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sparklypinkflightsuit · 9 days

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Stars Align: Part 1

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: Bradley was your best friend throughout high school, and you were madly in love with him. Bradley had no idea how you felt, and had eyes for someone else, much to your dismay.

You move away after high school, and gradually lose touch with your best friend, however years later you happen to bump into the new and improved Bradley Bradshaw, and can hardly believe it's the same man. He can also hardly believe that the beautiful, grown up woman in front of him is the same dorky best friend he had all those years ago. Will things ever become more than they were in that past, as you rekindle your friendship and make up for lost time? And can you both overcome certain dark truths that come to light?

Warnings: Slow burn, Angst, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Violence, Mentions of Abuse, Angry Bradley, Alcohol misuse, Swearing, Awkward Adolescence.

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This entire series is 18+ ONLY

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Past:

You walked down the unfamiliar corridor, past blue and red lockers as you desperately searched for the correct classroom. It was your first year at a new school, and although you’d done this so many times before, you hated being new, and the unknown terrified you.

You were already late, having struggled to find your home room, and panic was creeping up your chest like hot acid threatening to burn through your sternum.

You took in a shaky breath as you reached the end of the corridor, still having not found the correct room, and you turned around to recheck the ones you’d passed.

As you turned, you bumped into someone and stumbled back slightly. Once you'd steadied yourself, you looked up.

“Sorry…” the tall boy mumbled. A smattering of small scars adorned his chubby face, the makings of facial hair beginning to show themselves on his chin and upper lip, well into the beginning of puberty. He looked at least a year or two older than you, and he was so tall you had to crank your neck to look at him. “Are you new?”

You nodded awkwardly, too shy to utter a word. You were already nervous, but boys made you even more so.

“Ok, what room are you looking for? I can take you!” He offered, a cute smile now spread across his face.

You smiled, holding up the piece of paper that showed your schedule, “Thank you, it’s Mrs Carters room, I’ve looked everywhere but I can’t find it.” You blushed.

“Ah, yeah so Mrs Carters isn’t actually in the main building, she’s over at the Art Block.” He explained, beginning to walk to the exit, you followed.

“The… the art block?” You queried.

“Yeah, she teaches art, but she’ll be your home room teacher this year. My home room teacher is Mr Dent, he’s the head of the Maths department, I hate him, blegh.” The boy mumbled as he walked. “I’m Bradley, by the way.” He stuck out a hand to you.

“I’m Y/N.” You offered, and gave his hand a little shake.

“Aw, you’re so gentle. Like a little bird. I think I’ll call you that.” He chuckled.

“L-little bird?”

“Yeah, lil bird.”

You grinned and nodded, as you crossed the small lawn between the main building and the Art Block. The Art Block was beautifully decorated, a variety of flowers and insects painted onto the brick, a colourful contrast to the pale grey building behind you.

“Hope you like art, and crazy people. Mrs Carter’s nuts.” He laughed, stopping at the door.

You nodded, “Thanks for saving me.” You joked.

“Any time lil bird. If you need anyone to sit with at lunch, I usually sit by that tree over there.” He pointed. “My friends spend breaks with their girlfriends, and they get all gross so I’ve taken to eating alone.”

You chuckled and nodded, as Bradley walked back to the main building. You watched as he left, and then took a deep breath as you pushed open the big doors to the Art Block building. Your nerves were now considerably less frazzled, and the rest of the day didn’t seem to be as scary a thought as you’d imagined it would be.

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Present:

“That’s the last box, can we go get a drink now pleeeeassee?” Gabby begged you as she plonked down on your new sofa.

You chuckled, wafting your t-shirt to allow some cool air to touch your sweaty skin. The climb from the street below to your apartment on the 5th floor, multiple times with heavy boxes, proved to be all the exercise you’d need for the year.

“Yeah we can go get a drink now. Can I at least shower first?” You panted, closing the front door.

“Sure, I’m gonna take a nap in that case.” Gabby laughed, laying down and closing her eyes, as her breathing returned to normal. Gabby loved fitness, and was in much better shape right now having done similar exertions every day, but you were a panting mess as you climbed into the shower and washed the sweat off of your skin.

Once you’d finished, you wrapped a towel around your body and walked back into the lounge to fish around a box for something to wear.

Gabby was snoring now, her arm draped over her eyes to block out the light from the many lamps you’d plugged in.

“Gabby.” You whispered loudly. “Gabs, wake up, I need your help.” You whispered louder.

Gabby snored away, so you sighed and walked over to her. “Pssstt!” You hissed in her ear, nothing.

You sat down on her and that did the trick, she woke up with a “ooph!” And gave you a dirty look.

“Whaaaaat? I was having such a good dream about that guy at the coffee shop.”

“Ew, not on my sofa please. I need you to help me decide on what to wear, you can borrow something too.”

Gabby got up and helped you rifle through your boxes.

“Ohhh, you always look hot in this.” She took out a dark green satin cowl neck dress and threw it at you, and you held it out to look at.

“Where exactly are we going drinking? I was thinking a nice little bar somewhere, but this dress screams filthy club.” You grimaced.

“Okay fine, what about… yeah this is super cute, kinda classy too.” She held out a lacey little black dress, it was still small enough to leave little to the imagination, but was classier than the green dress.

“Okay, that’s better I suppose.” You nodded and she threw you the dress.

“I’ll take the satin.” She winked, taking the green dress and changing in your living room.

You slipped into the black lace and brushed your hair out into neat waves. You quickly put on some makeup and heels, and you were both out the door.

The street was now packed, a Saturday night in the city meant party time, and that’s certainly what Gabby had in mind as she dragged you to the bustling heart of the city.

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Past:

The first few days passed in a blur, and you were thankful for Bradley being there. He grounded you when your mind was going a mile a minute, and helped you find all of your classes. He ate lunch with you every day under the big oak tree, and you learned about his life bit by bit each time.

You knew his dad had died, and his moms name was Carole. You knew he was an only child and that meant he could be lonely some times, so you began to meet up with him after school most days to do homework together. Bradley would come over to your house often, where you introduced him to your younger brother and sister.

Bradley also connected with your dad, possibly due to not having had a father figure in his life since his God Father wasn’t around much.

Your dad taught Bradley to drive, and helped him fix up an old car once he’d gotten his licence. Once Bradley could drive, he picked you up all the time to just drive around, and you now had a personal chauffeur to drive you to school and back each day. You two became joined at the hip, inseparable outside of your classes.

As the years passed, Bradley was even allowed to sleep over, once your parents had realised there were no ulterior motives. You would play pranks on one another, and on your siblings. You would tell one another everything, but you found that there were some things you'd rather he didn't tell you.

"I think I'm in love, lil bird. She's so hot! Ever since she came back from summer break, it's like she went to model camp or something." Bradley raved.

"Gross, I don't wanna know that." You flushed red, whether out of awkwardness or jealousy you weren't sure. Bradley had developed a crush on Michelle Jennings around the same time you'd developed a crush on Bradley, and the fact that she was so much prettier than you did little for your confidence, so you kept quiet about your feelings.

Bradley had asked Michelle to prom, and as he'd begun to develop some muscles, and his facial hair had filled out, he was beginning to look less dorky, and more like a young man, so she said yes. Bradley was elated.

“I told you, Brad, I don’t wanna go.” You mumbled, shoving your prom dress into the bottom of your wardrobe and skulking over to where Bradley stood by your bedroom window.

“C’mon. Please! What if things get awkward between me and Michelle? I won’t have anyone to run to.” He pouted.

“No, Bradley. No one’s asked me to go and I’m all… ugly and stuff.” You groaned, looking at your skin in the mirror. You had reached that awkward stage where pimples were flaring up every day and your hair was unruly. You hadn’t exactly blossomed like some of the popular girls had. The ones who’s parents could afford expensive dermatology appointments and the newest straighteners. You simply had to make do with cheap spot treatments and a thousand hair clips.

“You’re not ugly, don’t be stupid. No one looks good when they look THAT close in the mirror.” Bradley chuckled, walking over to you. “And who cares if you don’t have a date? I can have two dates, there aren’t any rules against it.”

You shot him a glare, “Yeah, I’m sure Michelle will be happy about that. You’ll spend the entire evening making out with the girl of your dreams and I’ll be awkward third wheel.” You rolled your eyes.

“Birdy, please.” He gave you soft eyes and his tone was genuinely pleading.

You sighed as you looked at him, and then at your wardrobe. “Okay, fine. Can you pick me up?”

Bradley grinned, and rushed over to envelope you in a bear hug. “You know I will, I’ll see you at 7.”

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Present:

Your skin had cleared up and your hair tamed slightly over time, you had finally come into your own as a woman and you looked damn fine. You were almost unrecognisable apart from your smile and your eyes, and so you’d made it your life’s mission not to let anyone in your new life see pictures of you in high school. You were a different person entirely, more confident, more fun, and much smarter.

You had met Gabby after you moved away, and she had taken on the role of best friend. A role you so desperately needed filling without the tall boy in your life anymore. You and Gabby both went on to study at the same university, and then you took jobs at the same school, Gabby as coach for the junior girls soccer team, and you as a Biology teacher.

You fell into a happy rhythm, and started dating one of the other teachers in the biology department, Jacob, and before long your daily thoughts of Bradley turned to weekly thoughts, and eventually you barely thought of him at all, occasionally dreaming of the best friend you’d once had and loved so dearly.

You moved in with Jacob and life continued, however things began to turn sour, and you called quits on the relationship.

Gabby had found a new job at a prep school in New York, and a few months later when a vacancy for a Natural Sciences Educator opened up, she begged you to take it. The pay was so much better, and best of all you'd be with Gabby again.

You weren't thrilled to live in such a large city, much preferring a quiet little town and more relaxed lifestyle, but you missed your best friend, and the town was becoming more and more hostile after things with Jacob had gotten out of control.

You applied and got the job due to your stellar recommendations and flawless interview. You moved not long after and there you were, with Gabby, about to have your first taste of city life.

"I feel underdressed now." You sighed, everyone was dressed to the nines, and Gabby had unwittingly dragged you to a nightclub rather than bar.

"Don't be silly, you look incredible in that dress, men are gonna be drooling over you." She smacked your butt playfully and you glared at her. "C'mon, I know the bouncer."

Gabby took your hand and waltzed over to the front of the long line.

Gabby was incredibly stunning, long blond hair and an athletic body that could make anyone do a double take, so when she walked up to the bouncer and purred a 'Hey Ronnie, is there any chance we can skip that long old line tonight, I'm so thirsty.', it was no surprise that Ronnie grinned and let you both right in.

"That... was incredible. Can I take you with me next time I go to the bank?" You chuckled.

"You know I'll do anything for you." She winked.

You made your way to the bar and Gabby squeezed through, flagging down a bar tender. She was in her element, but you felt as out of place as a polar bear in a desert. You looked around the packed night club at the patrons, all wearing Prada and Gucci, hair styled so perfectly that it didn't move when they danced, expensive perfumes choking you as they wafted past. You felt like an imposter in your cheap dress, regardless of how beautiful you looked.

Gabby handed you a glass of wine and you thanked her. She craned her neck in search of an empty table. As she found one she summoned you to follow her through the crowds.

You stayed as close as you could but inevitably got separated as a group of women danced in your path. You politely moved around them, just as a tree of a man stepped in your way and you bumped into one another. You bounced off of his hard body and lost your balance, flailing backwards as your heels wobbled beneath you.

Just as you had accepted your fate, a strong pair of arms shot out and caught you, pulling you back up before your body had the chance to make contact with the hard, sticky floor below.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry." He said loudly over the booming music. You would recognise that voice anywhere, but as you looked up, the voice did not belong to the face you were so used to it being attached to.

You gulped, and as his eyes made contact with yours, he recognised you suddenly.

"Little Bird?" He breathed in disbelief.

"Hey, Bradley."

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-- Part 2 Here --

#miles teller x reader #miles teller #bradley rooster bradshaw #top gun rooster #rooster bradshaw #rooster x reader #rooster top gun #rooster x you #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x you #top gun x reader #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #top gun #top gun fandom #top gun maverick fanfiction

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dumbunn1e · 9 months

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I’ve been so art blocked lately blegh. anyways did a thing based on a piece of official cadence art

#club penguin #dj cadence #fanart #my art #im trying to experiment with how to make my bgs more interesting .. so I might’ve gone a little overboard with the bg elements here

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rain0tes · 2 months

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first of all, love the art <33 (keep up with the good work!! You are doing great!) ❤️❤️❤️

and may I make a request on how Hacker!Reader might react to Sir Pentious and Adam getting stabbed brutally by nifty?

no words can explain how much I love this

— 🦊 Anon

Hi 🦊 nonnie! It's so good to see you again! How was your day? Did you drink enough water? Also, your ask really made me stop and think for a while, haha. (I'm only gonna do Lucifer getting stabbed, tho. mb)

Warnings: angst (kinda), canon typical violence, mature language, character death

Part two to this alternate scenario.

Everyone was on edge after hearing the news of what happened while Charlie and Vaggie were in that meeting in heaven. After hearing about what will happen.

You all had one month.

Despite everyone else's resolve to stay and fight, you were hesitant. You had no real skills in fighting. Hell, you'd be more of a burden than help if you were out on the battlefield.

"So what if you weren't?"

Pentious, bless his soul, was the one to suggest it. Gesturing at the android of you that the two of you had made.

You start working on another droid right there and then, although this time with tougher steel and better articulation. Pentious helps you with the more rigorous parts of building the battledroid, having more experience actually building something (this man can weld and he's damn good at it).

It took a while to configure, and then a bit more to get used to controlling it, but by the end of the month, you're well ready.

The night before, everyone was gathered at the hotels lobby, the smell of alcohol heavy in the air as you tried to gather your thoughts despite the chatter.

"Don't go sulkin on us now, toots. Come on, enjoy yaself." Angeldust laughs, pushing a glass into your hands.

"You know I don't drink." You chuckle along, shaking your head no.

"Come on, just for tonight. You look like you're about to self-destruct, and the angels aren't even here yet."

"Fine." You relent, squinting your eyes at the glass before drinking it down as fast as you could. Much to your dismay, the bitter taste still lingers on your tongue.

"Blegh. It's bitter." Angeldust laughs loudly, and you laugh along.

The rest of the night is a blur.

By the early morning, everybody was already up making preparations. Last-minute recalibrations were in order to check if everything was functioning properly.

While everybody else waited for the battle outside, you remained inside, holographic screen in front of you showing you what the droid was seeing. Two specialised controllers in both your hands, reminding you of the times you used to play vr games.

This wasn't the time for that.

As the portal to heaven opened, the battle started.

Sometime in the middle of the fight, you hear something crash from above, and you take that as a sign to leave.

Just before you can make your exit, part of the rubble falls onto your leg. After a bit of struggle, you manage to get out, but now, with a limp to your step.

Charlie sees you hobbling out of the hotel in her peripheral.

"Are you alright?"

You nod, looking around at the mess and carnage.

The smell of blood is nauseating, but the adrenaline keeps you from emptying your stomach.

"Where's Pentious?"

Almost like she had just realised that he was gone, she looked around as well, then pointed upwards.

"There!"

You turn to follow her gaze, your heart dropping to your stomach when you see just what Pentious was up to.

Adam turns to the giant war blimp, vaporizing it in a blink of an eye.

There's a ringing in your ear, the world slowing down around you.

What?

It took an embarrassingly long time for you to process what happened, especially since you were in the middle of a life or death situation.

Fighting back your tears, you summon the droid to where you are just in time to block an angels attack.

When Lucifer joined the battle, you knew that you were saved. After a bit more destruction, all was fine and well.

The angels have retreated. You can finally relax, your body a bit battered, but that's something that can be fixed later.

A strangled yelp catches your attention, turning to look at Lucifer, blood pouring out of a new wound you're sure wasn't there earlier.

Nifty dangles on with a knife in her hands.

You move before you can realise it. Wires wrapping around the small sinner, throwing her off to the side as you scanned through Lucifers wounds.

"No, no, no. Not again." Your voice cracks as you cradle the king of hell close to you. You already lost a friend tonight, you're not going to lose another.

You look at the still bleeding wound. Placing a hand over it, you mutter an apology before using your electricity to cauterize the wound.

You purse your lips into a thin line, hands trembling as you check Lucifers pulse.

It's slow, but there.

You let out a big sigh of relief, a chuckle escaping your throat as tears freely flow down from your face. You can't tell if they're from happiness, grief, or both.

Vaggie pries Lucifer out of your trembling hands while Charlie places a hand on your back, trying to console your sobbing form.

(masterlist)

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #gn reader #hazbin reader insert #alastor #angel dust #charlie morningstar #vaggie #sir pentious #lucifer x reader #🌧Rain0tes

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gloomy-chaos · 9 months

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Wow! More Solivaga fan art! Who would've guessed! After a massive art block and weeks of doing barely anything even though I have important stuff I need to do!! :'D

I like putting characters in different and silly lil outfits 'cause I need to have more outfit variation and blegh

@bleaksqueak don't know if I should keep tagging u, afraid of being annoying or smth hahahahhh

#art #solivaga #fanart #solivaga fanart #digital art #i might have a favorite

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paradoxical-machine · 9 days

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Ugh I'm in a horrible art block today, I really want to work on this retexture but everything i make has just been blegh

#paradoxical talking #i feel stuck on the face #its what everyone is going to see first so it has to be good #but it cant be too busy #and it has to match the body #ugh this is horrible i just want to be finished with this already #i really wanted to get some work on it done today #cause im gonna be busy the next couple days and wont get a chance to work on it #but its just not happening #maybe the couple day break is what i need #maybe itll refresh my perspective. or whatever

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merryfortune · 8 months

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(dis)Respect the Routine

Day 3: Routine | Unexpected

Title: (dis)Respect the Routine

Ship: Swiftshipping | Rin/Ruri

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,223

Tags: Alternate Universe - Dance, Rivalry, Getting Together, Developing Relationship, Classist Themes

Ruri could almost understand where city planning was coming from when they placed a fine arts school across the road from an alternative arts school and adjacent to a skate park. It made sense. Just down the road from all these locales was a traditional fine arts school and related facilities and then the rest of the cultural precinct could be dedicated to western talents or anything else similarly eclectic.

However, in the practice, the very one that Ruri lived, she would like to send city planning a VERY strongly worded letter on why this was a terrible idea.

The ballerinas, like herself, did not get along with the skate park rat pack as well as the other strange lot they attracted. Like the interpretative dancers or the punks or the hip-hop kids. Both sides of the street - more like cliques - were very tight knit and very obnoxious over it.

Ruri and her company wanted to prove they were grace and fidelity incarnate. The kids from across the street wanted to knock them off their high perch using their loud and dirty, expletive soaked music. It was a constant back and forth with a prickly rapport.

However, there was this one miscreant, in particular, whom Ruri was all up in arms with a bee in her bonnet over, however: Rin.

Rin was from the wrong side of town and embraced it. She had a wild side and was unafraid of getting up into people’s grille. She always had a friend or two by her side because there was strength in numbers but make no mistake: she was large and in charge.

She had fluffy green hair and sharp yellow eyes and really nice cheekbones, too. That didn’t matter, however, its just that whenever Ruri thought about Rin, in a bad mood or not, those things about her appearance, baggy overalls and tight leather pants, occurred to Ruri as well but whatever.

Not only did she have a bad personality - she was a loudmouth and enjoyed scolding people - but she was an excellent dancer.

Inside her own discipline, anyway. Ruri would love to see her slut drop to Beethoven. It simply was not possible. She could do all these headspins and get down on every level, use her hands or her feet. Rin was a good hip-hop dancer but she was all self-taught and it boiled Ruri’s blood.

Every now and again, they would encounter each other and usually went like this:

“Hey Swan Princess.” (Or some other similarly condescending cat call)

“Shut up, Rin. as if you know your Odette’s from your Odile’s.” (Or some other clever rebuke which stood Ruri’s ground).

“Blegh!”

But it would end with Rin poking her tongue out at Ruri. Seriously! The girl had no manners. Didn’t matter what Ruri said, if she ignored her or if she rebuked her, it would always end with Rin pulling down her lower eyelid (gross!) and then sticking out her tongue. It was so childish and it always got on Ruri’s nerves every single time. It was Rin’s ultimate trick to tick Ruri off.

That was the dull and trite routine that they went through every single day.

Ugh. Why couldn’t the artsy-fartsy kids be scattered through the city rather than be concentrated on this one particular block. Ruri genuinely dreamed of when she could go to university or go on a world tour as part of the national ballet, dancing in opera houses and other theatres of renown and importance. All the capital cities! Tokyo, New York, London, Sydney, and more!

That would be amazing. That was very much her dream. She was all tulle and tutus and she wouldn’t have some rat pack kid make fun of her for it.

However, until that glorious time in which fourteen-year old ballerina Kurosaki Ruri became an adult and a primadonna, she had to put up with all the weirdos from around her hometown. Hence why Ruri didn’t particularly think much of it when she and Rin got into yet another altercation. That was just another day for her but there was a different outcome to all their other petty squabbles than usual.

It started the same way.

“Hey leotard-in-a-knot.” Rin called out to Ruri as she tried to walk past her.

The sun was setting, there was a crisp, summer breeze in the air and it felt like sunset could last for hours, as they usually did in the early-summer, late-spring. Rin was perched up on one of the skate ramps: not the tallest but not the smallest either. She leered out from over it, like a king on a castle looking down on the peasantry.

Not that Ruri would consider herself a common in such a metaphor but whatever. Her attention was piqued and already, her brow was furrowed.

“Oh buzz off!” Ruri spat. “Go and buy some clothes that actually fit you.”

“Girlie, you know I only thrift.” Rin winked at her.

Great. Now they were locked in a duel, a battle of wits. Ruri huffed. She stamped her foot.

“I really need to go.” Ruri said.

“You got a spare minute?” Rin asked.

“Literally, what did I just say?” Ruri asked in turn, more than a touch irritated.

“Go where? To another hoity-toity party or what?” Rin asked.

She got up and spun on her heel. She looked like the Fool in a tarot deck, dithering on the edge and it gave Ruri a heart attack just to watch but Rin was lackadaisical and laughing.

“Just… Home.” Ruri got out through her clattering teeth. “Now, would you get down from there?”

“With pleasure.” Rin said and she swung the other way. “On one condition.” She swung the other way again and Ruri hiccupped out of fear. “Since it sounds like you have a minute.”

“Just get down from there!” Ruri yelled.

Rin laughed but she did get down. In the worst way Ruri would consider possible. Rin jumped off the edge of the skate ramp, it was at least metre taller than Ruri and Rin nailed the landing. Completely walked off anything she might have jarred as she circled Ruri.

“We have a lot of fun, you and me.” Rin spoke like she was lecturing Ruri.

“That’s news to me.” Ruri sourly replied, she folded her arms in front of herself as she watched Rin go to and fro. She was as loose as the breeze that fettered them both.

“We do!” Rin said. “Which is why, I want to propose, a truce.”

“A truce?” Ruri sceptically echoed.

“We can do our usual back-and-forth all we like, til the end of time and the sun explodes,” Rin said, “but I realised something. You’ve seen me dance-”

“Uh-huh…” Ruri interrupted her to show Rin that she was listening. She simply wasn’t impressed with what she was listening to. After all, she wouldn’t exactly call what Rin did “dancing”.

“But I’ve never seen you dance!” Rin exclaimed. “So, I want to change that.”

“There is a reason why I’ve never danced in front of you,” Ruri stuck her nose in the air, “and that is because I only want to dance in suitable environments. On the side of the street is not a suitable environment. I could get hurt or-”

“It’ll be a dance battle. You win, me and my crew will leave you alone forevermore.”

Ruri’s eyes went wide. Well, okay. That changes things. If only slightly. Her piqued attention, however, was like an open book for Rin. She grinned, hungry for attention and a duel.

“What’s in it for me if I win?” Ruri asked. She tried - and failed - at sounding too interested.

Rin hummed, she tapped her chin thoughtfully, she really chewed on the noises she made before she came to a decision, “I’ll do whatever you want. For one whole day or thing. Absolutely anything.”

“Deal.”

Ruri didn’t even have to think about it. She could have Rin grovel on her knees or surrender some money to her. There was plenty of humiliating and gratifying things Ruri could do if she could just trounce Rin and trump her once and for all. It was simply too delicious.

“Awesome. Then, let’s get into it, Angelina Ballerina.” Rin taunted her.

“Whatever you say, Little Miss Baggy Pants.” Ruri attempted to trash-talk Rin back buuuuut it just made her laugh instead.

Not a great start but the glares they were exchanging were pretty fierce so that was fine. From there, they figured out how exactly they wanted to do this: Rin had a boom box and Ruri had her MP3 player. So it was mostly going to be a thrown down of tinny, acapella proportions but it was better than nothing since Rin barely knew her Sugarplums from her Fur Elise and Ruri couldn’t keep a modern beat to save her life.

With a one, and a two, and a three.

Ruri went first. Because of course she did.

She went through her own routine. From the practice of getting herself limber all the way through to the end of what was, like, a six minute song of pianos and violins. Ruri was nothing less than excellent - or at least close to it. The cement side walk wasn’t exactly the stage she was used to, cracks were potentially deadly but she did her best in front of Rin.

She portrayed all her favourite heroines. Clara and Odette, Coppelia and Sleeping Beauty. A mix and match of every story she had ever danced a ballet of, her favourite moves and story beats to the beautiful, silvery music as it came out of her device.

Rin watched, admittedly entranced.

She didn’t want to be but Ruri was skillful. She had been mentored and configured, it was showing in her beautiful, movements. Every hand, every foot, it was all so precise in what she was doing and by the end of it, Rin applauded her. Begrudgingly, of course.

Ruri smirked, “See, even you have class.”

“Every once and while.” Rin replied.

“Your turn,” Ruri said, “but I’d like to see you top that.”

“Well, you're in luck. ‘Cause I am.” Rin smirked in reply.

Rin stretched out and she looked all cheeky as did so. It would have been adorable if it wasn’t so annoying as her expression was so tinged with arrogance. Not that Ruri could talk.

Rin took a couple steps back and then she brought it down.

Her beat and enthusiasm was contagious. Her music sounded like all noise to Ruri (but hers had sounded like elevator music to Rin) but Ruri couldn’t deny that Rin didn’t have rhythm. The routine that Rin went through was natural and organic, coming and going with every new idea that she had, evolving with inspiration. She built up from something small until it got bigger and bigger and yes, did involve some spinning on her head which made Ruri’s head spin, too, just from watching.

Rin finished up with a grand finale which had her begging on her knees. Her chest thudded, up and down, as she panted. A drop of sweat glimmered on her brow as she grinned.

“So. What do you think?” she asked.

Rin got up and she was like melted rubber. All loosey-goosey, easy on her feet as she rose up to her full height to meet Ruri’s mean girl, discerning gaze. One which was unreadable but the quibble in her lower lip betrayed her.

She was on the cusp of saying something nice. Heaven forbid. But she simply couldn’t help herself. Credit was due where it was due.

All because, in the end, neither girl was unbiased enough to come up with a conclusion of who won over won.

Ruri thought she did. Rin thought she did. But they both thought the other girl had put up a good fight.

Ruri’s dancing was elegant; Rin’s dancing was eclectic. For every virtue, there was a vice, for everything they knew they got wrong but the other didn’t, there was still plenty they both did get right and could acknowledge. Not just in themselves but each other.

Simply put, both were exhausted and there was begrudging respect between them.

“So… truce?” Rin suggested. “No one won but no one lost either, don’t you think?” She extended her hand to Ruri.

Ruri nodded and accepted, “Truce.” she said. “But since we both still won, I don’t want you or your friends making fun of me anymore.”

“Okay. Deal.” Rin agreed. They both shook hands on it. “And what about me, what do you want me to do? Grovel on my knees? Give you my lunch money?”

“Not quite.” Ruri said, feeling a little flustered, all too aware of how Rin’s hand felt against her own, not to mention how discerning Rin was as she had thought about that as a possibility, too. “I thought I would request that we spend more time with each other. Maybe without quite so much competition. What else do you like, aside from dancing? We can do that, so long as its not dirty, dangerous, or unsafe.”

“You're such a priss.” Rin laughed at Ruri’s expense.

She frowned.

“But,” Rin continued, “that doesn’t sound too bad. It's a date then.”

“It is.” Ruri smiled, pleased that Rin was picking up what she was putting down.

#femslash #5daysofygofemslash #swiftshipping #yugioh arc v #arc v #yugioh #rin (arc v)#kurosaki ruri #ruri kurosaki #writing tag

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