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stormtodoroki · 4 years

Text

Love Sparks

Pairing: Kaminari Denki x Reader

Soulmate AU

Warnings: None

P.O.V: Reader's

Word Count: 2,644

The knowledge about how and when Quirks came along goes far beyond my family's history, at least I think. My name is Aizawa, (f/n) and I am preparing for my UA entrance exam, thankfully my mother has allowed me to come to Japan from America for schooling. She mentioned something about being able to meet my grandparents as well as my biological father, if I get the chance. She hasn't told me much about him, every time I'd ask her she'd get really mad and tell me not to ask again, but I was persistent, I just had to know. But that's not the only thing I had to know, not only are quirks a fascinating part of our lives but so is the way we find our forever person, our body's receive a shock that courses through our bodies when we make skin to skin contact with our soulmate.

I stood at the main gates and took a few deep breaths, this was it, the beginning of my future, if I passed this entrance exam I will officially be a hero student at UA High. As I took my steps over the threshold and moved closer to the designated building I let out a shaky breath I didn't realize I was holding. What if my quirk might not be good enough to get through? What if someone has a similar quirk and they have better control over it than I do? I stopped walking all together and was about to turn around when someone crashed into me.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU DAMN EXTRA! STAY OUTTA MY WAY."

I looked up to see what I could only describe as an angry porcupine, his face contorted with rage if I looked at him close enough I'd probably see steam coming out of his ears. I let out a quick apology and nodded, he tsked and walked away grumbling, boy I would hate to be in the same testing area as him, I'm just grateful that I didn't say anything back to him. I shook my head clear and walked into the building, looking for my number I sat next to a kid who looked like he was in the wrong place, he dressed a bit too formal. I wonder if he's going to take the exam in that?

I took a quick glance around and gulp, there's a lot of kids here, I knew how prestigious the school was and how low the acceptance rate was, but this was just insane. My attention was soon directed to the front where- oh my gosh it's the Pro-hero Present Mic., he's giving us the run down for the practical? This should be good.

Present Mic. walked to the middle of the stage, he turned to all of us and screamed,

"Welcome to today's live performance. Everybody say, hey!"

We were all silent. You could hear crickets chirping.

"Well, that's cool, my examinee listeners! I'm here to present the guidelines of your practical, are you ready, there was silence, yet again as he screamed, "YEAH! "

Listening to Present Mic. screaming and talking loud like he always does began to give me a headache, rubbing my temples I tried to focus on what he was saying. A few rows or so away, I heard what sounded like muttering, I quietly turned and looked towards it, there was a boy with unruly green hair next to, I can't believe it… it's the angry porcupine from earlier who knocked into me. Though he didn't seem too happy to be next to the green haired boy.

"This is how the test will go, my listeners! You'll be experiencing 10-minute-long "mock cityscape maneuvers"! Bring along whatever you want! After this presentation, each head to your assigned testing location."

"Is that so kids from the same middle school can't help each other out?"

I heard from the duo behind me, shaking my head clear I was happy that I didn't know anyone from Japan so it'd be easier for me to take the test and not worry about any of my friends who were also trying to get into UA, all I have to do is worry about myself.

"Each site is filled with 3 kinds of faux villains, points are rewarded for defeating each according to their respective difficulty levels!! Use your quirks to disable, these faux villains and earn points! That's your goal, listeners! Of course, playing the anti-hero and attacking other examinees is prohibited!"

I noticed during this part of Present Mics. explanation, the boy dressed in formal attire next to me was twitching in his seat, he waited for Present Mic. to finish talking before he up abruptly stood up with his hand and paper in the air.

"Excuse me, but if I may ask a question?!"

Oh boy, this ought to be great…

"There appear to be no fewer than 4 varieties of faux, the one on this handout, such a bland, if it is one, is highly unbecoming for you. Japan's top academy we're all here today in the hopes of being molded into model heroes."

He then turned and pointed to Green Bean.

"And you with the curly hair, you've been muttering this whole time, it's distracting if this is some sort of game to you then please leave immediately! "

He muttered, sorry and put his hands to his mouth, I covered my mouth with my hand and fought back a giggle.

"Alright, alright, examinee 7111 nice catch thanks, but the 4th faux villain variety gets you zero points this more of an obstacle, have you all played Super Mario Brothers, the old retro games?"

"It's kind of like a thwomp! Only one at each site, a "gimmick" that will rampage around in close quarters."

I heard quiet murmurs about the zero pointer all around me and just shook my head in pity, clearly this is a decoy. Yes, there may be a zero pointer but it's more likely to be the biggest one there is otherwise there'd be more stationed at each site. They expect us not to worry about said faux villain, yet it'll probably be the most important one in the whole exam, I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

"Thank you, sir, I apologize for the interruption!"

With that the formal guy next to me took a bow and sat back down.

"That's all for me, I'll leave my listeners with our school motto, the great hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'true heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life!' plus ultra!! Break a leg everyone! "

With that everyone got up from their spots and filed out in search of where they were to go. As I looked around the battle center I was sent to a breathed out a sigh of relief, neither the formal dude or the hot head were in sight. I looked around for the green bean to ask him what the hot head had shoved up his butt, but to my dismay he wasn't assigned to my battle center either. Looking around I see people meditating and conversing with each other, I don't need to do either. I began walking towards the front of the crowd marveling at the city front before me. I looked around and saw Present Mic. on top of a platform and smiled up at him and waved, like a buffoon he looked and and pointed to himself in confusion then waved back before pointing to the city urgently.

I took that as my cue to go so I took a deep breath and ran in, I made in about 10 feet into the city before I heard him call out.

"What are you waiting for?! There are no timers in real battles! Begin!"

I knew if I turned around I'd see all the kids running towards me so I decided to get some air coverage. Sticking my arms and hands out to my sides I shot up into the air leaving a trail of water spiraling down below me. I landed on a high rise and looked around the city, seeing a 1 pointer and a 2 pointer approaching I summoned a ball of water into my hands and contorted it into a spear.

I began to run and jump the rooftops closer to the faux villains and replicated the spear before throwing them both at each bot, taking them down. As the bots were falling I hopped onto them and used my water to slide down to the ground. Looking around them I did a double check to make sure nobody made it this far and accidentally got crushed by a giant falling robot. After seeing it was clear I decided to make way to the center on food, as I began to jog I heard a scream from behind me. I turned to look and saw a 3 pointer ready to crush a girl with pink hair and what appears to be horns? I looked closer and saw her foot was stuck and she was trying to get out without using her quirk on herself. I definitely wouldn't make it to her by running, so I had to muster up my energy and use my quirk from afar, something I'm not too good at.

"Hey! Close your eyes!"

The girl looked at me and nodded, I then stood next to one of the fallen faux villain bots and took a stray piece in a ball of water I expanded to its size, quickly I released the piece and expanded the water ball more until it was the size of the bot. I hurled the ball of water at the bot and encased it in my water ball before throwing the water ball into the air, it disappeared from the center and past the clouds.

"Okay, I may have been a little too extreme… "

I muttered to myself, as I walked over to the girl and helped free her.

"You good?"

She nodded and thanked me.

"Don't mention it, just go get some more points for yourself. I'd hate for you not to be able to get in because you were stuck and couldn't stop thanking someone who saved you."

After taking down a few more bots and saving a few people I estimate that I have around 35 points right now which means I should be in good standing. I was so lost in thought that I bumped into someone, they sent a shock through me and I froze for a second before shaking my arm.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you with my quirk are you okay?"

'What? Wait? He hit me with his quirk?'

I cleared my head and looked at him in confusion, that wasn't just the electric shock that goes through your body when you meet your soulmate?

"Oh… uh. Don't worry about it. I'm all good."

'Lies, why would I be alright? You know damn well it wasn't your quirk.'

He gave me a look of uncertainty and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Kaminari Denki. Nice to meet you uh… what's your name?"

I scoffed internally, 'really? That's how you're gonna ask me my name? Dude just how dense are you?'

"F/n L/n. Crap, sorry. L/N, F/N. Nice to meet you as well Kaminari. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go and rack up more points so if you don't mind I'll just be o-"

Kaminari cut me off by yelling.

"That's a zero pointer! No way! That thing is huge!"

Looking up I saw what he was talking about, I smirked.

"U.A. definitely lives up to its prestigious name. I am impressed. Wow. This zero pointer is glorious."

Kaminari looked at me like I was insane, as if I somehow sparked a fire in him he puffed out his chest in glee and smirked.

"All the more reason for me to prove my strength. Stand back L/N I'm gonna light this bot up."

I blinked in surprise as he ran towards the bot and he charged up- no way, he wasn't kidding. Large amounts of electricity sprayed out of his hands to the bot, it froze in place for a few moments with electricity spazzing all around the bots frame, but it didn't go down. Kaminari turned to me and gave me a thumbs up and a dumb look on his face.

"Kaminari you fool! You fried your brain with that foolish attack!"

The bot soon was out of its shocked state and raised it's foot ready to pummel the poor dunce. I quickly mustered up my strength and formed a water ball and sent it at Kaminari, once he was inside I whipped it at me. Kaminari and the water ball collided into me just as the bot stomped down where Kaminari was seconds before. I stood up and slapped Kaminari, feeling another jolt of electricity surge through me.

'Awh hell. This fool is my soulmate and he's too dense to realize it's not his quirk.'

I turned to the bot and watched it moved closer before turning back to Kaminari.

"After this exam you're taking me out for ice cream for saving your fried ass not only once but twice."

I turned back to the bot and sent two water balls towards the next spots where it would step, not satisfied with the ground I sent more until the bot stepped and sunk a few feet.

"Yes! It worked!"

I happily then made a few water spears and threw them at the bot before I took a deep breath in, closed my eyes and concentrated on a tiny ball of water in my hands, I needed to focus all my energy if I wanted to make this work. I slowly enlarged the ball in my hand and listened as it started to crackle and pop, taking another deep breath I slowly opened my eyes and smirked before shrinking the softball sized water ball and throwing it at the exposed part of the bot. Once it was a foot from contacting the bot I spread my arms out enlarging the crackling ball and watched as it downed the bot.

I looked to Kaminari and sighed. I need to get him somewhere safe until this wears off, if I leave him here he'll be an easy target for the other bots. I'm pretty sure there's five minutes left meaning I can still get a few more points if I hurry up. I took some gummies out of my pocket and threw them in my mouth, I'm lucky we were allowed to bring things in that would help us, otherwise I'd have been out for the count when I helped that pink girl. I led Kaminari to a safe area and smirked as a three pointer came out of the alley next to us, I jumped up with my water and formed water around my wrist as I plummeted down and punched the bot. It went down just as Present Mic. screeched.

"It's all over! Good job everybody!

Within moments Recovery Girl was by my side looking at Kaminari, she shook her head and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Kaminari blinked and looked around in a state of confusion before looking at me.

"Come on Kaminari, you owe me an ice cream."

I poked his cheek and was sent another shock of electricity, which he definitely would have felt as all and leaned into his ear.

"After all we are soulmates, and I just saved your butt."

I gave the shocked boy a knowing smile and grasped his hand and began leasing him away towards the exit. If we both somehow get into the hero course this was going to be one exciting year...

A/N: this is AU prompt was brought upon you thanks to the bnha discord server. You can find other works by member of the discord here:

https://liliesoftherain.tumblr.com/post/614256302090223616/mha-x-reader-discord-prompt-masterlist

#bnha au #mha kaminari #kaminari denki #x reader #denki x reader #mnha #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha kaminari #kaminari x reader #denki x you

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vannahfanfics · 4 years

Text

Before you read, here’s the previous chapter. New? Start from the beginning!

Rise of the Guardians: Earthsong

Ao3

Chapter 9: Always

With a miserable sniffle, Nat leaned over to begin picking the herb leaves from the floor, only letting out an occasional hiccup or poorly stifled sob. Jack watched in pure agony as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks and drop down to the floor below, like puddles of paint melting from a wall. How could someone as smart and talented as Nat be so isolated from everyone?

The incorporeal Jack and the crying Nat both jumped nearly a foot in the air as there came loud, persistent knocking at her door. Those boys couldn’t have come to mess with her some more, right? Or worse, could it be someone from the village to harass her? He thought and poked his ghostly head through the wall to investigate. To his shock, it was his human self, smiling and unaware of the abuse Nat had just suffered. Jack couldn’t remember much about his past life, but surely he too was not in the business of beating up on the girl, right? Thankfully his question was answered almost instantly because Nat didn’t hesitate to open the door.

“Hello, Jack.” The melancholy in her voice was painfully obvious. He watched as his brown-haired self gasped in horror before his hand flew up to push her tousled blonde strands away from the gaping wound.

“Oh, no! Did those boys come throw rocks at you again?” So it was a daily occurrence. Rage burned up Jack’s insides like a bubbling volcano. His human form scowled and whirled on a heel while rolling up to sleeves of his simple brown shirt. “Those punks! I’m gonna go teach ‘em a lesson!” Nat’s slender arm wound around his, pulling him back as he tried to set off to do just that.

“No! Please! They’ll only get angry and come back!” she insisted. Her voice was high-pitched with pure fright, and the tears had begun to spill over her emerald eyes again. She dropped her head miserably, bottom lip wobbling. It was such a strange thing, to see the strong and capable girl a meek, timid crying mess before him. “Please… I’ll be okay… Just keep coming to see me, Jack,” she said softly and looked up. Even though it was only indirectly for him, Jack felt his heart twist into pretzel knots. God, she was beautiful, even the way she was- disheveled and bleeding and dejected. That smile of hers carried more warmth and affection than anything Jack had seen in his life, and he would’ve been an idiot to deny it.

Nat was in love with him. That instant, as the memory of past feelings revived, Jack knew that he was in love with her, too.

“Always, Nat,” his human self laughed good-naturedly, and Nat smiled broader as she pulled him inside. As the door swung closed in his face, Jack twisted his fingers into the blue fabric of his hoodie.

“Always.”

The landscape blurred around him before reforming. It was now summer, based on the smothering heat and the abundance of near-ripe crops dominating the various vegetable plots alongside the quaint cottages. Something was off, however. The streets were devoid of citizens enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of a summer’s day; they huddled close to their homesteads or peeked out from windows. As Jack looked around, he noted several buildings that had every window and door boarded tightly shut. The children were not playing or chasing the butterflies that fluttered along tasting the last of the flower’s nectar, but were clutched close to their mother’s sides or staring with frightful eyes through small gaps in curtains. The world was alive, but the village was the epitome of a graveyard.

“What is going on?” he wondered aloud. He gasped as half of his misty body was blasted through by a horse’s thundering form, hauling a large wagon with a man in a thick black coat and a silver bird beak mask. A plague doctor?! Jack thought and dashed after the carriage, which was shuddering down the uneven road at alarming speed. The doctor snapped the reigns to bid the horse halt in front of the large building at the end of the way, and as Jack approached, he raised his arm to cover his nose, for he was greeted by the overwhelming stench of death and misery.

“Doctor, please!” begged a man standing on the steps, seemingly an authority figure given by his slightly more formal clothing. “Nearly the entire village has been infected. We have resorted to cremating the bodies because we simply can’t dig graves fast enough! Please tell me you have news from afar!” He sank to his knees on the wooden steps, and Jack could see his glittering tears even from the small distance. “My wife… She does not have much longer.”

“I am afraid that the surrounding settlements are no better,” the doctor’s voice echoed from within the mask. “There is no cure. Quarantine is your only hope.” With a strangled sob, the man curled up and pounded his fists against the wood. His memory began to tug at him, prying free of the bars that had locked it for nearly four hundred years. He recalled it now… A vicious respiratory plague had swept through the village late one summer. He had caught it, and his sister too. It had been so painful, hacking until his chest muscles burned like fire, shivering as a high fever had gripped his body with icy claws, unable to move or eat or drink or even think for the delirium… but it wasn’t the doctor who had saved them.

“Doctor! Mayor! Please!” Jack whirled about as she came bounding down the street, bare feet cracked from harsh contact with the sandy stone ground. A basket full to the brim with herbs swung on her arm. She had various bandages covering parts of her body, and far more scrapes and bruises than the last time he had seen her human form. Right, he remembered; since the spring of that year, the abuse had escalated dramatically, to the point that if Nat ever entered town, she had to sneak around in a cloak. Jack had resorted to bringing her various things and standing sentry at the entrance to her little enclosed bubble of a home because the neighborhood children tortured her viciously. “I can save them!”

“You witch! You aren’t coming anywhere near this sick house! I’ll have you burned!” the man snarled viciously, making Nat halt in her tracks with an alarmed recoil. Tears brimmed in her bright green eyes, wide with fear and hope.

“Please! These herbs produce a special compound that-”

“Enough of your witchcraft!”

“Doctor!” Nat cried insistently and looked at the medical professional. His cold glasses glittered lifelessly above the intimidating mask.

“Leave, girl, lest you catch the plague as well. Herbs can only prevent illness; they cannot save those who are already ill. They will live or die by God’s will alone.” Nat’s shoulders hunched up to her ears as rage contorted her expression into a monstrosity that Jack never wanted to look upon again. It was almost demon-like, with the cold fire that flashed like an emerald’s gleaming gemstone and the ruby-red hue to her flushing face.

“You place your hopes in God and ignore the power in your own hands!” she screamed and thrust out the basket of herbs so forcefully that a few of the leaves jumped out and fluttered to the ground. “Sometimes, we have to save ourselves! Mayor, your wife is inside! Doctor, your daughter is inside! My best friend is inside! Please! I can save them!”

“Quiet, girl, with your blasphemy! It was your vile existence that has brought God’s wrath upon us!” the mayor screamed at her. Jack’s fists curled into tight balls; how could these people be so impossibly backward? Nat was nothing like that. She was sweet, and kind, and had only ever wanted to help people. Nat’s face scrunched up in further agony, and then hung her head in defeat. He could see her entire body shaking with anger and dismay, and the tears rolling down her dirty cheeks to drop down to the dry, dusty ground below.

“Why… Why don’t you understand?”

The landscape blurred like paint smearing across an easel as she whirled to run back to her cabin. The next scene was a drastic change; night had fallen over the forest. Compared to the daytime, it was very much alive with life, though not human. The crickets were singing in a loud symphony in the long grasses, accompanied by the occasional resonating hoot of an owl. The wind shook the branches lightly to fill the air with a consistent fluttering of leaves. Jack even spied the horned form of a stag grazing beside one of the boarded-up cabins. Suddenly, it reared its massive head to peer with glittering eyes down the pathway, before its powerful legs sent it in a springing leap back into the depths of the wood. Jack turned to find Nat creeping through the shadows, with her little herb basket clutched tightly to her side. The sick house had no guard. He wondered if everyone in the village had fallen ill, aside from Nat.

The wooden steps of the sick house creaked loudly as Nat hopped up them, and she paused for a moment, wildly looking around to see if anyone had been alerted. After a minute or so of continuous quiet, she ascended the rest of the steps and entered the building. Jack followed her inside, phasing through the wood, and instantly recoiled in revile. The stench of illness and death was ten times more pungent inside, and the sounds of nature did not penetrate there. No, the only symphony to be had was a dismal one of coughs and groans and pleas to Heaven.

Nat made her rounds through the patients quickly and efficiently. She kneeled beside the fever-gripped men, women, and children, mixing what he recognized as a fever reducer and a cocktail of herbs she had said would accelerate healing and drive away illness. That’s what Jack used to visit her for; he would inquire all about the various herbs that she grew and what they did. He had only ever understood it on a surface level, but he just loved the way her eyes would sparkle and alight as she told him everything she knew. Nat would always jump up with her hands clasped and announce that her herbs were the key to medicine; she said that illness wasn’t God’s wrath or miasma, but a natural phenomenon caused by something that man knew nothing of yet. “One day, it will come to light! The world is growing smaller every day, Jack, as humanity takes each step closer to discovery. I want to use my knowledge to help people! One day they will know I am not a witch, but a form of doctor, too!” She would proclaim that, and every fiber of his being would agree. She had been destined for greatness.

What had cut her life so short? It trembled on the edge of his memory, but for the life of him, he could not will it forth.

His attention was wrested back as Nat scurried over to someone curled up alongside the wall. Like a ghostly fairy, he skipped over to find himself again; it was kind of humbling and distressing, seeing himself in the grips of the strange illness, gaunt and sweaty and groaning. Nat kneeled beside him to roll him onto his back, while the phantom Jack crouched down to eagerly watch her administer the medicine. Everything was so hazy from that time; he very barely remembered her visit to the sick house, but the delirious fever had him in such wild thralls that his memory failed him for the most part.

“Nat… No… You shouldn’t be here…” His voice was weak and feeble and raspy. After forcing out the words, he instantly dissolved into a series of wracking, rattling coughs that shook his entire frail body. Nat gently shushed him and brushed a few strands of his oak-brown hair from his slick forehead.

“Be at ease, Jack. I am going to save you and everybody else,” she assured him with such gentleness he had never heard from her before. It was a complete dichotomy from the Nat that he knew, who held him at arm’s length with a cold, calculated meaning. God, he wished the present her would look at him the way her past self was looking at his living body; her smile was so pure and warm like the radiating rays of the sun, and her green eyes were filled to the brim with the most potent love he had ever seen. She wasn’t even looking at him directly. Yet the fact that she had looked at him like that once was both liberating and gut-wrenching. What had happened in the span of four hundred years? Surely she had learned of his true identity at some point. Why hide? Why lie? Jack just couldn’t figure it out… Or maybe he didn’t want to.

Nat crushed a mixture of the herbs in a little bowl into a thick, succulent paste. “Jack, I need you to eat this,” she commanded and scooped up a bit of the gum with her finger, holding it to his mouth. His past self groaned and shook his head weakly, panting as his fever continued to mount.

“Nat… I… I am done for… Save yourself.” Nat’s shoulders sagged as she sighed lightly, a hint of a wistful smile on her lips.

“Oh, Jack. I was saved a long time ago.” Her whisper was like a breath of the wind, fleeting and barely audible, but powerful enough to knock Jack right off his feet. She popped the paste into her mouth before leaning over, grabbing Jack’s face gently to part his lips before enveloping them with her own. Jack knew that she was only forcing the concoction into his mouth to force him to swallow it, but that fact didn’t seem to want to register in his mind. His ghostly fingers feathered over his deathly pale lips, which seemed to recall the sensation of her mouth against his own, tingling and titillated. She kissed me. She saved me.

Jack wasn’t prepared for the landscape to shift again; he gasped and fell back on his haunches as it dissolved around him. He was out in the street again, and this time it was eerily familiar to him; the village was in the claws of a savage winter, with snow piled high on the thatch roofs and sweeping in gross waves alongside the street to form high drifts. A great crowd had gathered in the small courtyard in front of what was once the sick house, which Jack remembered served as the community doctor’s office. The community physician had sought the aid of a traveling plague doctor, who took over once the old doctor succumbed to the respiratory illness. Jack phased through the crowd until he came to the front and was very alarmed to see the mayor with a kneeling Nat before him, for he had her arm twisted painfully behind her back. Her cascade of blonde hair lay in sheared streams about her knees; it had been sliced through just below her ears. It was an act of dishonor.

“This has gone on long enough!” the mayor was hollering. By the wild, beastly look in his injected eyes and the tomato hue to his face, Jack could instantly see the man had become deranged. “The winter should have long since been over! This is God’s judgment upon us for allowing this witch to live among us!”

“Please, doctor, she saved us- and you! Because of her, all the children survived!” a woman shouted from the crowd. A ripple of agreement chorused through them, but Jack was alarmed to hear that it was fainter than he would expect.

“Her witchcraft was an act against God! She had no right to act against his will and use her pagan arts in his temple!” Nat said nothing as he twisted her arm further, only cried out in pain, and hung her head. He could see streaks of bright red blood in the blonde curls where she had been struck with a blunt object. “Look around you! You know it to be true! Unless we be rid of the witch, this endless winter will continue, and we shall truly perish! God is giving us the chance to repent!”

“Stop this! You’re a madman!” It was Jack’s voice this time. Beside him, his lean brown-haired form shoved the adults to stay front and center.

“Silence, boy!” The mayor snarled at him with all the viciousness of a feral wolf. Both Jack and his ghostly counterpart took involuntary steps back in the face of such venom. “Are you in league with this witch?”

“No! No!” Nat suddenly screamed, writhing in the man’s iron grip. “I will confess! I will confess! Just leave Jack out of it!” She calmed down after her desperate fit as the entire town looked upon her in shock, most of all Jack, who’s chest was heaving as he fought against everything he knew to allow her to sacrifice herself. Suddenly the adults began to take up the chant, pumping fists and pitchforks into the air- “Kill the witch! Kill the witch!” The mayor grinned demonically as his victory was all but handed to him.

He wrested Nat up by her arm and began half-pushing, half-dragging her down the street, with the crowd surging around him to chuck stones or whatever piece of debris they could at the hapless girl. Jack’s ghostly self could run alongside them just fine, merely phasing through whatever impeded his path, but his real person was left in the dust, on his hands and knees screaming.

“Nat! Don’t do this! Nathalie!” Her feet scrabbled uselessly in the cold-packed dirt as she was hauled towards her solitary cabin in the woods. Her lingering blond strands flashed in the white moonlight as she whipped her head to look at him, through the ghostly apparition of the pale boy of the future to the ghost of his past self wailing her name.

“Thank you… for everything.”

Jack was forced to follow as the landscape shifted to the cottage, though everything within him didn’t want to witness what happened next. Nat was shoved into her cabin, and a piece of thick wood lodged under the doorknob so she could not escape… and then they brought the torches. Jack jumped through the building walls, expecting to find Nat screaming, crying, terrified, and desperate for a way to escape. Instead, he found her sitting calmly against one of the walls, tenderly holding a little potted flower that bloomed despite the winter’s incessant chill.

“Nat…” he whispered, his thick voice choking his throat more than the smoke that was now billowing in the ceiling. Nat let out a quiet cough as she gently stroked the bright pink petals of the small flower; a single tear rolled down her cheek to splash down onto its silky surface.

“I wish I could have told him,” she sighed quietly to the flower. The flames began to crackle as they eagerly licked at the wooden walls of the cottage, climbing to stretch their red fingers to the black night sky. The smoke blanketed the ceiling like a puffy dark comforter, while smaller wisps weaved about the lower latitude, diving into Nat’s failing lungs eagerly. She began to cough like the citizens had during the plague, doubling over and knocking the pot over. It shattered, and soil spilled out like blood, with the flower’s frail roots now poking out of the dark substance. Nat collapsed onto her side as she fought for breath and reached out with a trembling had to cup it ever-so-gently and hold it to her chest.

The blooming flower perfectly aligned with her heart, which was beating slower and slower by the second. Jack watched helplessly. He had never felt so useless in his entire life; even though he knew this had already happened, that there was nothing that he could do, Jack could not fight the overwhelming urge to do something, anything. She doesn’t deserve to die like this! Nat let out a deep, contented sigh and closed her eyes, embracing the end while Jack looked on as an unwilling spectator.

“I love you… Always.”

The ceiling could bear no more. With a sickening crunch, the weight-bearing beam snapped right up the middle. Everything collapsed in on itself, an inferno of red and orange and yellow and ashy black, and Jack just stood there, a pale white ghost enshrined in the roaring flames, a spirit who could not even touch Nat’s beautiful, rosy skin as her life burned away.

It was close to dawn by the time the fire finally died. Jack sat with his knees drawn up beside the smoldering wreckage, number and more chill than the instant he plunged into the freezing waters of the lake four hundred years ago. His pale eyes watched unseeing as the smoke trails slowly rose in ethereal wisps to the heavens. They looked down with cold indifference; the world did not weep for Nathalie. The stars still shone with all their brilliance. The pale moon said nothing; it refused to cast its lovely white rays upon the scene to illuminate her final resting place. Jack’s stomach was so twisted and sickened that nausea threatened to do him in at any moment. He had never imagined it would’ve been like this. Never. He would never be able to look her the same way again, knowing this grave injustice haunted her. Now, at least, he was haunted too.

“Tsk. Humans always were such barbaric creatures, never to know what a plague they are upon the Earth and each other.” Jack glanced over his shoulder as a woman spoke, her voice as smooth as velvet and carrying the authority of a queen. She stood a few feet behind him, looking upon the embers with eyes like fresh-cut diamond, harsh and yet loving at the same time. They were precisely like Nat’s emerald eyes in that way. Her dress wasn’t white, but the color of red maple leaves and luxurious roses and ripened apples; her hair trailed down to her calves, curling cascades of ringlets the shade of hardy oak and hard tree nuts. She was every bit of gorgeous as he imagined Nat’s predecessor would be, but yet she still couldn’t hold a candle to Nat’s angel-like beauty. Jack watched from his little perch as she strode across the small clearing to stop in front of the wreckage. She waved her hand over the smoking mess, and Jack watched in awe as the little pink flower budded from the ashes, soaking up the moon’s brilliance to shine like a pink opal in the bleak night. “Rise, little one. Your story doesn’t end here.”

Jack inhaled sharply as the ashes shifted about, and Nat sat up, blinking blearily as the gray powder rained down from her hair and body. She was holding the small flower in its little mound of soil in her hands, and her blonde hair had re-grown to its waterfall length, streaming behind her like rivers of gold cutting through the black ash. She looked up with confused green eyes at the regal woman before her.

“Who… Are you?”

“I am Mother Nature… And you, kind child who bears the Earth’s soul, shall succeed me.”

That was where it ended. The light came with the rising of the spring sun, sending Jack back into the present. It took a moment for him to adjust to the bright light and scent of wildflowers gracing his nose instead of the bitter tang of burned wood; he was sitting on the mosaic, the container of Nat’s memories held in a white-knuckled grip. He felt something wet sliding down his cheeks and swept his finger over his face to see them come away with sparkling tears. He looked down at the box, then with a disgusted shout, flung it aside. It landed in a thick sprig of grass a few yards away. Jack fisted his fluffy white hair as he curled up, shaking at the gravity of the sequence of events he had just witnessed. He wanted to be sick. Nat had been shouldering for all her life. No wonder she couldn’t be near him. It brought all that back, all that pain and suffering and that gruesome, God-awful-

“Jack…?” He gasped in shock and jerked up, eyes flashing wildly in panic. She stood at the edge of the clearing, wary but concerned. Beautiful, she was so beautiful, like a goddess descended to the mortal plane. Her green eyes slowly trailed to the box, which was turned at just the right angle to show the small drawing of child Nat on the cover. As her emerald eyes drifted back to meet his like ice, he shivered and averted his gaze, squeezing his eyes shut for the guilt that prevented him from looking at her. What would she say now? He betrayed her trust. He should have waited for her to trust him, to be willing to face what had happened. Now, he had all but forced her hand, forced her to confront that bitter end to her life. He didn’t even care about finding out about why they couldn’t be near each other now. He grabbed his staff, preparing to take off. He couldn’t bear it. He needed to get away, give her some time, yeah, that was it-

“I meant what I said that night. Always.”

Here’s the next chapter! Want more stories? Check out my Table of Contents!

Tag List: @deliathedork

#rise of the guardians #rotg #frostednature #frosted nature #jack frost #rotg oc #jack frost x oc #rotg fanfic #rotg fanfiction

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ohthathurt · 6 years

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So I’ve been slacking off drabbles for a long time now, and I wrote this messy thing ha. Enjoy xx

**Shout-out to the Indian and English cricket players whom I witnessed totally throwing each other flirty looks, you both compelled me to write this. I see you boys lol.**

Zayn willed for his expression to stay blank, his insides betraying him and basically melting into putty at the sight in front of him. What was it? Oh just a very sweaty, panting Liam Payne doing laps around the abandoned pitch, all alone in the musty cold.

He was stood on the stands right below their side of the stadium, and hopefully his presence was unknown to the other man down on the grass because he really didn’t want to get caught ogling the opposition.

This wasn’t his first time playing against Payne; Zayn’s first match against England on international grounds had brought him face-to-face with the man who was then merely a young man. In the three years that he’d known about Payne, Zayn had seen that young man grow into an accomplished player and downright gorgeous almost overnight, sporting scruff at matches and flashing abs during practice rounds.

Anyone would be infuriated by the man; he wore his smirk constantly and consistently and a sharp glint in his eye was never missing. But in the same minute, he could lose it all and crumble down like honeycomb in front of anyone he really cared about; sweet and docile.

Or at least around Zayn since their first match together.

It went a little bit like this; Zayn had been worried sick for his first international play, a fresh player at the mere age of 20. Playing for his home country had been a surprise because he was sure England would offer him up a position when he turned 19.

But that hadn’t happened; Zayn had shed bitter tears at the harsh betrayal, his family having moved to the UK when he was a baby. So why was it that the place he called his own had so easily turned their heads on him?

That didn’t mean it was all over. The country he used to call home as a newborn swiped him up at the first declaration that he wasn’t signed. And that was that. He still played County for England but on an international level, Zayn owed his loyalty to another country. That never bothered him.

He didn’t know what or who to expect on his first match against England. A roaring crowd, professional umpires and an overall tense atmosphere was what greeted him. But the icing on the cake arrived in the form of Liam Payne.

In Zayn’s eyes he was already a legend, having achieved several accomplishments in the few years he’d played for England. As if that wasn’t enough, Zayn was basically blown away by the way he carried himself. Without wanting to wax poetic about the colour of his eyes, he could admit to himself in secrecy that the man was proof there was a God out there.

But even men like Liam, it seems, have their weaknesses. Unfortunately, Payne took one hit to the groin thanks to a ball travelling at a really high speed and Zayn could hear the entire stadium hush then groan in sympathy at the downed player.

He still doesn’t know what compelled him but in a few seconds he was by Liam’s side, crouched over his prone form. Thankfully, he seemed to be okay as he was taking a minute to clench his eyes close and breathe through the pain.

Zayn winced in sympathy and his hand went to the man’s shoulder. Liam had swiveled those beautiful brown eyes up at him and smiled at Zayn, who’d tentatively returned it.

As it turned out, he was a champ about it. Still curled up into a fetal position, Zayn had offered him a water bottle which he’d chugged down dutifully but then he’d turned his attention onto Zayn.

“So.”

Zayn shot him a confused smile at the statement and the man returned it before grimacing slightly in pain.

“Eh, you come here often?”

The nonchalance in his tone had Zayn bursting into embarrassingly loud laughter, watching through squinted eyes as Liam beamed up at him.

That was three years ago; three years of the two men dancing around each other and throwing heated looks and flirtatious smiles that had their team members groaning in consternation at.

Zayn smiled down at the blurry form of Liam, still going around the pitch. They were to face each other in another series of test matches which went on for long, unending days. Still, Liam was his silver lining.

***

Liam didn’t expect for that day’s test match to turn out so eventful. There was nothing exciting about test matches unfortunately, especially those played on weekdays where crowds were thin and players were a little too comfortable playing the game. He preferred it when the tension was hiked up to a 100 and the crowd thundered and roared out beats and chants.

Still, that day did not disappoint in excitement.

Malik was up for batting for that over, and luckily Liam was delivering the ball. Over the years that he’d known the other man, Liam had basically fallen for those hazel eyes and that lazy grin. He’d received enough shit from his team mates over the issue but it wasn’t his fault that whenever he saw Zayn, his heart thumped louder for reasons other than physical exertion.

So, Liam was biased; but he was convinced Malik was the best player both sides had seen since the early 80s. However, that didn’t stop him from shamelessly flirting on the pitch and observing in amusement whenever Zayn’s cheeks flushed around Liam.

Unfortunately, not everyone was happy about the two men throwing each other long looks and meaningful glances.

Malik’s co-batsman at the moment, for example, was a piece of work.

He’d already all but bitten Cole’s, the wicket-keeper, head off for apparently stepping up a little too close to him. As if that wasn’t enough, the man was also heard bitching about the English weather for fuck’s sake.

But none of that mattered to Liam, as him and Zayn basically danced around each other for the long hours stretched out in front of them.

That is until Cole got hit by a ball Liam delivered. He grimaced in sympathy as the man went down on one knee, Zayn stood stock still in front of him, one foot cemented behind the white line that could result in him being out.

He rushed past Zayn down the pitch towards Cole, meaning to check on the man and took the opportunity to brush an affectionate hand on Zayn’s hip as he did.

A rush of pleasure flooded his chest when he heard the resulting hitch in the man’s breath but before he could turn around to observe him a distant shout further away from him had them all turning.

It was the co-batsman; fire raging in his eyes for some reason, the man was basically frothing at the mouth. Even Zayn looked puzzled at the man’s behaviour. That is until he came closer.

“ – saw that Payne you think we are idiots? You clearly hit him and that’s foul and I think you should be banned for that shit – “

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Louis, their Captain arrived at the spot, wanting to check on Cole when he’d heard the man’s accusations.

“Don’t think anything of that sort happened, mate, you must be mistaken – “

But the man had turned and wrenched Zayn’s arm painfully to turn him around.

“Zayn, tell him! – “He continued his sentence in Urdu, Liam presumed, but by the sudden flinch from Zayn, he guessed it wasn’t all that good.

Everything went silent, as Zayn’s team-mate stared at him as if waiting for an answer or reaction but when Zayn merely swallowed and kept his eyes to the ground, the man’s expression turned. Liam was shocked to see what looked like hatred flash in the man’s eyes as he quickly turned around, spitting out a “disgusting!” at them.

Liam would’ve kept quiet; there was enough shit being spouted by players every day to react to each one of them. But the way Zayn’s expression had crumpled and the way he’d hunched his shoulders, had rage coursing through him.

He shoved past Louis and Zayn down the pitch towards the man, “Hey you’ve got a problem, why don’t you say it you piece of shit?”

A flurry of movement followed him and he recognized Louis berating him and pulling him back away from the man, whose expression was still twisted into something ugly.

But a small voice floated up to him and a warm body shoved in between Liam and the man. He looked down to see hazel eyes that were apologetic and earnest.

“Please, don’t. Not worth it, please.” Zayn whispered to him, through the confines of his helmet, a gloved hand resting on Liam’s chest.

Liam kept the eye contact, running a hand down Zayn’s side and squeezing it once in an attempt to give him a half-concealed hug. An answering smile put him at instant ease, but the ‘boo’s’ of the crowd were overwhelming the players and they all pulled away for a quick drinks break.

Liam was happily surprised to see Zayn contentedly sitting down on the grass and chugging away at his own bottle of water. He shot him a shy smile and Liam could swear he felt his entire body light on fire.

A loud snort and resulting laughter from his left sounded and he glared at Louis who only smirked and inclined his head towards the large screen displaying scores.

Liam followed his gaze then promptly choked and groaned at the sight. It was a pink graphic of animated hearts surrounding the text ‘Love is in the air’.

As soon as everyone saw it, the cameras switched over to film Liam who instantly flushed and rolled his eyes. But the cherry on top was when the footage went split-screen to show Zayn across the pitch, the animated hearts still floating around their images.

He laughed when Zayn buried his crimson-flushed face in his gloved hands, the crowds whooping with laughter and teasing chants.

He still can’t believe this is his life.

Please let me know if you liked it xx

#ziamfanfiction #ziam #fanfiction #before you ask me abt the players #this happened yday okay they showed these two players in slo-mo basically grinning at each other with flirty eyes I KNOW WHAT I SAW lmao

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sportsporium · 2 years

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2019-2020 Indian Premier League: Rohit Sharma Is the Best Fielder in IPL

No doubt Rohit Sharma is one of the best fielders in cricket. But to be the best player on the field, you also need to be a good batsman and at this point, Rohit's batting has been struggling as well. In this article let's take a look at some players with better batting averages in last five years than Rohit Sharma…

Rohit Sharma is the Best Fielder in IPL

Rohit Sharma is the best fielder in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has immense skills at catching and throwing the ball. He has led his team to victory time and time again with his superb fielding.

His ability to catch difficult balls and throw accurately to his teammates has been crucial to his team's success. Rohit Sharma has also been a huge contributor in the run fields, taking many crucial catches in the middle of the field. He is an integral part of the Mumbai Indians team, and his performances have earned him praise from all quarters best fielder in the ipl.

Who is the second best fielder in the ipl?

Rohit Sharma is the second best fielder in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has made more catches and ground runs than any other player in the IPL this season. Rohit also ranks first in the IPL in terms of number of boundaries hit. He has been a key part of the Mumbai Indians team, and his performances have led to him being named the best fielder in the IPL this year.

Other Players who are a good fielder in the ipl

There are a few other players who are good fielders in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, Rohit Sharma is considered to be the best fielder in the IPL.

Sharma has an excellent eye for the ball and is very quick in making decisions. He has also proved himself to be a very consistent fielder. This makes him one of the most dangerous fielders in the IPL.

He has scored many crucial goals while playing as a fielder in the IPL. This includes scoring a goal against Hyderabad in the 2016 edition of the IPL which helped Mumbai win that game. He later went on to score another crucial goal against Rajasthan in the 2017 edition of the IPL. These goals made him one of the most important players for Mumbai during that particular season.

Overall, Rohit Sharma is considered to be one of the best fielders in the IPL and his consistency makes him very difficult to beat when it comes to fielding in that league.

Kedar Jadhav and Virat Kohli: Why they are considered the best fielders?

Kedar Jadhav and Virat Kohli are considered the best fielders in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both players have been incredibly consistent throughout the season, with Kedar Jadhav leading the way in terms of numbers.

Jadhav has scored 444 runs at an average of 43.3, with a highest score of 74 not out. He has also taken 14 wickets at an average of 19.5, with a best performance of 3 for 29 against Chennai Super Kings.

Virat Kohli has scored 498 runs at an average of 41.1, with a highest score of 145 not out. He has also taken 16 wickets at an average of 20.8, with a best performance of 5 for 21 against Gujarat Lions.

Both players have shown great maturity and consistency throughout the season. They are considered the best fielders in IPL because they can score boundaries as well as take wickets in difficult conditions.

Conclusion

Rohit Sharma has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. He has scored runs at a phenomenally high rate and shown superb skills with both bat and ball. He is, without doubt, the best fielder in the IPL this season and his ability to take catches at short leg and deep midwicket have been crucial for his side. Rohit Sharma is a player that every team would want on their side and he is sure to be a key player as India look to defend their IPL title.

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strangehoot · 4 years

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New Post has been published on Strange Hoot - How To’s, Reviews, Comparisons, Top 10s, & Tech Guide

New Post has been published on https://strangehoot.com/10-mb-games-for-android-phone-low-mb-games-free/

30 Best 10 MB Games for Android Phone - Low MB Games Free

The gaming industry has seen a drastic transformation in recent times. With thousands of high-end next-generation games ruling the minds of game enthusiasts, gaming lovers just can’t get enough of the thrilling world of mind-twisting games.

The launch of the Android smartphone back in 2008 has steered the gaming industry in a new direction. Android games come in a variety of sizes, ranging from an enormous 2.5 GB to small-sized 2.5 MB. Many of us cannot afford games with formidable data sizes that quickly suck up our mobile’s data.

Small Android Games

Some of the best 10 MB games for Android that not just chill down our spine but also save us from pesky loss of data are as follows:

Mekorama:

Mekorama is a freebie puzzle game developed by Martin Magni. The game occupies space under 10 MB and gives freedom to its players to choose their levels.

Plot: Mekorama revolves around a tiny robot who after getting thrown away in the trash by a robot factory is helped by players to reach its abode.

The addictive game provides you the level builder to construct your levels. Every level has a grid-like structure where we have to remove obstacles in the form of moving objects. Every level you create is assigned to a QR code. You can also transfer your current level to other players with the help of this code.

The game was awarded International Mobile Gaming Awards in 2017 by Jury’s Honourable Mention.

Singularity:

Singularity is a first-person shooter game created by Raven Software.

Plot: The storyline of Singularity spins around an intriguing island Katorga-12 set in the background of the Cold War. In 1950, the island was hit by a disaster called “Singularity”. Nate Renko, a Special Forces officer is sent on the island to scrutinize the appalling fallout. However, in the course, her plane crash lands due to electromagnetic disturbance.

In the game, you constantly make the transition between 1952-55 and 2010. In both periods, you confront Russian forces and come across mutated wildlife and vegetation.

It is one of the small android games which does not exceed 10MB. The game features very few ads that make it even more gamer-friendly.

Poly Path:

Poly Path is an easy yet tricky game that comes under 10 MB android games. The game examines your concentration and intuitive capabilities.

Plot: In the game, the player encounters colorful balls which they are supposed to throw in rings of respective colors. The initial stages of the game are simple but as we go further it gets complicated.

The best part of the game is that it does not require a wi-fi connection. The game is just 5MB in size.

Modern Sniper:

Modern Sniper is a first-person shooter game based on the setting of the underworld.

Plot: In the game, you are the modern sniper who executes lethal attacks and secret assassin operations. You will have access to sniper rifles and assault rifles. During the game, the sniper will receive an armor and health bar. With the help of your sniping abilities, you should vanquish your enemies on the streets and annihilate the most vicious nemesis. The opponents have also recruited a group of snipers whose mission is to secretively attack you.

Shadow Skate:

Shadow Skate is an addictive 2D game which tests your concentration and intuition.

Plot: In the game, the skater is present in the form of a silhouette who travels across skyscrapers, parks, night clubs, and forests to run away from the shadow. The skater performs high jumps, bends, and falls through the buttons available on the left and right sides of the screen.

The game draws similarity to Vector in graphics and gameplay. The game will test your skills to 40 levels. The game is not very complicated and is also just 8.4MB in size.

Caveman Adventure:

Caveman Adventure is a 2D action-adventure game that is straightforward to play and is compatible with all android devices. It is one of the famous 10 MB games with easy and smooth controls.

Plot: The plot revolves around a caveman whose child has been abducted by a dinosaur and he begins to search for the child in the world of dinosaurs. The game involves 20 stages that cover 4 special worlds. The caveman encounters dangerous dinosaurs and intimidating obstacles in his search.

The game was released by STEM studios. You do not have to worry about space as the game is only 10MB in size.

No one dies:

The exciting thing about No one dies is that here you can guide 2-36 characters at the same time.

Plot: The game consists of 10 stages and tests the controlling skills of the brain and hands. If you crave dark adventure games, No One Dies is the game you should not miss.

Dr. Driving:

Dr. Driving is a car racing game with well-designed graphics and smooth controls.

Plot: You have to drive cleverly and responsibly, dodging the obstacles until you reach the end. The game has many challenging levels. You will also get money on the completion of levels. You can purchase more and better vehicles with the help of money. The game size is only 9.5 MB.

The other exciting aspect is that you can connect with your friends through mobiles to play this game in real-time. It is one of the small android games which is freely available on the Play store.

Endless Falling:

Endless Falling is a dark-themed game with loads of fun and adventure.

Plot: Here, the player falls off a cliff. On his way down to earth, he gets around with challenging obstacles. The background score also complements the theme of the game. To prevent adrenaline rise, the player has to obtain hearts coming his way.

The game is one of the popular 10 MB games with smooth controls and easy gameplay.

Cricket Black:

Cricket Black is a thrilling light-weight game with a data size of 2MB. You can play with friends or random players through real-time one on one matches. You can win cups and caps too.

Plot: On opening the interface, to begin the game, you have to click on TAP TO START. A single tap will hit sixes or fours and earns you high scores.

It is one of the widely played small android games which is available in PlayStore.

Crash Wheels:

This addictive game is easy to learn and occupies less data space.

Plot: There are more than 30 exciting levels where you have to ride a bicycle on risky streets and dodge perilous obstacles like bombs, spikes, wrecking balls, and harpoons.

The game has simple controls where you are required to steer the bicycle forward and backward by tapping arrows on the screen.

It is one of the popular 10 MB games for android that occupies less data space.

Speed motto:

Speed motto is an adventurous racing game with straightforward gameplay and easy controls.

Plot: In the game, you steer the bike by the tip of your fingers, and to speed up, you need to tap on the screen. During your journey, you come across various settings such as snow, forests, bridges, or hills regions. In your way, you have to obtain coins and get around with slow-pacing vehicles.

It comes under 10 MB games for Android that is freely available on the Play Store.

The Line Zen:

Line Zen an addictive arcade game that comes under 10 MB games. The controls are smooth.

Plot: You will have to guide a blue ball by avoiding collisions with red balls.

The gameplay is adventurous, and the player encounters numerous challenging mazes.

AA:

AA is an accuracy game that tests your targeting skills. The game occupies a small space and is available on Android and iOS.

Plot: Here, you have to strike a pin on a circle, with no two pins hitting each other or your game ends.

It is one of the easy to play 10 MB games with smooth controls and gripping graphics.

Stick Hero:

Stick Hero is an addictive game that is small in data size and comes under 10 MB games.

Plot: The game requires you to cover the width between bridges by forming sticks. The width between the bridges differs and the length of the stick should exactly fit in there. If your stick falls short, you will fall, and the game ends.

It is one of the small android games which is available on Playstore for free.

Brave Ninja:

Brave Ninja is an adventure game that occupies 7.62 MB and has amazing graphics.

Plot: Here you train a ninja and prepare him for difficult combats. The game has many mini-games such as sabotage, espionage, infiltration, assassination, and guerrilla warfare. The game features 15 exciting gameplays and 4 ninja characters. Though easy to play, this game is difficult to excel in.

It is one of the small android games which is easy to play but gets a tad difficult with the increase in levels.

Chain Reaction:

Chain reaction is a small light-weight game with a data size of 5.16 MB. The game can be played by a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 8 players.

Plot: In the game, the players one after another place their orbs in the cells of respective colors. Every cell has a critical mass. Once the load of the cell equalizes the critical mass, the cell explodes filling the orthogonally adjacent cells each with one orb.

7×7:

7×7 is an addictive game that is a blend of Tetris and Connect Four.

Plot: It is a block matching game where you have to match identical blocks to keep the grid clear. If there are four or more blocks in the line, they will disappear from the board. However, if you do not get a match, three more blocks will be added to the board.

It is one of the simple 10 MB games for androids with easy controls.

Tank Hero:

Tank Hero is an exciting adventure game with binding gameplay. The game is 9.2 MB in data size.

Plot: Here, you have to vanquish your enemy tanks and fight for reaching the ultimate goal. The game has 120 exciting levels where you have to combat with 5 different types of A. I tanks.

Another good thing is that you can enjoy the game without a wi-fi connection.

My Tiny Pet:

If you are a pet lover, the game My Tiny Pet is your cup of tea. It is a 10MB game that has all features to addict you.

Plot: Here, you have a sweet and adorable virtual pet that you can treat like your real pet. You can clean him, feed him, play with him, and even dress him. You raise him with good habits.

The game is just 10MB is data size. The game has engaging graphics and is easy to play.

Flow-free Bridges:

Flow-free is an addictive and entertaining game.

Plot: Here you have to join dots of the same colors by forming a pipe. But if the pipes overlap, the game will end. You have to connect all the matching dots until the entire board is covered. There are more than 1000 exciting levels.

The graphics are amazing, and the game becomes tougher as the level increases. This is one of the interesting 10 MB games that are freely available on the Play Store.

Zombie Attack 2:

Zombie attack 2 is one of the popular 10MB games with 2D graphics.

Plot: This small android game is based on the world of zombies that you are supposed to kill to survive till the end. The game has 4 special worlds where different types of zombies come your way. There are 8 types of heroes using unique weapons. There are 24 types of zombies and 8 zombie bosses.

In the game, you will get different vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and trucks.

Unblock ME:

Unblock ME is an addictive puzzle game that comes under 10MB games. You can play it for free.

Plot: The game consists of 18,000 mind-twisting puzzles and has 4 types of modes: Relax, Challenge, Multiplayer, and Daily.

It is one of the small android games that you can install from the Playstore for free.

Word Spot:

Word spot is an amazing word-building game that comes under 10MB android games.

Plot: In this game, you are supposed to connect letters by swiping your finger and form meaningful words.

The game is free-to-play and one can play it without an internet connection. The game tests your vocabulary. As the level goes high, the difficulty increases. Log in daily to win extra rewards.

Archery:

Archery is an addictive game and occupies less space. It is one of the 10MB games that has easy controls and clear graphics.

Plot: Here, the player has to hit an arrow on a board that contains many rings. Each ring is allotted with different points. If you hit the innermost ring, you will get 50 points and an extra arrow.

It is free-to-play and is available on PlayStore.

Bottle Shoot:

Bottle Shoot is an entertaining game. It is free-to-play and does not require a wi-fi connection.

Plot: Here you have to target and shoot the bottles as many as you can to earn points.

The game has simple controls and consists of various levels. It is one of the popular 10MB games and has a rating of 4.2 stars on the Playstore.

Bike Extreme:

Bike Extreme is a popular bike racing game. The game occupies less space and is 5.3 MB in size.

Plot: The game has 30+ different tracks filled with obstacles like rocks, hills, sticks, jumps, etc. You begin the game with one bike and as you reach higher levels, you will get other bikes that differ in appearance but are the same to handle.

This game also comes with smooth controls and beautiful graphics.

Die in 100 ways:

Die in 100 Ways is a game developed by Canary Droid.

Plot: The game has many lovely characters, and the nemesis is not any monster or vicious demon but Death itself. You have to save these characters from dangerous situations conspired by Death. The game has dozens of thrilling mini-games.

It is one of the exhilarating 10MB games that are freely available on the Play Store.

Knock Down:

Knock Down is one of the popular 10 MB games which draws similarity with Angry Birds.

Plot: The game requires you to throw a red ball through a slingshot to knock down the boxes. The game has more than 70 challenging levels where the difficulty level increases with each level.

Crime Files by Terrandroid:

It is one of the popular 10 MB games which has simple controls.

Plot: Crime Files is a detective game where you are a spy who solves crimes and arrests criminals. You have to examine crime spots and can also dig out deep facts about the crime.

It is one of the small android games which is free-to-play and available on PlayStore.

Conclusion

All these small android games not just entertain us but also enhance our cognitive capabilities. Due to their small size and unique themes, such 10 MB games get millions of downloads and lovely ratings on the Play Store.

Read: How to Turn Off Youtube Notifications on Chrome

#10 mb games #games #small games

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liveindiatimes · 4 years

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Dhoni was like how can you give three runs: Virat Kohli recalls when former captain ‘wasn’t happy’ with him and Rohit Sharma - cricket

https://liveindiatimes.com/dhoni-was-like-how-can-you-give-three-runs-virat-kohli-recalls-when-former-captain-wasnt-happy-with-him-and-rohit-sharma-cricket/

India captain Virat Kohli has time and again credited MS Dhoni for his success both as a batsman and as a captain. It was Dhoni who backed Kohli when the right-hander had a not so impressive Test series in Australia – apart from just one hundred – at the start of his career in 2011-12. Even after handing over reins of the Indian side to Kohli, Dhoni made sure to chip in with his leadership skills in crunch situations. The Dhoni-Kohli bond is one of the strongest reasons behind India’s success in the last 10 years or so. But the Indian captain talked about an incident when Dhoni wasn’t quite pleased with him and Rohit Sharma during an ODI against Pakistan.

Recalling the Asia Cup match against Pakistan in 2012, Kohli said he and Rohit had collided while chasing a ball during Pakistan’s innings. As a result, the Pakistan batsmen took three runs, which otherwise should have been a single.

Also Read | He’s a bit like Sachin: Gould’s high praise for India batsman

“It was very funny and I remember MS wasn’t too happy about it. Pakistan I think had posted 329 and they had some very big partnerships in the beginning. At that time we (he and Rohit) sort of messed up, it was supposed to be a single but we gave away three runs,” recalled Kohli in an interview with teammate Ravichandran Ashwin.

“I remember Irfan (Pathan) running after the ball and throwing it back to MS and MS was like how can these two guys just collide and give away three runs. The bowler was you (Ashwin). I remember Umar Akmal played it like that, I was at deep mid-wicket and Rohit was at deep square-leg. I came in, Rohit was also going for the ball and the side of my head hit Rohit’s shoulder. I don’t think it was that serious, it was just the heat of the moment when we went for the ball and like for five minutes couldn’t figure out what had happened,” said Kohli.

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Openers Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez had struck centuries to propel Pakistan to 329 for six, batting first. But Virat Kohli’s materclass – 183 off 148 balls – which is still his highest score in ODIs, made sure India reached the target in 47.5 overs and with six wickets in hand.

Also Read | ‘Holder, Gayle, Russell told me India didn’t want Pak to qualify for semis’

“I told myself that I am going to start playing him (Ajmal) like a legspinner because his doosra was quite difficult to face and his offspinner was not that lethal. So I said I am going to try and hit him over cover consistently, and it just paid off. As soon as I negated his doosra, the potency of his threat became lesser and lesser,” Kohli told Ashwin during the chat.

“In that game, I scored most of my runs against him through the offside. My only aim was that I am going to make him unsettled with his doosra. He should fear bowling the doosra to me, then I am on top of my game,” he added.

In the match against Pakistan in 2012, Kohli smashed 22 boundaries and 1 six. He was involved in a 133-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar for the second wicket as well.

Coincidentally, it was Tendulkar’s last ODI for India as well.

Further explaining that knock against Pakistan, Kohli went on to say that the bowling lineup of the arch-rival was quite potent at that time.

“Their bowling attack was quite potent. At the time they were a really challenging bowling attack because of the variations. There was Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema and there was Hafeez as well. For the first 20-25 overs, the conditions were clearly in their favour but I remember I was just happy batting next to paaji (Sachin Tendulkar),” Kohli said.

“It turned out to be his last ODI innings and he scored a 50 and we got a 100-run partnership so that was a memorable anecdote for me,” he added.

The Indian skipper went on to label that match as a game-changer for him and as quite ‘memorable’ for the entire side.

“It naturally happened because I was constantly boosting myself up to want those situations to happen. I think that turned out to be a game-changer for me. I fondly remember that chase it was really tough, Rohit played brilliantly and in the end, MS Dhoni and Raina finished with three overs to spare or something, chasing 330 which was quite memorable,” Kohli said.

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xtruss · 4 years

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Before Slim Malik Turned Shady

He could bat a bit too, you know?

— Osman Samiuddin Senior editor | ESPNcricinfo | April 2, 2020

In our series Come to Think of It, we bring new perspectives to bear on received cricket wisdom. In this instalment, a reassessment of Saleem Malik, who might be remembered as a fixer but was so much more

You're not going to like this, not one bit. To many of you it won't matter because what you're about to read happened too long ago. But the world is in a rare pose of reflection - really its first ever. If not now then when to think deeper about, and beyond, accepted wisdoms and established truths: that is the central thrust of this series.

Which is how comes the opportunity to remember that before Saleem Malik the fixer there was Saleem Malik the batsman; and that he wasn't any batsman, he was one, more emphatically than is now recalled, capable of genius.

See, you don't like it. Why remember Malik as anything other than a fixer? Australian players called him the Rat and no one ever outraged much. Such is the stain he left that remembering him as we do is the perfect punishment, more robust than Justice Qayyum's life ban.

And sure. That will stick forever, unlike the ban, now overturned.

But forever needs stories to fill it, so here we are telling the one about when Malik first came to notice, way back when the '80s began, as the next big thing in Pakistani batting. These days, when we can finally say that fast bowlers come and go but a Babar Azam is forever, we can truly appreciate and understand how big a deal Malik's arrival must have been.

It happened just as one of Pakistan's most celebrated batting orders was breaking up. Sadiq and Mushtaq Mohammad and Asif Iqbal had gone, Majid Khan was done, and Zaheer Abbas hadn't long left. Javed Miandad, flourishing, needed company.

So landed Malik, a prodigy, with a first-class hundred in his second game, and a star and captain of Pakistan's Under-19 set-up. A hundred on Test debut - in a makeshift side ripped apart by a rebellion against Miandad's captaincy - set the seal on this potential.

England was a happy hunting ground for Malik. He made close to 1000 Test runs there at over 20 points higher than his overall career batting average.

Looking back now he was very much a sportsman of his era. He cut a shapeless figure, ungainly in a very middle-aged, subcontinental-male way. Not avuncular, exactly, but we all know an uncle like him: a little paunchy, a little curvy, a little bottom-heavy.

That doesn't mean he was a liability. On the contrary, he was an outstanding boundary fielder - not in the same way Jonny Bairstow is, but his throws were the work of a sniper, sleek, efficient and lethal. What, after all, do we remember of his contribution to the entire 1992 World Cup other than the throw from deep midwicket to run out Phil DeFreitas? Closer in, check out this catch - it's 1984; it could be 2024.

Bat in hand, waiting for action, the uncle didn't vanish. But once in play, here was a handsome batsman. The easy drives, the light feet, the rubbery whip of the blade whenever he went square either side, even as small an action as the shuffle to the off when he set up to drive had a pleasurable quality to it.

In toto, it could culminate in a range that matched Miandad's, only it played out on vastly different pitches. Miandad had Sharjah but Malik had Eden Gardens. Imran Khan promoted Abdul Qadir and Manzoor Elahi above Malik in the chase, so frustration and a teensy bit of anger, maybe, drove Malik. Rage could have helped a chase of 78 at over ten an over. But Malik was ice-cold, which, as a response, was much more calculating and complex and compelling than dumb old anger. He went hard at an injured Maninder Singh's SLA and dealt with the very mediumy pace of Madan Lal and Kapil Dev with the abruptness and lack of decorum that only a 23-year-old can conjure. Plus, a late chop through point off a Kapil yorker wide of off stump, having moved outside of leg stump to create the room, was the future.

Once he got ahead of the rate, he made sure to retain strike over the last couple of overs, picking up doubles and singles. He wasn't going to waste this. Here was Miandad's nous in killing the chase, but something altogether more formidable in setting it up.

Just as good was another, lesser-recalled gem, the 41-ball 66 in the Nehru Cup semi-final against England. Not just by numbers, in nature both innings were more aughts than '80s.

At another end stand three of the finest, most underappreciated Pakistani Test innings of the era: 99, 82 not out, 84 not out. All three came at Headingley across two Tests when swinging Headingley was a mean little hell for batting. The three innings showcased patience and technique, of course, but also sharp judgement and game awareness, especially the first of them: ground out over a day, alternating between steadying the batting and forging ahead, eventually setting up a famous innings win.

In that time only Queen's Park Oval was tougher to bat at. And Malik's only Test there? Sixty-six and 30, and the half-century was the only one from either team in the first innings. Khan once implied that Malik was a flat-track bully but Khan was sometimes off on his player assessments, just that we only remember the ones he got right. Malik was anything but.

The sweet smell of Sharjah success: Saleem Malik, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad celebrate with the Austral-Asia Cup trophy in 1990.

Khan's ambivalence towards him was curious. Khan loved good body language, that most deceitful quality, which explains a little: Malik was no lion in the field. But Khan also loved men who stood up in crisis, and enough of Malik's best innings came in those moments, right under Khan's nose.

And somehow Khan rarely factored for one of Malik's most remarkable innings, when he batted one-handed, his left arm in plaster, against the toughest opponents of them all, West Indies. Forty-one minutes, 32 team runs, and enabling Wasim Akram's first Test fifty. A reminder not only for Imran but for us that humans are not binary creatures: one can be corruptible but also brave, selfless and committed when situations demand.

What Malik did seem to lack was the raw hunger of more driven, consistent players. He could and did go missing, as during the 1992 World Cup, or for the two and a half years and 19 Tests with just three fifties in the mid-'80s. He also ended with a single fifty in his last 13 Test innings.

The mood had to strike him, that much is true, and only he controlled when it did. When he became captain, for instance, and was afforded the respect he felt he deserved, he couldn't stop scoring. Early in his leadership he reaffirmed the depth of his quality, swatting away early-peak Shane Warne (Warne would dismiss him just once in five Tests, across which Malik averaged 71). Less remembered but a true-blue classic was his other 99, as captain, at the Wanderers - another tough venue, against a spiteful pace attack.

Captaincy suited him to the extent that it forms one of Pakistan's great what-ifs - how good might he have been? He took over a team, remember, much like the one he had debuted in, torn apart by factions and rebellions. He inherited one of the game's spikiest ego clashes, between the two Ws, and massaged it to a degree that both took nearabouts six wickets per Test each under him. Akram - who gravitated to Malik's charisma, not Miandad, after Khan's exit - had a better average under no other captain; Waqar Younis averaged better only under Miandad (among captains who led him in more than two Tests). And to think that initially not only were they not talking to each other, they weren't talking to Malik either because he had assumed the post they most wanted.

Captaincy, sadly, was the undoing; all that power and success merely grease for the ride down. And it's entirely plausible that even if Malik hadn't succumbed as he did, he might have ended up squeezed out between the two great pairings that overlapped and overshadowed his career: Khan-Miandad and Akram-Younis.

That he ensured he'll never be forgotten is, let's wager, no consolation.

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bigyack-com · 5 years

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India vs West Indies 3rd T20I: Predicted XI - Virat Kohli needs to make crucial changes in decider - cricket

India is a team that plays T20 cricket with an ODI mindset, still. Yes, you can keep your brick bats ready for this analysis of ours but that is what it seems with the way the team bats, especially when they are setting a target. The practice of keeping wickets in hand initially and looking to go hammer and tongs in the last 5 has not yielded great results for the team which has found itself short of putting up unachievable targets despite a strong platform upfront on most occasions. And for that reason, India need to tinker with their batting line-up and bowling set up for the decider against the Windies in Mumbai. The pitch is expected to be as flat as a cemented turf and the Windies have enough firepower to blow the hosts away. Add to that the fact that the likes of Pollard and Simmons have played a lot of games in Mumbai in the IPL and know the stadium inside out. ALSO READ: India vs West Indies 3rd T20I Preview - Battle of equals in series-finale So here is what we think India needs to do: 1) Rohit Sharma Often trusted to do the sheet anchor’s job, Rohit picks up steam a little later in the innings. But once he gets going, it is difficult to keep the vice-captain quiet. The problem though is his consistency in this format. He thus should be allowed to play his natural game without worrying about staying till the end. 2) Virat Kohli Virat Kohli is India’s best batsman, even in T20 cricket, and you would want your best to face the maximum number of deliveries. Kohli’s ability to keep the scoreboard ticking even when the boundaries are not coming makes him the perfect player to take the sheet anchor’s role when India are batting first. He opens for RCB in IPL and it is high time he gave opening a shot in the internationals. The maximum that will happen is he will move back to number 3, so why not try? ALSO READ: At Wankhede, Yuzvendra Chahal has a chance to both set a milestone & an unwanted record 3) Shivam Dube India needs a batsman whom they could give the licence to kill and Shivam Dube fits the bill. He showed what he is capable of in the second match of the series and at the Wankhede, where he plays domestic cricket, Dube will be more than eager to prove his worth with a willow in hand yet again. 4) Shreyas Iyer The natural fit for the number 4 role. Iyer is the man who can control things in the middle if the team loses early wickets. He has not fired in the first two matches but Kohli should persist with the youngster to keep his morale high. 5) KL Rahul With no Hardik Pandya in the team and Kohli opening the innings, Rahul will provide much needed batting depth in the middle order. He can switch positions with Iyer depending upon the match situation. ALSO READ: Shikhar Dhawan likely to miss ODI series against WI - Report 6) Rishabh Pant Confidence is the key for a batsman like Rishabh Pant, but the aura of negativity surrounding the youngster is bogging him down. He needs to take a leaf out of the book of Virender Sehwag and throw caution to the wind. Shot selection is a worry though and he must figure out which ball to not attack soon enough. 7) Ravindra Jadeja His batting ability makes him a must have in the team despite the fact that he hasn’t bowled too well in the series. His fielding skills will be necessary on a placid track like Mumbai’s to try and save as many as India can. 8) Kuldeep Yadav The only way India can look to stop the marauding Windies power hitters is by having someone who can outfox them with superior skill. Kuldeep flights the ball and can go for many, but he still should be given a chance as West Indies batsmen are poor against quality spin bowling. ALSO READ: ‘He wanted to take a break but...’: Ravi Shastri weighs in on Dhoni’s future 9) Deepak Chahar He might have gone for too many runs in the series but Deepak Chahar has been on the wrong side of some poor fielding by Indians. He remains the only specialist T20 paceman for India in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence and he must play. 10) Mohammed Shami Bhuvneshwar Kumar has looked a far cry from his original self in his first series back after injury and an in form Mohammed Shami should get the nod. He showed in the last IPL that he isn’t the Shami of old, who did not have a Plan B in limited overs cricket.Could prove to be the difference. 11) Yuzvendra Chahal The wizard has endured a tough time of late but Chahal remains India’s best spinner in the shortest format. He needs to get the google going to stop the Windies power hitters. Source link Read the full article

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itsgoutham · 6 years

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HOWZZAT?

The annual inter-school cricket tournament in our town is so famous that it gets mentioned even in the local newspapers. For the last 3 years, there has been only one champion - St. Peters school. That’s the school where all the rich kids go to study. They’ve a dedicated cricket ground, full cricket kits, multiple coaches and all that shebang. You would also be interested to know that St. Peters had the most number of irresistibly beautiful girls of our city. I maintain strongly that that’s a big incentive for the guys in their cricket team to keep winning. Seriously.

This year, there has been a miracle - we reached the finals to play against St. Peters in the inter-school cricket tournament. My school is the exact opposite of St. Peters - no ground, no kits, no coach and no irresistibly beautiful girls. So one may wonder how did we even made it to the final two! Don’t get the wrong impression; we’re a pretty decent bunch who are really passionate about the game but not the material you would find in the finals of the inter-school cricket tournament. In fact, our school Principal said this was the first time in my school’s history this happened. He even allowed us to take the day off before the Judgement day to “practice” (which simply translated to “play” for us).

Judgement Day -

While riding doubles to the cricket ground on our bicycles we started discussing our game plan (which simply translates to batting and bowling order).

Rajesh said “My dad got me this new pair of Power brand shoes for the game. They’re awesome.”

I looked at his shoes and marveled at their color.

Subbu added “My dad gave me 500 Rupees to buy my favorite bat. I’m sure our team can get the most out of it” He displayed the new bat to us. It was a BDM brand bat supposedly had the best seasoning, you just touch the ball and the ball will fly. Everyone got excited to play with it.

“Guys, you won’t believe what my father did during this entire week. He let me watch cricket on TV whenever and for as much time as I wanted. His exact words were ‘Anything that will help you perform good’ “, Phani boasted.

“Dude, that’s exactly what my father said too. He also got me this new sports model tee-shirt. Apparently, this tee has some aero-dynamics that will help me run faster”, Sridhar exhibited himself. All of us felt Sridhar’s tee. I don’t know much about a tee-shirt’s skill that’ll make its bearer run faster but the material did feel top notch.

Our entire journey to the ground consisted of several such stories where each player’s dad went out of his way last week to help his son win. Praveen’s mother even did a “special pooja” that will increase our winning chances tremendously. By the time we reached our destination I managed to muster a bit of anger towards my dad for not doing anything special for me that could have complemented my chances.

Just as we parked our bicycles, St. Peters school bus also parked. We saw 11 perfectly dressed players wearing white caps carrying their individual cricket kits get down from the bus and gave us a really-you-guys? look. We are used to that look, so that did not really bother us much.

Toss -

I was the chosen captain at the last minute for my “communication” skills. I called tails and it came down tails. As per our strategic plan we chose to field first. The gist of our strategy is that we want to play longer. If we bat first, there are good chances we won’t last the entire 20 overs.

Weather -

Cloudy. The pitch has a bit wetness due to last week’s rain.

Match -

St. Peters were expected to score somewhere between 150 to 175 runs against us given their batting and our bowling prowesses. They scored 122. Except us everyone in the ground has been pointing out the wetness in the pitch and so how difficult it is to bat on such surface. We did not understand what they’re talking about. Wetness? What wetness? I guess one advantage if you play on streets and random places is that almost always the ball will be wet, courtesy of a nearby water body of some sort. I wondered how could St. Peters players not be used to it?

I remember our team’s best chase ever was 108 runs, that too was against a much weaker team. Against the bowling attack of St. Peters it would be supernatural to chase 122. There is this guy named Zakir in St. Peters who bowls so fast that most of the time the batsman has to just guess where he’s going to bowl and play. Now given the pitch wetness that everyone has been talking about we wondered if we can defend against his bowling attack even if we guess correctly.

In the 15-minute innings break we quickly sorted our two best bats and reiterated the batting order. I am an opening batsman and my technique is alright but I have not been tested against the likes of Zakir et al. As expected Zakir opened the bowling for St. Peters and took a wicket in the first over itself. Over the course next five overs, Zakir took down 3 wickets and we scored 24 runs. To my surprise, I was able to handle Zakir comfortably. I even scored few boundaries of him. Yes, the ball was skidding but that’s hardly a surprise if you know how to compensate for it.

Until the first 10 overs, no one in the ground thought our team had a sliver of hope. Actually, even I thought we would probably get all out by now. We scored 58 runs and lost 5 wickets. At the end of 15 overs we scored 90 runs for 7 wickets. I’m still playing on 48 runs. The captain of the St. Peters team, Rohit, who is a leg spinner, observed that my partner Subbu is not very quick with his footwork and so he decided to bowl the 16th over himself. As anticipated Subbu looked like an inexperienced unicyclist when facing Rohit and got out on the 3rd ball of the over. There was a lot of anticipation in the crowd when I took my stance to face Rohit and am very close to reach the half-century mark. Rohit bowled his typical flighted ball, I moved my feet quickly down the track and hit the ball right behind him out of the ground. I forgot to mention - I never cared for spin bowling.

After 18 overs, we managed to stay alive with just 1 wicket in hand and still needed to score 13 runs. By this time, I started seeing the ball like a foot ball, so scoring 13 runs is not too hard given that we have 12 balls but my partner Rajesh has to keep himself at the crease. That’s the real challenge. Rajesh is a fast bowler and I never seen him last more than 2 balls. Zakir came to bowl the 19th over.

First ball - I flicked it off my pads for a boundary.

Second ball - Yorker. Dot ball.

Third ball - Yorker. Dot ball.

Fourth ball - Over pitched. Easy. I drove it for a boundary.

Fifth ball - Short pitched. I anticipated this compensation. I marched down the pitch and drove it straight past the umpire.

The match is a tie. I could not believe what was happening. We need just 1 more run to win. I told my self it’s now or never; Rajesh is not going to survive the next over. I walked over to Rajesh and told him that he has to run the next ball no matter what.

Sixth ball - Perfect length ball. I could not do much except to guide it directly to a very nearby fielder. Change of plan - I shouted a big NO to Rajesh. He screamed an even louder YES overriding me. I saw him running towards me like a deer running for its life when chased by a tiger. I had no option but to reciprocate and run to his end. The fielder took the ball and threw it towards the wicket keeper where Rajesh was running to. Since I’m away from danger now I turned around to see the state of affairs. I saw Rajesh doing his fastest ever sprint and longest ever dive to try and reach the crease with his bat. It was a slightly wide throw by the fielder, so the wicket keeper had to stretch his hand to catch the ball and then he took the bails off. The entire St. Peters team shouted towards the leg umpire “HOWZZAT?”. The leg umpire was contemplating. Rohit screamed “HOWZZAT?” again. Rajesh recovered from his dive with a bleeding knee and elbow. Everyone in the ground are staring at the leg umpire for his decision who is still trying to replay in his mind what he saw. St. Peters team asked again “HOWZZAT?”. The umpire finally said “not out”. Rajesh was laughing pointing towards his new Power brand shoes.

For the first time ever, our school team lifted the inter-school cricket tournament trophy. I was awarded the “man of the match” for my 70* not out innings.

During our return ride home, amongst all the cheers and noise, I said to myself quietly - my dad may not have gotten me a new pair of shoes or a new bat or a new tee-shirt or did anything special for me this week but he did spend a hell of a lot of time teaching me the proper technique from the first day I picked up a cricket bat.

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toldnews-blog · 6 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/weve-made-up-our-mind-on-core-wc-team-prasad/

We've made up our mind on core WC team: Prasad

Chief selector MSK Prasad talks to TOI about India’s World Cup plans, the importance of a proper rotation policy & the need to strike a perfect balance between youth & experience…

How do you see the team shaping up post the England tour?

The end result of that England tour was not the true picture or the right reflection of the quality of cricket we played. Having said that, the lessons we learnt from that tour were invaluable and they helped us in winning the series in Australia.

What needs to be done to keep this winning run going overseas?

The most important thing that we need to focus on is to have the right mix of players for different formats. We need to keep planning for every tour well in advance by keeping our players fit and fresh through proper rotation. Since we have created enough bench strength across formats, I have no doubt about the success of our rotation policy.

Generally, teams zero in on their World Cup squads during the last series they play before the big event. How important is the IPL in this context, since it’s a T20 tournament?

Like most other teams, we have made up our minds with regard to the core team that will figure in the World Cup. The IPL is a major tournament that throws up a variety of challenges. I’m sure the IPL will help (selected) players with their form and also keep their minds in good shape ahead of the World Cup.

There has been a lot of unease surrounding India’s middle order over the past 18 months. Do you think the debate has been settled in the last two series in Australia and New Zealand, with Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni coming good?

Yes, the performance of certain players in these series has helped us to seal those spots which were otherwise a bit of a concern.

Youngsters like Rishabh Pant, Khaleel, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill have been handed debuts over the past six months. How cautious will you be in maintaining the right balance between youth and experience for the upcoming World Cup?

To win mega events we need to have the right mix of experience and youthful exuberance. I am sure our committee will strike that balance. Youngsters who have reached this level know exactly what is expected of them. In today’s world, players are exposed to so many pressure-filled tours and tournaments prior to getting into the national squads. They are much more seasoned and mature than earlier.

Is there a worry about the back-up pace option? Are you looking at a left-arm option?

I have absolutely no worry about our pace bowling backups. Apart from our premier five fast bowlers, we have reserve bunch of five fast bowlers who are competent enough to get into the senior team. Hardik (Pandya) lends good balance as he can chip in with ball and bat. His fielding adds that edge.

Did you see Umesh Yadav’s Ranji Trophy performance?

Umesh bowled well in the Ranji semis and final. He bowled well against West Indies in the two Test matches that we played against them at home. It’s unfortunate that he couldn’t get enough opportunities while playing abroad.

Will the Australia matches at home be a preparatory series?

Workload management has paid rich dividend. We will play our core team against Australia but will rotate our players to try out combinations.

Virat Kohli has said WC-bound pacers must get sufficient rest during the IPL. Is there a way that can be achieved?

Yes, we are trying to work on that aspect.

Playing two wrist spinners has become India’s USP. Is there room for a finger spinner as well in the shorter formats of the game?

Kuldeep and Chahal have done extremely well in the last one year or so. We (have) tried to increase the bench strength in the spin department. In T20 formats, we have also given opportunities to Washington Sundhar and Krunal Pandya apart from the four top spinners (Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep and Chahal) and they have done well in that particular format.

How do you see Kuldeep and Chahal evolving as Test spinners?

Kuldeep has bowled extremely well in the opportunities he has had. He is definitely a bright prospect across all formats. We have tried Chahal in the longer formats by putting him in India ‘A’ squads but he seems to be more comfortable with the white ball. Having said that, if he is willing to put in the hard yards in red-ball cricket, he is most welcome to do so and we will monitor his progress.

How pleasing has been the emergence of Mayank Agarwal?

We have formed a consortium of selectors and team management, consisting of Virat, Ravi Shastri and his support staff and Rahul Dravid. Because of the efforts of this consortium, we are seeing players make a smooth transition from India ‘A’ levels to the senior side. Prithvi, Mayank, Vihari, Rishabh, Vijay Shankar are some of the examples.

How do you see Virat Kohli’s captaincy evolving?

India is blessed to have a captain like Virat. He shares a healthy relationship with head coach Ravi Shastri, which is very important for the team’s success. o

KL Rahul has been struggling for runs for some time. How important is he as a third opener?

His form has become a big cause of concern. He is too good a player and I am sure he is working hard to be back among the runs. We have put him in the India ‘A’ squad to play against the England Lions so that he can spend some time in the middle and get back in some form.

How pleasing has it been to see the resurgence of pacer Mohammed Shami across formats?

It is wonderful to see Shami’ s form in both the longer and shorter formats. What was missing in him earlier was his fitness. Credit should be given to the trainer Shankar Basu and physio Patrick (Farhart), who have put him on a certain fitness programme. We can’t take anything away from Bharat Arun (bowling coach).

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bbcbreakingnews · 4 years

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3rd Test Live: West Indies opt to field vs England

TOSS: West Indies skipper Jason Holder wins toss, opts to field in the third and final Test of the series

Morning! Morning! Get yuh tea or coffee and get ready because this Test gonna be hot like pepper!!

WI won the to… https://t.co/5mvj1TIE69

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) 1595583718000

West Indies make one change bringing in Rahkeem Cornwall in place of Alzarri Joseph Team: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Shamarh Brooks, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder, 9 Rahkeem Cornwall, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel Two changes for England as Zak Crawley and Sam Curran make way for Jofra Archer and James Anderson Team: Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Joe Root (c), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Ollie Pope, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Dom Bess, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson Welcome once again to Timesofindia.com’s coverage of West Indies’ ‘biosecure’ tour of England, which will today enter the final stage of its red-ball leg with the third and deciding Test at Manchester. England won the second Test at the same venue, Old Trafford, after a dramatic Windies’ collapse to level the series 1-1-. The lead-up to the final Test beginning today was marred by the online racial abuse faced by pacer Jofra Archer, who was dropped for the second Test for breaching the biosecure bubble. But things fell back in place in time for Archer and hosts England, who will have the services of the express bowler available for the decider. That and much more in the MATCH PREVIEW below: England will be able to recall Jofra Archer, described by skipper Joe Root as bowling “at the speed of light”, for the decisive third Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford after the pace spearhead suffered online racist abuse. Archer was included in a 14-man squad named Thursday after missing England’s series-levelling win at the same ground following a breach of coronavirus protocols caused when he made an unauthorised trip home. In a Daily Mail column published on Wednesday, the 25-year-old Barbados-born Archer admitted to an error of judgement but said he had not “committed a crime”. He added some of the criticism he had faced on social media following the incident had been racist. “I need to be 100 percent mentally right so that I can throw myself into my cricket this week,” Archer wrote. But having reassured England captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood about his frame of mind, Archer could return for a match that will decide a three-Test campaign all square at 1-1. “Jofra will be ready for it,” Root told reporters on Thursday. “He’s bowled the speed of light over the last couple of days in spicy nets so it wasn’t much fun for our batters.” Turning to the abuse Archer had received on social media, Root said: “Obviously you can’t understand all of it, some of which is really disgusting, racial abuse and other things. “But he needs to know he doesn’t have to deal with it on his own, he’s got good people around him who want him to be happy, to enjoy his cricket and life away from the sport.” Meanwhile England have a worry over the bowling fitness of Ben Stokes following his starring role during their 113-run win last time out, when he rose to the top of the Test all-rounder rankings with scores of 176 and 78 not out, as well as taking three wickets. But he pulled up during his final over, with Root saying Stokes had suffered a quad injury. England have all six of their frontline pacemen available. They could play four of them and pair veteran new-ball duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad for the first time this series if Stokes, now also the world’s number three ranked Test batsman, cannot bowl. It would be tough on the consistent Chris Woakes were he to be dropped and spinner Dom Bess could make way as well if England decide Root’s occasional off-breaks offer sufficient variety. West Indies, who hold the Wisden Trophy, could select off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall for his first match this series. So far they’ve relied on the same pace quartet, backed up by batting all-rounder Roston Chase’s off-breaks. But the 6ft 6in Cornwall, who weighs around 22 stone, may get his chance after taking 10 wickets in just his second Test against Afghanistan in November. “If he does come in he is a wicket-taker and he has proven himself to be a match-winner,” said West Indies captain Jason Holder. While concerns have been raised about how the West Indies fast bowlers will pull up, batting appears to be the biggest issue as they go in search of their first Test series victory in England for 32 years. Shai Hope has long struggled to recapture the form that saw him score his only two hundreds when the West Indies defeated England at Headingley three years ago. But Holder said: “I’m 100 percent behind Shai, we all know what he can produce.” Whatever the outcome, there is no denying the debt of both gratitude and finance the England and Wales Cricket Board owes the West Indies in helping them reduce a potential loss of hundreds of millions of pounds by going ahead with the first major international cricket series since lockdown. Holder’s focus, however, remained on the task at hand. “We still have a really good opportunity to win this series and everybody’s upbeat for the occasion because we know what’s at stake.”

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mysports360 · 4 years

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Most number of maiden overs bowled

At the point when you have just 20 overs to bat, each finished and each ball gets significant. Each and every over speaks to 5% of your complete assets. Not scoring from one over methods you will use just 95% of the dispensed assets. Hence astonishing a lady in T20 cricket is harder than some other organization.

At the Indian Premier League, we have the best of the dominates contending with one another. In such conditions, bowling six speck balls straight is no mean accomplishment. In an IPL season, a bigger number of fifties are scored than the quantity of lady overs bowled.

The most obvious opportunity with regards to bowling a lady is in the initial overs when the batsmen may not face an excessive number of challenges and attempt to unite. The best seven in the unequaled rundown of bowling most ladies in the IPL are largely quick bowlers.

Spinners mope at the base. Here is the commencement of eleven bowlers who have bowled the most lady overs in the IPL.

Read More: Most Maiden Overs Against KKR In IPL

#11 Zaheer Khan (5 ladies)

At the point when the IPL began in 2008, Zaheer Khan was the most famous quick bowler in Indian cricket. The left-arm pacer had re-developed himself with district cricket involvement with 2006. Illustrious Challengers Bangalore made sure about Zaheer's administrations for $4,50,000. He bowled the first-since forever wad of the IPL.

Zaheer joined his home establishment, Mumbai Indians, in the accompanying season. Following two years, he got back to RCB for the following three years. The bowler at that point eventually settled down with the Delhi establishment. In his 100-coordinate IPL vocation, Zaheer Khan got done with 102 wickets and five ladies from 366.4 overs.

#10 Munaf Patel (5 ladies)

The bowler from Gujarat originally hoarded the spotlight for his advancement pace. Munaf before long joined up with the MRF Pace institute where he intrigued his coaches. Patel earned India debut and turned into a metronome who was famous for his consistency more than his movement.

Munaf's accuracy demonstrated tremendously helpful in T20 cricket where he could stifle the resistance by retaining runs. The bowler went through his initial three years in the IPL at Rajasthan Royals and later moved to the Mumbai Indians for three seasons.

With a last stretch with the Gujarat Lions, Munaf finished 225.5 overs with five ladies in 63 IPL matches.

#9 Harbhajan Singh (5 ladies)

The Punjabi off-spinner had gotten inseparable from the Mumbai Indians establishment in the IPL. He spoke to the Ambani-claimed group for ten successive years. It was distinctly in 2018 that he initially exchanged the groups and joined the Chennai Super Kings.

In 149 IPL matches, Harbhajan Singh has asserted 134 wickets. He conveyed 516.2 overs in eleven seasons, and five of those were lady overs. Amazingly, his economy rate is simply around seven.

#8 Amit Mishra (6 ladies)

T20 cricket brought another rent of life for the spinners and particularly leg-spinners. The wristy entertainers have been prevailing in all the T20 classes and Amit Mishra drives the path in the IPL. In 136 matches, Mishra has excused 146 batsmen. He is additionally the main bowler to have taken three cap stunts in the competition.

It is far trying for a leg-spinner to bowl a lady, yet Mishra has figured out how to dumbfound a lady on six events in the IPL. No other spinner has bowled more lady overs than him. The leggie has spoken to Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

#7 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (7 ladies)

Lately, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has advanced as India's driving passing overs expert in T20 cricket. Long periods of IPL has transformed into him an elite bowler. He drives the bowling unit of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, a group that depends on its bowlers to win the counterparts for them.

Before showing up at SRH in 2014, Bhuvneshwar spoke to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sahara Pune Warriors. This two-times Purple top champ in progressive years has bowled 376.2 overs in the IPL of which seven have been ladies. Bhuvi has 120 wickets from a sum of 102 matches.

#6 Dale Steyn (7 ladies)

The South African quick bowler was hugely mainstream when the IPL was in its developmental stage. Steyn was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008 and he kept playing for them till 2010. He was then at his deadly best while speaking to Deccan Chargers.

Steyn had a remarkable season in 2013 for Sunrisers Hyderabad where he trapped 19 wickets from 17 matches while yielding at just 5.66 runs per over. Afterward, his wounds found him and we have not seen him in real life since IPL 2016. Steyn has bowled seven lady overs in 343 overs conveyed in 90 matches.

#5 Dhawal Kulkarni (7 ladies)

Dhawal Kulkarni is a sturdy for Mumbai in homegrown cricket. In the IPL, he has been with Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions.

He has been playing the competition since the initiation year. Dhawal's best year in the IPL was 2016 where playing for Gujarat Lions, he got 18 wickets from 14 matches.

While Kulkarni has frequently been promoted as a costly bowler, he is straight up there in the rundown of bowlers with most ladies. In 252.5 overs bowled in 80 matches, Kulkarni has 79 scalps with seven lady overs.

#4 Sandeep Sharma (8 ladies)

The 25-year old Punjabi bowler has been amazingly powerful in the IPL. Sandeep Sharma was an aspect of the Under-19 group that won the 2012 World Cup.

Sharma on his IPL debut for Kings XI Punjab enrolled the figures of 3/21 against his future group, Sunrisers Hyderabad. He spoke to KXIP from 2013 to 2017 preceding being bought by SRH in 2018.

In Sandeep's short vocation of 68 IPL matches, he has conveyed eight lady overs. In the 248.1 overs that he bowled, Sharma has prevailing with regards to excusing 83 batsmen. He has a lot of cricket left before him.

#3 Lasith Malinga (8 ladies)

The legend of T20 bowling! Lasith Malinga is without a doubt probably the best bowler in restricted overs cricket. His singing yorker conveyed with the interesting throwing activity has tricked batsmen throughout recent years. With 154 wickets in 110 matches, Malinga remains the best bowler in the IPL.

The Sri Lankan quick bowler originally showed up at the IPL in 2009. He made his imprint immediately with 18 wickets in the presentation season. From that point forward he has stayed a perpetual individual from Mumbai Indians. Following a year's hole, he will be back for his IPL group in 2019. Malinga has bowled 426.2 overs with eight of them being ladies.

#2 Irfan Pathan (10 maidens)Famous for the preposterous swing that he produced, Irfan Pathan was bought by Kings XI Punjab in the debut period of the IPL. He was compelling with both the bat and the ball.

Pathan sparkled in the main season with 15 wickets. After two additional seasons with KXIP, Pathan spoke to Delhi Daredevils (2011-13), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2014), Chennai Super Kings (2015), Rising Pune Supergiants (2016) and Gujarat Lions (2017).

In these stretches, Irfan Pathan has played a sum of 103 matches where he has gathered 80 wickets. Ten out of 340.3 overs bowled by him have been ladies. He is second on the record-breaking count.

#1 Praveen Kumar (14 maidensPraveen Kumar was another bowler who figured out how to extricate gigantic sidelong development from his conveyances. He could swing the new ball the two different ways and bowl with the relentless line and length.

Kumar was down on the movement subsequently he was generally spent toward the beginning of an inning. He started his IPL vocation in 2008 with Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Praveen Kumar played his initial three seasons for RCB. He at that point spoke to Kings XI Punjab for the following three years. By 2014, he was undesirable and was called up for injury substitutions as it were.

However in the 119 matches that he played, Kumar caught 90 wickets which incorporated a cap stunt. In his 420.4 overs, 14 were ladies - most by any bowler in the IPL up until this point.

#Amit Mishra Ben Stokes cricket Highest Maiden Against KKR IPL Jasprit Bumrah KKR LATEST Latest news Most Maiden Overs Against KKR Sandeep Sh

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baesketballers · 8 years

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Part 2 of Takao's fem best friend's unrequited love please?? An extra req, if you're gonna do a time skip, can you pls not make it longer than two months? I'd like those emotions to be raw, esp right after Takao knows of her feelings ^^ Thank you!

Anonymous said:Takao anon here! Yes, I’m the original anon who requested the first scenario. Um, honestly, I can’t think of any general plot for this 2nd one; all I actually want is a continuation of the 1st scenario, with more angst before the happy ending~ and yep, I want Takao to return his best friend’s feelings! ^^ So aside from the 2-month specified time, angst+happy ending, and Takao returning (maybe realizing his hidden feelings for her?) that love, like you said, I allow you to do whatever you want.

I hope you’re not mad at me for delaying thisfor so long! I honestly don’t know how to feel about this, but here it is, I really hope it’s satisfactory. Since you like the feelings raw, I didn’t put a timeskip. Thank you for your patience!

This is a continuation to this story here. You are heavily suggested to proceed onlyafter reading the first part. Female!Reader ahead for consistency.

It Was Always You by Maroon 5

Stupid stupid stupid stupid, he thinks, hands balled into fists at how completely idiotiche is. He should’ve just straightaway ran to your house instead of asking yourfriends, waiting for them to pick the phone up to ask them where you were, ifyou were partying with them—that way, he could’ve caught you before it gotdark. Although he’s close to your family as your best friend, how is hesupposed to knock on the door to your home at nearly midnight?

What is he going to say if your parents openthe front door?

What is he going tosay if you are the one whoopens the door?

Takao sighs, unbuttoning the top few buttonsof his dress shirt and loosening his tie. His hair sticks on his face fromsweat, but in contrast to his slightly ragged breath and the sensation of thecold air against his damp skin, his mind is numb.

He can see your bedroom window from here. It’sdark. You’re probably asleep. The idea of throwing rocks at your window isquickly discarded—you most likely don’t want to look at him in the face again.

The glare of his phone catches his eye andtells him that his girlfriend is looking for him: ten missed calls and a coupledozen of texts, gradually changing tone from sweet questions of where he’s atto a storm of textual rage. He turns off the device—she’s the least of hisconcerns right now. Takao sits on your empty porch with empty eyes and a rabbitheart as his mind flashes him images of the last few times he hung out withyou.

When he can only recall conversations abouthis relationship and that forced smile on your face, he curses.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” he says to himself,feeling as if his heart is in the fist of a phantom hand, painfully clenchingthe organ.

The two of you don’teven talk to each other these days—at least nothing of substance like yourusual deep or humorous exchanges. Since the end of his second year in Shuutoku,which is around the time he found his “soulmate” (Takao swallows bitternessat the word—how did he have the gall to use it so lightly?), the conversations heshared with you were shallow banter with him mostly talking about hisgirlfriend and you having to listen. He’d ask for relationship advice, what agirl likes, where to take her on dates.

You were probably forcing laughter, fakingsmiles, crying yourself to sleep when you’re alone.

Takao let out a sigh,running a hand through his hair. The night is dark and quiet save for theoccasional gust of wind and sounds of crickets singing between the grass, buthis mind is loud and disorganized: a mix of realization, question, andself-deprecation. The way you looked at him when he talks, how other peopleseem to let their gazes linger on you and him—everybody knew, even Midorima noticed, for heaven’s sake. How could hemiss the signs? How could he be so blinded, even when he was the one that toldyou “nothing is going to change” when he got a girlfriend?

If only he could goback in time and punch himself in the face for saying that to you. It obviouslyturned out to be a lie, no matter how he didn’t mean it to be one. He didn’tjust replace you, he made you suffer by putting it in your face for at leastone year and you say a single word against it.

He blinks, and a tear slowly makes its waydown his cheek. It takes a moment for Takao to realize that he’s crying, butwhen he does, a wave of thoughts darker than the sky he’s under flood his mind:there’s no way you don’t hate him right now, not when he’s caused you nothingbut pain for a long time. That’s why you didn’t talk to him after thegraduation ceremony, that’s why you’ve been rejecting his offers to lunchtogether, that’s why you’ve been oddly quiet whenever the two of you hungout.

He remembers the big game Shuutoku won and howhe doesn’t recall you congratulating him. It must’ve been since then. Hemust’ve hurt you so much without realizing, like the Prince in The LittleMermaid and how he asked her to dance the night away, not knowing of the swordsshe feels like she’s stepping on. And like the Prince, too, he discarded herfor another, despite the sacrifices she has made and the pain she must endure.

Then, he thinks about what will happen next.His apology won’t be enough, not after what you’ve been through. You’ll grow todespise him, cutting him off from your life like removing a parasiticinfection—that’s what he’s been anyway, sucking the life and love out of you.You won’t look at him in the face again when you pass by each other on thestreet. He might have his girlfriend in one arm, but the thought of him notbeing in your life coils a rope in his chest.

And when he thinks of you having anotherperson by your side, someone who shares kisses with you, someone who gets tomake you smile and laugh, the only one who is allowed to hold you in theirarms—and that someone is not him…

Takao feels like he’s been physically hurt,but there are no wounds on his skin to show.

He spends the rest of the night punishinghimself in the chest with these thoughts sharp as blade, bleeding tears intothe night until he’s too tired to stay awake.

You wake up the next morning with puffy redeyes, gauging that it is approaching afternoon by the strong sunlight thatenters your bedroom. The weight of your heavy heart is somewhat diminished, notonly by the fact that you cried your eyes out the night before, but also by thefaint feeling of hunger. After brushing your teeth and a brisk shower, youchange into clean T-shirt and shorts, not bothering to conceal your swolleneyes since you’re staying at home for the rest of the day.

Your parents should already be away for workat this time of the day, leaving you alone in your house. Your assumptions areconfirmed when you walk downstairs to find silence—even the television isoff.

So when you enter the kitchen to find Takao,sitting with a plate of half-eaten toast in front of him, you gasp as if you’veseen a ghost.

He does look ghastly, his paler face contrastingto the marks under his eyes. He shows signs of surprise as well when he seesyou, which quickly dissolves into hesitance. He’s here with the full intentionof talking to you, apologizing, telling you how stupid he was and how herealizes he doesn’t want a life without you—

—you don’t evenknow he knows.

“Takao-kun…?”

“__________-chan,” hesays with a start—weird since he’s the one barging in your house. He realizesyour swollen eyes and remembers that he spent the night crying too, but he canonly hope that you don’t notice.

“What are you—how didyou get it?” You look at the front door and back at him again, positive thatthe entrance is properly locked.

“Your parents let mein,” he answers, “I came here in the morning.” Takao still can see your mother’sreaction when she finds him sleeping on a chair as she checks the porch everymorning. She was surprised more than anything, but she didn’t ask when he saidhe has something very important to say to you.

Maybe she knows, andfrom the way your father glanced at him before offering him breakfast, Takaothinks he knows too. Have you been so upset that your parents notice what’sgoing on, though you’re not the type to tell them? Did they mention his nameduring a family dinner, and all of a sudden you just got quiet, like when hementions his girlfriend’s name? Did they hear your sounds of sobbing across thehallway at night?

“Oh,” you answerdumbly, making a sandwich for yourself as you face the kitchen counter. You don’twant him looking at you, not when you’re like this: vulnerable and unprepared. “Whatbrings you here today?”

“I—you—” he trips onhis own words, “__________-chan, we need to talk.”

Fear overcomes you fora split second at the seriousness of his tone. Takao has rarely used it in hisconversations with you, but after knowing him for so long, you can tell. Hemeans business.

“What about?” You ask,putting a slice of cheese on toast before busying your hands with something,anything. You don’t want to talk to him.

“__________-chan, lookat me.”

You freeze for amoment and hope he doesn’t notice, but Takao does not hold the nickname HawkEye for nothing. You slowly turn to him, looking at him in the eye, keeping yourdefences up with whatever dignity you have left in you.

In front of you standsthe boy who you had your heart in his hands, and instead of looking powerfuland confident, he’s not much better than you are. For a second you are temptedto throw in a joke about his face—he must’ve partied so hard and the hangoverstill hasn’t subsided, but you know the humorous attempt is merely a cover-upof the truth.

“__________-chan,” hecalls your name again, softer this time as if reminiscing a memory, “do you… like me?”

At that point,thoughts of lying to him, telling him that of course you do—you’re not bestfriends if you don’t, are thrown out the window. There’s no use for sugar-coatingand false masks anymore. Your grip to whatever leash that has been keeping yoursanity together loosens, and tears begin to pool in your eyes as fast as hemade you fall in love with him, breaking the dam.

You defy his orders,looking down to the floor and covering your face with both hands. Takao’s eyeswiden only a fraction before he feels a pang in his heart. He knows you don’tusually cry in front of people, that you prefer to let loose when you are alonein your room—the fact that you’re openly crying in the kitchen with the causeof your pain right in front of you is proof that he made you go through a lot.

He feels like he’ssuffocating.

“I’m sorry,” you sob, “I—Itried not to… I thought—”

He places a comfortinghand on your shoulder, attempting to pull you into a hug, but when you flinchand freeze before taking a step back, another portion of his heart breaks. Youinhale deeply yet shakily, cupping your hand over your mouth as if it stops thesobbing somehow.

“It’s okay,” you say, asudden calm overcoming you and his eyebrows crinkle in confusion. “I, we’re notgoing to the same university, s-so we won’t see each other as much,” youcontinue, cursing inwardly at your shaky voice when you see Takao’s expression.

“I’ll—I’ll stay out ofyour way!” It comes out as a suggestion, but it’s like his heart is about toburst in the phantom hand’s tight grip.

“I promise not to getin the way of your relationship.” He swallows, scenes of not seeing you everagain playing in his mind, and his mouth feels dry and bitter.

“I didn’t want you toknow in the first place. Just please… pretend you don’t know.” His stomachsinks at the request.

“I’ll be fine,” yousay, but it feels as if you’re trying to convince yourself, “I’ll be okay.”

That’s when he snaps,pulling you into a hug so tight you’re encased by his whole body. The desperationin his hands as he cups the back of your head says he’s afraid that you’ll slipthrough him like sand. Pressed against his chest like this, you feel his rapidheartbeat and warmth, and the tears you have been trying so hard to supress makestheir way down your cheek, seeping into the material of his shirt.

“No, don’t, please,”he tells you, exhaling shakily, “I was—if I let you go now you’ll run away, andI spent the whole night thinking about what would happen and I,” he swallows, “Ireally can’t imagine not having you with me.”

“Then what?” You cry,pushing at his chest in anger to put distance between you. “You want me tostick around and ‘stand by you’ while you’re with your girlfriend? I’ve done thatfor the past year!” Your voice breaks with the gradually rising volume,evidence of how hard you cried the night before. “I don’t want to go throughthat anymore. I’ve had enough.”

The room falls intosilence as Takao looks at you while you quietly lower your eyes down to thefloor. Thoughts run a thousand miles an hour in your head: if Takao only lovesyou as much as a friend does, there’s no point in having this conversationanymore—at least not until you move on. You must cut all ties with him, startanew, and fall in love again to be ready to face him.

“You hate me now, don’tyou?” He asks.

Even the words stinghis tongue when he says them.

This time you look himin the eyes as you give him your answer.

“I wish I could,” youwhisper, “that would make things so much easier.”

And like a meteorcolliding with Earth, there is realization and clarity, like the smoke iscleared out of his mind. When he pulls you by the arm and crashes his lips ontoyours in a desperate kiss, it feels as if everything makes sense—it’s right, and he has never felt nothing asperfect as this before.

Your eyes widen at theforeign sensation. You’ve never expected this to happen, never in your wildestdreams—at least not after you’ve discarded them. You feel tears well again inyour eyes for the umpteenth time in the past twenty-four hours, because how canyou not cry while he’s kissing you and you’re already giving up on him? Anyform of resistance you can come up with is futile: your push isn’t as strongand your fists are instead bringing him closer, the way you try to pull awaybut always responding when he chases you.

Inside, you figurethat there is still a bit of hope that he would return your feelings.

Takao’s kiss is deep,passionate, desperate. It’s more emotional than your previous conversationcombined, it tells you everything you need to know about him and him you: thathe is certainly not willing to let you go or run away, and that a small part ofyou hasn’t lost your wish of being with him despite what you try to tellyourself.

“I’m sorry,” he saysin between kisses, “I’ll make it up to you, I promise, just give me the chanceto.”

You gasp his name andhe moans against your lips, kissing until the fire in his gut slowly turns intoan ember, and by then he’s peppering slow kisses around your face in silentadmiration and affection.

“What about yourgirlfriend?” You ask quietly. You really wish that you can skip this part, buthe’s technically still in a relationship with someone else. Takao sighs,fishing out his phone and turning it on. The two of you stare until the blankscreen lights up, and after a few seconds you can see notifications flooding inhis phone, her name glaring in pixels. You spot snippets of the long sentencesshe sent to him, cuss words and spelling errors that turns out to be acontinuation of what he received the night before.

“It’s clear that she’supset of me ditching the party last night,” Takao scoffs a bit at that, “butwho cares? She most likely found somebody else to grind with on the dance floorif she has the gall to diss me like that.”

“That’s horrible,” yousay, eyebrows scrunching lightly with discomfort.

Takao places thedevice on the kitchen counter, paying absolutely no attention to it before hemoves in to kiss you softly on the lips. When you pull away, it’s slow andunwilling, like you want it to last forever, but the need for air makes suchwish impossible. His eyes are lidded, looking at you with an expression you can’texactly decipher. You’ve never seen this look on his face before—somethingtells you that you’ll see more of this side of him in the future.

“I can’t believe it’syou all along,” he whispers, kissing you one more time. You reciprocate withequally, closing your eyes as you allow yourself to sink in the feeling of himwrapped around your senses. He smiles into the kiss.

“We’ve got a lot of talkingto do.”

#angst #i think #fluff #maybe #when you try your best but you don't succeed #takao #takao kazunari #takao anon #sfw #fem!reader #female!reader #reader insert #writing #knb #kuroko no basket

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