#and i like getting rich then gifting stuff to newcomers

[demoness-one]

God i need a new mc server, havent played in like a year since i left the last one, the moderators were just too fucking annoying. Like being swarmed with passive aggressive wasps constantly. Having a political conversation with another person that didnt involve anything that would remotely break any rules (and we were agreeing, not arguing) and get hit with the "lets not :)" i wasnt talking to you cunt

#this sounds like i would be an aggressive addition to a mc server but i literally just like building while being around other ppl #singleplayer servers are too lonely for me #and i like getting rich then gifting stuff to newcomers #i have no problem with mods as long as they dont overstep the boundaries. if im not breaking rules i dont want somebody in my face

[astridthevalkyrie]

summer rain: chapter 1

Your days in the Training Corp aren’t too out of the ordinary. You make friends, you train hard, and you eat dinner every day.

Oh, and you’re also hellbent on getting revenge against Humanity’s Strongest Soldier. 

Chapter 2

Read on FF.net or AO3.

Helloooo, beautiful people. I’m so excited about this story! This is now the official first part of the series, so it’s a prequel to the three oneshots I’ve already posted. If you haven’t read them, no worries, you can read this just fine. If you want to, just know they all have an established relationship and will reference the past, so you may possibly get spoiled. 

I plan for this to have five or so chapters, so buckle up, and as always, happy reading!

You’ve been expecting more.

Maybe that’s the wrong perspective to have. It’s still the military, and it’s still your first day and sure, that’s exciting and all, but you’ve heard stories. People always describe their first day of training as absolutely terrifying, but life-changing. They say that the first day is the day all the baby-faced cadets realize they’re in over their heads. It’s an introduction to the rest of their lives. At least, that’s the case for the people who stay. If one can’t handle a verbal beating, how can they stand any chance against the titans? The first day changes everything.

This, however, isn’t life-changing. It’s not terrifying. It’s rather...dull.

To be fair, the man in front doesn’t look like he’s enjoying it either.

You’ve heard of him, of course you have. Even back within Sina, people talk. A newcomer, a gift from the walls, humanity’s savior. Recently joined the Survey Corp and yet already a lieutenant, a definite shoe-in for the next available section commander position. Apparently his origins are a bit of a mystery, but he’s either the long lost son of a rich merchant or he’s come from outside the walls themselves because it’s just impossible that any common person can possess the skills he’s rumored to have. You’re not sure you believe all of it - apparently he’s so fast that the titans can’t even see him coming? yeah, sure - and yet there’s just something about him that gives off a truly well-earned confident aura. That’s been the most exciting part so far, the chance to see him up close, to see that he’s actually real.

Still, since he began talking, Lieutenant Levi hasn’t once raised his voice. He hasn’t screamed at them all for being the weakest pieces of shit he’s ever seen. He hasn’t even told them about how they’re going to train to become snacks for the titans. It’s disappointing. You’ve been ready to stand your ground, to show you’re made of some tough stuff. That can’t happen when your trainer won’t even bother to strike fear into your heart. Where other people may be relieved, you are mourning this loss of the traditional military experience.

At the very least, he’s not the actual trainer. He started his speech with a complaint that their actual instructor was sick for the day so now he had the absolute pleasure to welcome dozens of new fucking brats to their new home and occupation. His words drip with venom and boredom - clearly, he didn’t join to do any of this. It’s beneath him. All in all, Lieutenant Levi seems rather...arrogant. Maybe it’s well-deserved. But you don’t have to like it.

As he walks up to people at random who shout out their bare identities, the lieutenant snaps out comments that seem like they’re meant to bully rather than to frighten.

“Your posture is shit.”

“Oh wow, I bet the titans will be real scared of your noodle arms.”

“And here I thought these villages would send their best and brightest. Instead they sent you.”

But you’re not one to let things get to you so easily. You have your fist balled to your chest proudly, ready to serve humanity. You’ve fought to get where you are, and now you’re really, actually standing here, with your new comrades besides you, and you couldn’t be more proud. A bright smile settles on your face. You will make the best out of this, no matter your humanity-saving trainer’s dour mood. 

Unfortunately, said humanity-saving trainer takes notice of your smile, and with his gaze locked on his new target, he walks up to you, eyes narrowed in irritation.

“What’s your deal?”

You straighten your back, snap to attention, and look directly ahead as you know is appropriate. “Cadet (F/N) (L/N), sir, from Stohess District!”

His expression doesn’t throw you off, despite it looking like he’s never been so irritated in his life. You know you haven’t done anything wrong (at least not yet), so him looking that pissed off must be an internal issue, nothing to do with you. You’re not any different than any of the other cadets that have introduced themselves.

“Cadet (F/N) (L/N),” he says as though he’s testing out a brand new curse word, with just a hint of mockery in his voice. “I didn’t ask for your name or where you were from. I asked what your deal was.”

Well what in the holy hells is that supposed to mean?

Is what you want to say, but instead you simply furrow your brows and ask curly. “Sir?”

“What the fuck are you so happy about?” he clarifies, annoyance displayed clearly on his face.

Well damn, no need to be so edgy. You aren’t necessarily required to be as serious as everyone else here, and smiling isn’t a crime last time you checked. But this is obviously Lieutenant Levi’s thing, to be snarky and mean, and the sooner you answer, the sooner he’ll move on and find a new victim. “Just happy to be here, sir.”

Your smile stays right where it is.

“Oh, is that it?” He stares at you, deadpan. “You like the thought of being eaten? Does the idea just make your day? Do you fantasize about it at night? Let it lull you to sleep?”

Your smile grows a little strained.

Passion aggression is nothing new. You grew up in Stohess, you’re used to your fair share of cattiness. The lieutenant must take lessons from the tea-sipping high class ladies you’d basically grown up with, because he reminds you of them vividly. Ironic, considering you thought the military would be an escape to a life that was real and included less passive bullshit. It’s that frustration at the similarity that makes your polite mask crack.

The response slips through your lips before you can stop yourself. “No, sir, but last night I did happen to dream of a trainer that was tough enough to handle one of his subordinates smiling.”

You can be catty too. 

The grounds become more silent than they already were. It’s as though everyone is suddenly holding their breath at this new confrontation, just waiting to see what the newly dubbed hope of humanity will do if someone matches his sass. The loud silence is what finally makes you just a smidge nervous - surely, they won’t kick you out on your very first day just because of a smart comment, right?

Impatient and a bit anxious, you finally allow yourself to look directly in his eyes, and you’re suddenly stricken by how grey they are. You don’t think you’ve ever met anyone with grey eyes. They’re damn gorgeous. And there’s a hint of...something in them, and to your surprise it’s not rage. He looks calculatingly gleeful, as though he’s just been waiting for someone to say something back to him. He appears cruel and delighted all at once, and the contrast of it along with the striking silver hue is more personality than you’ve ever seen in someone’s eyes before.

It’s a breathtaking sight. You move in just a millionth of a centimeter to get a closer look -

And then he moves, lightning fast, reeling back and swinging his leg around to sweep your legs from under you. With a gasp, you hit the ground hard, head ringing and vision blurring for a few seconds. Your hair, which was loose around your shoulders, flies across your face, some of it entering your mouth. From above you, grey eyes are triumphant, looking down on you as though to ask whether or not that’s tough enough for you. You’d love to answer, but your head is throbbing and you can only let out a pathetic, confused noise that causes titters to spread throughout the room.

What the hell just happened?

You move to get up, but he’s quicker, slamming his foot down on your leg and holding you right where you are. For someone with such a short stature, he looks pretty damn tall from down here. Maybe this is the sight that the titans barely get to see before he slices through them. 

Everyone is watching, even if they’re not turning their hands. This is their entertainment today, and the fool has just made its move. The fool being you, of course. They’re all hungry to see how this will play out.

Your cheeks glow bright with embarrassment, but you are not going to waver. Not on the first day. This is what you wanted, right? You wanted someone who’d be a hardass, who’d strike fear in you and make this a day you’d never forget. Well, Lieutenant Levi is your wish come true.

“Please remove your foot, sir,” you muster as politely as you can, looking up at him icily.

He digs the heel of his shoe into your thigh to make a point, and maybe to see if you’ll cry out in pain. But you look him in his strange grey eyes and you only blink, a small smile returning to your face. Will he kick someone who’s already down?

The moment seems to last forever, and you briefly entertain the fantasy that time is freezing for him as much as it is for you.

And then it’s all broken - he takes his foot off and walks right by you, and the only words you’re spared after being humiliated are, “Tie your hair up, you look ridiculous.”

Thus goes your first meeting with Humanity’s Strongest Soldier.

____________________

Dinner that night is filled with chatter. It seems people have found their loyal companions pretty fast, and cliques are forming faster than a speeding bullet. 

Luckily, you don’t need to worry about making friends. Besides the fact that you’re charming and perfect (according to everyone else and definitely not just you), you joined the military with your best friend from childhood. Millie Shackel is every bit the Stohess lady you are, the Rose to your Maria, the jelly to your butter. It’s amazing how much two girls can bond over a shared hate for the lack of activity happening within their stuffy town.

You gnaw at the bread on your plate, squeezing your eyes shut in pain after a particularly hard bite makes the back of your head throb. Not for the first time, you place your hand gingerly on the back of your skull, confirming that there’s no blood pouring out.

“Shouldn’t have mouthed off,” Millie quips from across the table, looking at you amusedly.

“Thanks,” you mutter bitterly, abandoning the bread for now until the soreness goes away. “Didn’t think one stupid comment was going to make him go berserk on me.”

She laughs, confirming you sound every bit as stupid as you feel. “I don’t think that classifies as berserk. That was a superior putting you in your place.”

“Suck-up,” you accuse, eyes narrowed. She only rolls her eyes, and you bring the cup of water to your lips and begin simply guzzling it down when someone claps you on the back, making you choke.

You turn to glare, still coughing up water, at two guys behind you. The one who nearly killed you is tall, with hair the color of bananas, and he’s grinning with no regrets, the shameful bastard. The other one behind him looks apologetic, red-haired with pretty green eyes. He whacks his friend on the arm. “You idiot, you nearly sent her to the infirmary!”

“Oh, come on.” The tall guy slides next to you without permission, slinging an arm around you as though you’re the closest of chums. Back in Stohess, you’d have called for his execution or some shit. “Surely the girl who talked back to Lieutenant Levi can handle some water going down the wrong way.”

Millie does not look pleased at the intruder, and looks even more grouchy when his friend sits down next to her, albeit keeping a much more respectful distance. When you finally stop coughing violently, you shove the guy’s arm away.

“A-asshole, what the hell’s your problem?” 

“There’s no problem, kid.” He nudges your arm with his elbow. “I just wanted to see the balls on you. Guess it was overexaggerated.”

“Obviously,” you snap, “I just talked back, I didn’t hop over the wall and kill a titan.”

“Regardless, good job with the way you handled it. The others are talking about you.”

Millie gives you a stern look. “Hear that? Now we’re the troublemakers.”

You shrug apologetically, and decide to take another crack at eating your bread. This time, it goes down easier, with only a light sting to remind you of the lieutenant’s cruelty. 

“I’m Stephen,” the redhead says with a shy smile, extending his hand. You shake it, then turn your gaze questioningly to the one next to you. He grins cockily, waiting for you to ask. You don’t.

“This is Ricky.” Stephen spoils his fun, sounding exasperated. 

“I assume you two are close.” Millie wrinkles her nose distastefully. You bite back a laugh - there’s that Stohess bitchiness that you love about her.

“We met this morning,” Ricky responds, and you can’t tell if he’s joking or not.

The two of you warm up to the boys soon enough. Ricky is rather friendly when he’s not trying to steal your food thinking you won’t notice, and Stephen is downright sweet, his emerald eyes brightening when you ask him where he’s from. He goes off on a ramble about his village which is somewhere smack dab in the middle of the land within Wall Rose. Apparently their local stew is the best there is. You privately disagree; nothing quite tastes like the stew they make in the Orvud District, least of all this bland loaf of bread in your hand.

Ricky, on the other hand, is from Shiganshina, which is apparently an outer city of Wall Maria (so the two boys really had just met that morning). 

“So, I’m guessing it’s the MP for you two?” Ricky says. Millie looks offended.

“That’s not right for you to assume!” She deflates a little. “But yes, it is.”

“Hey.” You shoot her a scowl. “It’s the MP for you. I don’t have any intention of hurrying back to precious Sina.”

Millie gazes at you with her we’ll talk about this later look like she has every time you’ve brought up that you have no intention of returning to fucking Stohess where nothing ever happens. Before she can say anything, Ricky ruffles your hair fondly. 

“Should’ve known you were made of tougher shit than that. So what, you like playing hero?”

You shrug. “No, I just have a sob story. Dead old Dad was a Scout, and then he was titan chowder.”

Stephen looks disturbed at how bluntly you say it, and even Ricky is a bit thrown off. You chuckle at their expressions, waving a hand nonchalantly. “It’s fine, it happened a while ago. I barely remember him. But you know, what better way to connect with your dead dad than to align yourself with the people who let him die, right?”

Ricky’s mouth hangs open as Millie snorts. “You can laugh, she’s making a joke. Get used to her sense of humor, it’s always this bad.”

“I resent that.”

“So you don’t care about getting into the top ten?” Stephen asks carefully - scoping out the competition, you realize.

“Couldn’t give less of a shit,” you answer coolly, “but Millie obviously does.”

“I’ll get into the top ten, it’s not about that.” Millie says confidently, shaking her head as though it’s ridiculous to even imagine that she wouldn’t. After all, you two were raised to be perfect. “The real goal is to be first.”

Ignoring the madly ambitious look in her eyes, you focus on Stephen. “So what is it for you? The Scouts?”

He winces bashfully. “I’m...undecided.”

You laugh out loud, a bit meanly. “What, undecided like you’re going to some top university in Mitras? This is the Training Corp, Stephen, you’re not gonna get to try out a bit of everything. Just choose whether or not you wanna be shipped off to a pointless death, and then you’ve made your decision.”

Stephen frowns, shaking his head. “If it was that simple, then what would be the point of choosing?”

Who in the holy hells asked for his philosophical wisdom, that’s what you want to know. Rolling your eyes, you turn to Ricky, who is chewing on your bread, abandoned after your taste buds just wouldn’t adjust without the butter you were used to. With his mouth full, he answers easily. “Scouts.”

You nod. At least he’s sure.

____________________

“That wasn’t right,” Millie says later, right as you’re about to lie down on a scratchy-looking bed.

“What?”

“What you said to him. He can take his time deciding if he wants to. And it’s just rich, coming from you.”

Your eye twitches in irritation. “You’re just pissed because I don’t wanna take on the most boring job in the world.”

“Grow up,” Millie hisses, venom laced in her voice. “Not everything’s about your entertainment.”

Turning around, you see your best friend with arms crossed, giving you a disapproving look that reminds you of your mother. How odd. What’s that old saying about people becoming what they most hate?

“You’re gonna lecture me now too? Hit me with some philosophy, maybe?” You raise your brow, daring her to say more. “Or do you wanna knock me over again? Maybe I’ll get a concussion this time.”

Millie scoffs, sitting down on the bed she’s claimed. “You know what, it was nice. Seeing someone put you in your place like that.” Her lips quirk under your hard gaze. “Maybe he’ll teach you a thing or two about taking things seriously. Give you some actual goals to achieve.”

The only thing Lieutenant Levi will teach you is to never get distracted by something like how beautiful someone’s eyes look ever again. Even now, you can still picture him, the way he stood in front of you, startled you, threw you off. The way his eyes were filled with more duality than you’d ever expected to see in a person.

Pretending like you didn’t just fantasize about his pretty grey irises, you roll your eyes and flop down on the bed next to her’s. “He’s not gonna teach me jack shit. He’s not even our trainer.”

Millie hums, whether it’s to you or to herself you don’t know, and when you look at her again she’s closed her eyes, clearly wanting to end what was a very long day. It’s not long before you join her.

“(F/N).”

“Yeah?”

“I miss home.”

You don’t, but you keep it to yourself.

The last thing you think of before you fall asleep is how cold the lieutenant had looked when he humiliated you, and your cheeks burn angrily.

____________________

Two weeks pass by in a blur. Once training starts, there’s not much time to think about something like goals, because everyone’s goal is simply living until dinner each night. Avoid getting yelled at, attend classes, study hard, and for the love of all things holy don’t fall on your face when you’re balancing in the practice ODM gear. 

It’s a rush, and you actually find yourself enjoying it. The food still tastes stale and the bed is still too hard to be comfortable, but there’s an easy routine that’s so much more than sit still and look pretty. While you’ve never been a fan of routine, this is different. There’s a purpose to this, even if everyone has different things they’re working towards. Whether they’re trying their best to show what they’re made of and get into the top ten like Millie, or pushing themselves because they get starry-eyed at the thought of saving humanity like Rashad, or simply staying out of trouble to avoid getting meal privileges taken away like Clara, everyone is working towards something, and it’s thrilling to be in the midst of it, to be a part of something meaningful.

You and Ricky are fast friends - he’s surprisingly not too insufferable and he shares your enthusiasm for not taking things so seriously. He also seems like he’s looking for a partner in crime, someone to partake in the oh-so delightful task of slacking off with. Millie is throwing herself into perfecting everything, and Stephen, while not as crazy as she is, is more nervous about losing respectability in front of their trainers and comrades. So the two of you naturally gravitate towards each other, because jeez, at least a few people here need to remember that life still exists outside of all of the training and military drama. 

Today is the first time they’re letting you practice hand-to-hand combat, and while that’s obviously ridiculous since you’re training to fight titans (or just bully people, if you’re joining the MP, but Millie didn’t appreciate you voicing that out loud), it’s also a chance for you to show off a natural talent. 

You’re flexible. And fairly fast too.

Sure, you’re no fighter, but back home you were put into dancing lessons since you were a wee young thing, so you have a much higher tolerance than most of these chumps. You can take a few hard punches here and there, and you’re fluid with your movements, so you’re giving as good as you get. Even combat is a dance in a certain way, it has all the same elements at any rate. Everything comes down to the placement of the feet, and every other body is an accessory that has to be utilized perfectly to do any damage. 

Unfortunately, Ricky’s fought, like actually fought - fucking peasants from Maria and their street fights - and so as much as you put up a damn good fight, he eventually gets you in a hold from behind. You squirm in his grasp as he laughs, digging his fingers in your side. You try to protest, but it’s hard when he’s tickling you so hard.

“H-hey, hey!” Your giggling only gets two octaves louder when Ricky doesn’t let up. “Stop!” Ricky’s laugh mixes in with yours, until he’s lifting you off the ground. Your breathing becomes painful as you struggle against his grip, clawing at his hands. “Ricky! Let go!”

Finally, he decides to show mercy, dropping you. He regrets it pretty soon, though, because then you’re on him quickly, throwing a hard punch against his shoulder. He groans, letting out a pained, “What the hell, (F/N)?” but you’re not done. You grab the collar of his uniform, and tug it forward briefly to give yourself some momentum to shove him back as hard as you can.

Ricky stumbles on his feet, catching himself before he falls at the last second. There’s a determined expression in his eyes, not quite competitive but suddenly eager to show off.

“So, think your dainty dancing is gonna give you the advantage here?” he challenges, balling his fists in front of his chest. You do the same. “Hate to break it to you, kid, but that’s not how that works.”

“Beat me, then. Properly.” You smirk, planting your feet firmly. Let him throw the first punch, you decide. “I have to be on the ground for you to win.”

Ricky’s clever too, knowing you intend to use his size against him. He lowers his arms, extending them as though he’s going to let you take a free shot. Yeah, you’re not that stupid. You stay right where you are, raising an unimpressed brow. The two of you stare each other down, trying your best not to break into smiles. 

“Hit me.”

“Hard pass.”

“Because you know your punch will be too weak?”

“How’s your shoulder, Ricky? Should be feeling fine, since my punch was so weak.”

He barks out a laugh, rolling his shoulder back experimentally. “Like getting hit by a feather.”

Okay, trash talk isn’t part of the combat training that the trainer, Instructor Grumman, has assigned. But it’s still fun, and it’s about a thousand times more preferable than actually fighting. Fighting is painful and pointless. Trash talk is entertaining and doable. 

Still, you hunch your shoulders. If Ricky really won’t move, you’ll come at him with full force. Digging your heel into the ground, you give yourself a boost and run towards him with a burst of speed. His eyes widen, and his first instinct is to hold out his hands to keep you at bay. But with the close proximity and his lanky figure, it won’t be enough. You’ll have him on his back within seconds if you ram into him in one, two -

You don’t make it.

You don’t make it because you’re suddenly flung into the air. You let out a frantic shriek and bring your arms up to shield your face. The ground approaches with dizzying speed and you hit it with a sickening thud. Your hands are suddenly covered in scratches and you open your mouth to furiously ask Ricky what the fuck he was thinking and how did he even do that and did he have to throw you so high -

But when you look up, it’s cold grey eyes that meet you.

Fuck.

The glare that was supposed to be for Ricky is now aimed at him, unadulterated hate coursing through your veins. This is the first time you’ve seen him since that day. Just what in the actual fuck is his problem, and just what had you done to deserve being thrown over his shoulder and up into the sky like a fucking ragdoll? You hadn’t mouthed off this time. Hell, you didn’t even know he was there, so just what the fuck was he punishing you for?

“People who don’t take their training seriously usually end up looking up like this,” he hisses. His glare matches yours, which is ridiculous, because he’s the one who knocked you down. Why is he pissed off? “‘Course, they’re usually looking up at a titan, but we don’t have any of those on hand for me to demonstrate.”

Yeah, he’s far from a titan. Fucking shrimp.

“I was taking my training very seriously, sir,” you say with gritted teeth. “In fact, I would have defeated my opponent had you not stepped in and shot me up in the air.” Your hands would also have significantly fewer bruises. 

He snorts, actually snorts, like you’ve just told a hilarious joke. “A real opponent isn’t going to let you run that mouth of yours before they come at you. You’d be dead in two fucking seconds.”

People are looking now. Everyone remembers that first day, and they all look as though their favorite stage actors have come to town to perform a show. They’re all waiting to see just what the girl who talked back to Lieutenant Levi will do now. A circus trick, perhaps? They don’t know what you’re made of - no one is going to see you crack. And definitely not because of this insufferable man.

“You don’t know that, sir.” You say it with a poisonous smile, wanting him to know that it’s not meant to be respectful. “I might just make it. Maybe I’ll even make it longer than you.”

There are hushed gasps all around you, but the lieutenant pays them no mind. He looks amused, as if you’re just a stupid little girl, an arrogant brat who somehow thinks she’s somehow stronger than him. You’re not an idiot, you know that he’s an excellent soldier who will probably make captain soon, and you’re a lowly cadet who doesn’t even know the basics yet. But once you’re trained up, once you have experience, you think you could take him on, and you could possibly win.

Lieutenant Levi leans down, crouching on his legs before leaning in. He grabs your shoulder harshly, and leans in to whisper in your ear. “I’ll be waiting, (L/N).”

You almost feel respected until he adds, “Waiting to see the day that fucking smile gets wiped off your face.”

With that, he stands up and turns. Turns to walk away. Turns as though you’re not still on the ground. Turns as though your comrades aren’t snickering around you, convinced that he just put you in your place a second time. Turns as though he didn’t just single you out for no damn reason - who even fucking asked him to watch? Who asked him to interfere in your business? Why didn’t anyone else demand his attention? You weren’t the only one goofing off. Hell, there were some people who were actually just lazing around! Where was their punishment?

Furiously, you speak before your brain can catch up.

“Why don’t you fight me, Lieutenant?” you say loudly as you get to your feet.

He stops.

Ricky, who is safely standing a few feet away now, gives you a wide-eyed look, silently asking if you’re brain damaged. But you pay him no mind, your eyes focused on the back of Lieutenant Levi’s head, probably burning a hole in him with your gaze by now. Immediately, the crowd changes sides again, hushed oohs spreading around. It’s not enthusiastic, no one actually believes you’ll triumph, but they are enthusiastic that you have the balls to try.

He turns, giving you the driest expression you’ve ever seen, and you half expect to be dismissed. To be told that you’re too weak to even think about fighting him.

Instead, his stance changes, his fists are raised, and he’s accepted your challenge.

You know you can’t win. That’s not the point. The point is to hold out. For a whole minute, at least. Half a minute. Was twenty seconds too generous?

There’s a small part of you that regrets mouthing off this time.

Lieutenant Levi doesn’t have to waste any time staring you down. He has no need to debate in his head about who should throw the first punch, and nor does he grant you the courtesy of devising a strategy in your head first. In half a second, he’s approaching you with dizzying speed, fist reeled back, about to knock you over for the second time today.

But you’re sick and tired of these fast maneuvers. 

You duck down just as he closes the gap between you, and you go for his legs. He grunts in surprise as you make contact, clutching tightly. It may look pathetic. Your arms are wrapped around his thighs, which you basically just dived into. Your face is squished against his hip. Your feet have left the ground, as you’ve thrown your entire body at him. At this moment, you look absolutely ridiculous.

But it’s worth it.

The lieutenant loses his balance as his feet slip from under him. You can feel him falling down, down, down, with a gasp that is just fucking music to your ears. This is turning out better than you’ve ever hoped for. You’ve proved everyone wrong, even yourself. He’s going to hit the floor, and you’re going to win. You’ll win.

Or at least, you would have.

You’re both hurtling through the air for one glorious moment. Then, recovering from his shock in an instant, Lieutenant Levi spins the two of you in midair, and despite all your efforts and quick calculations, it’s your back that hits the floor again with a loud crack, air knocked clean out of your lungs. You gasp for breath. His knees are digging into your neck, you’re going to choke -

He takes no time to recover. He’s up and on his feet in a second, brushing the nonexistent dirt off his pants, and you’re left panting with your hand on your throat, trying to recover what little dignity you have left as laughter erupts around you. Dizziness and confusion overwhelms you, as does something else. Just a few minutes ago, you’d been looking at him hatefully. Well, you from five minutes ago had no idea what hate was. You could kill him right now, this arrogant, pompous, cruel jerk. 

How dare he look so unperturbed? Like this is just a normal weekday for him?

A hand yanks you up by your hair, nails digging in your scalp painfully. You’re brought to your knees with a heaving gasp. He tugs your head up until you’re looking at him properly, and he has the nerve to smirk. It’s slight - perhaps he knows a full blown smile would look creepy on him - but it’s there, mocking you.

When he speaks, it’s just a little louder than a murmur. “I thought I told you to tie your hair up.”

Then he releases you, and your buckle over in pain. The position literally has you bowing down to him. White hot anger seeps through you. Consumes you. When he starts walking away, his every step thunders in your head, echoing a million times. He had no right. 

No right at all.

It seems like Millie’s wish has come true. You have a goal now. A goal that Lieutenant Levi has so graciously given you.

You’ve decided. No matter what happens, you’re going to get revenge on Humanity’s Strongest Soldier. He’s going to fucking pay.

____________________

You’re pacing out in the field later that day, muttering under your breath, the events from earlier replaying in your head on loop. Millie’s decided to give up on getting you to come study with her, and she’s blatantly refused to participate in your little quest for revenge, citing it as “pointless and foolhardy.” Well, this whole thing is pointless and foolhardy. The Training Corp is just a way to produce more dead bodies every year. But Millie didn’t agree with your line of logic and has left you to brood on your own.

Realistically, what are your options? It’s not an easy task to take on. Humiliating a man who is now so respected and admired will be difficult when his ego soars sky high. Something heavy will be needed to bring it down. Now you have no intention of ruining him for life, nothing major or extremely dangerous. If you did have such an intent, it would’ve been rather simple, just a letter back home to your mother to spread the word of what humanity’s hero was really like. Not that she’s inclined to listen to your demands nowadays, but it’s a doable plan that would work one way or another. But you want to embarrass Lieutenant Levi the exact same way he embarrassed you. You want to knock him flat on his back, while everyone watches, and you want to stand triumphantly as he kneels down to you.

Someone listening to your thoughts right about now would think you were having a vivid sexual fantasy. You groan, slumping down against the bark of a tree. It’s going to be dark soon. You have a curfew that you’re inclined to obey. But you simply can’t go back without thinking of a plan. He deserves it. He deserves to be utterly humiliated. Punishing you is one thing. Beating you in a fight is only natural. 

But holding you up by your hair like you’re one of the fucking spoils of war only to have you kneel to him - that’s sick. He’s sick, and probably perverted. You wonder if he’s always been like that, or if the glory has gone to his head. And you wonder why he’s chosen you to play this game with. Because of a smile and some cheek? That’s no excuse. 

Maybe you’re just the prettiest one here, and he has a crush.

Even the cocky thought can’t distract you enough from your frustration. You can’t possibly beat him. There’s a reason he’s getting so much attention. It’s because he can fight like no other, and it’s all natural talent too. Frankly, you call bullshit, no one is just that good without any practice, but whatever, not the point right now. Who could possibly make you capable enough to beat the lieutenant in a fight? Who could possibly know all his weaknesses? 

Probably only him.

Your eyes widen.

____________________

The sun shines brightly the next day. You feel the warm breeze from the open windows kissing your cheek as you run through the base. Most people passing by pay you no mind, although a few give you questioning looks. But they don’t say anything, probably figuring you’re just a lost newbie who’s inevitably going to get yelled at when you show up late for class. But they’re mistaken, you’re not lost at all. You’re running with purpose. And well, you might be late for class, but it’ll be fine, you know Stephen takes detailed notes that he’s willing to share, and even if he feels like being mean, this is much more important.

Originally, the plan was to go all the way to his office, the path pieced together from directions you’d gotten from Instructor Grumman who believed you were going to apologize (for what?). Hopefully, he won’t actually double check if you went through with it, because you have no intention of apologizing for a single damn thing. Your aim is far more sinister than that. Today is the first step of a plan that will take you a long while, but it’ll pay off eventually. You’re going to achieve your goal. 

That is, if he agrees.

The universe is on your side, because you don’t even need to go all the way to his office. There he is, in the flesh, talking to a blonde man you recognize as Captain Erwin Smith and a woman who you haven’t seen before. Maybe if he hadn’t been so callous yesterday, you’d have waited until he was away from his comrades before approaching him. It’s too late to care about appearances now.

You step up to the three of them and salute, clearing your throat.

He looks at you, and his eyes harden when he sees a smile plastered on your face yet again. 

“Can we help you?” Captain Erwin says gently, but there’s just the slightest edge in his tone. Clearly one is not supposed to just approach this dream team. Your bad.

You open your mouth to answer him, but Lieutenant Levi beats you to it, looking bored as he does. “She’s lost, Erwin. Classes are on the other side of the base,” he says dismissively, waving a hand like he’s swatting away a fly.

“I am not lost. Sir.” Your spine is still straightened and your fist is still balled against your heart. You’re not sacrificing it just yet, but you’re certainly sacrificing your pride here. “I have a request for you. After you pointed out my obvious flaws yesterday, I realized that if I don’t get help, I’m going to fall seriously behind.”

Captain Erwin shoots him an exasperated look, already having figured that his best friend (or whatever they are to each other) must have done something to you. Meanwhile, the woman cackles, nudging the lieutenant’s shoulder. 

“She’s being proactive! You appreciate that, don’t you, Levi?”

He doesn’t answer. His attention is now exclusively on you - you nearly feel special. 

“So what do you need from me, Cadet?” You ignore the way your stomach flip-flops violently from the way he stares at you, the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a light smirk. Something in him clearly enjoys the idea of you needing him for something. Something else to lord over your head, something else for him to be cocky about. “You want me to find someone to give you private lessons?”

“Close,” you say, mustering the brightest and happiest fucking expression you can, “I’d like you to give me private lessons. I want you to train me.”

The lieutenant’s eyes flash upwards. 

Your hair is neatly tied up in a tight bun.

Y’all have no idea how weird it is to write “Lieutenant Levi.” I loathe it.

Also, this is my first time writing in second person. Lots of firsts here, folks.

Please review, your comments are my source of life.

#aot #attack on titan #levi x reader #snk #aot x reader #snk x reader #levi ackerman

[anomitafics]

When The Heart Beats || [2]

WHEN THE HEART BEATS || Levi Ackerman X Reader CHAPTER II

The rich aroma of tea filled the comfortable wood panelled office, yet it wasn't enough to ease the stress within Erwin's mind and somehow he can't voice out the things he planned to tell to the waiting woman infront of him.

"So you're telling me, you called me here just to remind me to take care of my own squad? Just who do you take me for mr. Smith?" both hands resting on her hips the dark eyed woman smirked.

"Those three aren't your normal cadets (Y/N)." the blonde said in a low voice still trying to find the words he needed to express his thoughts.

He wanted to let (Y/N) know about the plan he has in mind and how those three are planning on killing him but words won't seem to form no matter how hard he tried.

"They aren't, I was able to see with my own eyes. I see now why they aren't placed in Flagon's Squad, they'd be a total ruckus." the female said as she stood from her seat.

"Well if that's all then I better head out now, I still need to introduce them to Sairam." taking Erwin's nod as her que to leave, the [c] haired woman left his office heading to her own.

Opening her door, the figure of a charcoal haired male cleaning around greeted her.

"Oh perfect timing Sairam!" the latter swiftly dropped the broom and gave (Y/N) a salute.

"How many times--"

"Captain." the serious male interrupted letting the female know that he's not going to stop doing the said deed at any moment.

Laughing at how serious her only left squad member was she gently patted his hair.

"You sure did matured allot haven't you?"--sitting herself on her newly cleaned table she gazed down to her feet--"though I'm not quite sure why you still have some respect towards me."

"A soldier's loyalty is always with his Captain."

"A captain who tends to always get her team wiped out?" she laughed out.

"One dies because of his own stupidity."

Silence filled the room as soon as those words left the soldier's mouth. Sairam who was soon to be aware of the weight of his words instantly regretted it, once again opening his mouth to murmur an apology his squad leader stopped him from doing so.

"You're too serious Sairam~" she cooed as she grabbed Sairam's cheeks and pulling it on both sides "you should smile more!" startling the young man.

"Y-yes!" he stuttered saluting.

"Now, why don't you call those three so that we can start our little meeting." jumping from the table, (Y/N) spun Sairam around making him face the door.

Sighing softly the male started to walk towards the door.

"You act too much like a child sometimes Captain... I don't get it." he softly said closing the door behind him.

Now left with no one but herself the [c] haired female did a few stretches after walking towards the wooden cabinet near her table.

Opening one of the drawers, three plain white handkerchiefs stood out.

Isabel

Farlan

Levi

Each embroided with three names.

"So these three underground thugs will be placed under my command?" the dark eyed female asked.

"You've recently lost your other squad mates, we can't have you going to expeditions with only one member, it's only right that they will be placed under your care." Erwin explained making all members of the meeting nod their heads in approval.

"Alright then." complying, the meeting was finally adjourned.

One by one stepping out of the room, a certain blonde pulled (Y/N) over to one corner.

"Erwin...? What's wrong?" she asked staring into his light blue hues.

"Those handkerchiefs you make for your squad members." he started but was interrupted as (Y/N) saw Hange waiting for her little meeting with the blonde be done.

Waving her off, Hange jumped exasperately smiling giving her two big thumbs up in the process.

Laughing at Hange's childlike antics, (Y/N) faced Erwin once again displaying a small smile. "What about it?"

"Don't give them to those three." came his command making her smile drop replacing it with confusion.

"What? Why...?"

"They aren't your normal cadets, they'll be gone before you know it."

"Erwin?"

She was still so confused about those words until now but that won't stop her from doing her own little tradition.

Remembering different reactions from her late cadets had been enough inspiration for her to be squeezing up some embroidery into her busy schedule.

"Those three aren't your normal cadets."

'They sure aren't!'

Almost allot of the new recruits wished to be placed under her squad as soon as those who were bragged about the small gift, it wasn't everyday that you get something from your squad leader.

There was one time when it made a such a huge fuzz to the point where some recruits chose to join her squad while training leaving their own captain behind, making them need to conduct a meeting for the issue.

"You better stop giving them those (Y/N)." their Commander, Keith Shadis started.

"What? Can't you see how happy my squad is? And after all that's the only way I can repay them for their loyalty and dedication Commander!" she justified.

"Yes your squad is happy but the others are getting envious!"

"It isn't my problem! Why don't you just let them make their own stuff for their own squad to be happy?" Erwin placed a hand on the woman's lap telling her that she's getting kind of overboard.

"I'm sorry Commander." she muttered dropping her gaze on the table.

"Not everyone has the luxury of time to do embroidery (Y/N), and not everyone knows how to." the commander said.

"I understa--" the calm and silent awra of the room was suddenly interrupted by an excited shriek from non other than Hange.

"----IEEEEEEHHH! I must propose something!!! What if... we give them things like... Titan Hair!!!" came her hyper proposal, making everyone stare at her in disbelief and commander giving her one long lecture about her so called 'sadistic mindset'.

The meeting was adjourned by settling that the young captain were to continue giving those little gifts but only in secret.

Laughing, (Y/N) made a mental note to remind the three of keeping it as a secret.

Her train of thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her wooden door, muttering a small 'come in' the door opened to reveal her three newcomers.

Farlan and Isabel looked as carefree as ever scanning through their captain's office, while Levi on the other hand looked as damned as usual.

Levi refused the urge to scan the woman's office yet kept a mental note of how it didn't smelled as rotten as he thought.

"So I trust Sairam was able to introduce himself along the way?" the [c] haired lady asked breaking the silence, the wondering eyes of Isabel and Farlan now focused on her.

"Yeah! He's the only one left of your squad!" Isabel carefreely said.

"Isabel!"--Farlan warned the strawberry haired female the latter only staring at him confused--" I'm sorry.. She didn't mean it that way..." the ash blonde haired male explained.

Laughing as if it wasn't really of a big deal she urged the four to sit along with her on her small meeting table.

"I'll just go get some tea... Sairam, if you'd mind." the female said now heading to her small kitchen.

"Of course Captain!" the male said as obedient as always.

This made Levi intrigued to what exactly their pathetic excuse of a squad leader was. For this man who calls himself Sairam seems to respect her greatly.

"You three are called here so that we'll get to know each other, most squads don't do these kinds of stuff but Captain prefers doing so." the black haired cadet explained shortly.

"What? Isn't it a waste of time? We especially Levi-bro need to take some rest y'know! And besides we already know each others names!" Isabel said making Sairam furrow his brows at the insensitive female infront of him.

"You're always free to leave if you don't want to." the male said and this made Levi tick.

"Huh?" Levi's cold voice made Sairam back away from the strawberry haired female yet never removing the furrow on his brows.

Isabel smirked in pride "That's Levi-bro for you!" she yelled.

The room was filled with an awkward silence that neither of them were comfortable of, until the front door suddenly flung open revealing an excited looking brunette.

"(Y/N)~~!!!" she sang loudly running inside only to see her corner deserted, looking around she was greeted by the four members of her friend's Squad.

Hange's eyes slowly grew wider as Sairam only placed a hand on his forehead shaking his head softly, the three noticing this snapped their head back to the hyper brunette infront of them only to see her smiling creepily now.

"IIIIIIIIIHH! So you're doing THAT now! As expected from (Y/N)!!!" she shrieked as the three looked at her with different unreadable expressions.

"Alright Alright Alright! I'll be heading out for now! You four enjoy! Don't forget to tell your leader I came by!" and as soon as she came had she also left as if nothing had happened.

Sairam finally lifting his head from his hands he spoke again.

"Then... I should... probably tell you more about the Captain." this time there were no interruptions from the three.

"The Captain is the most kind and considerate out of all squad leaders,"-- pausing to each eye the trio he once again opened his mouth--"you three are indeed very lucky to be in her squad, allot had begged to be in it."

"I've been with her since the beginning and could tell you everything about her but I believe it's her job to do so, therefor I'll only tell you how the Survey Corps see her as a leader and as a comrade and the things the she surely won't tell you but is essential to be able to understand her."

"As to why many of the recruits wish to be placed in her squad, you'll understand later. However, I was aware of how poorly you have treated her but I do understand why, you see... I've also felt that way in the beginning, it's her being a woman isn't it?  You're concerned by how she'd be able to protect?"

This made the Levi hope that the male infront of him would somehow ensure that the woman was capable of doing so.

"And though Captain Hange too is a woman, our Captain tends to act more delicate and feminine making it look nearly impossible for her to handle a squad, am I right?"

Farlan and Isabel dropped their gazes in agreement while Levi stared straight into the male.

"Tch, damn right you are. Now tell me, is this Captain capable of handling one or not?" he angrily questioned, Sairam, taking note of how insulting the title came out of the stoic man's lips clenched his fists tighter under their sight as if to control himself.

"Captain (Y/N) is always ready to sacrifice herself for anyone and when I say anyone it doesn't matter how worthless you are, I know for I've seen her do it multiple of times."

"If so, then why had she lost her entire squad?" Levi asked still doubtful of the latter.

He doesn't only want to ensure his two companions' safety under her wing but also know just how much loyalty this soldier had for the woman captain.

"Great leaders take blame and pass along credit."

END OF CHAPTER 2 ANOMITAFICS

When The Heart Beats Masterlist   <----------CHAPTERS HERE!

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi #ackerman #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #aot fanfiction #snk fanfiction #erwin smith #hange zoe #farlan church #isabel magnolia

[the-shadow-of-atlantis]

My Friend Got Turned Into A Werewolf

Part 5 What To Expect Once You’ve Been Bitten

Tagging: @melyaliz @dilpickledd @coffee-randomness @speedypan

A/N Red belongs to @melyaliz

Red stood awkwardly in the entryway not sure if maybe he should help Aquata or not. Though he felt like maybe he should give her some alone time. It might be hard to read her thoughts but he tended to know when she just wanted her own space, besides it was his own fault she had to leave home for the time being.

Making his way towards the stairs he looked at the doors on either side directly in front he saw one small door, to his right there were two more alongside the wall and the other side there was a single door. He figured that one was his.

He wasn't really sure what to expect when he opened the door, the giant gift basket and a rather large book was not one of them. He approached it and saw that it seemed like a regular gift basket. He wondered if Aquata got one too. He picked up the book noticing the drawing of a wolf on it. What to Expect Once Bitten, was written across in gold lettering, he settled down on the bed and opened the book.

A couple hours later he found himself knocking on Aquatas door. She opened in with a small look of confusion.

“Did you know that even if you're a fully grown adult if you get bitten you basically get a growth spurt?” He asked with the book still in his hands, Aquata blinked looking at him not sure what to say at first.

“Yeah, it's why the clothes they give to newcomers are enchanted to grow with them. Buying new clothes every day can get expensive and not all wolf families are rich.” Aquata elaborated.

“So like… do you grow everywhere?” Red asked then added. “Cause honestly I’ve always felt like my butt could have more potential.”

Red could tell Aquata was trying so hard not to crack and smiled when she finally burst into a fit of giggles.

“Honestly I’m not sure, maybe. Tyler had basically finished his transformation when I met him but at the same time your body changes to fit your age." Aquata explained as she moved back to one of her suitcases and continued unloading it.

Red flipped a page debating if he should pry now. "Why did you and Tyler break up?... It's just I remember you two were really happy and then next thing I knew my mom was making you her breakup pot pie."

Aquata stayed silent as she carefully tucked her clothes into place, she didn't look at him as she spoke.

"Have you gotten to the part where it talks about mates?" She asked simply, Red looked confused and glanced down at his book looking for the context page.

"The whole mate thing, it's real. It doesn't normally happen as quickly as they show in movies and stuff but it definitely happens. Once you turn sixteen that's when you're able to tell who your mate is. In Tyler's case we met when we were fifteen but we fell hard and fast to the point where a lot of people thought maybe I was bound to be his mate to the point where I was starting to learn more about the lifestyle. Cason was a friend Tyler had known since they were little. They both turned 16 around the same time and the bond was almost instant; it took everyone by surprise. Usually mate bonds take awhile to form, but with the both of them being wolves it set in quickly. Tyler hates the fact that we got my hopes up and that the bond happened so quickly but these things happen for a reason. Cason is great and he's definitely what Tyler needs to help out with the pack. I'm happy for them, he got a good one." Aquata looked up at him and gave him a sad smile.

"And you?"

"Like I said I'm happy for him. And well we both know my last two relationships didn't end well." Aquata chuckled a little dryly and Red noticed her thoughts seemed to linger on Mark.

“You know.” Aquata said, the thought quickly disappeared. “You never really told me what you were doing in the middle of Gotham.”

So close to my place too. Her mind seemed to whisper.

Red closed the book in his hand and stared down at the floor not really sure how to start.

“I wasn't lying when I said I was in the neighborhood. My team got sent out on a mission nearby, and when it was done I just… realized I hadn’t been back to Gotham in such a long time. I told my team to go back home and I found a place to stay. Then I noticed I wasn't that far from where you lived and I wanted to say hi. Wasn't till I got so close though that I realized how silly it all was and I was on my way back and well you know what happened.”

“Why didn’t you just text?” Aquata asked.

“I wanted to see you in person… I mean. When was the last time we hung out? Or talked? Or anything?” Aquata seemed to frown at his words. She was about to say something when Red suddenly felt his body tense and his head turned towards the direction of the front door.

“Relax.” He heard a voice say from a distance. “It's just me dropping off the car.”

Aquata seemed to understand what was happening because she simply got up and headed out of her room. Red quickly followed her as he tried to shake off the tense feeling he still had. He stood behind her as she opened the door, Tyler stood there his hands full of grocery and take out bags.

“Hey, can I come in?” He asked carefully.

Aquata stepped aside letting Tyler come in.

She definitely hasn’t been getting any sleep, Tyler’s mind rang out so clearly it startled Red. He forgot just how quiet Aquatas' mind really is.

Still the comment threw Red off, he carefully glanced at Aquata and tried to spot any signs of exhaustion on her. Her eyes seemed a little baggy, he really should try paying attention more.

“What’s with the stuff?” Aquata asked as Tyler placed the items in the kitchen.

“I think right now it be best if you guys stay here for a couple days. Reds trial will be happening soon and we're trying to keep a low profile before the verdict goes through.” Tyler explained as he started to take things out of the bags.

Plus there's been a breach and I don't want you out there. He added in his thoughts. Red couldn’t help but notice how much Tyler still seemed to worry about her.

"There's something else isn't there." Aquata stated her eyes glancing between Red and Tyler.

Tyler sighed and shook his head. "Nothing ever gets past you."

"Don't feel bad." Aquata shrugged and nodded towards Red. "He might be a great mind reader but he's got a terrible poker face."

"Hey!" Red protested and Aquata simply smiled.

"So what is it?" Aquata asked, turning serious.

"There was a breach this morning shortly before you arrived. Could be a coincidence."

"Or could be that someone figured out you'd be bringing Red here. Possibly the one who turned him."

"We tried following the scent but whoever this is they're smart. The only thing now is…"

"Did they come to see if Red survived or to finish the job."

"Either way I'd feel safer if you two stay here for the time being. I'll call you when it's time for the trial. I'm still leaving the car but only for emergencies. There's going to some guards around the perimeter so if you sense them don't get tense." Tyler directed the last comment to Red who nodded.

"Well." Aquata sighed looking up at Red. "You did say you wanted to hang out again."

#werewolf au #oc x oc

[the-wlw-cafe]

Gifts Like These (Lena Luthor x Reader)

Request: Reader slowly coming to the realization that her boss, Lena Luthor, is and has been totally acting like the reader’s sugar daddy ever since she applied for a Job at L-Corp

Fandom: Supergirl

Warnings: one piddly little curse word

Word Count: 2180

It started out perfectly professional, innocent, even.

It started out with Lena Luthor, your boss of not more than four months asking you to accompany her to a fancy National City gala, for strictly work-related purposes, of course.

 “I-, gosh, I...Miss Luthor, are you sure you want me of all people to accompany you?”

High society isn’t exactly your metier, to put it lightly. You weren’t raised among them, and from what little contact you’ve had with them as Miss Luthor’s assistant, you’re glad for it. They barely seem to notice you, and when they do, they expect you to bend to their will, to simply make Miss Luthor be available when you’ve already told them that your boss is not seeing any unannounced visitors, no matter how important they believe themselves to be. You can’t stand most of them, L-Corp’s rivals and allies alike.

“We’ve got that in common already, then”, she says, flashing you a bright grin, after you’ve told her about your feelings towards them. You don’t think you would have dared to ever be so open with any other boss, but she’s told you from day one to never be afraid to speak your mind, and she’s told you a bunch of times after, too, until the message sank in.

“But in all seriousness, (Y/N), this gala is going to be chock full of ruthless businesspeople trying to scope out the competition, intimidate newcomers...and L-Corp is going to seem like a perfect target to them, me being the youngest Luthor, inexperienced and a woman to top it all off.”

“They’re underestimating you.” There’s no doubt about it in your mind.

“Of course they are”, Miss Luthor agrees, “but I’ll still be in hostile territory. I need someone at my side, someone I can trust, to be my extra set of eyes and ears.”

There’s something bitter in her voice when she says the word trust, and honestly, you can’t blame her. She’s already been betrayed so often, by her own assistants, by friends, by family...

The fact that she’s ready to rely on you that much is already baffling to you.

“You can count on me, Miss Luthor”, you find yourself saying before you even have the chance to think it through. Miss Luthor almost seems almost as surprised as you.

“Oh! Oh, good. I’ll have my driver pick you up in advance.” She thanks you, and turns to leave, but at that exact moment your brain catches up to you and to what you just agreed.

“Miss Luthor, wait! I...I don’t have anything to wear for an occasion like this...”

You can feel blood rush to your cheeks in embarrassment.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, (Y/N). We’ll figure something out.”

 When Lena said she’d figure something out, you’d thought something along the line of you giving her your measurements and she sending you something to wear the day before the gala would happen. Never in your lifetime would you have expected to be leaning against the full body mirror in the changing room of a boutique, one of the really fancy ones with an impeccably dressed security guard in front of the door. A security guard who seemed to have had some doubts about someone like you sullying this establishment with your working class shoes, but didn’t dare voice them after Miss Luthor shot him a withering glare.

You tried on dress after dress and suit after suit, feeling uncomfortable at first, and embarrassed when Miss Luthor had to pull at your clothes to make them sit right on your frame. Embarrassed and very concerned at the fact that in this exact moment your brain chose to make you aware of the fact that wow, she smells really good and gosh, she’s so pretty.

But you get the hang of it, eventually, both of the clothes and your rapid, irregular heartbeat, and you start actually enjoying yourself, which in turn seems to brighten Miss Luthor’s smile even more as she eagerly appraises every outfit you try on, pointing out when an outfit “really brings out the colour of your eyes” or “fits you perfectly”.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to two outfits you just can’t seem to decide between, so you turn to Miss Luthor for her professional opinion.

“Well, if it’s so difficult to decide, why not get them both?”

You actually choke on air as she says this.

“Miss Luthor”, you cough, “I think I might have to live off of packaged noodles and tap water for a month to afford even one, let alone two!”

Miss Luthor shoots you a puzzled look, and the resulting pause gives you just enough time to catch your breath, before her next words make you inevitably lose it again:

“Oh, (Y/N), I’m not going to make you pay for these!”

You gape at her. The possibility that you might have fainted the second she asked you to accompany her to the gala and that your boutique-related escapades were caused by the resulting comatose dreams seems increasingly likely.

“Miss Luthor...I couldn’t possibly-“

“It’s Lena, darling. I can’t have my date to the gala address me ass Miss Luthor.”

 You’re not quite sure how you manage to keep upright after this sentence turns your knees to jelly.

 It starts with the gala, but it doesn’t end there.

 (The gala itself surprisingly enjoyable, probably owed in no small part to the company present – Miss Lu - Lena never leaves your side during the whole evening, she seems to intuit whenever you need a break from all the rich, stuffy strangers eyeing you with anything from disinterest to unabashed judgement. You do get compliments for your outfit – quite a lot of them backhanded, probably – but they all pale in comparison to Lena telling you in a breathy voice that you look absolutely stunning.)

 But even after the gala, Lena doesn’t stop giving you gifts. Horribly expensive gifts, even. For your the holidays it’s a reservation for you and a plus one of your choosing at one of National City’s most esteemed restaurants. You end up going with your best friend, and as you arrive it turns out that not only did Lena get you the reservation, she seems to have bought out the entire restaurant so you and your friend can eat undisturbed.

For your birthday, it’s a stunning pair of (Y/E/C) earrings. You’re so flustered you drop them twice while stammering your thanks, so Lena has to affix them to your ears with her slender, nimble fingers herself.

On her next business trip to Zürich, Switzerland, she insists on taking you with her. Well, she doesn’t so much insist as gently ask you and you jump at the opportunity. And that is how end up next to your boss and secret crush in the dreamy-soft cushions of her high-tech private jet, sharing some iced champagne. You know Lena doesn’t care for flying much, and she does look even paler than usual as the jet lurches forward, gains speed rapidly on the asphalt track before finally taking off, so you try and distract her by talking about anything and everything, yourself, your hobbies, a dog you saw yesterday...

You think Lena knows what you’re doing, and if the grateful smile she shoots you is any indication, she appreciates you trying.

After a few glasses of champagne she is starting to become more talkative, and a cute, fait blush has spread across her cheekbones. She gestures animatedly as she tells you about all the things she has planned, showing you around the city, taking you out to the fanciest restaurants. As much as it sounds like heaven to you, it also makes you think. Lena never liked to spend much time away from L-Corp, trying to cut her business trips abroad as short as possible. In fact, you remember multiple occasions on which she asked you to book her flight back on the same day her business meeting was set to conclude, despite your protests that such a strict timetable was far too stressful and she deserved a proper night’s sleep. But this time, she had planned a stay of a week – a whole week! – in Zürich, and the only tangible difference between this trip and all the others is, well, you. Which means that she was doing all of that for your sake, going way out of her comfort zone for your sake...and you can’t for the life of you figure out why. Well, you have one theory...and it’s sad, it’s terrible, and you have to stop it in its tracks.

What if Lena thought she had to buy your loyalty with gifts?

“(Y/N)?”

Her soft voice and a gentle touch of her hand over yours shake you out of your thoughts.

“I’m sorry, Lena, I was just...” You were just what? Second-guessing every interaction you two have had up until now? Lena is smiling at you, patiently waiting for you to finish your line of thought.

“I was just wondering...”, you take a deep breath, “why are you doing this?”

You heart clenches as you see Lena’s smile drip from her face like icy water.

“I-I’m sorry?”

This might be the first time you’ve ever heard her stutter.

“I just...I just don’t know why you insist on buying all of this stuff for me.”

Lena’s hand slowly retreats from yours as she sinks back into her seat. You instantly miss its warmth.

“I – shit, I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable, (Y/N). I always thought I’d stop before it got too much, before I got too overbearing, I never meant to cross that line, I promise.”

“Lena, hey, it’s okay. You didn’t make me uncomfortable. I just need you to know that you don’t need to do this. You don’t need to buy my loyalty, I’m already on your side. Always.”

Lena leans towards you again, her brow furrowed, her eyes wet.

“Is that what you think I was doing?”

You shrug, helplessly. “I don’t know why you would waste so much money on me otherwise.”

She closes her eyes, sighing deeply, and you can almost see her shrink into herself in front of your very eyes.

“You’re really going to make me spell it out for you, are you?”

She carries on before you can even answer, and her next sentence knocks all of the air straight out of your lungs.

“I have feelings for you, (Y/N), I’ve had them for a very long time. And believe me, I know how inappropriate it is, and I’d never, ever try to manipulate you into anything you don’t want, but...you deserve so, so much, (Y/N). You’re one of the best, kindest, most loyal people I know, and even if I can’t be with you, I just wanted to give you a fraction of what you deserve.”

All of that pours out of her at such an incredible speed you have to take a few moments to catch up.

“You...have feelings for me? Romantic feelings?”, you ask, unsure if you can believe your ears.

“I do. And I understand if you can’t continue working for me anymore now that you know, and I’ll make sure you find employment somewhere –“

“Lena. Hey. Don’t get ahead of yourself”, you say, as softly as you can, and this time it’s you placing a hand on top of Lena’s. You squeeze her hand gently, to reassure both her and yourself, as you’re still not quite sure this is really happening. Nobody can be this lucky.

“My point from before still stands”, you continue. “You don’t need to buy me gifts, you already have me, if you want me.”

Lena’s openly crying now, and she’s looking at you like she can’t quite believe you’re real.

“(Y/N), are you sure? I’m your boss, and I’m a Luthor, and –“

“None of that scares me”, you whisper, cupping Lena’s cheek in your free hand to brush away a wayward tear with your thumb. “Not when I’m with you.”

You’re not sure who leans in first, you or Lena, or if it’s some strange magnetism between you two, but your lips brush hers and it’s soft and perfect and it’s just...heaven. Both of you don’t think of anything but each other on the long, long flight to Zürich.

 Lena still insists on taking you out to that horribly expensive restaurant, even though you try to insist that she really doesn’t have to.

“I’m not trying to bribe you into staying, I’d never manipulate you like that. It’s just...” she breaks off, blushing furiously and avoiding your gaze, “I like it. I enjoy spoiling you. I’d do it every day, if you’d let me.”

And it makes you blush, too, it makes you imagine having Lena treat you to fancy food and spa days and exclusive clubs and showing you off on her arm, and yeah, that sounds like heaven, too.

 (“So does that mean you’re my sugar mama?”, you ask her cheekily, making her groan and bury her face in her hands.)

#aka reader has a capitalism kink #lena luthor #lena luthor x reader #reader insert #supergirl #supergirl Reader insert #wlw imagine #imagine #wlw Reader insert

[pasteljeon]

too late.

summary | decisions.

genre | college au, playboy jungkook, infidelity au.

warnings | angst.

length | 923.

series index.

It’s movie night. A Friday. The enticing scent of buttery popcorn drifts through the dorm, the gigantic bowl of flavoured chips from a variety of labels the centrepiece of the snack bar. Chocolate and candy litter the outskirts of the coffee table.

You’re sitting next to Jungkook, thighs pressed together as you lean into him, watching in amusement as he argues with Seokjin and Hoseok on film choices.

A smaller plate is hugged to your chest, reaching over to periodically feed him pieces; laughing as Jungkook’s cheeks bulge under the weight of your gifts, barely slowing him down as he valiantly fights for another Marvel marathon.

“You look like a chipmunk,” Yoongi remarks dryly. The dark-haired male chews quickly and manages to swallow it all in one go, though the sounds of his struggle make you cringe.

“No more than you last week in that red helmet—” the music major flushes scarlet, looking rather scandalized as he slaps Jungkook’s pointed finger. “Shut up, brat.”

Jungkook grins, and opens his mouth to retort, only to be stopped in his tracks by a familiar voice.

“Uh—hey.”

Laughter fades, the silence silted as the room holds its breath. And erupts at once.

“Oh—I think the DVD’s in my room—”

“I’ll help you find it—”

“I’m gonna refill the M&Ms—”

“Forgot to walk the cat today—”

The last one was courtesy of Hoseok, who rubs his neck sheepishly. Yoongi stares back at him, unimpressed as he’s dragged away by the neck.

You feel the way Jungkook stiffens. He doesn’t look at the newcomer, those dark, doe eyes focused on you. Looks at you searchingly. You give him a small nod, hand slipping into his as you squeeze it reassuringly. He takes a beat, conflicted. Finally, he rises to his feet. Without a second glance, he breezes past to join Seokjin and Seohyun in the kitchen.

He waits until the space empties before speaking again.

“Sorry. The door was open,” Taehyung says awkwardly. He shuffles his feet, clearly uncomfortable.

“What are you doing here?” You ask quietly, setting your food to the side.

“I wanted to—to talk to you. To—explain,” he tries. Your gaze falls into your lap. “There’s nothing to explain. I know what happened.”

“I swear, I didn’t mean for it to happen—”

“Was I not good enough?” You say faintly. Tired. You’re just so tired. Of questioning, of wondering, if maybe, just maybe, it was inevitable—because it’s you.

It hurts. The pain in your chest is constricting, makes you gasp for breath every time you linger on the topic.

“No, you misunderstand me,” Taehyung says desperately. “I was so afraid of losing you that I completely forgot what it meant to have you.”

“Yes. You had me,” you whisper. “You had me, but you never stopped for a second to appreciate that. You were so obsessed with trying to prove that I didn’t love you that you were completely blindsided by the fact that I did.”

“Because while you were off fucking other girls, I was here, waiting for you to come home. Always waiting. Praying, hoping that it was all really just a misunderstanding. My Taehyung would never do that. He’s kind, sweet, thoughtful. He’d never hurt me like this, right? He’d never do anything to betray my heart. Because he loves me. I kept telling myself that. To keep trusting you. To trust the man I thought I knew.”

He lowers his head, shame and guilt wracking his features. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know you are,” you say gently. “But I don’t want your apologies anymore. I want you to treat the next person in your life the way I thought you’d always treat me. That’s why I loved you so much. I know you’re still him. You tripped, fell, wandered from your course. And that’s okay. You can get back up and try again. I just won’t be there this time.”

“I lost the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Taehyung chuckles sadly, smile rueful as he stuffs his hands in his pockets. You draw your legs to your chest, resting your chin on your knees.

“But even now, I don’t want to lie to you,” you tell him. “I think I’m starting to fall for Jungkook.”

Taehyung doesn’t flinch, just nods.

“A part of me doesn’t want to let go of you yet. Despite these past few months, we made good memories together. I tasted happiness with you. It was beautiful. I’ll cherish it.”

“Thank you,” he says. There are no tears this time. For either of you. This ending is expected, accepted, no longer a miserable affair but an anticipated resolution, a mutual representation of misery business.

He had waited this long, prolonged the inexorable the same way you’d avoided confrontation—because you had history. Rich, momentous history. Words, moments, emotions. A friendship that changed both your lives. The better part had just passed. Perhaps there would be more, but only time could tell.

His arms draw you close to him, warmth seeping through as he buries his face in the crook of your neck. He feels familiar, and it startles you to realize that he’s dyed his hair black.

“Trust your heart one more time,” he murmurs as you part.

“I trusted it with you,” you whisper.

“I know,” Taehyung says, agony crumpling his face. “But I didn’t deserve it.”

He thumbs your cheek tenderly.

“Be brave. He might just be the one that does.”

#networkbangtan #ggukienet #btsguild #jungkook x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook angst #taehyung angst #jungkook imagines #taehyung imagines #bts angst

[ebhenah]

Sunkissed (Original Fiction)

Fictober 18 Day 16

Prompt: “This is gonna be so much fun!”

Original fiction, Original characters (a continuation of my Fictober Day 7 story: Uncharted, Day 8 story : Anchor and Day 13 story: Soulmates. This one featuring Spook and a new OC: Grift)

Rating: T Mentions of war, death, gun violence

 So, there were lots of things that sucked about being stranded in a new timeline, almost a decade before your own birth and staring down the early days of a war that you really hoped turned out differently this time around than your own history would suggest. Little things like being out of touch with pop culture, or not being able to find your favorite tool because it hasn’t been created yet, or craving a food no one knows how to make. Weird things like realizing the new baby that everyone is cooing over is your favorite babysitter from when you were six, or seeing vehicles you consider ‘classics’ being billed as the cutting edge of technology, or fixing your aunt her favorite drink only to have her choke on it, because it was the first time she’d ever tasted alcohol. Oops.

 There were big things, too. So few of the people she was meeting now were alive in her timeline, even though they were young and healthy. Her history knowledge told a story of a world that was wholly unprepared for the might of the invaders that came seemingly out of nowhere, attacked using technology they couldn’t even grasp, and operated under a moral view that was unfathomable to humans. Losses had been staggering, to say the least. The devastation unthinkable for anyone who hadn’t witnessed it for themselves. That’s what she and her family had been sent back to try to avoid. They’d done everything they were supposed to- and a bit more… but she was never supposed to stick around to see how those changes played out.

 In her childhood, the Earth had been teeming with alien life from across multiple galaxies, humans making up only a small portion of the population. The skies had been grey and dull, air quality poor except in areas where massive purification complexes filtered dust and other fallout from the air and water. It had been HOT, the destruction of hundreds of cities within the span of a few months too much for the planet to correct on its own and throwing ‘greenhouse effect’ into being almost overnight. Most of the surface was water, the majority of the rest was desert, and massive sandstorms raged outside of cities built under the protection of huge forcefields or physical domes- much of the population living underground or in orbit. Now, she was one of less than a thousand individuals with even partial alien heritage, and the Earth was green and lush and thriving. No air quality alerts, no radiation alarms, no food shortages. She was now getting to see the Earth that her family loved and spoke about. The Earth that so many people had died trying to protect.

 Sometimes, the weight of that gift got to her. People already thought she was the strange alien traveller, stranger even than the other aliens she had brought with her. It didn’t help that it had been decided it was best not to mention the whole ‘time travel’ thing and instead a cover story of being a science experiment that had been force-grown on a world that no longer exists and growing up in the resistance had been built for her. (Actually, it wasn’t even all that far off from the truth). She was seen as someone not to be trusted, despite being vouched for by the planets most celebrated heroes. Despite the knowledge she had offered them. That was alright. She was from a much more paranoid world than this one, so the mistrust didn’t really bother her much.

 But the odd looks when she would get overwhelmed by the little things she’d only ever heard about were frustrating. She wanted to scream and yell at them to appreciate it all, because it could still be lost. Her timeline might not be that different from this one, even with all the work they’d put into changing it.

 Seeing a butterfly was a MIRACLE. Swimming in the ocean was a GIFT. Being able to stand, on the Earth’s surface, and feel the sun kiss your skin, no need for breathing apparatus, no need for thick suits to protect the skin from being sanded off by the grit in the air, no need for heavy goggles that protected the eyes from pollution and radiation? Just your feet, on the ground; soft sunshine warming you; clean, salty spray from the nearby beach tickling your flesh; sweet smelling flowers wafting on the breeze? That was something out of a fairy story… and she was going to make the most of it every chance she got, dammit. And if people looked askance at her for it, well, they could stuff it.

 “So,” came an awkward voice from somewhere behind her. “When they said you were getting some sun down by the water… I wasn’t really expecting to find you naked…”

 She turned toward the newcomer, “you squeamish about nudity, Grift?” He was, by her math, maybe a year her senior at this point. Elite pilot, fast track for military leadership- a rising star by all accounts. In her memory, he was one of the highest ranking members of a military force that was getting younger and younger by the year as losses continued to mount. But he’d been on the front lines of the fighting since the very first assault, and not only had he survived, each and every one of his squadrons held some of the highest survival rates on the books. Smart. Talented. Responsible. Respected… and an arrogant asshole who CONSISTENTLY butted heads with her father and with the aliens that held the power to make tactical decisions. Not a particularly well-liked guy among her loved ones when she was growing up.

 She could see all those traits in him now, too, for all that he was younger, brasher, less worldly, more innocent. Green. He was also a xenophobe, which had surprised her, because the man she’d known ‘back home’ was not. Of course, by the time she’d been born, he’d had almost a decade of fighting side by side with aliens to rid him of any initial distrust.

 “That’s not my name,” he said, as he always did when she called him that. She was starting to wonder how long it would take him to clue in that the main reason she did it was BECAUSE it got to him. It seemed pretty obvious to her. He didn’t even know yet how much of an insult it actually was. Man, she could not WAIT until the Byx/Sieb made contact with the humans and he found out what ‘grift’ actually MEANT! “Not squeamish about it, no. Just wasn’t expecting to see you… without clothes in public at high noon. You immune to skin cancer or something?”

 She tipped her face up to the light, loving the way the sun tickled her markings. “I don’t actually know,” she answered, shrugging, “I’m not really used to worrying about things that might kill me in a few decades. Usually, I can barely keep up with the things that might kill me this week.”

 “Yeah, that makes a certain amount of sense,” he chuckled. “You don’t mind people staring?”

 “I’m purple, Grift. I’m purple with color-changing rosettes, pointy ears and sometimes my eyes glow… and I blush blue. I’m used to people staring.” She bent down to pull a pair of shorts and a tank top out of her bag, clearly her alone time was being cut short. “What’s going on?”

 “Word from on high,” he joked, referring to the tactical ships that were in orbit above them. “I’m supposed to test your firearm conflict competency. The new allies are pushing for you to get a security clearance with Earth’s military… even though you aren’t military.”

 “How are they justifying that?” she asked, slipping into the shorts, curious to see what loopholes the younger versions of her family were coming up with.

“Diplomat status,” he said dryly.

She stopped short, waistband sitting at mid-thigh, and gaped at him. “DIPLOMAT?!?!” she laughed, “me??? That’s rich. I suck with diplomacy.”

“Looks like we are in agreement on that front,” he answered.

She glared, tugging the shorts into place and getting to work on the button fly, “listen up, pretty boy- you are no better with people than I am, and you are WELL aware of that.”

“Pretty boy?” one of his eyebrows quirked, he seemed surprised that she’d said that.

“What? You have symmetrical features, good hair, are in good shape, high cheekbones, straight nose, full lips, delicate features… objectively, you are pretty- which you KNOW and have no qualms about exploiting. It wasn’t a compliment. I’m not swooning.”

“You don’t strike me as the type to swoon,” he said on a short bark of laughter.

“You don’t know me,” she reminded him, pulling on the tank top as she walked toward him, “I’m a notorious swooner. You’re just not my type.”

“Not a fan of pretty?” he teased.

“Big fan of pretty,” she replied, her eyes glowing a soft, warm yellow, “all kinds of pretty. Pretty hair, pretty eyes, pretty legs, pretty wings- annnd there you go. That face. The one you made when I said wings. That’s why you aren’t my type. It’s not about how you look, Grift. There’s something ugly in you. You’re pretty like Vokarin Crystal is pretty. Lovely to look at, but get too close, and it poisons you. I’m not human, and I can’t change that. So, I stay away from anyone who thinks that makes me some kind of monster. You can smile and charm, but I see that ugliness in you- just as easily as I see your pretty hair and perfect bone structure. It doesn’t blind me to the fact that you are VERY good at your job, though… so, how do we assess my firearm conflict competency?”

“There is a specific set of training scenarios you need to pass,” he answered, falling into step beside her as they walked back to the building, “all done with non-lethal munitions.”

She turned to him, a predatory smile stretching her lips, and she could feel her ears flatten back in anticipation of something that stirred her hunting instincts, “shoot’em’up sims? I love shoot’em’up sims!”

“Don’t get cocky,” he warned her, voice stern. “I’m the one you are facing off against, and I have HIGH standards.”

“Shoot’em’up sims against YOU?” she could feel her rosettes cycle through a few different colors in response to her shifting mood, “ohhhhh man! This is gonna be so much fun!”

#fictober18 #fictober18day16 #Day16ThisIsGonnaBeSoMuchFun #scifi #ThisIsGonnaBeSoMuchFun

[ocean-tumbled-pebbles]

QZGS Conflict!

Happy Valentine’s Day! (I know it’s after midnight but whatever.)

This is my first ever fanfic and I wrote it after reading (fellow YX lover)  @alsheon‘s lovely YeHarem fics. So this is my valentine’s gift to you. @alsheon‘s fics can be found at FFN and AO3 so definitely give them a read. 

My story’s loosely based off of the anime/game/novel Brother’s conflict. I fudged around with ages and there may be OOCness. I have other ideas for this AU but they probably won’t get written  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Tags: 全职高手, QZGS, TKA, Ye Xiu, AllYe, Brothers conflict AU, Brocon AU, OOCness, I wanted to keep the full names, so they’re all adopted, YQ is a cat, just fluff, first fanfic, plz be nice

Cast List

HWQ -24 - Boxer

WJX - 23 - Botany

ZJL - 22 - Florist

ZXJ - 21 - Med student

YWZ - 21 - Management

XSQ - 21 - Engineer

ZZK - 20 - Model

YX - 18 - Rich boy

HST - 17 - Soccer star

SX - 16 - Closet Glory Nerd

Ye Xiu looked up at the large fence surrounding the mansion. It was quite a formidable fence, about 3 meters tall and made of wrought iron. It wasn’t like him to be apprehensive though, so he paid no mind and found the intercom at the entrance of the gates.

“Hello? Anybody home? It’s Ye Xiu. I’ll be living here from now on. Please take care of me~”

Ye Xiu waited for an answer but nothing came out. The gates swung open though, meaning that at least someone was home.

“How rude. Not even greeting me.” Well, whatever. He picked up his luggage and the carrying case and headed up the long driveway to the mansion.

Ye Xiu was no stranger to mansions. He had grown up in one after all. He would have rather stayed in his own mansion, but his (rich) father had insisted that he up and move to his new (rich) step-mother’s mansion instead, to live with her family. (“You can’t just stay in your room and play computer games all day! Go socialize with kids your own age!”) He had been informed that he would be obtaining 9 new step-brothers. Honestly! Wasn’t this too much of a jump? Going from being an only child to one of ten was just ridiculous! What if he had to actually spend time with them and he was unable to play Glory?!

Thinking about it was just too much, so the most Ye Xiu could do was just move onward. He reached the large doors and was about to knock, when they swung open. Again, there was no one there.  

“Well that’s not creepy at all.”

He left his shoes at the door and padded around in his socks, wandering to what looked like the main living area. What surprised him was not the stylish and chic living room furniture, but the table of nine desktop computers in the middle of the room.

“Wait, is that a Glory card reader?”

“Why yes it is.”

Ye Xiu jumped at the sudden voice from behind him. It was a tall older man with uneven eyes. Ye Qiu mewled a complaint at the sudden jostling from inside his crate.

The man stifled a laugh. “Sorry about that. I’m Wang Jiexi.”

Ye Xiu gazed at him curiously. “I’m Ye Xiu. I take it you’re one of my new brothers?”

Wang Jiexi nodded. “You’re 18 right? So that makes me your older brother by 5 years.”

Ye Xiu bowed his head slightly. “Please take care of me, gege.”

Wang Jiexi smiled. “No need to be formal in this house. I’m sure the others will say the same.”

“Big-eyed Wang then. Nihao.”

Wang Jiexi’s eyes widened comically, only emphasizing the size difference. “Hey!”

Ye Xiu only hid a half-laugh behind a hand and apologized and then turned to the more important thing in the room.

“So you guys all play Glory?” he asked excitedly. “You any good?”

“Everyone except Sun Xiang. We’ve tried getting him to play, but he says he’s not very interested. And I’d call myself good if I say so myself.”

“Oh yeah? What’s your username?”

Wang Jiexi gave him a lopsided smile. It made Ye Xiu’s heart thump a little bit. “Haha. Guess.”

Ye Xiu couldn’t even get one guess out when he spied a large looming figure out of the corner of his eye. He quickly darted behind Wang JieXi and peered out at this huge person.

“Oh Good. You’re here.” The man said gruffly. “I’ll call for the others.”

“That’s Han Wenqing. He’s the eldest of us brothers. He looks scary, but he’s a reliable person.”

“Hmmph, he looks more like some sort of boxer that could and would smash your teeth out.”

Wang Jiexi laughed again. “That’s because he is one. Er the boxer part. Not the teeth smashing part.”

“Wonderful.”

Just then a large crash came from the stairwell. “Ye Xiu! Ye Qiu! Where are you? How old are you? Huh? Huh? Are you older or younger than me? Do you two want to share a room with me? It’d be like a cool sleepover and we could play Glory all night? Do you play Glory? Are you good at all? Let’s PK! PKPKPK!”

Wang Jiexi sighed. “And that’s Huang Shaotian. He’s the youngest after Sun Xiang.”

Another older man with blue black locks came down slowly after the explosion of words that was Huang Shaotian. “Shaotian. Don’t overwhelm him with questions.” He turned to Ye Xiu and smiled warmly. “Hello Ye Xiu. I’m Yu Wenzhou.”

Huang Shaotian was not looking at Ye Xiu but peering behind him and looking confused. “If this is Ye Xiu, where is Ye Qiu?”

Ye Xiu bent down and let Ye Qiu out of the carrier. The black cat rubbed up against his legs and then hopped onto his shoulders. “This is Ye Qiu. He’s been with me since I was small.”

Huang Shaotian offered the cat a finger. Ye Qiu sniffed at it and proceeded to rub his cheeks on it, purring. “Huh. From the way it sounded from step-father, I thought Ye Qiu was your twin or something.”

“He does say I’m like a cat sometimes.”

“Hmm, well I’m a little disappointed that he isn’t your twin. I wouldn’t mind having two pieces of eyecandy to look at.”

Ye Xiu went red.

Yu Wenzhou bonked him on the head. “Shaotian. Have a little tact. Ye Xiu is your older brother after all.”

“F*ck! So he’s older? He’s so pretty I thought he was younger.”

Yu Wenzhou and Wang Jiexi sighed in tandem.

“Well, I guess I can’t disagree,” Yu Wenzhou said with a smirk.

Ye Xiu’s blush crept up his ears.

Wang Jiexi coughed, but wouldn’t look Ye Xiu in the eyes either.

Huang Shaotian smirked and grabbed Ye Xiu’s hand and started forcefully dragging him to the dining area. Ye Qiu gracefully leapt off his shoulder as they exited the living area.

“Come, come. We’re meeting in the dining room!”

“Woah, slow down a bit.”

Ye Xiu was being dragged so fast he couldn’t quite keep up and kept stumbling.

“Ah!” He suddenly tripped over a large metal object. He closed his eyes before he could hit the ground.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn’t in pain sprawled on the ground, but was in another person’s arms?

“I got you.”

The person had caught him by the waist and slowly helped him up.

“You’re not hurt are you? I keep telling Xiao Shiqin to put his robots and stuff away.”

“No, you caught me before I fell. Thanks.” Ye Xiu embarrassedly brushed himself off and finally got a look at the man who had helped him off.

The man wore his long reddish hair in a low ponytail. The man winked and pulled out a rose blossom out of nowhere, offering it to Ye Xiu.

“No problem, darling. Zhang Jiale, at your service.”

Ye Xiu embarrassedly accepted the flower and tried to hide his blush by turning to put the rose in one of the vases on the table. Sprawled on the table, surrounded by bits of metal and wire was another person, sleeping.

Zhang Jiale huffed. “Xiao Shiqin! Wake up! You almost killed our new brother!”

Ye Xiu sweatdropped.

“Wha-huh?” Xiao Shiqin looked up blearily. “Sorry, I just-” he yawned widely, “am so tired. I-” he locked eyes with Ye Xiu and froze mid-yawn. “I’m still dreaming, aren’t I?”

Huang Shaotian yelled out excitedly, “You sure aren’t! Can you believe it? Huh? This is Ye Xiu! And the cat is Ye Qiu! I didn’t know that before did you? He’s our new brother! Ye Xiu that is- not the cat. Although some people do say their pets are like family? So maybe that means we did get two brothers after all?”

Yu Wenzhou and Wang Jiexi entered the room from behind them.

“Shaotian, you should apologize as well. It’s your fault that you were going too fast.”

“Whoops, sorry.”

“I’m sorry as well.” Xiao Shiqin stretched and got up from his position at the table. He began clearing away the scraps on the table and put them into a hatch on the metal thing Ye Xiu had tripped on.

“This is a robot that I’m making. I haven’t finished it yet though, so it’s not much to look at.” He offered Ye Xiu a hand, and Ye Xiu accepted it. “I’m Xiao Shiqin.”

They shook hands, and Ye Xiu also introduced himself. They stood like that for a second.

“Uh, you can let go now.”

“Oh!” Xiao Shiqin abruptly dropped his hand. “Sorry, it’s just… you have really nice hands…”

“I noticed that too.”

“Aren’t they beautiful?”

“…”

Another person had silently arrived from behind Yu Wenzhou and Wang Jiexi.

Ye Xiu turned to look at the newcomer to introduce himself, but was rendered speechless. The person in question was incredibly handsome! And he looked slightly familiar…

“You’re that McDonald’s model! Er… Zhou Zailai?”

“… Zekai.” he corrected, but gave Ye Xiu a radiant smile nonetheless.

Ye Xiu had to look away. Zhou Zekai was too shiny.

“Let’s all sit and wait for the others to come,” Wang Jiexi suggested.

Huang Shaotian pulled Ye Xiu over to the head of the table by the arm and sat down beside him. “I call dibs on the right!”

Zhang Jiale pulled out the chair at the head of the table and gestured for Ye Xiu to sit. Before Zhang Jiale could grab the seat on his left, Zhou Zekai had quietly snatched it up.

“…Dibs.” he said with a small smile.

Zhang Jiale pouted, but had to settle for the next seat over.

The chairs were soon almost filled. Ye Qiu had wandered over from the living room and hopped onto Ye Xiu’s lap. He gave a purr as Ye Xiu stroked the cat’s back.

Huang Shaotian was chattering animatedly to anyone and everyone, every so often directing a question to Ye Xiu. He followed Yu Wenzhou’s lead and answered with non-committal hums and uh-huhs, not really listening. Huang Shaotian kept asking Zhou Zekai questions as well, but always ended up cutting him off before he could give an answer. Xiao Shiqin had taken out some of his things and  had started tinkering with them slowly spreading out his mess to the other parts of the table and Zhang Jiale had taken to playing with the random gears that came his way. Wang Jiexi had taken out a plant magazine from who knows where and was looking up decorative cacti.

When the clock struck 4’o clock exactly, another brother stepped through the door. He crossed the room efficiently and met Ye Xiu at the head of the table.

“Ye Xiu,” he greeted, sticking out his hand. Ye Xiu took it. “I am Zhang Xinjie. It’s nice to meet you. I’m your older brother by three years.”

“Nice to meet you.” He gave him a lazy smile. “As you know, I’m Ye Xiu, and this is Ye Qiu.”

Zhang Xinjie gave the cat a rub behind the ears. The cat leaned into his touch and purred contently. “He’s a cute cat. Just like his owner.” He pulled away his hand from Ye Qiu’s head to lay it on Ye Xiu’s to give him a head pat.

Ye Xiu felt his face flush.

“Hmm? You’re a little red. Are you getting sick?”

Zhang Xinjie brushed Ye Xiu’s bangs away from his face and bent down to press his own forehead to his. Ye Xiu could feel himself getting hotter.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like you have a fever. If you’re ever feeling unwell, feel free to come to me. I’m studying to become a doctor.”

Ye Xiu nodded looking at his lap, not trusting his voice to not make a squeaking noise. As a result, he wasn’t able to see the piercing glares the other brothers sent toward Zhang Xinjie nor the man’s smirk in response.

Zhang Xinjie went to sit at his place at the table and finally there were only two chairs left.

He heard the last two before he saw them.

“What’s wrong with you? Don’t you want to meet your new brother?” a growl came out from the other room.

“Hmph! What’s one more older brother when you already have eight?!!”

In came Han Wenqing dragging the youngest in by the collar. He was unceremoniously shoved into a chair, and the last one at the other head of the table was taken by Han Wenqing.

“Ye Xiu.” He was acknowledged by the oldest brother. He jerked his head toward the sulking blond. “That’s Sun Xiang. It’s nice to meet you, isn’t it xiao Xiang?”

“Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you or whatever.”

“You are welcome in our family.”

Sun Xiang rolled his eyes.

“Thank you, gege.” He nodded his head toward the elder. “I’ve just been getting to know everyone a little bit.” He then excitedly addressed the question he had been keeping since the beginning. He was so happy to talk about his baby. “So I hear you all play Glory?”

Han Wenqing huffed a small laugh. “Play Glory? Oh we do much more than just play. What’s your username, didi?”

Ye Xiu smiled and tilted his head coyly (read: cutely). “One Autumn Leaf.”

Sun Xiang suddenly stood up, almost knocking over his chair in the process.

“You mean you’re the number one battle mage One Autumn Leaf, also known as the Battle God?!”

“The one and only. Also, I thought you didn’t play Glory?”

Sun Xiang sat back down and crossed his arms. “I- I don’t! I wouldn’t play even if I was paid to! It’s just ‘cause living in this house full of Glory geeks that I know!”

“Er… Okay then.”

Huang Shaotian was whisper yelling into Yu Wenzhou’s ear, “Oh My God! I can’t believe he’s hot and he’s a top tier Glory god! This is the best!”

Meanwhile, Han Wenqing’s eyes were sparkling with something like hunger. Or maybe lust.

“So we finally meet in person, One Autumn Leaf.”

“Do I know you? Are you on my friend list or something?”

Han Wenqing smirked.

“Desert Dust.”

“What?”

“I’m Desert Dust.”

“Wait. You mean my new elder brother is my so called “number one rival”?”

“Hey don’t forget me! I’m Troubling Rain!!”

“Swooksaar.”

“Vaccaria.”

“Life Extinguisher.”

“Immovable Rock.”

“Dazzling Hundred Blossoms!”

“… Cloud Piercer.”

“…F*ck. What kind of house is this?” Ye Xiu stared at the brothers, gaping. How could it be that all (minus one) of his new brothers were all gods?

“Come on, come on! Let’s PK! PKPKPK!!” Huang Shaotian burst out excitedly.

“Tournament style maybe? I’ll sit out though, since I’m a cleric,” suggested Zhang Xinjie.

“I’ll watch. N-not that I’m interested in the Battle God or anything! I just want to see you guys get pummeled!” exclaimed Sun Xiang.

Han Wenqing had gotten up from his chair and swiftly crossed the room to the other side of the table. He scooped up Ye Xiu, bridal style, with Ye Qiu still in his lap.

“W-wait! Put me down!” He wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck, hanging on for dear life.

“We settle this now. Don’t struggle.”

And Han Wenqing walked off carrying a blushing Ye Xiu leaving the others to follow behind.

Those competing looked at one another and nodded in silent agreement.

Whoever wins gets the first date with him.

#qzgs #quan zhi gao shou #全职高手 #ye xiu #allye #fanfiction #mine #drabblesandwriting

[asdfjklcass]

Bushnell Tour V2 Golf Laser Rangefinder: The Review

The other night my dad was taking a peek at rangefinders on the internet, and wanting to locate a good one. Now I know nothing about them, but apparently some do different things than others, plus some are better made therefore on and so forth. Now I know nothing about them, but apparently some do different things than others, and a few are higher quality therefore on therefore forth.

Everyone in sports betting Industry is referring to martingale betting system. The Bushnell uses PinSeeker technology and it has a great interface which keeps the LCD screen best golf distance finder d to show the distance between you and your targets while panning the course. Even a newcomer are able to use this rangefinder easily. Bushnell 201951 Rangefinder. Should You Buy the Bushnell Tour V2 Golf Laser Rangefinder?. This is perfect for when you would like to get the flag but not all of the other options that come with the landscape. One hundred and twenty five Amazon reviews averaging 5 stars can not be wrong. Do you like to golf or have you been searching to get a gift for that favorite golfer in your life? Every golfer can use the Bushnell Tour V2 Golf Laser Rangefinder to enhance his game's precision and accuracy. " China effectively banned the entire sport of golf for similar reasons until 1984 dubbing golf as "a bourgeois rich man's game. This is really a serious rangefinder made for serious golfers. clear with all the stuff that you have to appear while purchasing golf rangefinder gadget, so check each one of those variables to guarantee the best purchase.

. It's a definite "point and go" unit. So accurate it will display towards the nearest 1/10 of a yard. It was redefined when Leupold started customizing the rangefinder towards the individual golfers needs. Los Angeles County Board Takes Steps to Ban Smoking on Golf Courses.

[bewareofchris]

helloo so i haven't touched tumblr or anything fandom related at all for more than a year (for study reasons, which still aren't over so maybe this isn't wise) but a quick look at the blogs i used to frequent fill me with an odd nostalgia. so, i was wondering if you would tell me what your all time favourite ac work was (that you wrote) so i can have a nice little re-read and just feel all around happy to be reading your stuff again :) thanks mate

Out of all the AC fics that I have written (and there’s not many on the list) the only two that I remember with any clarity are:

Immovable, unbreakable  Nc-17 | Strong Language, Graphic Violence, Sexual ContentAltair has known since he was thirteen years old, the year he realized he was an omega, that his body was never going to be his own. He thought he had overcome his own fate when Al Mualim agreed to allow him to stay on as an Assassin but even becoming the youngest Master Assassin ever did not save him. Following the semi-failed mission at Solomon's Temple, Altair is gifted to Malik as a reward for his service. Malik doesn't want Altair but he does not turn down the chance to show him his place.

And you know,

Sass Badger Vs. Son of No OneNC-17 | Strong Language, Adult Content, Sexual ContentMalik did not hate Altair because he was rich, handsome, famous (for nothing), athletic or apparently charming (to women). No, Malik hated Altair because he was a sexist pig with a perpetual audience that was influencing a whole generation of tweens to think it was perfectly okay to say whatever dick thing came into their heads. That was why he started his blog; he just didn’t count on Altair finding it or becoming it’s number one fan.

Immovable is more based in AC’s actual Universe, Sass is the length of a few novels (not counting the side-stories) but also, I recommend:

Fairy Dust by me and @dreamingcellardoorNc-17 | Strong Language, Sexual ContentMalik's life sucked and it had ever since he spit on that fairy as a child. He had to learn to live with the fact that when someone caught sight of his skin they will do anything imaginable to try to court him from serenading at his window, to giving him gifts, to over the top declarations of how his eyes sparkled like gems. He had adjusted his dreams away from anything normal (dating someone, having a job, or even not dying of heat stroke) to more reasonable dreams like ‘not having any part of his naked skin be seen’, ‘not getting lectured by the townspeople about another newcomer getting accidentally caught up in his curse’, or ‘an inordinately cloudy, cold summer’.Then some thief with artistic tendencies interrupted his life with his aggravatingly reasonable objections to Malik’s complacency to the curse he was living with.

Fairy Dust is technically unfinished but it’s fun and we are going to finish it.  

[placetobenation]

The Three Caballeros

Release Date: February 3rd, 1945

Inspiration: N/A

Budget: N/A

Domestic Gross: $1.595 million

Worldwide Gross: $3.335 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

IMDB Score: 6.5/10

Storyline (per IMDB): A large box arrives for Donald on his birthday, three gifts inside. He unwraps one at a time, and each takes him on an adventure. The first is a movie projector with a film about the birds of South America; Donald watches two cartoons, one tells of a penguin who longs to live on a tropical isle and the other about a gaucho boy who hunts the wild ostrich. The second gift is a pop-up book about Brazil. Inside is Jose Carioca, who takes Donald to Brazil’s Bahia for a mix of animation and live action: the two cartoon birds sing and dance with natives. The third gift is a piñata, accompanied by Panchito. A ride on a magic serape takes the three amigos singing and dancing across Mexico. ¡Olé!

Pre-Watching Thoughts: We move onto the next film in the Disney canon which is the second of the package films released during this time, and also you could say “unofficially” the first sequel in the canon as this builds off of Saludos Amigos. Unlike the previous film which was more a behind-the-scenes look at Disney’s trip to South America surrounded by a few shorts, this one has more of a linear story behind it told in a bunch of different segments. It does also blend the lines of animation and reality as well which will be interesting to see, and hopefully this ends up being a solid film and one I end up enjoying.

Voice Cast: So for the second film in a row, we have a combination of voice actors coupled with some actors that appear on screen in live-action scenes. We have a few regulars return as Clarence Nash returns to voice Donald Duck and Jose Oliveira voicing Jose Carioca, and Sterling Holloway also returns to voice the narrator for “The Cold-Blooded Penguin” and Pinto Colvig provides sounds for the Aracuan bird. We had two newcomers in this film as voice actor Frank Graham serves as a narrator for the film along with Fred Shields who narrates the short about the flying donkey, and finally Joaquin Garay voices Panchito Pistoles and he brings a lot of energy to new character. As mentioned, we do have some live actors appear as well mainly as dancers which include Aurora Miranda and Carmen Molina, and finally we have Dora Luz in a solo performance and these ladies to a great job in their roles for the film. Considering this would be the last film to be part of the canon that features live-action scenes, those involved did a good job in showcasing the culture of Mexico and Latin America.

Hero/Prince: N/A

Princess: N/A

Villain: N/A

Other Characters: For the purposes of these reviews since I am looking at the animated canon, we won’t include any live-action appearances so all of the dancers along with the soloists will not be mentioned in this specific category. We did have a few other characters involved as we are introduced to the third Caballero in Panchito Pistoles, the wise-cracking rooster from Mexico who becomes friends with Donald and Jose. We also had Pablo the penguin from the short where he longs to leave the cold and find a warm island to live on, and while he doesn’t speak he shows his determination to find a new place to live which he finally does. Finally we have the unnamed Guachito and his new flying donkey that he comes to love, and they have a good relationship that sees them win a race only to be disqualified since the donkey can fly. While there weren’t as many characters in this film as previous ones, it worked out since this was much like Saludos Amigos as it was more about showcasing the culture of Latin America.

Songs: Much like Saludos Amigos, the songs that are featured in this film are more done in a way to celebrate the culture and customs of Latin America as opposed to being memorable in the canon of the films. We do have a fun theme song with “The Three Caballeros” which is sung in the beginning of the film and then Donald and his friends sing it during the film, and it is a good song to put over their friendship and companionship. We then have Jose singing “Baia” as he sings about Brazil and they dance as part of the samba in “Os Quindins de Yaya”, and they are both good songs and catchy tunes that makes you want to dance. Next, we have “Mexico” sung by Panchito Pistoles as he sings about Mexico in the same vein that Jose sang about Brazil, and finally we have the centerpiece song “You Belong to My Heart” sung by Dora Luz and she does a beautiful job in singing this ballad which draws Donald to her.

Plot: So much like Saludos Amigos, this film was more of a showcase of the culture of Latin America based off of Disney’s trip to the region, but unlike the previous film this was more of a look at the culture as opposed to being a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. In this film, Donald Duck receives a bunch of gifts from his friends Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistoles, and first he learns about the different birds of Latin America before seeing a story about a penguin who wants to go somewhere warm. After watching a short story about a boy finding a flying donkey and becoming friends, he is eventually joined by Jose and Panchito as they go on a trip visiting various areas of Brazil and Mexico while participants in various events which include Donald falling in love with numerous women. It was basically a typical Donald Duck cartoon just extended to 80 minutes as opposed to a normal short and anyone who was a fan of Donald would more than likely enjoy it.

Random Watching Thoughts: Ahh, the Radio RKO Pictures logo is back after being MIA in the previous film; It is pretty cool to see Donald Duck in a full-length film as opposed to a short; Of course Donald’s birthday would be on Friday the 13th, The old gifts-within-a-gift-within-a-gift gag; Only Donald can make opening up a video screen a laborious process; A penguin that hates living in the cold, if that’s not an oxymoron I don’t know what is; Only penguins can make living in the Arctic like living on the beach; Bowling for penguins; I can’t help but feel like I’ve seen this specific short before when I was younger, but I can’t for the life of me remember when; Ahh, puns and the visual adaptations of them; I love how Pablo is so scared when his ice boat melts and he doesn’t want to get in the water when as a penguin, he can swim with ease; So Pablo finally gets to be on an island like he wanted only to then become homesick and miss the cold; I wouldn’t be surprised if this segment about the different types of birds inspired “The Enchanted Tiki Room” at the theme parks; I feel like the Aracuan was very similar to Woody Woodpecker even though they are two completely different birds; The narrator puts the Marrequito over as a skilled builder yet it can’t even make a nest; That’s a crap load of flamingos; The narrator goes from hunting wild ostrich to hunting condors; Is a flying donkey a big thing in Latin American folklore?; The way he has the donkey tied up makes it seem like he’s flying a kite; So the donkey can whistle like a bird?; I’ve noticed that they like using the word “gay” for happy a lot in these last few films; Did he really think that they could win the race without being accused of cheating due to the fact the donkey could fly?; How is the narrator able to do this narration if he hasn’t been seen in a long time?; Good to see Jose Carioca back for another film; Jose sings this epic song about Baia to Donald only to have never been there himself; That’s a lot of tracks to choose from and they just have the whole train separate; It is pretty cool seeing live-action mixed together with animation especially in the 1940s; Fun fact is that Aurora Miranda is the sister of Carmen Miranda who became well-known for her iconic fruit hat; It is a bit weird seeing a cartoon character pine over a real woman though it would be a running theme for Donald throughout this film; One slight flaw with this is you can clearly tell the live-action actors are in front a green screen as the animated scenes are obviously faded behind them, but it was the 1940s so technology was still relatively primitive in that aspect and it would look a lot better in 2020; It’s a good thing Daisy Duck wasn’t included in this film as she wouldn’t put up with Donald’s antics; The early days of a dance-off; So Jose can grow using black magic while Donald screws it up and inflates his whole body like a balloon; You figured that Mexico was going to heavily featured in this film after being absent in Saludos Amigos; Panchito Pistoles certainly has a lot of energy even more so than Jose and he’s got quite a set of pipes to hold that last note for so long; It is always pretty cool to see how different cultures celebrate Christmas; I always thought that the pinata was more synonymous with birthdays as opposed to Christmas; Jose and Panchito took great pleasure in teasing Donald by pulling the pinata away from him repeatedly; That was quite the loaded pinata to have all that stuff inside of it; As much of a history buff that I am, I never knew that Mexico City was built on top of a lake and had such a rich history and lore behind it; It’s so interesting seeing Mexico so glorified in 1945 knowing how different our thinking of it is in the current day and environment; I could only imagine what it was like for the filmmakers when they were filming all this footage featuring these old Mexican traditions and dances; Always love seeing the stylized animated maps of countries; Donald really didn’t want to leave that party and then they bring him to Acapulco where he sees plays around with the bathing beauties; Dora Luz does have a really beautiful voice; These last few minutes feel like a really strong acid trip; I wonder if the scene where Donald dances with Carmen Molina was the inspiration for having Gene Kelly dance with Jerry Mouse in “Anchors Aweigh”; Talk about going out with a bang at the end with the fireworks display.

Overall Thoughts: Overall, the second package film for Disney coming off of Saludos Amigos was a slightly better effort than the previous one though it again was nowhere near the films that preceded both films. As mentioned, it was pretty much just a Donald Duck cartoon extended into an 80-minute film while also being a showcase of the culture of Latin America, and this was the second film to be included as part of Disney’s look at the Latin American culture. We were coming to a crucial point as World War 2 was nearing its end and many of those who were drafted to help the government were about to return to the studios, and it will be interesting to see if they continue with the package films or if they revert back to the standard style of film. As for this film, it was a step up from Saludos Amigos though it was still just an average film at best even for me who has always loved Donald Duck and while it was fun, it was fairly forgettable.

Final Grade: 5.5/10

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

[newstfionline]

How to make $100,000 a month in China, live-streaming your life

By Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, July 24, 2017

SHENYANG, China--Yu Li is ready for his close-up. Hair: poofed. Face: powdered. Any minute now, he will be live on camera, raking in the cash.  

From a studio in the northern city of Shenyang, Yu, who goes by Brother Li, spends hours a day broadcasting on YY, a social network. When he cracks a joke (which is often) or gives a shout out (ditto), fans send him “virtual gifts,” which represent real money.

His show is a mix of chitchat, music and humor, all steeped in “dongbei,” or “northeast,” culture. He also founded and runs a talent agency, Wudi Media, which trains and promotes wannabe online stars.

On the other side of the screen are people brushing their teeth or getting through the last minutes of a long shift. Some are aspiring celebrities hoping to parlay their voice, looks or facility with boob jokes into online fame. For a cut of their earnings, Yu will help them out. To the tens of thousands who tune in to Yu’s show each night, his life is the stuff of legend, the very embodiment of President Xi Jinping’s favorite slogan: the Chinese dream.

Although live-streaming is popular many places, including the United States, China’s broadcasting boom, like much here, is bigger. About half of China’s 700 million Internet users have tried live-streaming apps--that’s more than the population of the United States.

In America, social media influencers make money off of ads and endorsements. Some Chinese stars do, too, but most of the money comes directly from fans in the form of gifts--sort of like a virtual tip jar. China’s live-stream market was worth at least $3 billion in 2016, up 180 percent year over year, according to iResearch. The sector will soon generate more money than the Chinese movie box office, analysts predict.

The pace of change tracks explosive growth in the country’s tech space, part of a government push to shift from manufacturing and resource extraction to a service economy powered, in part, by the Web.

While U.S. firms such as Facebook and Google remain blocked in China, Tencent and other local companies are thriving. YY started as a gaming portal but has grown into a social communication platform that is a leader in live-streaming.

Yu comes from a hardscrabble stretch of the North China plain, the region once known as Manchuria. By 16, he was hustling for mechanic gigs in a small city. When he wasn’t fixing trucks, he visited Internet cafes. That’s all there was to do.

While playing video games, he started experimenting with a vocal style known as “hanmai,” or “microphone shouting.” When streaming started to take off, he developed his own show.

In 2014, he founded Wudi. Between his show and the business, he now often brings in more than $100,000 a month, he said.

To keep the agency growing, he needs a constant supply of rookies, so Yu is all about proteges. Spend a day with him and you’ll meet a half-dozen. Each, in turn, has proteges of their own, forming a protege pyramid of sorts.

Among them: Lu Yongzhi, 26, a cattle-trader-turned-live-streamer whose farmer stepfather doesn’t watch his show because he doesn’t own a computer and can’t use a smartphone.

“I told the village my son made money doing this and they didn’t believe me,” his stepfather, Lu Guofu, said.

Now they do. When the younger Lu started out, he was sleeping on a friend’s floor and broadcasting eight hours a day, often for pocket change. A couple of years after signing with Yu, he eats breakfast in Balenciaga sneakers and pulls in thousands a month, he said.

And that’s what keeps the newbies coming. It’s free to open a live-stream account but it is tough to get viewers. Streamers like Lu spend a portion of their shows giving shout-outs or stage time to hopefuls further down the pyramid--exposure, usually for a price.

On a recent broadcast, Yu showcased two young, female prospects. One was in her early 20s and so nervous she could barely sing her song--a ditty about wanting to “eat, eat, eat” but not get fat.

The second performed confidently, listening patiently as Yu gave her tips.

At one point, he cracked a joke about breasts. They sang on.

The rise of stars like Yu has turned the streaming boom into a digital gold rush. Teenagers quit school to strike it rich; farmers leave their land to try their luck.

The lure of fast, easy money brings out the odd and extreme: a woman known as Gourmet Sister Feng made her name by eating goldfish and glass, among other things.

Aspiring stars ask surgeons to give them an “online star face”-- high forehead, round eyes, long nose, thin jaw--and use creams to keep their skin a cadaverous shade of white.

Yu is often asked to weigh in on plastic surgery. “It is normal to want to be beautiful,” he said. “As long as you don’t do big surgeries, Botox, injections, fillers and skin whitening are fine.”

With looks playing a big role, China’s censors try to draw a line between sexy and sexually suggestive. Last year, amid a crackdown on live content, they banned the “seductive” eating of bananas.

Some live-streamers worry that ever-changing rules will make it tough to make money, but the real problem, it seems, is the pay structure.

For every $1,000 in virtual gifts you earn, you might see a few hundred dollars, streamers said, with YY taking 50 percent and your agency or manager taking 20 to 30 percent more.

The lifestyle, meanwhile, can be grueling.

Lu Mingming, a 25-year-old rookie, spends four hours a day alone in a studio packed with plush toys. The hardest part of her new job, she said, was mustering the energy to appear cute and happy for hours on end, often seven days a week.

“They want to see you singing from the heart,” she said.

Several streamers said it was tough to come up with fresh material when they spent most of their waking hours inside, alone. Lu Yongzhi, the former cattle trader with the flashy sneakers, calls his new life “very boring.”

Even Yu, sitting in a home heavy on chandeliers, living the live-stream dream, was skeptical.

When he started streaming it was the Wild West of China’s Internet. He felt free to say what he wanted, he had fun.

Now he has a reputation and a business at stake, and the censors are paying attention. In recent months, Chinese authorities have shut down entire platforms and individual accounts.

“In the past, even though I didn’t have money, I could do whatever I wanted. Now, I have to watch every word I say,” he said.

His advice to newcomers was to focus on developing their talent rather than trying to get famous fast by making a scene. “Don’t put fireworks in your pants,” he said.

#China #live-streaming in China #Yu Li