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things-we-cant-say · 3 years

Text

pretty little liar

Pairing: Ten x Female!Reader

Summary: In order to get your annoying ex off your back, you tell a little white lie that takes an unexpected turn.

Genre: College!AU

Warnings: Smutty smut, dirty dancing

Word Count: 4,867

A/N: Unable to withstand Ten’s power any longer, I had to start writing about him…or a version of him anyway. Hope someone out there enjoys my first dip into the ~imagines~ pond. ☺️

The party was in full swing by the time you and your best friend Amy arrived, the music so loud it could be heard down the street. It was a wonder the cops hadn’t broken it up yet but hey, the night was still young. Ducking through the arched doorway with Amy hot on your heels, you let her guide you into the foyer where you both stopped to take in the scene. The place was packed with people dancing, drinking and laughing—everyone apparently having a great time. Which was perfect for you because all you wanted to do was blow off a little steam and pretend you hadn’t spent the day fantasizing about committing the perfect murder.

You enjoyed school for the most part and you enjoyed your classes, but really you couldn’t wait for it all to just be over. Two extra years and your master’s degree in linguistics was almost within your grasp. You still weren’t one hundred percent what you planned to do with it (teaching was definitely out) but either way you were ready to dive into the real world. To no longer be stressed out about exams and papers and boring ass professors that constantly seemed to have a stain on their tie.

And to get far, far away from your stupid ex, Adam.

“Uh oh you have murder face,” Amy said as she peeped around to look at you. “What’s wrong?”

You shrugged. “Just in my head I guess.”

Amy hummed. “I get it. That’s why we are here though! To get fucked up and do something we regret in the morning.”

You laughed. “Guess we’re Uber-ing home.”

She grinned and grabbed your wrist, pulling you over to a table loaded with different types of alcohol. The guy ‘tending bar’ as it were winked as you two approached. “What can I get you for?”

“Something with alcohol but where we can’t taste the alcohol!” Amy exclaimed happily. “Oh! And if you’ve got any little umbrellas I’d like one of those too.”

He did finger guns and proceeded to cook something up in two red cups, sticking in two pink umbrellas when he was done. You and Amy took your drinks and after a cursory sniff, took a sip. The tequila wasn’t as strong as with a single shot but you could still detect it just not enough to make you stop drinking. Unlike Amy you didn’t plan to get completely fucked up but you weren’t going to say no to a nice buzz.

Cups in hand you migrated onto the dance floor and fell in with everyone else, bopping to the beat and scream chatting over the loud music.

“I really needed this!” Amy yelled. “Statistics is kicking my cute little ass!”

“I know what you mean!” You shouted. “But hey! Soon we’ll be done and actual jobs will be kicking our cute little asses!”

Laughing, Amy bounced up and down, sending her blonde hair flying. “Is that why you’ve been so grumpy lately? Or is it…he who shall not be named?”

With a sigh you took a big sip of your strawberry margarita. “Yeah. He keeps fucking calling me and leaving me these stupid ass messages, apologizing and shit. I’ve blocked him but he just uses someone else’s phone.”

Amy’s eyes stretched wide. “That’s like stalker behavior! Or maybe he really is sorry for what he did.”

You snorted. “Sorry for having sex with his ex in the backseat of my car? As far as I am concerned he can take his ‘sorrys’ and shove them so far up his ass they come out his mouth as safaris!”

Amy choked a little on her drink, hitting you hard on the arm in admonishment after she stopped coughing. “I hate you! I could have died!”

Her words made you smirk. “But did you? No but for real, fuck Adam. Fuck Adam and anyone who even looks like Adam!”

“Woo!” Amy threw both hands up into the air, yelping as liquid sloshed down onto her head. “Oh shit! Drink emergency I’ll be right back!”

Before you could say anything, she turned and hurried back towards the drink table. Alone in the middle of a dancing crowd, you didn’t know whether you should slink over to a corner or just keep dancing. That last thing you wanted was some random dude trying to groove with you. Of course if you decided to hold up the wall nothing would stop some random dude from trying to hit on you either. At a bit of a loss you drained the rest of your drink and did a I don’t really know anyone two step, hoping Amy would return soon.

The tequila settled nice and warm in your stomach, making you feel more at ease. Most of the people at the party were from your school but not ones you associated with on like, a daily basis. Sure you recognized a few faces from the library or cafeteria but there was no one you’d had more than a surface conversation with.

And then your eyes landed on him. Ten.

Ten was a…different sort of person altogether. He was the kinda guy CW shows thought actually existed in college, except he was very real. And very much fucking gorgeous in that unattainable way CW shows also loved. However, that sort of did him a disservice because as far as you knew, he was just a decent guy who happened to be able to do some pretty awesome things.

For example, he was an amazing dancer. The kinda dancer that just freaking mesmerized you when he moved. Had you wondering how in the hell had he taught his body to do that shit? One minute he was in total sync with everyone else and the next he was performing his solo and blowing your mind. He’d done some show a few months ago with a friend and you’d nearly flipped out of your chair watching him work. The body rolls, the attitude, the way he’d just commanded the stage…whew. Was it possible to be a fan of someone who wasn’t famous?

Then there was his art; things he designed himself or drew from memory. Art class was essentially where you’d sorta came to be acquaintances with him. You weren’t exactly good at drawing but you liked it enough that you wanted to improve, plus it helped you de-stress after particularly hard days. Ten on the other hand excelled and just like with dancing, it was interesting to watch his process. He’d described himself as a sensory artist so he wasn’t always as concerned with the end product as the professor sometimes wanted him to be. From your eye though he’d yet to create anything that wasn’t remarkable. In fact, more than once you’d wanted to ask him to design a tattoo for you, but felt it would be kinda weird. He had no idea what you were into after all. So far your conversations with him had consisted of colors and that one time he’d asked to borrow one of your brushes.

You were pretty sure he’d sold something to an art gallery.

Anyway so Ten could dance and he could draw and he could sing and he was fluent in several languages; as far as you knew the only thing he was kind of shit at was cooking. But who hadn’t set a class kitchen on fire once or twice? Or three times…

If he were an asshole—well people would probably still crush on him—you’d count that as a major flaw and want to keep your distance. But the kicker was that he could do cool things and he was nice. Dorky even especially when it came to cute animals. Was always posting pictures of himself at the animal shelter playing with the kittens and the puppies, or just acting like an idiot with friends. Yet it was that confidence that made him seem untouchable, and also made him sexy as fuck. More than once you’d fantasized about biting his Adam’s apple.

Heh.

Shaking your head, you fanned lightly at your face with both hands. Maybe stepping outside for some fresh air would be a good idea.

“Y/N!” Amy nearly tripped over her pretty sandals in her hurry to get back to you. “Weewoo weewoo weewoo!”

“Um…”

She grabbed your shoulder. “It’s a police siren! We have a code red situation here, I repeat a code red! Adam just walked in!”

“What?” You blinked and immediately looked towards the doorway, brows narrowing when you saw she was right.

Standing there in a white t-shirt in his formerly handsome glory was your ex-boyfriend, Adam. Once upon a time you’d thought the world of him; thought he was the kinda guy you could probably marry someday. The kinda guy you’d introduced your family to. Turns out he was the kind of guy that hooked up with his ex in your car repeatedly until finally being caught in the act. Sure it had been gratifying to make him and her walk home half naked but it had done nothing to quell the pain left behind. Thankfully though your pain quickly turned to anger and now you usually focused on not murdering him when he popped up. There was a lot you could forgive but cheating was firmly in the do not cross zone. Everything you’d felt for him evaporated the moment you saw him with her.

And he’d promised he was over her. Lying piece of shit, you thought to yourself.

“What the hell is he doing here?! Does he even know anyone here?” you asked with a frown.

“I dunno!” your friend said slowly. “It’s possible, big campus and all. Do you want me to help you climb out of the bathroom window?”

“Yeah my boobs aren’t fitting through one of those skinny ass windows,” you replied wryly. “Though to be honest I’m almost willing to risk it. C’mon let’s—”

It was too late. Adam spotted you like an arrow searching for its target, eyes registering shock and then elation. He reached you in three quick strides, opening his arms for a hug that he was damned crazy to expect. “Y/N. Wow you—you look amazing. I’m so glad we ran into each other.”

You huffed. “I’m not. I told you we’re over Adam. Or does me blocking your calls not get the message across?”

He exhaled deeply. “Look I know I messed up but I’m sorry. Classes were just really tough and—and Lucy and I would reminisce about old times…”

“Do I look like I give a shit? You cheated on me and we’re over.” The lie came so easily. “Besides, I’ve moved on.”

“Yeah!” Amy poked him in the chest. “She’s moved on so suck it!”

Adam arched a brow. “You’ve moved on?” He sounded skeptical and that made your blood boil. “Since when? And with who?”

You’d once heard that Hippocrates came up with the saying drastic times call for drastic measures though it wasn’t something you’d be willing to bet money on. However, standing there with your ex eying you like he just knew you were lying brought a whole new meaning to the idiom. You would one hundred percent be damned before giving him the satisfaction of gloating.

Tequila’s kicking in…

Without missing a beat, you put a hand on your hip and motioned to Ten. “Him. I’m seeing him.”

Amy made a sound like a cat having its tail stepped on while Adam gaped at you. “What? I—no. No way. You’re totally lying. I’ve seen the people he’s dated and you’re not his type at all.”

This bitch.

Twirling on your black heels, you strolled across the room to where Ten sat in an arm chair, chatting with a few of his friends. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you straddled his lap and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I know this is awkward as fuck—I’m so sorry—but if you just play along I will owe you big time. I’ll give you anything. You need a kidney? You can have a kidney.”

Ten’s friends had gone mute and as you sat back to gauge his reaction—or to possibly be thrown off of him—you bit your full bottom lip. His dark eyes were watching you calculatingly, his own lips pursed together like you were a riddle he needed to solve. Up close he was utterly breathtaking, all smooth skin and silky black hair that fell artfully across his forehead. He smelled incredible.

And then he spoke.

“There you are baby,” he said wrapping an arm around your waist. “I’ve been looking for you.”

That was when you figured you owed him your first born but it was fine. “Well, you found me. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

He chuckled. “You’re worth waiting for.”

His friends still looked confused though they didn’t have time to voice their opinions. Adam stalked over seconds later like a man on a mission. “So it’s true? You and Y/N are together?”

Ten tilted his head to the side and you saw the moment the lightbulb went off for him. “Yeah we’re together.”

Adam huffed. “Since when? For how long? Where did you two meet?”

Ten smirked. “Are you taking a survey or something?” He brushed his lips across your jaw, making you shiver. “The only thing that matters is that she’s mine. Let’s dance, Y/N.”

“I would love to,” you replied with a smile. You were also grateful he’d remembered your name.

You climbed off of his lap and took his hand, sending Adam a you thought look before pulling Ten out into the thick of the crowd. Your heart was beating a mile a minute but you felt too giddy to pay much attention to it. Plus, you knew Adam was watching you like a hawk and you didn’t want to let on how nervous you actually were. If he found out you were lying he’d never leave you alone and consider you pathetic to boot. Besides the nice buzz that was finally creeping down your spine told you everything would be fine. How could it not be?

Ten’s hands settled low on your hips and he gave you a little tug, pulling your back to his chest. You fit rather perfectly with him, his chin brushing the top of your head. Picking a rhythm in the song that thumped with bass, you began to move together. You rolled your ass against him and leaned your head back to rest on his shoulder, focusing on his breath as it ghosted across your neck. A silver of light wouldn’t have been able to get between you.

Normally you wouldn’t have dared to do something like this with a near stranger but your desire to make your ex suffer was bigger than your nerves. Besides Ten appeared to be all in on the ruse; his body twisting and curving in sync with yours, fingers on his right hand sliding up between your breasts to wrap lightly on your throat. His teeth nipped at your earlobe and you gasped. Reached around to his side to clasp his shirt for an anchor. You heard him chuckle and suddenly you were spun away from him only to be reeled back in, this time face to face.

The room felt like it was two hundred degrees. You weren’t exactly wearing much—a slinky black dress with tiny ties at the hem—but even that seemed too much. Without missing a beat though you and Ten continued to grind with one another, his thigh just barely pushed between your own. Every time you swayed forward to meet him the denim of his jeans rubbed deliciously against you, sending sparks sprinting through your veins. Both of his hands were on your ass as if helping to guide you, and as you met his gaze you couldn’t help but bite your lip at what you saw there. Desire, lust, hunger—no one had ever looked at you like that before. Like they could just devour you and still not have enough of you.

It made you feel powerful.

You grinned and wrapped an arm around his neck, fingers giving his hair a little tug. He hissed and lowered his head so that he could mouth at your bare shoulder, hands squeezing your ass so hard it nearly hurt. You weren’t sure when you started to get wet—maybe it was the moment you sat on his lap or he decided to play along with your dumb stunt—but you could tell it now. Your panties were sticking to you, your skin was on fire and it was becoming difficult to think straight. Honestly however you didn’t want to think at all, especially not if it meant not being in Ten’s orbit.

“Ten,” you whispered into the skin under his jaw.

He hummed, the sound vibrating through your body. You plastered your hand to his chest and pulled it down, nails catching on the thin material of his shirt until they were brushing along the zipper on his jeans. You gave him a quick squeeze—he was hard and straining—and he cursed loudly. Between one second and the next he was dragging you down a dimly light hallway, past kissing couples and one guy passed out drunk in the doorway of someone’s room. He swung you both into the first vacant room he came to; a lavish bathroom at the very back of the house. The door was closed with a swift thump and the lock clicked shut.

You licked your lips as he crowded you back into the counter, looking down at you with a tiny smirk. That part of your brain that yammered on about bad decisions was surprisingly quiet, so you figured it was beyond okay to pull him down for a kiss. As with most of the stuff he did, Ten was a damn good kisser. His mouth was soft and warm, his tongue playful and coaxing. He kissed you like he’d been waiting to kiss you for a long time. Until it grew deep and sensual. Until you were both panting with the need for air but neither wanting to let go of the moment.

With a gasp you tilted backwards a bit, your knees suddenly weak. “Fuck me,” you said absently.

“Can I?” Ten asked, chest heaving. “Can I fuck you?”

“God yes,” you replied, already pulling your dress up until it hitched around your waist.

Ten hooked his thumbs onto the band of your pink panties and slid them down your legs, laying them next to the sink. He looked you over with that same eye he used for his art but you could tell he liked what he saw. You grabbed his hand and brought it between your legs, spreading them wider for him. Two of his fingers slipped inside of you without any resistance to find you damp and aching, already so hot for him. He started a lazy rhythm—in and out, in and out—like he was in no hurry at all. Like he wasn’t driving you crazy all the way down to the tips of your toes.

He kept his eyes locked onto yours as he touched you, lips slightly parted like he couldn’t believe this was happening. That rang true for both of you. Never in your wildest dreams did you think you’d ever really be friends with Ten, let alone about to hook up with him. It was like you’d stumbled into some alternate universe.

Bringing his free hand up to your cheek, he smoothed his thumb across your lips, pressing lightly until you let him in. You sucked his thumb into your mouth and gave it a little nip, smiling when he smirked. When he deemed it wet enough, he pressed it to your clit and you moaned, your hips stuttering upward with a will of their own. He began a firm massage, working your clit this way and that, fingers still thrusting in their maddening motion. Of course he’d be great with his hands. Of course he’d be able to play your body like a finely tuned instrument.

Pressure started to build low in your stomach. “I—I’m…”

“Turn around.” Ten took a step back and made a show of sucking his fingers into his mouth, tongue darting out to lick between them like he wanted to savor every drop.

You whimpered but did as he requested, your eyes finding his in the wide silver mirror. You watched as he unzipped his pants and pushed them along with his dark colored briefs down to the floor. You hadn’t seen him pull out a condom but he had one; ripping open the packaging with his perfectly straight teeth before rolling it onto his hard cock. It was a delicious looking thing you had to admit, long and thick with a slight curve. If you’d had the time you would have gladly went to your knees for him.

A low breath shuddered out of Ten’s lungs as he pushed inside of you, his hands gripping your waist so strongly you were bound to have a few bruises later. “Fuck, you’re tight.”

It had been a while since Adam and nobody after him until now.

When he assumed you’d adjusted to the size of him, he pulled nearly out before driving back inside of you. You moaned and pushed back to meet his thrusts, feeling the pleasure shattering through you. Your breasts bounced as he moved and he reached a hand forward, tugging down the top of your dress so that he could cup one. He rolled your nipple between his fingers and pinched, bending over you so that he could bite down onto the tender skin of your shoulder. The motion sent him even deeper and you both groaned at the feeling.

“Te—Ten,” you stammered, losing your train of thought when he rolled his hips liked he did on the dance floor. “Oh fuck! Fuck!”

The picture you made in the mirror was a very erotic one; you could see every single expression on Ten’s handsome face. The utter enjoyment he was obviously finding in fucking you was written all over it; there was nowhere for it to hide. His head was tipped back, eyes fluttering closed only to pop back open so that he could watch himself shove into you over and over again. He had you up on your tip toes, nose just an inch from the mirror itself. He was always sexy but tonight that word took on a whole new meaning.

All you could do was try to give as good as you got.

You slapped a hand onto the sink to steady yourself and clenched around him, reveling in the low whine that escaped his throat. It kinda sounded like your name.

And then he was pulling all the way out, dick bouncing as he stumbled backwards. You blinked in confusion. “Wh--what’s wrong?”

Ten ran his fingers through his hair. “C’mon. I want you to ride me.”

He sat down on the closed toilet seat lid and you straddled him without a second thought, sinking down onto his dick with a full body shudder. With your dress around your waist and your breasts jiggling in his face as you bounced up and down on his cock, he traced his tongue around your nipple before lightly biting down. You tangled your fingers in his hair and panted out his name, letting out a squeak when his palm connected with your ass for a hard slap. Planting his feet on the floor, he leaned you backwards a bit as he drove into you repeatedly, eyes watching how well your pussy took him.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured against your collarbone. “Gorgeous—you feel so good.” He bit you again, this time on the side of your neck. “So good.”

With one hand on his shoulder to brace yourself, you rose up and let yourself come down hard over and over again, feeling him pound so deep it was almost criminal. Had the music not been so loud you knew exactly what you would have heard; the sound of skin hitting skin as Ten fucked you like he owned you. Just for tonight, maybe he did.

You weren’t sure how long it went on but when you came it still managed to take you by surprise. Your body lit up like a Christmas tree from the inside out and you cried out Ten’s name, clenching around him, your nails digging into his shoulder blades. He muttered a drawn out fuuuuck and pinched your clit with this thumb and forefinger, making you jerk so hard you nearly tumbled off his lap.

“Ah! Ten!” You shouted as he kept it up. “I—no—oh god—”

Your pussy tightened around him again and he shivered, thrusts growing erratic as he came with a grunt. You trembled through a second orgasm almost in disbelief—usually the only thing that could get you off twice in a row was hidden under your bed in a shoe box.

Seconds later you flopped against him, attempting to catch your breath. He was still rolling his hips just a tiny bit, making all the too sensitive areas ping.

“Whoa,” he said breathlessly, wrapping both arms around your waist. “That was…”

You chuckled softly. “Yeah…” Chancing a look at him, you admired the way strands of his dark hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. He was glistening, shirt sticking to his chest. He smelled like hints of your perfume and you smelled like hints of his cologne. It was all so intimate.

Reluctantly you sat back and gazed at him, wondering if things were about to get awkward. But Ten just smiled and ducked his head a little, a barely there blush creeping up into his already flushed cheeks. It was so adorable you couldn’t have resisted kissing him if you tried. From the way he melted into you, he’d had the same idea.

After a few minutes of just enjoying the feel of his lips against yours, you forced yourself up off of him. Your legs shook; you had to grab the counter to keep from tripping in your heels. You could already tell you’d still feel him tomorrow and the thought made you kinda dizzy, but in a good way. Blinking at your reflection—your hair was a dark mess—you knew there was no way you’d be able to hide the love bites that adorned your skin. They stood out stark red and purple like a bruise.

Ten remained slouched on the toilet for a couple of moments before removing the condom and tossing it into the trash. He dabbed at his dick with a handful of toilet paper, and then pulled up his underwear and jeans. “So…can I ask you something?”

You fixed your dress. “Sure.”

“Who was that guy?” he inquired with a grin. “The one you obviously wanted to get away from.”

Oh shit you’d forgotten all about Adam! “Oh he—he’s my dumb ex. He jumped stupid at me and I—I wanted to show him that he’s an idiot. That I’m totally over him. I—I’m sorry for getting you involved.”

He laughed as he patted down his hair. “No complaints from my end. I think he got the message though.” Reaching behind you he handed you your panties. “Don’t wanna forget these.”

It was ridiculous to be embarrassed considering what you’d both just done, but you couldn’t help it. You took them from him and pulled them on, keeping your eyes on the ground. “Thanks… Look Ten—”

“I’m hungry,” he said interrupting you. “Have you ever had grilled dried pollack?”

“Um yeah once I think,” you replied uncertainly. “It was pretty tasty.”

Ten motioned behind him. “I know a place that makes it if you wanted to go. And…maybe afterwards we could just hang out. Talk.”

That sounded amazing. “I’d love to. But…”

He picked up on your meaning. “Y/N I sit next to you in all of our art classes. I make conversation with you for no reason. Do you really think I of all people forget my brushes? Honestly I’ve wanted to ask you out for a while but you’ve always seemed…disinterested.”

You were dumbstruck by his admission. “Me?! That’s just my face! You’re the unattainable ingénue or whatever!”

Ten chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. “Oh please the only thing standing between me and being a serious cat dad is having an apartment that allows animals. However, this conversation is pointless. You owe me and I’m collecting…if that’s okay?”

You huffed but couldn’t stop grinning. “It’s perfect.”

The walk from the bathroom to the living room had everyone staring with a few people letting out loud whistles. Adam had disappeared but Amy was there to give you a big thumbs up. You promised to call her later and then let Ten pull you outside into the warm night air, your fingers happily entwined with his.

#wayv ten #ten imagines #wayv smut #ten scenarios #ten x reader #ten smut #nct scenarios #ten oneshot #wayv imagines #woc reader #wayv ten imagines #ten lee #wayv au #nct au

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buttmuncher91 · 3 years

Text

a lot of advanceshippers love to say such bs about Drew even to this day. Drew is not my favorite character & it’s fine to prefer advanceshipping over contestshipping and I kinda like advanceshipping , but some of the things they say are ridiculous! This is not bashing on all advanceshippers or advanceshipping in general, this is just some quotes (not exact) I’ve seen that I’ve had problems with.

”Drew is a jerk! Ash would treat her right!“

Both would treat her just fine! Drew watches out for her & tells her when Harley is tricking her, saved her friends & brother when she was busy, saves her friends, cheers her up when she’s down, & they both calmly talk to each other when alone.

Besides, there are some things to point Ash being a jerk to her too! Ash yelled at her because he was butthurt he had no boat to get his next gym badge & skips out on watching some of her contest when May even watches him battle regular trainers.

And it’s not like May is an innocent angel herself. She yelled at Ash & Drew for no reason, had her torchic attack Ash, & forced Ash to agree to let her travel with him by bringing up her bike.

I know May & Ash have developed a lot sense than, but so has Drew & y’all are just stuck viewing him how he reacted at the beginning.

”May hates Drew & loves ash!“

She doesnt hate Drew. At the very worst, she sees him as a friend & has seen him that way by “Who, What, When, Where, Wynut.” Like I said we seen them talk a lot when they run into each other & heck, she even ditched the group, including Ash as he was talking to her, to talk to Drew when she saw Drew. So tell me again how she loves Ash way more than Drew lol!

And in ”Spontaneous Combustion“ May blushes at Drew after he waved and walked off. May never blushed around Ash, even when some weird couple accused her of being Ash’s lover. And there was nothing in that scene that indicates her getting red met something else. She wasn’t sick, doesn’t look mad, didn’t do anything embarrassing, etc... so it looks as if she really likes Drew.

”Drew is a flirts with any girl & would cheat on May, but Ash would never cheat on her!”

You people have nothing to back this up. Drew had fangirls gushing all over him? May being Norman‘s daughter and probably because she’s referred to as hoenn princess, has a lot of fanboys! In fact, Ash is more likely to cheat on May then Drew dispite him being oblivious, as Drew showed 0 interest in his fangirls & ran from them. If he was such a flirt, he wouldn’t run from fan girls, but would try & you know, FLIRT with them. Drew also showed 0 interest for other girls, & only teases May. You advanceshipper fanbrats (not saying all advanceshippers are fanbrats just the advanceshippers who think this) only pretend he is to make up reasons for May to reject Drew.

”He only likes May for her rack, & wouldn’t care for her if it was flat!“

Talk about reaching. Drew only stares at her FACE! He never stared at them, & the anime gave her chest 0 focus. He isn’t just some creeper. Despite not being interested in her, he treated Breanna nicely & she was flat. He may just have puppy love/a crush on her, but saying he’s just trying to win her because of her rack is complete bs!

”Think about it, Drew & May would make ugly babies!”

Based on what? Cuz Drew has green hair? As someone whose least favorite color is green (okay, okay dark/forest green is pretty), I think this is a stupid claim. Even with a weird hair color, there’s a chance the child could be cute, & really beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hair color is NOT even close to a huge factor to what separates not ugly to ugly. And they don’t have to make babies if they do get together. They can just choose to adopt to help out those who need a home or just happily be with each other with no children at all.

”Drew is in less episodes with May than Ash, so advanceshipping is better & will be canon!”

🤦‍♀️Misty has the most screen time with ash. By this cruddy ”logic,” Misty & ash (so far) are canon. Yes, misty has much more screen time with ash than May. Misty had all of Kanto, Orange Islands, AND Jhoto with ash... as well as a cameo with ash in Hoenn, and TWO separate cameos in Alola. And at this point, May could have spent more time with Drew. It’s been 4 regions that Ash hasn’t even thought of 1 of her Pokémon after all this time. I’m no pokeshipper, but let’s be real here.

And most of the time Ash & May are on screen, it’s them focusing on their goals/Pokémon. They cheer & encourage each other too, but it’s mostly friendship stuff. Could something happen later on between them to spark love? Sure. But nothing in the anime ever pointed to that. And you can literally say that with Ash and... ANYONE! Like Ash could grow up, met back up with Roxie & they could fall for each other.

When Drew appears on screen, you mostly see hard evidence for contestshipping, weather on Drew’s side, May’s side, or both. Yes, there’s evidence on BOTH sides that they like each other. At best, advanceshipping looks one-sided on May’s side. And even then, it mostly looked that way in the beginning of AG. There’s way more evidence that May likes Drew & vice vesa than with ash & May, even with “less contestshipping hints!“ A lot of hints for shippings are overblown. Not just advanceshipping hints, but poke/pearl/negai(actually never mind, negai is under looked & over hated)/amour/etc... are over blown & it’s just ash being his usual nice/childish self. With Drew, it’s obvious he likes her as how he constantly stares at her, teases her, gives her red roses (& says they’re for beutifly), etc... While I think I covered how May likes Drew enough already. And yes, this could just be a kiddy crush for the both of them, but in the end there’s still harder evidence that Drew & May like each other.

Plus there are a lot of canon fictIonal couples who had less screen time with each other than other characters. Naruhina, ichihime, Hinny, gochi, etc...

“Drew never saves May’s life, unlike Ash!”

So? May never even tried to saved Ash, like she did with Drew!

Ash has also saved: Angie (who has a more confirmed crush on ash), Dawn, Pikachu (3x I can think of), Chinchar, Lillie (or at least attempts to help a lot of times), Celiebi, Erika’s Gloom, Serena, Misty’s sisters Pokémon, a ton of CotDs & their Pokémon...

And what of those who saved Ash? Misty, Sabrina’s... family photographer, Gary, Iris, Clemont’s father, Zeroara dude, a ton of officer jennys, Pikachu, a lapras, Paul, Drew (ya keep on hating him if it werent for him Ash Brock and Max would probably be dead in that crate Jessie, James & Meowth trapped them in so not even advanceshipping could happen).

“Rivals can’t be dating!”

Where did you get this bs? Even in the pokeani IN THE AG SERIES this has been proven false. Watch Pasificlog Jam again. Who put you in charge of how couples should work anyways? If a writer wants to have rivals hookup in their story, than they have that freedom to have the rivals hookup regardless how upset you get over it.

“Ash & May kissed in a banned episode, so advanceshipping is canon not contestshipping!”

Come on guys, they’re 10. The anime creators aren’t gonna have two 10 yr olds kiss on the lips. Its really creepy some person came up with this. No, it’s not creepy cuz I don’t like advaceshipping (I actually like some aspects of it). Again, it’s creepy because they’re 10. If they were like 13+ yrs old, it‘d be okay, but NOT 10. Plus, even Japan is very sensitive when having kissing on the lips happen with kid shows. Even with adults, they censor it/show something else as the kiss happens & just imply it happened. Expecally how they view kissing on the lips in the first place, they ain’t having 2 ten year olds kiss.

And there would be NOTHING to imply that they where going to kiss. Around this time this episode that they kissed claimed to happen (episode 357), Ash & co. where heading to fortree. Nothing ever was implied from the both of them even want to kiss each other. They just where supportive friends of each other with no hinting there where secret feelings or developing feelings from ether of them. Theres also nothing beyond that episode that implied the kiss happened. Because if it did actually happen, I’m sure something like that would impact the next few episodes, but nope no mention of any kiss nor do ash & May act any differently around each other in 358 and beyond. So even if it did happen, it was going to more than likely sink the ship, like it was some akaward thing they did because they were “under the mistletoe“ & afterwards just agreed to be friends & forget about it. The pokemon anime was always about friendship, adventure, and Pokemon themselves, never romance.

Also episode 357 is “Take This House and Shuppet!” not “A Kiss Under the Mistletoe!“ The Japanese episode is the same as the English barring names & episode number.

Were do you get such a sorce for this info? “my friend’s japanese friend who talked to the director of the AG anime & saw it!” or some other ridiculous unreliable garbage like that? Give me actual sources with interviews from the writers talking about this supposed banned episode. Bet you can’t, unless it’s fake & unreliable. If it existed, it would have floated up by someone from Japan. After All, even if for 20 mins that episode should’ve existed if it was just banned. Like “Electric Soldier Porygon” was banned completely & only aired one time in Japan. However, there are places that you can watch the episode despite it being completely banned due to putting a lot of children in the hospital from seizures. That was older than the supposed advanceshipping kiss episode as ’Electric Soldier Porygon’ is a Original Series episode in Kanto the 38th episode. No one can find this supposed advanceshipping episode nor is it even listed in the banned episode list. It should be harder to find this older banned episode than it should be to find this supposed banned kiss episode.

“Why should May choose Drew over Ash? Ash is like a literal god!”

What? Yes, he’s befriended every legendary & come back though poketears, save the world so many times, has arua abilities (he rarely uses), & whatever else, but it’s not like he seems that BA or whatever. Ash not aging seems over focused on, when in reality NO ONE is aging. It took him 7 regions to win 1 league (a questionable one at that), can’t remember Pokémon he seen before & sometimes forgets what he learned, & needs saved by others sometimes. Some god, can’t even rescue himself. Besides, who knows what Drew has done on his adventures. Drew has also saved Ash, Brock, & Max from trouble, isn’t Drew awesome saving someone ”like a god!”? Drew also has beat him in a battle as well, is that y’all’s problem?

And where is Ash’s voice in all this? It’s like this in all this anti-Drew bs. “Drew is just this terrible creature who possesses all 7 deadly sins & is the creation of Giratina & thus May hates & so does everyone else! However... blessed by Arceus himself, we all just know not dense Ash Ketchem is waiting to sweep May off her feet & save her from the demonic spawn that is Drew who is lusting after her bewbs😡” (<-original ideas, do not steal jkjk). Like there’s NOTHING to indicate ash wants her. And do you think this of May as well? Like do y‘all think May is just this perfect, sweetest, most divine woman in the pokeani that only Ash “blessed by Arceus“ is the only guy that should be blessed by such an angel? 🤣

Look, I like Ash & I like May. But even with my favorite characters I wouldn’t go as far as to think so highly of them that it makes Helga’s obsession with Arnold look like nothing. And just because Ash is more amazing with more feets & whatever, doesn’t mean May has to love ash or that Ash has to choose may because Drew doesn’t measure up to him.🤷‍♀️ Just think about it, should Timmy’s mom go with Dinkleburg? After all, he is smarter than Timmy’s dad, has more money & is more successful than he is. And Wandesemo is more popular, not stupid, & mostly competent unlike Casmo. Should Wanda dump Casmo for him? Of course i understand wanting the best person to end with you’re favorite character. But that’s not how love works & in the long run isn’t fair to both Ash & May (& Drew, but I know you haters don’t care about that).

#pokeani #Advanceshippers #contestshipping #Drew #Shuu #May #Haruka #Pokémon #Ash #Satoshi

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gale-gentlepenguin · 4 years

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Gale Reviews: Miraculous World: New York

(The following review contains spoilers, and if you would like to not be spoiled, I would recommend watching the episode before reading)

(I had to pause a LOT to get through this special)

-Oh s*** Cosmo bug and Astro Noir. That is so cool.

-Okay maybe its my audio, but their voices seem a bit deeper. No big, just something I noticed.

-Okay the yellow flower was cute. Good on you kitty.

- Also, side note. This is very nice animation. Very crisp.

- Marinette is moving on... kinda. Well, she is trying. Its not easy getting over someone you have a thing for. I guess that means Miracle Queen did happen and I will need to suck it up. But.... I am not moving on yet either.

- The puppet show was perfection. And honestly on par with what you would expect from middle school projects. (I almost thought it was the adults showing them and was like WTF)

-BACK THE F***. Madame Bustier is PREGNANT! PREGNANT?! I am so lost? What is the story!? Who is the father! Is she married? Is it artificial insemination! Is it the principal?

-Adrien so moved by Marinette’s outburst of Friendship. Marinette ‘Just a friend’ Dupain-Cheng is going the Tia Gardner method of friendship. Lol

-Marinette ready to fight and Gabriel just like ‘Yea sure whatever’ (Gabriel’s smile murders puppies)

- Kagami trying to cheer adrien up. If you love adrigami, get that juice. (That looked like a kiss kiss, but the angle seemed off, so I am not counting it that way.)

- Kitty Clicker is wonderful. This entire scene is gold.

- Gorrilla doesnt like planes, poor baby

- Plagg, you are a devious little s***. I love you so much. As a writer, his dialogue on how to convince adrien is so devilish its amazing. Using technicalities to tempt adrien.

-Lukanette shippers get your juice... even if it was still tainted a bit by Adrien inclusion. You still get a kiss.

- Okay, can we appreciate that Adrien is also having the same amount of trouble as Marinette moving on, but also include Guilt into the equation? I love this because you KNOW Chat noir is going to get an ear full later.

-Marinette has totally moved on from Adrien.... Oh my poor sweet little girl. You havent. You havent even a little. This ride is litterally the reverse of Startrain and its amazing. Alya is NOT helping. Also, give the person that drew Marinette’s Daydreams a f***ing raise. They earned it

-Marinette pulling herself OUT of the situation. Now adrien is slightly bummed out. Well i am sure that this is the last awkward experience with Adrien she will have. It isnt like the two of them will get lost in NY together... thats whats gonna happen isnt it?

-Marinette walking past all the couples sleeping together. JULROSE GET YOUR JUICE!!!

-Ah yes, nothing like watching the sunset with your good friend. Yes, you good pal, Adrien. Who is Just a friend. Wow, the realization that Marinette used the word friend in this movie more times then Adrien did in the entire series so far. (Or at the very least close)

- Adrien, STOP! Marinette is trying to move on from you! Stop making it so damn difficult for her. (I am not serious, i am eating this s*** up like Sushi)

-Nino confirms he loves Adrien. ADRINO COME GET YOUR JUICE! But yea, I feel alya and Nino’s pain. So they are going to help them both.

-Adrienette hugs. Yes, good.

-And thank goodness for Techno Pirate! Saving everyone from awkwardness by trying to bring down a plane... thats heading for NY...

-OH SWEET! BATMAN RIP OFF AND Captain Marvel rip off! And their sidekicks, Robin rip off and... Medusa girl? Okay Neat.

-Jokes aside, Majestia and Night Owl are boss as hell.

-Wow, I know that Ladybug and Chat noir got powerups now. But these United Heroes make their powers look so bland in comparison.

-Get rekt France!

-ADRIEN! DONT USE YOUR PHONE ON AN AIRPLANE! Well, unless he is using the in flight wifi, then he good.

-How come New York has a f*** ton of superheroes in this universe? America really gets all the cool stuff regardless of what fictional universe your in.

- Why are the superheroes so keen on watching over Marinette’s class? Do they know? Do they know Marinette and Adrien are there? Or is it like they just want to prevent an international incident. PLEASE LET IT BE THE LATER.

- I have only had Aeon for 15 seconds and I would violently murder anyone who harms her.

-Oh my Sabrina! GET YOURSELF AN AMERICAN BOY! ... And Chloé is going to ruin the fun. Oof tough break roomies.

-The entire class! I cant even! Not even a second after the door closes they out to party on the roof!

-Aeon, “See? They are made for eachother!”

- Damn, now that’s some guitar playing! Plus Her design is boss as heck. America really just has better versions of EVERYTHING.

-American boy basically snuck in to see Sabrina! GET IT GIRL!

-HOTDOG SUPERHERO! WITH MAGIC HOTDOGS!!!!!! BEST NEW YORK EVER!

-Nino and Alya be tag teaming this!

-Wow Zag, you stuffing me full of Adrinette goodness. Gorilla is a beautiful sunflower.

- Marinette and Adrien havent been in the US 24 hours and they already have two shippers of them. Also, what do doors have against them?

-Jess is Shipping it too hard. “Lets put them in danger!”

-Jess is having way too much fun with this.

-Hawkmoth akumatizing an actual Super villain. FINALLY!

- “Wouldn’t you rather have an Atomic Bomb?” I love Techno pirate.

-”Super Heroes should never use their powers for personal gain.” Hmmm I wonder how this will back fire on everyone involved.

-”OH S*** HE STOLE THEIR CANNONS! BOOM GOES THE CANNONS!”

-Okay, I take back what I said, these heroes need some Miraculous asap.

- Ladybug is 100% justified in being angry with Chat Noir. It is his fault.

-AEON!!!! NO!!!!!!! Okay, guess i have to kill that techno pirate, and Chat noir

-MAJESTIA IS F***ING PISSED! WRECK HIM MAJESTIA!

- Seems they really hammering it in that Chat noir f***ed up. They right though, but at least Ladybug isnt angry enough to agree that Chat noir should give up his miraculous to some rando. FLEEING FROM THE LAW!

-So lucky charm can only fix damage due to specific villains. It cant fix things when the villain is gone or they are out of range. I always knew it had limitations, but damn. Chat noir REALLY screwed the pooch on this one.

-Adrien no! Oh s***! He cant just... I mean.... He can but...

__________

-Gabriel stole the Eagle! The Kwami of Freedom. The irony is so delicious here.

- So night Owl and Sparrow are both chick with Masculine superhero appearances. Thats actually pretty damn smart, great way to keep people off their identity.

-Welp, i am depressed. Adrien doesnt have Plagg.

-EVEN THE PRESIDENT IS A SUPER HERO! AMAZING!

- So an akumatized person can USE A MIRACULOUS WHILE AKUMATIZED! WHAT THE F*** THATS AWESOME. Also why didnt catalyst do that?

-Gabriel actually getting adrien out of there while before s*** hits the fan. That is actually kind of a decent parenting move. Granted he is going to cause it, but appreciate it.

-Marinette the bike thief is back! And she is an international criminal!

- She tried so hard. Welp I am glad that Marinette is clearly over... actually no. This trip made that clear.

-Liberation, Wow. That is the most American power I have ever seen. I LOVE IT.

- Okay, so I never thought i would say this. maybe there is such a thing as too much freedom? Or at least Freedom that lets you impede on Other people’s freedoms.

- I know what Zag is up to, and it is working. I want a tv series Of Jess and Aeon. They are wonderful.

-So Majestia can casually move the moon. Yea, thats amazing and terrifying! I love her.

-Quantum masking! So there is a glamor effect! I knew it! So Aeon knows who ladybug and Chat noir are.

-DID I F***ING MENTION I WOULD MURDER FOR AEON!

-aeon will never see Tikki or plagg. Thats so sad.

-At least Adrien learned an important lesson.

-Cute LADYNOIR REUNION

-The was clever, using the keychain

- Eagle jess is epic.

-and Majestia can catch missles. Considering she can move the moon. Not surprising.

-OH DAMN, Night owl and Sparrow are LEGACY HEROES! Thats like the Phantom, Or like Jojo.

-That was sweet of Marinette and the class.

-Oh so the guardian of those miraculous came back to claim it.

-But now sounds like the set up for a new series.

____________________________________________________________________

Overall, I did greatly enjoy this movie. Though there were times i wanted to know more, and times I wanted to know less. I know this takes place sometime during season 4, but the exact time is vague. It did tell a really cool story. It felt like a three episode saga combined into one. It was kind of interesting. And damn the drama was higher.

I give it a 7.5/10.

I would rate it up there with my favorite ML episodes.

#ml #miraculous ladybug #ml ny special #miraculous world:#New york #ml ny #ml spoilers #ml season 4 spoilers

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thesappiestnap · 3 years

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i've had this idea for a long while, and finally wrote it down. this is like... familial type relationship, like i imagine reader as a slightly older sibling type friend to tommy. i may also make this a series! i'll almost definitely have a part two at the very least. anyways, thanks for reading and enjoy,

Lotus (Rebirth)

"Here. I thought you might like this."

As you plopped the bucket into his hands, you watched with a wry smile as Tommy's whine about a bit of water spilling on his shirt dissolved into stunned and awed silence as his eyes fell onto what was inside.

The flower, barely bigger than the palm of your hand, floated delicately on the surface of the water, its unfurled petals seeming to give off a gentle glow even in the sunlight.

"It's a lotus," you say proudly, "I found it when I was digging up clay in a swamp."

Tommy's mouth drew into a tight line for a moment while he stared at the flower, blinking a little rapidly for a moment before finally clearing his throat. "Yeah, it's alright, I guess," he said in an attempt to sound nonchalant. "Thanks."

You could tell that he was touched by the gift, and wouldn't admit it. But it wasn't even the biggest part of it. You'd had the idea for a while, ever since Tommy came back from the prison... from death... You just couldn't watch him keep falling into more and more hurt. And you had gone a bit on your own since after L'manberg was destroyed, finding it easier to stay away from the fighting of others. Tommy deserved that sort of rest too. You just had to think of how to ask him.

"Did you know that lotuses symbolize rebirth in flower language?"

"Really?" Tommy's tone changed immediately, intrigued. "There's a language for flowers?"

"Yeah, like how you give someone a red rose to symbolize love and passion, other flowers have those kinds of meanings too."

Tommy looked back down at the flower floating in the bucket in his hands, eyebrows furrowing. "Are you trying to send me a secret message? Wai- is this cause I died and came back?! That's very rude, you know, to bring up," he said in the way you knew he was doing a bit.

"Well, no, actually, I hadn't really thought of it like that. But, uh..." You shuffled your feet slightly, fidgeting with the strap of your travel bag on your shoulder. "I was thinking, ya know, maybe it was time for a change for you. I mean, all this shit you've been through, maybe you should sorta... start over. I thought maybe I could help you do that."

He was only more confused by that, tilting his head to the side slightly, looking like a confused puppy. "How's that?"

"Well, I've been working on making a farm since... ya know. Sorta away from everything, but still close enough that I can visit. I made an extra room, ya know, in case I needed it, and it's kinda quiet there and I thought you might like it there." You glanced up at him to see a wide open mouthed smile spreading across his face.

"Are there cows?"

His smile was contagious, you found as one spread on your own face. "And sheep, and chickens. I've been supplying Niki with milk and eggs and crops to start up her bakery again. I was thinking about starting up a shop to make and sell jams and fresh veggies, too. Milk and cheese and butter, maybe bread and cookies. But, ya know, I'd need help for that."

Tommy's eyes- his entire face, really- was aglow. "Yeah! I can help you sell, I'm a great businessman! Salesman Tommy, they call me!"

You smiled as he launched into a tirade about how good at business he was, reminiscing about Tubbo Bathwater. "So you're in?"

"Fuck yeah! We can be business partners and I get 50% of all profits!"

You rolled your eyes a little, but you didn't care much about the profit part of it. "You can take over my spare room then, or build your own place close by, whatever you want. I can take care of most of the farm work if you want to take care of the animals. And since I know you secretly like flowers," you added a bit cheekily, "I have a little garden started. Not much, but you can expand it however you want. I have books that can teach you about gardening techniques and stuff, and I have one about flower language too, if you want to learn."

Tommy jumped around like his feet were on fire, yelling incoherently with happy Tommy noises as water sloshed around his hands onto the grass below. He stopped suddenly- "I have to pack then, make sure I get all my valuables from my 'ome. Oh... my house. What do I do with my house?"

"You can always come back to it. Use it as a place to stay when you come visit, or like a second base or something," you suggested.

"Yeah. Yeah! Right! We have GOT a PLAN! I have to get Friend, and Shroud, oh, do you have any leads-" You had already procured two leads from your bag, tossing them over to him. He beamed, shoving the bucket with the lotus back into your arms. "RIGHT! Hold this for me- I will go get my things, and we can start up, chop chop, there's work to be done!"

He had a fire in his eyes as he ran off towards his little hovel, a look that you hadn't seen in a while, a reminder of the carefree, excitable boy he used to be. You couldn't change what had happened to him, but you'll be damned if you wouldn't help him change his future. You looked down at the lotus, still gently touching the surface of the finally still water in the bucket. This would be Tommy's rebirth.

#dsmp x reader #sorta? not in a shippy way tho #big man tag

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san-station · 4 years

Text

A Quiet Place AU / ATEEZ (Post-apocalyptic)

Chapter 3

↝Word count: 2139

Description: In a world full of silence and dangerous creatures seeking for blood, a group of friends have to survive for their own good and find the safe place they’ve heard about months ago.

Pairing: OC x San

WARNING: cursing most of all.

・・・・・・・・

Rollercoaster

The fourth floor of the old damaged building was my place, my comfort zone, the only moment where I could be entirely alone with my thoughts, my feelings, my sorrows and my draws. The four gray aged and dingy walls were covered by my creations on every blank space that once were painted with cute bird patterns. Five months ago, when we found the place, I was depressed, my parents death followed me everywhere, so much that nothing mattered to me anymore. The twelve of us traveled afoot for over six days to finally reach the end of the forest we were hiding for, at least, the past month. The tan and shaped boy, Lucas, got lost a whole fucking day in the woods when he decided he wanted to pee because was too shy to do it near us. Fucking kid… We’d splitted in two groups of four and the three left had to stay in the encounter spot. Misuk, Jongho and Yunho stayed while we silently looked for any sign of the cinnamon colored boy. I'm not gonna lie, my heart ached when Lucas got missing, he was one of the amusing boys that kept us underground and kinda happy. While he was wandering around looking for a perfect spot, he’d felt in a huge hole of human bones and was too afraid to give us any signal (not that he could scream either). He had scratched his knees and hands and was afraid of any infection so, the moment he saw us, tears decorated his great looking face while Mingi and Wooyoung helped him climb the slippery ground.

“I swear I’ll never pee again”, he signed shaking his head and moving forward to the encounter spot for water to clean the minor injuries. After that, we found ourselves in a half-destroyed city, the place was literally torn in two ‘cause the government thought bombs would do their purpose and annihilate everything in their paths. Wrong. Thousands of people had died in the incident and just a little amount of the monsters. But eventually everyone mad about it died or had better things to do, like, survive for example. We couldn’t find a sustentable home over there, so we kept walking a mile away from the city until we realized this old and abandoned building with its eight floors and its amazing basement.

My fingers moved away from the smooth side of the wall, the green splash coated the black under it to mixed the colors and picture a beautiful pickup as finished work. I’ve been painting a whole zoo in the room for my own pleasure. And because most of animals were extinct by then; if you saw a bird, a rat or a racoon, they would probably be slaughter a minute later due to the sounds they made by instinct... The paints were a gift Seonghwa and Mingi gave me to help my depression. It kinda worked, it was the right time to be oblivious. I smiled watching the glorious bird, for obvious reasons (lack of paints) I only could draw it in green, black and yellow, but that didn’t make it less wonderful. The problem with my comfort zone was that I didn’t want anyone near it for two good reasons: number one, it was my spot, they all knew I was usually painting and shit, and for that, concentration is the motto. Number two, half of the animals I drew had a straight thin red line underneath their mouths to remember those species were forever gone.

My hands were covered in green and black from tip to my wrist but I didn't care when I cleaned my sweaty forehead staining all half of my face in the process.

Hongjoong suddenly walked into the room slowly with two cups of whatever that was, he and Seonghwa were the only ones allowed to come inside because they wanted to assure I was okay with my panic attacks. I wasn’t even paying attention to him, I was focused on that animal and his grace… it needed the final detail, so I crunched and grabbed the red paint on the floor next to the few lefts I had. I opened it, clean my middle right finger with my little painted towel specifically used for that, and then I let my finger separate the head off of the bird’s body. I sighted and stepped back to admire the result. However, without any warning my back collided with Hongjoong’s body and I holded a scream facing him, as a reflect, I almost threw a punch to his face. My wide eyes saw the mullet boy grabbing the cups hardly while he smile at me in surprise.

“I like it”, he whispered motioning to the bird with one of his occupied hands. As fast as I could, I covered his mouth with my green-black hands.

“No talk, you know we are not safe here”, I signed. Soon after, he extended a cup to me and pointed to an empty place to sit on the floor. He turned around, sat on the cold and all dusty cement and patted next to him. I contained my giggles when I saw his face all covered in paint.

“Sorry”, I signed pointing at his lips. He glared at himself not finding the cause of my amusement. He then touched his face and looked at his painted fingers. He smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Ji, now come and sit next to me”, he insisted.

My feet followed the order and I was now next to him sharing a cup of green tea. I hated tea, he knew I hated it, so why…?

Hongjoong leaned over me until I felt his warm breath in my ears.

“Taste it, it's for the nerves.”

I sighed, I was afraid of being caught if he kept talking, so I gestured him to shut the fuck up one more time or I'll end him. He lifted his hands in defeat.

My lips tasted the hot water with essence and immediately I was ready to spill it out, Hongjoong was faster and begged me with his puppy eyes to drink it all for my own health. That man was manipulative as fuck, so there I was, finishing my disgusted tea with tears in my eyes.

Two almost imperceptible knocks on the door made us both jerked from our sits, Jongho's smooth whisper alarmed us.

“May I come in?”

I slapped my face listening to the young one. Panic was taking over me for like two seconds, but the mullet boy answered putting a hand on my shoulder and looking at the door.

“Wait a minute...” he said as quiet as he could.

Jongho sighed loudly and Hongjoong gave me a judging narrowed eyebrow, he brushed the hair out of my face and cleaned a little of the paint rubbing my forehead with the thumb.

“Ji…”, he started.

“No fucking way”, I shook my head in denial. “You know he can't, Joong… No one”, I signed abruptly and grabbed the cup off the floor. The next thing Jongho saw was the mullet boy grabbing his arm friendly, escorting him downstairs. I followed behind after closing the door carefully.

“I just wanted to talk to you, Jiyeong”, he turned to face me and I could tell he looked… sad. It'd been a while since we saw the light-brown haired boy so gloomy about something. He stopped going down in the second floor and yanked his arm from Hongjoong's grip a little bit stronger that he should. “I want to know how she died, Ji… I just…”, he raised a hand and scratched the back of his neck. “I don't know, may-maybe we can go to the same spot and collect whatever is left of her and maybe make a good funeral… I… I don't know, guys… she deserves it.”

I sighed, the walls around us started to feel like they were closing, reaching each other for one gold: suffocate us, but that’s how I actually felt. If only they knew how hard it was for me to stop thinking about what happened, they’d stop asking questions I didn’t want to answer.

“Jongho… there's no way we can do that”, my whisper sounded harsh, still that wasn't the feeling I wanted to transmit, my heart shrinked from sadness. “The place will be plagued with the odor, her scents...", I stood in the first floor now, Jongho gave me the most concerned face I've ever seen before. I felt like the villain of the story, yet I was being realistic. "The creatures will be around it, Jongho, we can’t risk our lives.” Jongho’s hands turned into fists, I ignored them. I knew his blood was probably boiling in his body but, could you blame him? He was receiving cold water on his face while sleeping. Wake up, Jongho…

“The moment you step on that rooftop, you'll be gone, we don't need that”, I really wanted to make his dream come true but if it meant losing him, or anyone else, it didn't worth it. At all.

“We certainly didn't need Misuk's death either”, he spatted a little loud for my pleasure, my body immediately freeze, Hongjoong was next to me after giving the final steps to the main floor. The minor left walking down the hallway to the basement as we heard the footsteps disappear. I rubbed my temples roughly and sighted.

“Ugh, I didn't mean to sound like that…”, I mumbled after the basement door clicked closed.

“I know…”, Hongjoong caressed my back with two pats and passed me, “He knows it too, but let him be mad for a second, it’s a kid."

“I didn't know…”, I signed, talking outside was getting me more and more anxious.

“Yeah, they had a thing, not too serious though”, we made our way to the basement again. “But at the end of the world, we all need to be loved.”

I left out a scoff.

Oh my God… of course…

“Surviving is all we need, Joong.”

“Humanity needs survivors, Jiyeong”, the mullet boy opened the door silently and we entered. “How do you think we can do that if we don't love other people and create families”. Yeosang’s head raised from the kitchen at the sound of Joong’s voice, he had a full plate of cooked fish ready to be eaten. Now he was listening to our conversation while washing his hands on the sink.

“Stop right there, ugh…”, I sat on the couch beside Mingi, the boy was counting how many plastic bottles will be needed for dinner. I caressed his hair and he smiled still focusing on the bottles.

“Our priority is to survive, not create new human life in this dystopia, you crazy man.”

“I'm not joking”, Hongjoong made his way towards the fridge and had a sip of carrot juice. “Eventually you'll have to find a family too.” He smirked and walked to the other side of the room, were the beds were. My heart ached with the memories of my beloved family.

“I have one already.”

“I'm not talking about us”, he disappeared in his room. A soft “Sup’?” was all I heard before a refreshing Seonghwa made act of presence after he got out of the room with his hair barely wet.

“He’s not wrong, to be honest”, the black haired man smiled while he joined Yeosang and helped him with the green bowl made of leaves that contained eggs and potato salad.

“You want a new family, Ji?!”, Mingi opened wide his eyes getting out of his trance, he was surprised and kind of scared. Oh, sweet big boy…

“No, Mingi, Hongjoong and I were talking about preserving the human race on Earth even though we might all get kill for that”, I speak shrugging not giving it to much care.

“You’re thinking about having a baby right now?! With Joong?!”, Mingi asked incredulously loud. I breathed and stood up.

I felt Yeosang’s gazed and I looked at him, I wanted to smile at his shook face, but then I remembered he was a fucking cinist.

“I’m all sweaty and dirty, I’m gonna wash myself and then catch y’all on the roof”. I heard Seonghwa’s soft laugh after I closed the ladies’ bathroom door and sighed.

“Why does Hongjoong have to be the one? It’s not fair” Mingi asked again. The sound of footsteps resonated on the place.

"Shut up, Mingi, they aren’t serious about that”, Yeosang’s voice sounded a bit mad and tired, but he speaked again, more gentle. “Let’s go with the others, she’ll be there soon and this is the first night without Misuk, so Jongho needs us.”

So everyone knew about Misuk and Jongho except for me? What a shitty friend you are, Jiyeong…

(...)

Masterlist

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darkredehmption · 4 years

Text

Past and Present

#SL #PastAndPresent

Written by @DamagedBrother and @OfFeatherNFang

Mentions @PanwerePredator

*~*~*

Zsadist:

As we rushed Hadrian back to the mansion, I couldn’t help but think about the time I rushed him to Havers. That day where I stabbed him and yet he still trusted me after it all. We definitely had a bond, and I knew that he was going to be alright. He had to be. I wouldn’t allow it any other way.

We quickly got him down the tunnels and in the PT suite where they transferred him to a stretcher. Vishous, and the medical team we had on staff, took over from there. Leaving the rest of us out in the hall. As soon as the door shut we all kinda just let out a sigh. Some Brothers dispersed, while others like Cop, and Phury, hung around. Nodding over to them before my eyes meet Mal’s. He was studying the shifter behind the glass. Reaching out to land my hand on his shoulder, not caring if the others watched me do it.

“Thank you...It means a lot that you were there, that you helped him.”

My hand gave his arm a squeeze, eyes never leaving his own. I wanted to just take him into my arms, lay him on my bed, and kiss every inch of his body. This male...was a male of worth and he was mine.

Slowly I drag my hand forward, letting it rest at his throat, my thumb brushing over his soft skin. I didn’t take my eyes off of him. I wanted him to see the emotion behind them, even if I was so bad at expressing how I felt. He knew. He had to know. Parting my lips to say something, only to be cut off by the sound of his cellphone. Fuck. What now?

Mal:

The sterility of the room was something I was familiar with, after having spent a few days in there myself. Watching the team go to work on the shifter, try to assess him and his unconscious state, reminded me of how I’d ended up here. That stroke of luck, good or bad, that saw me help these males protect the Chosen. Saw me land in front of Zsadist and shield him from a bullet.

As if sensing my thoughts of him, my male reached out and squeezed my arm. For all that I’d been reluctant to trust in a were-animal, I still couldn’t let him die if it meant hurting Zsadist. For whatever reason, he’d forged some sort of friendship with Hadrian, and I wasn’t the type to deny him a person that made him happy.

So with an effort, I wrenched my gaze from the med team hooking him up to heart monitors, to my mate. His gratitude was a warm, tender thing, and I drew it into me, reassuring myself I’d made the right call. Hanging on to Hadrian’s soul had been… exhausting. Fighting the pull of death itself? I’d never tried anything like it with my divinity. But it was worth it for him. For this.

I leant into his touch, stared into the golden pools of his eyes, and felt that knee knocking rush of emotion. This male, the one who would fight tooth and nail for his friends, for his family, wanted me. A rough half breed hunter with a few fake credit cards to his name. His lips parted, but the sound that broke the silence was not his voice.

An exhausted sigh slipped past my lips as I slid a hand into my pocket and extracted the device, my brows arching upward at the caller ID. Shit. I swiped to open it without saying anything to the male.

“Ethan?”

‘Mal, man, you said you were near Caldwell yeah?’

“Yeah, why?”

‘Well, m’ gonna call in that IOU. Need you. A town about an hour away. I can text you the deets.’

My head spun as I turned away from Zsadist, taking a few steps from him and the other Brothers lingering in the hall. Even as the night’s events dragged at me, I felt a fresh burst of adrenaline that only came from a hunt.

“Car or fly?”

‘Fly. Need you here fast. We’re running out of time. You good?’

I looked up and turned back to face Zsadist. I could see it in his face, his eyes. I was leaving, and any other time, any other night, he’d have come with me. No questions asked. But Hadrian was here, and the shifter needed him.

“I’m good. I’ll see you soon.”

Neither of us said anything else as the line went dead. I lowered the device, feeling the weight of the silence that followed until my phone beeped again with the text - the location.

“…that was Ethan,” I managed, gesturing toward the med suite. “The one who helped us with… with Hadrian. He needs me. I have to go.”

Zsadist:

Soon he was taking the call, walking away from me in the hallway as he talked to one of his hunter friends probably. I tried not to eavesdrop on the phone call, but I couldn’t help but keep my eyes on him. Watching the way his brow lifted with a curious stare, lips parting to reply back, back slouching forward slightly from exhaustion, most likely. Finally his eyes meet mine, trying not to look like a lost puppy as I gazed back. Then he was bidding whoever on the other end Goodbye.

It was Ethan. He needed my male for something. Something that...was not lesser related. That even if I were to go, I bet I wouldn’t be of much help. Slowly my head turns to gaze into the PT suite, watching Hadrian as I murmur. “Go.” I didn’t want to ask if he was flying or driving. Figured I’d leave that up to my imagination.

“Lucky you don’t have to worry about daylight.” Butch chimes in.

My eyes shifting back towards my male. Oh yes. I almost had forgotten, but how could I? Mal craved the sun, needed it, and maybe after his trip he could get some. Recharge his energy after helping the shifter. But he could also get hurt, and then who would come to help him when the sun was up? Fritz? Shaking the thought from my head as I turn to gaze at Butch and Phury. I give them a look, watching as they disperse. Cop heads straight towards the Pit, while Phury made his way down the hall in the opposite direction, back towards the manse. Leaving just me and the angel.

“You better be safe.” Trying to hide the roughness in my tone, but I couldn’t help it, feelings were forming. Feelings that I’ve never felt before. All of this was new to me and I didn’t know how to deal with it. Taking in a deep breath as I make my way towards the male, pausing when I was just inches away. Tell him. Tell him how you feel. Come on Z. You watch all your Brothers express their...feelings...towards their mates. Do the same. Swallowing the lump in my throat before parting my scarred lips.

“I’ll...be a mess if you don’t come back safe and sound. And I think...you know why…” My hand lifts, pausing for a moment before making contact with the angel’s cheek. Dragging my calloused thumb over his soft skin. “Be careful. Please. I really can’t lose you.” Leaning in to capture his lips in a passionate kiss. Taking the time to explore his mouth with my tongue before pulling back, gasping for air.

Shifting my head to graze my lips over his ear, whispering against it. “I can’t live without you, and I don’t ever want to.” I went off in the old language. Just sweet words that I didn’t know how to express in english, ending it all with one word that I hoped he knew. “Nallum.” I breathed as I pulled away. Turning to lean against the wall, peering into the PT suite at Hadrian once again. My chest felt heavy from everything I just spoke to the male who meant everything to me.

Mal:

The Brothers took the hint and made themselves scarce, leaving just Zsadist and myself in the hall. Through that door I could hear the machines beeping, the life support or whatever it was being hooked up to make sure the shifter didn’t die on their watch. Like Z wouldn’t march his ass straight into the afterlife and drag him back.

I could see that look in his eyes now as he watched me; a silent plea that I wasn’t to go anywhere he couldn’t follow. As he lifted a hand to my cheek, his thumb stroking over my skin, I fought the automatic rush of longing, the need to kiss him and hold him and erase the sadness from his eyes.

The kiss seared into my bones, my body melting to his, a perfect fit, as my tongue brushed against his, as I devoured the taste of him. And too soon it was over, the loss an ache when coupled with the knowledge I was leaving. The whispered string of words in a language I didn’t know still sounded sweet, like a caress all on its own.

Nallum.

Beloved.

“I’m coming back,” I managed, my voice husky. “I’ll always come back to you, Nallum.”

There was so much left unsaid. Words I felt. Words I meant.

But saying them now felt like a goodbye, and I didn’t want them to be a goodbye. I wanted them to be forever.

So I didn’t say them.

Instead I summoned my wings, the weight a reassurance. Reaching to the sensitive inner curve near my back, I plucked a single, small feather. Lush and glossy and soft and dark. Stepping close to my male, I slipped it into his hand as I ghosted my lips over his, a silent promise I’d be back soon. That a part of me was always here. I let myself look into the simmering gold of his eyes, holding that look in my mind, before I stepped past and kept going.

I needed to get to my car, grab a bag of supplies, and take off.

I needed to focus.

Because the sooner I dealt with Ethan’s problem, the sooner I could come back.

Come home.

#SLs

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cottonblush · 5 years

Text

puppy love | nyt

❧ word count: 5,916

❧ genre: fluff with some floff on the side

❧ notes: this is the first full length oneshot that i’ve written that i’m actually proud of?? i’ve written anime oneshots and stuff but they were always subpar? but this is like my first ever masterpiece so i really hope you guys like it:) also tysm @joynct and shira for helping me choose which member to base it on. i think the reason it flows so well is because yuta just fits this storyline so perfectly?? btw there’s a hint of embarrassed!yuta at the end oomf!! also p.s: mary, the messy bun is for you:)) p.p.s: i’m renaming this and idk what to use for initials because like Nakamoto YuTa or Joong YooTae

It was a warm August afternoon and Yuta had just moved into his apartment off campus for his second year of college. He hung up the last of his hoodies in and placed it in his closet before taking a few steps back to admire his handiwork. He released an accomplished grunt before flopping down on his mattress. The feeling of tiredness seeped into Yuta's bones as his eyes slowly closed and his mind drifted closer and closer to sleep. Sunlight streamed in through his windows and cascaded down onto his fair skin, creating a blanket of warmth. The soft chirping of the birds outside was like Yuta's own natural noise machine. Ah, Yuta thought to himself, I'm living the life-

A series of knocks pierced through the tranquil silence, alerting Yuta that someone was at his front door. "I'm coming," he groaned out, even though he knew whoever was on the other side of the door would never hear him. He sauntered over to the entrance and grasped the cool metal of the doorknob, yanking the large oak door open. He was met with the sight of a young lady who seemed to be around the same age as him. You had a fairly large duffel bag looped around each arm and a box in your hands.

Offering a kind smile, you introduced yourself, "Hey, I'm Y/n! Looks like we'll be roommates." You shuffled forward a bit and Yuta backed up in response, allowing you to get acquainted with the apartment.

"I'll grab some of your stuff," Yuta offered, already moving to pick up some of the boxes that were sitting idly in the hallway. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Your room is the one on the right. Mine is on the left. Maybe once you're done unpacking we can introduce ourselves a bit more." In response, Yuta heard a soft giggle and a 'sure.'

Not long after all of the boxes had been transferred to your room and Yuta settled down on the couch in the living room, he heard a door open. He glanced up in time to see you lethargically walk over and plop yourself down on a chair, releasing a loud sigh.

"Done unpacking?" he asked, mirth swimming in his deep orbs they swept over your tired form. He definitely related.

"Not even close. I'll get to it tomorrow or something. I just have so much stuff. I may or may not have packed way too much stuff," you sheepishly responded.

"Ah, so you must be a freshman."

"Jeez. Is it that obvious?"

"I mean, kinda? All freshmen tend to overestimate how much they need. Plus, all your boxes say 'college stuff' so I knew you weren't some random girl."

The two laughed and the atmosphere settled into a comfortable silence. Yuta grabbed his laptop from its resting place on the coffee table, enjoying the feeling of the cool exterior against the warm pads of his fingertips. Within a minute, the only sounds that filled the room were the dull sound of the TV playing and the soft clicks of a keyboard as he typed up a storm. For a split second, his eyes flickered away from the bright screen in front of him and towards the small chair on the other side of the coffee table. He expected to find his new roommate scrolling through her phone like she had been moments before. However, he saw your legs pulled up into your chest and your head nestled snuggly between your knees. Although your eyelids weren't completely closed, they seemed to drag down, wanting to pull you into the land of dreams. The slight parting of your lips and the consistent rise and fall of your chest indicated that you were not far from it.

Yuta felt for you. Just a year ago, he was in your exact position. He knew you had to be feeling quite nervous being in a new environment alone for the first time. A small smile fell on the young man's lips as he slowly and quietly got up from his position on the couch. He turned off the TV and tiptoed over to his room so he could grab a blanket. Once he returned, he gently draped the fluffy fabric over your shoulders and drew the blinds shut, preventing the harsh rays of the sun from falling onto her face. He picked up his laptop and headed back to his room, shutting the door behind him so that he could play some music without disturbing his new roommate.

Time passed in a flash and before he knew it, Yuta looked out of his window and saw the sun already setting along the horizon. His stomach grumbled sonorously, causing him to look towards the clock resting on his bedside table. His eyebrows shot up as he saw that the small digital clock read 7 o'clock. "Man, I can't believe I got so distracted. I missed dinner time," Yuta grumbled as he swung his legs over the side of his bed and trudged towards the kitchen. In his peripheral vision, he noticed you slowly stretching your limbs, arching your back, and releasing a content sigh before swaddling yourself back into his snuggly blue blanket. You reminded him of a kitten basking in the sun and as someone who could morph into a dog, he thought that thought might turn him off, but Yuta found it somewhat adorable.

It was a shame that he had to wake her from her catnap, but he figured you should get something to eat too. He shook her shoulder a bit, watching as your eyelashes fluttered before they revealed her deep irises. "You should eat something," Yuta suggested. As he walked towards the light switches to illuminate the room, he heard you mumble in a soft voice, "Hmm.. This blanket smells really nice. Smells like home."

At the time, Yuta didn't know why there was a falter in his step. He found that the room had become weirdly warm and even went to the thermostat to check if something was amiss. And as he grabbed a pot from one of the cabinets and saw his distorted reflection in the bottom of the stainless steel vessel, he had no idea why his cheeks were so rosy. It wasn't like Yuta found the girl cute or anything. Nope. Definitely not something as absurd as that.

Ignoring the tingling feeling that passed through his body, Yuta put the pot on the stove along with some water and got out a packet of ramen noodles. "You eat dinner really early, dude," came your voice from the living room.

Letting out a chortle, Yuta didn't hesitate to retort, "It's not healthy to eat late, y'know?"

You walked around the small island in the middle of the kitchen in order to see what was being prepared, a teasing smile appearing on your face when you saw a familiar ramen noodle package and some shredded cheese. Not one to back down, you said, "Cheesy ramen isn't very healthy no matter what time, is it?"

"Touché."

Yuta was becoming increasingly annoyed with himself. He'd only known you for a little more than half a day, and yet everything you did brought a warm feeling to his chest. He mentally berated himself, You can't have a crush on this girl, Yuta! Pull yourself together. It hasn't even been a day.

About two months into the first semester of his sophomore year, Yuta acknowledged that he had just been in denial. It took him a while but he had come to terms with the fact that he liked his roommate. After all, not many girls could have him feeling so happy-go-lucky with just a simple smile. However, much to his dismay, you appeared to have no interest in him at all. Maybe, he figured, I'm just not her type.

Now, any rational guy would probably give up on the girl, fearing the possibility of an awkward atmosphere if their relationship were to go awry. Especially if this girl was living with them for the rest of the school year. However, Yuta was far from normal. He'd always been. He began thinking of what kind of guys you might've liked. He snapped his fingers as a great thought hit him. He'd seen a soccer jersey sitting on the top of her laundry basket. If you were athletic, maybe you liked guys who were athletic too.

Yuta was definitely not what you would consider athletic. He hadn't got real exercise since P.E. in his last year of high school. It'd been more than a year and all he'd done was focus on studying and playing video games. He'd turned into a pile of skinny, lanky limbs. But one thing was for sure. Yuta was determined. Determined to get you to notice him. He started going to the gym regularly. He ate healthier and even joined a Facebook group for guys who wanted to get in shape. There, he met one of his closest friends, Taeil. He learned that Taeil was also a sophomore at the same school and eventually, the two started going to the gym together. He kept up his routine, always making time to study, of course. At the start of the second semester, he'd already developed definition in his biceps and his figure had become much sturdier.

Riding on a wave of confidence from his new and improved self, Yuta ended up trying out for the soccer team (a.k.a the university's pride and joy) along with his new friend. The two ended up making the team, though they were far from being a starting player. It was on the cold, thin benches that the duo of Yuta and Taeil became a trio. They met another bench warmer who was a transfer student from China named Sicheng and the three instantly hit it off.

Eventually, Yuta opened up to his two best friends about his predicament. They talked for hours one day and by the end of the evening, Sicheng had planted a seed of a thought in Yuta's head that you would notice him if he was a starting player. Once again, Yuta began his fitness grind, practicing drills and spending much more time on the field than some of the team's star players. It turned out that Yuta and Sicheng were natural soccer players, Yuta excelling in speed and agility, and Sicheng pulling of crazy trick shots with his insane flexibility and previous martial arts knowledge. They became starters in no time. Taeil, on the other hand, decided that soccer wasn't his thing and decided that next year, he would take up tennis instead.

With the joy of making it to the starting team also came increased popularity. The trio got invited to parties almost every weekend and even hosted a couple of their own. Yuta truly did enjoy this faster paced lifestyle. It felt nice to be finally noticed. It felt nice to be considered a 'prodigy' or a 'genius.' However, when he was at all those rumbustious parties surrounded by girls that he would've considered to be way out of his league just months before, a part of his mind always drifted back to you. He'd started this all to impress you, but what good would it do if he was spending all his time at parties instead of at home with you.

Unfortunately, you still didn't seem to be showing any interest in Yuta and with a battered ego, he was easily swept away into the exuberant life of partying and popularity. Of course, you two were still friends. You never drifted away, but you never got close either. It was as if the two of you were like the same poles of two magnets. Yuta wanted to get closer to you, yet some force seemed to be keeping you two apart.

The rest of the year passed by within a blink of an eye, and before he knew it, Yuta was spending on summer vacation again, basking in the cool air of his air conditioner as the blazing sun heated up the whole town. It was around the middle of June when Yuta got a text from you. Honestly, he hadn't been thinking of you as often and was starting to think that maybe his feelings were dying down. He didn't make as much of an effort to get in touch with you as he used to, so when got a text from you wondering if you two were planning on being roommates again for the next school year, Yuta was genuinely surprised. Just because he was surprised, it didn't mean he would turn down your offer. You two got along well and looked out for each other. Coincidentally, the week before, Taeil and Sicheng had let Yuta know that they would be living on campus together with one of Taeil's friends who was transferring that year. So if living with you meant he could escape the possibility of rooming with someone he didn't get along with, he'd gladly say yes.

And that's exactly what he did. He chose to call you to let you know, but he started to regret his decision when he heard you pick up and your cheerful voice sing into his ear.

"Hi, Yuta! What's up?"

That's weird, Yuta thought. You almost sounded… nervous?

"Hey. I got your text. Just wanted to let you know I'm down to room with you again. Did you want to find a place in the same building?"

"Haha, yeah. That'd be convenient. And this year, my parents are coming with me to help unpack! Isn't that cool? I know you moved out before me last year, but this year, you'll finally get to meet them!"

"Oh yeah, um, that's exciting?"

If anyone asked, Yuta would definitely deny the fact that his voice cracked at the thought of getting to meet your parents. Ok, so maybe he hadn't completely gotten over you. But it was a work in progress, at least.

"You must be Yuta," a man with a familiar jovial tone said to our protagonist as he approached the new apartment that he decided to rent with you. Yuta offered a signature smile and nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Sir. It's been a pleasure living with Y/n and I'm glad you've allowed me to do so again this year."

Your father let out a hearty chuckle in response, "Oh, son, there's no need to be so formal! Y/n has only said good things of you. You can consider yourself part of the family!"

The two men were shaking hands with each other when they were interrupted by your voice shouting in a shrill tone, "Yuta, oh my gosh! Your suitcase!"

Instead of turning to the sound of your voice like his body automatically wanted to do, he forced himself to look back to where he came from. His eyes widened as he saw the elevator closing and descending, taking his suitcase along with it. You ran up to him and placed a hand on his arm, hunched over laughing. Once you managed to regain your breath, you said to him, "Yuta, the way you manage to be such an airhead sometimes while maintaining a perfect GPA and being on the soccer team still amazes me to this day. You have a true gift, I swear!"

Yuta's face burned with embarrassment, but he couldn't help laugh along with you as you ran down the hall and repeatedly hit the button that would bring the elevator back up. This was definitely a great way to make a good impression on the parents of the girl he'd had a crush on for almost all of his sophomore year. He didn't let it get to him, though. He missed it; he missed being around you.

He quickly got all of his things unpacked with the help of you and your family. As the sun set and the stars made themselves apparent, you said waved goodbye to your family and shut the door behind you, releasing a tired and somewhat melancholic sigh. "I miss them already," you muttered dejectedly, "I can't believe I have to wait until Thanksgiving to see them again."

Yuta, wanting to put an end to the sad atmosphere, cheerily assured you, "Well, Y/n, I guess the two of us just have two have a super fun year so that the time flies by!" He finished by flashing his pearly whites and doing a cute little eye smile for extra effect.

"R-Right," you said, as if surprised by his presence. Without warning, you quickly scurried off into your room and shut the door behind you.

It was Yuta's turn to sigh as he pointedly told himself, "Wow, Yuta. You can’t even cheer her up. What kind of roommate and friend are you?"

Luckily, it seemed your mood had turned quickly and by the end of the hour, you had come out of your room and situated yourself on the couch with a book, humming a soft tune as you became enraptured by the story. Yuta felt his shoulders finally relax as he saw that your spirits had brightened. Usually, he'd go sit right next to you and offer to watch a movie, but that night, he decided to give you some space and turned in early, bidding you a fleeting 'goodnight.'

By the time school rolled around, the dynamic between you two had been built back up and you eased into the school year like you'd been doing it your whole life. It was all going so smooth until one afternoon a bit before Yuta's 4 o'clock analytic chemistry class. He and you were sitting on the couch, you flipping through channels while he did some last minute reading. All of a sudden you said something that made Yuta pause.

"I have a date tonight. Don't wait up, okay?"

When Yuta paused, he quite literally paused everything. His hand stopped mid page flip, his brain went blank, and he was pretty sure he stopped breathing for a bit. Clearing his throat and trying to sound as inconspicuous as possible, he said, "Oh, that's cool, I guess."

He thought to himself, Do not get jealous, Yuta. You are NOT jealous of someone you don't even know. Y/n hasn't paid you any attention in the past year. Why would she start now?

But once you jumped up excitedly and started rambling on about the outfit you were going to wear, he slowly felt a green eyed monster growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, that's right! I've got to get some makeup for my date tonight," you informed. "I should be back in about an hour so I guess I'll see you when I see you."

As you grabbed your wallet and shut the door behind you, Yuta's vision went white. The thought of you on a date with someone else made him uncomfortable. The thought of someone else with their arms around you made him absolutely furious. He knew he didn’t own you or anything, but the thought of you with someone else just felt so wrong that he truly believed it to be. He had to do something. He felt his body do something he hadn't done in a very long time. He felt his body shrink in size as he got on all fours, his limbs becoming furry and his nose extending out into a snout. Within a matter of seconds, he had successfully shapeshifted into a medium sized Shiba Inu and was already heading towards your bedroom. Pushing the door open with his head, he immediately spotted the aforementioned date outfit lying on your bed. Without giving it any thought, he grabbed it between his sharp teeth and pulled as hard as he could.

When Yuta finally came to, he realized he had just destroyed a perfectly good dress of yours and you would be livid if you found out. He panicked for a second before getting an idea. Morphing back into his human form, he opened the window in your bedroom and placed a couple pieces of torn fabric on the floor and on the windowsill, creating a trail. That way, it looked like some animal had gotten in and been the one to rip up your clothes.

Looking at the time on his watch, he realized he had to leave right away if he wanted to make it to class, so he grabbed his things and rushed out the door, slamming it behind him with a resonant thud.

Throughout his whole class, he couldn't focus on the teacher at all, his mind drifting toward what your reaction was going to be. He ended up having to ask one of his friends for a summary of the lesson after class and even then, every word he heard was muddled and his brain was fuzzy.

When he got to the front door of your shared apartment, Yuta didn’t know what to expect. Perhaps you ended up going on the date anyway. But when he opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of you sitting crisscross-apple-sauce on the couch shoveling ice cream into your mouth at an alarming rate and pouting all the while.

Trying to be as casual and unassuming as possible, he greeted you, "H-Hey, Y/n. What's up? How come you're not on your date?"

You pouted some more before turning to him with big doe eyes and whining, "Some bird or squirrel or whatever got into the apartment and ripped up my nice outfit. It was my only fancy outfit, too! I had to cancel. I didn't want to show up looking like a hobo. It was so last minute too. He's never gonna want to go out with me again!"

Yuta wanted to assure you that you'd look stunning even if you wore the ugliest, most garish outfit ever, but he forced those words down his throat.

"I'm sorry. How about we order some pizza and sushi and pig out," he said as he situated himself next to you and gave your back a comforting pat.

You let out a huff and leaned yourself on his side. Resting your head on his shoulder, you grumbled, "I guess… But right now I just want to watch a super badass murder mystery. Like Inspector Gadget."

Once again, Yuta wanted to mention that Inspector Gadget was not a homicide investigator, nor was he badass in any way, shape, or form, but he decided it just wasn’t the time. Also, he probably couldn't form proper sentences even if he tried. All he could think about was how soft your hair was as it tickled his cheek and the sensitive skin on his neck.

This little routine continued for quite a while. Whenever you had a date, your clothes or shoes would mysteriously get chewed up. And even when you prepared a backup outfit, that got ruined too. In all honesty, Yuta was pretty content with the way things were. It's not like you ever got mad about it. You were just disappointed that you couldn't get a date. But all good things in Yuta's life eventually came to an end. He knew this would never last.

He was relaxing with Taeil, Sicheng, and the newest addition to the group, Taeyong, in the quad and was lamenting for the thousandth time about how you still didn't notice him and how he was still not over you. Taeil disappointedly shook his head and remarked, "Bro, you're as whipped for her as a stiffened meringue."

Yuta furrowed his brows and said, "I thought you said you'd take up tennis, not cooking or baking or whatever."

Taeil seemed to think about it for a second before responding, "Yeah, I did say that. But Taeyong convinced me that cooking would be fun!"

Yuta's eyes drifted over to Taeyong's slightly guilty visage, letting out an amused chortle. He seemed to have the opposite reaction to Sicheng's. While Yuta's eyes danced with mirth, Sicheng groaned and rested his head in his hands. He pleaded, "Oh my god, Yuta. Please stop him. Please! I thought living with two chefs would be cool and I could leech off of them and their good food, but all Taeil does is make food puns and Taeyong is too nice to tell him to stop."

"Ok, but why can't you tell Taeil to stop-"

"He literally won't listen. It's like I'm invisible or something. I've never been ignored by him before"

"Aww, Sicheng! Are you jealous?"

Taeyong chose that time to cut in to the conversation, "Speaking of jealous, I know you all are gonna be super jealous of me! I have a date tonight with a really cute girl. And she's like super smart too!"

Yuta really didn't care much about where the conversation was headed. Sure, he was happy for Taeyong, but he was really down in the dumps about you. He almost zoned out until Taeyong suddenly sprang up and pointed to somewhere behind him and yelped, "Look! There she is! Her name's Y/n and hopefully you guys will meet her soon when I can introduce her as my girlfriend. Anyway, I'll see you guys later. I'm gonna go see if she'll let me walk her to her next class!"

And with that, Taeyong scurried off into the distance looking happy as could be. Contrastingly, Yuta blanched when he heard your name. He turned around just to check if perhaps Taeyong was talking about a different Y/n, but was greeted by the sight of Taeyong catching up to you and grabbing your free hand that wasn't grasping a backpack strap, sending you a shy smile. Turning back around, Yuta slumped in his lawn chair and let out a dejected moan. Dragging his hands down his face, he sighed, "Of course. It had to be her."

Sicheng and Taeil offered looks of pity, both saying how there was no way Taeyong could've known and that if Yuta talked to Taeyong, he'd surely step down. But he couldn't. "I couldn't ask him to do that," he told his two friends. "She's free to choose whoever she wants and date whoever she wants to date. I don't own her. No one does."

His friends nodded in understanding and offered him a somewhat awkward goodbye as they watched him collect his stuff and head back to your shared apartment that was not too far from campus. As he trudged back, Yuta thought to himself, You're such a hypocrite. It's not like you've been giving her much of a choice lately.

Yuta was sipping on a protein shake and watching another episode of Inspector Gadget (you'd got him hooked onto the show, but he'd never admit it to you) when your bedroom door opened. You stepped out wearing an adorable yellow off the shoulder top and a pair of dark wash jeans that happened to make your butt look better than Yuta thought imaginable. Your hair was neatly parted and although it looked like you hadn't spent much time on it, each curl fell perfectly around your face. Your makeup was very light, but it was definitely there. One look at your lips and he could almost smell the strawberry lip balm that he was almost certain you were wearing. It was his favorite. All in all, it looked like this outfit was made for him. For the first time in his life, he was truly and totally breathless. The way you could be so effortless and make him feel the way he felt? It scared him. It scared him so much.

You walked to the door anxiously, as if waiting for something to happen. Usually, your sneakers would barely create any sound against the hardwood floors. But the whole apartment was silent, so each step you took seemed to echo tauntingly in Yuta's ears. His animalistic side urged him, pleaded him, to do something before it was too late.

So he did. For once, he was willing to take the risk. It took him all of his sophomore year and half of his junior year to realize that he was utterly, wholly in love with you. And the thought of you and Taeyong together was clawing at his heart so violently that he could barely breathe. Within three large strides, he was right behind you, grasping your hand as if you'd disappear if he let go.

"Y/n," he croaked. When you wouldn't look him in the eye, he gently grabbed your chin and tilted it towards him. For a second, he didn't know what to say. The tension between you and him was almost palpable. Your large doe eyes urged him to do something, to say something. But Yuta was frustrated. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to tell say 'I love you' when he knew you felt nothing for him in return. Delicately, he whispered, "Oh my god, how can you be so oblivious?" Your eyebrows pinched together in confusion and you were about to respond when he dropped your hand, leaving it to grasp at the air where he stood as he stormed off to his bedroom and shut himself in with a loud slam of the door.

"I'm stupid," Yuta said to himself as he laid on his bed in the darkness and stared at his ceiling, "I'm so stupid." He repeated it over and over again, almost like a mantra, for who knows how long when there was a soft knock at his door.

"Yuta," your voice called out with uncertainty. "Are you still in there?" The door cracked open and warm yellow light slowly poured into his room. He squinted a bit, eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness as he sat himself up and turned to face you.

He took in your appearance, your baggy sweatpants, your hair tied up in a messy bun, your makeup wiped away but that goddamn strawberry lip balm ever present on your soft petals. "What are you doing here?" he questioned.

She let out a tired chuckle and approached him, sitting in front of him on the edge of his bed. "I'm here for you, dumbass. I don't know if you could tell or not, but I've liked you for a while. Since summer, I think."

"W-What? Are you serious? What about Taeyong?"

"I told him it wouldn't work out because I was already interested in you. It was kinda weird. When I told him I'm your roommate, he just looked super guilty for some reason."

Yuta made a mental note to tell his friend how genuinely kind a person he was and maybe set him up with one of the many people who he knew had a crush on Taeyong. "Wow, bless him, honestly. I don't deserve him." You gave him a puzzled look, but he continued anyway, "What made you change your mind? You haven't really shown much interest in me at all."

"Well, it's kinda a long story. I mean, I've liked you since the beginning of summer. That's why I probably sounded so weird over the phone when I asked you to be my roommate again. But you got super popular and you didn't show me much interest either. So I kinda tried to push my feelings away. And then this guy asked me out on a date and it was like this golden opportunity. But my outfit got ruined. And all my date outfits kept on getting ruined."

Yuta gulped nervously and was about to interrupt, but you were on a roll, "And they just kept on getting ruined. But only the nice ones. I'm not dumb, so I did a little experimenting. I put nuts and treats in my closet to see if the animals would maybe eat those instead, but they only seemed to be interested in the clothes that I laid out. Step two, I laid out clothes on random nights when I didn't have dates too, but those never got chewed up. That was when I knew something was up. So I put a camera in my room and had one of my friends help me set up a live feed. And I caught this dog. This really cute Shiba Inu. I found the culprit. But I kept watching and it turned into you. And if I'm being honest, I was freaked out at first. But now I just think it's cool. Anyway, I knew it was you, but I didn't want to assume, so I waited for a sign. And tonight, you gave me one. So I took it and ran with it, I guess."

Yuta was feeling so many emotions in that moment. He was embarrassed, confused, and scared. But he was also overwhelmingly happy. However, in the midst of all the emotions, he still felt that he had to clear things up. "Hold on a second," he uttered. "I didn't show you any interest?! You really are oblivious, Y/n! I've liked you since you first moved in with me! The only reason I started working out and joined the soccer team was to impress you because I saw that stupid Lionel Messi jersey in your laundry basket one time. The entirety of my sophomore year of college was me trying to impress you. Oh my gosh, how am I in love with someone as dumb as you?"

"Hey! I'm not dumb. I just wasn't interested in dating during my freshman year and I- Wait. Did you say you love me?"

"No?"

"Yes. You totally did! I just heard you. Wow, guess I have blackmail against you now, don't I?"

You let out an obnoxiously loud laugh, your shoulders shaking and your eyes sparkling with joy. In that moment, you looked like an angel. Actually, screw that. You were the most beautiful thing in the whole universe. Better than any angel.

"I love you," Yuta said. "I love you, like a lot. And you don't have to say it back. I just want you to know that I love you and I think you're perfect." With that, he grabbed your shoulders and slowly brought you closer, placing a gentle, fleeting kiss on your forehead and then leaning back. But the reaction he got was not what he expected.

Your face was blank as you articulated, "That's it? That's all I get? You just professed your undying love for me and all I get is a frickin' forehead kiss?" Your voice rose with every word you spoke as you got closer and closer until only a few millimeters separated the two of you. Gathering up some courage, you placed your hands on Yuta's cheeks and pulled him in for a proper kiss.

Your lips fit perfectly into his and you wanted to stay like that forever, but a thought suddenly plagued your brain. You just had to ask, "Hey, Yuta? Will you ever let me see you transform in real life? Wait! Do you like to be pet and stuff! OHMYGOSH WAITWAITWAIT THAT'S LIKE SO CUTE WHAT THE HECK!! Um no wait ignore those questions! Most importantly, do you have like a kink that comes with it? Like do you like doggy style or-"

"Y/N I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU FINISH THAT SENTENCE I WILL NEVER TALK TO YOU!"

"Aww, you're embarrassed! That's cute. I really caught myself a cutie!"

"I hate you."

"You love me."

"Ugh, I know."

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imagines4abrokenheart · 4 years

Note

My request is kinda similar to my first one. (Dragon Ball) Android 18 (Destroyed Future Version) Finding a guy hiding out from the Androids. But she thinks he is cute so she decides to make him her boyfriend. (Even if he likes it or not) But if she catches him trying to escape she sits on his face to teach him a lesson, having his face trapped under her booty until she is sure he will be faithful to her

I gotta ask, what’s your obsession with women sitting on dudes faces to show dominance? I’m not judging, but what is so fascinating? Also, sorry this took so long but I tried to go extra, so I hope you like it!CW: Male reader, Mentions of gore(very brief), POV switching(Only once), Facesitting to show dominance, male submission, mentions of enslavement and forced pet play.

Queen of Apathy’s new pet

The buildings stand in defiance of the people who fell. They are no vulnerable flesh but concrete and steel, not as timeless as the mountains that ring the city but able to outlast the civilization that created them by centuries. Given enough time even the smooth grey will give way to a jungle of green and this “ancient” civilization will lay ruined for future generations to discover and perhaps piece together how we lived. I wonder if they'll know how we, with all our labor-saving devices could barely glean six hours sleep, and even when the opportunity to rest came our stress levels kept us unwillingly awake. But for now, all I can do is walk ant-like between the monoliths, grey at my feet, grey at every side, under a carpet of grey that promises nothing but a storm. In the end, it was not our using up of resources that killed us. It was our arrogance and lust for technology that doomed us, for it was man’s own created machines that slaughtered us simply because they could.

A bleak, thin wind it was, like a fine sour wine, searching the marrow and bringing no bloom to the cheek. A thick dreariness that hung in the air and condensed in my lungs making it difficult to breathe. The sky swirls, ominous clouds tinted with the blood of the fallen which had turned to mist in the heat of their death, curling together like a serpent. These clouds were followed by the sudden burst of lightning, sometimes flashing bolts of pure energy seem to stand for long moments around certain buildings. Count one, count two, count three, then, came explosions of thunder in great waves of discordant and demented sounds. The noise level became so intense that it rattled what few windows were still intact. The wind raised to the level of a thousand howling hounds.

I bend forward, pulling my hood over my head and picking up my pace. I run into an abandoned building, the rain pounds against my back like bullets. By the time I get to my sanctuary, I am soaked to the bone and stand shivering like a rat just pulled from the water. My teeth clatter together to create a melody with my pounding heart as it thumps against my ribcage. I drop the hood of my jacket down, it slaps onto my back with a wet splat that has a small, childish chuckle leaving me at the obscene noise. I breathe slowly, in then out to still my heart and relax my tense muscles. They hadn’t been seen in some time and so I had volunteered to go out to scavenge the cities with a small group. I had wondered away from the others, I wanted to see my old apartment and try and scavenge what I could from it- at least pick up a few of my old toys for the kids back home, I knew they could use that cheering up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If apathy was a person, Dr. Gero once said, her skin would be pale from lack of sun and her limbs would seem to thin and long for her torso. Her hair would be as pale gold as wheat overdue for harvest, swaying in the wind and eyes of a clouded sky on a summer day. Her voice would be of a viola, slow and even with the hint of more emotion under a stone facade of uninterest. If apathy was a person, I would be her. Through all his constant monologuing, that was the few things I remember. Apathy, yes I am apathy. Nothing is as interesting anymore, if things were different would I still be apathetic? Possibly, what could be stronger than my brother and I?

Flying over this broken cityscape brings more waves of disinterest, constant boredom that gnaws like an insistent rat at the back of my mind. It burrows itself in my bones and tightens my muscles to the point I feel I may explode if I don’t find something to do. My eyes scan below me, surely scavenge teams have been sent out? Surely, one human will be foolish to walk out in the open. I close my eyes, crossing my arms and weaving around buildings in frustrating ease that spoke volumes for the monotony of my current life. However, I jerk to a halt. A noise, soft and near blending into the rain that mops my hair. Feet, running. My eyes scan the area now on full alert and spot the retreating form of someone running into a building. A smirk dances onto my lips and I fly higher into the sky, knowing the building had a hole on one side of the roof. As I approach the roof I can hear it chuckle, a deep sound. A male. I descend at a quicker pace, peeking inside to get a feel of the situation before chuckling myself.

A lone guy soaked to the bone and thinking he was safe. How...pathetic. Truly, apathy did not feel like this. I landed silently, his back still turned to me. Surely, he had heard me or was he so enraptured with his escape from the rain that he was truly oblivious. I stand behind him, a sudden wave of giddy anticipation for what I could do this human thumping through my body from head to toes. He was none the wiser to my presence just behind him. I could blast a hole through his back, strangle him from behind or if I don’t mind getting dirty, I could rip his intestines out as he slowly bleeds to death and watch as the life leaves his eyes. However, we are both startled as he turns abruptly and he screams, throwing himself back against a wall. For my part, my eyes only widen a margin before I am closing in on him.

My hand snaps up and my fingers wrap around his neck, feeling his quickened pulse against my palm. His own hands fly up to grip my wrist and he struggles to breathe. He gasps, eyes glassing over and mouth gaping like a fish. His hair is tousled and wet, clinging to his forehead and his eyes look frantically at my face and at the things behind me. He begs, only barely with my crushing grasp. My head tilts, my own eyes flickering around his face and body. For a human, he was attractive I could suppose. More of an endearing cuteness added to the fact of how weak he was, it was like seeing a puppy. Your instinct to kill it diminished when it gave you pleading eyes and soft, high pitched whines. My hand unlocks from around his reddened throat and he drops to the floor. His hands now feeling around his throat as he coughs and sputters, trying to scoot further back into the wall and appear as none threatening as possible.

I rest my hands on my hips, thinking. If I killed him now, it would be boring again. I’d fall right back into the rut I was in before with nothing to do. However, if I kept him around I could have endless amount of fun. I could make him do useless chores, do tricks like a dog. 17 wouldn’t be happy at first, but he did say I could have anything I wanted and perhaps, at least for the time being, I could keep him on a leash. If he got boring I could torture the location of the other humans out of him and get a new toy. What to do now, though? He seems submissive enough but what would really drive home the fact he is laughably weak compared to me?

A smirk slowly drew up my lips and my pearly white teeth exposed themselves. I knelt before him, grinning like a shark as I slowly undid my belt. If it worked in the animal kingdom, surely it would work for this. He was just a dog now. I stared in down as he watched in abject horror as I grasped my belt in hand. “Your hands. Put them out in front of you.” I practically purr out, I couldn’t have him thinking he could try to get away and if his hands were bound he wouldn’t be able to stop me. He doesn’t listen at first, stares blankly at me before I snap the belt. That jolts him into action and he presents his hands as if he were expecting to get handcuffs. I chuckle, “Used to being bound, are we?” I cooe before quickly binding his hands together with my belt. I then stand, stepping on the extra belt and effectively pinning his hands to the ground between his legs.

I turn my body, my foot that stands on the belt simply twisting with me instead of picking it up. I could hear him swallow and it causes a chuckle to work its way out of me. I then grab a fistful of his hair, using it as an anchor. “You’re pathetic, a dog. A lowly mutt that serves no purpose but for my entertainment.” I then lean back, pressing my ass to his face. He struggles but I keep his arms and head still as I grind.

“Do you understand? You belong to me now. I am your master, your Alpha and you are nothing but an omega who lives to serve me until the day I decide you are useless.” My voice is chipper, giddy at the end and I laugh. My eyes sparkle with a level of pure delight, not even killing can accomplish these days.

He whimpers like a dog, body going limp and I can feel him nod, agreeing to whatever I say. I pull away, he gasps for breath that I had stolen from him for a second time. I step away, throwing him to the ground and he lands on his side. His eyes are red and puffy, wetness now from crying running down his cheeks. His face is a deep red from my action and he shivers from a combination of cold, fear and pure humiliation. My head tilts up, looking down at him from my nose and my hands go back to my hips.

I may be the personification of Apathy, but that does not mean I can’t take an interest in something.

#Dragonball Z #alternate universe #android 18 x reader #dragonball imagine #dragonball x reader #male reader

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sparklyjojos · 6 years

Text

the promised summary of Smoke, Soil or Sacrifices. [tw: a lot of child abuse in a dysfunctional family, mentioned suicide]

The narrator is Natsukawa Shirou [ 奈津川四郎], an ER surgeon working in San Diego. You know the type: workaholic with a god complex, wearing Armani coats and having casual sex left and right, but also constantly sleep-deprived and popping anxiety pills like its candy. He has deep-seated aggression issues that even he himself is afraid of getting out of control, and to manage it he trained boxing for a while before a gang drove him out of the gym (long story). As his name implies, he's the youngest of four brothers - in order of birth: Ichirou [一郎], Jirou [二郎], Saburou [三郎] and him, Shirou [四郎] - but since he's working in the USA, he hasn't seen his family for a while.

One winter day Shirou learns that back in Japan, his mother got seriously hurt and is currently in a coma. He flies back to his Japan hometown, Nishi Akatsuki, meets with an old classmate Takaya Yoshio (who everybody calls “Rupan”, like Lupin the Third, after he once wrote that word instead of ‘renessaince’ on a test), and learns that there’s more to the attack: someone has been attacking the women of Nishi Akatsuki, hitting them in the back of the head and then partially burying them in the ground. None of the five victims died, but most were still unconscious, and no one saw the attacker. Even if his mother is alive, Shirou gets so furious about the attack that he nearly destroys Rupan’s car before he can calm himself down; he really does have violence issues. (Also Rupan is dating a high schooler Yamaguchi Usagi behind his wife’s back and Shirou has a really bad feeling about it).

We learn a little about the Natsukawa family. They’re descended from a German immigrant Hans who left them two things: first, ridiculous for Japanese standards height (the brothers are all >185cm tall); second, a mysterious warehouse with triangle-shaped floor and ceiling that he built next to the family house. Its history is grim: Hans’s son Daimaru (大丸) hanged himself inside the warehouse, and then Daimaru’s son, Maruo (丸雄, the narrator’s father) tended to close one of his kids inside a lot for misbehaving. Shirou remembers Maruo, and thinks about how as a kid he saw that his father’s body was scarred all over, which Maruo claimed was a remainder of injuries from one or another war.

Shirou has a reunion with two of his brothers, Ichirou and Saburou. Jirou, the second oldest, has mysteriously disappeared at 17 and nobody has seen him since, it seems. Ichirou is a politician, just like their father Maruo, while Saburou writes mystery novels starring detective Runbaba 12. (Shirou thinks they’re ridiculous, and remembers one that had the hero looking for his daughter and somehow ending up living with an amnesiac woman and a gay guy, or some nonsense like that.)

---

The serial attacker case is overseen by a Tokyo police officer Marikku Takahiro (真陸隆宏) and a Nagoya prosecutor Shirai Masami (白碑将美), both Shirou’s old schoolmates. Upon learning the facts about the case from them, Shirou figures out something nobody else realized: if on a map of Nishi Akatsuki you draw lines between some houses of the victims, and draw a spiral based on it, it’ll go perfectly through all the victims’ houses. [I’m not sure how to explain it in text, so here’s the map in question -- the numbers are houses:]

Shirou goes to where the origin of the spiral points to, at the shore of the river Shounokawa (not pictured on the map), and finds an empty coffin buried in the ground. He alarms the police and Saburou, who arrives at the scene with his detective friend, Banba Junjirou (番場潤二郎). [Interestingly enough, he shares the last two kanji of his first name with Jirou, but it isn’t brought up ever -- I don’t know if this coincidence is done just for the sake of having a red herring, or will it be important in a later book]. Saburou often affectionately calls Banba ‘Runbaba’ and it seems he based the character in his books off of him. He originally hired Banba to help find Jirou, the missing brother, but they’ve been unsuccesful so far. Banba doesn’t really do anything useful at the scene, only claiming nonsense like the coffin being actually a time machine.

Shirou learns that the serial attacker always makes a photo of the crime scene and writes some nonsensical letters on it, and always puts an animal plushie in the ground next to the victim (so far: sheep, elephant, lion, sheep, koala). Through some truly inspired reasoning Shirou notices that since the victims were only partially buried, their body parts were always kinda sticking out in a grid pattern, and you can ‘read’ them like syllabary Braiile code. The resulting message is ‘MAMATASUKE’, seemingly a part of ‘mama tasukete’ = ‘help me mom’. And if you treat the letters on the photos as a Caesar cipher key, and pair it in a very complicated way with the names of the victims, you’ll get DRMN / NOBT / SZK / SNEO / GIAN... which looks like nothing, but these are abbreviations of famous kids cartoon characters, eg. the first one is Doraemon. Soon after this discovery, they learn that another victim was attacked (incidentally it’s Marikku’s mother), and the discovered pattern of plushies/words/etc. seems to continue.

Shirou goes to the hospital to visit his mother, meets Ichirou there and they start physically fighting kinda out of nowhere. Not because they hate each other for any reason; just because, it seems, there is something inside them that drives them to violence-as-bonding. After they flee the security, they talk about the case, and wonder if it wasn’t their missing brother Jirou who’s at fault. This conversation sends Shirou on a long trip down memory lane.

---

When Shirou was 9, he took three abandoned puppies home. The brothers were told they couldn’t keep them, and so the puppies eventually got entrusted to Jirou (then 12) so he’d find them a good owner somewhere else, but as he later admitted he’d just drowned them in the river instead. Jirou didn’t seem to care about the horrible thing he did. In fact, he always did horrible things, like breaking windows in other houses or killing and eating the neighbours’ chickens, and their father Maruo always locked him in the triangle warehouse for that. In primary school Jirou enacted long painful revenge on his bullies, and even called the terror he instilled his ‘Days of Creation’, as if the things he did were ‘a seal given to other by God’. But Jirou’s acts were (as present Shirou now thinks) a natural result of the violence that had been bestowed upon him finally exploding.

Jirou had been abused by Maruo ever since he'd been a tiny child; his every mistake was viciously criticized, and he was ‘jokingly’ threatened with getting abandoned in the mountains. After some time Maruo started beating him, and while Jirou pretended like he didn’t care, it was clear he was terrified and in pain. Ichirou as the oldest brother tried to stop Maruo or get outside help, for years and years, but nothing ever worked.

Eventually one day Maruo seemed to see his mistakes, crying promised to do better and embraced the kids (except Ichirou, who was skeptical and didn’t want to take a part in any display like that). Maruo really seemed to behave a little better after that, though mostly he was completely ignoring Jirou now. This caused Jirou to act out in order to get attention, which each time made Maruo close him in the triangle warehouse. Again, Jirou acted like it was nothing, and called the warehouse his ‘summer residence’, even if all of them were terrified of the dark place that was allegedly haunted by their grandfather’s ghost. Eventually Jirou’s actions escalated into committing petty crimes, and then all-out violence, though he drew a line at murder.

It was only after Maruo’s mother’s intervention that Maruo finally moved to Tokyo for some time, leaving the kids in her charge. Ichirou started tutoring Jirou and was surprised to find out that Jirou was actually incredibly smart; the boy could recite entire passages from books after flipping through them once, and draw complicated maps from memory. He still walked the path of violence, though, and once Maruo came back from Tokyo, the boy got hit and locked inside the warehouse a lot again. Because of his deeds Jirou at times seemed positively demonic to our young narrator; he even once recited Shirou a poem he wrote, which basically said ‘hey, remember those puppies? I killed them with a knife’ (actually it was deeper and more interesting than that, with a hidden promise from the poem’s narrator towards the dead puppies that ‘if I became god, you’d be the first ones I revive’, but obviously talking about that event hurt Shirou a lot all on its own). But even then, Shirou recalls he still held love for Jirou; they were brothers, after all.

Time passed. Ichirou moved toward a political career like his father. Saburou got attacked on the street and had his hand broken, which made him paranoid that somebody from the neighborhood / some organized crime group was out to kill him, but he still laughed at Shirou’s suggestion to run away from home (’and where would we run?”). He ended up ditching the piano that he had always loved playing, and instead got into fights a lot. Jirou by the time of high school was very popular among his peers, infamous among the Fukui policemen, had ‘fans’, and often smuggled girls into his bedroom, which again earned him a trip to the warehouse if Maruo caught him.

In 1986, when Jirou was 17, their grandmother (Maruo’s mother, the same who made him leave that one time) was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and stayed in the hospital in constant horrible pain. While Maruo tended to run away from the situation excusing himself with work trips, Jirou unexpectedly stayed by his grandmother’s side every night. On her death bed, she told her grandsons that “no matter how great or rich a person is, death will turn them into smoke, soil or sacrifices; the burned ones turn into smoke, the buried ones into soil, the others into sacrifices for wild beasts.” She apologized that she couldn’t protect the kids better, and that’s it’s her fault for raising Maruo badly. Then, in pain, she suddenly yelled ‘Daimaru, who killed you?!”, and then just before death demanded to see Maruo once more, to tell him that he’s still the one she loved the most in the world -- that last dying line was shocking to everyone, but hurt Jirou the most.

From then on, Jirou and Maruo’s conflict escalated even more, with Jirou for some reason starting to blame Maruo for Daimaru’s sucide. On 19 December the two started a horrible furniture-breaking physical fight while Saburou and Shirou could only helplessly watch. Suddenly their mother entered the scene with a knife in her hand, but she didn’t use it to stop the fight or otherwise help Jirou, who was looking at her with hope. Instead she screamed that it was Jirou she felt like stabbing, that it was all his fault and he should apologize to his father. Jirou didn’t intend to apologize (instead yelling that maybe it’d be better if he’d never been born), and the situation ended in Maruo brutalizing him and still bleeding throwing into the warehouse.

The next morning, Jirou couldn’t be found anywhere, as if he just vanished from the locked warehouse, and if the other brothers were honest, they were actually pretty glad about that.

Back in the present day, Shirou notices that the way a victim’s head is positioned always points like an arrow to the next crime scene, and tells Shirai to guard the houses the last victim points to.

Shirou then goes to the hospital once more to check on his mother, and surprises himself by crying a lot. Later he meets a nurse called Hatakida Atena that catches his eye with her red coat, but nothing comes out of it (he’s bad at / afraid of / unable to have anything more intimate than purely sexual relationships going on, it seems). Then his mother is visited by another victim of the case, Satou Ryouko, who tearfully recalls her joyful near-death experience she had after being attacked. She saw bright light, felt a warm god-like presence, then wandered through a giant forest and met the dead poet Raymond Carver that she had no prior knowledge about (she even recites his poem ‘My Death’). An unassuming student called Nozaki Hiroshi approaches them and seems to be very interested in Satou’s experience, asking for an interview, which she agrees to, as she feels the need to share her wonderful experience with the world.

And then there’s this... out-of-nowhere fragment in which Shirou and Ichirou’s wife Rihoko in the spur of the moment have sex in a random hospital closet (they apparently had an affair two years earlier), and some thugs hired by Ichirou’s political opponents snap pics and try to blackmail Shirou, but he fights them like it’s a damn martial arts movie except with more violence (like ‘biting into someone’s jugular’ kind of violence), and Shirou comes out of it alive but in pretty horrible shape, with the photos destroyed, and what the hell was that?

Hitching a ride back to town with Marikku, Shirou realizes that it’s possible it’s actually Marikku who’s behind the murders, as the sixth victim was his abusive mother, who it seems has still been inflicting physical abuse on him even after all these years. Maybe Marikku figured out the pattern of the attacks early on, and used it to arrange a copycat crime that’d get blamed on the original culprit? But just as Shirou confronts Marikku, they get into a car accident. Shirou gets some bones broken, while Marikku dies. Shirou isn’t sure whether it was suicide or not, but suspects the original culprit may have wanted to get rid of them -- later an investigation of the wreck proves that somebody tampered with the car.

Saburou and Rupan help Shirou make a daring escape from the hospital, and the brothers are having quite a lot of fun working together during that entire scene, even if Shirou’s injuries are so severe he has to fight his body not to faint from pain at times. Later, as they return to Nishi Akatsuki, Saburou admits that he and detective Banba believe the criminal may be Jirou, back to take revenge on the town (Banba didn’t disclose more information, as apparently he doesn’t like to tell Saburou anything until he has everything figured out). As proof, they found an old paper -- with the exact spiral pattern used in the crime drawn on it -- in the triangle warehouse, so it’s likely Jirou drew that before his disappearance. During the ride the brothers learn from Yamaguchi Usagi that the plushies found with the victims are their corresponding Doubutsu uranai animals (a sort of new hip horoscope that gives you a different animal depending on your date of birth).

Saburou tells Shirou that there’s another link between the victims: the two women that regained consciousness so far both had a Near-Death Experience (Saburou says it’s super interesting and mentions he’d like to use it in another book of his). Shirou thinks that it may not be a coincidence; maybe the attacker intends on giving the victims NDE like it’s some weird modern ritual, and the plushies serve the same purpose as ritual dolls, as empty vessels to which illness or other bad stuff would be passed? Suddenly Shirou remembers that random Nozaki Hiroshi guy who seemed very happy hearing about NDE from one of the victims, and something clicks. Shirou phones Nozaki’s mother and through some seemingly innocent questions (’Was he in Nishi Akatsuki lately? Does he act like this and this? ...Does he like Doraemon?’) realizes that the serial attacker really is Nozaki. They alert Shirai Masami and local media and rush to Nozaki’s house.

But they’re too late. In the house instead of Nozaki they find the body of detective Banba stabbed to death twenty one times, and Nozaki’s parents strangled by their own son. It seems Banba had figured out the solution before everyone else, and came to this house yesterday without telling Saburou. (”Rest in peace, Runbaba 12,” Shirou thinks reflexively.)

In the house they find a note from the criminal, who claims to be fulfilling orders of ‘the Great God Jawakutora-sin’ (or Jawakutora-shin), who governs over all human souls, but as those souls are ‘dirty, unaware, unseeing and ignorant’, the god wants to make them clean. The cleansing proccess has to start with mothers, so the next generation of humans would hopefully already be ‘clean’. Apparently Nozaki in his childhood had a NDE himself, saw ‘Jawakutora’s light’ and understood his guidance. The method involves hitting a precise spot at the back of a person’s head. This causes a ‘perfect opening’ in the skull to form, through which the soul can briefly fly out and have a NDE, that is, ‘be shown reality’, and also be shown Jawakutora’s great spiral structure (a spiral being its symbol) -- that’s the spiral on the map of Nishi Akatsuki. Jawakutora also told Nozaki to do all the other things: bury the victims, write the letters on the photos, and use the plushies (’animals who have never been given souls’. Or something).

While this note shows clearly that the culprit is just some religious fanatic, something bugs Shirou, and he still thinks Jirou may be involved, especially since the two dogs of the family were also killed without any reason.

After Banba’s death, Saburou mourns him and closes himself alone in the triangle warehouse for long periods of time. This unexpectedly allows him to discover something, and he calls Ichirou and Shirou to the warehouse. (Maruo and his wife at that time have a job-related meeting with a few other people in the house). This something is the mystery of their grandfather Daimaru’s death.

As Saburou points out, the old stains left from the corpse’s bodily fluids are spread over a significant area, in an arc, which would mean that the hanging corpse had to somehow move around in a circle. Saburou found out that the ceiling of the warehouse can be moved, independently of the walls, by pressing a hidden button. The ceiling rotates in such a way that the building seen from above eventually looks like a 6-pointed star, which was the warehouse’s purpose in the first place: apparently, their great-grandfather Hans was secretly Jewish, and while he was afraid of persecution if he showed his identity outright, he constructed this mechanism as a great big fuck you to the bigoted society who had no clue a giant Star of David was right under their noses.

When the ceiling is moved, there are large enough gaps in some places that a person can fit through; that’s how both Jirou and Daimaru’s murderer could get out. Yes, Daimaru was actually murdered -- by his own son Maruo, the son that he had abused for years and years. That abuse was what gave Maruo his scars. The violence instilled on him, which he then passed to his own sons...

While the brothers talk in the warehouse unaware of anything else, Nozaki sneaks into the main house and stabs everyone he runs into, eventually wounding every single person there. Maruo manages to dodge him and runs towards the warehouse, and in the heated moment yells, ‘Ichirou, Jirou, Saburou, Shirou! Run!”. The names of all his sons.

The brothers run out and see Nozaki stab Maruo, and as Ichirou moves to help his father he also gets injured. This makes the other two brothers’ blood boil and they fight Nozaki, with Shirou eventually using the attacker’s own knife to stab him. But Shirou’s job isn’t done yet: with help of Saburou he gets everyone moved to one spot, grabs his doctor bag, and through his sheer skills of an ER surgeon, lightning fast decisions and improvising on the spot, he manages to keep everyone including Maruo and Ichirou alive until the ambulance arrives. [And it’s fucking amazing to read.]

After Shirou heals physically (he did run away from the hospital earlier, after all), he goes to Rupan’s wife Takaya Mari, who’s a psychologist, and makes the first step on his way to heal emotionally. He cries like a baby throughout the entire session, finally lets so many emotions pour out chaotically out of him, and leaves with a lot of things in his head finally sorted out.

Later through his own investigation he learns that Jirou is alive and well, now working in the Ministry of Finances under the name ‘Kawaji Natsurou’, which is so obviously an anagram of ‘Natsukawa Jirou’ it’s surprising nobody noticed.

...but another romaji spelling of Jirou’s name (’Natsukawa Jiro’) is also an anagram for ‘Jawakutora-sin”, and Shirou now understands who was the mastermind behind Nozaki’s actions; who wanted to enact revenge on the mother who in a critical moment turned against him, and most likely on the entire family sooner or later. ...Although Shirou has a feeling he won’t try anything like that anymore.

During the therapy session, Shirou expresses forgiveness towards his father, and wonders whether or not this quick forgiveness isn’t just a foolish decision made in spur of the moment, under strong emotions... but after he heard Maruo yell all their names trying to save them in a similar moment of emotions, he has a feeling things will get better. Shirou’s mother hasn’t woken up yet, but he’s sure she’ll come out of that wonderful giant forest eventually. The force putting their family together is powerful like gravity -- whether this power won’t just bring another disaster, nobody can tell. Certainly, it’s best if Jirou still keeps as far away from them as it’s possible. Maybe it’d be for the best if every single one of them stayed apart, never had children, and let this cursed family be finally destroyed; maybe it’d be for the best if all that remained was smoke, soil or sacrifices. But it’s not the time to think about death. For now, what matters is that they’re all alive and have to try and keep on living.

In the end, Shirou calls Atena (the nurse from earlier) and asks her to sleep with him -- literally sleep with him, mostly -- and with the warm and safety, and another person’s heartbeat so close by, he can finally sleep calmly.

#maijo and jdc stuff #this book was actually pretty wholesome?#it had some rough patches but I liked it overall #long post

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haikyuu-imagines-blog · 7 years

Text

Kuroo Tetsurou - Relationship in 5 Steps

∠ words - 3k

∠ genre - fluff

∠ summary - Do you want to know what it's like to be adored by one of Haikyuu!!'s characters? Do you want to know five easy steps they would use to make you theirs? Read to find out.

∠ masterlist

∠ yep, this is a new series, but I won’t post five separate chapters for every character, but just one. I hope you will enjoy, I worked hard for it. It is a piece of my heart - treat it well.

∠ Bokuto Kouratou ver. | Oikawa Tooru ver. | Sawamura Daichi ver. ∠

∠ being noticed

Kuroo closed his eyes, desperately trying to bury the unsettling feeling that welcomed itself into his life a few days ago, on the day when he laid his eyes on you. At first, the sudden attraction had seemed to be just like one of his previous quirks, which were easily forgotten the day after and not remembered since. Although, you surprisingly, were some kind of anomaly, which rooted in his subconscious immediately and didn't exactly want to leave.

He was strangely okay with how the situation was going on, however, the only con was the fact that you didn't know who the hell he was and the plan to get closer to you became ten times more complicated than it already was. Poor Kuroo was so deeply into his little crush, that it was hard for him to sit still with his growing excitement upon seeing you for the first time that day.

He secretly eyed you, giving you silent kudos for the jewelry choice. Your rainbow-shaped earrings made a nice contrast to your official, school uniform and even though, you probably didn't want to stand out of the crowd - to him, you were the only shining star in the room. He couldn't focus on anything, but you the whole time.

Lessons were long and usually boring, so he couldn't help but steal a few glances at you from time to time, cheering happily inside that no one saw his growing obsession with the way you put annoying hairs behind your ear.

''You got it bad, prince charming.'' Scoffed Yaku, turning to face him when the lunch break began.

''I don't have anything.'' He replied smoothly, clearly failing to assure his classmate that he was wrong. ''Does it show that much?'' He quietly asked after a minute of silence between them.

''Yeah, it's almost too obvious to handle.'' They didn't bother to continue their conversation after that.

His time at school was finally moving towards its end and since he didn't have practice later, he could just walk lazily home and then relax with a hot drink and a good movie in the background. His knee was bouncing up and down, aching but still going like crazy and the quick looks he was giving you, became even more frequent and lingering. Not that he minded.

But it was just his luck that in the moment when the last bell in his day rang, signaling long desired freedom, you turned to him catching his curious eyes, which were observing your smaller form. His insides froze along with his limbs and will to live and when he was finally ready to perform seppuku in front of his class - you sent him a big, toothy grin. Then you and waved happily and skipped towards the door like nothing had happened. Like you hadn't made Tetsurou the happiest man alive.

He has been just noticed and it was the best feeling in the whole world.

∠being friends

The black-haired and also very bored Kuroo Tetsurou was aggressively flipping his biology book, giving it no mercy. The colorful pages tore in some places, crumbled or even left the book for eternity. He tried to care about it, he really did. However, it's been ten minutes since the time you had said you would call him and he was slowly going bonkers in his freshly cleaned room. He didn't want to mention that he had already cleaned it five times, trying to pass hours quicker.

Since that memorable day, when you had finally acknowledged his presence, you two have grown closer with each day and now he could proudly admit that you two were friends. Not want he wanted, but more than he expected. Kuroo finally knew much more about you, not only your looks. If he was being honest, he would describe your personality as a very similar to your earrings choices: shiny, funny and that kind, which made you feel good about yourself.

His main hope was that you saw him in a good light too, it was one of his the most important matters. And just when he wanted to dig deeper into the thoughts that kept his brain hostage, the phone laying directly in front of him lit up and let out some famous song. He clumsily took it and hesitated for a mere second before picking up.

''Hi!'' You both yelled at the same time and then laughed loudly at how stupid your behavior was. He relaxed after that and let himself be filled with your lovely voice, swallowing every word as you told him about your day and today's events. His turn to rant came way too quickly, but it didn't stop him from whining about the fight he had with his mum about the habit of not picking up his gym clothes from under his bed and patiently absorbed your advice about the problem.

''I think I'm going to hit the shower now because school is tomorrow and I don't want to be late like last time when we stayed on the line for too long.'' You giggled at the memory and he slightly smiled, preparing for goodbyes.

''Sure, I'm not stopping you.''

''But you kinda want to, right?'' You asked quietly.

''Yeah.'' He heard you sigh from the other side. It was a shame you were so far away, he really wanted to see the emotions on you face in that moment.

''Talk to you tomorrow, Tetsu.'' You said eventually, making loud kissy sounds and eventually hung up, but he didn't register it. There was only one thing he could focus on.

You called him by his given name for the first time and he didn't want to forget how your voice sounded with it on your lips.

∠ asking out

''This movie is shitty.'' You stated seriously, shooting him a glare from your spot on the couch. He only winced and gave you a silly smile in return, already regretting listening to Bokuto. Your eyes went back to the screen, as your hand dived into a bowl full of popcorn.

''Sorry, sorry. I will choose better next time.''

''There won't be next time Tetsurou.'' Unknown words stucked in his throat before they could leave, eyes wandering around the room in disappointment. He couldn't believe you were THAT angry. ''You will never choose a movie again, I swear to God. It's my turn forever, don't even try to argue.'' He nodded in agreement, hoping you didn't see how he breathed out in relief that you weren't really mad.

To be absolutely honest, the movie wasn't all that bad in his opinion, but he wasn't an expert and probably shouldn't be asked about it. Volleyball ate a lot of his time and he preferred to spend the free one with people he loved, so that was it. If they wanted to watch something, that's alright, but it wasn't a frequent request.

However, you seemed to be crazy about it. Some days, you couldn't last more than ten minutes without talking about some new film or actors he has never heard about. Although in exchange, he could talk about his practices, so it was very nice.

And about his dirty, little secret - he was able to control his feelings for you easily now. No one, who already didn't know wouldn't catch on - including you. After the weird incident with the phone call, when you started to call him by his name, he tried to calm himself a little and not behave like a lovestruck idiot. Kuroo would literally kill himself if he made you uncomfortable or repulsed. And also he didn't really have any occasion to give much thought to his infatuation because your birthday was approaching and his gift must be the best one that year.

There was going to be a movie marathon of very old productions, some of them were even black and white. It's streaked his interest immediately and since he didn't hear a word about it from you, he was right to believe that you were simply unaware something like this was happening in your hometown. He has bought two tickets, packed them nicely and waited for a good moment to give it to you. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, something just had to go wrong.

''Tetsurou, did you tell f/n-chan about these movies or something?'' His mum, who has come back from work five minutes ago, yelled from the other room not realising her mistake. You ears seemed to perk curiously at the newfound information and you quickly sent him a questioning look.realising her mistake. You ears seemed to perk curiously at the newfound information and you quickly sent him a questioning look.

''You gonna tell me about it or what?'' You asked, standing up and sitting closer to him after he didn't respond to your silent plea. He decided to just give up before puppy eyes appear on your face.

''Yhm, I kind of - bought two tickets to movie marathon and was wondering if you wanted to go? I was supposed to your birthday present, but-'' He wildly gestured towards the place him mother was in. ''-this happened.'' You smiled somehow differently, ruffling his already messy hair, making his heart race.

''It's so cute, Tetsu! It's a date then.'' You winked and came back to your previous spot like you just hadn't changed Kuroo's entire life.

But it's a date then, he guessed.

∠ first kiss

'What the hell is wrong with you?'

'I'm just frustrated f/n, I've told you to leave me alone.'

‘'But I don't want to leave you alone in this situation! Please, accept my support!’' He sighed and covered his face with a sweaty hand. His team had been destroyed in today's match and he couldn't do anything to change it. Some of the most important players hadn't attended, because of reasons and this made them almost unable to play. His teammates had fought like hungry animals, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The aftermath of the match left him unsatisfied and not easy to communicate with, however, you tried anyway. It was greatly annoying, but he also couldn't help but appreciate your soothing presence.

He drew a deep breath, which seemed a little shaky at the beginning as if he was ready to cry, but quickly collected himself. His now dry palm slowly fell from his face and moved against his will towards your form. You looked uncertain for a second, before enveloping it with your bony fingers and hugging it tightly to your chest, right next to the heart. Kuroo felt its fastened beating and immediately felt guilty for causing you so much stress, especially since you didn't deserve any of thing. You weren't his punching bag, but a person he held deep feelings for.

‘'I'm sorry.’' He whispered, closing his eyes as his shoulders dropped a little.

'’It's okay Tetsu, I understand.'’ Your lips kissed his knuckles and then you cuddled your cheek to the back of his hand, clearly needing comfort and affection. His heart melted at the sight but it didn't erase that swallowing disappointment, which was still following him after the brutal loss he experienced today. You noticed it faster than he anticipated and opened a mouth like you wanted to say something but closed it, deciding not to. Maybe the silence was the best medicine for now.

Half an hour later, the volleyball team was ready to leave and you all headed home. They bluntly ignored the heavy atmosphere between you and Kuroo after your exchange of words and both of you were thankful for it. They didn't need that kind of burden right now. Your relationship, your problem.

Everybody was slowly leaving, going their own ways until finally, you two were alone again. Kuroo didn't utter a single word for a long while and you thought that it would be smart to give him time and wait until he was ready to clear the air between you. Although it was awkward you still held hand as Tetsurou walked you home.

When you arrived, you didn't look at each other not knowing exactly what to do. It was the first time something like this happened and the unsureness of how to behave in such situations was very visible. You obviously still explored one another and the boundaries surrounding you, which obviously could cause some major misunderstandings. However, nothing good came without a little pain and proper fight for it.

‘'So-'’ He started and you in a mere second looked up, staring at his face with such insensitivity your eyes almost fell out. ‘'-are we okay?’' He asked, scratching the back off his head. That gesture always made you smile, because it made his hair even wilder. He was very handsome with that look.

'’Of course, Tetsurou. Nothing bad happened in the first place. This day just sucks.’' You laughed loudly, coming back to yourself after hours of being grumpy and feeling rather out of place.

'’It sure does.’' He repeated after you and your doorstep soon became a place full of giggles and chuckles Kuroo didn't know how desperately he craved for the whole time without them. Things were fine.

‘'I like you very much, you know?’' You said, enveloping his slim neck in a warm hug, which he returned not even a second later.

‘'I really like you, too.'’ He breathed into your ear, before giving it a butterfly kiss. You stayed like that, not leaving the embrace that gave you the security you deserved and absolutely loved.

The way you turned and hopefully will turn Kuroo's world upside down was indescribable. In such short time, you were able to brighten his days without much work. You were incredible. The only one in this universe who had him for every command. He wasn't even ashamed to admit it, more like proud of being stupidly in love.

'’Tetsu?'’

‘'Yeah?'’

‘'Could you close your eyes for a second?’' That whispered question honestly threw him off of guard, you didn't plan on slapping him or something? He kinda liked his face, a lot actually. He would mourn if something terrible happened to it, however, as a good slave, he followed your request.

And waited. And waited. What did you wa--

‘'Ah, screw it.'’ You hissed before something hit him. Right on his lips. Probably your own pair. Warm, plump with flavored lip gloss on it - apples, he dared to guess. He was stunned for a while and before he could react or so much kiss back, you departed from him.

‘'You didn't like it?'’ The hurt expression on your face hit him hard and fast. You totally didn't understand his intentions or rather the fact that he was too frozen to do anything.

'’That's not it! You just surprised me, I didn't expect that’.' He pecked your lips quickly as a sign that everything was more than okay and you relaxed against his body.

'’I'm glad.’' You said and skipped happily to your door. ‘'Good night, Kuroo Tetsurou. Next move is yours to make.’' You shot him a teasing smile and disappeared behind your doors, leaving him to the cold night and lonely streets.

He would never say it to anyone, even himself that the fact you were the one to take the lead turned him on, a lot.

∠ being a couple

''Will you tell me why am I getting a silent treatment?'' The question left his mouth for the third time that week, less angry than before, but more desperate.

Although you gave no answer just like you had done previously, you eventually sent him a tired look and sighed. It was a better response than he expected and it made him satisfied for a little while. Which lasted approximately two minutes.

''Okay, I didn't flirt with anyone, didn't say anything mean, remembered everything important and even bought you food this week!'' His hands fled dramatically to his black hair, tugging it in every direction. ''Am I being to nice to my own girlfriend?!'' Then he dropped to his knees, faking sobs and loud cries.

''I'm not your girlfriend.'' You icy cold voice broke his focus on feeling sorry for himself and he stared at you, suddenly terrified. His hopes and dreams shattered, and pieces of them started swirling in his head, bouncing against the walls and finally falling onto his imagined ground in his mind, defeated.

''Yet.'' You added grimacing, but your eyes shined with amusement upon noticing his small breakdown. ''You've never asked me, baby.'' And with that Kuroo almost laughed, almost.

''You, young lady, need to stop with this stupid, unnecessary breaks between sentences and words, because honestly, they suck and well, they are going to give me a heart attack someday. Thank you very much.'' The Sun was slowly leaving your side of the Earth creating an artwork of the sky. Pinkish and reddish colours reflected on your face, showing him a side of you, he hadn't had a pleasure of meeting. Open windows welcomed warm breeze into your home, which moved your earnings, shaped as sunflowers. You laughed softly and he was one hundred percent sure he was never going to love someone as much as he loved you right in that moment.

His hands, unlike his body, were cold as they made their way to yours. You flinched, but didn't push him and both of you knew there was no turning back. Your eyebrows raised slightly in anticipation, however, you tried your hardest not show how long you've waited for what was to come. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

''S/o, will you do me an honour and--''

''Are you proposing?'' Your mocking voice interrupted. ''Because if you are I have to say no, we are too young, baby.''

''How about you shut up and let me finish?''

''You go, tiger.'' Let's just say that romantic atmosphere has been brutally murdered.

''Okay, you have to be my girlfriend, because I said so and you destroyed my beautiful proposal, so you owe me.'' He said on your breath, smiling. It was the smoothest thing that came out of his mouth, now they can seriously call him a master of love and sex.

''Yeah, sounds great.'' You answered, without much thinking and reached out for a phone. ''So pizza toning or what?''

''Yeah, pizza is good.'' Maybe he was lame, or even you both were. Maybe even your love was lame, but he wouldn't have it any other way. You deserved each other, fought for each other and hopefully will be with each other forever.

(Or at least for the next two hours, because he was broke and someone needed to pay for the pizza)

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fallen029 · 7 years

Text

Parenthood: It Takes Two

For what would be such a tumultuous day, it actually started out quite regularly.

Mirajane arose long before the others, as to begin her morning routine, with Laxus following about half an hour later. She showered and got ready for work while he, first, went to peek into the crib in the corner of their room and be sure that his baby was still snoozing away, but just as quickly was heading down to the basement, where he had some gym equipment, to get a good work out in before any of the kids awoke.

He'd just finished that up and was tagging out with Mirajane for their bathroom so he could catch a shower when it happened.

"Something's wrong!"

It was Nathan, their oldest child, that came barging into the bedroom, not even knocking first. Mirajane, who was over at the crib, lifting their youngest into her arms, glanced over with a frown.

"What?" she asked as he only rushed over to her, standing there in only his underwear (though that was thanks to his father, who slept in his boxers, and therefore made such a thing cool). "Nate? What-"

"He won't wake up!" Reaching out, he tried to grab at her arm, as if to tug her away. "Come on!"

"Who won't?" Laxus had been heading into the shower, but came rushing back out there in only a towel. "Is it Gramps? Shit. What-"

"No." Nathan's eyes were round and full of tears as he stared up at both of them then. "It's Two. Come help him!"

Mira and Laxus both spared one another a glance at that before she moved to pass off the baby in her arms to him and rush off after Nathan. Laxus only turned to put the by then awake Ivory back in her crib before rushing to slip back on some pants and go figure out what was going on.

When Laxus came running into Nathan's room, it was to the sound of crying, though that wasn't his son sobbing. Rather, it was his nephew, Mace, who had spent the night with them, and was down on the floor with Nathan, staring down at their dog, both begging Mirajane to do something.

"Lax." Mirajane glanced back at him as he came into the room, her eyes pretty watery too. "I don't..."

"Can't we take him to the vet?" Nathan was always practical. "Please? You gotta take him to the vet."

Coming to stand over his wife, Laxus bent down before gently pressing his palm on the dog's chest and then its stomach. Finally, he shook his head before glancing at the two boys.

"I'm sorry, Nate," he sighed as he got to his feet. "Mace. He's gone."

"No!" Nathan wasn't done with the animal though and went back to trying to shake him awake. "Two, you gotta get up. You have to!"

Mira, who was still sitting on her knees in front of the dog's head, only stroked his fur gently. "He was old, honey. Very old. And-"

"But he was fine last night." That came from Mace, who was just staring up at his uncle, tears still falling. He had some more decency, recently, than Nate, in that, yeah, he slept in his underwear too, but he also wore an undershirt too. Again, more due to what Elfman wore to bed, but whatever. "What happened?"

"It's just how...death works," Laxus said slowly, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "It comes when you least expect it. One minute you're asleep and the next you might be-"

"What?"

"Laxus!" Mirajane, still sobbing, took the time up to glare at him for that. "Don't tell them that!"

Nathan, still refusing to cry, rushed around the dog then to go shove at Laxus.

"What are you-"

"We have to go!" Nathan was trying to push him out the door. "Go get his leash so we can-"

"Nate, there's nothing that we can-"

"We have to!" He even stomped his foot. "Maybe they can do something."

"Nate, he's not breathing. I'm sorry, buddy, but-"

"What's goin' on?"

And then, there, in the doorway to the bedroom, was Pike, who still very much so loved his pajamas with the little cartoon renditions of animals on them. Rubbing at his bleary eyes, he asked, "Are you okay, Mommy?"

No. Mira, though she had known for quite a while that the moment was coming, was rather broken up about her poor mutt. She was still in shock, just a bit, as she continued to gently stroke the dog's muzzle.

"Uh, Pike." Laxus turned to go walk over to him and take him out of the room. "Maybe-"

"Two died," Mace sniffled as Nathan, done with his father, went back to Mirajane's side in hopes that she could help his dog.

"What?" And then Pike's crying started. "Why? What happened?"

"Nothin' happened, buddy." Laxus figured Mirajane had a pretty good handle on the older kids (or at the very least, he had none at all and wanted out of there) and moved to lead the youngest of the boys out of the room. "We talked about this sort of thing. Remember? About how this sorta thing just happens. It's just part of being alive, you know."

Pike only glanced back, over his shoulder, back into the room where Nathan was still insisting that Mirajane help Two out. "But Nate says we can help him. Why can't we help him?"

"Nathan's wrong. He's just...uh… C'mere. Let's go check on Ivory, huh? That always makes you happy."

"But what about-"

"I'll take care of it." Laxus even patted him on the head. "And buck up; big boys don't cry."

But Pike didn't wanna be a big boy. At all. He wanted to go in there and cry and throw a fit with Nathan.

It was only fair. After all, compared to his big bubba, Pike very much so was the baby. In all uses of that term.

Laxus only took Pike and Ivory to Makarov's room. The man wasn't up yet, as he found out, but was willing to watch them.

"I gotta go...do whatever you do now," Laxus mumbled to his grandfather. Pike was in the man's bed then, sobbing still, while Makarov only sighed and got to his feet to take Ivory from her father. "Just watch them for a minute, huh?"

Back in Nathan's room, the boy and his cousin were gone, but Mirajane was still in there, with the dog. And when Laxus approached her, she only glanced up.

"Hey," he whispered before leaning down to stare at her. "I know that you loved this dog a lot, but he was old, demon. And-"

"Laxus, I'm not a child." Still, she sniffled before glancing back down at her mutt. "I'm more sad for the boys than me, honestly." Grinning a bit then, at her dog, she said, "He was old and hurting and now he's feeling much better."

"Hey, go tell that to the boys, huh?" Laxus liked the sound of that. "Wherever they ran off to. And Pike too." It was his turn to glance at poor ol' Two. "I'll, uh, take care of this guy, huh? Where do you take dead animals, anyways? You think if I put him out by the curb, the trash guys will-"

"Laxus Dreyar!"

"What? I mean, what the hell else would we do with him? I mean- No." He saw the look her face then. "Mirajane-"

"It'll help the boys with closure."

"It's a damn dog! No. We're not going to-"

"Yes." Mira got to her feet. "We are."

And that, quite simply, was how Laxus found himself out in the back yard with a shovel, digging up a hole for poor Two.

Needless to say, he was not happy about it.

Inside, however, a much more somber scene was occurring.

Namely, the boys were getting ready for their first ever funeral.

Makarov had more than a few concerns.

"You're aren't afraid of...scarring them?" he asked his granddaughter-in-law at one point. The boys were in the living room, Nate writing out a eulogy (which his mother had explained to them was just a big speech about the deceased; Nathan, obviously, took up this task before either other boy could try) while Mace drew up some funeral programs, which his aunt had told him they'd hand out to everyone that came.

It was gonna be a pretty big funeral, the boys were pretty sure. Everyone loved Two.

Everyone.

Pike, for his part, was mostly moping around and crying. Nate kept calling him a baby for it whenever Gramps or Mira weren't around, but Pike didn't care. So Nate was a big boy. Great. Awesome. Good for him. Gold star for the little man.

But Pike was going to cry over his puppy like a big baby and his brother could just get the hay over it.

"Of course not, Master," Mirajane said in the kitchen, where she was starting on breakfast for the kids (though they'd all no doubt claim not to be hungry, which clearly said something about how much they loved their doggy because, seriously, those three could put away some breakfast). "We used to raise animals when I was growing up. We would bury all of them."

"And have little...memorial services for them?"

'Sometimes." Mira gave him a sad grin that time. "The more comfortable the boys are with death, the better. It's not as Laxus and Mace's parents live the safest life. I think that pets are a great chance to learn young that yes, things die; but we don't feel bad about that. We just remember all the good times about them and keep moving on.'

Makarov only bowed his head. "I think they could get over it just fine without a big hullabaloo."

Shaking her head, just a bit, Mirajane said, "It'll be a good introduction to funerals. It's part of life. Better to deal with it now rather than lat- Oh, ivory."

She was over in her highchair, mashing up the pieces of banana that her mother had given her, and was suddenly fussy. She wanted her bottle. Right then! No exceptions!

Not even for dead beloved pets.

Ivory didn't have a very fun morning. Her big bubbas and big cousin weren't very interested in her at all and her daddy stayed out in the backyard for a long time. Then the big dopey dog wasn't around to bother her and make her cry which, fine, was a great thing, but at the same time, was kinda weird. He was always there, sticking his face in her face as she played on the floor, slobbering on her and standing guard over her (or at least he thought he was; she thought that he was just being annoying).

Then, worst of all, Mommy left the house. Which wasn't odd; Mirajane left for work all the time. But Ivory, whose day was all ready disjointed, just wanted her mother to snuggle with and listen to talk and sing and that weird talk-singing thing Mirajane did when she went around the house, cleaning up.

But Mira would be back soon. She wasn't actually going in that day. She was going to ask someone to cover for her and then track down her siblings and their cohorts.

There was a funeral to get prepared for.

Needless to say, Ivory didn't enjoy the afternoon either. When the whole family showed up, it was more than annoying. Her Aunt Evergreen was very piqued about coming over, so she was very snippy with everyone. And Uncle Elf was real sad. He cried with Pike and called themselves both real men.

Then Freed showed up. He wasn't really one of her uncles, but he was always coming to family events and, apparently, they were having one. He went out to the backyard with Daddy though and watched him dig a hole. Ivory, the one time that Mirajane went out there to speak with her husband and was carrying her in her arms, saw the doggy out there too, but he didn't rush to greet her.

Daddy was really sweaty out there, digging that hole, and when ivory cried for him, he was too busy with what he was doing to even pay her any attention.

Which was fine. Ivory probably wouldn't have liked him all stinky and nasty anyways.

Eventually Aunt Lisanna and Bickslow showed up. He was decked out in a suit and Lisanna was wearing a black dress, which made Freed and Ever roll their eyes, but the little boys were very appreciative of their solemn attire.

In fact, before the ceremony, they went to put on their own cute little dress clothes that they only wore to the utmost of important events. Like weddings. Or the few times a year Mira somehow conned Laxus into going to church because she had a bad dream about when Lisanna was dead.

Now, apparently, they were meant to dress for funerals as well.

Pike, who always liked getting all gussied up and having his mother gel his hair just so, was not amused that day. It was very solemnly that he let his Uncle Elfman help him put on his big boy shirt and pants, as well as his nicest pair of shoes.

Mace's mother had brought him his nice clothes over, though she was just as bitchy about the whole thing as she was with most thing. The little boy kept trying to explain to Evergreen that Two had been a very special friend and that she should feel badly as well, but she only would give him that really mean look that she usually reserved for his father before grumbling about how things died; that was the only reason that others lived.

Nathan, however, took it all with the same seriousness that he did everything. He went into the bathroom and stared in the mirror as he carefully clipped on his tie and tucked in his shirt. Still having kept the tears in the entire time, he found it rather soothing to obsess, rather, with not only his attire, but also the funeral.

After all, not only would it be the first one that he was hosting (did people host those sorts of things; he'd have to ask his mother), but also the first one he had ever been to.

And for it to have been a funeral of his very best friend.

Huh.

Outside, Laxus finally dug a deep enough and wide enough hole for the poor pooch and, out there alone then, he only stood there, sun high in the sky, and sweating like a pig.

Glancing to the side, he frowned at the sight of Two, there on the ground, lifeless. It was rather depressing, actually, when he thought about it. The dog had offered nothing to society, fine, but he had been the best companion his sons had ever known. And yeah, he was annoying as hell and pestered Laxus to no end, but he wasn't a bad dog.

Just...not a great one.

"Don't give me that look," Laxus grumbled slightly as he stared over at the beast, ignoring the fact that his eyes were and forever would remain shut. "You lived a great life. You got to be a Strauss! And then a...Dreyar. You had Mirajane as a mother and my kids to play with. I kept you feed and housed and… So you had some rough years, on your own. So did I. And if I died tomorrow, I wouldn't feel bad. So you don't either." Then, driving his shovel into the ground, he wiped the sweat from his brow before adding, "Ya damn dog."

For the record, Bickslow was very behind the idea of having a morbid funeral for a dead animal that was potentially scarring to his young kinda sorta nephews.

After all, it was something quite similar that had made him the way he was. Death. That human fascination grabbed his young and shaped him into the man (read freak) he was that very day.

Lisanna, however, was more than a little weirded out by the whole thing. She saw it more as her sister forcing the boys into holding a funeral for the dog more for her benefit. Perhaps not consciously, but she was nearly certain the whole thing had more to do with the fact that Mirajane had just lost something that had been a big decade of her entire life with no warning.

Because, honestly, dying in your sleep was a great thing for the person it happened to, but a pretty fucked up thing to leave your friends and family with. Even a heart attack was a bit more closure.

Still, she'd dressed the part, as her sister had asked her to, and looked over Mace's program that he handed her quite thoughtfully, glancing at the drawings the boy had done of the dog as well as the nice little paragraph he'd written about Two and all that he'd meant to them.

Pike, after whining and sobbing most of the day, mostly just rested against his father's side as they stood around the pit dug for poor Two out in the backyard. Bickslow's babies, who had been keyed in by the seith to be in their most downcast mood, only hung around Pike's head and whined softly along with him, as they had been doing since they'd arrived.

In his arms, Makarov held Ivory, who mostly just whined a bit for her mother and her bubbas and her father and just because she was cranky.

Alright? That's just the deal. Ivory was cranky. So what?

Nathan stood at the top of the hole, a little paper in his hands, of which he began to read.

"Two was a very good dog," he said as the others just stared at him and he stared just as hard down at his paper. "He was the best dog. And he would still be the best dog if," and he lifted his eyes then, just to glare across the hole at his father, "someone had taken him to the vet! But they didn't! Because they're a horrible person! They never liked Two and now he's dead and that's why I hate you!"

Everyone was too shocked to speak. Freed, who was standing next to Laxus, only shook his head a bit.

"N-Nathan," he stuttered, "if you had only asked me to take your pet to the veterinarian, I would have-"

"Not you," the boy complained, raising an accusatory finger. "You!"

Laxus, who'd known all along just what the boy was talking about, only glared. "I didn't kill your dog, Nathan. And you're ruining your own stupid funeral thing. You-"

"It's not stupid!" Pike glared at his father as well then. "Two should have a funeral if everyone else gets one!"

"This went south fast," Lisanna whispered to her boyfriend as Mirajane rushed to go grab Nathan and talk to him softly. "Real fast."

"With these people,' he replied, "when doesn't it? Honestly, I thought that was the reason we still came around? It's the whole reason I came to an animal's funeral in the first place; for the blow up."

And oh, was there a blow up. Nathan kept insisting that Laxus was the reason his dog was dead, Pike started crying again, Ivory, done with them all for the day, began wailing, while poor Mace just stood there, staring down at his program that he'd worked so hard on (each time he'd made it), sniffling just a bit.

"Did Uncle Laxus kill Two?" he asked his father, staring up at the man who was mostly just feeling extremely awkward. Each time he came over to his older sister's house, it seemed, this was what happened.

"Uh...no. Maybe. I'm not too sure."

"Really?" Evergreen, who was enjoying the scene less than anyone, fanned at herself with her hand fan. "I thought men are never unsure?"

Elfman probably would have gone off her, about just how manly he was, had Mace not finished with his sniffles and finally decided that enough was enough.

"Stop it!" He stomped his foot too, at the sight of Nathan yelling at his father, the man doing much the same back, Makarov trying to calm down both Pike and Ivory at the same time, Mirajane attempting to reign in her oldest, and Bickslow and Lisanna clearly thoroughly enjoying themselves. At his exclamation, most of them stopped, though Laxus was still grumbling, quite insistently, that he had not killed the damn dog.

And he hadn't.

Nature had.

So there.

"Two doesn't want you to fight at his funeral!" Mace glared at Nathan mostly. "He was very nice to us. And we got all dressed up to send him off real nice too! So why are you being so bad? Stop it!"

"You stop it!" Nathan never liked it when Mace thought that he was the one at the reigns of things. "Two was my dog! He-"

"Two was Aunt Mira's dog!" Mace looked at her then. "And she loved him. And he loved her. And that's why he loved us. He loved us a lot. He let us pet him and play with him and would chase us around when he wasn't so tired and he let you name him, Nate. Remember? And now you're going to ruin his funeral? That's not nice." Then the boy looked to the ground. "Alexandria the Second wasn't Aunt Mira's first stray dog. He was her second. And he didn't even care when you named him Number Two because that's funny." Bickslow laughed then, but it quickly became a sharp intake of breath as his girlfriend elbowed him in the side. "Two wasn't bad. So you shouldn't make his funeral bad, Nate. He was our friend. And we're supposed to honor him at his funeral. That's what Aunt Mira said. So stop fighting. Just enjoy the funeral." He lifted his head then. "Even if uncle Laxus did kill him."

"I did not," Laxus growled then, "kill the damn dog! He was already dead! He-"

"Laxus, hush." Mirajane, who was still standing by Nathan, glanced down at the boy once more then. He was smoldering, but didn't move away as she reached down to smooth his hair down a bit. "Nate, Mace is right. Even if your father did kill Alexandria-"

"Fuck this!" Laxus tossed up his hands before going to snatch Ivory from his grandfather and stomp back into the house, Freed following faithfully behind. "I dig a hole, I sweat like a pig, I shower, get ready for this funeral and for what? For this?" He frowned as Ivory settled out, almost immediately, in his arms, staring up at him with her big blue eyes. "What are you lookin' at? Huh?"

Just her daddy.

What else?

"Now." Mira patted Nate on the head, figuring it was best if Laxus left anyhow; he'd never been on board with the funeral in the first place and Ivory clearly needed to be taken inside. "Let's start again, huh, boys? I think that Nate was in the middle of his speech-"

"No, I was finished." He held up the paper to her. "See?"

"Oh." Mira frowned. "You actually wrote out all those things you said to your father. Well."

"I love these kids," Bickslow whispered to Lisanna who hid her giggle into the black glove she was wearing. "This was so much better than just laying around and avoiding training all day."

"They are the best."

"Do I get to say something?" Pike was done crying for the moment, it seemed. Rubbing at one of his eyes, he said, "If everyone else did?"

Aunt Ever sighed loudly before anyone got to say anything, clearly annoyed, though she added, "If you say something, Pike, then that'll be the end of this little soiree. Alright, boys? So take us home, Pike."

He only sniffled rather heavily before slowly walking towards the corpse of his dead dog. Reaching into the pocket the slacks he had on, he pulled out a piece of paper with a drawing on it. Gently setting it on poor Two, Pike patted him one last time before saying, "I'll miss you a lot. I like you more than I like anyone. Even Ivory. And Mace. But not as much as Nate. But I think that you liked him more than me too, so that's okay."

But Pike wasn't okay. Because even if that was the end of the funeral, Pike was still rather broken up by Two's death. But that mostly fell into the category of irrational (though at the moment, completely rational) fears that the little boy formed over most things. To say that Pike was a scaredy-cat was an understatement. And the idea that someone could just fall asleep and never wake up was frightening to him. And as they all waited for Mirajane and Lisanna to whip them up some lunch, he only sat in his room, fearful of accidentally falling asleep (he still took naps sometimes) and never waking up.

Ivory, however, had no such fears and it was rather easy for Laxus to get her down for a nap of her own.

"There you go." He stood over her crib with a grin. "You know I didn't kill the dog. Don't you?"

Meh. She still didn't even realize it wasn't alive anyhow.

Or what alive was for that matter.

Nathan and Mace spent the downtime between lunch making up. It wasn't easy. Nathan felt slighted and as if the boy had ruined his funeral. Mace only explained that it wasn't his funeral to begin with; it was Two's. And Two wouldn't want them to accuse Laxus at the funeral. To which Nathan quite skillfully counter argued that he most definitely would; Two loved bothering the big guy too. And that only brought one response out of Mace.

"Na-ah."

"Yes huh!"

And that went on for awhile. Until, you know, Evergreen yelled at them that if they didn't stop bickering, she'd turn them both to stone.

Which worked, only in the fact that it gave the boys something to bond over; namely, their current distaste for Evergreen.

It was a great thing to bond over. And, best of all, with the size of their family, they could jump around on who they were upset at constantly. Bickslow promise to take them somewhere and fall through? Bonding. Freed trying to make them act like proper gentlemen when all they wanted to be were little rascals? Bonding. Lisanna being mean and refusing to buy them some toys when they were out at the market? Instant bonding.

That was the great thing about cousins. Always someone to be pissed at.

Makarov, however, seemed to only be doing worse after the funeral. Mirajane thought that the stress of it all was leading to him needing a rest, but Laxus saw right through that. He knew what the real problem was.

Gramps and the old mutt were pretty much the same thing. At least to the boys. Both had a relationship to their parents that superseded (or at least Nate thought so about the dog; Laxus only met the dog after Nathan was inducted into his life) their own. Both loved Mirajane more than anyone else, practically. Both groaned when they stood up, huffed when their dinner was a late, and fell asleep by seven sharp.

And now one was dead. With, no doubt, the other following not soon after. Judging by their reaction to the first one, the second would only be twice as bad.

"You know, Gramps," Laxus said as he stood in the man's bedroom with him, Makarov resting in the chair that sat in the corner, where he usually read stories to the kids. "Aside from the whole accusing me during the middle of it, I actually thought that things went okay. I mean, I would never have a funeral for a pet-"

"You never had a pet. All the pets I tried to give you didn't like you."

"That's not true." Laxus frowned. "Ivan just didn't like them and would make you take them back. That's all."

"Well, that's what we told you, at least."

"What? Honestly?"

No. Of course not. But Makarov wasn't feeling well and, much the same as his deceased counterpart, tormenting the man always made him feel better.

"Well, this has been a shit day then." Laxus went to sit then on the edge of the man's bed, running a hand over his face. "First the dog dies, then Nate thinks I murdered I by not getting it help, and now you tell me I scared away Mr. Bones?"

"He got a good home," Makarov offered. "And so did Flutters."

"I really liked that bird. And Mr. Bones." Laxus frowned. "Maybe even back then I wasn't meant to be an animal person."

"Come now, boy." Makarov was starting to feel bad about toying with him. "We never got you a cat. Maybe you would have done well with a cat. I hear they're temperamental too."

"Tempera- I'm not temperamental! I- Oh, Ivory."

Apparently, she wasn't ready for a nap as she began crying out for someone to come get her.

"Lax! I'm cooking! And so is Lisanna! And Ever refuses to get the baby and Elf went to get sodas and I don't want Bickslow to pick up the baby after the last time-"

"You almost drop one kid," they heard the seith grumble from somewhere in the house, "and you're treated like an outcast."

"Or, oh, Freed, Laxus is busy or something," he heard Mira call out again. "Can you-"

"I'll get her," Laxus growled as he got to his feet. At least Ivory liked him.

Err, well, liked anyone that was willing to change her diaper. And talk gently to her. Oh, and she was kinda hungry too. Not enough to cry about it, but just whine and wiggle around whenever someone tried to put her down.

"Hey, little buddy. Ivory's gonna have a bottle." Laxus used her discomfort to his advantage as he walked into Pike's room with her in one arm and the bottle in the other. "You wanna try giving it to her?"

Pike liked that. It had taken a few months for him to realize this as, of course, he was too fearful to hold her back in the beginning, but as she grew a bit and he got more comfortable about the idea of her, it became one of the best parts of having a baby sister. It was like she needed him.

He liked being needed.

So he sat on his bed as his father sat next to him, Ivory in his lap, holding her bottle up to her as she drank her fill.

"You know, little buddy," Laxus sighed as he sat there, watching over his two youngest, "I know that this has been a pretty rough day for you."

"Yeah."

"And that you really loved Two."

"Yeah."

"And that...you know, it's a bit scary. Isn't it?"

Pike looked up from Ivory then to stare at his father. "How do I know that I'm not gonna die, Daddy? If I fall asleep? Would you take me to the vet?"

"Buddy, you wouldn't go to the vet." Laxus shook his head a bit. "And your brother's just upset. There wasn't anything any of us could do. Two was already-"

"Then if I go to sleep and get sick and die there's nothing you can do?"

"Pike-"

"Would you just toss me in a hole too?"

"Well, technically, but-"

"Daddy! I don't wanna die!"

"No one does." Laxus sighed, shifting forwards to rest his head in his hands. "You think I do? Or that Two did? No. But it's just what happens. And.. Daddy won't let anything ever happen to you. You know that."

"But what if it happens when I'm asleep?"

"Pike-"

"I'll never sleep again." He looked back down at Ivory. "And I can't let her do it either. Or else she might not..."

"Buddy..." Laxus took a deep breath. "Daddy promises that you'll never fall asleep and not wake up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I-"

"Then how did it happen to Two?"

"Because he was old," the man explained. "That only happens to old people. And old animals. Not little boys or babies. So don't worry about it. Alright?"

Confused, Pike glanced up at him. "How aren't you worried?"

"What do you mean, buddy?"

Cocking his head to the side, Pike asked, "Aren't you old?"

And the day just got even worse.

Why did Laxus continue to have children with Mirajane? When all they were was rude to him?

Lunch wasn't bad. Lisanna and Bickslow were clearly antsy about having to stick around at a family gathering for so long (Laxus was sure they'd actually had plans before they got forced into going to a dog funeral; ah, to be young and childless) while Evergreen was quite blatanly annoyed.

The boys, at least, seemed to be doing better. Nate wanted Mace to spend the night again, which was a good sign, and Pike only had to be asked twice to eat his vegetables, which was either a good thing (he was actually listening) or a bad thing (he was in such grief that he was actually listening), but neither Mira nor Laxus delved too much deeper.

Other than Pike, honestly, Laxus expected the whole thing to be over. There. The dog was dead. After lunch, Laxus was going to go fill back in the hole. Then they could all move on. It was, after all, just an animal. He wasn't raising no wussies; his boys weren't going to wallow in their grief about a damn dog.

He wasn't raising babies. Err, well, he was raising a baby, but…

The point was that dogs were just animals! Sheesh.

After lunch, most everyone took their leave other than Mace. And Makarov retired to his room once more, that time to truly nap. Upon hearing this, Pike insisted that he go with the man for some reason that no one, but Laxus seemed to understand.

After all, Gramps was great. Youthful in many ways. But still an old fart; Pike had to keep an eye on him.

"Can you take care of Ivory and the boys?" Laxus asked Mira with a kiss before heading towards the backdoor. "I gotta go finish up out there."

Mira grinned down at Ivory when he handed her off. "'kay. Don't hurt your back."

"Hurt my- How old do you think I am?"

"Mmmm."

"That," he grumbled as he headed out the door, "ain't an answer, you know."

"I know."

The day seemed to kind of drag on from there. Mace and Nate had made up, fine, but neither were too enthused about doing anything and mostly just sat around and played with their toys. The only thing that Nate really seemed to enjoy was when Ivory wasn't sleeping and sat down there with them so both he and Mace could play with her (though at her age, that mostly meant shake toys around in her face as she stared at them like they were stupid).

Nate really did like his sister.

He and Mace spent a good chunk of the day, once more, attempting to get her to say their names. Which totally went over Ivory's head, as she basically only knew how to cry and make gurgling noises, but Nate didn't mind.

Only switch to trying to get her to say the word egg when Mira left the room because, you know, that would be a great first word too.

And really funny. Because if she said egg, then his mother couldn't get onto him for calling her Egg.

Could she? Huh?

Well, maybe. Probably. But he wouldn't care none.

Makarov slept a long time. Err, well, he was in his room a long time. Sleep was far as, every twenty minutes, Pike would stop coloring in his coloring book to shove on his Gramps' side and see if he was really sleeping or, rather, dead. And Makarov was too good of a sport to say anything, but honestly, he was more than a bit peeved.

Especially when, that night, at bedtime, Pike insisted upon sleeping with his grandfather. Makarov loved the boy too much to tell him no. And, when, inevitably, some time that night it started to freak Nate and Mace out that Two had died in the room they were sleeping in which was basically just asking for ghosts, it would be Gramps' bed that they crawled in too and that was just fine because he loved his grandsons (and yes, he included Mace in that). Very much.

Even if it meant a sleepless night.

Laxus tossed and turned a lot that night too. Mira could tell as they laid down that night (he actually came to join her later, but Ivory had been whining right before then, so Mira was awake), and asked why almost immediately.

"I dunno," he sighed as she snuggled up to him, staring with concerned eyes. "It's just… I think I'm damn good to my boys."

"You are," Mira said with a slight frown. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because," he grumbled, "they think I killed their dog."

"Oh, Lax, Nate was just being-"

"And then Pike called me old-"

"He did?"

"-and even Mace thinks that I was negligent with the damn beast!"

"W-Well-"

"I mean, do they not get that without me, they wouldn't even be here? Pike and Nate, I mean?"

Mira blinked. Then she shrugged as best she could while lying down. "Genetically? Because considering Pike still thinks there's a stork that drops off babies to parents that look like them, I really don't think-"

"He does not," Laxus grumbled, "think that anymore. He just thinks that you prayed for a baby really hard and then, miraculously, it appeared in your stomach."

"If only."

"Mira-"

"Laxus, they know you didn't kill their pet." Or at least she hoped they honestly didn't believe that. "And to Pike, you are old. So am I."

The man only snorted. "I just… I didn't hate the dog, okay?"

Mira blinked. "Okay."

"I mean, fine, sometimes I made it seem like that and, fine, great, I'm not animal friendly, but who was the one that would clean up his poop because you were too squeamish back before the boys were old enough to?"

"Well, I just kinda treated him like a stray back then, so-"

"Me! I did! And who took him for walks?"

"Mostly-"

"Me!"

"Not exactly, but-"

"And you know, even though you all think I'm a big grump-"

"No one has ever-"

"-that has no feelings and no emotions-"

"You're the one that always tries to be-"

"-I can feel empathy. And sympathy. It's not all just apathy." That time, the slayer only took a deep breath before saying, "He was good dog. And I would never do anything to hurt him."

"I know, dragon." Mira pushed up, just a bit, so that she could kiss his cheek. "You loved him."

Grunt. Then, "I'm not a monster. Or Ivan. I would never do something that would hurt them. Or an animal. And Mr. Bones loved me!"

"Not the Mr. Bones story ag-"

"He did. He would lick my face and I taught him to sit-"

"Lax, you know I love you."

"You better."

"But please. Your childhood makes me feel bad." She laid against his chest that time. "And I feel bad enough without Two here." Sniffling, she added, "I loved my dog."

Laxus only patted her head. "I know, demon. I know."

It was, after all, the only reason that they sat through that horrible dog funeral.

The next morning didn't start off like normal. At all. Something felt off as Laxus headed down to the gym to work out and Mira got ready for work as well as tended to Ivory. They both knew what it was, of course, that was bothering them, but neither spoke on it and, though they knew the boys would, kind of hoped they could just get through the day without anymore waterworks.

Pike, pleased that, in his mind, he'd kept his great-grandfather alive, seemed better that day.

"Hi, Ivy," he greeted her as he passed her high chair that morning to go sit at the table where his mother had sat his own breakfast. Ivory only made noises at him which was good enough for Pike; he knew how she felt about him, after all. Words were meaningless.

Mace was rather sleepy at the table and only laid with his head down, not bothered as Nate ate both his own pieces of bacon as well as his cousin's.

"I have to work today, boys," Mira announced to them as she went around the table, kissing all their heads. "Behave for Master and your father, okay? And Mace, I think you'll have to go home sometime today; you've been here for a week, honey."

Meh. He'd go home another day. Like...in another week.

When she got to Laxus, he got two kisses, which was totally unfair, as all three boys frowned, but decided not to say anything because the second one wasn't to his head, but rather his lips and that was just gross.

"You going anywhere today?" she asked him. "Because I don't think that we can get Lisanna and Bickslow to babysit twice in a row."

"They didn't babysit," he grumbled. "They-"

"It counts." To them, anyways. "I'll swing by on my break to bring you guys lunch, okay? And then will be home for dinner. And Master is in the shower now, but he's supposed to come down to the hall at some point; make sure he does. He has some papers to sign."

"Alright," he sighed as Mira only moved onto Ivory then, who got showered with kisses. That time didn't get a complaint of its unfairness because, heck, the boys showered her with kisses and praises too.

It was just a thing.

"See you when you get home," Laxus called after his wife, who only left with a slight giggle. "Love you."

The boys echoed this and then, finally, Mira was gone and it was back to being a boys only house.

Well, Ivory was there, but she hardly counted. She was so tiny, after all.

After breakfast, Pike wanted to go play pirate (alone, he'd specified because if he didn't then the older boys might tag along and they constantly made him pretend to be a hostage and he hated that) while Mace hadn't bathed in a good two days, so Laxus sent him off to get that taken care of.

"Why do I have to do the dishes?" Nathan complained as his father ordered that to be his after breakfast duty. "It's not fair."

"Life's not fair."

Can't argue with that.

Still got some grumbles though.

"Come on." Laxus tapped him on the head. "You just dry 'em, huh? I'll wash."

That was done in silence for a while. Eventually though, Laxus figured that he was the adult and that meant starting the conversation.

"You know, buddy," he began at one point, "I didn't kill your dog. He was already dead. Taking him to the vet would have been a waste of jewels. It hurts, but it's true."

Nathan, who at that moment was running a rag across a plate, only glared down on it. "You don't know that."

"But I do." Then, since the story was already there and fresh and all, Laxus said, "I had a dog once. Err, well, I had a week in which I had a dog. Mr. Bones. It didn't go well. I don't like to talk about it though. Mainly because it kinda sucks. See, Ivan-"

"Dad?"

"What?"

"I don't want to hear this story again."

Laxus blinked. So that was why he kept having more children; he needed more people that hadn't listened to his stories before that wouldn't cut him off during the middle of them.

Oh, and because Mira forced him into it. That was a big one.

And, yeah, of course, since he loved them too. Lots. Maybe that wasn't why he had Nate, but it was definitely why he kept him.

And to get in Mirajane's pants.

A mixture, really.

"Well," Laxus grumbled then, glancing down at him. "The point is that I'm not my father. At all. I take very good care of you boys. All three of you, really. And your sister. And your mother. And your grandfather. Your aunts and uncles. All of you. I buy you all things. Even Ever and Elfman, at times, when they're short on cash. Freed once or twice. And don't even get me started on how much I give to Lisanna and Bickslow-"

"I wasn't trying to."

"The point is, buddy, that I...I love you."

Nathan's eyes grew. Then, making a facing, he scrubbed harder at the plate. "Knock it off."

Oh, he intended to.

Turning his vision back down to the sink, Laxus added, "Just know that I didn't kill your dog. Or was negligent towards him. Whatever. If he'd needed the vet, we'd have been down there that instant. You know that."

"Yeah," he mumbled after a moment's thought. "I know."

And he did. And had. But he'd needed to let his emotions out somehow and Laxus had told him that men don't cry; so he didn't. Instead, he turned his feelings into anger and took them out on his father.

Honestly, Laxus should understand that completely. It was what he'd done to his grandfather for years.

"Two was a good dog," the slayer offered up then and, slowly, Nate moved to set the plate in its place before grabbing another.

"Yeah." He didn't even sniffle. "He was a great one."

Full Series on Archive

#Miraxus #Elfever #Bixanna #Freed Justine #Makarov Dreyar #Fairy Tail #Fanfiction

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jolteonjordansh · 7 years

Text

Thoughts on Devas Arc

Okay, kind of weird to have this up shortly after talking about Battle of Adventurers (assuming I don’t take weeks to finish this one much how like it too me forever to finish talking about Pokémon Generations), but I want to get talking about this arc out of the way because I really want to watch more Tamers. And I can’t really move onto watching the next arc without writing my thoughts on the previous arc, or I’ll get episodes and opinions muddled up and it really disorients me. If my Adventure 02 thoughts ever felt like they were messy and disorganized, it was because I binge-watched the series in a matter of days unlike Adventure.

Note: I drew the line for the Devas Arc at the end of episode 24. I know some people argue that episode 23 is the end of the arc and 24 is the beginning of the next, but for reference: I am including episode 24 as part of the Devas Arc. It feels more like a transition episode much like episode 13 was for the Tamers Introduction Arc. And the way I see it, the Digital World Arc doesn’t start until they’re actually in the Digital World.

So Digimon Tamers finished up establishing itself and its world earlier. How is it now that it’s able to run free with all of these ideas it set up before?

So remember how I said there weren’t a ton of battles in the Tamers Introduction Arc and how it was definitely more story and character driven? Well man, does the Devas Arc kick the action into gear, and they manage to do it without really sacrificing some of the good storytelling elements that the Tamers Introduction Arc had started.

Right off the bat, there’s a much bigger battle with an Ultimate level Digimon in the first episode (Mihiramon) and it pushes Hypnos to utilize “Shaggai”--to send Digimon back to the Digital World, including threatening our beloved Digimon partners. When the Champion forms prove to be ineffective against stopping Mihiramon, Takato manages to get Growlmon to Matrix Digivolve to WarGrowlmon. And I gotta say, not only was this Digivolution really well-executed, it’s forcing me to go on a topic I really have done my damnedest to avoid when talking about Digimon, but I gotta address it. For the sake of organization, I’ll put it towards the end of the post. For now, let’s talk about all of the good and fun the second Tamers arc did.

The battles in this arc really take a step up, and it shows. They’re really good, full of action, and most of all: a lot of them are filled with emotion. With the exception of a couple of battles, I never felt like the fights were there just to be the obstacle of the episode. It honestly felt like each of these fights encouraged really strong character growth, had a story to tell, and built the world further. It also fixed my issue in the last arc of some insert songs being way too short-lived, since the battles are now far more fleshed out. But towards the end, there were so many new insert songs I didn’t even really get to soak them in (if anyone wants to point out names and links to me, feel free). There was even this one insert song at the end of episode 23, with this new animation that led me to believe it was a new ending. But nope! We get My Tomorrow right after it, and then episode 24 has an entirely new ending. It’s a one-time thing, and it’s really weird to say the least.

By far my favorite battle of this arc and of Tamers so far is the battle with Indramon, among the most cocky and powerful of the Devas. Not only did his fight take up two episodes and prove just how strong of an opponent the tamers were up against, it also helped give a surprising amount of development for Impmon. I was told Impmon would get a ton of character development, and my initial reaction was “Wait, this guy? He’s clearly just an annoyance for the group.” But no, they actually do a really good job making him an antithesis to partners like Guilmon, Renamon and Terriermon, yet he doesn’t come off as a true villain at this point. You do have to feel some sympathy for him during his futile battle against Indramon. Indramon being so ridiculously tough to beat just made his defeat all the more rewarding and enjoyable to watch. In the last episode with him, I kept worrying that the writers would actually run out of runtime for the episode and it would either feel rushed at some points or jarringly cut to another episode. But no, his whole fight was really well done and well-paced. Plus I’m not gonna lie, I was totally a sucker for the Blue Card that Takato’s friends made for him for another Matrix Digivolution. TEAMWORK!

The Vajramon fight that triggered Kyubimon’s Matrix Digivolution to Taomon was also really good too. I like this theme they have going with how things like a Digimon’s environment and partnering with humans influences their evolution and how the oh so “holy” Devas look down on it. I mean, I liked Kyubimon being a nine-tailed fox, but if they’re going to go with this kind of theme than I do prefer them being consistent with it. On the note of Matrix Digivolutions, I do feel like Taomon’s Matrix Digivolution animation is jarring for being traditionally animated while WarGrowlmon and Rapidmon get CG-animated evolutions. I do get why, because I do think with the way Taomon’s was done, it wouldn’t have looked as nice in CG and Taomon is sort of a more traditionally inspired Digimon while WarGrowlmon and Rapidmon have a more mechanical influence.

I kinda couldn’t take Rapidmon’s Matrix Digivolution animation 100% seriously. I’m sorry, all of those percussions and sound effects were so ridiculous and out of place that I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s one of those instances where I feel the original sound team made some bad choices, something I think the Digimon dubs really screwed up on. I mean, Rapidmon is at least a more interesting form than Gargomon for me. The battle was at least neat, but they kind of made it misleading that Rapidmon defeated both Pajiramon and Vajramon in one blow, so that confused me a bit.

I will say, Digimon Tamers does a good job of making you question who the real antagonists are. Impmon seemed like a total douche from the start, but then they really begin to develop him in this arc, and a tiny bit towards the end of the Tamers Introduction arc. Hypnos seems like an obvious evil, but at the same time they have recruited the “Wild Bunch”--the people who created the original Digimon program and all seem like genuinely good people. Then you have the “Mystery Man” leader of Hypnos (I’m only referring to him as this because as far as I remember, they don’t state a name for him at this point), who seems like a totally evil guy, but he goes on about protecting the people and even the tamers, but has no regard for Digimon life. Even the Devas, who seem like the certain obvious evil of this arc, have to be questioned because at the end of the day--they’re fighting for survival. They even do a really neat comparison of the Deva and Asura, and how “good” and “evil” is based on perspective. Considering I’m a sucker for this kind of theme too, I really like how thought-provoking Tamers is trying to be, especially for a show aimed at a young audience.

On the other hand, one opinion that has not changed for me on Tamers is just how so, so stupid the pedestrians of this show are. If anything, it only gets worse! I get it, this is a minor thing and I shouldn’t be this bothered by it, but it just boggles my mind how far they stretch these levels! You would think that maybe, just maybe, between a giant flying Tiger rampaging over a tower, a cobra slithering through the subways, and a sheep capable of archery and a bull wielding fucking swords, that maybe, JUST MAYBE there would be an executive order of some kind to evacuate Tokyo and cancel school? But no! Nope! Only until a giant boar starts rampaging through the streets do the police think “Oh, we should probably try evacuating citizens!” After SIX different monster attacks (not counting Sinduramon and Kumbhiramon since the former caused a mysterious power outage while the latter was more of a nuisance than anything) does the Tokyo police force consider that maybe, JUST MAYBE Tokyo isn’t quite as safe as they think it is! Even then, after Vikaralamon is defeated, things go mostly back to normal with just construction workers taking care of city damage. Even on the night of this whole disaster, we see pedestrians walking around, shopping at some places without a care in the world and school continues as usual the next day. We do get some evacuation scenes and moments of Takato’s parents trying to search for their son, but even then they’re not panicking anywhere near as much as they probably should be.

I get that I’m probably making way more big of a deal of this than it really is, but it just boggles my mind how much bystander stupidity there is. Yes, it’s a TV show for kids and there are some huge levels of suspension of disbelief to be had, but again, you can only stretch that line so far before I have to question: “What the hell is wrong with these people?”

Still, as dumb as some of these bits are, there’s just too much good hanging around here. It isn’t until here that we get to really know more about Takato’s friends other than that Kazu and Kenta picked on him a little bit for seeming crazy. But I do really enjoy seeing them get to meet Guilmon and Calumon, play with them and get more involved with the events going on. I don’t think they’re bad characters--they’re fun side characters even. After my experience with Adventure 02, you would think I would be mad about Jeri’s existence and Takato having a crush on her too, but no, I’m totally cool with it. It’s downplayed and Takato’s crush is an innocent enough case of puppy love over the dumb, hamfisted comedy side plot that is the Davis-Kari-T.K. love triangle.

Not to mention, I really have to commend how Jeri’s interest in Digimon was handled. She’s shy about liking it, but when all of her cards fall out in front of Kazu and Kenta, they don’t make fun of her or even question her. Hell, when they actually see her cards later, they admire her collection. As someone who’s been that girl, this was a healthy and natural way of handling this kind of case. The writers could have easily had Kazu and Kenta make fun of Jeri and do the “Haha, Digimon is for boys! You don’t know what you’re doing!” joke. But no, they never make fun of her for not understanding the card game. They never even make fun of her for liking Digimon. I mean, if I really had to pick on her for anything, it might be her over-admiration for Leomon, but it never got to the point of being outright obnoxious and it was funny at times.

Also, Leomon’s gonna die, right? I mean, he literally almost died the moment he became Jeri’s partner. Just thought I’d point that out.

Speaking of characters, I do really like just how much love was put into making them very human. We really see how much they care for family and friends. Henry really cares about his younger sister (though I wish we could know a little about his other siblings) and we see how close he is to his father. We see how tender Rika’s grandmother is and how Rika respects her, and even despite her distant relationship with her mother, Rika dresses up for her before going to the Digital World to make her happy. That really made me appreciate Rika’s growing sense of humanity throughout the series. Even Takato goes through a sincere and tough moment of trying to help his parents understand how he needs to go to the Digital World to save Calumon and explaining how much Guilmon means to him. He even admits to being a “bad son”, and it’s a really heartfelt scene. And how accepting and encouraging his father is was rather heartwarming to me, while it was easy to feel sympathetic for his worrying mother.

Hell, I have to appreciate how they even made side characters important in this. Some of the kids couldn’t even bring themselves to tell their parents they were leaving for the Digital World. But when Takato, Jeri, Kazu and Kenta all confess to their teacher about leaving, they actually make it a pretty touching and good scene even when their teacher hasn’t been a crucial character.

I have really enjoyed how Tamers has been sort of an inverse of what Digimon Adventure did, dumb pedestrian moments aside. It takes place in the real world first to establish the gravity of how dangerous it can be having Digimon in the real world, and the build-up to traveling to the Digital World is much more fleshed out and important than say, when the DigiDested in Adventure were sort of just rushed back into the Digital World a second time. It’s made this series really fresh, new and enjoyable. And with all of the build-up, I’m really looking forward to how Tamers will handle the Digital World Arc, especially with how great the connections between the tamers and Digimon has been so far.

This connection really stuck out to me towards the end, where the fight against Vikaralamon felt really helpless and Shaggai was just about to completely eliminate the Digimon from the real world. Takato’s struggle of feeling his bond from Guilmon fade whenever he Digivolves further is really unique for Digimon when Digivolution has typically been treated as just the segway to victory more than anything. Here, it’s far more special. The scene where Takato begins to yell and holler at WarGrowlmon in encouragement, while seeming kind of odd, was really powerful and felt like a sort of reconnection between the two. And it worked towards winning the battle against Vikaralamon. It was honestly a really effective scene, and between that and the first Matix Digivolution Takato had with WarGrowlmon, I’ve really enjoyed how their bonds have worked. They truly feel connected, down to Takato feeling some of WarGrowlmon’s own pain.

And between things like the tamers’ and Digimon’s bonds, Matrix Digivolution and some of the battles in this arc, this is where I have to segway towards the topic I mentioned at the beginning of this. I’m putting my Flame Shield up here. As much as I’ve avoided talking about it when discussing Digimon, now more than ever do I need to talk about this:

My God, did Digimon do it so much better than Pokémon, and 15+ years earlier no less.

To clarify, I’m talking about the Pokémon anime’s decision to include the “Ash-Greninja” plot device. Yes, it has been several months. Yes, I am still pissed about it because it’s so, so bad and actually managed to leak into the Pokémon games for no good reason other than shameless self-promotion. But enough about why I’m mad at Pokémon for this one thing. What I want to talk about is why and how Digimon did the whole concept better. I know I should be talking about strictly Digimon here, but this struck such a nerve in me that I cannot go on without talking about it. If you’re strictly a Digimon fan that knows nothing about what has been going on in Pokémon for a while, I’m sorry if this is confusing.

First, there’s the idea of the bond. I cannot stress enough how badly the bond is executed in Pokéani. Greninja is a Pokémon that Ash merely starts his Kalos journey in. It’s not his first journey, not his second journey, but his 8th quest in his entire life (I am including Orange Islands and Battle Frontier here). By this point, he has caught and trained with over forty different companions. Sure, we can argue that all of them are special to him in some form, but why was Greninja, this one Pokémon, so different from the others? Why did he have such a “strong” bond with this one that he was magically able to synchronize with it and give it some powered-up form? No matter how you may feel about Pokémon’s mascot, Pikachu would have made the most sense for this kind of role because Pikachu has been traveling with Ash since he started his journey. The actual bond is there. They have experienced far more than what this new creature on Ash’s team ever has.

For Digimon, it makes perfect sense for Takato and Guilmon. While Digimon (at least in the anime) has humans with only one Digimon partner, it avoids the entire trap that Pokéani set itself up for--forcing this “bond” nonsense. But this idea works especially in Takato’s case because Guilmon is a Digimon that Takato created. Takato is the first person Guilmon ever meets. Guilmon learned from Takato, and Takato learned from Guilmon. They take care of each other and have learned entirely new experiences because of their meeting. There is a true, genuine, unique bond here that could not be replicated by any other individual in Takato and Guilmon’s lives respectively.

Back to Pokéni, sure, Greninja may be important to Ash, but he has been with him an extremely short time compared to so many of his other companions. It feels extremely forced and contrived in Pokéani--it’s there just to promote one of their new monsters rather than attempting any actual good storytelling. Not to mention, the “Ash-Greninja” plot device is there to simply give Ash his victories 99% of the time rather than earning them. While Takato continues to question his bond with Guilmon as he evolves further, Ash only feels a sense of failure once when he loses one gym battle with Greninja. One loss out of the many victories that have been handed to him by just having Ash-Greninja curbstomp anything that got in the way. It makes Ash’s own questioning of his own “bond” with Greninja extremely forced, and it only happens here. It’s not a continuous struggle to become stronger and trust his partner, it’s a plot device to help him win.

Takato’s struggle to trust and bond with Guilmon as he evolves is what helps him build his strength with Guilmon, not outright give it to him like with Ash and Greninja.

This is why when I see Takato cheer Guilmon on and feel his pain throughout battle, I feel for them. I feel the bond between those two characters. I feel like they are truly connected and growing through that connection. When I see Ash “synchronized” with Greninja and somehow feeling his pain, the fights are empty to me. Ash nor Greninja aren’t getting any stronger. They’ve just been bestowed a certain level of power, and they just steamroll to victory with it. It’s why I cringe when I see the whole “synchronization” between them. I’m not cringing because I see Ash feel pain with Greninja, I cringe because all I can think is “God, this is so stupid and forced.” But when I see Growlmon Matrix Digivolve and see Takato cheering him on and, in a spiritual sense, fighting alongside him, I feel fired up and I want to see them win.

And it works the best with Takato and Guilmon because they are partners made for each other, there from the start and experience life together and develop this bond. Greninja was cherry-picked for Ash because Greninja was popular at the time, despite him having so many other partners--even others besides Pikachu--that had a stronger bond with him than this singular trend of a Pokémon. I would be so much less harsh on this if it wasn’t a faked “bond” excuse. If they had just said Ash’s Greninja was born with some super special ability just like how the “Battle Bond” ability in-game works under certain circumstances, I would still call it a plot device, but just accept it as a single dumb writing choice. But when they reason it with a bond that feels so ingenuine, so under-developed and so nonexistent, I feel so much more upset with it and it makes me love what Tamers did for Takato and Guilmon all the more. tl;dr: Matrix Digivolution > Ash-Greninja

I get that this whole part of the post could have been its own separate post in and of itself, and I really didn’t want to go into comparing Pokémon and Digimon too much. But this arc started character development that stuck out so strongly to me that I felt it was important to bring up. Maybe it comes off as a long-winded rant, but you know what? I still give Digimon so much more credit for nailing something that could have easily gone wrong and come off as so cheesy to the point of being stupid, but instead actually made the story and characters all the more investing and impactful.

But to wrap this whole thing up and in terms of the Devas Arc, I really enjoyed it. It upped the action just as I was hoping for while still maintaining great storytelling and doing such a good job of keeping me emotionally invested as well as developing characters, new and old. It’s really set my hopes high for the rest of the series and I really want to get to that Digital World Arc. I’m really excited to keep watching this show, and I hope it continues to surprise me.

#Shut Up JJ #JJ DigiWatches #final thoughts

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ask-jungshook · 7 years

Photo

// HEYO! :D Here’s my version of the Meet the Artist meme that’s been going around! I got several admin asks as well, so might as well knock out two birds with one stone!

Fun Facts & Q&As under the cut!

Sup! I go by Dissu! It’s my art/gaming nickname that was given to me by friends and pretty much just stuck with me to the extent that I respond to it as much as my real name haha

FUN FACTS! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

My corgi’s full name is Lucas GNAR (the latter being League of Legends inspired-- his nickname is Lulu tho ;o) I’m a total nerd and gamer if you haven’t guessed by now HAHA

I carry backpacks over small purses because I easily lose/misplace small things. (Bags with shoulder straps always slide off my shoulders too) My other two bags are a winged backpack and a small crossbody.

I carry a pillow in my backpack so I can sleep on the bus on my commute to work (I have no more shame LOL) Lucas ate an eye off it when he was a puppy, so that’s why it has one eye LOL

I doodle on post-its because they’re easier to get rid of/scrap if it comes out looking bad. I don’t have any sketchbooks because for some reason I’m really bad at drawing in books??

I have a slight case of RBF, so I will most likely look :| even though I’m :D on the inside

I dye my hair because my hair is usually extremely oily and dyeing is usually the only way to counteract it. (But mad respect to kpop groups because holy shit bleaching your hair pretty much fries it 2/10 would recommend -- also grey hair is rly hard to maintain zzz)

My average sleep time on weekdays is 5 hrs, but on weekends it’s 12+ hrs.

I am a self proclaimed sparkling rock (because I’m really bad at expressing my emotions irl lol)

ASKS! ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅

BTS: JIMIN by a narrow margin, JK and NAMJOON are tied for a close second (Yoongi is forever my spirit animal though)

For other KPOP groups I follow currently:

Big Bang: TOP

Sechskies: Eun Jiwon

I mainly use SAI! (and PS for animation)

And it’s ironic because I’m like 99% sure I messed up my brush settings yesterday lol but here’s what I have right now. I pretty much use the default brush for all my sketches, lineart and coloring. (The only difference is just brush size)

I’ve been playing around with my settings more and more just for fun/ trying out new things since I already messed up my settings /weeps (I should have had a screenshot of my original settings in hindsight . . . rip me)

Q__Q omgsjakhgsdlkg thank you guys so much (●♡∀♡) <333 You all give me motivation to keep on drawinggg! <3 (I’m also rly bad at expressing thanks but tytytytyty x100000, it means a lot)

Disclaimer: Just wanna add really quickly, take what I say with a grain of salt bc what worked for me might not work for everyone.

Don’t give up & practice A LOT!

I’ve never had any ‘legit’ art classes in the sense that the only art I got from school was one elective class in high school. The program I was in during HS and the field I’m in now are both devoid of creativity lol (Which is why people at my workplace are usually surprised to see that I draw) That being said, most of my art is mainly trial and error! But it’s a hobby that I enjoy a lot, so I don’t mind the trial and error aspect of it. I also really like the fact that you can like graduallllly see improvement the more you draw! :D Only recently, I’ve been actively trying to get better and improve since I have more time to do things now. (Legit school was probably the main reason why I couldn’t draw a lot -- exams man)

To elaborate a bit, overall I think I’m an average artist at best because there’s simply so much that I still need to learn. I feel like for me, I never fully grasped the foundation for drawing (mainly anatomy), so I’m trying to relearn that now that I have free time. (I think previously, all I drew was still-life, so I . . . can draw fruit???? LOL) Like if you look at most of my older pieces, you can see that I have no clue how to draw clothing, body structure, or color theory. (The good thing is, that I know my weaknesses, so it’s a good starting block! haha)

But for art in general, it’s all about your foundation and how you build on it. If you don’t know how to break the body down by body parts, then there’s no way that you can free draw a person that looks perfect. So at this point, for me, it’s just a quest for learning & self improvement! :D

Another important thing is to step outside of your comfort zone! I strongly believe that you learn from failure especially for art. Like I think this year was the first time I drew a full body picture because I forced myself to step away from just drawing faces only. (LOL LEGIT I’VE ONLY DRAWN HEADSHOTS OF PEOPLE FACING LEFT FOR LIKE 99.9% OF THE TIME) While it wasn’t perfect, I definitely learned from it.

I also highly suggest iterative drawing! Which is basically drawing the same thing over and over, but changing small things with every repetition. That way, you can compare and see what worked and what didn’t and carry that forward!

Also, don’t expect like change overnight! That’s one of the things I think people have a misconceptions of-- especially something that new artists can get a bit down on, because they don’t ‘see’ improvement. But JUST KEEP ON DRAWING! Because improvement will always be gradual. (It’s very similar to working out -- like you’ll gain muscle tone over time & not overnight)

Like this is probably one of the first CG pieces I drew like YEARRRRS back (maybe 2009????) when I first tried digital art vs a WIP of what I’m currently working on right now (yes, dat’s a jimin) :

So clearly, getting from point A to point B for me happened over a lot of years and not right away, but just know that it IS possible if you’re willing to be patient -- and that improvement is there even if you don’t see it!

Also I just wanna throw out there that improvement isn’t always going to be a upwards curve, it might stagnate/plateau occasionally and that’s OK! I think when I was still in school, I took A LOT of art hiatuses that spanned months so when I would get back into drawing, my art probably looked worse LOL

But for me personally, what it comes down to in the end, is that:

1) You’re making art because YOU enjoy it. If you go into drawing with the intention of getting famous or having a lot of notes, then there really isn’t that much personal sense of joy if you’re basing your accomplishments by how many notes you receive. Draw for the sake of yourself instead of for the sake of others -- it’s a lot more liberating.

2) You’re basing your improvement against yourself, not against other people. Everyone is different and everyone learns things at different rates, so don’t feel discouraged if someone else is improving at a different rate than you are. I know a lot of people get discouraged when they see how fast others may be improvement-- I mean there was a point where I was like that, but ultimately, improvement will always be a battle against yourself only. (This applies to like self improvement lol not just art improvement)

3) Have a positive outlook & be patient. Basically going back to point 1, art should be something that you enjoy doing/something that makes you happy! Personally for me, I don’t see a point of calling something a hobby if you find no joy in doing it. I feel like in the past my main struggles were that I was unhappy about my art because I kept on comparing it to like REALLY good people HAHAHA & because I had like no improvement in the beginning, but then I realized that there’s not point of being sad over something I can’t control. Because all artists have their own story and all artists have to start out somewhere. (tbh sometimes, all you have to do is just change your mindset a bit)

TLDR; Lots of practice, seek improvement, try new things, have a positive outlook (BE HAPPY!!!) & don’t give up! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و HWAITING!

>___> I just realized that I wrote a lot in no particular order, so I’m sorry that it turned into one very messy essay LOL but hopefully that was kinda helpful? igotlazierastimewentonthololsosorryifthelastsectionmadenosense

BUT I THINK I’M FINALLY DONE LMFAO! (Also bless, this cleared out several asks from my inbox) :D If anyone’s curious about anything else, feel free to message me (or ask me stuff once my askbox re-opens) -- I’m always free to chat! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

#meet the artist #faq #// admin faq #// unshook #// i'm a very weird person lol #// i actually did this meme for twitter #// and totally forgot to post it on tumblr lol whoops #// but hope that was somewhat helpful?#// i have no clue what i wrote at the bottom tho LOL #// it turn into a huge tangent that probs coulda been answered with 4 phrases lol #// i swear this will be the last ooc post #// also too lazy to tag people #// but feel free to do this meme if you want to!#// art faq

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