but I will lend a hand.

Eichi: Thank you. With two calm and composed people along with a scaredy-cat Touri, I think our rehearsal will go swimmingly.

Touri: O-Okay. I actually don’t like scary things, though…

Yuzuru worked so hard that his health deteriorated, so I can’t stand back and watch from a safe place.

Please, Hasumi-senpai, Kazehaya-senpai. I want you two to do the “purification ceremony” and make Yuzuru feel better.

Tatsumi: Fufu. Of course, Touri-san.

I am here because of none other than the will of my Lord. Please rely on us while Yuzuru-san is resting.

It will be the first time for “ALKALOID” to participate in such events, so we had the opportunity to learn about the other “units”. We should help each other in times of need.

Keito: Yeah. Fushimi helped me out a lot when I was in the Student Council too. This will be a good time to repay him.

Anyway, the “purification ceremony” was just a guise for a rehearsal, but the staff are waiting, right?

We can’t continue to keep them waiting. Let’s stop our chit-chat and step inside the “ES Haunted House”.

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#ghostic

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