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rhoorl · 3 months

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Delta Landscaping: Chapter 15 Lucky Strike

Series Masterlist | Chapter 15 A03 Link

Word Count: 4.4k

Previously on As the Mule Falls: The neighbors met at David and Ty’s house for a Fourth of July party. Despite the guys having a lot of anxiety about it, they ended up having a pretty fun time thanks to all of their new friends. We ticked a few boxes off of our bingo card and laughed as David finally let the intrusive thoughts out. We also got a shy, nervous Benny and some meddling from Will and our favorite FBI agent.

In this Episode: We’re heavy on the Benny in this episode with little sprinkles of Frankie and a flashback of sorts for Santiago. Also, I’m trying to get to fight night so there are some jumps in time. In case you missed it, here is the moodboard for this chapter.

Chapter Warnings: A shoe goes flying at Santiago’s head. There’s some fluff and rom-com vibes and we finish with a little bit of angst with Frankie as he reaches one year of sobriety.

*Cue the theme music and roll opening credits*

Four weeks to fight night

“Good, Ben,” Frankie panted backing away and leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, “we can take a break.”

“C’mon old man, don’t slow down on me now!” Benny flashed a lopsided grin as he worked the boxing gloves off of his hands.

“It’s not that I’m slowing down…you just seem more…focused.” He eyed Benny with a smirk.

It’s true. Benny had an extra pep in his step today. He got to the gym well before Frankie, claiming he needed to “burn off some energy.” When Frankie arrived, he found Benny in the corner of the gym jumping rope, his shirt discarded nearby on the floor. During today’s sparring session, Benny was on a different level. Every punch connected and he anticipated everything Frankie threw at him, causing Frankie to wince at a few well-placed jabs to the ribs. With the fight only weeks away, Benny was well in ring shape and nearing his peak, which made Frankie breathe a sigh of relief.

Tossing the boxing gloves to the side, Benny reached down to grab his baseball cap, eager to get the hair out of his eyes. “Just feeling good…yesterday was a lot better of a day than I thought it’d be.”

“I’m sure it was,” Frankie crossed his arms in front of his chest, watching as Benny grabbed a towel. “Any word on your date?”

“Thinkin’ Saturday…since we were planning on taking Sunday off anyway, figured I could be out late and it wouldn’t be a problem…” Benny’s eyes didn’t quite meet Frankie’s.

“Ben, we can take whatever day you want off,” Frankie chuckled before furrowing his brow at the sight of Benny chewing on the inside of his cheek. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing I just…I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t taking this seriously and getting distracted or anything…so I was just waiting I guess until a day I already was free.”

“Hermano, do I think Vanessa is a distraction? Yes, but in the best possible way,” he clasped a hand to Benny’s shoulder. “The past week you’ve been a nervous wreck, timid, and not yourself in here. But today? Today man…you’ll whoop anyone’s ass who steps up to you,” he laughed, seeing the corners of Benny’s mouth curl up. “So she’s distracting you from the bullshit in your head and I think that’s great. She seems like a really sweet girl, Ben.”

“Yeah…I…I really like her Fish,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t wanna fuck this up, you know?”

Frankie tilted his head up and laughed, “Trust me, I get it.”

“Oh shit, sorry man. Ah…how’re things with you?”

With a deep breath through his nose, Frankie took off his hat and ran his fingers through his curls, before putting it back on again. “Well, I was actually wanting to see if I could take next weekend off. Had a thought to surprise her and fly up there.”

“Hey isn’t next week….” Benny trailed off seeing Frankie gaze down to his feet. Making the realization, a huge smile came across Benny’s face, “I think that’s a perfect way to celebrate Fish! I’m proud of you man.”

“So, you have a good night last night? You left the party pretty early with Katie,” Santiago’s eyebrows waggled at Will as they loaded up a wheelbarrow with soil. They’d come up with an agreement with Frankie and Benny to work on Melissa’s backyard, executing their design and giving Benny the chance to concentrate on training.

“We’re just friends Pope…and yes we had a good night, did you?” Will looked over as he set down the shovel.

“Just friends? Wow, you know I kinda saw that comin’ not gonna lie,” he shrugged.

“Fuck off, don’t you have a shoe to dodge or something?” Will snapped as he walked into Melissa’s backyard.

“I guess I deserved that,” Santiago muttered to himself, realizing that Frankie must have spilled to Will that Amaryllis was back in the picture.

To say Santiago and Amaryllis had a dramatic situationship would be putting it mildly. They grew up together in New York as family friends. Neither made a move, although they heavily flirted with each other by the time they got to high school. Santiago had to endure her shitty boyfriends who never treated her well and she had to see him run through every girl in their grade and the ones above it too. She’d finally mustered enough courage to tell him she had feelings for him but it ended up being the same night he told her he was enlisting.

They exchanged letters for a few years, but those eventually stopped. He lost track of her, hearing that she’d gone off to Los Angeles to try her hand at acting or modeling. She landed a couple of small roles here and there. A falling out with a boyfriend caused her to move back to the East Coast, where she reconnected with a couple of Santiago’s cousins whom she was close to growing up. They shared that he was back in town and invited her out. It had been years since they'd seen each other, but her heart raced a bit at the thought of seeing him again.

When she walked into the bar, his eyes immediately met hers and he felt like he’d been run over by a train. She was confident, commanding the attention of everyone as she walked over to him. He longed for some comfort and she did too. The two found themselves locked away in her apartment for the next few days getting reacquainted.

Still, they were both too stubborn and headstrong to admit their feelings. What came next was a tumultuous and dramatic series of back and forths, neither one wanting to make that next step, that commitment. Instead, they found it easier to get underneath someone else rather than face their feelings head-on. They did try to have more, but it failed miserably each time with one of them retreating like a scared dog, unsure who to trust.

The pull to Colombia made for a clean break, at least that’s what Santiago thought. When he came back, he went home for a short while to see his mother and couldn’t help but pass by Amaryllis’ apartment. He sat on the stoop for what felt like hours, debating whether to knock on the door or just send a text. A sudden slam of the door made the decision for him.

“Hijo de puta, how fucking dare you show up here. After three fucking years?” She yelled as he got up and backed away from her. He tried to say something but he couldn’t get any sound out. Next thing he knew he was dodging a well-thrown sandal to the head as she continued to call him every name in the book both in English and Spanish. It was the last time he saw her.

But a couple of weeks ago, he noticed a Facebook message. She made the decision to move down to Florida and wanted to see if he was still there. He debated opening up the message or just deleting it but opted to read it and then go to her profile. She seemed happy, really happy. And noticeably single. So one thing led to another and she made the drive over to Tampa so they could meet for coffee and talk. He knew the guys had their opinions so he opted to keep a low profile about it for as long as he could.

“This is good practice Vandy, I get to do the whole dad spiel about being home before midnight and all of tha- ow!” Marcus ducked as Victoria threw a dish rag at him.

“Leave her alone, mi amor. Come back whenever you want Nessa, or don’t,” Victoria winked as her sister rolled her eyes. “So, what did you guys decide on?”

“I suggested Splitsville. Figured we could bowl and maybe eat, I dunno seemed like a good choice. He was excited about it.”

“C’mon admit it, you also picked it because it’s ‘Insta-worthy’!” Marcus chuckled as he made air quotes with his fingers.

“Oh my god, you’re such a dad,” Vanessa groaned. “Please don’t ever say Insta-worthy again, Buck.”

“Ooo, are you starting up your foodie blog again?” Victoria rubbed her hands together. “You always find the best places.”

“Excuse me?” Marcus brought a hand to his chest, “she’s not the only foodie in this family.”

“Of course, mi amor,” she kissed Marcus on the cheek as he plated the kid’s dinner. “Between the two of you, we always have the coolest spots to check out.”

“Are you sure this looks ok Vic? Not too casual?” Vanessa did a little twirl as Mariella clapped in her high chair.

Figuring out what to wear was always a chore for Vanessa, especially in recent years when she didn’t really care to shop for clothes…or look in the mirror for that matter. She’d changed outfits about 15 times, completely ransacking her closet. The final winner was a pair of dark wash jeans and a well-worn Tampa Bay Rays t-shirt, topped with a flannel. Victoria thought it was a bit unnecessary to wear a flannel in the middle of summer, but knew it was a security blanket for her sister.

“I think you look great, Vandy,” Marcus winked with a soft smile.

Will sat on the couch playing a video game, trying to hide his smile as Benny paced around the living room. “You excited?”

Benny stopped and looked over as he finished buttoning up his sleeve. “Yeah. J called a little bit ago…thought he was going to give me shit…” Benny trailed off rubbing the back of his neck.

“We’re excited to see you out there again Bean,” Will paused his game, putting the controller down to walk over and assess his brother’s outfit. “You look like….me…why’re wearing this?” Will grabbed at the front of Benny’s button-down shirt.

“I dunno…I wanted to look nice,” Benny pouted looking down at his outfit.

“Wear what makes you comfortable Ben. C’mon,” with a reassuring pat on his brother’s shoulder, he led him back to the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed as Benny went through his hangers.

Without saying a word, Benny changed out of his long-sleeve button-down shirt and slipped on a fresh white crewneck t-shirt and black jean jacket. He switched out his boots, put on some sneakers, and grabbed a baseball cap.

“There’s my Bean,” Will smiled. “Feeling better?” Benny nodded as the corners of his mouth turned up.

“Tia Nessa? I wanna see Bunny!” Mariella waddled over to the couch where Vanessa sat.

“Si mi vida, Bunny is coming over soon,” she moved over so Mariella could work her way onto the couch next to her. It was so cute how quickly her little niece had taken to Benny. The past couple of days she’d managed to get home from picking up the kids around the same time Benny was finishing up his run. Mariella would squeal when she saw him and he’d do something silly to make her laugh.

Nico sat quietly coloring with Victoria as they all heard the doorbell ring. Vanessa went to stand up but Marcus intercepted since he was already up. Opening the door, he found Benny shifting from foot to foot with his hands in his pockets.

“Hey there Benny, good to see you, come on in,” he held the door open for Benny to pass through.

“Bunny!!” Mariella quickly got herself off the couch and rushed over to Benny, nearly tripping over her unsteady legs in the process.

“Hey baby girl,” Benny smiled, whisking the little girl off of her feet as she giggled.

She started to babble and Benny looked around the room in the hopes someone could translate toddler.

“She asked if you’re taking Vanessa ‘bye bye’ in the car,” Victoria’s heart melted seeing Mariella bond so quickly with Benny.

“Ohh ah yeah, I guess. Yeah, we’re going to go ‘bye bye’ in the car. But I’ll bring her back, I promise,” Benny winked.

“You, ah, ready to go?” Vanessa got up, grabbing her crossbody from the counter.

Seeing her about took his breath away. She looked effortlessly beautiful, and he suddenly felt less self-conscious about his casual attire.

“Yeah. I…um…can I put you down so I can take your um…Tia…out?” Benny raised his eyebrows waiting for a response. With an enthusiastic nod, he set Mariella down and she ran to Marcus and hugged his leg. “Ah, after you,” Benny put his arm out, gesturing for Vanessa to pass, while wishing the Pikes a good night. He could feel Marcus’ eyes on him so he tried his best to not let his eyes wander as she walked by him.

“Don’t keep her out too late now,” Marcus winked as Vanessa groaned, grabbing Benny’s hand to quickly lead him out of the house before Marcus had another chance to embarrass her.

“Sorry about him,” Vanessa quickly dropped Benny’s hand once he closed the front door. “Buck looks for any chance to give me shit.” She furrowed her brows as Benny followed her to the passenger side of his car.

“It’s alright, hell I’ve done worse to Will,” he chuckled, opening the door for her.

She quickly got in and sat a bit dumbfounded as he sprinted around to his side of the car. It’s not that she hadn’t ever had a man open a door for her, her sister was married to Marcus “Mr. Romance” Pike after all, but it still gave her butterflies and made her even more excited for the night to come.

“So, I have a confession to make,” Frankie said as he sprawled out on his bed, propping the phone against a pillow.

“Ooo mysterious. Tell me more Morales,” Jo quipped. She was nestled underneath a fluffy blanket on her couch for what had become her favorite part of the day - her nightly FaceTime chat with Frankie.

“So, what would you say if I ah,” he ruffled his hair and took a deep breath, “what if I came up there next weekend? I know you’re busy with work and stuff, but I’ll be out of your hair by Monday. You can drop me off at the airport before you go to work, or I’ll take an Uber.” He waited for what felt like an eternity for her to respond, wondering if his Wi-Fi crapped out because she was stuck looking at him. “What do you say mi cielo? I, I don’t have to, if you already have plans-”

“No! I mean yes….I mean, no I don’t already have plans and yes I would love for you to come up here. Are you sure? Doing this so last minute?” She couldn’t help the huge smile that stretched across her face. Being away from Frankie for the past week was torture and the idea of getting to spend a couple of days with him, being wrapped in his arms and hearing his laugh ring in her ears made her downright giddy.

“I’ve been thinking about doing it since you left, so it’s not as last-minute as you think babe,” he winked.

“Well, I am clearing my entire schedule. We can play tourist for a day and then maybe hang out…be lazy, order some takeout, cuddle, ooo and we can watch movies in person rather than one of us being on a delay,” her eyes twinkled as she started to race through various ideas.

Frankie chuckled, he loved it when she got excited and started to ramble. “Whatever we do, I’ll be happy because I’ll be with you.”

“I’m so excited! This next week is going to go by even slower now that I have something to look forward to,” she beamed.

“Are you serious?” Vanessa shook her head, dumbfounded that Benny casually threw a perfect game. Trick shot after trick shot, it didn’t matter, he always got a strike.

Benny didn’t even watch his last shot. He had his eyes on Vanessa as he put his back to the lane and released the ball behind him. Hearing the pins knocked down, he sauntered back over, flashing a boyish grin.

“Ooo yay, the food is here,” he rubbed his hands together, looking at the spread. All of his training had made him build up quite the appetite these days, so he wasn’t shy about ordering his fair share.

“Wait wait!” Vanessa put her hands up to stop him from taking a mozzarella stick. “Sorry, I um…one sec,” She bit her bottom lip, pulling out her phone and then rearranging the plates. Benny looked on confused but also amused, admiring how her brows furrowed as she concentrated on getting everything to look just right.

Pleased with her setup, she started snapping photos. “Sorry…I am one of those people, annoying I know, but I figured tonight was a good excuse to start up my account again,” she didn’t look up from her phone as she took a couple of videos too. “Phone eats first,” she winked before motioning that the coast was clear.

“What kind of account you have?”

“Oh, it’s just on Instagram…I started it a few years back…it’s a fun way to explore the food scene and…sorry this is all boring I’ll stop,” she laughed to herself as she grabbed a few nachos.

“No, no, it’s not boring, I like it. I like food, clearly,” he motioned to the four plates in front of him and she snorted. “Lemme see, I wanna follow.” He motioned toward her phone with his chin.

She reluctantly handed him the phone and watched as he scrolled her account. After a few moments, she saw his forehead scrunch.

“What? I know, I don’t always have the best lighting, I’ve been meaning to buy myself a little light thing and - “

“No, hey,” he put his hand on her forearm, which sent an electric pulse up her body. She suddenly felt like it was way too warm for her flannel. “No this is great, these photos are beautiful…I just was wondering where you were.”

“What?”

“I don’t see you in any of these photos. Maybe your hands every once in a while, but how come you’re not in these?” He shook the phone as he turned it back to her.

“Oh…I…um…I dunno I guess I’d rather have the focus be on the food,” she looked down, playing with the straw of her water. The truth of the matter was she was tired of dealing with the random trolls who would end up making a comment about her body or how much she went out to eat. She deleted everything off of her account that had her face in it, opting to showcase the food instead.

“Hmm…” Benny nodded, handing back her phone. He pulled his out and started typing as she looked on with inquiring eyes. “There, you have a new follower,” he winked.

She looked at the notification, trying to steady her breath at how hot he looked in his profile picture. “Holy shit, are you like an influencer or something?!”

Benny looked a bit sheepish, “I started the account when I got into fighting…a way to promote them…and then I just kept posting gym stuff and it grew from there.”

“Well, you have a lot of very loyal fans it seems,” Vanessa smirked as she scrolled through some particularly thirsty comments on his account. Normally something like this would be a complete red flag, especially given her ex’s history, but there was something about Benny’s shy smile that put her mind a little more at ease.

“Pope used to date a girl who did social media stuff for her job so she set it up for me. I don’t post a ton, but it’s there. I’m mostly on there to help keep an eye on my niece, lord knows her dad is a lost cause when it comes to anything on his phone that’s more than making a call,” he chuckled to himself. “But now I’m excited to see your food stuff on my feed,” he smiled.

“Well thanks…I started the account when I lived in Charlotte…gave me an excuse to get around and explore,” she gave a tight smile as she bit into a slider.

“Maybe we can explore some stuff…together?” Benny’s hopeful eyes found hers as she slowed her chewing.

“Um…ok, yeah sure, that’d be fun,” she smiled back. “Although you may regret what you’re signing yourself up for,” she winked.

He regarded her with a lopsided grin. “Oh, I don’t think I’m gonna regret it at all, boss lady.”

Three weeks to fight night

Things around Mule Fall Court settled into an easy routine the following week. Benny and Frankie kept a consistent schedule at the gym. Sometimes Connor would tag along too, although he was trying to soak up the last bits of summer before he and Aria had to head back to school. Meanwhile, Will and Santiago were nearly done with Melissa’s backyard and already looking for their next project. One day as they were cleaning up, Victoria stopped over and they talked about her lawn. They all agreed that it would be a good project to tackle once Benny’s fight was done.

Will found himself hanging out with Katie a few nights so they could finish up the last season of The Mandalorian. He had to admit, he actually really enjoyed it as much as the company he had while watching it. Ever since they established their boundaries as friends, it felt like a weight was lifted off. They were able to just relax and found themselves opening up in ways they hadn’t with another person in years, or ever. Will also decided to treat himself a bit and got a motorcycle. He found riding around, feeling the wind in his face, to be calming.

Katie and Megan made a vow to restart their weekly wine night, adding the usual suspects to the mix. New to the group was Katie’s coworker, Miranda. Like Megan, she was a single mother and rarely took time to do anything for herself. It had taken a few weeks of coaxing but Katie finally convinced her to take Aria up on the babysitting offer and come over for a night of laughs and girl talk – yes, David included himself in that.

Benny and Vanessa hung out a few more times. Thanks to some good-intentioned meddling from Marcus, he recruited Benny to come over and keep Vanessa company while he and Victoria enjoyed a night out to celebrate their anniversary. They played with the kids all night and ordered pizza. Vanessa was thankful to have Benny there since he was able to run around and tire the kids out.

Mariella was adamant that Benny tucked her into her crib and Benny and Vanessa stayed in her room for a while until she went to sleep. Vanessa learned that Benny had a beautiful voice. He sang a lullaby to Mariella to finally get her to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. Settling back on the couch, Benny dutifully listened as Vanessa showed him a few restaurants that recently caught her eye online.

He was still nervous about pushing things too far, but couldn't help but flirt with her. What made him even more nervous was he felt like she was flirting back. He so badly wanted to kiss her, trying his hardest to keep his eyes from drifting to her lips. She moved closer to him, crossing a leg on the couch to face him, laughing at a joke he made. When the laughter died down, she looked at him, trying to steady her breathing. He licked his bottom lip and her eyes betrayed her, looking down as she sucked a breath in. At the same time, they both leaned forward, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. His lips were near to hers when they heard the garage door, pulling them both away from each other like two teenagers who had gotten caught almost making out by their parents.

With a deep breath, Frankie looked at the calendar hanging on his fridge by a single magnet. This date was one he’d been equally dreading and looking forward to – a year since he flushed the last bit of his stash down the toilet and decided to start the journey of putting all of the broken pieces back together again. It hadn’t been an easy year by any stretch of the imagination, but quietly and steadily he made it to milestone after milestone.

Valeria was the first person to text him this morning. She knew her brother shied away from attention, so she acknowledged the day with a simple I’m proud of you Paco. Love you. She followed that up with a picture of his niece and nephew smiling at the camera, Antonio proudly showing off the gap from the tooth he lost this week.

Jo texted him this morning none the wiser about the significance of this day other than the fact that it meant she was going to see Frankie. It had only been two weeks since their shared flight down to Tampa. Lucille and Valeria had both separately referred to it as the “flight that changed your life” but Frankie hadn't fully embraced that moniker. It had been so long since he’d opened up his heart in this way. He battled with a constant inner struggle between wanting to guard his heart and wanting to jump head-first into this.

This weekend’s trip felt momentous for several reasons, but the biggest was that Frankie planned to tell Jo everything about his past. Although it was under different circumstances, opening up to Lucille and having her embrace him with love and compassion did wonders for him. For so long he’d been in a spiral of self-loathing, thinking that everyone was disappointed by him and that he was a failure. But Lucille cracked the door open and shined some light and he was hopeful that Jo would kick it wide open. The idea of sharing the darkest parts of himself and his past terrified him more than crash-landing a helicopter, but it was something he had to do. He wanted more with Jo and if he had any chance at it, he had to be honest with her.

Next Time on As the Mule Falls: We get closer and closer to fight night. The neighbors host a party to welcome the Pikes to the neighborhood. A little bit of pining and angst. More Cousin Joel phone calls.

A/N: Hi! First, I hope you are still enjoying this series. We have SO many storylines in play with several more to come, I do have a plan for all of this I promise. And all of those eagerly awaiting Cousin Joel (me included), he’s on his way soon. That’s part of the reason why we had some time jumps in this episode. With that being said, I’m going to try something new and do some extras in addition to the episodes. Consider it your extended or deleted scenes if we were watching the box set of DVDs of the season (dating myself with that reference). I’m already planning an extra to show more of Benny and Vanessa’s bowling date along with a one-shot of Frankie’s trip to Atlanta.

Thank you as always for reading, sharing, or sending me a message about this story!

Taglist: @goodwithcheese / @gemmahale / @trulybetty / @noxturnalpascal / @periodtsparadox / @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin / @maggiemayhemnj / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @avastrasposts / @meveispunk / @chaoticfestninja / @beboldbebravethings / @casa-boiardi / @katw474 / @linzels-blog / @laughing-in-th3-purple-rain / @pimosworld / @lynnchun / @anoverwhelmingdin /@lilmizmoz / @pedrit0-pascalit0 / @titlee78 / @noisynightmarepoetry / @inept-the-magnificent / @perennialdoll247 / @for-a-longlongtime / @readingiskeepingmegoing / @harriedandharassed / @musings-of-a-rose / @anavatazes / @sherala007 / @midnightraain / @partyofone3414 / @inthedarkestnight / @millennial-teenybopper / @csarab615 / @darkheartgatita / @southernbe / @weho2kcmo / @itspdameronthings / @mclibs23

#triple frontier fic #triple frontier fanfiction #triple frontier #benny miller #frankie morales #will miller #santiago pope garcia

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thelunarfairy · 4 months

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Hello, I hope you are doing well. Can you give an analysis on Aoi and Akane's relationship? I mean their relationship is really toxic and there is nothing healthy about it. I also think Akane (the boy) has some sort of obsessive love disorder. Can you share your thoughts about them?

So, we come to the moment where we will talk about these two.

I once saw a very pertinent analysis based on a small discussion about Akane's behavior. The theme was "Akane wasn't suffocating Aoi"

I found myself laughing, but not from joy or happiness, but from noticing that it was necessary for someone to have to explain that Akane wasn't choking Aoi. If you're curious, this is the scene:

Can you tell that from the moment someone has to explain that Akane wasn't trying to suffocate Aoi, there's something wrong?

Violence rooted in a relationship, oh, is never a good sign. I often say that of all the characters, Akane is one of the ones that scares me the most.

Obsession, possessiveness, aggressiveness, anger, impatience are not words that look good together in a sentence, nor in anyone's chest.

Could we use them to describe Akane? I've always found Aidairo's ability to turn problematic interactions into comical ones impressive. Sure, a boy with a baseball bat who humiliates himself to a girl while attacking guys who are interested in her is really "funny."

~contains sarcasm~

It was there from the beginning.

So you ask me, could we then say that Akane is just an aggressive guy?

Ah sigh the narrative lines don't work linearly, they intertwine. Akane constantly molds himself from the beginning, and as he becomes a relevant character, his development begins to blossom.

Akane was similar to Nene. Both placing Aoi on a pedestal, trying to love Aoi's most superficial side, to the point that she herself begins to suffocate in her own persona.

Aoi reveals to us in the future that she is not perfect, that she makes mistakes and can be mean when necessary, she confesses. And Akane, who had doubts, still waited for her to truly confess what her own nature was.

Nene didn't accept that Aoi threw her into limbo because she wanted to, she just decided to believe that everything was the influence of number six. Nene never delves too deeply into Aoi's problems, or even Hanako's, but that's not the topic we're going to get into now.

Akane is finally able to see clearly how Aoi feels, and he discovers that she likes him. From that moment on, his behavior changes. How long has it been since you saw Akane humiliating himself again for Aoi?

His behavior has changed, you can compare

He changed after the events on the far shore, after almost losing her, after learning more about her. He noticed that Aoi didn't allow her eyes to shine when he was so superficial with her like the others.

He noticed that she appreciates his love but he was taking the wrong approach, he became equal to others. Then his behavior changes.

This change caught my attention. A simple conversation was enough for him to notice what was wrong, not just about himself, but how he could love someone he didn't know so well, even though he thought he did.

Aoi tends to blush when she's with him at specific moments, and these are usually the simplest and most casual moments, like touching hands, for example.

How can she be nervous while he touches her, holding the hem of her dress with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Akane doesn't act so aggressively towards Teru when he finds out that he "likes" Aoi, of course he has a reaction, but it doesn't compare to the reactions he had with the other guys.

So that's why we can't label him, we can't give Akane a title when he's still developing, but there's the toxic relationship.

The relationship of few words and many superficial and obsessive actions. Aoi could refuse Akane as many times as she wanted, but Akane couldn't be interested in anyone, Aoi would collapse.

Akane doesn't accept that Aoi has anyone, he can accept that she doesn't stay with him, but not that she finds someone else.

There is no desire for happiness here. What there is is selfish love. "I love her very much, but she can't be with anyone but me."

"I like him, but we're just friends. Still, he can't fall in love with any other girl"

Genuine Love is the one that hurts. The one you love and want the other person to be happy, even if you're not by their side. Genuine love is freedom.

There is no freedom between them.

One is stuck with the other. One hides the truth from the other. One molds itself to please the other.

Aoi is the perfect and defenseless girl, Akane is the silly boy who declares himself all the time to the girl he likes.

But the truth, Aoi is the lonely girl, who is afraid to show the truth for fear that people will hate her, she just wants to be treated like other people. Akane is an intelligent boy who got involved with supernaturals and doesn't know how to deal with the love he feels for her.

"I love this part of you, I hate this part of you"

Whoever loves, loves the whole and learns to deal with the other's defects. Whoever loves allows the other to be who they really are.

And in the case of Aoi and Akane, they have now learned about each other's flaws, and are trying to allow themselves to truly love.

A toxic relationship between two people who still don't know how to love.

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certifiedlibraryposts · 4 months

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Ah. Lesbian was a typo. I'm sorry. Thank you all for your help. The book is a Charles Schulz anthology of only baseball related comic strips. Every baseball themed comics ever written for the peanuts. We have found books with some of the comics, or a mix of baseball and non baseball. I don't know if it helps, but it would have been released between 2010&2014 and was a hardback book. Lesbrarians assemble?

No need to apologize for the typo my friend it was delightful

I don't have the time at the moment for a much more in-depth search myself, all I could find was "Batter Up, Charlie Brown" and "Charlie Brown: POW!". Throwing this out there if anyone else has any leads!

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thedevilsoftruth · 2 months

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Here's some fucking Marc Spector hcs or whatever tf because I'm crazy.

New wave girlie. Mfs theme song in The Midnight Mission was literally The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen. You can't look at him and tell me he isn't in the shower and screaming the lyrics to Policy of Truth by Depeche Mode.

Played the drums for a little bit. He needed a new hobby to distract himself but he could never get into it.

Mf does not trim his beard or cut his hair. Steven has to do it because Jake isn't any better at shaving either. " Ah, the ladies love it " he says as an excuse.

" Steven I need a new suit, please help. "

Please don't call him. My bro does NOT like being called. Just text him, mf 😭

Ear gauges. Because I said so. He has an eyebrow slit, so he needs ear gauges to go with it.

After Marc began seeing Khonshu when he was 12, he began slowly becoming more hostile to people at school. Especially in 8th grade. he got into a lot of fights with people and kind of ruined his reputation for a bit until he got into high school. His parents had to change districts.

Hairy ass mf legs. My man is a monster when he's in control of the body because his body hair grows back like... Really quick and he doesn't want to do anything about it.

He did taekwondo when he was 8-13. (No, this is not me self inserting)

He loves cats. One time after a really big fight, he sat by a dumpster and called Frenchie to come get him and help patch him up, but a really fat calico with a few fresh scratch marks came and sat next to him, and he adopted it. Frenchie was really confused when they got in the car. " Who's the cat? " " His name is Frank. " Poor franks white fur was covered in his own blood and Marcs. Looks like Marc wasn't the only one getting patched up that night.

One of his dream occupations when he was a kid was to be an areospace engineer.

Used to have baseball days with his dad. They'd watch games together at restaurants n stuff.

Thriller movie guy.

Khonshu decided to punish him and strip him away of some of his powers because Marc refused to do a mission and finally expressed to him about how he felt abused, so when he went into the dangerous mission, he came out partially blind.

His first car was a Ford f150.

Hates California. Hates Texas even more.

Eats lucky charms for breakfast, even as a 38 year old man.

" Steven why the fuck do you need apple airpods and how does this benefit killing Scarlet Scarab? "

He has a habit of catching things that fall with his feet. One time Marlene dropped a knife when they were cooking dinner together and he tried to catch it with his foot and um... Blood was shed.

Went on a double date to the state fair with Marlene and Frenchie & Rob. made Frenchie take all the pictures and carry their food, Marc threw up on grass after going on a dinosaur ride for shits and giggles. Also because he ate too many doughnuts. He loves doughnuts, man. They also went and watched a duck race and Marc participated and let one of the ducks go and his duck won. He was very excited about getting a smiley face sticker and a rubber duck. He gave Marlene the rubber duck.

He is absolutely bisexual, I don't care what you say. You can't look at him and Frenchie ( and the punisher ) and tell me they weren't at least a little gay for each other.

#marvel #marvel cinematic universe #marvel mcu #marc spector #moon knight #steven grant #jake lockley #moon knight comics #marvel comics #comic marc spector #marc spector headcanon #moon knight headcanons #mcu headcanons #marvel headcanons #marvel hcs #moon knight hcs #moon boys #Frenchie duchamp

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likkolo · 3 months

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Changbin envies Felix for the fact that he wears feminine clothes so effortlessly, thinking that he could never do the same. The pack shows him he's wrong

(OT8, omegaverse, omega Changbin and Felix, boys in dresses, light angst, body insecurity, chubby changbin, body worship)

🤲

Changbin watches Felix’s eyes light up as he’s presented with another white giftbox tied with a red ribbon. Changbin knows what that box means. Felix has gotten a handful of them already, and it’s always something dainty and beautiful for him to wear that brings out his beguiling omegan charms.

A strappy yellow sundress, an emerald green velvet skirt, a sheer black blouse.

Felix looks gorgeous in all of them, and he knows it.

The entire pack knows it, and the alphas especially know it. That’s why they keep buying him such pretty things and gifting them to him in a white box with red ribbon.

Felix beams as he lifts the lid off the box and pulls out the dress inside. It’s baby pink with embroidered eyelets that will give a peek of Felix’s perfect skin. Changbin has no doubt that Felix will look gorgeous in it. He wants to see Felix put it on right away, wants to have the honor of tying the halter straps in a big bow at Felix's delicate nape. Wants to see Felix giggle in happiness as he turns in a twirl for his alphas.

The dress itself is lovely, but the sight of Felix wearing it will be enchanting.

Changbin looks down at his own clothes—gym shorts and a t-shirt, just like every other day—and can’t help feeling lackluster. He knows his bulk makes him different for an omega, even though he wouldn’t say he dislikes his body. But the pride he takes in his muscles has always been less about vanity and more about the evidence of his dedication and diligence. It’s a physical representation of a hobby that he loves, not unlike Hyunjin’s sketchbook or Seungmin’s lovingly curated baseball card collection. At the end of the day, he’s still painfully aware that his physique is far from ideal for an omega.

That’s okay though, because he didn’t fit the omegan ideal back when he was scrawny either. He’s never possessed the daintiness that Felix exudes so effortlessly. Now at least he has a pack who doesn’t want him to be something he isn’t, who loves him exactly how he is.

The omegan desire to feel pretty is still there though. As is the desire to receive gifts from his alphas, to be fawned over and showered with compliments. To be shown that he’s wanted, desired. Valued.

But his body just isn’t one that can be dressed up in the sorts of things that come in boxes tied with ribbons. He isn’t pretty, and he can’t wear feminine clothes. No one would want to see him in any of the garments that look so natural on Felix.

And yet—

Sometimes he thinks about what it would be like to get a box with a pretty garment inside, to have all his alphas ooh and ahh at the sight of him dressed up in something pretty and feminine. To hold them in a trance as he spins around for them.

He knows it will never happen.

“Bin-ah,” Minho says quietly, his fingers inching towards Changbin's hand. “What’s wrong, bun?”

“Nothing, hyung.” Changbin tries to smile, but the bunching of his cheeks causes a tear to fall from his eye. He hastily wipes it away. “I’m fine.”

Minho stares at him, then seems to relent. He closes his fingers around Changbin's and promises, “we’ll talk about it later.”

Changbin loves his hyung, but he doesn’t expect for ‘later’ to ever come.

That night they all gather in the den, climbing into the pack bed dressed in variations on the theme of pajamas. Changbin shucks his shorts so that he’s just wearing his boxers and t-shirt. He tries not to feel too wistful about Felix’s gold silk pajamas or the gauzy midnight blue kimono he wears over top.

It’s fine. Felix has the sort of body that ought to be adorned in things like that. Changbin, on the other hand, would look silly in anything other than his usual boxers and t-shirt.

Then Minho surprises Changbin by tugging him into his lap and carding his fingers through his hair. “Changbinnie,” he says. “It’s time for you to tell me why you were crying earlier.”

Everyone immediately turns to look at Changbin, frowning in confusion and waiting to hear what happened. “I already told you,” he says, avoiding their eyes. “It was nothing.”

“Something about Yongbok-ah’s dress upset you,” Minho presses.

Changbin glances around, sees brows furrowing at him.

“You didn’t like my new dress, hyung?” Felix asks, distraught.

“No, of course I did!” Changbin says quickly. “It’s beautiful.”

Minho’s hand comes to rest on his nape. “Then why were you crying?”

It’s not a question this time—it’s a demand. Changbin hunches his shoulders, shrinking in on himself. He’s embarrassed, but he knows Minho won’t let it go until he confesses. “Felix looks so pretty in his feminine clothes,” he says, his voice shaking. “I just… sometimes I wish I could look pretty too.”

There’s silence for a moment, just long enough to fill Changbin with dread, and then everyone begins to talk at once.

“You do?”

“Baby, you’ve never told us that.”

“We never thought you liked that sort of thing!”

“We thought you were happy in your comfy workout stuff,” Chan says apologetically. “I don’t think any of us realized that you had an interest in feminine clothes.”

“I do, but—” Changbin hates that he’s going to have to admit out loud that he wants something so antithetical to who he is. The pack will have to tell him it’s impossible, that those desires are for other omegas who can fulfill the expectations of their subgender. “I know I shouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?” Hyunjin asks. “Why shouldn’t you?”

Oh, Changbin thinks, they’re going to make him tell them that it’s impossible. He hangs his head. “It just wouldn’t look right on me. It wouldn’t be right for someone like me.”

“It wouldn’t?”

“I’m too big. I’m— not shaped right. I can’t be pretty, so there’s no point in dressing me up in something cute.”

“But, hyung, you’re so beautiful.”

“I’m not,” Changbin denies.

“We all love your shape and your muscles, you know that, right?”

Changbin nods automatically. “I know, but I can’t wear a dress. I won’t look the way Felix looks.”

Jeongin nudges him. “You’ll look like you, and that’s perfect.”

“Hyung will buy you a dress, baby,” Chan tells him. “We’ll get you all the pretty clothes you want and then you’ll see how beautiful you are.”

“No, don’t,” Changbin protests. “You won’t like it, I know you won’t.”

“How could you know that?”

“I just know.”

“Well, I think you’re wrong.”

Changbin sighs in frustration. “Whatever, hyung, let’s just go to bed.”

They let Changbin turn over and snuggle into his pillow, effectively ending the conversation. Someone tries to cling onto him for cuddles, but when he shrugs them off they let him go. Changbin hopes that that’s the end of it.

And it seems like it is. No one mentions it the next day, or the day after. He notices that they’re a little more complimentary about his body maybe, a little pointed with their physical affection, but that’s it.

Changbin doesn’t think about it anymore, until the next time he sees one of the white giftboxes with a red ribbon. He comes home from the gym and spots it sitting out on the kitchen counter, just waiting to be discovered by Felix.

He’s surprised by the complicated cocktail of emotions that suddenly twists within him.

On one hand, it’s definitely time for Felix to receive another pretty little gift. Changbin would feel awful if the alphas pulled back on spoiling Felix just because Changbin has issues. But he can’t deny that he really doesn’t want to see Felix open his gift or try on the garment. His heart is still tender, and he knows it would hurt to watch the pack fawn over Felix now that they know he wishes it were him. That he wishes it were him, but knows it’s impossible.

He’s just about to turn away, to go to his own bedroom and pretend to be asleep if it gets him out of having to watch Felix open the box, when he hears Chan.

“It’s yours, baby bunny.”

Changbin turns. “What?”

“The box, yeobo. It’s for you.”

Changbin’s ears burn as he stares at Chan. “Me?” he asks. His stomach feels cold and sour, full of a trepidation that he doesn’t fully understand. “But I said not to—”

Chan takes his hand and kisses his dimpled knuckles. “It’s okay if you don’t like it, or if it doesn’t work out. We just wanted to show you that we think you’re beautiful, and that you deserve to think so too.”

“Okay,” Changbin whispers. He picks up the box, too full of nerves to appreciate the thrill of being given a gift. His fingers begin to tug at the ribbon, but Chan says:

“Wait. Is it okay if the others are here to watch you open it? Or maybe it would be better for us all to go in the den.”

Changbin nods numbly and lets Chan lead him down the hallway. In his pocket, his phone pings with a notification from the pack group chat. Chan puts his phone away, and Changbin guesses that Chan has called for everyone to gather in the den.

As the others filter into the room, Changbin notices that not a single one of them is surprised to see him clutching the giftbox. Pleasantly surprised, maybe, to see that he’s agreed to open it.

Changbin looks around, feeling exposed with seven pairs of eyes on him. “I’m really not sure about this,” he says weakly.

“It’s okay,” Minho says. “It’s just for you to try.”

“You deserve to feel pretty, hyung,” says Felix. “We want to make that happen for you.”

“Okay,” Changbin whispers again, and unties the ribbon.

All he sees when he first opens the box is black. It’s not until he reaches in and pulls the garment out that he discovers it’s a slinky little off-the-shoulder dress, probably about mid-thigh in length. He sees tiny spaghetti shoulder straps, but they must just be there for extra support since the dress also has wide bardot-style straps that should fall just below his delts. In spite of himself, Changbin is pleased when he realizes that the dress will put both his biceps and traps on full display.

Then he sees that it has an open cowl back, and he worries that something so sexy will just make his bulky figure look even more ridiculous.

"We went with something classic and a little cool,” Jeongin explains, “since it’s a vibe that we thought you’d be comfortable with. But please know that we think you’ll be just as adorable in pastels and tulle.”

Changbin hides his face in the dress as a delighted squeal bubbles up from his chest. “Iyen-ah!” he giggles. “You really think hyung is adorable?”

“Of course I do,” Jeongin says. “We all do.”

“Now go try on your dress.”

Changbin rushes into the en-suite bathroom and strips off his shorts and t-shirt. He’s wearing boxers again, so after a moment of deliberation he slides them off as well. Then he tugs the dress over his head, praying that it fits. To his relief, he feels the fabric stretching easily to accommodate his curves. He pulls it down, adjusts the straps on his arms, and looks at himself in the mirror.

Somehow the first thing Changbin notices is his bare face and wavy hair. Felix looks like a forest elf without makeup, but Changbin looks like a child. A scared child, especially with the messy curls hanging into his eyes. But he can’t do anything about that right now, so he forces himself to look down at the dress.

It’s not so bad. Maybe. It is weird to see a little black dress stretched over a built body like his. But at least it looks like he’s wearing it correctly. The off-shoulder neckline even gives him some nice cleavage, showing off about as much of his bosom as a low scoop-neck tank top would. He peers over his shoulder and finds that he seems to have positioned the open back properly. There’s a lot of skin showing, but Changbin is pleased that it actually displays his sculpted back quite nicely. Then he turns to the side and realizes that his whole gut is sticking out.

He turns forward again, only to discover that his belly is actually visible from the front as well. He hadn’t noticed before, but he can see the dimple of his belly button through the fabric and the curve where his lower belly pooch hangs down.

Changbin’s heart sinks. There’s no way he can let them see him in this. Looking weird and too masculine in the dress was bad enough, but looking fat too is just humiliating. Every inch of him is just as ugly as he knew it would be, and he should have known from the start that this would be a disaster.

There’s a knock on the door. “Binnie? How’s it going?”

“I can’t come out,” Changbin says, disheartened. “I look ugly, just like I told you I would.”

“If you don’t mind, hyung, we’d like to be the judges of that.”

Changbin hangs his head. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Okay, but just come out so we can see what the issues are, and then we can look for something that’ll suit you better.”

Changbin sighs, sure that they’re going to keep needling him until he caves. He opens the door a crack and peeks out before nervously shuffling into the den.

He watches all the eyes on him widen as they travel over his body.

“Stand up straight, bun. Let us look at you properly.”

Changbin straightens his posture, awkwardly smoothing his hands over his hips to dry the nervous sweat on his palms.

No one else says anything. They just stare.

Finally, Minho says, “baby, you look perfect.”

“Shut up,” Changbin mumbles.

“He’s right,” Jisung says. “It’s stunning.”

Changbin huffs. “You don’t have to lie. I know I look weird and fat.”

“You don’t,” Chan says. “Please believe me, Bin. You look so good.”

Changbin takes a handful of his gut. “But look, this dress doesn’t hide my belly at all.”

“You could put shapewear under it if you really wanted to,” Felix shrugs, “but you don’t need to hide your belly, hyung. It’s cute.”

“It suits your personality and the rest of your figure,” Seungmin says. “It’s perfect for you.”

“We like to know that our omega eats well,” Hyunjin adds. “Besides, being strong and soft is literally the sexiest thing you could be.”

Changbin’s ears warm as he takes in the praise. “You really think so?”

“Of course.”

“You look powerful and sexy.”

“So sexy.”

“Really?” Changbin asks.

“Come here and let me show you what I think.”

Changbin reluctantly steps forward, lets them pull him towards the pack bed. Suddenly all seven of them are surrounding him, their fingers scrabbling at the fabric of the dress, their hands running over the planes and curves of his body.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel totally comfortable in this, but think about what you want your next surprise to be,” Minho tells him, as he settles between Changbin’s legs. “Something cute in pastels, like Innie said? Something nice to wear to bed?” His hands run over Changbin’s knees, spreading them wider so that he can push closer. “We can take you shopping if you want. Pick you out all sorts of things.”

“I-I don’t know,” Changbin mumbles. His breath hitches as he feels Minho’s tongue on his inner thigh, as Minho’s perfect nose butts against the hem of the dress.

Someone else is kissing down his neck, sucking along the slope of his trapezius. They pull the strap of the dress up so they can run their palm down the muscles in his arm. Changbin flexes on instinct and gets a moan in response.

“The weather’s getting warmer,” Seungmin says. “Maybe hyung would like a short skirt.”

A hand slides along his chest, reaching down to cup one of his bulging pecs. Fingers close around a fat nipple and Changbin shudders in pleasure.

“With a crop top,” Felix adds. “So we can see all this sweet belly pudge.”

Changbin starts to shake his head, then gasps when he feels someone biting his belly through the dress. “Ohhh,” he groans.

“Does my baby like that?” Seungmin purrs. “Can we finally rip this dress off you now?”

Changbin nods, hesitantly at first and then more insistent as Minho moves from kissing his thighs to nuzzling further between his legs.

Chan pulls the dress over his head, leaving Changbin fully naked.

“So pretty,” Jisung murmurs, spreading his palms over the expanse of Changbin’s back. “Don’t think anyone could be prettier than hyung.”

And Changbin thinks… he thinks maybe he could believe it too someday. Maybe the dress isn’t so bad after all. Maybe it’s enough to be pretty in his own way.

He even sort of thinks he likes the dress. Still, it’s no guarantee that other garments would suit him. He’s sure he wouldn’t have the range that Felix has to pull off so many different styles. But if the pack wants to keep trying, if they want to surprise him with gifts and make him feel pretty and wanted…

Changbin thinks he could live with that.

Then Minho takes him in his mouth, and Changbin’s mind goes blank.

#chubby skz #chubby changbin #weight gain fic

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the-fenton-anticreep-stick · 1 year

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@little-pondhead i wanted to add more to the fic from ask I sent you and that you added to so I did :3 (in a separate post because I’ll probably add even more, and others are welcome to as well!! and i didnt want to take up people’s entire dashes snfnfj) @cinturon-cadena

Dan had never quite mastered portals or long-distance teleportation, and he doubted he would be able to while he was so limited by this form, but it was a moot point when his top speed was far faster than Danny’s and he had Clockwork’s Time-Outs at his disposal. He took a quick trip around the globe, tipping over landmarks, moving some buildings, splashing around in some foul-smelling pools of ectoplasm and stealing some left shoes from the ninjas guarding said pools.

Once he was pleased with his mischief, (and more importantly: starting to get hungry,) he headed towards the familiar feel of the cursed city. It was significantly less destroyed than he had left it the last time he’d visited. He understood the necessity of Clockwork’s interference, but it was still disappointing. He had put effort into such widespread destruction!

At least the city’s curse-spirit-mind-whatever it was didn’t remember what he’d done, and as such no longer wanted to give him a slow and torturous End. That didn’t mean it approved of him being there, though.

Time unpaused and he’d barely had the chance to tear down some walls before Gotham slunk out of the shadows.

“Calm yourself!” He growled as he squirmed out of its grasp, wishing he could still turn his form into mist. Intangibility was of little use with a creature like this. “I’m not here for you, or any of those mortals you are so fond of.”

Gotham screeched, and if he had bones, several of them would have undoubtedly been broken. "You are Other! An outsider! You are not welcome here!" It’s voice mingled with the screams of the alarms and the shouts of inmates and guards alike. “You set the Madness loose!“

Their tussle was nonexistent to the mortals as they rolled beneath and through stampeding feet, clawing at each other like alley cats. “All in good fun, Gotham!” He snarled and bit through one of the tendrils intent on relieving him of his eyes. He grimaced at the sludgy texture. “Time Itself sends me, to play with your favored mortals and avenge your dead!”

“You are evil! You will cause harm!“ Gotham screeched.

Dan rolled his eyes. “I will kill the insect who terrorizes what is yours,” He promised as if it were an offering to her, and not something he’d been planning for some time. (Danny had been so upset when the insect who called itself the Batman and its brood were absent from one of his schemes, because they were busy with this Joker insect. It was annoying. No insect, no need for Danny to complain. Danny had even agreed to the plan!) “Decide his fate, and I will enact it!”

The city’s spirit relaxed its grip on him. “You swear it? You will rid me of him, you will leave my Knights alone?"

“I’ll leave them alive.” Unless they challenged him. Then he would destroy them. But that didn’t need to be said.

“I will watch you..." Gotham slipped back into the shadows.

“Oh, how spooky.” Dan grumbled sarcastically as he shook himself in a vain attempt to remove the lasting sensation of Gotham’s touch.

That little disagreement had eaten up much of his precious time before the heroes of this realm could catch up to him. He lifted himself off the floor, startling a few inmates, and surveyed the chaos for a moment, selecting the perfect target. He darted towards the plant themed-villain- Poison Ivy, if he recalled correctly. (He always did.)

The woman staggered, clutching at her head as she tried to force him out. Overriding her will was laughably easy, but he admired her attempt to fight.

“Ah- Hey! You leave her alo- EEP!” With a flick of Ivy’s wrist, Dan suspended the other- Harley, Ivy’s memories named her, -in the air, leaving her dangling from some vines. The baseball bat she’d tried to clobber him with fell to the floor. He kicked it aside as he strode down the hall.

“I’ll give her back.” He said with a shrug, overexerting the woman’s powers to restrain every person he could find within the prison. His plants dragged all the pitiful, trapped mortals to the largest room available, stringing them up from the ceiling in cocoons like the insects they were. There. That would make it easier to find that awful clown.

Unless he’d already escaped. That would be unfortunate. Not for Dan, of course, but unfortunate for anyone who got in the way while he searched the city. And unfortunate for that clown, when Dan caught up.

The clown wasn’t in Arkham, so Dan left the unconscious Poison Ivy on the floor and shot through the roof, grumbling to himself. He flew clear of the building just in time to see Batman enter through a window. He paused, spectral tail flicking back and forth as he thought, before diving back in after the hero.

Danny had said to see how many things he could steal from that utility belt without being caught... And it wasn’t like there was anywhere the clown could go that Dan couldn’t follow.

He slipped out of the visible light spectrum and bit back his gleeful cackles as he liberated some of those delightful green rocks from the confines of the Bat’s pockets.

#fcs.art #fcs.original #dpxdc #supervillain danny au #i very much do like the city spirit gotham idea but wasnt quite sure how to implement it here #dan is such a gremlin i love writing him #bats: WHO LET OUT ALL OF THE INMATES *grabs dan* YOU #question. how dark can i get with this #like i love this au being goofy and campy and will strive to keep that as much as possible but also like #its dan.

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scolbert22 · 1 year

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Tutor's Pet

@brandedx2 requested "BRAWNY FOOTBALL PLAYER IN A HAMSTER CAGE PLEASE" (Talk about microfiction lol)

Grant was a little apprehensive about being the new tutor for the football team, but Coach Anthony had hardly given him a choice in the matter. Them short, sandy haired otter was kind of a pushover, and the older man had sensed weakness in him. Long story short, there he was, knocking Tank's door.

Travis "Tank" O'Neil was a 6'5, 310 pound offensive lineman. He had a fiery copper mohawk, with a heavy brow and beard to match. He was the terror of the English department, as he was both barely literate, and mean as hell. He'd sent more than one tutor to the ER. The towering behemoth was wearing his green and white jersey and a pair of jeans when he opened the door roughly, his eyeline high above Grant's head. He looked down, regarding his next punching bag.

Grant Conners was about 5'6, he had wide blue eyes hidden behind large glasses, and a sandy goatee. in his college sweater, khakis, and high tops painted the picture of a meek bookworm.

"You the one who's gonna keep me from failing?" Tank grunted down at him in his rumbling voice.

"Uh...w-well I am certainly going to do my best!" Grant chirped up with an optimism he did not feel.

Tank laughed cruelly. "Well you better do more than try, little man. 'less you want me to rearrange that pretty little face." he reached down with one of his baseball mitt hands and pinched the little guy's cheek. Grant cringed in pain.

As he followed his charge in, Grant noticed that he was drinking from a plastic bottle of green liquid. It seemed to glow in the light. He noticed that the outside of the bottle was covered in some Cyrillic language, but he couldn't be sure what.

He sat down on a rickety chair across from Tank's bed, where the giant took his seat with a manly grunt. Pulling Jane Eyre out of his bag, He tried to make some pleasant conversation to ease his way in.

"Oh what are you drinking?" He smiled brightly.

"It's some shit I found on the body building forums, supposed to make me swole as fuck." He grunted before downing the last of it. "Shit's not FDA approved but I can already feel it giving me more energy- BWWWARRRP" The ginger goliath belched loudly in his tutor's face.

"Oh! Uh, alright!" Not sure what to say, he pushed forward. "Well, Coach says that you're struggling in your English lit class. Are you struggling with the archaic language? Or is it more the themes of the novel?"

"I don't struggle with anything runt. I'm a champion." Tank growled. "The problem is that it's boring as shit, Who cares about this lame bitch wandering around a stupid old house?" The giant burped again, even longer this time. Grant turned away, trying to hid his disgust. As he did, he noticed a wire cage with a large water bottle hanging from it.

"Oh do you have a hamster?" He tried valiantly to change the subject.

"Had one. Then it bit me." Tank smirked, looking toward the open window. Grant gulped.

"Ah! I see! Well, back to Jane Eyre-" He started, but he was cut off by another explosive belch. He regarded the gassy lineman across from him. Were his clothes looking a little....looser?

"Travis, are you feeling okay?"" he asked.

"My name is BRAAAAAAWWWWP Tank you fuckin cumstain. And I've BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWP never felt better." Tank did his est to menace his tutor, but the uncontrollable burping undermined it somewhat. Additionally, Grant was sure now that Tank was getting smaller. They were nearly eye-level now, and Grant had an experiment he wanted to try.

He reached forward, quick as a flash, and placed his hand on the center of Tank's musclegut. He pressed firmly.

"What the fuck are you doing you little- BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWP!" Tank roared, and belched helplessly against the pressure his would-be victim applied to his solid tummy. He shrank more rapidly now, his feet dangling from the side of the bed. He leapt up in an attempt to tower over Grant, shouting "Quit it dickhead!" This posturing backfired immediately.

The dwindling ginger realized that the top of his head barely reached Grant's chin. His jeans slid to the floor, leaving him in his oversized jersey and his lucky jockstrap.

Grant's eyes lit up. "Well, what's this?" He laughed, peeling the jersey off his pasty, freckled body and tossing it to the floor. He grabbed both sides of the jock and lifted him up like he was in a bungie swing. "How's the weather down there?"

Tanks legs kicked helplessly as he bounced in his dingy jock. "Stop it dude, please!" His voice was higher now, and a twinge of fear had replaced the cocky aggression.

Grant laughed in reply, poking his gut merrily. "Boop!" He declared in a sing song voice.

Tank replied with a belch that rose a few octaves as his size dwindled from "underdeveloped freshman" to "chunky housecat". He dangled helplessly, looking like he was about to cry.

"Please man, I'm beggin' you!" He whimpered, sniffling.

"You know, my friend Michael begged too, when you pushed him downstairs and broke his leg." Grant growled, slapping his belly pink.

The ricochet of burps that followed caused him shrink

down,

down.

He finally settled at about 6 inches tall.

Finally, he felt less bloated.

the former giant curled up in the musky pouch of his own jock, whimpering and blubbering pathetically.

Grant laughed, carrying him over to the vacant hamster cage.

"Don't worry little fella! I'm a much better pet owner than you!" He dumped the naked jock into the enclosure, tossing the jock on top of his discarded clothes. "Now run on that wheel until I say stop, or I'll give you the hamster treatment."

The red faced little man didn't need telling twice. He got up to his feet immediately, panting and whimpering in fear. His squeaky little voice breathlessly shouting "Yes Sir"s and "Please don't hurt me!"s.

Grant kicked back in the giant's old bed. He was just about to finish out the rest of their tutoring session watching his new little pet when there was a stern knock at the door.

Frantically, Grant leapt to his feet. He grabbed the jersey off the floor and draped it over his jock cage, kicking the rest of his clothes under the bed. In his haste, he caught his toe on the minifridge door, knocking it open and biting his finger to prevent from crying out. He hobbled quietly toward the door.

Glancing through the peephole, he saw Coach Anthony. The greying muscle bear was in his track jacket and short shorts, checking his watch impatiently with his cold, silvery eyes.

"Tank, you better not be pulverizing another one of those little geeks, or its 20 laps for you!" the gruff man shouted through the door.

Glancing around in panic, Grant's eyes settled on the minifridge he'd kicked open. It was full to the brim with bottles of that strange black market drink. A grin spread across his face. He opened the door.

"Hello Coach! Travis is in the bathroom, but he's really taking to the material!"

Coach looked unconvinced. "Really?" he snorted. "I've never seen Tank take to anything that didn't involve tackling a freshman."

"Well, I don't want to brag but I really think that he's turned over a brand new leaf! Why don't you stay a minute and see? Can I get you something to drink?"

Coach considered for a moment. "Ah why the hell not! Why don't you toss me one of them Gatorades in the fridge? Tank's a big boy, but he won't miss one."

#male tf #shrinking man #macro/micro

129 notes · View notes

argumentl · 8 months

Text

The Freedom of Expression - Vol:21, Discussing Nouteikarano2.

(LONG POST* Starts with with Hanshin talk, but leads into very interesting talk about Kaoru's artistic process)

K: Ok, here we go, this is the Freedom of Expression. I'm Kaoru from Dir en grey.

J: And I'm Joe Yokomizo, not Miura Jun.

K: Haha

T: Im Tasai from Tokyo Sports.

J: Ok, so here we are again...Kaoru, you must be happy about that thing, right?

T: Oh, THAT, right?

J: Yeh, that!

K: You keep saying 'that'.

J: Say it yourself then!

K: That pineapple thing?

J: No, no.

T: Yes, yes, it is that!

J: Eh? Is it?? I dont even know the details!

T: Haha

J: Look, they know what 'THAT' is in the comments!

K: Its the pineapple thing.

T: Yep

J: Eh?! Whats the pineapple thing? Is that right??....Ok, yeahhh, the pineapple thing!!

K, T: Hahaha

J: Congratulations! *applause*

K: Yeah, congratulations.

J: The Hanshin Tigers won at last! They conquered the Central League! Is that the expression people use?

K: Yes, thats right.

J: Congratulations! *applause*

T: Its the first time in 18 years, right?

J: What were you doing at that moment?

K: I was watching it...Uh, we it got into the bottom of the ninth innings, I was thinking OMG! I was getting really excited, like OMGOMG!

J, T: Hahaha

K: But then Sakamoto got a home run, and I suddenly got really calm, like, 'oh wow'...and when they won, I was like, 'Okay, good job!'. Haha

J: You calmed yourself down for the actual moment?

K: Yeah

J: Someone asked, 'Did you cry?'

K: A little bit, a few tears of joy.

J: Well, you would shed a tear after 18 years.

T: Of course you would.

K: Yeah.

J: So what happens after this? I have no idea how it works.

K: Well, the Climax series starts soon, and if they get through that, they will go onto the Nihon series.

J: Ah, after 18 years..

K: Its true that they actually won the Central League, but I never thought they would, haha. Even up until the last minute, other teams' fans were certain Hanshin would win this, but it was only the Hanshin fans going, 'Ahh, still not sure' Haha. Something was bound to get in the way.

T: Haha

J: Haha, in the bottom of your heart, you really don't trust them, do you? You love them, but you can't trust them.

K: Haha, something could come along and knock them down at the last minute.

J: Well, I guess no-one knows when the team in second place will catch up. That could even be the Hanshin Tigers, right?

T: There was one point where they were about level with Hiroshima, but began taking the lead again after that.

K: Yeah, the same happened with DeNa too, but then they ran away with the lead.

T: They did.

K: September was incredible. They had 11 wins in a row.

J: It might be unlucky to say this? But will they be ok getting to the Nihon series? Haven‘t they used up all their success already?

K: Yeah, at the moment they are on a downward spiral...but they did actually win today's game.

J: But they are only throwaway matches now, right? So it doesn't matter.

K: Yeah, but there is still the players' individual stats to consider.

J: Oh, leader titles?

K: Yeah, and they really should try to keep up their form to suceed in the next stages.

J: I see, so they need to remain vigilant, but for now at least the fans can shed a few relieved tears at this 18 year in the waiting win.

K: Yes. So, as for next month....next month is the Climax series. I think it starts on the 18th, right? If it all goes as normal, Hanshin should have three games on the 18th, 19th, and 20th. If they win those, they will get to the Nihon series. BUT...if they end up with a 4th match on the 21st, we will watch it live here.

J, T: Ohh!

*applause*

J: Hang on though, what if they don't have a 4th match??

K: In that case we could just celebrate them getting to the Nihon series, or play baseball themed games or something. haha.

T: Well, yeah, it will be a celebration.

K: If there is no Hanshin game on that day, that means they already won the Climax series, so I'm honestly quite happy even if there is no game that day.

J: It has nothing to do with this show really, right? Haha

T: Thats right.

K: I just want them to win.

J: Yeah, thats your first priority. So that is the plan for the October broadcast anyway. Will they make it through the next series? Who knows? But everyone, keep your hopes up. Ok, so we are still requesting questions and comments from viewers. If you have any thoughts, requests, ideas, anything...please write them in the comments section. Twitter users can....Oh its not called twitter anymore, is it? X users can post with the hashtag TFOE. So, this show is free for everyone during the first half, but the second half is for members only. If you become a member, you can watch this in the archives for a year, and also enjoy a members only video in the coming days. You can become a member using the link which is at the top of your screens now, Leader point to it please. So please do join and enjoy the show to the end. Ok, so before we get onto the main talk, does everyone remember us going to Shimokitazawa last time? Did you all watch it? We are currently taking entries from channel members to win these viewer presents! Here they are! First is a Phalaris LP signed by Kaoru. And next is Björk's album Biophilia, which Kaoru selected at Disc Union.

K: Tasai, can you get Björk to sign this for us?

T: Eh?!! How?? Where even is she now??

K: Hahaha!

J: You could ask Hiranabe to do his gyōza signature on it?

T: Haha yeh.

J: There might be someone out there who wants Hiranabe's Björk gyōza signature! Anyway, we will give these away, so if you want either of these please go to the show's blog and place your entry. That's the Phalaris LP and also Biophila by Björk, as chosen by Kaoru. Ok, now for today's talk....Was it running until yesterday? Yes, thats right, today its a special broadcast to talk about Kaoru's art exhibition, Nouteikarano2! *applause* I think a lot of you probably went to see it. Thank you to everyone who did. There may be many people who couldn't make it due to their schedule though, so Leader, can you tell us what kind of exhibition it was? Give us the basics. Oh, someone commented, 'It was great!' Thank you! Oh, and 'I went!'

K: Thank you. Well, 4 years ago I put on an exhibition of representations of the dark dreams I had when I was a kid, and this time was a kind of imagining of the continuation of those dreams. Thats the idea I started with. But at the same time, these images are still just coming naturally out of my head, the same place they came from last time. So thats why I decided to use the same title, Nouteikarano.

J: So, you held the exhibition in Tokyo and Osaka this time?

K: Yes

J: How was that? Was there anything you were particularly conscious of by holding it in two locations?

K: Well, in Tokyo, as well as the art, there was a display of various items from my past, things I used when I was a kid etc. Those teru teru bōzus were there too. So I displayed these to show some of my personal things along with my art. The Osaka venue was really small, so I just displayed the art there, but it was a chance to see the art at much closer range than in Tokyo.

J: I see, so with the larger capacity in Tokyo, you were able to show some of those memories. And as Osaka was so small, you could get a close range view?

K: Yes.

J: Both myself and Tasai visited the Tokyo exhibition, didn't we? Tasai what did you think?

T: I couldn't believe how much Kaoru revealed. It wasn't Kaoru from that band, it was Kaoru the person. With those toys and things, I thought it was very revealing. It was exciting. Like, a strange kind of excitement. Joe, what did you think?

J: Well, we are gonna talk about which pieces we liked later, but...of course I went to see the first Noiteikarano too, and I saw the high quality of work then. But this time it seemed to be on a much deeper level. It felt overwhelmingly deep. We'll have a look soon, but I couldn't get the images out of my head, they had a big impact on me. If any of the viewers went, please write your thoughts and impressions in the comments too. Ok, so moving on, next myself and Tasai will be asking Kaoru a few questions about Nouteikarano2, but if viewers have questions, please send them too. That goes for both people who have seen the paintings and for people who haven't. We'll be happy to take your questions. Ok, Tasai! What do you want to ask first?

T: Hmm, should we take a look at the photos?

J: Ok, lets first look at photos of the venue.

T: This is Tokyo?

K, J: Yes.

T: People in Osaka may not have seen this yet.

K: Yeah, so this is what you saw as soon as you entered.

J: When choosing the venue, you have to think about how the art will appear in the place, right?

K: Yeah

J: Im sure you checked out a few different venues this time, but it was quite interesting entering this particular venue.

K: Well, it was underground, down that narrow staircase, haha.

J: Yes, its like it was hidden, or a secret den or something. Going down there was almost like a ritual to enter Kaoru's mind. Ah, someone commented, 'The lighting was cool'.

T: Someone is asking how you figured out the order in which to display them.

K: Well, I had a fixed order pretty much prepared in advance, but unless you actually put them in place, you can't know how well it will work. For example, with that painting on the right of the photo, I originally planned to hang paintings on either side of it too. But it didn't quite work out in reality, so I left it as one. You really have to test it out to know if it will work. I went there with an idea of the order, but I didn't know how it would go till I tried it.

J: It depends on the type of wall too probably.

K: As for deciding what to include in the space, this is what I came up with.

J: Ahh, can we look at another photo?

K: Ok, so this is if you turn left from the first photo.

J: Yeah, I think we'll take a look at individual paintings soon, but those two red and green paintings at the far left side, did you paint those while I was there?

K: No no, those were there from the start. Can you see that tiny one above those two? I painted that in the venue. All the others shown there were there from the start.

J: I see, only that small one at the top, between the red and green ones. It seems like the viewers understand.

K: Can you see those small squares under the red and green ones? The tshirt im wearing is from those.

J: Oh, I see....So that area on the left out of shot is where you were doing your live painting?

K: Yes

J: Were you there the whole time? No? Just sometimes?

K: Sometimes I went, sometimes I didn't.

J: You were painting there, right?

K: Wasn't I painting while you were there?

J: When I got there, you were in that area, but you came out to talk to me when you saw me. There was an unfinished painting on your desk, it looked like you were in the middle of painting. So, I thought 'Ahh, this is where he paints them'.

T: Someone commented 'The live painting was amazing!'

J: Ah, now we are getting these kind of comments. Ok, lets see the next photo.

T: Is this the entrance?

K: Well, after you get inside there was the merch corner, and this wall kinda lead to that. On the otherside of this wall was all my stuff.

J: Ah, your childhood things etc. Did you draw all this on the wall while you were there?

K: Yeah, we actually made this wall. So it was ok to draw on it. We've already torn this down.

J: No way!

K: Yeah, we were gonna discard it anyway, so it was ok to draw on it.

J: Someone commented, 'The drawings increased day by day'. Ah, that means it looked a lot different on the first and last days. Agh, you already discarded it?? People are saying they want it!

K: Isn't it too big?

J: Well, I mean, you could cut it up and make it into NFTs or something? Ah, a comment saying you should make it into a present. Hey, I want you to come to my home and draw art on the walls!

K: Really?? You'll let me draw anything, right?

J: No, not ANYTHING...

K: Hahaha

T: No no, you have to let the artists follow their inspiration!

J: Yeah thats true, but I know he would end up pranking me. Like, what if just he drew loads of dicks or something??

K: Haha, just let me draw anything I like!

J: No no, not ANYTHING. This is my home! Draw something that would impress any women I bring over, that kind of thing. Not just ANYTHING.

K: Haha

T: Hey, do those mouth/face characters have a name?

K: No, I just tried drawing one, and it turned out quite fun, so I drew a bunch of them.

J: Ahh, I see. Actually, how many paintings were there in total?

K: *counts in head* Hmm, maybe 15 or 16. It might be more, if you include the small ones.

J: Ah, someone said there were 18 in Osaka. We spoke about this before, but this time there were more bigger paintings compared to last time, right?

K: Yes

J: Also, how long did it take you to paint them?

K: Well, I first started painting the big pieces in February this year. And then I was finished them in June. So I finished them then, and worked on the smaller and medium sized ones around the same time.

T: How do you actually get a painting started? What goes through your head before you make the first brush stroke?

J: Ah, yeh! Cause we only see the finished product, right?

K: Well, nothing specific. If I'm using a white canvas, I will usually cover it all black first. And then I will apply white over that and do the actual painting on that. In that way, the black comes through in sections where I erase any parts, and gives it a kind of hazy effect. It makes it more atmospheric than just painting on the bare canvas. So yes, I usually start by covering it black.

J: Well, you did explain some of the pieces to me, but when you start, do you have a vision of what you want it to look like when its finished, or any kind of rough sketch?

K: No. If I did, I'd just end up following that, and it would get boring.

J: So, its not the case that having a rough sketch beforehand allows you to easily see when you've finished?

K: No, you'd just be following the sketch, it wouldn't be exciting at all.

J: I see, it would be more like completing a job, and less like a creative challenge.

T: Conversely, how do you know when you've finished a piece?

K: Like, 'This'll do'... haha

J: So you feel that moment? You don't feel like painting any more after that?

K: Wel, I can..but usually its just like, 'Hmm, this is about right'.

T: Are there any similarities to song writing?

K: Well, with songwriting the other members are there, I can check with them, and ask what they think. Here, its just me, so I just think to myself, 'Hm, I think its done'. I'm free to go in whichever direction I choose with this too.

J: Some of the pictures have titles too, right? Do the titles correlate (*J uses the word 相関性 for this*) with the images?...I mean, I guess they do, right?

K: What does 相関性 mean?

J: Like, do the titles have meaning in relation to the pictures?

K: Yes, they do. I wasn't intending to use titles at all at first...but then when I saw the finished art...Words create a lot of bias though, right? They pull you in their direction.

J: At what stage did you create the titles?

K: Right at the end, some of them only just in time.

T: Can we see another photo? Ah, this is the painting titled 'Doko made mo'. It really does seem difficult finding the words to describe this.

K: Yeah

J: Yeah, a name can pull you one way, and it can exclude other interpretations.

T: Next photo, how do you read this title?

K: This is 'Matsuretsu no yukue' (末列のゆくえ)

T: I like this one.

J: Its mainly monotone, but there is a splash of colour there too.

T: Kaoru, I wanted to ask if there is any meaning behind the way you use red and green in your art?

J: Yeah, in the eyes of Kaoru, what are colours?

K: Hm, there isn't really any meaning behind the colours. They just somehow...

T: They just appear from you?

K: Hmm, yeah. There is no special meaning behind different colours.

J: A comment asks 'Where does the last row begin from?' The left or right side? (*Im not sure of the translation of 末列/matsurestu, but Im goin with 'last row'. Open to corrections*)

K: It begins on the right side.

J: Ok, next photo, this is titled 'Inuka'. Is the intonation ok? Like, INuka?

K: Haha, yes, INuka.

J: Not inuKA, right?

K: Haha, no.

J: People seem to really like this one. This was on one of the tshirts too wasn't it?

K: Yes.

J: Yeah, someone said Inuka is their fave. Its mine too! (*Joe pronounces it 'inuKA' by mistake*)

K: Its 'INuka', haha.

J: Haha, sorry. By the way, what does this title mean?

K: Well, some of my friends and people who saw it asked, 'Is it a dog??' (これ犬か？？/kore inu ka??)

J: (speaking English) 'Is this dog?? Is this dog??' No?

K: Haha...no, it looks like its been shot through (射抜かれてる/inukareteiru) . So thats why I called it 'Inuka'.

J: Ahhh, I see. It kinda looks like the silhouette of a dog at the top though. Yes, this was my favorite. Can I ask a quick question about this? Is it ok? That white section in the middle, tell me how you created that part. That white line.

K: I used tape to create a clean line, then pulled the tape off.

J: So thats the result after pulling the tape off. It looks amost like a hole. As it happens, the day after I first saw this, I was working with the modern artist Gunji Pegio-Yukio who belongs to the Science and Engineering Department at Waseda University. I was asking him where creativity comes from, and for him it comes from connection to the outer realm. We humans live in the inner realm, but if you can somehow connect with that outer realm, then inspiration will fall down to you. According to him, humans can train themselves to reach that other realm, but as for art, an important element in any finished work is the existence of a hole-like area somewhere, so that things from the outer realm can fall into it. Its like a portal from this realm to the outer realm that you can pass through and back again. I mean, it doesn't have to be a hole, anything that looks like it could draw you in, or that the other realm could come through from, something that really impacts the image. I was just coincidentally talking about this with him. Anyway, so with this piece I feel like there is a connection to the other realm with that white hole. So I really did like this picture. I felt like I could reach the other realm through this. I mean, this is just my personal take. Yes, so this picture Inuka lined up perfectly with my talk with Gunji san. Can we see any more pictures?

K: Thats all for now.

T: Honestly, Im so impressed with your energy Kaoru, being in a band and creating all this art. Where does it come from?

K: Well, I just like making things.

J: Which was the most difficult piece to make this time?

K: Well, with the big paintings, you want them to be kind of intense, right? I didn't want them to be mediocre. I was trying to avoid that.

J: How do you avoid it?

K: Well, just going up close and working on each part in detail. I was looking closely at every part.

T: Its really interesting to me how you get the right balance of feelings in your work. You have that unique font that you created too. I always find that really interesting.

J: Someone asked, 'Any photos of Osaka?'. Unfortunately we only have photos of Tokyo today. But Kaoru, both the Tokyo and Osaka runs are over now, so tell us how you feel about how it went.

K: Well, I was slightly nervous about the whole thing before it started. Like, how would people take to it?...Cause I've never studied art or anything like that, I didn't think the pictures I did were all that great, I just like drawing. So I just wanted people to come and have a look they felt like it. When I had them finished, I lined them all up in the apartment I was renting, and I was really concerned that they weren't that good. But after I saw them all displayed in the exhibition, I actually felt that they do actually appear kind of interesting. So I was pleased about that.

J: Ok, so the first part of the show is gonna end soon.

T: That was quick! You wanna ask more questions, right everyone?

J: I'm sure they do, but time is limited unfortunately. We don't have Toshi-Low here to draw our time out forever.

K: Haha

J: Ok, so in the second part, we have a piece of art to show you especially. We talked earlier about how Kaoru was doing live painting at the exhibition, and this is one of the pieces he completed there, right?

K: Yes

J: Anyone who was at the last day in Tokyo might have seen it already, but those who went to Osaka will not have, neither will people who went to the earlier Tokyo days. So we will show this exclusively in the second part, please look forward to that. We will also hear a lot more talk from Kaoru, so please keep sending in your questions. Additionally, since the theme of the exhibition stemmed from Kaoru's dreams, we also have a dream themed activity planned, so please become a member to get a closer look into Kaoru's mind. Ok, I'll let you know how you can watch the second half. The second half is for channel members only, so if you want to watch it you will need to register. If you become a member, you will be able watch this broadcast in the archives for a year, and there will also be an extra members only video posted in the coming days. Thats right, there is the link at the top of the screen, Kaoru is pointing to it. Please use this blue link to become a channel member. When you click the link, you will get a page asking you to choose your payment method. Choose your prefered method, click proceed, then enter your details. Thats it. So if you haven't joined yet, please do so to see Kaoru's art in the second part. Also, as we said at the beginning, we are taking entries to win the prizes from Shimokitazawa last time. The prizes are for members only and two winners will be picked by lottery. The prizes are a Phalaris LP signed by Kaoru, and Björk's Biophilia as picked by Kaoru in Disc Union. Please go to this show's blog to enter. Kaoru, do you have any announcements?

K: I do! Well, its still the month after next, but the tour will start then.

J: So you're in the preparation stage? Just taking it slowly?

K: Well, there is still a lot to sort out. But we have the setlist already.

J: Ohhh, yeah, people are looking forward to that. Ok, so as per the tour things are moving!

K: Yes

T: When I think of it, the last year has gone by in a blink. Already the next tour on its way.

J: Your nostrils are really flared!

T: Haha, no, I just mean, I envy the fans having so much to look forward to.

J: But Tasai, you have loads of gyoza stuff to enjoy, right?

T: Well...

K: Isn't that fun?

T: Yeah, I suppose so.

J: Anyway, we will have a short break here, members just wait there. You still have time to become member! Ok, second part next, quick break! Bye bye, see you later.

#薫 #dir en grey #the freedom of expression #translation #kaoru #nouteikarano2

27 notes · View notes

gummy-axolotl · 4 months

Note

gummy do you like the american theme song

The American theme song is as follows:

*several bald eagles screeching*

*the baseball stadium fanfare*

*more eagles*

*McDonald's commercial*

*sounds of gunshots and fireworks*

*one final eagle*

Ah. What a beautiful country.

#gummyanswers

15 notes · View notes

the-himawari · 1 year

Text

A3! Troupe Event Translation - Journey to the Colours (1/11)

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

---

*flashback starts*

Kumon: …

Yamaguchi: …What’re you doing squatting down over there?

Kumon: It’s just… we could’ve won today’s game for sure. If only I didn’t mess up in the bottom of the 7th inning…

Yamaguchi: That wasn’t your fault, y’know? Geez, don’t sweat it. —.

*flashback ends*

Kumon: It’s been a while since I’ve been to a batting cage. I can’t wait.

Azami: You went last week, didn’t you?

Kumon: It’s been six days. That’s a long time!

Azami: How? Anyways, baseball’s fine and all, but play soccer with me too. I feel like we’re always just playin’ baseball every time.

Kumon: No prob! I’ll go anytime! …Huh?

Azami: What’s up?

Kumon: This poster…

Azami: Huh. They’re renovating the sports ground? You practiced there durin’ your baseball club days, right?

Kumon: Yeah… I see. Renovations, huh?

Azami: Well, it’s a sports ground so it won’t change that much. I bet they’ll just switch the lights or netting or somethin’.

Kumon: Good point…

-pause-

Kumon: I sure am starving. I wonder what’s for dinner tonight?

Azami: Who’s in charge again today?

Kumon: I think it was Omi-san!

Azami: It’s hard to predict since his repertoire is so wide.

Kumon: If it was Director, then there’s only one possible answer~.

*footsteps approach*

Izumi: Ah. Welcome home, you two.

Tsuzuru: Welcome back.

Kumon: We’re back!

Azami: Were you two out shoppin’?

Tsuzuru: I ran into Director while I was on my way back after visiting home.

Izumi: I asked him to lend me a hand with the shopping.

Kumon: We’ll help hold the bags too!

Izumi: Thanks.

Tsuzuru: Great, that’s a load off.

Kumon: Hold on. Are you tired, Tsuzuru-san?

Tsuzuru: My little brothers were playing a little too aggressively.

Azami: What kinda aggressive games are elementary school kids playin’?

Tsuzuru: We were playing Journey to the West. Apparently, they watched a rerun of the anime recently and got hooked on it. I was forced to play two roles, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, and they requested that each of them gets defeated in a flashy way…

Izumi: Those sound like pretty tough roles.

Kumon: Journey to the West? Like Son Goku, right? I copied a manga I read a long time ago by using a curtain rod as a magic staff and swinging it around~.

Azami: I feel like you’d do that even now.

Kumon: Yeah, I bet it’d also be fun doing that now!

Tsuzuru: Let’s act together next time then.

Kumon: Ahaha. I’m down~!

-pause-

Kazunari: …

Kumon: We’re home.

Kazunari: Welcome back~… ooh, this is a pretty rare party!

Kumon: We happened to meet up and get together!

Azami: We look like such a random group.

Kumon: What’re you up to, Kazu-san?

Kazunari: Just some work that was commissioned~.

Kumon: Work!? That’s so cool!

Kazunari: After the public exhibition, I started getting work offers here and there. I’ve been taking them to gain more experience. These type of work connections are gonna be important from here on out as I aim to become a UMC~.

Kumon: Come to think of it, didn’t you say that you also have assignments, Kazu-san?

Kazunari: I mean, yeah~. I’m taking it easy since you don’t go to school all that often after entering fourth year. I guess I have to get around to those though. Director-chan, can I use the storage room for work for the next lil while?

Izumi: That’s totally fine, but I think it’s about time to start thinking about Summer troupe’s play. I ask for your cooperation with that too. Well, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’ve always done lots of other things in tandem with your rehearsals and performances.

Kazunari: You know it. It’ll work out, so no worries!

Azami: Right. It’s that time of the year already, eh?

Tsuzuru: Continuing from Spring Troupe with Chikage-san, the lead for Summer troupe will be Kumon, right?

Izumi: Yeah. That’s right.

Kumon: It’s my first lead in a long time. I’m so excited~!

Tsuzuru: Do you have any sort of request or theme you’d like to do?

Kumon: Eh!? Asking me so suddenly…!

Tsuzuru: Anything you want to do is fair game.

Kumon: Mmm… AH! In that case, I wanna try out some cool action!

Izumi: Oh yeah, you said something along those lines when you said you wanted to join Autumn troupe at first.

Kumon: Yep! Something exciting and adventurous would be sick~!

Tsuzuru: Noted.

Izumi: Even if there’s action, it’ll turn into a Summer troupe-like play as long as you add comedic elements.

Tsuzuru: I’ll give it some thought.

Kumon: Azami, since you’re going to be the lead in Autumn troupe’s next show, you should also start thinking about your request now!

Azami: It’s way too early for that, don’tcha think?

---

| next

#a3!#a3! translation #hyodo kumon #act! addict! actors!#journey to the colours #im technically still on vacation #but i read the story this morning and now im crying so #LET'S GO #updates will be slow tho thanks for your understanding!

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seospicybin · 2 years

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FIC RECS.

Thank you to the sexc Ren @cb97percent for tagging me!

recommend 5 or more of your own works that you would rec to someone asking what they should read first & explain a little bit about the work. these can be the most popular, the ones you think are underrated, or your own favorites! then tag five other writers!

Twin Flame. (s,f,a) Back home for a summer holiday, you meet the new next-door boy, Felix, who will turn your summer into a burning bright one.

The firstborn of all of my angst works. Unapologetic, fucking emo, leather and roses, fast car and flames, in other words, it's sad and lethal. I always know I'm a deeply sad person, but this unlocked the raging angst in me.

Three of A Kind. (s) Late night drinking and a card game, plus two pretty boys? what’s the worst that could happen?

This was such a bitch to write. I spent months trying to perfect it and got so frustrated that I neglected it completely. Still I didn't give up and wrote a dozen versions of it until I found the one that is close to what I had envisioned in my head. The unused versions were sitting in my drafts and I'll probably never let them out, just cause.

Venus. (s,a) When Hyunjin first sets his eyes on you, he knew that you would make a perfect muse for his paintings, but as time goes, you begin to question whether it’s love or a short-lived infatuation that he has for you?

We all know that Hyunjin is so fucking pretty and if I ever get asked a person I would like to compare his beauty with, I wouldn't stutter to say Adonis. He's so beautiful it hurts, it's almost mythical. So I drew the inspiration from the star-crossed lovers of Adonis and Aphrodite, put all of his Pisces traits in it, his love for art, spicy angst on top and finished it off with a glass of ambrosia then voila!

Innings. (s,f) 🔥 You knew Seungmin as the baseball star slash campus heartrob and now, your partner on a project. But was there a hidden intention on why he wanted to work together with you?

Ngl. I fell in love with this couple that I created. I love how their relationship grew as I wrote them. Just fluffy and feel-good, something that everyone can easily relate to. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm emotionally attached to them. Ah, to think that I'll post the last chapter soon makes me sad. I'll forever cherish both this fic and this Innings couple. (But mostly I don't want to let go of hot baseball player Seungmin)

Glass. (s) Han is a photographer who just moved into a new apartment and he couldn’t tell if it was accidental or fate that he saw you through the window of your apartment. And the next thing he knows, he spends most of his days watching you through his camera lens

My new favorite child. The first time I worked a fic from the ending first and worked out the rest after. I'm very aware that the ending is so BONKERS. I love seeing all of you losing your shit reading it and I'm here like "you didn't see that coming yeah?" OH THE FEELING!

Dark Red series. (s, horror, thriller)

Here's the thing, I love Halloween so. And here's the another thing, I love horror movies. I combined my two favorites into this and yes, I selfishly wrote this for myself. If you're familiar with Anne Rice books or watched Interview with the Vampire, you would know that I based vampire Hyunjin on Lestat and vampire Chan on Louis. I put little homages to my favorite horror movies in these fics as well. Fyi, Halloween is only two months away, you can't stop me from writing another chapter of this series. (Oh, my personal favorite is Chapter 2!)

Milk. (s,f) Jeongin didn’t expect to reunite with you during his vacation, the one that he remembers as his childhood sweetheart.

Very underrated, I would say. I loved writing it, I love the theme, I love how the story drowned you in their innocence and make you forget that you were reading a smut. It's pure and sweet and easy, pretty much like the title itself.

Double Take. (s) You reunited with Jeongin after being away from each other for months when all of sudden Bangchan caught you both during a steamy session.

My most favorite from my earlier, premature works. Look, I'm a perfectionist but I love this mess I made. I didn't even think if it's pleasing enough to read, I just went with it and I think that's the magic of it. Anyway, Jeongchan FTW!!!

Tagging: @youn9racha @tangylemonade @seo--changbin @seungmoomin @petrichor-han (sorry if you're already tagged and pls don't feel pressured to do it!)

#tagging game #stray kids smut #skz smut #fic recs #seospicy smut

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phandomphightclub · 1 year

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Phinal Round: 1st Place Match

"Ah, if only Mads were here to see this." Jack Fenton wiped a tear of joy from his eye as the Janitorial Squad power washed the arena. "Any chance you'll do reruns?"

"Uh…"

"Let's just say 'no,'" Vic answered for Tali.

"Sounds good to me." They nodded. "I just wasn't sure if he meant on video, or in person."

"Oh. Well in that case, I can send him home with the security footage. Might keep him entertained enough to stay out of our business."

"Great idea as always, Vic."

The phinal phighters phloated out into the ring below.

“Wait a second.” Danny frowned, squinting at one of the phighters. “Is that… Dash?”

“Dash Backstreet? That football player my son’s buddies with?” Jack nearly jumped out of his seat, but Vic and Lexx managed to hold him down. “Let me at ‘im! There’s no way I’m letting my son go to school with a ghost!”

“So Phantom Planet wasn’t canon after all. Cool.” Tali nodded. They weren’t concerned about Jack right now; Lexx and Vic were applying Denny’s maple syrup to the back of his jumpsuit, which would keep him stuck in his seat even without them restraining him. “And no, that’s not Dash Baxter. That’s Angie Constellaj, one of our two phinalists. She/her for the good ghost, please.”

Angie spun her football on the tip of her finger and winked.

“No such thing as a good ghost,” Jack muttered, but Tali ignored him.

“And our other phinalist is the effervescent Ray (Ghostsray), formerly known as Void. Let’s give them both an explosive welcome!”

Ray tipped their green baseball cap as confetti cannons went off around the arena. The hat filled up with the confetti, which was in the shape of tiny Danno faces. The paper Dannos scattered in Ray’s hair when they put the hat back on. Luckily, Jack was too far away to notice that the faces were modeled after his son.

“Will one of our phighters get torn apart, molecule by molecule? Will Constellaj’s football protect her through the final highs and lows of the Phandom Phight Club? Will Ray’s love-and-gun combo shoot its way into our hearts? Will I ever get to finish playing Xenoblade? There’s only one way to find out!” Tali let out an earsplitting DOOT on their kazoo. “Let the Immortal Kombat begin!”

The speakers began playing a mashup of the Mortal Kombat and Danny Phantom theme songs. It didn’t distract Constellaj, who hurled her football with practiced precision.

“Touchdown!” she shouted as it struck home in Ray’s shoulder.

Ray skidded back, pulling the football free. They bandaged the ectoplasm-leaking wound with their purple scarf.

“I’ve been around this block before.” Ray grinned, cocking their gun. “It’s gonna take more than that to knock me out!”

A pink blast erupted from their gun, which Angie dodged by falling to the ground and beginning to do pushups.

“You think she’s taking the kinning too far?” Danny asked.

Tali shrugged. “Whatever keeps her alive—well, dead, I guess—out there is fine by me.”

And it did. While Ray was busy being impressed at Angie’s physical strength, she leapt to her feet.

“Baxter Beam Attack!” she shouted, firing a ray that obliterated Ray.

“But… the power of love…!” Ray gasped, trying to fight back with their own lovebeam.

“Guess you should’ve loved winning more.” Angie grinned.

With an explosion that smelled mostly of old gym socks, Ray was blasted against the pavement. (Not torn apart molecule by molecule, thankfully. It would be difficult to give the 2nd place trophy to someone who’d been vaporized.)

“And with that, we have our winner!” Tali called through the megaphone. “Ray is unable to battle! Congratulations to Angie Constellaj, the winner of our 2023 Phandom Phight Club!”

Amid cheers and shots, the spectators stormed the arena, as if they’d just finished a particularly tense football game. Angie crowdsurfed over the top of them, basking in the victory.

“I hope everyone had a great time,” Tali said, though even through the megaphone they doubted the excited crowd was listening. “Special thanks to Vic and Lexx, who handled just about everything while I was at ghost college. The Phight couldn’t have happened without their hard work. And thanks to everyone who voted and participated in any other way! We hope you’ll stop by the Denny’s for post-Phight refreshments—pancakes that probably won’t have any hairs in them.”

“No promises,” Vic added with a grin.

“If that happens, we’ll throw in a ghegg as emotional compensation,” Lexx chimed in.

“Sounds like a good deal to me,” Tali agreed. “Thanks for coming everyone, and see you on the other side!”

#results #ppc 2023 #writeup #constellaj #ghostsray #hope you enjoyed!

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thehyperrequiem · 1 month

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TBD Oc? TBD Oc!

Name: Cracker Jack Cookie

Gender: Male

Rank: Epic

Cookie Title: TBD Dolittle

Cookie Tags: Speed, SpecialControl, Jellies, Destruction, Items, Revival

Pet: Sailor Gruff

Basic Jelly: "No matter what brings you, always remember to speak for the creatures great and small."

Skill: There are three abilities to this one; Red Icon summons a Big Cake Beast that Cracker Jack rides on to destroy any obstacles, earning your points. The Blue Icon summons Blueberry Birds to gather any Items that are useful for Cracker Jack. The Peanut Brown Icon allows to summon Roll Cake Squirrels to give you jellies. Level up for more points and Animal Companion points, and more starting energy.

Magic Candy: Not only it upgrades the three animals' skills, but it also adds another animal to the fray, and it is a cake wolf. It can replenish your energy bar like a healing spell by howling. The stronger the enchanted power gets, the more points for the Healing Howl points!

Pet Skills: When out of energy, Sailor Gruff would ring itself to wake up Cracker Jack Cookie, giving him temporary energy refill. Level up for more points and Revival Energy Points.

Story: “The Cookie was made with molasses-flavored, caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts, a famous treat to have at baseball seasons, but of course, this cookie is not interested in any sports whatsoever, he is interested in animal life. Cracker Jack Cookie is born with the power of Zoolingualism (Ability to Talk to Wildlife), which made him a weird kid in his childhood days, but later gets loved by others considering that his disorder of his was a gift. One day, as an adult cookie, he joins in the Time Balance Department to not only make use of his Dolittling ability for good, but to discover new species of animals and such…Sure he can get a little anxious, but he always tries his best to stay strong and conquer anything that comes in his and/or any wildlife’s way!”

Pet Story: “Sailor Gruff may look like a goat head, but it’s actually an animal themed handbell. It was gifted to Cracker Jack Cookie during his time as a sailor before he became a TBD Member after his farewell party of retirement, Sailor Gruff would always wake up his master from bed and always rings when alerted, it even accompanied Cracker Jack in his TBD job, what a nice goat bell.”

Quotes:

New - “Oh Hello, didn’t see you there, Ol’ Chap.”

General:

“I know a good transportation, watch!”

“Are you ok with Tea? It’s quite soothing.”

“Oh please don’t tell me I’m late, I haven’t even finished feeding the animals.”

“Tweet-Tweet, come on birds.”

“I may be short, but I am not a kid, I am an adult!”

“You need help? I can show you around.”

“I sure hope she’s fine with my service animals.”

“Come now, we should get going.”

“Wait up, I have short legs!”

Tired - “N-No, Not right now!..”

Lobby:

Daily Gift: “Excuse me, but I do believe you dropped this, just don't want any of my animals mistook it for food.”

Tap:

“Oh, I was born with Zoolingualism, that’s why I can understand animals.”

I don't like loud sounds; it reminds me the troubles of my sailor days!

If you need info about any creature of Earthbread, I'm your cookie.

"Don't mind the birds, they are good for message deliverers!"

"I wonder if I can go on any adventures..."

"Be on the lookout for that one eyed cookie...Especially her misfits, they are scary."

Gifts:

"Ah yes, peanuts, a good treat for Funnel Cake Elephants!" (Given Bag of Molasses Peanuts)

"O-Oh...I'm so honored to have this! Majestic like an Choco Lion!" (Given Royal Golden Dough)

"Thanks for the gift, you are kind!" (Neutral)

Relationship Chart:

Cracker Jack Cookie 💜 Popcorn Cookie (Family, Uncle): "One time when I visit here back when she was young, we watched an animal movie together, good times.”

Cracker Jack Cookie 💚 Baguette Cookie: “She usually asks me for help, like carrying around big stacks of paper whenever coffee candy cookie’s busy with things.”

Cracker Jack Cookie 💙 Coffee Candy Cookie: “The kid’s great and all, but I’m worried that she might get herself hurt, and if that happens, then I have to put a mouse on her head under her hat to help her do things better.”

Cracker Jack Cookie 💛 Timekeeper Cookie: “An inspiration for me, I joined because of their offer that can make my animals helpful around here.”

Cracker Jack Cookie 💙 String Gummy Cookie: “He’s such a brave cookie, reminds me of one of the boys back in my sailor days.”

Cracker Jack Cookie 💚 Marble Bread Cookie: “He’s such a kind fellow, cleaning up every mess makes me think he is doing it for the animals.”

Cracker Jack Cookie 💚 Schneeball Cookie: “She’s quite strong with that hammer in her hand when it comes to relics.”

Cracker Jack Cookie 💚 Cookimals: “They are so cute! They can even talk, which means that I don’t have to use my Zoolingualism on them to talk!”

Appears on Relationship Chart:

Popcorn Cookie 💜 Cracker Jack Cookie (Family, Niece): "My awesome uncle!”

Baguette Cookie 💚 Cracker Jack Cookie: “Someone I can trust most of all.”

Coffee Candy Cookie 💙 Cracker Jack Cookie: “He’s so kind to me, and I know why; he was like me when he was young.”

Timekeeper Cookie 💙 Cracker Jack Cookie: “He’s quite useful when it comes to animals.”

String Gummy Cookie 💙 Cracker Jack Cookie: “He’s quite an experience of action for an animal talker.”

Marble Bread Cookie 💚 Cracker Jack Cookie: “Just doing my job sir, looking out for any mess and any of your service animals.”

Schneeball Cookie 💚 Cracker Jack Cookie: “He was quite amazed at the fossils I shown him one time.”

Cookimals 💛 Cracker Jack Cookie: “That Cookie can talk to animals? Awesome!” “He looks so kind..” “He’s so nice!”

Croissant Cookie 💚 Cracker Jack Cookie: “Just be careful around Time Rifts next time, sir.”

Fun Fact: Cracker Jack Cookie is based on Compton Boole from Psychonauts 2 for his Zoolingualism Ability and Design.

#cookie run #cookie run oc #cracker jack #crob #crob oc #Cracker Jack Cookie

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