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midnightwriter21 · 1 year

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Sanemi, Shinobu and Obanai x Giyuu little sister reader. Reader 20 and 1 year younger than Giyuu and is the Polar opposite of Jim like she very playful and curious but also very loving to him and he spoils her. She a civilian who owns a tea shop. May I have headcanons with her and those three and Giyuu reaction to each please?

demon slayer hcs: sanemi & shinobu x giyuu's little sister!reader

characters: sanemi, shinobu, giyuu

warnings: mentions of birth control in shinobu's (idek if that needs a warning lol)

AN: pumped this out at 3am lol, ill be doing obanai in another part!

SANEMI

your relationship was such a slow burn lol

when he finds out ur giyuu's sister its an immediate disliking on Sanemi's part

but are we rly surprised?

dude HATES giyuu

you spend a lot of time with the hashira

and you've become good friends with them so you're always around when the hashira are all together

they all adore u

you're sweet, funny, outgoing, confident

basically everything that giyuu isn't lollll

you brought snacks from ur teashop to one of the lil hashira hangouts

and you couldn't help but notice sanemi absolutely stuffing his face full of the ohagi that you brought

but who can blame him?

he might not like you but he never said you were a bad cook

and ohagi is his favorite

a couple days after the lil hangout

sanemi gets back to his estate after a mission and finds a cute lil basket adorned with a bow sitting on his doorstep

he picks it up and looks inside and its full of ohagi

after he goes inside and devours the whole basket

he finds a note at the bottom saying "enjoy <3" signed with your name

thats it right there.

the way to this mans heart is thru his stomach fr

now

when yall are dating dating

you keep it quiet

none of the other hashira know

and giyuu CERTAINLY doesn't know

until one day you're working at your tea shop and sanemi walks in to pick up the lunch that you made him

now me personally... id turn into a professional cook for this man

5 COURSE MEAL FOR EVERY MEAL

anyways

its not a busy day at the shop so he walks into the kitchen to find you cooking

and this man is HANDSY

so ofc he grabs you by your waist and pulls u into him

and starts feeling you up good lord please i want this so bad

you hear the faint 'ding!' of the bell above the front door

but pay it no mind assuming its a customer

and then the kitchen door opens

and everyone freezes

cause standing in the doorway is your older brother

thats the most expressive face sanemi has ever seen on giyuu

dudes eyes are wide as saucers

mouth wide open

shook af

like "dawg don't you hate me and everyone that associates with me?"

like "you have basically cursed my entire bloodline"

"you told me to off myself because im me"

and sanemi is just "i hate you not you're sister"

and goes back to feeling u up totally ignoring giyuu's presence

giyuu basically just moonwalks back out the door

and pretends he never saw any of that

lol i love them XD

SHINOBU

now shinobu liked you from the second she met you

she went to giyuu's estate to get him for a mission

and walks in to find you teasing and mocking tf outta ur older brother lmao

ofc she joins in

throwing in some teasing remarks of her own

poor giyuu lol

she is a frequent visitor to your tea shop

cause instead of making medicinal teas herself, now she can just get you to do it

plus she gets to see her favorite girlllll

now

the way giyuu finds out is too funny

you are in the infirmary at the butterfly mansion

dw ur not injured or sick or anything!!

now...

you're sitting on the bed waiting for shinobu

when giyuu walks in

and he's like "wtf are u doing here"

you're explain your business to ur brother when shinobu walks in looking down at a needle saying

"alright i have your birth control shot! not like you need it... i can't get u pregnant"

she looks up when she hears a 'smack'

and there you are with ur hand slapped to your forehead and a bright red face

giyuu just looks between you and shinobu with a blank face

before he passes clean out

dude hits the floor hard lmao

when he wakes up you give him an explanation

and then u and shinobu tease him for passing out

lol dude can't catch a break

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writing-in-glitter-pen · 1 year

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When You’re Kamisato Ayato’s Sweetheart— Headcannons ♡

I wrote a little fic after the headcannons! Ayato x gn!reader ♡ I cannot stress this enough Ayato is an intense dude in his discription but otherwise the fic is very sweet fluffy stuff you're gonna love it trust me.

Content warnings: Cursing lol. There is a small mention of blood and disposal of bodies---Shuumatsuban stuff. Also mention of blinding oneself in a hyperbolic context. Otherwise it's a very fluffy fic! Let me know if I should add any more warnings!

Ok so Ayato is the overworked head of the Kamisato clan. One would think he has absolutely ZERO time for a partner and would opt for an arranged marriage with some heiress or noblewoman in order to “fulfill his duties as the Yashiro Commissioner”.

”FUCK THAT”, I headcannon.

Even though Ayato is beyond committed to his duties, he is also extremely heartful. Everything he does, although it seems like a grab for power, is fueled by devotion to those he loves. And the love he feels is the hearth that sets fire to his soul and keeps him pushing through every stack of paperwork, every meeting that drones on, every all-nighter and treaty and public presence.

And he just so happens to fall in love with you.

Not only that, but I’ve seen a lot of content displaying Ayato as a neglectful partner; too consumed by his duties to pay attention to his relationship—despite how much he adores you. And like, yeah, I guess any person with that much on their plate would experience the pitfall of unintentionally ignoring their partner in lieu of their duties.

But Ayato isn't just any person.

He's the head of the fucking Yashiro Commission.

This man has work up the wazoo but he gets it done. He constantly takes on more and more but it’s never too much for him to weather. He handles it. And guess what? You factor into that.

I think his partner would be so pampered by him, their whims and needs constantly met with zero delay, nothing they could ask for is too much, to the point where they are just desensitized to the laborious nature of the estate.

I see his darling partner wandering into his office during an extremely important meeting with some foreign powers or opposing clan heads because they need their hubbby to help them with a jar they just can’t get open. Obviously, they are pursued by various staff and/or Thoma scuttling about. The staff are running into walls and whisper-yelling in an attempt to catch her/him/them and prevent the well-meaning and hungry partner from interrupting the commissioner’s meeting. Only for Ayato to be across the room in a fraction of a heartbeat once his partner slides open the door; not only opening the jar for them but giving his partner a sweet forehead kiss as well.

The staff are frantically wiping sweat from their foreheads and clutching their palpitating hearts from the panic The Commissioner's Darling caused.

Here’s your fanfic:

It came as a shock to not only the nobility, but everyone in Inazuma when the Yashiro Commissioner announced his newfound public relationship. A relationship with…a commoner? No. A relationship with a commoner of Inazuma would be much more acceptable. With an outlander. What was he thinking? This scandal was a dash on the Commissioner's reputation. A dash that reflects poorly not only on him, but on his clan as a whole. Threatening the political influence and overall power of the Yashiro Commission.

It’s not that Ayato didn’t know this or didn’t care. Every political move made by him was beyond calculated—it was hand-designed and enacted by destiny itself. But…he had an undeniable weak point.

Despite his elegant appearance, despite his agreeable manner of speech and inherent persuasiveness, the Yashiro Commissioner was a man of steel. His ability to focus on his work, his efficiently, could not even be rivaled by that of an ancient scholar. The work of a hermit that has spent a hundred years crouched over a scroll could not only be matched by Ayato in a half an hour but also come out better. Beyond that, the multi-dimensional way of thinking he possessed that enabled him to checkmate any opposition in mere minutes was, frankly, terrifying. Countless bodies have been disposed of in the sea behind the Kamisato estate, not by his own hand, but by the hands of the Shuumatsuban at his order. Though, Ayato has never and would never hesitate to cut down anyone who stood in his way. It was just that it was easier to talk his way through a problem, or to not get his hands dirty with blood he would have to wash off later.

One would think he spilt blood and ran his brain power into the ground in the pursuit of political power or the desire to maintain it. No. Inazuma paled in comparison to the loyalty that Ayato used to drag himself forward through each and every day--he did it all and would do anything to protect his precious family.

When you wandered into his path and into his heart, you became a part of that mantra.

Not only did he endlessly and tirelessly labor to protect his last blood relative and his family name, but you too. An outlander whose smile shimmered in his eyes, who gifted him the experience of his heart thumping with romance in his chest for the first time in his laborious life.

So archons help any poor soul that stands in the way of him keeping you. And he would sooner blind himself then let a single one of your needs be delayed by a fraction of a second.

This sounds intense. Ayato is an intense man. But his devotion to you is exemplified in much more passive, much sweeter and innocent ways.

You never feel lonely wandering the expanse of the estate. You are always accompanied or entertained by Thoma, Ayaka, or any friend you desire to host—despite Ayato’s retainers insisting that you introducing outsiders to the inner workings of the Yashiro Commission was a serious security threat.

When you find yourself feeling hungry while wandering the streets of Inazuma City, with the mora in your pouch being just short of enough to pay for a snack at a nearby booth, Thoma just so happens to run into you with a massive pouch of mora at his side---insisting on treating you to an expensive lunch at your favorite restaurant. Unbeknownst to you, your meal was fully expensed by your lover, who had sent Thoma to you with the bag of mora and detailed instructions on how to treat you after having recieved an update from the Shuumatsuban about your lack of funds (sorry for the spying but Ayato has access to an extensive network of informants around Inazuma---a service he has been leveraging for years. You think he wouldn’t exploit this highly classified agency if it meant a smile gracing your face? Yeah, right.). He also instructs Thoma to, following your lunch, drag you if he must into multiple clothing, jewelry and candy shops. “Don’t come back until there is not a single coin in that pouch.”, being The Commissioner’s deliberate order.

And don’t get me started on what happens if you ask something of him yourself. Ayato has never said no to you once. And he never will. He’s just too weak when met with your sweet voice, your big puppy dog eyes, your pleading words. You don’t have to grovel. You don’t even have to say please. If you ask something of him, he will stop at nothing to ensure it is done. And he won’t let you see a single bead of sweat or hint of exertion while he does it.

You’re unable to sleep, tossing and turning in your otherwise empty bed. You should never have trouble sleeping---the soft sheets, plush duvet, and at least three mattress pads promising you a comfortable rest every night. But you can’t help desiring the company of your lover. So you sneak into Ayato’s office. At this ungodly hour, he is still engrossed in his work; filling out documents and writing letters that must be sent out by the time the sun rises. He will prolong entering his bed for as long as work asks it of him. But if you ask him to come to bed? In that sleepy, small and lovestruck voice of yours? He is holding you close and tight under the covers, like you're a battery charging him with life, while whispering sweet reassurances into your ear and nuzzling into your neck until your breathing slows to a light snore. It is only then, when you are fast asleep, that he slips back out of bed and returns to the drudgery of his workload—not a wink of rest gracing his eyes. He doesn’t need it. As long as you are safe and happy and cared for, he can work until his death and then some.

#ayato x reader #kamisato ayato #genshin x reader #kamisato ayato x you #ayato x you #ayato headcanons #ayato x gn reader

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sadquickchristmassnowman · 6 months

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hii I have a community question so I thought I'd reference your encyclopedia

are there any references to music that abed listens to? I know they do it for other characters sometimes (like I'm pretty sure britta said she liked the pixies but maybe I made that up) anyway I'm trying to make a playlist about him

thanks<333

hey! thanks for the ask 💯

after sitting here and scanning my brain’s database (and searching the internet) unfortunately I haven’t come up with much… I did remember about this:

which is part of the whiteboard Abed had set up in 1x21 Contemporary American Poultry, on which he says he likes banjo music lmfao

the only other things I can think of are probably not very helpful at all, but I’m writing them down anyway lmao. he participated in defending The Barenaked Ladies from Jeff’s criticism (although, the entire group does that, and it probably doesn’t speak much to abed’s specific music taste), and maybe there’s a song he put into one of his documentaries or something? although, I’m pretty sure most of, if not all, the scoring for those is the same as the scoring for the actual show itself. he also dances to Roxanne by The Police in Remedial Chaos Theory, but, again, the whole group does, and everyone knows that song. also, at the end of 1x14 Interpretive Dance, he is shown tapdancing, and Merry Happy by Kate Nash is playing. but, I don’t think he put on the song himself— in fact I don’t think he can hear it at all, I think it’s just score. so, again, probably doesn’t speak to his actual music taste. but, in my personal opinion, that kind of music fits him the best, so I might look more into Kate Nash and related artists if I was making an Abed playlist.

so, yeah… his pop culture references don’t really seem to include music lol. there’s a chance he listens to movie soundtracks sometimes? movies like Back to the Future have some more commercialized songs on their soundtracks, so maybe he’s into that. looking more into soundtracks from classic 80’s films might help you a bit.

I did find this on his twitter (if you don’t know about the twitter character accounts lmk that’s a whole other can of worms that I am happy to open with you all) so obviously he has music he listens to, but I scrolled through all his tweets and he never mentions any specific artists or songs. lame

but yeah. sorry that this was all I could do, dude. I’m gonna open the floor to anyone who has any Vital Information™ that I missed, or for anyone who just has some headcannons or opinions on what they think Abed might listen to. thanks again for the ask and I hope this was at least semi helpful o7

(also, you’re right about Britta liking Pixies! she has a poster up in her room in the cold open of the season 2 premiere, and also there’s this Jeff quote from Digital Estate Planning: “this place is twenty cat turds and a Pixies poster away from being your apartment.” she also likes Natalie is Freezing, but they only exist in the Community universe unfortunately lol. but at least those two things give us a handle on what music Britta likes. Abed remains an enigma lmao)

#community encyclopedia #debuting this tag on thr off chance it’s useful to someone someday #community #nbc community #community nbc #abed nadir

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qtkat · 1 year

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being eric cartman’s babysitter would include…

gender: female she/her (being referred to as a girl, as well)

warnings: use of y/n (I KNOW OKAY)

request: nope

a/n: thank you all so much for the likes and reblogs on my first post! i appreciate more than you’d think haha. these headcanons are set when you’ve been his babysitter for a while now, and are based on actually liking you, since i love the mother/older sister figure and eric dynamic (and also i don’t think there’d be much to write about if eric hated you, other than if it’s an enemies to friends i guess lol). also if you want these type of hcs for any of the others just lmk! also wanted to lyk i was fucking smacked writing this, so if there’s any mistakes tell me and i’ll fix them.

- eric dragging you along with him everywhere

- like genuinely dragging you by the wrist and booking it type

- he’s probably tried to take you to school with him

- the bell rings when you were just done getting ready for school and he’s just standing there like ‘ 😃 ‘

- you’re just staring back at him confused

- after a while he’s like “well, are you gonna put on your jacket?”

- FULLY SERIOUS

- and you’re like “what”

- and he just sighs, head down, pinching his nose, “jesus y/n, just puT THE DAMN COAT ON.” (squealing like a little piggy btw)

- “christ, okay - okay.”

- you have one arm in as you’re dragged down the path leading up to your house

- he forced you to drive and you were honestly so disoriented you just did it

- he marches into school, jaw locked dude 😭😭

- everyone is staring, like mr mackey fully stopped in his tracks but didn’t say anything

- mr garrison is so confused bro 😭

- “eric!”

- “yeees” (aka yiiiis)

- “why did you bring a teenage girl with you to school?!!!??”

- ofc you had to leave, because duh??

- don’t worry too much though, the little gremlin made your exit very dramatic

- full on screaming punching the ground at you slowly back away

- i read once about eric dragging out your name like he does his moms, and he does that here too

- has probably accidentally called you mom once (we don’t talk about that)

- you guys have sleepovers

- it’s actually so cute, whenever you’re set to come to his house he gets so excited

- like he’s so hyper the whole day of the sleepover

- his mother is not to disturb

- you improvise stories about clyde frog for him all night, setting up a theater with the plushie in hand

- now presenting: eric and clyde frog go to space

- .. -or the wild west, taking over the world, etc.

- he always opens up to you so much at these sleepovers

- like just fully starts telling you about how hard he has it without a dad

- has cried in your arms multiple times (we don’t talk about that)

- you were so there during the stick of truth

- you’re like an alchemist or a red mage (or a combination, if they’ll allow that)

- this is how you formally meet the other boys

- they like you, even though they didn’t really talk with you too much

- i think it’s pretty obvious to everyone eric is a jealous person, so he wouldn’t like sharing your attention much (hence you not really talking to the other boys)

- if you ever need to go away for an extended amount of time he will freak

- tries to manipulate you into staying like how he did his mom in the real estate episode

- also you better hope he’s the only kid you’re babysitting

- oh boy if he finds out you’re babysitting, like, butters or something he would throw a fit

- i swear

- so in conclusion you have gained 10 extra bucks an hour and a child making you hang out with him 24/7

- you guys have a sweet relationship

#south park #sp eric #eric cartman #sp cartman #south park x reader #eric cartman x reader #eric cartman x you #south park fanfiction #eric cartman fanfiction #qtkat writes

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bengiyo · 3 months

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Ossan's Love Returns Ep 9 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, everyone sensed that something was up with Kurosawa, and so the squad rallied to host a home party to cheer him up. Kurosawa spent much of the episode working on saying goodbye, and even left instructions for Maki with some household tips before teaching him how to make his version of miso soup. He left goodbye videos that completely destroyed me, and his final scene in the park with Haruta brought me back to the In the Sky goodbye in ways I was not ready for. I don't want to mourn him, but I feel like I already am.

I can't drink those smoothies that just taste like grass.

NOT THIS GOOFY ASS MAN MISHEARING THE DOCTOR AND JUST WALKING OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!!

He kicked the doctor!!!

All this drama over red food!?!

Oh lord his home sold. Where is he going to go??

I hope the entire cast comes to visit him a little bit at a time. This is great.

"Give me back my tears, geezer!" Yes, Maki! Fight him again!!!

I'm with Haruta. I think about my parents getting older. I've been making slow preparations for the future.

Good job, Chizu. I'm glad you're still here to keep Haruta from spinning out.

Oh, thank you for the shower scene. Tanaka Kei has a great body.

Natflax real estate???? I'm gonna lose it.

This recruiter looks familiar. I'm going to need to look them up later.

STYLER JIBS!!!!!!!!!

Oh no Haruta is having nightmares now.

Whoa, is that Tabasco hot sauce???

I really do love the way Kurosawa and Maki moments have evolved over time.

I love that the whole crew is here for a surprise party, and glad Kurosawa is back to tormenting Maki.

Haruta bursting into tears whenever he feels too much love is one of my favorite things about him. He always appreciates every earnest gesture from Maki.

This is beautiful. I would love to be surrounded by all the people I love telling me all the things I did that made them feel supported and appreciated.

Takegawa got a cat! That feels so correct.

This whole sequence is incredible. It's an ongoing group hug, a party, and a talent show.

Maika is always eavesdropping and she is correct. Not all queer relationships need names that fit neatly into other expectations.

It does feel like a family photo. I have quite a few with my wider digital families.

Wow, the cherry blossoms scene was beautiful. I really appreciate how explicit this season has been about the complex nature of family and that finding community and joy in it is possible in any number of configurations.

Maro is such a dude I love him. He would absolutely get into a fandom just to be closer to his mom and wife.

Kiku and Izumi made it! Can't believe that they've grown on me a little bit.

Teppei, Chizu, and Maika having dinner with their kids as Teppei sings another song is perfect for them.

Maki stay trying to slam the door on Kurosawa.

Another almost brawl!!

"WE ARE FAMILY!!" I got all my sisters with me!! Okay, I cried.

Final Verdict: 9, Highly Recommended. I think, even if you bounced off or didn't watch Ossan's Love (2018), you should absolutely check this show out. There's so much to be had in this show about adults navigating what they want for their lives as they try to take care of the people they love. Maki and Haruta figuring out what their romance is going to Iook like when it's not just an idea landed so well for me. I like that Maki is still able to be a little bit terse or reserved, but he's finally able to say clearly to Haruta how important he is to him and he's also better able to be around others. Izumi is right that Haruta is this beacon of love that others seem inevitably drawn to. Kurosawa is such a huge presence, and he reminds me of some of my favorite gay elders. I hope to be as powerful and loved as him when I get older. I'm so glad I went back and watched Ossan's Love properly. I can't believe I denied myself this incredible experience for years.

#Ben watches #ossan's love #ossan's love returns #japanese bl #bl series

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mixelation · 1 year

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i dug up a scene i wrote years ago for plasticity re: itachi and shitty fiction. context is that tori is hobbling around from a hip injury while they stay in a small town to figure out their lives. this was written BEFORE i decided icha icha was a Thing which is why there is a bizarre lack of mention of it. because of that, who fucking knows what this scene will look like when i do get to this part

Tori spent the next few days laying in bed and drifting between sleep and absolute boredom. She’d occasionally stagger over to the bathroom and managed to wash herself with a wet towel a few times. The ninja mostly ignored her– Sasori disappeared for a full three days to scope out a place for the sealing ritual– but they would occasionally leave her with cartons of their left-over take-out meals. Itachi brought her a truly terrible novel. No one ever offered to help her to the bathroom, which her pride was secretly grateful for.

She decided against the soldier pills, until Sasori returned and informed her she should be getting light exercise to strengthen her bruised muscles.

“I put them back together,” he said tersely. “You won’t damage them further by walking. I’m not that incompetent.”

So Tori, unsure of how she had accused Sasori of incompetence, popped a soldier pill and went for a walk behind the hostel. It had a tiny, largely unkempt garden, with an algae-covered pond full of koi that were miraculously still alive. Next to it was a bench that looked like it might collapse at any moment, and Itachi was tempting fate by sitting on it.

“That book you gave me sucked,” Tori said by way of greeting. Itachi acknowledged her by turning his head slightly.

“You look like a ghost,” he said.

“Thank you,” said Tori, quite genuinely, and continued with her walk.

When she’d done a full loop around the garden, and then a smaller loop around the pond, Itachi was still sitting there, ankles crossed. She sat down next to him and the bench groaned.

“Do you want it back?” she asked. “The book, I mean.”

“No. I found it in a cafe.”

“Oh, so you didn’t read it?”

“No.”

They sat in silence. The day was still, with little wind to rustle the leaves, and the various conversations going on inside the hostel could just barely be heard. A woman was yelling, angry, while another room was filled with drunk laughter. Next to her, Itachi looked deceptively normal without his cloak. His baggy clothes made him seem too thin, and his posture was loose and relaxed.

“What was it about?” Itachi asked.

“Hmm,” said Tori. “A guy comes into a lot of money and moves to the country. For some reason he’s really good at hiring farm-hands to run his estate, so he makes even more money by relying on those hires. Three outrageously beautiful women fall in love with him and he has to choose one to be his wife.”

“Sounds contrite,” said Itachi, leaning back further into the bench.

“It gets worse,” Tori continued. “Almost two hundred pages in, the author remembers conflict can be fun and there’s some drama where the rich guy starts getting death threats in the mail. But then his childhood crush shows up and that plotline gets dropped for a while.”

“Is she also in love with him?” Itachi asked, the beginning of a smile twitching at the corner of his lips.

“Obviously,” said Tori.

“And I suppose she’s also outrageously beautiful.”

“Of course. She’s the most beautiful of them all. And we’re three hundred pages in, fifty to go, and I’m thinking– wouldn’t it be a cool plot twist if she was the one sending him threatening letters?”

“That would be quite dramatic,” Itachi agreed.

“I know, right? But then it’s revealed the threats are coming from a previously unknown character, who wants to marry one of the other girls, and he apologizes because he’s finally gotten brave enough to ask her to marry him.”

“And does she?”

“That’s the thing! She does, but first she has to have this whole thing about how the rich dude is still better, but she’s not as perfect as his childhood sweetheart, so she might as well marry someone else. Like nothing any of these other characters do is allowed to invalidate how awesome rich guy is, even if it’s something totally normal like be a woman and not be in love with him.”

Tori had scooted to the edge of the bench by then, gesticulating wildly as she described her distaste for the story to Itachi. He barely moved at all, but did turn his body slightly more towards her to ask, “And that took fifty pages?”

“NO!” She said, waving her arms. “It took like ten pages. Then the rest was their wedding, where everyone we’ve met in this story has to give a speech about how perfect the rich dude and his wife are, and how everyone wishes they could be him. Or fuck him, if they’re women.”

“Terrible,” Itachi said, now smiling. Sort of. There was a slight raise of his lips.

“Yeah,” Tori said, slumping back into the bench. “Anyway, thanks for bringing it to me, I guess.”

“I’ll admit,” Itachi said, “I was hoping it would be about ninja. I quite enjoy civilian takes on us. It’s amusing.”

“I don’t think even ninja could have made that story better,” Tori grumbled, stretching her legs out in front of her. Her hips were sore, and stretching hurt, but in the nice way where your muscles relax afterwards. “Not even ones that cry every time they have to stab someone. Are you saying you didn’t even read the back cover before you decided it was sufficient entertainment for me?”

Itachi glanced at her. “I’ve found reading tiresome recently,” he said calmly.

Tori opened her mouth to ask why, but then shut it. He was losing his vision. She knew that. Even without her foreknowledge, she’d seen him rubbing the corners of his eyes after reading cooking instructions, back at the base.

“Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“Hmm.”

They sat in silence and Tori stretched her legs some more. She wondered how she’d feel after the soldier pill wore off. If she felt alright, she could see if she could walk into town and get her own dinner that night.

“Maybe,” Itachi said, “you could tell me about the next book you read. You’re very thorough in your explanations about everything wrong in fiction.”

This time there was an actual, macroscopic smile on his face.

“Oh,” Tori said, dumbfounded. She had thought Itachi didn’t particularly care for her. He’d told her to her face to shut up plenty of times, and he wasn’t much for for friendly ribbing like Deidara or Kisame. “Y-yeah, sure. I’ll pick one about ninja.”

Itachi didn’t comment on that. He stood, the smile drifting from ‘barely visible’ to ‘only noticeable if you know the exact line of his poker face.’

“Kisame wants to try a barbecue restaurant tonight,” he said. “You should come, if you can walk.”

He left. She wondered if he realized how ominous he sounded.

#tori hasn't gotten to explain her extremely correct conspiracy theories in depth to itachi yet because he'd come back with #'i like bad romance novels where a missing-nin has been cursed to be a cat'#and tori simply isn't ready for this development and neither are you #fic: plasticity

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siflshonen · 4 months

Note

Heya man huge huuuuuuge fan of your acount so i would like to say a few things i feel like mha has so many wasted characters like class b and most of the plf like i know the main cast is going to get most of the focus but its like... so much potential is wasted to me. What is your opionon on this?

Shonen cast bloat’s a bitch. This is true of many series, but ESPECIALLY this one. However, I have an almost opposite opinion from you: in many ways, I wish many of the side characters weren’t there at all because they, especially with how many there are, sometimes draw away from the main and primary supporting cast, which is what this story is about.

Well-used side characters do what they came to do (which means they sometimes explain the moral or theme to their intended audience of younger readers), and I feel like most of the characters do that. And if they don’t, I’m very much a Bakugo (or a ShigAfO) about it when it comes to this series: I don’t care about the potential of extras. If they don’t do their job, my only desire is that they get cut from the story for a stronger final draft.

I have a terrible confession to make in the case of 1-B: outside of Monoma, Kendo, Mushroom gal and Honnenuki, I don’t really care about Class 1-B. I also don’t feel like we really need to. They were there as functional adversaries-of-the-week and did their job very well and got to be fun little western superhero-and-eastern shonen reference characters through their powers and appearances at the same time.

So, no, I don’t feel like they have that much potential to waste.

My feelings about many of the characters outside of 1-B are pretty much the same, but I feel like I should point out a couple notable examples:

Mt. Lady - had an arc. Wasn’t a big one but was nice. I didn’t need any more.

Ms. Joke - did what she needed to do. She might be fun to follow for like a TUM volume, but I really don’t care that much.

Aizawa - his full story got told in Vigilantes and I LOVED IT. Would have been fine sacrificing, like, the entire Class 1-A vs Class 1-B arc and maybe some PLF setup to have the real estate for it instead in the main series tho

Grand - he did what he needed to do. I don’t care about his potential, only his goals and resolve, and we saw that by the end.

Fatgum - I fucking love this guy. I would watch a whole series about him, but I don’t need it. He said what he said.

Shiketsu/Remedial Class kids - did we need everything we got? No. Would I trade it for anything? No. Did I feel there was more to tell? Absolutely not. Would I read more if it was offered? Absolutely would.

Class 1-A - This is my second dirty little secret: the Hero Academia is my LEAST FAVORITE PART OF MY HERO ACADEMIA. (The Endeavor arc is my favorite part because we get to ditch the class and teachers and focus on the main cast sans Toshinori.) I actually would be happy if the class was significantly smaller. We do not need all those kids. However, I found all of them charming and cute at minimum so I was not upset by their inclusion - I just found much of it unnecessary. I don’t see it as potential that has been wasted, though. I see it as a waste of story real estate.

My Villain Academia - Geten, ReDestro, and the PLF did what they came into the story to do. I do not care about any potential they might have outside of that, and they did a great job setting up Dabi/Toya to have one of the best moments in the series.

The previous OfA users - dude. I do not want to sit through the detailed life and times of all eight of them. I am happy to ignore anything that isn’t immediately relevant to the story at hand.

Wash - this is the most crucial character of the cast. He is perfect and perfect in the amount we’re given. Do NOT @ me.

#ask #BNHA #my hero academia

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paperbackribs · 7 months

Text

The Gift (7 of 15) (Witch Steve AU)

previous: Chapter 6 Help a Friend next: Chapter 8 Unravelling the Thread Content: steddie fic, 2.2K words

Last chapter, Eddie reassured Steve that on top of being a total smokeshow he is the protector of the group and nothing like Vecna. This chapter, its finally movie night with just the two boys and Steve is curious as to what made Eddie so easily swallow the marble back in the Upside Down.

Chapter 7 Answering the Question

The smell of popped popcorn blooms in the air as Steve safely moves the bloated jiffy pop off of the stovetop, the silver of its top reflecting in the soft kitchen lights. He rests the snack on the counter before grabbing the pizza box and a handful of paper towels to join Eddie in the living room.

Pulling out a slice with plenty of mushrooms on it, Steve hands it to an eager Eddie sitting on the right side of the mustard-yellow couch.

He looks far more relaxed, Steve contentedly thinks, comparing the scene to the first time Eddie had visited his house. His armour of leather and chains is gone, replaced by a simple Hellfire t-shirt, black jeans and white Reeboks, which Eddie has already kicked off. His grey socks casually propped up on the living room table as he enthusiastically digs into his pizza.

“Thanks, where’s Buckley? I know she’s seen it, but I thought she was looking forward to the movie too.”

Steve grins, moving over to push the tape into the VCR. “Miss Robin Buckley has a date tonight.”

Eddie’s mouth drops open, showing a half-chewed slice. He swallows hastily, “Vickie?”

“Vickie,” Steve confirms.

“Good for her,” Eddie hums in satisfaction for his fellow queer in small-town Hawkins.

“My girl has game.” Steve drops heavily onto the couch on Eddie’s left side, the force of it jostling the other guy against him for a moment. Eddie laughs in response and pushes him back with a friendly shoulder, the warmth of it branding through Steve's shirt for a fleeting second.

But, as he fast-forwards through the FBI warning, Steve notices Eddie fidgeting. Not his normal expression of energy; he’s biting his lip while nervously picking at his pizza slice.

“What is it,” asks Steve, concerned that he’d missed some nuance to their conversation earlier.

Eddie side-eyes Steve for a moment before warily saying, “Speaking of game, this is like the fourth? Fifth? Movie night we’ve all had, I thought these evenings would be precious real estate for your own date nights.”

“For me?” Steve points to himself surprised, the idea had honestly not even occurred to him until Eddie mentioned it.

He mulls it over, thinking of recent opportunities he had easily overlooked at Family Video. The... not exactly repulsed, but certainly a feeling of aversion to the idea of moving beyond a light flirtation with girls and a boy or two over the counter. Whenever he had thought to allow himself to go beyond simple appreciation a wary feeling had usually overcome him. A warning that this was not the path he was truly interested in.

“Since the Upside Down, I’ve just enjoyed being with all of you guys,” which is true, but perhaps not the whole of the matter.

He reflects back on his quiet conversation with Robin by the RV as they pondered finding love in the face of the world ending. “I think my sense of romance sort of went out the window after the whole,” he gestures towards himself again.

“Stevie,” Eddie frowns in concern. “You’re still a good-looking dude.” He waggles his eyebrows, “The best in Hawkins, one might say.”

Steve laughs lightly, “No. Not the eye and scars.” Not only that, he adds silently, not wanting to start a conversation he thinks he has no chance of winning tonight. “I was just really... tired. I feel like I’ve been on sentry duty since '83. Anytime everyone drew a breath of relief over it ending — Will being found, the Russians being defeated...”

Eddie silently mouths ‘Russians’ to himself.

“I Knew it was coming back, but I couldn’t tell anyone. Well, not until Robin. I was a bit of a flirt when I met her back at Scoops, but I was trying to distract myself. You know,” he smiles wryly, “get a date and forget the night sort of deal.”

Steve feels the intensity of Eddie’s gaze on him, like what Steve is saying is important, that he has meaning to him. “And now it’s all over, I’m just taking a breather.”

He lets his head fall back, looking over at Eddie who’s not as far away from him as he thought. “So, all of that took a back burner and I’ve allowed myself to spend time with the people that matter.”

Eddie runs his hand over his hair with one hand while the other grabs the remote from Steve before he can fast forward over the beginning of the film.

“Okay, no date night for Stevie. The Bolrag it is then.”

Eddie starts the video and Steve stifles his laughter at the dramatic introduction of Fantasy Film Presents, keeping in mind that this movie is important to Eddie.

The music marches on and Steve wonders whether Tolkien had known more than readers would think: between the ideas of elders, the use of threes, and an understanding of the malleability of personal items like jewellery, Steve would willingly accept that the author had at least some knowledge about Witches.

More amused as the movie proceeds, Steve thinks that he would be Robin’s Sam any day, despite the weird voice of the little guy. However, the Balrog in the film reminds him uncomfortably of a cross between Vecna and the demo-bats if they wielded fire.

It’s also adorable, Steve decides later, watching the guy devour popcorn with enthusiasm, how Eddie looks like a squirrel with its cheeks bulging. The movie plays on in the background, but Steve has to ask now that he’s reminded of it. “Why did you swallow it?”

Eddie raises his eyebrows in confusion, gulping down a mouthful with a swig of his beer. “Swallow what?”

“The marble,” Steve clarifies. “You didn’t even hesitate.”

“I’d been living on Yoo-hoo and Honeycomb, maybe I was hungry,” Eddie says cagily.

“Shut up. Why did you?”

Eddie pauses, considering his response carefully. He reaches out and takes Steve’s hand, his fingers slightly buttery from the popcorn. He traces Steve’s lifeline gently and Steve suppresses a shiver as that peculiar hum of their connection intensifies like a sweet song weaving through him.

“Wayne had this 'friend,' a few years ago. He’s, uh, like us.” Steve’s mouth forms a little ‘oh’ in understanding. “They didn’t last since Jack wasn't around long, just moving through, working at the Hideout.” His grin is lightning fast leaving Steve a little lightheaded. “It’s actually how the band got our connection to play there later.

"Jack was into the ‘woo woo,’ as Uncle Wayne would say. He’s never had much patience for it himself, but he usually respects other people’s beliefs, so I learnt a little about tarot and Jack read my palm once too.”

Eddie's lips kick-up as if holding onto a private joke, "Stevie Nicks was real popular for a while there."

Steve tries to focus on Eddie’s story, but the sensation of Eddie’s thumb gently brushing over the meat of his palm is distracting.

“He said I’d come to a crossroads, a moment of crisis that would be the answer to my question.”

Curiosity piqued, Steve asks, “What was your question?”

Eddie’s smile becomes crooked, “Whether my life would ever be worth anything to anyone.”

Steve’s hand tightens instinctively, closing around Eddie’s as if to anchor him to the mortal plane and remind Steve that Eddie sits here healthy and happily stuffed full of popcorn.

“Why would you even think that,” Steve asks worriedly, concerned for an Eddie who would ever think it was okay to disappear from his life. “Of course your life is valuable.”

Eddie laughs bitterly. “Yeah, actually, I think I’m coming to know that now. But this was just a couple of years after my dad took us on a joyride in a stolen car. He didn’t care that I was there, right up to the point that he totalled it. Immediate death on contact, apparently. Mom skipped out not long after. And Wayne took me in, but it took a while to trust that he cared, that he loves me.” He exhales a heavy breath as if the weight of his history is being unloaded along with his words.

“Eddie,” Steve says without thinking but urged on by the burning need to persuade him of his irreplaceable worth and importance in all of their lives. “You’re loveable. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was a bit jealous about how the kids raved about you. They’re crazy about you.”

Eddie tugs at his hair as if to draw it further over his ears, “I’m starting to see that. You, ah, helped me see it actually.”

Steve's eyebrows fly up in surprise, "Me?"

"What we talked about in the kitchen — when I asked you why you would risk your life for me."

Eddie's lips are still crooked, but his eyes are sincere, "Understanding what you can do, the sheer power of it, you know. And then having you focus so deeply on my surviving only to use that ability to see and tell me that there are people who love me, who would miss me if I was gone... It's hard to discount something that meaningful."

Steve feels his breath catch, maybe he'd had Eddie wrong in that conversation all those weeks ago. Eddie hadn't been looking at him with reservation and repulsion for Steve being a Witch but, rather, had been reflecting a prism of his own fears and doubts as to Steve's motivation behind saving him.

With a gentle finger, Steve coaxes Eddie's dimple out with a touch, wanting to make sure that this lesson becomes stamped in Eddie's heart. Wanting to make him smile once more. “And you know Robin and I love you too, right? You’re one of us, and you’re not getting rid of her or me.”

There’s something odd to the look in Eddie’s subtly mismatched eyes, but he squeezes Steve’s hand before letting go. “Thanks, Stevie, I’m starting to get that too.”

He grabs their beer bottles in one hand and shoves Steve’s into his now empty palm, the sweat of the condensation unpleasant after the dry warmth of Eddie’s skin. “Drink up, we’ve yet to get to the end. It’s a killer.”

Steve settles back against the plush cushions of the couch, feeling like he’s missed something crucial. But at least he’d said it. It is important to him that Eddie know how much he means to them and how necessary of a friend he’d become to Steve in such a short amount of time.

He realises suddenly too that this might be an opportunity to figure out whether the other night was for real.

“And Wayne, how’s he going with all this.” Eddie had mentioned early on that he told his uncle the whole truth of the Upside Down. “It must be weird being in the trailer.” Steve scratches at the bottle’s paper under his fingernails but sees Eddie slowly put down the remote in the corner of his right eye.

“It’s funny you say that. We’ve just decided that we’re going to move house. It’s, ah, a bit hard being right there. You know, where Chrissy...” Eddie blows out a shuddering breath. “It’s all right if I hole up in my room, but every time I have to come or go, all I can see is her, there, floating, an— and cracking.”

Steve can’t stop himself, even if he’d wanted to. He reaches across and pulls Eddie into his arms, reminiscent of how Wayne had hugged Eddie through Steve’s eyes the other night. He pulls him firmly into his embrace and Eddie’s hands creep around to hold tightly onto Steve’s striped blue and white polo.

For a beat or two, Eddie simply breathes hotly into the corner of Steve’s shoulder. Then he clears his throat. “Ol’ Uncle Sam offered Wayne compensation at the beginning of this. He’s a proud man so he wasn’t originally going to take what he thinks of as charity. But I convinced him the other night that it’d be a good F You to the bastards who were responsible for all this mess.”

“Good choice,” Steve murmurs, thinking he should put together a little herbal pouch that helps to promote peace.

He wonders how Eddie’s been sleeping, being right next to what was once an open door to their own personal cursed dimension. Curses at himself a little too for not thinking of how Eddie must have been coping, earlier.

Eventually, they settle back to continue watching the film. Steve is indignant that it’s a cliffhanger and possibly hams up his outrage a little more once he hears the first giggle from Eddie.

They hadn’t drunk much, but Eddie takes the couch and Steve makes sure to pile all the softest bedding on top of him before saying goodnight.

It’s not until he’s drifting away to sleep, satisfied that he had at least figured out he wasn’t imagining the vision from the other night, that he realises that Eddie still hadn’t told him why he’d eaten the marble. He thinks he needs to circle back to it later, but at the back of his mind the faint strings of a violin urge him on to an easy, dreamless sleep.

If you liked anything, please consider leaving a comment over on Ao3 :-) It would make my day!

Taglist

My taglist is always open, so let me know if you want to be added. Likewise, if you want to be removed, let me know. :) If I've missed you, definitely tell me because it's an accident!

@a-gae-af-racoon

@a-lovely-craziness

@aly-reads-alot

@bestwifehaver

@bookworm0690

@cinnamon-mushroomabomination

@ellietheasexylibrarian

@everyrandomthing

@finntheehumaneater

@geekymagicalpotato

@goodolefashionedloverboi

@hallucinatedjosten

@ilikeititspretty

@just-a-tiny-void

@ledleaf

@littlewildflowerkitten

@lostonceandneverfound

@manda-panda-monium

@matchingbatbites

@mightbeasleep

@nburkhardt

@newtstabber

@obliosworld

@oliver-sykes

@platonicbesties4life

@probablyscreamingintothevoid

@rajumat

@scoops-stevie-archive

@spectrum-spectre

@swimmingbirdrunningrock

@tartarusknight

@whackyrach

#witchsteve #steddie #platonic stobin #stranger things #steve harrington #any unexplained references are detailed in chapter notes on Ao3 #eddie munson #paperbackribs writing

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hhighkey · 2 years

Note

Maybe some fluffy headcanons for Rengoku, Tomioka and Nanami? <3 Maybe how they would find out they are in love with someone and how they would proceed from there, for example?

//AN: ahhh this is so cute! hope u like it!! these are da my fave characters :)

KNY and JJK Headcanons

FIGURING OUT THEY'RE IN LOVE

With Rengoku, Tomioka, Nanami

Rengoku Kyojuro (KNY)

rengoku is tough to pinpoint

he's pretty self aware and was old enough to see the loving interactions between his parents before his mom died

he has always seen how kind you are to everyone you meet

your smile makes his even bigger if that's possible

you're his whole world even above his position as a hashira

he's vowed to protect you

but he worries

worries about how you really feel

there are days his confidence, optimism wavers

days where he wishes to confine himself away as he thinks of his family, thinks of all the pressure and danger he faces

it's a lot

you've always been there since you met at the butterfly mansion as a nurse

since meeting you, he has another person to come home to outside his brother

yet he still tries to avoid those feelings

it's unfair to you

if or when the day he doesn't come home arrives

and he's dedicated himself to helping others and you're slowly breaking down those walls of what he thinks he doesn't deserve

so it's the day you meet senjuro

rengoku had an errand to run and asked if you wanted to accompany him

you were overjoyed at this! this man lights up your life in so many ways, you already know the love you have for him in your heart

meeting his brother is special to you

and senjuro loves you

rengoku watches the way you two interract. watches his brother smile wide as he talks about his passions to you

you're so receptive and encouraging of him

it made his chest burst

in that moment rengoku realizes he can't deny that he loves you anymore

you've been his safe person for months now and he can't let you slip through his grasp

that night when he takes you back to the butterfly mansion, he holds your hand the whole way. his large hand engulfs yours as he gives little squeezes

he's nervous

you're nervous

but as you two reach the entrance he clears his throat

"i love you!"

he says it so proudly, from deep within him you swear the whole mansion probably heard

you're beaming, then throwing your arms around his muscular torso to hug him as tight as you can

"oh kyojuro i love you too, i never thought you'd say it."

"i'm sorry for the long wait." he says so warmly you know he means it

you two share your first kiss under the glittering moonlight and the two of you swear you've never been happier

seriously, rengoku would be such a perfect partner

and three kanoes may have been watching the whole exchange cheering him on

Tomioka Giyuu (KNY)

this boy doesn’t even know he has feelings for you

he just follows you around

stares at you

always making sure your safe (even if you’re a demon slayer or just someone who works at butterfly mansion)

you’d think by his over protective nature you were already dating him

it’s not until shinobu makes fun of him does he realize something

tomioka literally thinks something’s wrong with him when he feels nervous around you or butterflies in his stomach

so he goes to shinobu

she dead stares at him in disbelief and spells it out for him

you’re endearing, attractive, smart. how could he ever pull you?

he’s realizing why he wants to be with you every second he’s not on a mission

you don’t see him for a few days because he’s internally panicking over the fact he loves you

the dude realizes he knows all your personal secrets, favorite things, how to comfort you, everything

you just ramble to him as he listens and nods. you take him on all your errands. you include him in your hobbies

how had he not seen this sooner?

but what if he dies?

what if you die?

after a few days you decide something is definitely wrong- your hashira shadow is is missing and he’s not on a job

you march to his estate, letting yourself in

he’s dressed in uniform but sitting out on his engawa

for a few moments you let yourself admire the beauty that is tomioka giyuu before you knock on the wood to get his attention

“you okay?”

he knew you’d been standing there, he figured you’d come visit

“i don’t know,”

tomioka is barely ever emotional around people you’ve learned. he has some complex. keeps to himself. he’s difficult

but you don’t care about what others have to say about him

you love him

“i’ve been wondering where you’ve been,”

“thinking about you,”

you sit down besides him, feet in the grass as you bask in the sun

“wanna talk about it?”

you’ve always wondered if he needed the push

you never wanted to cross boundaries

“i’m in love with you. i’ve been so blind i didn’t see it… and then shinobu smacked me on the head about it.”

she would

“giyuu-“

“-it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way,”

“you’re so dumb, of course i do. i’ve loved you for awhile now. i wasn’t sure how you felt and all.”

he smiles

leans in and you two share your first kiss

“i’m never letting you go now,” he’s so happy aw

the hashira are in some shock when they hear you two are finally together

but the two of you are happy

and boy maybe it’s made his ego a little worse

Nanami Kento (JJK)

he’s definitely blind to his feelings at first, never wanting to get attached to anyone romantically with this line of work

so he’s aware of them pretty quickly; but he’s pushing them away

you’re younger- some sort of new faculty at the Tokyo school

it’s your first day and gojo’s newest pray- which nanami comes to your rescue

after days to weeks of running into each other with small talk, discovering similar interests and goals, he realizes he wants to take you out

you're absolutely stunning, you take his breath away, leaving his stomach to do flips after each encounter

which scares him

he doesn't know if he deserves this, could risk this, but he can't leave you alone

nanami’s a proper man, serious about everything he does

you’re no different in that way

he takes you out for coffee, lunch or dinner, whichever you’re in the mood for - all to see your infectious smile

he’ll call you often while he’s away to let you know how he’s doing

if it’s late, he’ll accompany you on your newest endeavor not wanting you to get hurt

you never open any sort of door when he's around, you'll always walk on the inside of him

you’ve been head over heels for him for weeks now

all you want is for nanami to ask you out! what a stubborn old man

it's a stormy night when there's a knock on your door

nanami is standing on the other side of the door, suit jacket drenched

he has some cuts of his face, blood on his once perfectly pressed suit

your heart plummets

he watches you run around trying to make tea, finding an old shirt of your brother's he can fit into, and looking for bandages

it makes him smile over how worried you are

he could have died, both you know the chances

but that night, all nanami could think about how was he could die tomorrow and he wants to live a full life

if he never got a chance to make you his, he'd regret it

in the midst of your fussing he takes you aback as he lifts your chin so your gazes meet

your mesermized in his eyes finally not wearing the damn glasses

"i didn't mean to make you worry, but i had to see you. one more day without you as mine may have killed me.”

"huh? kento what are you saying?"

"i'm in love with you."

oh my god you're grinning

"can i kiss you?"

you don't even answer, you just close the gap by pressing your lips to his

"about time."

#demon slayer #rengoku kyojuro #rengoku headcanons #rengoku x reader #tomioka giyuu #tomioka headcanons #tomioka x reader #nanami kento #nanami headcanons #nanami x reader #jujutsu kaisen headcanons #jujutsu kaisen #demon slayer headers #gojo #tanjiro #tengen #shinobu #inumaki #yuji

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sardonic-sprite · 5 months

Text

Since EPIC has been taking up 90% real estate in my head without paying rent, here goes a series of me ranting about each song <3

The Horse and the Infant

*Entire opening*

I absolutely adore how it starts so quiet, like they're in the horse's belly planning. In my head, that initial rushing sound is a single candle being lit. As Odysseus names people and gets louder, there's more and more light, until on ATTAAAACK!!! the whole Ithacan army comes BURSTING out and it's glorious

Backtracking though,

What do you live for?/What do you try for?/What do you wish for?/What do you FIGHT for?

I used to goof and end on *what do you DIE for* because that's intuitive, but Odysseus directly contradicts that intuition! You can debate or have it coexist whether he's changing the line in that vision of kindness he clings to during the first act or whether he's in denial over the real damage he's causing, but the fact that the line IS this way gives me Feels

And then--

Pe-ne-lo-pe! Pe-ne-lo-pe! And Te-le-ma-cu-us!

The way everything cuts out but but the light strings and ODYSSEUS' OWN FUCKING HEARTBEAT LIKE COME ON! He loves them so much I'm willing to let him commit atrocities.

*insert EPIC battle music*

You can feel the chaos of battle and I don't know how Jay did it but he did and I love it so much

AHHH! *screech*

The sudden shift. Is a new challenger approaching? Sorta. Again, though, almost everything has cut out, but instead of sweet strings and a heartbeat, there's this droning bass like some inexorable, heavy doom approaching, and then there's Zeus, who sounds so imperial and *unfeeling.*

A mission/To kill someone's son/A foe who won't run/Unlike anyone/You have faced before/Say no more!

The clever phrasing is on point, because it tricks us all. And then Odysseus' reply -- he's already so confident, even cocky. He thinks this is some superpowered champ and he's like HELL YEAH ZEUS MA DUDE LEMME AT IM!

*the fucking piano*

It's a lullaby. It's the sound of ice dropping down Odysseus' spine. It's a million memories spinning in his head.

It's just an infant... What sort of imminent threat does he pose...?

The shock, horror, and disbelief... Ow. Odysseus is completely in denial. And then there's almost a scoff to "imminent threat," like he's trying to make Zeus feel like an idiot for fearing a baby, like he'll change his mind.

If you don't end him now, you'll have no one left to save! You can say good bye to -- Penelope -- You can say goodbye to -- Penelope--

DAMN Zeus pulls the Penelope card. AND YET. They say Penelope twice, just like Odysseus did in the beginning... but it feels so intentional that Telemacus is left out. The gods don't dare put the image of Odysseus' baby boy in his head, or this child will have Telemacus' face and Odysseus will fail.

I COULD RAISE HIM AS MY OWN! he will burn your house and throne OR SEND HIM FAR AWAY FROM HOME! find you wherever you roam MAKE SURE HIS PAST IS NEVER KNOWN-- the gods will make him know

Odysseus offering all these TOTALLY REASONABLE AND WORKABLE suggestions because what the fuck is this command, it's a BABY there are so many other ways-- And every sentence, Zeus and the gods are shooting the idea down with increasingly ridiculous excuses. Ok sure, maybe adopting the kid would end in tragedy when the truth comes out. Ok I guess maybe he'd find out elsewhere and track Odysseus down, but like. BUT THE GODS WILL MAKE HIM KNOW? My dude, WHICH GODS? You want the kid to Not Do A Thing? Right? That's why you want Odysseus to kill him? WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU "MAKE HIM KNOW" IF HE'S ABLE TO LIVE IN BLISSFUL IGNORANCE IT WOULD SAVE ALL OF FUCKING GREECE A GOOD DEAL OF AGONY!

I'm on my knees for ya! I'm begging please! ... *thunder* *rain* PLEASE don't make me do this, don't make me do this!

He's so desperate. I want to cry. I am also on my knees begging. I just picture Odysseus shaking his head, tears falling, clinging to hope or delusion that Zeus will change his mind. And the rain... even the sky is crying

The blood on your hands is something you won't lose/All you can choose is whose...

This is. A statement of truth? A prophecy? A curse? It gives me chills, though, especially at the end when there's nothing but the last hiss... It feels *unfinished* like there's more to say, and part of it is how the grammar got rearranged to make the rhyme, leaving out a word or two, but since the meaning is still clear, it throws everything else into doubt. There's also the subtle emphasis Zeus puts on *won't*. What the fuck does that mean? Won't as opposed to can't? As though Odysseus could choose to wash his hands but ultimately chooses more bloodshed? Won't as in it's forbidden? Why? Won't as the future tense of don't? Does that mean it's a prophecy, that Zeus is telling Odysseus a neutral fact? WHAT IS THE EMPHASIS FOR?

Final remarks:

Never read the source material, so it was hard for me at first to get invested when there's all these names, but the pure energy and emotion draws you in no matter what, and in the end everything but Odysseus *literally* fades away.

The first MANY times.I listened, up until I watched this one animatic, I was convinced Odysseus turned away and spared the baby. Or better yet, adopted him (bc Im a Bat girlie first lmao). In my head there's a happy AU where Telemacus gets a new baby brother and meets his uncle Polites and everything is beautiful and shut up don't shatter my illusions I KNOW it has to happen bc *theme*

Is it my favorite song in the musical, no, but do I always sing/mouth along once the energy picks up? Absolutely. Overall, Imma go with 6/10

#sprite said #epic the musical #epic the troy saga #the horse and the infant

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cant-get-no-worse · 1 year

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i am always very intrigued by the neymessi relationship. thoughts on them?

Hiya people! I'm currently having a good chuckle because as I read your asks, I see mutuals celebrating the neymessi overtaking cressi on ao3 party. Uncanny. World colllides. Anyways. Imma rant now, you just gave me free real estate!

Disclaimer : this isn't me parasocially psychoanalizing the friendship of two grown ass men I've never seen nor talked to, this is just me covering bases of funny thoughts me n some friends have been entertaining about it. It's senseless ramble and fun and I gotta make profit off of those hours I spend looking at them interact aight.

First of, whatever I could say about it, in the end, everything condenses into this, really: it's a beautiful human bound. Akin to those unlikely friendships brought together by football — kinda makes you think this god wrenched sport isn't so wasted after all. Then you see Harry Kane's face, and you deflate, but that's a whole otha thang (sorry Kane mutuals) (the bloke is coming to PSG anyways).

It's all the more fascinating as we partially saw it develop in real life, and its 'public' aspect is well documented, from the tweets of Neymar all the way back in 2011 fan girling over Messi when they hadn't even met, to the countless footage of games, backstages, documentaries, interviews, little snippets here and there. Let's go over some aspects in an orderly manner.

Similarities between Neymar and other dudes

You can kind of wonder how Leo, introverted as he is, could have ended up entertaining a decade-long friendship (spent apart for four whole years) with such guy as Neymar, a whole five years his junior. And then you look at Leo’s other myriad of friends over the course of the years: Ronaldinho, the whole Brazilian squad of Barcelona who took him under their wing because they liked him, Kun Agüero, Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes. All extroverted, a bit immature/impulsive, loudmouthed, joyful dudes, and then you realize the guy just has a knack for befriending such people. It just compliments his character. (I’m not adding Luis Suarez to the bunch cause while Luis is impulsive, loudmouthed, extroverted, joyful, he is also a whole other vibe, much more settled/mature, it’s a whole other thing. Could rant about it for hours too. That Messi/Suarez friendship is so genuine, easy, weird, and amazing).

What’s the diff with Suarez

So talking about Suarez, I think the best way to start discerning a relationship is to oppose it to others. The easiest way being here opposing the Messi/Suarez and Neymar/Suarez to the Neymar/Messi. They’re all friends, but the duos don’t work the same way, and it’s obvious. Messi/Suarez are besties, they share the same age, interests, mate, families, whatever. Messi brought him on his honeymoon. Like what the actual fuck. Anyways. Suarez/Neymar reads more like a friend/brothers relationship, were they liked to mess around, fuck around and make fun of each other. You’d think since Suarez and Messi are rigorously the same age, Messi and Neymar’d have a similar relationship. But na. You just can’t look at it and state Messi/Neymar relationship is only brother like. They are brothers, but not only. There’s a shit ton of layers, due to the circumstances of their meeting, their career trajectories, what they represent, for their countries as for football, the roles they had to assume towards each other at FCB in the beginning, but also due to their characters. So what’s the layers?

Childhood/idol

The whole « child gets to play alongside the idol he used to watch on TV » boat has been sailed already by a ton of other players from all leagues, it’s one of the joys of this sport. It’s very sweet, to see how much Neymar used to hop on Twitter to unabashedly fanboy alongside other people over a Messi performance or to even just wish him a very enthused happy birthday (the proofs are there and he hasn’t even deleted them lmfao, the boy was relentless). What I like about it, however, is how little that behavior faltered over the course of the years. Younger players generally tone down the whole idolizing stuff, whether because they’re disillusioned about it (don’t meet your heroes, eh), because they’re just getting used to it, because it’d be awkward, they reserve it when they’re asked about it, in shorter commentaries. Neymar didn’t. Quite the contrary; it’s like playing with Messi only heightened his esteem for the other’s abilities, and to this admiration of the professional side, a personal layer of first-hand appreciation, by becoming a teammate and a friend, was added. Ten years later, placing a bet on Neymar name-dropping Messi on his interviews remains the safest money gambling you’ll do in your life, alongside betting on Pep doing the same (Pep’s odds are admittedly a bit higher, but the man is just batshit insane.) How little Neymar cares about how his admiration is perceived by others or by Leo himself, how unabashedly awed and praiseful he remained of Leo’s skills. Leo himself said he found it a bit embarrassing at times, because Neymar would say it to his face, but at the end of the day, it was just flattering and endearing to receive compliments from a friend and a fellow good player. That side of their relationship could have become, as some put it, embarrassing or awkward, a star-struck teammate who never grew out of it, but because of the sheer sincere nature of both their character (albeit a transparency showing through different ways, Neymar’s being the most flashy) – a trait that seemed to have been key in the establishment of their friendship – they managed to make it simply impossible for it to be embarrassing. They’re completely candid with the other about that, have been since day one, and the result is one of the healthiest child-turned-teammate-of-idol relationship you’ll get to witness. It’s utterly touching, and extremely human.

Brazil/Arg superstars & Countries rivalry

The other obvious aspect is the whole Brazil/Argentina dichotomy. This one is the thing that get a lot of imagination fuming on the internet due to the cinematic parallels/star crossed/movie-like narratives you can appose and romanticize. Barring every other consideration, I just think it’s so fitting it’s almost laughable. The resemblances in career path – two players from arguably the two countries the most insane about football and with the greatest football legacy, star boys turned 10 and figures of their respective selections, compared to an early age to the two ever looming figures of Maradona and Pelé (although Messi probably in a more glaring way, with Maradona himself stating outright the succession thing and Neymar’s comparisons being split between Pelé and Ronaldinho’s profiles). Their friendship threw a bridge over that eternal rivalry, bridge that became all the more obvious the more years passed and the more they became the centralizing figures for their NT and faced each other on the fields. The two teams trash each other on the ground, but respect prevail between players – not just Neymar and Leo, btw, that goes for seemingly every player, given that a lot of them crosses paths with each other at club level. In any case, I believe that mutual respect condenses itself in the 10’s relationship. The video of Leo refusing to engage in a song mocking Brazil (2023 Arg-Panama WC celebration) (keeping in mind trash-singing culture is widespread in Latin America, much more so than Europe; singing such songs isn’t necessarily personal, it’s just… tradition, and especially when you’re Brazil and Argentina and you just beat the other) and in another instance (after the 2021 Copa America) actively discouraging teammates to drop the subject tells you everything you need to know about the amount of care/respect the both of them hold each other to.

Mentor

There’s the whole mentoring role to it, too. When Neymar arrived in 2013 in the team, Leo had established himself already. Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, all remained the older mentors of the team, but in term of talent and path, it kind of became obvious that Neymar could become Leo’s protegee the same way Leo was Dinho’s. The first steps were hesitants, as we all know, what with Neymar needing time to fit in a whole new league and continent, the infamous locker room chat, but after a year or so the ball got rolling (ha-ha). Imo, eventually (perhaps not in the first years, but from 2015/2016, at least after the 2014 WC) Leo seemed to have fully settled/grew into this kind of mentor-mentality and wanted to help Neymar get his BO and stuff. That’s partly why the 2017 departure could have left a bitterness aftertaste or at least a feeling of failure to have completely achieved what Dinho did on his part. See how eager he was to help Ousmane when Dembélé arrived.

Complementary play and MSN balance

On the football side, I mean. Not much to say. They’re probably the two guys with the biggest reserve of pure, raw talent of the 21st century (I mean from 2000 til 2023, as far as we know). It’s ridiculous how those two guys ended up playing together. At 20 years old, people were asking if Messi was one of the greatest players of all time, and at 21 years old, Ronaldinho said that Neymar would surpass Messi. Talent doesn’t necessarily equal chemistry on field, tho (cough side glance at you know where cough), yet they made it work, thanks to Luis who provided the final balance for it all. Funnily enough, people always praise MSN as being completely devoid of ego, as if they’re some kind of saints individually, but that’s not true. They have some ego, they’re just good dudes. Ego isn’t a bad personality trait. Most top athletes have it, it pushes you. Those guys just knew where to place it, how to handle it, and they were just too good of persons individually, and too good friends mutually. They were selfless with each other, and it was so damn refreshing to see, and it's something that perpetuates still at PSG.

Physical proximity/chemistry

Do you hear that? That’s the horde of Ao3 writers barreling towards, foam at their mouth and keyboards at their fingers, wide eyed. Quick, shut the door. Oh wait, I’m one of them. YOU’RE TRAPPED. HAHA.

Na, about that, it’s just of those things that happen. Their chemistry and instinct to touch is obvious, if the hundredths of pictures and compils with Ariana Grande screaming Save Your Tears in the background wasn’t enough to pass the hint. But honestly, there’s nothing more to see here. Some players get more physical than others, just because. Some people get more physical than others, just because. That’s chemistry. Football, like all sports, take you from the lowest point just to lift you up with an adrenaline rush the very next minute. Unlike other sports, however, it’s a team sport, so you play, you work through it, you win, you celebrate not alone, but with other people. Much more so when you’re working as a unit, like Neymar and Messi were with Suarez as the forwards, tuning to each other’s mind/bodies to get the chemistry running and the goals flowing.

Seeing them together uncannily reminded me of one of my own relationship with someone in my entourage. We disliked each other, and then kind of overnight, unexpectedly, became friends, and started touching each other. There wasn’t anything sexual about it, it was innocent in all forms, but there was just this instinctive, mindless move of putting arms around each other’s shoulders, holding hands, or whatever. There was genuinely nothing to see here, it’s just the way our friendship/relationship worked. It’s an intrinsic part of it, a constant. Touching holds more than a thousand words. You can imagine how such a medium of communication is exalted through sports, where physicality is everywhere and the first language everyone speaks.

Whether in 2015 or 2022, take any video, they’re always going to be jumping to each other. There’s some degrees of variation; sometimes, most times, it’s to celebrate, it’s euphoric and lively and flying about, others it’s a touch on the shoulder, the hair, the waist. Whether as a teammate checking on the other because of an injury (generally it was due to Neymar being bodied by opposition players), diffusing a situation (Neymar getting worked up over another player), as friends gossiping, as opposite players (Leo asking for a yellow on Ney and then both touching to level the situation), a hug or touch on the thigh (2015 UCL celebration), a gentle touch on a knee during training for no other reason than it’s a natural instinct and it’s an relationship in which it’s normal, whatever. Sometimes they hug to celebrate, sometimes it’s loaded (see 2021 CA final). I can’t explain it, just browse about and you’ll see plenty. It’s also the eyes — Neymar can be caught looking unabashedly at Leo with the same adoration as a kid. His platonic passion is just one of a kind. Leo will be found staring amused, tender or just lost in thought. It’s endearing. The eyes, chico. Once again; it just works.

There’s not much to see or read here, it’s just because it is. Marco Verratti doesn’t have a relationship as personal with them as they do and yet the fucker will always find a way to touch them thighs or shoulders – because some people are just physical like that. Also because he’s an Italian hooker. But that’s a whole other story. Ramos and Modric have insane chemistry in the same way. A handful of teammates pairs have that kind of thing going.

They also don’t convey it like the other people they’re physically close to. You just watch Messi and Suarez interact and touch (and they do! A lot!) and it’s not the same as when Neymar and Messi do. Messi and Agüero, Messi and Piqué (cough), Messi and Pedri, Neymar and Mbappé, Neymar and Dani Alves, Neymar and the whole fucking world cause he’s that touchy mf. Each one of these ways of touching tell the depths and subtleties of the relationship lying behind, you could ramble hours about two people like I’m doing but at the end of the day you just look at how the both of them touch and look, and you get it. (i direct you to cara's blog!)

It works for them, as it works for lots of human beings. We touch to convey stuff. They lived through tough and euphoric times with their club, had the weight of the two arguably most prestigious football selections on their shoulders, went through boring training sessions, flights, team drama, tax evasion stuff (cue laughter), they’ve been evolving in the same world of money, public and fast-paced life for years. Add to that the personal relationship - friends, teammates, mentors, opposites, etc. They’re on a common understanding ground. They touch. That’s the wordless language.

Extrovert/introvert

The extrovert introvert thing, blabla. It’s just endlessly entertaining to see them interact because it seems like a stark contrast on paper, but in reality, they kinda even each other out. Neymar is his usual outgoing, ray of sunshine (Galtier’s words, not mine), fidgeting, energy-filled dude, and Leo’s calm, dealing with his shit on his own terms, perfectly okay with not talking, but also perfectly okay with gossiping and joking about. That’s one of the most underrated aspects to their friendship, imo. It just seems, from 2013 to now, that they just have tremendous fun being around each other. It’s not the same kind of energetic, very showy-pranksty-physically fun you can see Neymar have with other Brazilians or Suarez or Mbappé etc, because of Leo’s character, it happens in a different way (the energies match differently). Whether at Barca, on an international pitch or at PSG, each time they are seen being around each other, you just know there’s gonna be a picture of them cracking up over dumb shit. Every time. Clockwork. It’s kinda amazing lmfao.

The 2017 – 2021 era

Now you’d think they’d be close during their days at FCB because of circumstances; you have a coworker, you surprisingly get along fine, you become friends, then one of you leave works, and slowly but surely the relationship or wish to reunite get fainter and fainter. It’s just something we experience a lot, and it’s also something you see in football a lot due to transfers (cue that tumblr post about a player transfering is like selling your child). Players become friends, friendships get severed because of space and time and the impossible schedule. The thing with Ney and Leo is that all throughout 2017 – 2021, they not only seemed to have maintained a friendship, but above all a fierce wish to play with each other again. Multiple accounts from that period of time say Leo reportedly asked for Neymar to be brought back by the board each time they asked which improvements/suggestions the players (and esp Leo, given his influence at FCB) would give. Neymar stated multiple times and publicly (in a typical Neymar fashion) that he wanted to play with Leo again. It’s like they’d found the perfect partnership, on and off the pitch, and they were both wanting it again.

The Barça to PSG transition

Now the PSG era!! It's quite fascinating, for you could consider the dynamics to have been inversed: Leo was the one arriving, Neymar was the experienced one on these grounds. There’s no football mentorship going on, for Neymar didn't have to teach Leo how to play, Leo having enough experience to just about integrate himself anywhere, but there is the mentorship in adapting, if you will – to a new league, new country, new teammates. Similarities in situation plastered everywhere, eight years later. You can kind of see why it can be easy to go mad at how this entire relationship do seem like a written story filled with parallels cause the author is so keen on it.

In the first year, Leo was seen hanging with the Latam - Neymar, Paredes, Di Maria, Icardi etc - (and Marco Verratti, cause the short fucker is just likeable like that) to the point where there really seemed to be "clans" within the locker rooms. I don't think it's necessarily true, rather it was just a bunch of close friends (two of which he'd just won the Copa América with) and shameless admirers of him who were all too eager to help him adapt, esp given Leo's character - he just isn't one to take the first step towards others, normally, even less so in a foreign country/club where locker rooms dynamics are already up and going. I don't remember which PSG ex player said he was quiet in his corner and didn't make no waves. Then after Di Maria and Paredes' departure, it seems Neymar really took on that role.

See the videos of training or games from 2021 – 2023, a rough 80% of the time they remain glued to each other, with others tagging along (Verratti esp). They do the exercises together, they warm up alongside, they go in and out of the pitch talking, they wait talking (see : the Riyadh XI game). The difference with FCB times are quite stark: in Barça they would have other friends to be around to here and there - Suarez, Busquets, Alba, Piqué, Alves - while it seems at PSG they're revolving around each other. Not that Neymar doesn't have friends; he's befriended the whole locker room, but he did once slip in whatever interview that Paris had never managed to be really home. It's nothing dramatic, but an interesting insight. Leo on the other hand is perhaps not very interested in entertaining personal relationships with the other players outside of professionalism – once again Verratti seems to be an exception, they stick a lot together esp since Neymar’s injury —, so it’s just natural. So it was about falling back/gravitating around the most familiar thing you could find, made all the more obvious after the Di Maria/Paredes departure. They know each other, it’s a relationship of transparency and trust (as aforementioned) and fun, and they'd always wanted to play with each other again. At that point, it's not a new friendship where they just know each other for two years on surface, are unsure about each other, or prompt to unstability or smth. They've been friends for a decade. They've been through very emotional moments in club and in nation (2021 CA Final), it's not just being coworkers. Old habits die hard, etc. Imo the core of the relationship didn't change, but the setting and circumstances did add closeness to them - Leo is just fine/most comfortable being with Neymar and Verratti mostly, and the two are too happy to oblige because they love him. Makes for a wonderful midget trio, of which we unfortunately didn't get enough.

Conclusion

I like it. As you could probably guess from the Bible-length commentary I just pumped out. It’s just refreshing to see a relationship as genuine as these two, seemingly coming out of the blue, that somehow continued through time and space separation. The absurd resilience of such bound makes it seems so effortless for them to be friends, due to the fundamentally good/true nature of their respective characters, and I treasure it dearly, even more so after having followed/seen other friendships from different players be broken up over shit. It’s a caring, genuine, trusting, tender, fun, complicit relationship, and one I think will go on beyond the end of their football careers – in other forms.

#anon ask #ciene talks a lot about useless stuff #neymar #messi

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