Tumgik
#and as for the ''constantly having to be around my nemesis'' thing. well i can hope that she manages to chill out by then
magentagalaxies · 10 months
Text
officially going to be taking a standup comedy class next semester!!! now my schedule is literally:
improv class
sociology class about queer history
standup class
buddy cole documentary which counts as a class despite only meeting with the professor when i want to and being a project i would work on even if i didn't get college credit
god i love majoring in comedy in college
#i realized my science credit was already taken care of by a dual enrollment class i did in high school so that gave me an opening#and i already have a plan to take care of all the other general education stuff later so i might as well load up on comedy courses#unfortunately due to some bullshit that's not as interesting as i think it is a lot of the comedy classes aren't running this fall#so the only one at my level with open seats is standup#and y'know typically i do NOT enjoy performing standup. i love watching standup very much but performing it's not for me#(plus ik my nemesis is in that class and she's also in my 2 other real classes so ugh i'm gonna be seeing a lot of her)#HOWEVER. i've already taken a course with this professor and he likes me#he's a kith fan so if i have to miss class or get an extension bc of work on the buddy cole doc he'll probably be super understanding#and!!! most importantly!!! he's really into character standup which not a lot of students choose to do#but for me. this gives me a perfect opportunity to actually work on some of my aubrey material as a ''standup character''#or at the very least shoehorn buddy cole into discussions lmao#also. my improv class is right before this one and improv is probably the type of comedy i'm most confident in#so maybe that will give me a nice push to get more confident in standup#and as for the ''constantly having to be around my nemesis'' thing. well i can hope that she manages to chill out by then#but even if she is insufferable. i can take solace in being the one with kith connections and paul will almost definitely let me rant to hi
4 notes · View notes
reputationmunson · 1 year
Note
hi mads! how r you? i was wondering if i may request a enemies to lovers with fake dating between reader and steve? where she's shy and kinda nice with everyone but somehow doesn't get along with him... and suddenly they have a situation and have to pretend to be dating... btw, love your writing!
i’m doing well and i hope you are too :) thank you for the request and i’m so happy you enjoy my writing that means so much to me! i hope you like this and i hope it's okay i'm making it multiple parts!
-
Crossing Lines | S.H x fem!reader
Part One | part two | part three | part 4
summary: Steve isn’t your biggest fan (understatement of the year), so why does he ask you to be his fake girlfriend for a wedding?
content: enemies to (eventual) lovers, fake dating, mentions of drinking, swearing, a guy at the bar is kind of creepy, mentions of reader and eddie having a past fling, use of y/n (not too often)
word count: 3.7K
a/n: this is a little shorter than I anticipated, but I’m going to try and make future parts longer.
_
There’s something strange about having an “enemy”. Especially when that enemy is Steve Harrington. You don’t exactly consider him an arch nemesis, but there’s really no other way you can describe your relationship with him. You aren’t friends with him by any means, not anymore, despite your several attempts at kindness.
Cupcakes you made him got thrown in the trash, smiles you’ve given him had been reciprocated with glares, and every time you spoke was the perfect time for him to roll his eyes.
No matter how many times you try to pinpoint a moment in your life where you might’ve offended him or done something to make him have such a great dislike for you, there’s nothing you can come up with.
You never had many interactions with Steve in high school, which isn’t very surprising. You always tried to stay in the background with your nose buried in a book and he was the complete opposite of that.
You admit you had a teeny tiny crush on him in high school, much like the other girls. How could you not? He was so charismatic and carried himself with confidence. You weren’t as immune to the Harrington charm as much as you liked to pretend you were.
It wasn’t until he became friends with Robin a few years ago that you had your first real conversation with him. She’s been your best friend since you were six and if she was convinced he changed, then you were willing to give him a chance.
He seemed like a completely different person than the boy you used to pass in the halls as he talked about how wasted he got the night before with his herd of wannabe Steves.
He was friendly and also a little bit of a clutz. Sort of awkward, as well. He was still handsome, though. A lot more handsome. His eyes were kinder and his hair as lovely as ever. You always wondered how it managed to still look so soft after that much product usage.
After the first two months of what seemed to be a friendship, he flipped the switch. His words to you became grumbles and he always kept a distance from you, like he’d go into anaphylactic shock if any part of him accidentally brushed yours.
It drove you mad. The one thing in life you always tried to do was treat everyone with kindness no matter what and he made it nearly impossible. You had more friends in your life now than you thought imaginable and it was nearly perfect, but all you seemed to be focused on is how much Steve hates you.
From Steve’s point of view, he would never outright say that he hates you. It’s more of an annoyance. Your shared friend group constantly raves about how great and delightful you are. The kids, who aren’t kids anymore but always will be to Steve, idolize you. Everyone thinks you walk around with rainbows and sprinkles shooting out of every single one of your orifices.
You and your delicious baked goods that you make in celebration every time someone so much finds a lucky penny on the ground. You and your stupid perfume that makes you smell like a damn bouquet of flowers. Your dumb dimples and eyes that some might claim light up a room every time you smile. Don’t even get him started on the short, nonsensical pleated skirts you wear.
You’ll probably be wearing one of those skirts tonight when you all go out for drinks later and he dreads it, terribly. Definitely not because he’s attracted to you, no, that’s insane, but because of all the guys that are going to swoon over you and he’ll have to be responsible for making sure none of those creeps try to touch you.
Robin made it very clear to him early on that you are off limits. She told him he wasn’t ready for a girl like you. You’re different from the girls he takes on dates and sleeps with. You aren’t a ‘hit it and quit it’ kind of gal, as she put it. . She said you’re a hopeless romantic, spending the rest of your life with one person, the type of love they write songs about, kind of gal. Steve wants to settle down one day, but he also isn’t ready for that yet.
Apparently, Robin forgot to give Eddie the same speech because Steve caught the two of you in a hot and heavy makeout sesh at a party awhile ago. Steve put all of the puzzle pieces together that you and Eddie were secretly hooking up. It wasn’t hard to figure out with all the glances, giggles, and body language. Plus, the sexual tension was so obvious.
No one else knew, neither of you even know that Steve’s aware anything ever happened.
Yes, you and Eddie were hooking up. Past tense. It was nice at first, way more than nice. You’d never done the whole no strings attached thing and you felt comfortable with him, but then you both quickly realized that it would end in complete disaster and called off the agreement. Surprisingly, there was no awkwardness after, but you did miss him sometimes.
It was gratifying to be out of your comfort zone, but you needed more. You wanted a love that felt like an easy Sunday morning everyday, but as long as you were confined to Hawkins, you doubt that you’d ever find it.
-
The bar was absolutely packed tonight, crawling with regulars, college kids back for the summer, and high school students with fake ids. There was a bachelor party sitting in the corner shouting obscenities and catcalling any girl that walked by them.
It was overwhelming. Usually this place, even on its busiest night, is still manageable to walk to.
Your walk to the table where your friends are sat feels like you’re climbing mount everest.
“y/n! you’re here!” Robin hops out of her seat at the high top table and throws her arms around you, squeezing you a little too tight. You can smell the tequila on her breath and her cheeks are flushed. That, combined with her affection for you, alerts you she’s one drink away from being hammered.
Everyone else happily greets you, apart from Steve who gives you a tight lipped smile and takes a drink of his beer so he doesn’t have to say hi because god forbid he speaks one of the shortest words in the english language to you.
“I’m gonna go grab a drink. Does anyone need anything?” you ask. “I’ll go get your drink. It’s a madhouse in here, what do ya want?” Eddie offers and you lay your hand on his shoulder, making Steve subtly roll his eyes so no one notices. “That’s sweet, Eds, thank you. I’ll have a vodka cran please”
“He’s, like, so in love with you” Robin says and you laugh. Steve laughs too, but not out of being humored like you are. “He’s not in love with me. He’s just nice, unlike most of the guys in here” you say the last part a bit louder and look at Steve when you say it. His eyes roll again and you think that must be the only thing he’s good at because he does it all the time.
“Your beverage, madam” Eddie says as he hands you your drink and sets down a tray of tequila shots for the table. “Do we really need more shots, Eddie?” Steve groans. “Tapping out already, Harrington? I guess we shouldn’t be surprised” you tease and he scoffs. “Oh, that’s just rich coming from you”
“heyheyhey, can you two have your lovers quarrel another time? We’re all here to have a good time, okay?” Robin reminds you and you give her a sorry smile. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Let’s not waste this tequila!” you exclaim
You all cheers your shot glasses and when you lick the salt of your hand, Steve’s eyes can’t leave you. He’s still staring when you put the lime in your mouth afterwards, you close your eyes in satisfaction and suck out all the juices. He hopes he never has to watch you take another shot again.
When your eyes open, you see Steve staring at you and he immediately looks away and pretends to be occupied by whatever the bachelor party to his left is doing. His mind drifts to the wedding he has to go to next weekend. One of his cousins on his fathers side of the family is getting married and he’s dreading it. Being surrounded by his snooty, rich family members who are all CEO’s of some business and they’re all married to or engaged to the ‘perfect woman’ that they undoubtedly cheat on while away on ‘business’ trips.
Speaking of business, they can’t keep their noses out of Steve’s life. When are you going to get a ‘real’ job?, when are you gonna settle down and have kids?, are you still living in that tiny apartment?. So no, he isn’t exactly looking forward to telling his family he’s a single loser who practically lives in a shoebox.
“Steve? Are you okay?” your voice brings him back from his thoughts. “Yep. perfectly fine”
“Ya sure? You seem distracted” he hates that you care. Eighty percent of the time, you’re still so nice to him, apart from a few jabs every now and then, despite his coldness towards you. “Just thinking, so you don’t have to pretend that you care.”
“Okay…I’m gonna go to the bathroom” you say before leaving the table.
“Why are you such a dick to her? She’s the nicest one out of all of us.” Eddie’s tone is sharp as he defends you. “I’m just stressed about this wedding I have to go to and my entire family is going to be there and I’m the only one without a date so that’s just another thing they’re going to criticize me for” Steve sighs and looks down at his drink.
“How about that girl you went out with last month? Trisha?” Nancy suggests and Steve scrunches his nose. “No can do. I realized I slept with her roommate after the first date” he cringes at the memory of walking into her apartment and seeing a familiar face sitting on the couch.
“You could borrow nance? She’d just have to take off the engagement ring” Jonathan jokes and the table laughs. Steve considers it for a half of a second, but realizes his parents already know about her engagement to jonathan. “Nice job, Steve. You let the only decent girl who liked you get away and now she’s with that byers boy” he recalls his dad saying in a snarky tone.
“I have the perfect idea!” Robin exclaims and everyone waits for her to continue “you should ask y/n to be your date!”
“That’s a terrible idea, Robin. Why would I do that?” It isn’t a terrible idea. His family would be over the mood to see him with a girl like you. You’re kind, funny, smart and gorgeous, but he’d never admit those things to anyone, least of all you. But the thought of spending a whole weekend with you seems like torture.
“Actually, that could work. You need to get over this weird hatred you have for her and this could be some good bonding! Maybe you’ll finally realize how great she is” Nancy states. “I know you all worship the ground she works on, but that isn’t good enough reason to ask her to pretend to be my girlfriend”
“Just think about it, okay?” Nancy says, kindly and he half-heartedly nods. The conversation ceases as you arrive back at the table and everyone stares at you. “What? Do I have something on my face?”
“No. Nothing. We just missed you” You know Robin is acting weird about something, but you let it go. “um, okay. I missed you guys too for the whole five minutes I was gone. I'm gonna go get another drink.” you tell them before making your way to the bar.
“Hey, beautiful. Wanna take a shot with us?” One of the men from the bachelor party asks as you walk by their table. “No thanks. Have a good night, guys” you walk away and hope they leave you alone.
One of the guys gets up to follow you. Steve’s keeping an eye on you and moves to get up when he sees the guy following you. “I’ll be right back, guys”
“C’mon, baby, let me buy you a drink” Steve hears him say to you as you’re standing at the bar. You look uncomfortable and with the bar packed, you barely have a way to escape. “I already said no. Just go back to your friends”
When he moves closer, Steve steps in between the two of you. “She said no, man. Just leave her alone, alright?”
“you her boyfriend?” he slurs and Steve can’t believe the words that come out of his mouth “yeah, i am. so, fuck off, okay?” your eyes widen when Steve says he’s your boyfriend.
“Alright, alright.” the guy puts his hand up in defense “she’s all yours, buddy”
“are you okay? you’re not gonna cry or anything are you?” he asks when he turns around to face you. “No, I'm fine. You didn’t have to do that. Thank you” you smile at him sweetly.
“It’s whatever. Don’t let it get to your head” And just like that the Steve you know is back. “Can you tell everyone that I went outside for some air?” you ask and he nods then you go your separate ways. He watches the door to make sure you get outside alright.
“So, hypothetically” Steve starts once he returns to the table “How would I go about asking her to be my fake girlfriend?”
“Just be honest about it. Oh! and offer to pay for everything!” Robin says. Her advice could not be more vague. “I still think this is a terrible idea, but I literally have no other options, so when this goes to shit just remember it was all of your fault” he tells them before turning around and bearing the crowd to get outside.
When he walks out the door and into the fresh air, he sees you standing up against the brick exterior of the building. “Don’t tell me you came out here to check on me. Thought you said I shouldn’t let anything go to my head?” you raise your eyebrows at him.
“You are not making this any easier” He puts his hands on his hips and throws his head back, letting out a sigh. “Making what any easier?”
“I have a proposition for you”
“I don’t do prostitution, Steve”
“It’s not- would you just let me talk?” he groans and you make a zipping motion over your lips and throw away the invisible key. “Okay, you owe me a favor after what I did for you, right?- don’t make that face you totally do- anyways, I have a wedding to go next weekend and my family is always harping on me about having a girlfriend and I was thinking-”
“you want me to be your girlfriend?” you ask in a skeptical tone.
“What did I say about letting me talk? and no not girlfriend, fake girlfriend. Just for three days”
“You can barely stand to be around me and you want me to be your pretend girlfriend?”
“Look, I know it’s weird, but we don't have to worry about feelings or some shit like that being a problem because there’s no way that would happen” he explains. “What do I get out of it?”
“A super fancy hotel and all expenses paid. You’ll even get to pretend that you’re dating someone as hot as I am” he smirks and you huff out a humorless laugh. “You’ll pay for everything?” he nods “you’ll drive, too? I hate driving” he nods again “and you’ll be nice to me?”
“Ugh, fine, okay. I will be so nice to you that you’ll puke. Is that a yes?”
“Sure, why not. Can I talk in a British accent and pretend to be part of the royal family? ya know, to fit in with the rich people?”
“Absolutely not”
“Why are you no fun, Stevie?” you whine. “Stevie?” his brows furrow. “yeah, i’m thinking that as your new girlfriend, my nickname for you is Stevie”
“Fake girlfriend” he reminds you “Stevie, you’re so uptight.” you pout at him and he hates himself for his eyes lingering on your lips.
“So, what time should I come over tomorrow?” you ask like you’ve already been invited to his apartment. “What?”
“We need to hang out so you can get used to not acting like I don’t have the plague. Plus, we need to get to know each other” you state. “Fine. Come over tomorrow night and we’ll go over everything”
“Looking forward to it, Stevie”
_
You knock on Steve’s door at 8 p.m. sharp with a bottle of wine in hand because let’s face it, you’re both going to need it. “Hi, Steviekins” you greet as he opens the door. “That’s worse than Stevie”
“You love Stevie and you know it”
“Just come inside” he grumbles. “I ordered a pizza if you want a slice. It’s in the kitchen”
Once the wine is poured and you sit on the couch to eat, you pull out your notebook and two pens from your bag. “Are we writing each other love notes or something?”
“No, doofus. We’re taking notes on each other. Our likes, dislikes, details about our relationship” you tear out a piece of paper and give him a pen. Even your pens and notebook were nauseatingly adorable. “If I knew this was going to be like school I would’ve asked Robin”
“ha!” you laugh loudly “she would punch you if you tried to hold her hand or do anything that was even remotely romantic” you point out “and you’re not going to punch me?”
“I’d like to say no, but I’d hate to be a liar”
You and Steve practically chug your wine and pour a second glass before playing your own version of twenty questions.
“What’s your favorite color?” you ask to start. “My favorite color? you really think my family is going to question you on shit like that?” he responds and you glare at him. “Okay, fine. um, blue, I guess”
“That’s so basic”
“Then what’s yours?”
“all of them” you reply. “all of them? really?” he snidely remarks. “yes, moving on”
You learn an abundant amount of things about each other, much against Steve’s will. You know each other's favorite candies, movies, songs, all the way to childhood memories and discussing scars you have and how you got them.
Then you moved on to the details of your relationship. Friends first, fell in love, you know the deal. You’ve “been together” for five months. Long enough that it’s somewhat serious, short enough for it to make sense that you haven’t met his parents yet.
The bottle of wine is almost gone and Steve’s cheeks are flushed and his eyes are a bit glossy. If he wasn’t the bane of your existence, you might even think he looks pretty.
“Can I ask you a question? and not one about your favorite food or anything like that” you ask in a soft voice and you seem a little nervous. “Sure, go ahead.”
“Why did you ask me to do this? i’m like the last person you should’ve asked”
“That’s actually why I asked. If I asked a girl that has any romantic interest in me at all, then it might get confusing, ya know? With you, once these three days are over we can go back to normal. There’s no risk of us falling for each other”
“Oh, I guess that makes sense. I have an observation, by the way. You always speak of love like it’s a terrible thing. Why is that”
“Holy shit that’s a loaded question. Um, well the first time I was in love was in high school and we all know how that turned out. Haven’t been in a serious relationship since so I guess it’s hard for me to believe that it’s as great as everyone says it is” he sighs. He’s never drinking wine again. If it makes him this vulnerable with you he can’t imagine what it would be like if someone else was sitting here.
“Do you still love her? Nancy?” you wonder. “No, I don’t. I have love for her, but just as a friend. What about you?”
“No, I’m not in love with Nancy. She’s pretty and all, but can’t say i’m in love with her”
“Shut up, you know what I mean. You’re always raving about some dumb romance novel, yet I’ve never seen you with a boyfriend.” he says and you sigh “There’s not much to tell. Hopeless romantic with standards that are too high”
There’s a hint of sadness in your voice and you clear your throat before speaking up again. “So, I think that’s enough for tonight. I know way more about you than I ever wanted to”
“Right back at ya. I’ll walk you to the door”
“It’s a short distance, I’ll manage”
“Hey, I gotta start working on being chivalrous as your fake boyfriend. Can you stop being stubborn for one second?”
He walks you ten steps to the door and even opens it for you. “Same time tomorrow night? unless you're busy” you say, halfway out the door. “What could we possibly have left to learn about each other?”
“We still have to work on acting like we’re in love. You might have to put your arm around me this weekend. Oh, the horrors!” you gasp dramatically and he suppresses a laugh because he refuses to let you think you have the ability to make him laugh.
“Tomorrow's fine. But if something comes up and you have to skip that would totally be okay”
“You’re such an ass” you whine. “Not as much as you are” he retorts.
You flip him off as you walk away and he does the same.
He can’t wait for next weekend to be over so he can go back to pretending like you barely even exist.
-
part two coming soon to a screen near you ;)
-
1K notes · View notes
lastoneout · 6 months
Note
Okay, honest question, who is Yotsuba?
OH HO HO ANON I AM ALL TOO HAPPY TO EXPLAIN :3
Yotsuba is a character from the greatest manga ever made, Yotsuba&!(or Yotsuba to! it translates weird, most fans just call it Yotsuba) which is a comedy slice-of-life manga about Yotsuba Koiwai, a five year old girl, and her very strange yet wholesome family and friends!
Tumblr media
It's from the same mangaka who gave us Azumanga Daioh, though while that manga is told in a four-panel comic style and doesn't really have much of an overarching plot, Youtsuba is done in a traditional manga style and despite also being very episodic there is a bit of a throughline surrounding Youtsuba getting settled into the neighborhood she just moved to, growing up, and eventually, in the later chapters, getting ready to go to school for the first time. Also, there are storylines that take place over multiple chapters as well! Despite the fact that the manga has been releasing since 2003, the chapters are pretty sporadic and the comic has only really covered about one year of the character's lives, but it never really feels slow or aimless. It feels almost...timeless? I guess. It's really nice.
Anyway, the manga is legit one of the most wholesome, funny, heartwarming things I have ever read. Kiyohiko Azuma is a fucking MASTER of comedy(you may have seen screencaps from a Sailor Moon fan comic he made going around on tumblr in which Jupiter accidentally sends Venus shooting across a pool that made me laugh so hard I cried) and he balances it well with lots of slow moments with GORGEOUS artwork where you can really take in the scenery and all of it is seeped in a wonderful nostalgia for childhood that legit makes me super emotional.
I don't think the manga has ever really taken off in terms of popularity, at least not to the degree that it deserves imo, which is likely in part due to the creator being firm about it never getting an anime adaptation and the sporadic release schedule, but it's far from unknown. There's been an official(I think??) score released and plenty of figurines and merch. It's also birthed a lot of memes, and it def has the same issue as One Piece where if you read it and love it you will turn into a walking billboard and try to drag your friends and family in with you. It's just THAT good!
You may have seen art of or people cosplaying Danbo, a "robot" made of old cardboard boxes that Yotsuba adores (Totally a real robot btw, def doesn't have a middle schooler shoved inside there, that would be silly wdym /s)
Tumblr media
And this pose from the back of one of the manga volumes featuring Yotsuba, her father, and their extremely tall friend Jumbo has been redrawn with other characters like 500000 billion times
Tumblr media
And you've also probably seen this going around tumblr before (that's Fūka she's my favorite cringe fail daughter I would literally die for her).
Tumblr media
Also, I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention Yanda, who is a friend of Yotsuba's dad and also Yotsuba's nemesis. He's a loser who constantly gets dunked on by a toddler it's fucking hilarious.
Tumblr media
But yeah it really is just like, a manga that feels like a hug, or a warm blanket or something, it's so comforting and funny and fantastic, I find myself re-reading it any time life gets to be too hard just bcs it's that good at distracting me and reminding me that live is worth living.
And also given that it's literally my favorite manga, I saved up a bunch of screencaps to use as reaction images after a read one time, and thus now it's my own little joke that if you send me anon hate I'm just gonna send you back a picture of this cutie
Tumblr media
Bcs come on how can you be angry when you're looking at this???
Anyway here's some screencaps of the main supporting cast bcs I love all of them so much <3
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
YOU WILL READ YOTSUBA I AM NO LONGER ASKING
306 notes · View notes
silentglassbreak · 2 months
Note
What if the reader and Noah have been training together with Ash, doing kickboxing and all that. They haven't hung out together, but one day, Noah invites the reader over. They find out that they have more in common than they realize.
You can make this cute, romantic, fluff, smutty...you do you :)
Ahhh mi mayor amor, this ask holds a special place in my heart. I trained martial arts for a long time. This sounds like a lot of fun. Now, I will forewarn you, I’ve never done a reader perspective fic before. I’m nervous. The Y/N thing scares me, but I’m going to take a crack at it. Honest feedback is appreciated! After writing notes: I'm so FUCKING evil. :)
Ratings: Explicit
Warnings: Hehehehehe.......
Vices
“Damn it!” My hand tapped the leg cinched around my throat, my mouth guard nearly choking me as I struggled.
The grip loosened and I rolled backward over my head, fist punching the mat beneath me. The Dutch braids my hair was in was faltering, and I stared at the man in front of me.
“What the fuck am I doing wrong?!”
“Calm down, Y/N. You’re going to get this.” Ash, despite being covered in a thin layer of sweat, was smiling warm at me, trying to calm my frustration.
“We’ve been at this for twenty fucking minutes, dude! I keep getting locked the fuck up!” My hands gestured in front of me, my backside rested on my heels.
“You’ve only been doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for three months. You’re still learning. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” He moved to stand. “You want to take a break?”
I stood as well, leaning down into my stance. “No. Let’s go again.”
Ash quirked a brow, defeated, and shook his head, bending down as well. Before I could reach for him, a voice echoed from behind me, disrupting my focus.
“You’re too tense. You need to shake off some of that rage you got there, doll.”
I snapped my head over, inadvertently whipping myself in the mouth with the end of my braid.
Noah stood, tall and sweaty, leaning against one of the heavy punching bags lining the back wall of the room. A towel was draped over his left shoulder, his water bottle in his hand. I narrowed my eyes at him.
“If I wanted your opinion, dick, I would’ve asked for it.”
He threw his hands up defensively. “Just trying to help.”
Scoffing, I turned back around to ready myself. “Sure. I believe that.”
If there was anyone in this gym that I considered a nemesis, it was Noah ‘Dickwad’ Sebastian. I couldn’t fucking stand him. He was arrogant, unbearably fucking tall, and insanely fucking irritating.
We met for the first time when I joined the gym three months ago. He had been training here only six months longer than I, and from the beginning, he was constantly poking a fucking stick at me. It didn’t make sense, and I didn’t fucking care.
I learned through whispers in the gym that he was in a band, so when I googled him and learned what he did for a living, I wasn’t impressed in the slightest.
So what if he could sing? Didn’t make him any less intolerable. He wouldn’t sing too well if I stuck my foot down his throat, anyway.
Had I added a few of his songs to my workout playlist? Maybe. That's beside the point.
Ash wrapped me up in the arm bar yet again, my wrist screaming at me to tap out before it snapped in two. My fingers tapped his leg, and he released me.
“Alright Fireball, that’s enough for one day.” He stood, walking over to his corner where he kept his bag and water.
I noticed Noah had left, so I relaxed, straightening my shirt and making my way over to my own bag next to Ash.
“What am I doing wrong, dude? Seriously?”
He shrugged. “Honestly? You’re just off right now. Did something happen today?”
Rolling my eyes, I sprayed water into my mouth. “My bitch of a mother called me this morning.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That angered you?” His question was sincere. I didn’t share a lot about my personal life with my gym mates.
“It did.” Was all I gave before I slung my bag over my shoulder and slipped my slides on.
He nodded in approval. “Trying to train angry never works. It makes you unfocused. That’s why we do breathing exercises beforehand.” He placed a firm hand on my shoulder. “Try to let it go. We’ll work on it more tomorrow.”
His words calmed my fried nerves ever so slightly, and I grinned at him.
“Thanks Ash. I’ll see you then.”
-
Life really fucking blows sometimes. The last week had been a shit show and a half, and I was exhausted. I hadn’t been back to the gym because work had kept me busy, then I got rear-ended, totaling my ‘98 Corolla, and had been dodging calls from my Mom every hour like clockwork.
Needless to say, when I stepped foot into the gym, the smell of perspiration and mat cleaner was like a breath of fresh air.
My eyes searched, noticing an unfamiliar class going. I spotted Ash, whose eyes flashed over to me before he halted his spar, and jogged over.
“Hey, you okay? Haven’t seen you in over a week.”
I nodded. “Rough few days, but I’m good now.”
He smiled, but a look of concern crossed his face.
“Gosh, Y/N, I’m sorry, but we’re not running regular classes this week. There’s a tournament on the weekend, we’ve got to train our competitors.”
My mood fell, my shoulders going with it. I needed the relief. I needed to train.
Ash saw my eyes, and a sympathetic look crossed his face. “I’m sorry. I should’ve called.”
I shook my head, waving a hand. “No, no. That’s okay. I totally understand.”
He chewed the inside of his lip, peering around the room. A sly smile perked up on his lips.
“Come here.” He motioned for me to follow, which I did, kicking my sandals off before entering the mat, giving a quick bow.
When we rounded the corner into the back of the gym, my feet halted just before the line of bags. Only one person was there, gloves and shin guards on, practicing his combinations.
Oh hell no.
“Y/N, why don’t you spar with Noah?”
My jaw dropped as he stopped mid-hook, pulling an earbud out. “What’s up?”
His chestnut brown hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, and his eyes were widened slightly. I suddenly felt very exposed, only in a sports bra and fitness leggings.
“Would you be willing to spar with Y/N?”
Noah’s eyes made a show of looking me up and down, a devious grin creeping over his face.
“Oh, of course.”
I snorted, looking at Ash. “Are you insane?”
He shrugged. “You’re my only two not competing. It gives you a way to train.”
Holding up a hand toward Noah, my voice raised several octaves. “How am I supposed to spar with him?! He’s a fucking tree!” I motioned to my own height. “I’m only five fucking three!”
Ash’s eyes narrowed at me, clearly not amused with my tantrum.
“Listen, this is the only solution I have for you this week. If you don’t want to, totally fine.” He interlocked his fingers. “But I think it would be good for you.” He glanced between us. “Both of you.”
And just like that, he left.
Noah stared at me now, waiting for my decision. I just shook my head and snarled. “Fuck this.”
Turning to leave, I heard his voice call after me. “Yeah, figured you’d be too scared.”
I froze mid-step, craning my neck to look back at him.
“Excuse me?”
“I get it. I’m intimidating.” He was unhooking his shin guards, tossing them to the side.
“Are you, now?” I turned back around, arms crossing over my chest.
His gloves went next, falling next to his bag. “Obviously.”
“You’re way out of my weight class, Noah.”
He smirked. “Calling me fat?”
I rolled my eyes. What a fucking douche.
“You have an unfair advantage with your long noodle limbs.”
He sucked his teeth, taking a short drink of water. “Having fun insulting me today, huh?”
“Doesn’t change the circumstance.”
“You joined martial arts for self defense, right?”
I jutted my hip out. “So?”
He set down his bottle, running long tattooed fingers through his damp hair.
“So, you think every attacker is going to be the same size and weight as you?”
This gave me pause. He had a point.
I let my bag fall casually off my shoulder, holding my arms up in defeat.
“Fine.” I stepped forward to the middle of the mat. “You want to spar? Let’s do it.”
His eyes sparkled, which made my breath catch for a second, as he walked over to me.
His long form bowed forward as I did, before we bent down in our stance.
It was as I expected; infuriating.
His arms could nearly wrap me around twice. His legs were surprisingly strong, his thighs much more muscular than I had originally anticipated. I kept having to tap, which was making me angrier with each match.
“This is bullshit!”
He hopped on the mat, keeping his blood flowing. “You’re overthinking it. Going rigid.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Fuck that. I’m just too fucking small for this.”
He shook his head, eyes locked on my face. “You’re not. You need to let go. Quit thinking about it so hard.”
We restarted, and I let his words soak in. Feeling my heart beating, my lungs breathing, I let my body instinctively take over. Noah’s thighs wrapped around my waist, but I managed to wrap and arm between them, breaking his grip. Before I could celebrate my victory, he wrapped an arm around my neck, holding me in a reverse choke.
I had to stop and think. Lifting my arm, I found his neck, and locked in tight, causing him to double over, and his arm to slip.
I flipped away from him and stood back up, hands out and waiting. He grabbed me, but I was faster, sprawling low and taking out his right leg before wrapping his ankle in a crushing grip.
I felt his fingers tap my leg three times, and released him, squealing in excitement.
Jumping to my feet, I clapped my hands together, smiling wildly.
“I fucking did it!”
He laid flat on the mat, breathing heavily, and gave me a weak thumbs up. I stood over him, bent at the waist, and smiled as sugary as possible.
“You okay Daddy Long Legs?”
He lowered his eyebrows and licked his lips. “I like when you call me Daddy.”
Snickering, I stood up, reaching a hand out for him to use to stand up. Once on his feet, he padded over to his water bottle.
It had already been an hour, when I had the sense to check the time.
“Damn, I’ve got to get home. The cat needs to be fed.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Same time tomorrow?”
I smirked, shouldering my bag. “If you’re not too scared.”3
-
After three training sessions with Noah, I could feel my perspective of him begin to change ever so subtly. Sure, he was still a perverted douche, but he was also a really dedicated sparring partner. He was always on time, he was interested in my progress, and gave some pretty honest feedback about my technique.
Did I hate seeing him every day? No. Not exactly. I didn’t want to go as far as to say I enjoyed his company, but maybe I wore my nicer sports bras to the gym? Maybe my braids were pulled a little tighter because he was rough with them? Maybe I wore a light mist of body spray before I got there?
Maybe.
So, to my disappointment, come Wednesday, our fourth day training together, he wasn’t already there when I walked in. My face fell when I rounded the corner, expecting to catch him warming up on the bag. I had come to look forward to our banter back and forth prior to training. I also looked forward to watching him hit the bag, but I knew that was just because of his form. It was…exceptional.
Considering he could be stuck in traffic, or had a prior engagement, I decided to start warming up without him.
I made quick work of wrapping my hands and slipping my gloves on before starting my music and assaulting the bag in front of me. I let my mind wander while I pushed each combination out, using my emotions to channel the force.
Before I realized, I had listened to nearly half of my workout playlist, and there was still no sign of him. My head glanced around, and a deep feeling settled on my chest.
As much as I didn’t like the guy, it would’ve been nice for him to mention he wasn’t coming today. When I saw him yesterday, he didn’t say anything about skipping today. I couldn’t ask him myself. I didn’t know his number or any way to reach him.
Deciding it wasn’t worth the irritation, I stepped back from my bag, and began removing my gloves, tucking them back into my bag. As I did so, a flash flew by my peripheral vision, and I stood straight, noticing him.
Noah had walked - no, stomped on to the mat, flung his bag down, earbuds already in and blasting loudly in his ears, and hastily grabbed his gloves out, slipping them on.
I just stood, staring at him, leaning against my respective bag. He paid me no attention, not even glancing in my direction. Something had him pissed. His face had turned a harsh shade of crimson, only darkening as he went at the bag, his voice letting out sharp exclamations every so often.
Carefully, I took three steps closer, touching the bag next to him, eyes searching all over for a sign of what made him so angry. What had happened? Noah was one of the coolest cucumbers I had met in a long time, never bothered by seemingly anything.
Who had hurt him?
Deciding to chance it, knowing he couldn’t hear me, I let my fingers lightly touch the bag he punched during one of his ten second breaks.
For the first time, his eyes looked at me, and were almost black with the rage they held. It made me startle, my eyes widening.
“Noah?”
He rubbed at his ear with his glove, making one earbud fall out. “Not today, Y/N.”
His words didn’t leave room for pressure or questions.
Unfortunately for him, I’m not one to heed a warning.
Narrowing my eyes, I took a step forward as he raised his gloves again, standing between him and the bag still swaying.
His shoulders tensed, and he lowered his gloves, glaring at me.
“Move.”
I crossed my arms, and raised an eyebrow.
“Or what?”
“Or I will move you.”
Pursing my lips, I contemplated this. He could, if he wanted to.
“No.”
“Y/N, I’m not asking.” His voice was deadly.
“I’m not moving. Not until you talk to me.”
He furrowed his brow, incredulous. “About what?”
“What has you so upset?”
He bared his teeth, irritation rising. “Since when do we talk? You don’t even like me.”
Uncrossing my arms and opening myself a bit to show I wasn’t trying to be a complete pain in the ass, I shrugged. “I don’t dislike you.”
He scoffed, slipping his gloves off. “Since fucking when?”
“Since you turned out to be more tolerable than I originally thought.”
He shook his head, taking a long gulp from his bottle. “Thanks, doll. Appreciate that.”
Still raging, but slightly more approachable, I took a step toward where he stood at his gym bag.
“C’mon Noah. Maybe sparring will make you feel better?”
He waved at me, disregarding me. “I’m not in the mood.”
“Because…?” I leaned closer to where he was bent over the bag, unwrapping his hands.
“I don’t want to talk about it, alright?”
Standing up straight, I adjusted my sports bra, which I noticed his eyes caught.
“Then grapple with me.” My solution was simple.
After a moment of careful consideration, he eventually stood back up, staring as I made my way to the middle of the mat.
We bowed, and he leaned down, hands up. “I’m not holding back today.”
I smirked. “Please don’t. I want it all, baby boy.”
This triggered him, his hips dropping to the mat in a hard sprawl, arms wrapping up my waist, dropping me like a hot rock on my back. The air rushed from my lungs before I could prevent the grip he held on my torso. His arms squeezed me in a hard choke, but I wasn’t tapping today.
I managed to get a hand under his left thigh, bending it back at a long angle, making his grip falter just enough to get turned around in his arms. My head slipped loose, but he was back on me. Impossibly strong hands gripped my left thigh, flipping me onto my back. My legs instinctively wrapped around his midsection while he tried to get a grasp on my forearm, to which I squirmed, putting pressure on his rib cage with my legs.
A heavy, deep growl escaped his throat, which made my thighs involuntarily twitch around him. I don’t think he noticed. He was angry, fighting something other than myself at this moment.
His arms came up under mine, and he lifted me off of the ground, and dropped me back into my ass hard, popping my legs open.
My limbs sprawled out on the mat, my breath coming heavily, I looked up at him, wide-eyed. He kneeled over me, hair hanging off of his face in sweat-soaked tendrils, threatening to touch my forehead.
We sat there while I watched the darkness in his eyes dissolve, his breathing getting more and more even. The scowl on his face softened for a moment, and I couldn’t help when my hands reached up to grip his sides, squeezing in a hard grasp.
Noah was hurting. I didn’t know why. Something or someone had hurt him. And here, in this moment, I had him.
We knew so little of each other. Only having spent time in this safe haven together, we had bonded over the last few days, and I knew I was the only person who could relax the fire raging behind his chest right now.
“Noah?” I whispered into the space between us, fighting the urge to touch his face.
“Thanks.”
I quirked a brow. “For what?”
“Being here.”
Smiling, I pressed my fingers harder into his sides. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You did. You don’t even know it, but you did.”
I did know, but hearing him say it gave me a small flutter in my chest.
“Anytime.”
I tapped my code into my phone, and opened the Uber app. Zipping my sweater against the cool spring air, I began the process of searching for a driver to take me home.
“Hey.” I turned to see him walking out behind me. “Headed home?”
I nodded. “Yeah, just got to wait for a driver.” I waved my phone for show.
“You have to call an Uber? Where’s your car?”
Shrugging, I looked back down at the app that stated it was still looking for a driver.
“Got totaled last week.”
He walked over to me. “Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“No big deal.”
His eyes bounced between me, and the parking lot where his shiny black Navigator sat under the moonlight.
“Want a ride?”
I shook my head. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. I can get an Uber.”
He smiled, all sense of his earlier anger wiped clean. “I promise I’m cheaper.” His keys twirled around his long fingers.
I smirked, and closed my app. “Alright.”
The drive to my house wasn’t long, but before we even made it out of the parking lot, he looked over to me. “Hungry?”
I was leaned back, sending my mother a text. “Uh,” I locked my phone. “I mean, I never eat heavy after a workout.”
He nodded. “Same. But there’s a Yogurtland up the street?”
My lips pinched together. “What’s that?”
He turned out of the parking lot, but still managed to stare at me. “Frozen yogurt?”
I just threw my hands up. “Never had it.”
The look he gave me was as if I was insane. “You’ve never had frozen yogurt?”
“Isn’t it essentially just ice cream?”
He shook his head. “No. Not at all. It’s better.”
“Pfft. I doubt that.”
He turned into the parking lot of the yogurt place, and enthusiastically jumped out of the truck. In the few minutes it took for us to get there, I had been working my Dutch braids out, letting my dark hair loose, waves set in from the style. Letting myself out of the truck, I stopped short when I noticed him standing in front of the store, staring at me.
“What?”
He had the smallest, most amused smile tugging at his lips. “Your hair.”
I walked toward him. “What? Is it all fucked up?” I started tousling it, pulling at the tangles.
“No. It looks nice. I’ve never seen it down.”
I thought about it. I always kept my braids in at the gym. I wasn’t trying to have it ripped from my scalp.
“Oh.” A hot blush crept up my neck. “Thanks.”
I slipped in the door past him toward the counter. He proceeded to spend five whole minutes explaining flavors, toppings, mixes, and syrups to add.
After I finally elected for a simple vanilla with raspberries on top, and he went with chocolate with Oreo pieces, we found a small table and sat down.
He watched intently as I tried it, waiting for a reaction. I was pleasantly surprised.
“So?” I glanced up at him. “What do you think?”
Swallowing my spoonful, I nodded. “I’m impressed. Still like ice cream better.”
He rolled his eyes digging into his own cup.
“So,” I started, mixing my raspberries in. “you think you’re ready to talk about it?”
He stopped, his spoon halfway to his mouth, and eyed me curiously. “Why do you want to know?”
My yogurt was already starting to melt. “I’m just wondering. You were pretty upset tonight.”
He just nodded, looking into his cup, pushing the Oreos around. “I was.”
“You don’t actually have to tell me. I just know from experience that it usually helps.”
“Does it?” He still wasn’t looking at me.
“It can. Especially with someone who doesn’t know about it.”
I watched as his throat moved when he swallowed. “I’ve got a friend…” He stopped. “Had a friend. He passed away a couple years ago.”
I just sat, watching him, giving him space.
“We released a song with his band. It was a tribute sort of thing.” Dropping his cup, he leaned back. “Anyway, it came out about a week ago.”
He had stopped speaking, fingernail picking at the cuticle on his thumb.
“And it made you upset?”
“It hurt.” The sound of his voice was a soft echo, the words catching behind his tonsils.
The overwhelming temptation to stand up and wrap my arms around him gnawed at me as I watched his eyes well up, his face twisting to try and push them back down.
Instead, I settled on reaching a hand across the table, slipping my fingers around his wrist.
His eyes gazed up at me, and he gave me the most heartbreaking smile.
“I’ll be alright. It was just a gut punch, you know?”
Grazing a thumb over his tattoos, I stared at him deeply, attempting to convey my condolences.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Noah.”
A sniffle cleared the air, and he lifted a hand to make quick work of wiping his eyes.
“Thanks, Y/N. I appreciate it.”
-
After yogurt, I made it a point to make sure Noah had my cell number in case he ever needed to talk. I almost regretted it, as he had been sending me memes nearly since we parted ways last night.
When I stepped into the gym, the energy was fervent. Fighters rolling around the mats in all directions, preparing for the approaching competition.
I made my way to the back, now quickly becoming a normal routine, and hid my excitement when I was met with chocolate brown eyes crinkled at the corners with a smile.
Noah was sitting on the mat, stretching his long limbs, so I quickly set my bag down and joined him. Each time I would change positions, a finger would come up to poke me in the side, making me almost fall.
“Knock it off!” I swatted at his hand, an involuntary giggle escaping.
“Just making sure you’re loosened up! I’m not taking it easy on you!”
I shook my head, standing back up straight. “Is that what yesterday was? Because I think my tailbone is bruised now.”
He cackled. “You want me to rub it for you?” He threw a wink at me, and I felt my insides spasm.
“Not necessary. Just remember, I’m a lady.”
He scoffed loud. “Yeah, and I’m an acrobat.”
My jaw dropped. “Oh, you’re in for it Sebastian.”
We had been grappling for longer than normal, each round both of us wanting more. We would laugh when we made the other tap out, mocking each other playfully, forcing the other to be even more savage during the next match. Our bodies were both broken out in a heavy sweat, slipping over each other and leaving a wet sheen on the mat.
"Motherfucker!" I squealed when he pulled me up in another arm bar while I kicked my legs up, trying to hook onto him anywhere I possibly could.
"C'mon doll, tap out."
I snarled at him, trying not to jostle my arm too much. My hips fought for leverage, but his legs over my stomach made it impossible to lift myself.
"You're not getting out of this, Y/N. Tap out."
"Fuck you!"
He chuckled. "If you insist."
Fucking perv.
After another two minutes of struggling, I finally huffed and tapped his shin. He released me instantly, popping up on his feet.
"Sorry, doll. We need to work on that one." He sprayed water in his mouth and I glared at him from where I sat on the mat.
"Quit calling me doll."
He smirked, walking over to hand me my own water. "Why? You know you like it."
I snorted. "No, I fucking don't."
"You do."
Rolling my eyes, I kicked at his legs. He just laughed at me.
Plopping down on the mat next to me, he bumped my shoulder. "You're improving a lot, you know."
I smiled. "Thanks. I feel like I am."
"The arm bar is the worst. I can barely get out of them myself."
Leaning back on my hands, I stretched. "Ugh, I should get home."
Rising up on my feet, I made my way over to my bag.
"Oh."
This made me turn around. Did he sound...sad?
"What?" I asked him while wiping my forehead with a towel.
"I was just having fun." He stood, walking to his bag and mirroring my actions.
This made me smile. "Same time tomorrow?"
He pulled his lips to the side, thinking about something he wasn't saying out loud. I ignored it, now wiping the sweat from the back of my neck.
"I mean, or we could," He hesitated, grinning and looking nervous. "hang out?"
I dropped my towel back in my bag. "Hang out?"
"Yeah, like last night."
"You want to get yogurt again?"
He shouldered his bag, and I did the same. We walked toward the edge of the mat, bowing out.
"We don't have to. Could get pizza?"
"Mm, I don't eat heavy after a workout."
He nodded. "Right." We made our way out of the gym. "We could...go to my place?"
My eyebrows shot up, surprised. "Your place?"
His eyes popped open wide, just now realizing what he had suggested, and how it sounded.
"I just mean to hang out! We could like, order food and play video games or something?" His words came out rushed, nearly stumbling over one another.
I smirked, pulling my hoodie over my head to protect from the chill. "I'm a sweaty mess."
"So am I." Noah took a step into my space, eyes looking down at me. "Doesn't bother me."
Ending up at Noah Sebastian's house was not on the agenda for today. Somehow, however, I stood in his living room, eyes darting around, hand firmly grasping my gym bag.
"You want something to drink?"
I snapped out of my trance and looked at him. "Uh, sure."
My feet followed him while he listed off the options. "I've got water, Gatorade, green tea, and Dr. Pepper."
Opting for water, he reached into the fridge and tossed it at me, grabbing one for himself and motioning for me to follow after him. He lead me up a tall, wrapping staircase down the hall to a bedroom at the end. The room was obsessively clean, making me feel wrong just stepping foot inside.
"This is it. It's not much." He ran a hand through his hair, spreading his arm out toward the room.
His words were comical, given the room was massive. A large, king sized bed the centerpiece. A rolling trunk sat on the floor at the edge, and his comforter and pillows were black. Tucked into the corner was a computer desk with a double monitor gaming setup perched on top. There was a loveseat futon sat on the side of the room with a small table sitting in front. Various anime figures adorned the surface of the table, and LED strip lights hung along the perimeter of the room.
"I didn't, uh," His face was turned up in a grin. "really think about what we would do once we got here."
Taking a careful step into the room, I smiled back at him. "Food?"
His eyes widened, and he pulled his phone from his pocket. "Right! What do you feel like?"
Attempting to ease the awkward tension, I walked over to the couch and sat down. "I'm pretty simple. Anything works."
He was scrolling, looking at his screen. "Sandwiches?"
I leaned back on the couch, nodding. "Sure."
After about an hour, we had fallen into a comfortable rhythm of him sitting in his computer chair, and me on the couch, while he chatted between bites of his sub.
"We've only been back from tour for like, two weeks?" He set his sandwich down, wiping his face with a napkin. "We haven't made plans for any more shows yet. We need to take some time to prepare the re-release of the album."
I was chewing my food, being wildly careful not to drop anything on the couch. "Have you decided when it will be released?"
He shook his head. "It's more up to the label, but it's not ready yet anyway."
"The last album was good."
His eyes became almost glittery, hearing what I said. "You've heard it?"
"I listened to it once or twice." I smirked, trying to hide my face with my sandwich.
"Just the last album?" He had me. He knew I was bluffing.
"Well, I pulled you up on iTunes when I realized you were a musician."
His tongue darted out of his mouth, licking his bottom lip. "Which is your favorite song?"
Without thinking, I spoke. "Dethrone."
The shit-eating grin that crawled over his face had me giggling nervously.
"I like working out to it."
He stood, crumpling the paper from his sandwich and tossed it in the garbage. He flopped down next to me on the couch, only inches between us. I set the half of my sandwich on the paper laid out on the table.
"Well, I'm glad you like our music." He was balancing his head on his palm, triumphant smile on his face.
"Are we just going to talk about you the whole night?"
"Oh, you want to talk about you? We can do that."
I leaned back. "Like?"
"Favorite movie."
"The Crow."
He quirked a brow, but didn't question further.
"Favorite TV show?"
"Buffy The Vampire Slayer."
He laughed at that. "Seriously?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Don't hate on Buffy."
He threw his hands up in defense. "Hey, it's a classic." He tapped a finger on his chin. "Favorite place?"
"Place, as in...location?"
"Or whatever it means to you."
I had to think about this one. "My room."
"Really?"
I just nodded. "It's mine. I have it set up exactly how I like it. My roommate is mostly who decorated the rest of the apartment. It's nice, but my room? My room is all me."
Tightening his lips, he gave a look of approval.
"Fair enough." He took a moment to think. "Favorite food?"
"Ah," I stretched my arms out. "Probably Japanese."
He smiled. "Yeah? Same."
He took a while to think over his next question, really working on it.
"Favorite anime?"
Uh-oh, he caught me.
"Oof." I averted his gaze. "I actually don't really watch anime."
I expected a more energetic response, but instead he just said, "No? Why not?"
I shrugged. "Could never get into it? I watched one all the way through, but I couldn't find another that interested me."
"Which one?"
"Tokyo Ghoul."
His eyes lit up. "That's my favorite." He reached over, grabbing a PlayStation controller off of the table and switching it on. When the device surged to life, the background showed an illustration of Ken Kaneki in his ghoul mask, red eye bleeding.
I smiled. "It's the only one that held my interest."
"You've never tried Attack on Titan?"
Shaking my head, I looked back at him. "Never heard of it."
"Want to give it a try? It's dark. You might like it."
"Sure."
He took a few moments to get the show prepared, and I took the opportunity to finish my sandwich, tossing the paper out.
"You want a blanket?" He turned the room light off, turning the LED's up to a warm white light, giving the environment a comfortable feel.
"I'm okay, for now."
He sat down, keeping at least half a foot of distance between us, and began playing the show.
I wanted to pay attention, I really did, but his hand was resting on the couch, fingers splayed out right next to my leg, and it was all I could think about. His eyes were trained on the TV, which made it harder not to stare at him. His features were so striking; eyes a deep brown, hair pushed back and hanging lazily, tattoos littering nearly every inch of his skin. I felt myself salivate while wondering where all he was tattooed, and if I would have the chance to see them.
In an attempt to distract myself, I began removing my braids, taking a second to shake my hair out before I ran a hand through it, trying to get comfortable. I tucked legs underneath myself, my shorts making me feel more exposed than I would've liked.
That's when I felt his eyes on me, covering every inch of me. His fingers were so subtly slipping closer to my thigh on the couch. I tried breathing, but keeping a steady pace was impossible when he was staring.
How far could we take this? How much did I want to allow?
I shifted casually, clearing my throat, and letting the skin of my leg brush his hand. I watched as his eyes shot down to the connection, not moving an inch. His fingers were cool against my warm skin. I leaned back on the couch, pressing my leg closer to him.
His hand slipped, then, up the side of my leg, coming to rest on the top of my thigh. I felt my lip twitch, so I leaned into his hand, pressing my skin into his palm.
When I finally dared to look over, he was staring directly at me, face unwavering, looking absolutely ravenous.
The tension struck me, ripping a cord inside my chest. I wasn't going to sit like this forever.
I leaned forward, taking hold of his shoulder, and pulled my face impossibly close to his. His eyes roamed over me, contemplating his next move. The hand he had on my leg was now wrapped around my back, holding me in place as I stared at him, waiting.
I counted six calculated breaths before he finally leaned in, pressing his lips to mine, and I took my time inhaling his scent. He smelled like the woods; earthy and pine mixed with salt.
The hand he had holding my back pulled, pressing me closer to him. I opened my mouth to allow his tongue to slide across my teeth, licking into my lips. A low moan escaped me, and it was like a switch had flipped.
His mouth was hungrily attacking mine, using the same energy he typically exhausted back in the gym. His arms flipped me back, landing me on the cushions, and pressed himself against me.
I hooked my left leg on his hip, using steady pressure to keep his waist pushed flush to my body, my hips grinding against him.
Humming into my mouth, he pulled his face back, studying me for a moment. I laid, mouth open and breathing heavily, staring up at him.
"You're so fucking sexy, you know that?"
Rolling my eyes, I leaned my hips up, pressing against the hard bulge in his shorts. "You seem to think so."
He hissed, applying the same pressure back against me. "I have for a while now."
"Yeah?" I let one hand snake down between us, pressing against his cock over the fabric. "Now that you have me here, what do you plan to do?"
A soft, whispering whimper left his lips. "I've got some ideas."
He crashed his lips back down, nipping and biting at my lips, and began making his way down my jaw. His teeth grazed my pulse point, licking a stripe up my windpipe.
"Well," I breathed out. "you going to act on those ideas? Or just lick me all day?"
His head snapped up, and the darkest, most mischievous grin graced his features, which made a chill run up my spine.
"So fucking glad you asked."
132 notes · View notes
lvckyyz · 2 months
Note
Hello, you recently wrote a text about the relationship between Iris's cabin and Hades' cabin. I am a Nemesis and I am curious about the relationship of my cabin with 14 (Iris) and 5 (Ares). It's a bit random (and I hope it's not repetitive) but I found the headcanon really cute! Thanks! :D
“i trust you”
cabin 16 x cabin 14 friendship
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
nemesis’ children are known for not being afraid to confront other people if they think something is wrong, and sometimes their sincerity can put them into some trouble. unfortunately it is kind of common for cabin 16 to be vandalized or be the target of some pranks as a revenge for whatever they’ve said
but we are talking about the children of the goddess of revenge so don’t expect them to be okay with that. of course they had their revenge planned already, but the other minor gods’ kids tried to call them down.
and when i say “the other minor gods’ kids” it means cabin 14 and 18, but mostly just the iris kids.
iris kids care a lot about harmony and peace, but some of their neighbors, like cabin 16, weren’t exactly the calmest ones. however, they were determined to keep the nemesis’s kids out of trouble.
cabin 14 helped them fix their cabin and that’s when the nemesis’s children started trusting the iris’s kids a little.
their friendship was something that took a long time to develop, and i mean years. there were one of two campers who became friends more quickly but the majority of nemesis’s kids waited until cabin 14 proved to be 100% trustable.
after some time, these two became like siblings. the nemesis’s kids showed a playful and relaxed side of them and the iris’s children showed to not be as naive as people think they are.
they gossip a lot. the iris’s kids usually know everything that happens around chb and of course they’re telling everything to cabin 16.
they like listening to each other’s opinions; their ways of thinking are completely opposites so they usually ask for each other’s advice or thoughts on a particular topic to help them understand different points of view
nemesis’s kids usually aren’t used to physical touch, but the iris’s kids are and they make sure to give them hugs everyday.
cabin 16 is extremely loyal to their friends and want them to be safe. sometimes one of nemesis’s kids checks if cabin 14 is okay before going to sleep.
iris’s children once had to stop their friends from screaming and mr. d when he said something stupid about the minor gods.
the nemesis’s kids want to teach cabin 14 that they don’t have to be nice all the time and that are some people who don’t deserve their kindness.
the iris’s kids want to show cabin 16 that there are still good people in the world that they can actually trust.
they work well together; the two of them have really deep personalities that could work really well together, and that will probably be the kind of friendship where they’re constantly learning something new about themselves.
“i dare you”
cabin 16 x cabin 14 friendship
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
i think these two would have a kind of playful rivalry, like they’re friends but compete in everything.
they already tried to team up in some games like capture the flag but it didn’t work well, so they started this “who’s the best” thing.
i personally think cabin 5 and 16 got along pretty quickly, some people thought that they’d hate each other but the friendship between them started naturally.
they’d understand their problems, especially if the problem is their parents since nemesis and ares are really strict with their children.
but would never talk about what they’re feeling, they think that’s embarrassing.
i think they’d be the kind to give the other some space or try to distract them from their issues.
cabin 16 is always scolding cabin 5 for bullying others and making them apologize for it.
their little competitions can get a bit dangerous sometimes, the apollo’s kids are already getting tired of them going everyday to the infirmary.
cabin 5 will make cabin 16 listen to their favorite songs
they act like they don’t care but they’re always taking care of each other
cabin 16 convinced cabin 5 to help the new campers to learn how to fight (without bullying little kids in the process)
they’d have some weird jokes that only they understand
they argue a lot about everything but eventually will be back to normal again
the two cabins always sit next to each other during campfires and once cabin 16 got mad at cabin 5 and almost burned them “by accident”
nemesis and ares children would be a good couple👀
⤷ author’s note:
i really hate school. that’s all.
56 notes · View notes
mistress-of-vos · 6 months
Text
Idk where the whole "Tim hating Lex and being annoying to him and somehow being smarter" comes from... Oh, wait! I know where it comes from!
Annoying, ignorant batfam fans
And it's not even surprising if we take a careful look. We're talking about the fandom that doesn't understand Clark, Kon and Jon at all and uses them for batfam prop up purposes. It's the same fandom that doesn't even comprehend Batman characters and says the most disgusting stuff about Jean-Paul Valley (aka Azrael) as if his character wasn't summarized in like, five comics you can easily read. The same fandom that doesn't get Selina Kyle despite the fact that movies like The Batman exist, that the Long Halloween got an animated adaptation, that she has DOZENS of praised comics you can pick up to understand her. The same fandom that doesn't understand freaking Ra's al Ghul as if the guy didn't have a trilogy that literally summarizes his character and also he's an archetype, how the hell do you get an archetype so popular as his as wrong as batfam fandom does?
*insert Misty breathing loudly here*
Okay I kind of got off the point. I was talking about the annoying portrayal of Tim and Lex, because those who do that don't even understand Tim. Tim would *love* to interact with Lex.
This is Lex Luthor, Superman's nemesis, the smartest man of earth. Tim would be thrilled that he can have a chance of going against him even if he's actually just standing next to a Bruce who tries to get Lex to answer a question just to get Lex drinking wine and telling Mercy to call security.
Tim is a detective, and we have seen how, despite everything, he admits greatness when he sees it. I do think he could get a bit sarcastic with Lex when on his Red Robin persona (we have seen how sarcastic he got with Ra's even when Ra's is definitely more likely to shut him up than Lex is) but I actually don't believe he would do that often as he would be too conscious that if someone is a master of speech, it's Lex Luthor. His words got him all the power of the world after all. You don't wanna start a sarcasm fight with someone like Lex.
And I believe as Tim Drake, he openly admires Lex. Maybe not in a idol way, but Lex is a genius, and I bet on the DC world Lex's career is studied both by people in economy and politics and STEM. Lex did so much with so little that I highly doubt there's a way for Tim to not admit that yes, Lex may be *bad* but he's certainly a genius and perfect at what he does. Credit where it's due, or something.
Lastly, I don't think Tim hates Lex. They aren't close enough for that, and Lex is often dancing in a grey area, and don't forget Tim is already fine with many figures in said grey space. Tim would consider Lex a danger, of course, because getting on Lex's bad side can get him killed. He also considers Lex someone who can and will do good, but Tim isn't gonna be the one to go on that trip of getting Lex to see what his genius can make for the world (that's on Clark).
The only thing Tim could dislike about Lex it's that Lex hurt Kon. And Tim loves Kon (in whatever way you prefer) and Tim comes to me as the kind of person who can't quite forget those things. He would be wary, perhaps, constantly on his tip toes when operating too close to Lex's doings and clenching his jaw when Kon interacts with the man because as much as Tim knows Lex is always in control and won't hurt Kon again... He still did. But if Tim held that against Bruce, wouldn't Bruce lose on the number of children he has hurt? Tim can't quite settle his feelings on that, but Kon got over it, so it's not something Tim keeps against Lex.
Tim is careful around Lex, and he's also a bit of a fan.
And well, he is thankful too. Lex brought Kon into the world, and Tim is thankful for that.
(My conclusion is that some batfam fans have clearly never read Superman comics but also it's funny they haven't read Batman comics either and maybe they shouldn't speak on stuff they don't know but that's just my opinion right)
71 notes · View notes
smokescreenimusprime · 6 months
Note
I am absolutely in love with the Ghost of Darkmount au. It's both so funny and intresting.
So, my thoughts are, what would the autobots's reaction be after they found out the truth? You know, Ratchet obviously finds out first, but it can't be far behind before the rest does too. What are their thoughts, emotions, on the whole thing? Will they be angry at Smokescreen? Will they understand the reason he did it all?
And Smokey himself! I imagine wearing the phase shifter could have some serious side effects, especially now that it's damaged. Imagine him forgetting he's not a 'ghost' anymore and walking into walls or other solid objects constantly lmao
well >:3
Ratchet is absolutely floored by this, but admittedly doesn't have much time to process it in the rush of Hey The Final Battle Is Happening Right Fragging Now And We Don't Have Time To Spare. He makes it VERY clear that they WILL be talking about this later on, no ifs ands or buts, but he does put it on the back burner so they can actually get this plan through
the Autobots also have it pretty rough in terms of reveal since it's just. Right in the middle of them invading the Nemesis
but then when everything calms down........ then things get interesting :3
the emotions everyone feels are definitely complicated to say the very least of it. They're happy Smokescreen's alive! Don't get me wrong there!!! But there's also a BUNCH more they're feeling, especially after the immediate relief fades. You're right in how there's some anger at the secret keeping and tricks, but there's also a little bit of pride at what Smokescreen managed to accomplish, some mild discomfort that the kid did this by himself
However, most of all is...... concern honestly
after all, Smokescreen had been undercover for a long time, and the Autobots aren't blind to the differences, which nicely segues into the other point you brought up :)
Ratchet ends up dragging Smokescreen off to the side to remove the Phase Shifter as soon as he can, and he immediately gives him a check up that...... admittedly doesn't come out super great. Smokescreen hadn't gotten out of the collapsing base completely unscathed, not to mention all the grime and dirt that's been sticking to him for what could possibly be months now
and Smokescreen does have some..... habits
there is as you've mentioned Smokescreen forgetting he's not intangible anymore, and there have been more than a few instances of him walking or even running full speed into objects, walls or even other bots. He's a pretty frequent visitor to the medbay, and it gets bad enough that he starts carrying around a medkit
He's a weird mix of quiet and chatty. He's VERY socially starved and talks with the others whenever he can, but there are also times he forgets that people can see and touch him. The number of times he's been startled by people calling out to him or touching him when he didn't initiate it is more than he can count. There have also been times where he's just....... silently watched the other Autobots talking with a look that could only be described as longing, as if he's forgotten he's allowed to join in
he has an........ interesting relationship with the vehicons and Knockout. It's very tense and awkward, and honestly they're still largely terrified of him because of the months of Spooks. Now, Smokescreen doesn't regret what he did, not by a longshot...... but it does hurt a little bit whenever they whisper about him or flinch when they see him. It's especially bad with Knockout because of all Smokescreen's trips to the medbay
it takes Smokescreen a long time before he refuels with everyone else and recharges in a regular berth. Those habits were among the hardest for him to break. After so long of breaking into storage rooms to steal small portions so he wouldn't get caught and catching quick naps while being paranoid of falling through the airship, it's....... really difficult to adjust
to the Autobots, it's clear that he isn't the same bot as when they last saw him, and it's going to take time before he finds his "normal" again, but they do what they can to act as a support so he knows he doesn't have to be alone
42 notes · View notes
lets-try-some-writing · 6 months
Text
The Grim Dark Archives: Statement #004 SITUATION UPDATE
[Statement taken from Agent Witwicky on the 23rd of September 2010 regarding the situation with [Redacted] and the Autobot presence on Earth. Secondary statement taken from [Redacted] shortly after their awakening also included.]
══════════════════
For any listeners, I will say this simply. The reason for the six year gap in further statements and transcripts is because... [Redacted] was caught by the Autobots shortly after their statement on Holoforms. [Redacted] was meant to only be on a short walk around a secure area, but they deviated from the planned route we had cleared for them. We do not know what they were trying to do, but we believe that they were possibly attempting to observe the Autobots from a distance. What little camera footage we gathered from [Redacted] showed them rushing toward where the Autobots were reported to be looking for energon.
Considering how terrified they are of the Autobots, this choice made no sense to us. But whatever [Redacted] was trying to do, they seemed to be taking notes when the Autobot known as Bumblebee snuck up on them. Bumblebee made some sort of sound that our systems could not pick up, and within moment [Redacted] was surrounded by the Autobots at the dig site. There was some sort of discussion in what we assume was their native language before the one called Bulkhead proceeded to punch [Redacted] hard enough to knock them to the floor. Further footage was grainy, but when the Autobots finally left, [Redacted] was all but a crushed mess on the ground.
Our agents were deployed to collect what was left, but miraculously, [Redacted] still seemed to be alive. Whatever power source keeps Cybertronians operational was still blazing. And so while higher command was not exactly the most thrilled with the idea, [Redacted] was brought in for repairs. I wasn't there for all of it, but from what I gather, our scientists and engineers both had a field day and hated every waking moment of trying to put [Redacted] back together. Thankfully for everyone, [Redacted] seemed to be in some sort of sleep while they were being repaired. It took years to get them back into shape, and all the while we kept the Autobots occupied as best as we could. We took [Redacted]'s advice and were careful about what information we allowed the Autobots to have. They are currently under the assumption that we can destroy them with nukes. It seems to have kept them from acting out.
However they were reported constantly watching the stars and searching for things on the surface. We struggled to keep track of them, at least until two things happened.
Firstly, [Redacted] showed signs of waking up from whatever coma they were in. They started moving around and booting online around the time a new alien aircraft appeared in the skies. We couldn't trace it and there were no Autobot symbols. But the Autobots were quick to inform us that the ship belonged to the Decepticons, their mortal enemies. They seemed far too excited for their own good at the prospect of fighting these other aliens. We opted to keep our sights on the ship as much as possible while the Autobots began a frantic search. It was around this time that [Redacted] finally came online enough to speak coherently, at which point we immediately questioned them about the situation. Their response was highly concerning, just like everything else they have ever told us.
I will play a recording of their statement here.
[-Statement playback begins-
That is the Decepticon warship. Sorry, my processors are pounding like a glitch right now, but yeah, Prime wasn't lying. That's definitely Megatron's ship. Why did you think the Autobots were here in the first place? Did you think they turned up for a vacation? No, they came here because this is where the Decepticons are.
How did you not pick it up on your radar? Well the Nemesis has a cloaker. All Cybertronian ships do. You didn't notice the Autobots until they came to you right? Well think about it this way. If the Decepticons can now be picked up on your radar, it means they don't care about being seen. That in turn means that they have a purpose, a mission. They have been hanging around your planet as long if not longer than the Autobots have, likely waiting for the right moment to make their move.
I don't claim to know their plans, but now that they are up and moving, you can bet that Megatron will show up soon enough. That's when slag is going to get real. So far the Autobots have laid low and been pretty docile right? At least I assume they have since you are all still alive and your capitol isn't burning. Well unfortunately for you organics, things just went from bad to worse. Expect my kin's war to begin ravaging your world as well. Hopefully their lack of numbers will keep it somewhat contained, but honestly at this point all I can do is give you context for what is going on and hope you can use it to your benefit.
The Decepticons are likely here to retrieve something or other. There were thousands of objects deployed during the war to keep them safe. Killing the Autobots is just a bonus. As for the Autobots? I can't claim to know, but I bet they will pull the same scrap. The two factions are notorious for being competitive. Just... try to keep civilians out of the way as they try to wage their war.
We are a dying race, and this is exactly why. When one of the factions get what they want, then you can really start worrying again. For now, they will be too focused on turning each other into slag to care much about you.... or me.
-Statement playback ends-]
[Redacted] did not elaborate on what allowed them to survive very nearly being killed. They also did not tell us WHY the Autobots tried to kill them, but we have more important things to deal with now. The Decepticons are active and we do not have nearly enough information due to [Redacted]'s extended coma. We are going to need to work quick to catch up on all we missed and get as much information as we can from our suspicious ally before they get killed for good this time.
══════════════════
[Statement end.
Further statements will be added to this catalogue as soon as possible. The Autobots have been observed moving and I am sure it will not be long before we need [Redacted]'s knowledge again.
Agent Witwicky signing off.
Recording ends.]
38 notes · View notes
laheymaze · 2 years
Text
he is my worst enemy
Tumblr media
✨eddie munson✨ x fem!henderson!reader
PART TWO HERE!
requested by: nightshadered
summary: you and eddie do not get along whatsoever and one day when he comes over to your house to hang out with dustin, you realize you have a lot more in common than you thought <3
prompt included: "he is my worst enemy. my nemesis" "didn't you just meet him like five minutes ago?" "yes"
warnings: some language but that's it :)
**this is from my wattpad, simplytbs, from months ago! check out my wattpad for more stories!*
-------
When you walked Dustin to the first day of his new D&D club, you were instantly alarmed when you saw that Eddie Munson was the leader. The 'amazing' guy who has taken Dustin under his wing. You pulled Dustin aside and asked why he would ever join a group with Eddie, and Dustin simply defended him.
"Hey, Henderson!" Eddie paused and looked at you cautiously. "Why are you here?" He questioned.
"This is my sister," Dustin told him. Horror crossed Eddie's face.
"Oh." Was all Eddie said before walking away.
"He is my worst enemy. My nemesis." You said scornfully.
"Didn't you just meet him like five minutes ago?" Dustin questioned.
"Yes. Well, no. We've crossed paths before."
"Listen, Mike and Lucas are here too. If anything happens I will call you."
"Yeah unless he kills all three of you."
Ever since this day, you and Eddie constantly fight, bicker, and insult each other. You think he is an awful influence on Dustin, and you wish your little brother would just leave the group. You kept warning him that if Eddie turns out to be some psycho killer, not to go crying to you since you were right.
On today's episode of 'Eddie and Y/N fights 101,' you walked over to the Hellfire lunch table, giving Dustin the book that he needed for his class after lunch.
"To what do I owe this pleasure, your majesty," Eddie said, bowing to you.
"Just giving Dustin his book, asshat." You responded harshly.
"Can you two just be nice to each other for once?" Dustin asked.
"No." You and Eddie responded at the same time, giving each other a dirty look.
"See, you can already read each other's minds." Dustin pointed out.
"You're right Dusty-bun, we can. Eddie is thinking about how he wishes he could get a girlfriend and how badly he wishes he could destroy me. Probably how he can kill all of us with his satanic cult. Oh, and can't forget the whole not being able to graduate thing." You said, probably crossing a dangerous line.
"And Y/N is thinking about how to be a nice person. Oh wait, she isn't capable of that since she a cold-blooded reptile that can make an appearance of a human, or, somewhat of one." You stood there and crossed your arms aggressively. Eddie smirked because he knew he got you there.
"Enough! Just shut up!" Dustin shouted. You walked away and sat back down with your friends. Them asking you why you keep talking to Eddie 'the freak' Munson. Your head was somewhere else while they were questioning you, though. Did he really think you were a cold-blooded reptile? This remark bothered you more than any of the ones he has ever thrown at you. It stayed on your mind the entire day.
You were crawled up in your bed when you heard a knock on the door. Maybe Dustin forgot his key. You got up and opened the door, only to see Eddie standing there.
"Oh, hey, sorry. Dustin and I are supposed to hang out. I'm early." Eddie told you.
"He's not here." You said coldly, a sad look on your face.
"What's wrong?"
"Do you even care?"
"You seem sad," Eddie said. You left the door open and walked back to your room. Eddie closed the door behind him and followed you. "What's wrong, Y/N?" Eddie looked around your room and saw the rock music posters hanging, along with the guitar pick art you had on your wall and tapes and vinyl's lined up on your shelves.
"Nothing." You told him.
"I didn't know you were a metal head like me? I thought we had nothing in common." Eddie said, amazed.
"You're not a cold-blooded reptile, so we don't have anything in common." You said, throwing yourself down on your bed, curling up with a pillow. Eddie gave you a sad expression.
"That's what's bothering you? I once called you a whiny bitch, and that had no effect. Y/N, I do not think you are cold-blooded or a reptile." A tear ran down your face, and Eddie panicked. He had no clue what to do. "No no no no, don't cry! I'm sorry!" Eddie rushed over and sat next to you, wrapping an arm around you lightly, too scared to get too close.
"I can't believe I'm letting you see me cry right now." You said, laughing.
"See, you are fully human." Eddie said, trying to make you feel better. You laughed some more and buried your face in your pillow.
"Rock music is my favorite and I actually like D&D. I just never said anything because I didn't want you to think we had something in common." You said, muffled, pillow still in your face. Eddie laughed and pulled the pillow away. He lightly hit you with it, making you giggle.
"What else don't I know about you?" Eddie asked, facing you.
"I have a tattoo." You said, sheepishly. "If my mom knew, she'd become even more mental than she already is."
"Y/N Henderson has a tattoo? How did you even get one since you're not eighteen?"
"Steve took me." You answered.
"I'm sorry, Steve as in Steve 'the hair' Harrington?" Eddie was taken back, jealousy present.
"Yeah, we've been through a lot so him and I are close. We aren't a thing if that's what you are freaking out about." You told him.
"Why would that freak me out? I don't care." Eddie got nervous and started playing with his rings.
"Mhm." You smiled at Eddie. "I guess we do have things in common besides my brother." You said. "Don't tell him about this either, because he will never leave us alone."
"Trust me, I won't. He'll make my life miserable with a bunch of questions."
"Who will?" Dustin's body appeared in your room, confused as to why you and Eddie were somewhat snuggled on your bed together. You both looked at him, Eddie jumping out of your bed right away.
"You will if I left without even though you took forever to get here." Eddie joked, throwing his arm around Dustin's shoulder. The pair were leaving your room as Eddie turned around to smile at you. "See you around, Y/N."
"Since when do you two get along?" Dustin asked Eddie.
"Since forever, where have you been?"
----
part two will be a good one! sorry if there are any mistakes in here, i am exhausted and was trying to get this done 
make sure to like and reblog :)
323 notes · View notes
twistedtummies2 · 27 days
Text
Top 10 Portrayals of Inspector Lestrade
Having just finished my list of my favorite fictional detectives, I felt it was time to return to my absolute favorite of the bunch: Sherlock Holmes. In the past, I have done lists related to Holmes himself, as well as his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. I recently revisited those three countdowns to see if I would change anything, and…at the moment, no, I think they’re still pretty solidly set. HOWEVER, I’ve never gone over any of the other major characters in the Sherlock Holmes universe since those three. I haven’t covered his other allies, or any other noteworthy antagonists he faced. So, I decided it was time to fix that problem. These lists WILL have descriptions, but they’ll be very brief, partially just because I don’t have a TON to say about most of the characters/portrayals involved. We’ll start off with a Top 10 devoted to Scotland Yard’s most competent detective, Inspector Lestrade.
In the books, Lestrade is one of Holmes’ closest compatriots. While the super sleuth frequently interacts with various Scotland Yard officers, Lestrade is the most recurring, and has the most rapport with Sherlock. Their relationship is an…interesting one, to say the least. On the one hand, the two do care about each other, and there is some level of mutual respect under their respective, prickly surfaces. However, the pair bicker constantly, and always seem to be trying to one-up each other. Holmes concedes that Lestrade is probably the best detective at the Yard, but with the caveat that he is “the best of a bad bunch.” Lestrade, meanwhile, often tries to downplay Holmes’ unique skills in favor of boosting his own ego, and is forever frustrated by Sherlock’s antics. At the same time, he recognizes Holmes is very helpful to himself and the force, and for all his faults, he always manages to help the Inspector catch the crooks in the end. Indeed, the main reason Lestrade usually fails is because he ironically tends to jump the gun: he’s someone who fails to look at the big picture, or else notice the smaller details, which is what Holmes is very good at. If he just took his time more, he could probably get to the bottom of things more quickly…but Holmes can do all that in an instant, so it’s a good thing he’s hanging around. Different interpretations throughout adaptations and reimaginings of the Holmes universe have reinterpreted Lestrade in a number of ways (and with no less than two different pronunciations of his name; “Leh-strawed” seems to be the most common, but a couple choose to say “Less-trade”). Some versions of him are more comical and bungling, while some are more serious but still not quite as brilliant as Holmes. Some make the character more bullheaded and easily angered, while others make him more supportive and friendly. Many of the best find some sort of balance between these disparate elements; while he may not get the kudos that Holmes and Watson get, Lestrade is an interesting character in his own right, with a lot of layers writers, actors, and directors can play with. Having said that, here are some I particularly enjoy. So STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW! Here are My Top 10 Favorite Portrayals of Inspector Lestrade.
Tumblr media
10. Frank Finlay, from A Study in Terror & Murder By Decree.
Finlay played Lestrade, by sheer coincidence, in two completely different films that have the same premise: Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper. He looks, sounds, and generally behaves exactly the same in both movies, too. It’s rather uncanny, really.
Tumblr media
9. Eddie Marsan, from the Guy Ritchie Films.
In the first film, Lestrade is a major character, and the way they play with his relationship with Sherlock is surprising; it’s just a shame he’s little more than a cameo in the second film.
Tumblr media
8. Jeffrey Jones, from Without a Clue.
Arguably the most bumbling version of the character on this list. However, since this movie is an outright comedy, I don’t mind this. Plus, Jeffrey Jones is just a lot of fun as an actor, in general.
Tumblr media
7. Peter Madden, from the 60s BBC Series.
In some ways, I think this might be the most book-accurate take on Lestrade, especially in terms of physical appearance. Madden only played the character in the first season of the series; in the second season, actor William Lucas took over. Weirdly enough, Madden did appear in the second season playing a completely different character in one episode. Not really sure why he was recast.
Tumblr media
6. Dennis Hoey, from the Universal Films.
Alongside Jones, the most bungling version of Lestrade, frequently used as comic relief. In most of the films - not all, but most - he makes Nigel Bruce’s infamously doofy Watson look like a genius in comparison. He’s a lot of fun, though, and the chemistry between the three performers is great every time.
Tumblr media
5. Rupert Graves, from Sherlock.
Arguably the most serious version of Lestrade on the list. I love the sort of normalcy he brings to the crazy world of Holmes and Watson, and the way he’s able to just put up with all the nonsense Sherlock shoves onto him, as well as find ways to rein Holmes in.
Tumblr media
4. Archie Duncan, from the 50s TV Series.
This Lestrade is able to be extremely funny without actually being a moron; while he always needs Holmes to help him out, it’s mostly just because he’s impulsive and hotheaded, and therefore doesn’t always think things through or notice the details Sherlock notices. (Just like in the books.) Duncan, like Peter Madden, would weirdly play other characters in the show BESIDES Lestrade, including a villain in one story. Very talented performer who was always good to see in action!
Tumblr media
3. The Version from Moriarty the Patriot.
This is probably the most friendly and encouraging version of Lestrade on the list, though he still gets righteously annoyed with both Holmes AND Moriarty in the series. I love his energy and the integrity the character has in the show; like Holmes, he’s willing to bend the rules to see justice done, and will never give up no matter what, which explains why they like each other above all else.
Tumblr media
2. Akiko Morison, from Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century.
This version is a female descendant of the original inspector, named Beth Lestrade. She actually was more of a standout to me in this show than Watson was! Once again, this version isn’t depicted is an idiot - she’s fiery, strong, and very good at her job, with great instincts. Her problem is that, once again, she doesn’t always pick up on the details or fully understand the situation, which leads to conflict and her need to have Holmes around.
Tumblr media
1. Colin Jeavons, from the Granada Series.
The definitive take on Lestrade, just as Jeremy Brett was the definitive take on Holmes, in my opinion. Jeavons plays Lestrade as a slightly pompous and rather sarcastic police officer, but he also seems to be one of the versions of the character who has the best sort of relationship with Sherlock. I love the chemistry between the pair, and how they each seem to sort of admire each other, though neither will ever admit it. At the same time, that competitive rivalry between the two has rarely been showcased better. Altogether marvelous.
17 notes · View notes
lingering-paperwork · 23 days
Text
CW// Blood
.
Reblogs >>> likes
Tumblr media
My thoughts on The Artificer! I'll be going through each figure as well as a small personality description at the end.
Fig. 1 - I'll start by listing off things from bottom to top: her eyes are sunken in due to the fact they usually either don't sleep or have nightmares. She doesn't clean herself often (or properly) so a lot of the bloodstains on hard to reach spaces (such as her chest, stomach, and back) are the most noticeable, as well as the ones on her feet and hands, mainly because she waits until he cycle is already over to wash themselves. She is technically regular slugcat height (because surv and monk are both pups and she was just kinda . Born Explosive), pebbles is just . Like . 4 feet tall
Fig. 2 - Artificer is constantly on the move, due to this, the fact she uses lots of fire power and that metropolis Is almost always in direct sunlight, she overheats very often. To combat this problem, she has a sail that she circulates blood through too cool herself (as well as make herself warmer, if she needs to be). This idea was spawned after I watched an hour long video about the earth before dinosaurs and it had gotten to the time Dimetrodon was around. This is kind of a work in progress idea but it makes the most sense to me.
Fig. 3 - arti has small vents in the back of their mouth that allow them to go kaboom!! It might also be where she swallows objects like rocks and flashbangs to make them into bombs and lanterns, I'm not sure yet. There's also a possibility of the vents that help her propel themselves are on their tail but most the sparks in game come from her mouth so *shrugs*. Her teeth are black because they are made from a material that can withstand constant firepower (what material? I'm not sure, some kind of heavy metal I'd think).
Personality - The Artificer is in a consistent state of dissociation, her one eye almost always open except for when she needs to make explosives or stun an enemy (as shown in fig. 3) she goes through the motions, not taking joy in anything besides the high of killing her nemesis and potentially sunbathing. She will and has attempted to kill everything in her path unless it is a wondering slugpup, or another slugcat. When she meets pebbles she's unfazed by his presence until he mentions the potential of killing a chieftain scavanger, and after that the two start to bond a bit more before pebbles sends her uh "west past the farm arrays", in which we see the Artificer ascension ending play out. After her kids die she never really breaks her dissociation until she has killed everything atop pebbles structure and visited him again.
Hope you enjoy my rant! Sorry this post is a little long and depressing :P
19 notes · View notes
istadris · 11 months
Note
An entire essay about Boouigi? Please, go ahead! Rant and rave to your hearts desire! ❤️
OKay first let's talk about how King Boo is the perfect nemesis to Luigi the way Bowser is to Mario.
Mario is constantly associated with fire, is a physical, direct fighter. He's straightforward and simple in his concept, and so is Bowser : hero vs dragon, loud braggart vs silent humble guy, that kind of thing.
Luigi is...a weird case. He's more flawed and complex; he's scared, he's greedy, he's feeling overshadowed, he's clumsy, he's a loser. He's usually Mario's counterpart when it comes to ability but that's hardly consistent : is the opposite of fire lightning? Ice? Water?
What is Luigi's deal ?
One of the most consistent theme of that yin-yang is the Sun/Moon theme. Mario, bright, burning, shining, warming through his presence and bringing life. Luigi, shy and secretive, hiding in the shadows, weird powers abound, and his games are all focused around night and ghosts (and by extension death).
There's some moral ambiguity in his actions too: fans have been debating for years about how much E.Gadd and King Boo are justified in their respective actions. Is E.Gadd a sinister scientist capturing sentient creatures and people into portraits, or a well-meaning scientist trying to prevent ghosts from being dangerous? Is King Boo trying to protect his Boos or is he just a petty bastard? You wouldn't get that kind of debate about Mario fighting Bowser (unless you're an edgy youtuber trying to make noise)
And people have pointed out before me, but Luigi is often paired with nice people and villains alike, because where Mario is incorruptible as the Hero, Luigi would be more vulnerable to the sirens of evil, even if he never actually turned evil, because he's a sweety pie.
EDIT : HERE'S THE POST I WAS THINKING ABOUT REGARDING LUIGI'S WEAKNESS TO CORRUPTION
He's more like King Boo than he would like.
There's also the supreme irony of Luigi being so terrified of ghosts that of course his main enemies are all kind of ghosts, spirits and such. And yet ! He can be friendly with them! Polterpup of course, and other ghosts, he wouldn't attack them if he could! He just wants to take a nap without someone trying to murder him!!! So it's funny for me to picture him befriending the Boos, including their King, especially when at first the latter wants to KILL KILL BITE BITE. Speaking of which, I love fanarts in which KB has a gaggle of lil boos cheering him up in his attempts to woo Luigi. Go get'im, boss! You're irresistible, surely this time he'll fall for you!
Oh yeah, because I LOVE the trope of KB having been trying to seduce Luigi all this time and kidnapping his family was the best he could come up with. Honestly, look at how long he let Luigi run around in every Mansion instead of just swarming him!
(Now I want a fic where KB just goes "you know what, screw it, I've waited long enough ,ALL ON HIM!!" ...how angsty or humorous it gets is up to you ;p)
I had a joke at some point (and now it fits with the ghost seducer AU) that all that money Luigi finds is KB paying Luigi for cleaning up, or sugar daddy-ing him up and trying to get him to stay.
KB : *throws gold ingots and diamonds at Luigi* TAKE MY MONEY, WHORE!!
And oh, the naughty, naughty things King Boo could do with this tongue...
74 notes · View notes
memento-mori-twilight · 8 months
Text
Looking at the villians they had for My Adventures with Superman,
They honestly picked the best choices they could for a Season 1 rogues gallery.
Think about it (way too much detail below):
They didn't want to dip too far into multiverse and multidimensional villians, outside of Mxyztplk to introduce the concept, so they couldn't pull out Ultraman or Superboy/man Prime (who needs a Crisis Event to even exist properly if they want to do him nicely and that's a whole other can of worms).
They couldn't introduce Kryptonite soon enough for Metallo or Conduit to be relevant, and Metallo also kinda needs Lexcorp to exist beforehand (unless they wanna go with the military origin version who doesn't need Lex).
Conduit also requires an intense murderous rivalry with Clark from Smallville, which how they have made Clark Kent in this iteration, wouldn't make sense. What would he be pissed over, Clark beating him at a chess tournament?!?
Bizarro also comes from Lex's machinations having been a failed clone he created.
Aliens are *not* a common thing known, so intergalactic villains like Darkseid, Lobo, Mongol, and Zod aren't ones to form as threats until Clark knows what Krypton even is, or at least has a vague kind of idea.
We also don't have STAR Labs (yet) and barely have an evil form of Cadmus Labs (sincw they kinds blend in with Task Force X)
Honestly on that front, they did great reworking to have Parasite and Intergang in here as threats, since their origins/threat levels are often tied to Darkseid. Pairing them with Silver Banshee and Ivo were smart in that regards.
And yeah, I can hear the complaints already about Banshee not being a Metahuman and Livewire not being a Shock Jock, but metahumans being a thing not originating from a hush hush experiment from the military (as Episode 9 suggests is happening with Leslie) wouldn't work with how they formed Jimmy's story arc.
On top of that, Silver Banshee was born of magic shenanigans, and introducing that weakness before his more famous one of glowy rock with no known helpful magical allies would have been a major misstep, because that would essentially leave Clark no way to counter and win. She could still mess around with magic angle later in, though, after getting a taste of the power via the tech. (And maybe her sparking a romance with Jimmy, eh?)
As for Livewire not being a Shock Jock, that requires the fact of Superman being previously established as a hero in Metropolis for a time for there to be news about him (and a prominent radio station in Metropolis for Leslie to get zappy-zapped by radio tower after getting fired), which wouldn't work since the show's story makes it clear that Lois and Jimmy are the first ones to encounter him. {Also going the influencer angle wouldn't make sense for her getting electric powers because how would she get zapped while uploading vids on YouTube? Wifi or 5G doesn't work like that.}
Therefore, blending them in with Waller's proto-Suicide Squad of criminals and Sam Lane's distrustful actions against Nemesis Omega all wrapped in a military/government jingoistic bow was a smart move to not make some major potholes for the purpose of story direction. And making them have powers from repurposed Kryptonian tech also equals the unspoken question of "how is Superman constantly getting his ass beat?"
The only other real "Superman" villians they would have room left to mess with would be Toyman, the Atomic Skull, Ultra-humanite, Titano, Chemo, Bloodsport, the Prankster, Volcana (who is barely a villian and is more a victim of circumstance), Mr. Zed, and Manchester Black (depending how they implement them). And we very well may see many of them in Season 2, along with some of the ones from above, now that Kryptonite and the Multiverse exists now and Brainiac and other Krypton survivors have been teased.
They did their best with what they had left to work with, if they wanted to give us the beautiful characterizations and story beats we got in the first place.
Anyway, that's my piece on the villians, why they chose the ones they did, and why they were tech based instead of their other origins, and what ones they could mess with in Season 2 maybe.
Thanks if you read this whole thing, you're a real one for hearing me out.
47 notes · View notes
Text
Lunes 1 De Abril
Tumblr media
Working in the lab with Luis can get a bit interesting...
  I was supposed to post my Leon one shot first but Luis’s was just too much fun. Anyways I know why you’re here so: smut underneath the cut. Minors do NOT interact or I will personally send Las Plagas through your devices. This is my first time writing explicit content so be gentle :3
The research on the island had been moving at a snail’s pace. It didn’t help that your head researcher keeps getting taken away to look at new strains of whatever you’re working with. It looks like a parasite.. Or it could be a fungus? You don’t really question much about what you’re doing because there’s no point. It’s your own fault you’re trapped in this mess. You always wonder why you left Umbrella, but then again you heard they tanked so maybe this was a good idea after all; You’ve always trusted Luis’s intuition. Well, until the Los Illuminados invaded the village... 
Your work in Spain has at least been interesting for the most part. There’s constantly new developments since Luis is on the team. He’s from the same team that you were from: Umbrella Europe’s Sixth Team. Your team was tasked with working on something called the Nemesis Alpha Parasite. You’re confident it did its job and it worked… but it was wrong. Morally, everything you did was an atrocity. That’s why you followed Luis here, to Spain. You wanted to start fresh, put your brain to good use, but now you were stuck in almost the same exact predicament. Working for the wrong side. 
You take time to look up from your research, your lab coat long discarded. Along with these people’s temperaments, the weather in Spain is unpredictable here on the island. Today’s choice of torture is heat, an insufferable amount as the only chill you get is down below in the freezers. You hate going down there though; it’s too creepy for you. Saddler expects you all to be done with this research by the end of the week but honestly you couldn’t care less. You just want to go outside, go to the beach, and have a little fun. You long to get some relaxation but it’s impossible when you’re forced to work for someone so demanding. 
You brush back some of your hair, the annoying bits tickling your vision. Today’s a good day and you could really use a break from all this insufferable paperwork. It’s stacked neatly on your desk, ready to be analyzed and marked up but you really don’t want to do them today. 
Even though the sun has set, the humidity from the water that surrounds the island is wet and sticky. You start to wish you could peel more of your layers off but that would be indecent. Working across the room is your partner in crime, Luis Serra. He’s got his own troublesome tasks, ones that require an extreme amount of gentle prodding and poking. He’s got a las plagas on his petri dish, or at least some type of old, almost fossilized version of one. It squirms as he pokes at it, not wanting to be touched. He’s wearing his cute, thick pair of glasses, making sure to work with careful precision. You’ve noticed he bites his lip when he concentrates. 
Suddenly you make eye contact and you feel the need to come up with something, “It’s my birthday.” You say and look back down at your papers. It’s not actually, but it could be. You haven’t seen a real calendar in months. You can sort of guess by the season really. 
You hear some rustling behind you, some chairs scooting around, and things being capped. You barely notice he’s directly behind you until he’s placing an arm on your shoulder to turn you around to face him. Your chair swivels and then you’re staring right up into his brown eyes. He cocks an eyebrow in curiosity, a twinge of a smile at his lips. 
"It is?” he asks and you nod in confirmation, he’s never been this close to you before. You wonder what’s gotten into him. The heat must be intolerable to him too and you wonder if he wants to get out of this place as much as you do. 
“Well...Happy Birthday." He eases up and rolls out his shoulders, worn from the past few nights of lab work. You watch as he does so, taking in how the shirt he’s wearing hugs his arm muscles. The middle part in his shirt leaves little to the imagination as he bends, his chest poking out to tease you unconsciously. You feel yourself blush and clear your throat, turning your attention back to your work. The paperwork is a hassle to get through and you can’t keep getting distracted; even if you don’t really want to do it. 
“Thank you, Luis.” you say and continue trying to read your paper, except you can’t start because he’s still standing directly behind you and your desk, watching you intently. 
“Did you… Did you need something?” you swivel in your chair to ask him and he smiles, shaking his head. He takes the paper from your hand and flips it right-side up; you’d been reading an upside down piece of paper without realizing it. You stand up, embarrassed. Either from being caught, or from getting so flustered by him, you don’t know which is the better option. You take the paper from his hand quickly and add it back to your stack before you turn around to face this incredibly awkward situation. 
He’s already standing closer by the time you turn, slowly inching closer by the second. You’re taken aback by his behavior, but only for a moment. Luis has always been a flirt afterall. 
"Do you want a present?" He questions, studying your face for a reaction. Your curiosity gets the best of you and you smile at his words, leaning in to ask him your next (and obvious) question.
“What kind of present?” you ask, perking up and setting your gaze on his lips ‘accidentally’. He notices immediately and gives you a sly smirk; two can play at that game. He slowly boxes you in against your desk, leaning in to whisper in your ear. 
“Me.” His voice is low, his breath feels hot on the side of your neck. You lean slightly into him, suddenly entranced by how he smells. If there was one thing you were glad for on this island it would be their non-stop shipments of cologne’s and Luis’s cigarettes. It’s just so perfect, so… unequivocally him. They really do balance each other out. 
“I’m your present then…?” He asks, pulling back, looking hopefully into your eyes. You nod your head, “if you want to be.” you tell him almost too eagerly. 
He takes your consent and starts to leave kisses to your neck, nibbling affectionately at your jaw when you give him room to. He moves up your jaw to your earlobe and bites it before kissing it. He pulls back suddenly, gazing over your flustered self. You’re breathing quite heavily, cheeks red, and all you can think about is how much you want his lips on yours. 
“Do you… want more?” He asks teasingly. You know he’s teasing you and you already know what he wants. He’s theatrical; he loves a good show. You flutter your eyelashes and play along, leaning forward to lean onto his chest. 
“It is my birthday after all…” 
"Indeed it is. We can't let this special day just pass by without doing..." He raises an eyebrow then gives you a sly smile, "everything we can, right?"
“Right.” You take time to smile up at him and look over his tired face. He’s really trying and it’s just so… adorable. Luis pulls you in closer, so sudden that your lips are just nearly touching. 
"I'm gonna make this birthday one you'll never Forget." He leans in, and his lips meet yours with a soft, sweet kiss. His lips taste like pomegranates, probably because the research facility has groves of them sitting around. It is Spain after all. It’s sweet and comforting because it reminds you so much of home. You practically melt into his arms, your legs starting to feel wobbly. 
He keeps the kiss going for a moment before pulling away. His face has a mischievous smile and a little bit more confidence in it. His eyes look into yours, and he slowly moves his hand up your arm comfortably.
“Get ready, okay? This is gonna be one hell of a ride.” He looks serious but you can’t help but let out a giggle at his choice of words, “Can’t be worse than those mine carts..” you joke and he looks down at you.
“Trust me...it could be way crazier.” Luis smiles that devious smile of his, as he kisses you again. This time you feel his tongue poke through your lips, eager to get more passionate. His lips mash against yours, the tension between the two of you melting and welding you together at the same time. His hands start traveling up from your hips to tease at the underpart of your shirt. You moan lightly and feel him stick his tongue into your mouth, quickly overtaking your own. He suddenly grabs underneath your hips and sets you on the desk behind you. Your papers fly off and you whine in protest but it seems to egg him on as he pushes further into you, hands moving to lay by your sides. He smiles into the kiss, while you’re fighting for a breath of air. You worry he wants to devour you, your skin feels like he’s lighting it on fire. You grunt into his mouth, your legs widening a little bit to let him stand closer to you. 
Luis finally lets go of your lips only to lean next to your ear once more, whispering seductively, “Did you like that?” He teases and you right about pass out. Not only is your heart racing, but you feel as though you’re high, your whole being feels elevated against him. 
“Y-yes, sir..” you call him something you’ve wanted to for quite a while. It just feels so right to call him something like that in the moment. Giving him respect, stroking his ego completely turns him on and you want to make him feel validated. Your title earns a smug smile from him.
“You know what? I really like you calling me sir.” Luis pulls you in close again, giving you another kiss before asking, "Do you want to move this someplace more...private?" 
You nod excitedly, wrapping your limbs around him as he picks you up. He smiles sweetly as he walks through the lab, heading towards the dormitories. As the door opens you hide your face in his chest, although you know no one will catch you. It’s too late for any of the older researchers to be awake. The trip is short and luckily for you the rooms next to yours are vacated; no one wants to be that close to work besides the two of you. He stops and looks between the two rooms, trying to decide which to go in and you whine, wanting him to hurry up. He grunts and decides to just go into his room, readjusting you on his hips right before he kicks open the door. 
Immediately you’re thrown onto his bed, the smell of jasmine hitting your nostrils. He’s left his window open, the ripe buds of the shrubbery making his whole room smell of the damn thing’s pollen. It’s sweet and it's equally erotic as it mixes with his own scent as he climbs on top of you. 
He pushes you into the bed, holding your arms above your head. He sits back and gazes over your body hungrily, “We’re alone aren’t we?” His voice is husky. You nod and he flicks his eyes once more down your torso, eyeing your buttoned shirt. 
“Yes.” You answer him and he leans back down, hands on the button of your shirt, “Good..” his breathing is low and heavy, his eyes half-lidded. “We can make as much noise as we want.” He clicks his tongue, smirking. 
You waste no time grabbing him by his open shirt to kiss him, not wanting to waste a single second. Luis lets out a soft grunt when you suddenly pull him in, kissing him feverishly. 
"God." He eventually pulls back a little and moves his hands to your hips. "You are so... perfect."
His expression is soft, the look in his eyes looking as if he could get lost in you for the rest of eternity. You feel yourself puddle underneath his gaze, self conscious. This inhibition spikes your heart rate and you just want to hide your head in his chest to avoid those telling eyes of his. If he stares in yours, it’s truly over. He’ll know you have feelings for him, that you’ve fallen for him, but it’s true. How could you not? He’s got everything that you could ask for. He’s got smarts, personality… fuck, I mean he’s perfect. Even if this is the only time this happens, you will cherish this moment until the end of time. He truly makes you feel like yourself. 
“You’re too nice to me,” you manage to get out of your tight jaw. It feels like you’re learning to talk all over again. The weight of your words are almost too much to be able to get out. You want to say so many things but you can’t help but stick to the basics. You want to call him your sunlight, your protector, your… your boyfriend. Your breathing stops a little at your true revelation and he seems to notice as he leans in again, giving your lips a slow, yet sensual kiss. 
“I’m just telling the truth, mi chispita.” His hands then move up from your hips, to your waist, and finally to your back where his fingers run along it. His voice is husky and still ever… so… low.
"You are perfect, muñeca… and I'm gonna make sure you know that while we're here." He leans back in for another deep, heated kiss. The confession is simple, yet it flows to your ears like the most complex piece of music ever written. It leaves you stunned, pausing your grasps, your tantalizing touches. He freezes too, just like you have. The awkward air is ever so thick, the tension frozen in suspension. He realizes his mistake, realizes that he’s confessed to the most obscene truth: he fancies you just as much as you fancy him too. 
However, it’s quickly forgotten as he places his lips back on yours, the tension dissipating and so goes your patience. You grasp his hair and pull it back, forcing him from your lips. He whines, clearly enjoying it, but you do not relent. He needs to know that you are infatuated with every single aspect of him, every molecule.
“God, you’re so sexy,” you get out quickly, in between your pants of breath. A twinge of blush appears upon his cheeks but it’s almost as if it were like a car speeding past, the red tail lights leaving in the distance. It’s gone quickly and then replaced with something unknown. Like the darkness of an alleyway. He is dangerous, alluring; he has your emotions at his fingertips and he knows how to play you like the sweetest guitar. He’s kind of hard to read when he’s so serious but it’s so exciting. 
“Do you want me to make you feel good?” He asks and your hand drops from his hair. Your hands move down his chest and then lay at your sides, you look away, nodding. 
He grabs your chin and forces you to look at him, “Yes, Sir,” you correct yourself immediately. 
“Good girl.” Luis moves in yet again, kissing you passionately, his arms moving you to back against the headboard. He's got you right where he wants you, and he takes his time, reveling in the feeling of control. He unbuttons a few buttons, starting from the bottom and working his way up slowly. He slides it off of you, leaving you in your black bra. 
“God… I really want you.” He speaks into your shoulder, giving it a few pecks. 
“I want you too, Luis..” You grasp at his jacket which he pulls off faster than you could ever ask him. 
“You do, huh?” He chuckles. 
"Tell me...what do you want?" Luis leans in closely, so that his face is mere inches from yours, with his hand now moving up to your waist..
"What do you want me to do to you?" He looks at you with complete attention. He knows what he’s doing, giving you so many choices. He can see you daydream, even though he’s right here, right above you. You can tell he’s leaning towards a certain idea, his finger playing with the waistband of your work jeans. You giggle and shuffle backwards so you’re sitting up better. 
“Whatever you think is best for your ‘good girl’.” you smirk and gauge his reaction to your words. He’s completely whipped now if he wasn’t already. His hands work skillfully to get you up and out of your pants as quickly as he can manage. He then sits back on his knees to pull his shirt off, going as slow as he can, teasing to you his toned body. Your eyes rake across his form, committing every single muscle, ab, happy trail to your memory for later use. 
“Good girls get the best prizes, right?” He asks and throws his shirt somewhere behind him onto the floor with the rest of your other discarded clothes. He leans forward, a single warm, large hand moving forward on your stomach to your chest, underneath your bra. 
“Are you a good girl though?” 
“Yes, sir.” you say confidently because of course you’re his ‘good girl’. You follow all his instructions and commands in the lab perfectly. You’d be surprised if he didn’t know how much his praise does it for you. The amount of nights you lay awake thinking about delusions, about how maybe he really meant his light touches to your shoulder while you’d work. 
He gives you a devilish grin, dominance practically dripping from him, “Say it,” he orders, “Say, ‘I’m your good girl’, for me.” He strokes your cheek lightly coaxing it out of you. 
“I’m your good girl, Luis,” you say obediently. 
“And what do good girls get?” 
“Your…” you trail off embarrassed; you can’t finish the thought. 
“That’s right,” he answers quickly, “And what's Luis's...good girl going to get?" He practically growls as he reaches down to slide underneath your panties, dipping into the wetness that’s been waiting to be explored. His fingers are light and yet determined, one moving below to tease your cunt. 
“Y-your..” you falter in your words as he continues to move his finger around in circles. Luis pauses and waits for your elaboration, cocking his head to the side, “My…?” he mocks you. Damn him and his smooth talk. 
“You know…” you blame your embarrassment on his beauty and his oh-so skillful fingers that start to travel deep into your cunt. He laughs, and it's an incredibly genuine laugh.
"God, you are so cute. Say it." He smiles at you, and he leans in very closely, so that your lips are barely touching. Then, he moves over to whisper in your ear, “Sayyyy it." He speaks slowly in that voice of his that is like the sweetest honey you’ve ever tasted. He continues his teasing, unrelenting. 
“Your cock…” you finally answer, your blush quite evident on your face. Never have you asked something so… vulgar of someone. He pauses, his eyes close and he looks as if he’s concentrating on something. His eyebrows furrow as if he’s deep in thought, but really you know he’s trying not to cum. 
Luis quickly pulls you in again, kissing you with more vigor, deeper, with the passion of a madman. He's clearly in a mood right now— almost a little unhinged. Eventually, he breaks the kiss again, his breath still hot against your lips. He looks you up and down intensely as if he’ll never see it again. You recognize the gaze because it’s just what you were doing earlier. He throws his head back and brushes his hair back in frustration.  
"How could anyone see you and not want you... God, it'd be like not wanting the sun after months in darkness..." He seems to be in his own little world, gently moving his hands to rub circles into your hip. You kiss him deeply, breaking him off from his thoughts, “and you are my sunlight in a dark place…” you try to match his ‘smoothness’. 
His eyes light up a bit and he smiles endearingly, “Holy...that was way too sweet. Gosh...who knew you had some smooth moves? Did you have that one planned?" He winks at you with a hint of smugness in his tone, but he's clearly impressed. 
“Nooooo, I came up with that one on the fly.” you huff and he chuckles. 
“You're so smart, baby girl... I don't know how to pay you back for being so perfect... but it looks like we're gonna get into some mischief now, oye?" you nod and he pulls your panties down and out of the way to sit in the middle of your legs. 
“Only if you want to.” you quickly add, and he gives you an incredulous look.
“Are you kidding?” You already know that's what I want... and now that I'm sure it's what you want too, well...I could show you a little bit of my appreciation…” you can’t help but pull him in for about the hundredth kiss of the night, his words making you practically lose it. You want him so badly it hurts. 
“Please, Luis.” you beg. You move his head upwards and kiss his neck, moving your hands underneath his shirt. Luis lets out a soft moan - the first such sound he's made this whole time. It gives you a delectable idea, perhaps you’d misread him this entire time. His stalling and teasing maybe were for a different reason…
"God..." His breathing picks up, and you can feel the tension building as he becomes more and more worked up. You continue to kiss his neck, nipping at the skin. When he starts to wobble above you that's when you realize he’d probably want you on top instead. 
“You like that, baby?” you ask him, the gentle yet teasing inflection in your voice teeters him over the edge and then he’s moving his hands at your sides and flipping you so that he’s laying down in his pillows and you’re straddling his hips. 
“Yeah...god, yeah, I do..." He’s squirming now, trying to get some friction between your two bodies but you squeeze your legs at his side, stopping his movements. You grab his hair and grip it hard, watching as he opens his mouth to let out a soft, shaky moan. You grind down and he starts panting, his heart rate rising - and it shows; Luis's chest flutters heavily with every beat of his heart. You can feel his hardened length below you, and god does it feel good to take control for once. 
"God, yes..." He lets out a soft little whimper, and he sounds like he's half-afraid and half-excited, but it’s obvious he’s enjoying it. He’s such a little slut. You take a mouthful of his neck and give it a bite, and he’s squirming again, but this time you let him. 
“God, you're really... really good at this…” He whines and you smirk moving your kisses down his chest, experimentally attaching to one of his nipples, giving it a few short licks. Luis lets out a gasp as your lips make contact with his chest, and the man starts panting as you continue to tease him. You can see sweat starting to form on his chest, though he's almost too caught up in this pleasure to care.
"God...keep going, baby… Agh...!” his breath catches in his throat and he practically freezes in place. It's like he's never been touched like this before... or perhaps, it's just been way too long since he's felt this kind of pleasure... Either way, as your hands and lips keep exploring him, you can practically feel his cock throbbing. It almost seems as if he's getting close to the edge already. You finally decide he’s got way too many clothes on him left and you shuffle downward to unbuckle his jeans and grab his boxers, sliding them down to reveal his hard cock. It’s a bit daunting at first glance. It’s so long and unbelievably thick. You can’t help but drool at the image directly in front of you. You look at his face and can just tell he’s close. He’s got hair sticking to his forehead and his face has oh so much blush on his cheeks. He looks at you like you’re the prettiest girl in the world, and you take a mental picture of how he looks as you move forward and sink down on his cock. 
As you feel him travel through your walls you hiss in pain, but it's a welcome one as Luis struggles to keep his voice down, louder than it has been up to this point. He moans and his chest flutters once more, his skin feels like it’s on fire. 
"God... that feels good... so, so good...You’re so t-tight." He lets out his own soft, breathy whine, struggling not to move. After a few moments of adjusting you start to move your hips against him, expertly adjusting your pressure to his cock. You pause your movements after a little bit of time, even though you want to keep going, but it’s just so easy to tease him. 
"Please keep going." Luis's voice now has a certain tone to it, at once playful and teasing, yet desperate at the same time; somehow, he's found a sweet spot that fits him perfectly. 
“What if I don’t? What if I just stop right here?” you tease and his eyes go wide. 
"Don't...please don't..." His voice now has a tone of submission to it- and it's not hard to see that he is more serious now. You really are in control, and your teasing is driving him crazy.
“Beg for it.” you slip a hand underneath his chin, your thumb playing with his bottom lip. 
"Please just do it…” His breathing is unbelievably heavier, and there's a certain look in his eyes that's almost like...a plea. You move slightly and Luis’s whole body tingles, and another soft moan escapes his lips. He lets out a shuddering breath, and you watch as his chest flutters once more. You stop your movements again loving how he furrows his brows in frustration. 
“You really are a cruel girl, huh?” Luis stares up at you with a slight smile on his face, that mischievous sparkle once more in his eyes, attempting to move you together himself. You quickly give him a tut of disapproval, holding down his arms. He’s much stronger than you are and he could easily take control if he wanted to, but he’s enjoying this too much.
“God…Please.” The desperation and the pleading for this to continue are clearly on display in his voice, Luis looks helpless as your body does its work. You feel him slip in and out of your cunt, practically bouncing you on him. You’re a moaning mess, his work so skillful it almost rivals your own. You feel a fire in your stomach, one that lets you know you’re close. You speed up your own movements and Luis lets out a sharp intake of breath at the sudden increase in intensity; you can tell by the look on his face that he's getting close too. His breathing is heavy, his eyes slowly roll back in his head... You have him right on the edge, and it looks like he's ready to completely lose it.
"God...I'm so close..." He's so unbelievably close, he can barely even speak, "You're gonna... kill me..." you feel him hit your sweet spot and feel yourself let go right then and there and cum right on his cock, your walls tightening around him. You moan loudly against him as he continues to fuck you, chasing his own release. Not long after, a shudder rocks through the entire frame of his body, his legs tremble and he lets out a loud, almost pornographic moan as he finishes inside you. You can feel his cum splash and gush inside your body, filling you up but you don’t care, you’ll take anything from him at this point. 
It takes his breath away for a few moments. Luis lays there, utterly spent, barely even catching his breath after what he just experienced; the man looks positively exhausted, but despite his state, there's also a deep smile on his face, his eyes shut and he just simply looks... happy. Happy that he got exactly what he wanted. You look at him with complete adoration and infatuation. He’s beautiful like this. He’s ethereal. He’s everything under the Sun. “I love you, Luis.” you tell him. 
Luis’s ears pick up the word “love”, and he sits up to look at you. For a moment, he’s completely still, just staring at you as he processes this. After he does, he gives a big, genuine smile, and it’s almost like he’s speechless. The man is absolutely flabbergasted; he doesn’t know what to say. 
“I…I love you too…” He eventually manages to get out, blushing and smiling at you in that cute and dorky way of his. You smile and kiss his cheek, laying against him. 
“Can we cuddle?” you ask but Luis doesn’t need any questioning; after all, he’s already in a love-drunk state after everything that just happened - and being the softie deep down that he is, he of course can’t help but be completely overjoyed at the concept of cuddling with you.
He smiles, “I’d love to.” Luis lets out a soft, giddy little laugh as he gives you a peck, and then hugs you to his waist, keeping his length inside you. 
“Luis…” you whine and he blushes, slowly pulling out of you, “That’s a problem for later,” he winks. 
You give him kisses all over his adorable face, smiling wide at his absolute cuteness. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” Luis can't help but blush more and more at that; he's got a face red as a tomato by the time you’re done giving him kisses all over his face. He starts giggling like an absolute doofus and starts mumbling the same thing; 'I love you, I love you, I love you...' His smile grows wider and wider by the second as you continue together. And then after a moment it’s silent, the only sound being your combined breaths. 
“Happy birthday....” he says, breaking the silence and you giggle. 
“Do I get another wish?” you ask hopeful, and he sighs, not in an annoyed way but in a way that says ‘yes my love what else do you wish to take from me?’ sort of way. 
“Yes.” He answers, looking down at you curiously. You swallow a bit and then hide in his chest. 
“Are we together now?” It's more of a question than a wish but you wait with baited breath all the same. His chest suddenly rumbles and then you realize he’s laughing at you. You look up to see he’s got the widest smile on his face, eyes crinkling with happiness. You pout at him but he ruffles your hair. 
“Of course, mi chispita. Together forever.” He leans up to kiss your forehead, and then lays his head down on the pillow closing his eyes. You hug him tighter and snuggle closer to him, sighing dreamily. 
“It’s not actually my birthday, you know,” You confess and he gives another hearty, yet tired laugh. 
“I know it’s not, it’s way too early.” He surprises you with his knowledge and it makes you so, so happy. 
“Still, best ‘birthday’ ever…” you say and then slowly feel yourself drift off to sleep, the smell of jasmine persisting to cover the both of you. You’ll figure out your grand escape plan from this island eventually. 
Spanish translations: “Mi chispita” - “My little spark or my sparkle.” “Muñeca” - “Doll”
78 notes · View notes
this-acuteneurosis · 9 months
Note
I kind of want to get you started on mind tricks. cause like weak minded to strong minded dynamic and the blur away, but also the sith back in the day were for SURE a Caste system of force sensitive rulers and non force sensitives, and the jedi were their ENEMY off and on for thousands of years, cultural bleed through and dynamics of their own power systems but Ben we are not the droids you are looking for go away so I dont have to kill you, versus Qui hey I want this thing trade it for me.
Alright, Oct anon, it's been a while, but I have not forgotten you definitely forgot this ask in my drafts for who even knows how many months but it's found again, whoo!
It's taken me a while to get this together partly to try and arrange my thoughts in a logical order but also...
Guys, I really, really care about the use of agency in stories. Like, I've ranted about it in relation to droids, I've explained some of my problems with it in the context of the thematic changes between the OT and the PT, I stew over it constantly in my brain, it's a central theme of many of my own stories (including DLB).
I really don't like mind control, and not just in Star Wars.
Now, just because I don't like a thing doesn't mean it doesn't have a place in story telling. As a device, mind control/manipulation can be useful or important to a plot. To a theme. Overcoming it can be powerful or cool (Ella Enchanted-I prefer the novel personally, Tanjiro in Demon Slayer: Mugen Train), watching someone succumb to it can be agonizing (Frodo in Return of the King, anyone? Princess Euphemia in Code Geass?).
So, what is the point of Mind Tricks (and that naming choice, "trick," making it sound almost...harmless) in the Star Wars story, and maybe in the universe?
I feel like in its initial reveal, the mind trick was supposed to a) convey how "magical" Jedi were and b) get the plot from point A to B. Obi-Wan waves his hand, someone believes something hideously untrue, move along move along, don't think about it too hard.
Like, literally, audience, please. Don't.
Luke uses it in RotJ for pretty much the same reason. To convery a) Luke is well on his way to being a "magical" Jedi now (oh but wait, there's more character growth he needs!), and b) Luke needs to get into Jabba's palace and why would they let him in? Because he says so, so we will take him to Jabba now. Move along, move along.
I don't like the implications of this power existing, and as an adult who has been in situation where I have to report to higher powers, the disregard of the consequences of these things are a bit darker if I look too closely, but like...move along, I guess. It's fine as long as we're only using these powers on space nazis and slavers. Right?
Except then we get more movies. And cartoons. It's fine if Obi-Wan mind controls a person into not smoking, right? Smoking is Bad and Obi-Wan is Good.
Only.
Only...
Who taught Obi-Wan to use mind tricks?
Ah yes, my old nemesis.
To all you Qui-Gon fans out there, you may wanna leave. This analysis is probably not for you.
So like, Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon "I'm friends with the current Chancellor and thus an obvious, notable representative of the Jedi Order but I don't get along with my higher ups" Jinn. The thing you have to understand about my opinion of him is that, as a young, first time watcher of TPM, I liked him. He was funny, irreverent, direct. He was wise, or at least seemed to know things no one else did. He was a maverick, ready to go against all orders and advice for what he knew was right. And everyone around him was just stuffy and uninformed.
And to be fair, he wasn't wrong about everything. He's set up to be sympathetic. He's trying to treat with the gungans and they won't listen? Well he and Obi-Wan are right, the Trade Federation does go for the gungans. The Order says there are no Sith? Oops, wrong on that one. The Council makes the ambiguous assertion Anakin is "too old" to train. We've seen the OT. We know "too old" is nonsense.
But like, what does Qui-Gon do when he's thwarted?
He takes away people's agency.
Oh, you don't want to help us, Boss Nass, political leader? Cool, well I'm gonna undermine you in front of your entire court and you're gonna give us a whole ship (that we won't return) to help us defend a people you've been in an active war with for centuries. Oh, my currency doesn't work on this planet? I think it will mister small time junk dealer with a gambling problem (jokes on you for that one, sir).
This to me is a huge red flag in a story that is about literal slaves. I know people will defend the above examples. It was necessary. There were lives at stake.
You wanna know who would have suffered if Qui-Gon had been able to con Watto out of that part?
Anakin and Shmi.
Worthless (or event mostly worthless) currency on a planet where you have to buy water is literal death under the right circumstances. And who do you think Watto's going to reduce rations on. He's got cash flow problems? What's the quickest way for him to make back what he just lost? I'll give you a hint, he gambles on them later in the exact same movie.
So like, well before we get to "weak minded" or anything dubious like that, there's this awkward question of, "Why are the good guys always using powers to make people do things? And not worried about the consequences?"
And like, if we go back to simple story narratives, and trying to move things from point A to point B, that's fine I guess. I enjoy the OT. I'll move along.
But if you ask me to stop and think about it.
Well...
52 notes · View notes
phoebespenglers · 9 months
Text
the whole idea of gumball is that it's self aware, right. like. there are multiple characters in the show who know they live in a tv show - rob, sarah, and banana barbara to an extent. but they don't control what goes on in it.
that's not to say they haven't tried, though. intentionally or non-intentionally.
rob is gumball's nemesis and is constantly trying to foil him, but always ends up getting defeated (poor rob. he doesn't deserve that) because he's the show's antagonist and the second he beats gumball, which won't happen - the universe probably implodes (we have seen this happen, btw. when something happens in the World that isn't meant to, such as richard getting a job, the laws of the universe go out the fucking window.) rob can't control shit, even if he's tried by getting the universal remote or turning the characters into humans.
and then we have sarah in "the shippening", who accidentally stumbles upon the CN magic writing book that causes anything one writes in it to come to life - of course, sarah isn't aware it has this power and that she can, essentially, control the entire world until gumball and darwin jump in to stop her from destroying everything. sarah isn't going to destroy the World, though. she's not an enemy of gumball - she's one of his best friends. but she also knows that she's living in a tv show, as referenced in MULTIPLE episodes (such as "the fan" where she sings the outro music), though she doesn't really seem to have an issue with that lol, like rob does. anyway. the point is, she has accidentally tried to control the world and failed because of gumball's interference.
and finally, we have banana barbara. and she's. well. i think her "burnout" did fry her brain, but it also opened her mind. like. she knows more than she can physically let on, so she paints to communicate. she definitely knows the World is ending. she was predicting the future all the way back in season 3, in "the oracle" with the watterson family void painting, which is honestly. really fucking good foreshadowing by the writers. lol. one could also say that she controls the future, since it's shown in "the future" that anything she paints will come true, so she can choose to change the future - but actually, that would be incorrect!! she can only paint "what's left" of the future. which is. ominous. also, she seems to deliberately choose not to fuck everything up with her painting powers, and whether she is doing this intentionally because she knows how much damage that would cause, or non-intentionally because she's too off in her own world, i don't know. banana barbara i am Staring at you.
but anyway. my point is, these side characters have tried to control what happens in the show through their own means, but have ultimately been unsuccessful. and why is that?
because the show isn't called "the amazing world of rob" or "the amazing world of sarah" or "the amazing world of banana barbara". it's the amazing world of gumball. this is GUMBALL'S world. yk why his ego is so goddamn huge??? because he is inadvertently controlling the entire world and what goes on in it. whether the other characters like it or not, this is HIS WORLD and he can do whatever the fuck he wants in it! the world quite literally revolves around him! but here's the thing. he has one Major disadvantage.
he doesn't know that he lives in a tv show, like the other three do.
he can't see that "none of this is real". he has no idea. he thinks he lives in this perfect little world where "nothing can go wrong". and because of this, he has no idea that he CONTROLS it all. he controls it all naturally. because that's how he is. egotistical. he thinks the world revolves around him, because it DOES, but he doesn't actually know it does. which makes him all the more powerful and also really fucking dangerous. because he's unpredictable. we don't KNOW wtf he's gonna do to affect the show, whereas rob, sarah, and bb are all doing what they do whilst knowing they are in a tv show.
which is literally why gumball watterson caused the downfall of his own tv show. HE made rob like that. HE made rob figure out that he lived in a tv show after putting him in the void, which caused him to do all of that shit with the remote and trying to turn the characters into humans. had gumball not villainized rob, the show probably could've ended more normally. and like, obviously this was a writing choice from the shows' creators but if we look at it like this then - yeah. show plot-wise, gumball started and ended the show. or - he's going to end it. eventually.
what i'm getting at here is since there's going to be a s7, i have a prediction that in the last episode or two (if they do a two parter) gumball is going to somehow figure out that he lives in a tv show. maybe from rob, maybe from previous events that foreshadowed this happening. idk. and in the final moments of the show, everything will be getting destroyed. there will be no resolution in sight. and why is that?
because gumball has not yet accepted that it's time for the show to end.
so he's faced with two choices:
1. let the creators end the show against his will (because, obviously, they are the powers that be here) with no resolution because this can't go on forever. everyone is suffering, getting sucked into the void, etc. the audience is left unhappy, like they were at the end of s6.
2. the better option. he accepts that the show is ending and stops the suffering in the process - because, again, he controls everything. the ending of the show is gumball accepting that it's over. they've had a good run, but it's time to go now. and with that, the show ends. credits roll. tears are probably shed.
THAT is how i think they should end the show. anyway.
49 notes · View notes