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nox140497 · 3 months

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A Midnight Crisis

Prompt: No

Request: No

Summery: Colby has a panic attack late one night.

Prompt Number: None

Pairings: Colby Brock x Female Reader

Masterlist

Prompt List

_______________________________

Colby shut his laptop with more force than intended and rubbed his tired eyes. It was past 2am, and he was no closer to finishing the script for his next video.

Glancing around the dimly lit editing room, stacks of notes and camera equipment stared back at him, each item representing hours of work ahead. The never-ending to-do list seemed to stretch into infinity as pressure and perfectionism gnawed away at his sanity.

A tapping at the door pulled Colby from his spiraling thoughts. "Sweetheart, come to bed," said his girlfriend Y/N softly. "You've been at it for hours."

Colby nodded wearily and followed her downstairs. As they curled up under the blankets, Y/N gently stroked his damp hair. "What's keeping you up?" she asked softly.

Colby took a shaky breath. "I just feel so behind. If I don't post at least twice a week, the algorithm will bury me. And the comments..." His voice cracked. "People are always criticising - the lighting, my jokes, who I film with, everything. I try so hard, but it's never enough."

Y/N pulled him closer. "You work like three men already. No one achieves perfection, at least of all in a few hours each time."

Colby knew she was right, but the churning anxiety refused to subside. What if his viewers lost interest? Sponsors pulled funding? It had happened to bigger creators - he wasn't immune.

"I'll never sleep at this rate," he sighed. Reluctantly climbing out of bed, Colby headed back to his prison of screens and cables. Y/N followed, concern etched on her face.

Back in the office, Colby began rewriting his script frantically, deleting and retyping sentences over and over as familiar panic started clawing its way up his throat. What if he picked the wrong topic? Messed up the comedic timing? He typed so fast his hands began to cramp.

A stabbing pain in his chest made Colby gasp for air. Black spots danced before his eyes as the walls closed in, trapping him under the crushing expectation to perform.

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around him from behind. "Colby, you need to breathe," urged Y/N calmly. She took his trembling hand and placed it on her chest. "In and out, slowly. I've got you."

Colby fought to match her even breaths as crushing anxiety morphed into racking sobs. "I'm losing control," he cried into Y/N's shoulder. "What if I can't do this anymore?"

"Shh, it's okay," soothed Y/N gently. "Come, let's get some air."

Walking unsteadily through the silent house, Colby slowly began to regain control of his breathing in the cool night. Y/N never let go of his hand, grounding him through the lingering panic.

On the back porch, they sat close together, watching the stars. An uneasy silence stretched between them as Colby gathered the courage to speak.

"I'm scared this will break me," he admitted shakily. "I pour everything into videos only to be constantly worried if it's decent enough. It's not making me happy anymore - it's destroying me." A single tear rolled down his cheek.

Y/N gently wiped it away and took his face in her hands. "You are so much more than the metrics or comments say. I see how talented and kind you are every day. This channel was supposed to be fun, so please don't let it ruin your health or us."

Her earnest eyes conveyed nothing but compassion. All the resentful feelings Colby harbored towards himself began to melt away under Y/N's unconditional love and support.

As the first light of dawn broke over the trees, Colby finally felt some of the crushing weight lift. Exhausted but calmer, he leaned into Y/N's shoulder, grateful beyond words that she saw his true worth, not defined by meaningless views or numbers on a screen. This was only the beginning of getting his life back on track, but with her by his side, Colby believed things could get better.

A week had passed since Colby's panic attack, and he was beginning to feel more like himself again. Taking time completely away from YouTube at Y/N's suggestion had brought unexpected relief.

Without daily stresses to focus on, Colby rediscovered long-lost interests like photography and gardening. He spent afternoons going for hikes with Y/N, marvelling at nature's beauty through fresh eyes. Their home filled with snapshot memories from each outing, captured joyfully on film.

With structure and rest, Colby's anxiety gradually released its grip. For the first time in months he slept well, free from dreams about botched collabs or unkind comments. Y/N watched him awaken each day looking more energised, reminding her gently of the importance to maintain this lifestyle.

One sunny afternoon found Colby immersed in tending roses along the fence border. As he trimmed away wilted blooms, flashes of memories surfaced - cramming scripts at 3am, editing well into dawn, forgetting to eat or take breaks. Exhausted, sore hands moved on auto-pilot to create a never-ending stream of content.

His downward spiral had been gradual yet forceful, spurred on by perfectionism and fear of slipping in the algorithm. But Y/N's care dragged Colby kicking and screaming from that dark routine, revealing how lonely the path of overwork had become. A cold shudder passed over him at the realisation of how close he came to burning out completely.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Colby's gaze fell upon Y/N watching tenderly from the porch. Her bright smile warmed his soul, reminding him that life held more meaningful things than views or trends. Carrying the gardening tools inside, Colby collapsed on the couch beside her with a happy sigh.

"Feeling better?" she asked, handing him a cool drink. Colby nodded gratefully. "I'm amazed at the difference a week makes. Things seem clearer now."

He stretched comfortably, thoughts drifting back over stressful nights locked away working endlessly to please abstract metrics, while neglecting real connection. That loneliness had almost swallowed him whole.

"Thank you for pulling me back from the edge," Colby told Y/N earnestly, taking her hands. "I lost sight of what really matters, but you've given me a new perspective."

Y/N leaned in for a lingering kiss. "I'm just glad to have you here, happy and healthy. Promise me you won't let it get that bad again?" Smiling, Colby promised to always communicate how he felt from now on, never bottle things up until breaking point.

That evening, the couple discussed potential strategies for Colby to maintain wellbeing going forward. Setting stricter schedules with enforced breaks, delegating tasks, limiting social media use - simple changes aimed at sustainably managing pressure and burnout prevention.

Colby knew regaining control would take diligent effort. But with Y/N by his side, nothing felt impossible anymore. Her patience and reassurance instilled a calm confidence in his ability to return renewed, without sacrificing mental wellness. The following week, Colby finally felt ready to resume video making.

Armed with new perspective and healthier habits, Colby crafted a short update video explaining his break to concerned viewers. Speaking candidly about mental health awareness and balance, he saw more supportive comments roll in than ever before. The positive reinforcement served to cement Colby's resolution to prioritise fulfillment through diverse passions instead of basing self-worth on one metric's fluctuations alone.

Weeks turned to months of sustainable creativity. True to his word, Colby kept communication lines open with Y/N, never hesitating to discuss feelings or setbacks. With her encouragement he joined local photography groups and took on freelance opportunities to spread creative wings beyond YouTube alone.

Most importantly, Colby learned to be kind to himself through both triumphs and failures. Looking back on a time when anxiety nearly took control of his life, he was profoundly grateful for Y/N's unconditional love and support. It was this care that gave him strength to overcome adversity and regain balance, emerging healthier and happier than ever before.

#sam and colby #xplr #colby x reader #colby brock #colby brock x y/n #colby brock x you #colby brock x reader

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mypimpademia · 9 months

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— Passenger Princess

Izuku x Black! Fem! Reader

Synopsis: Headcanons of what it’s like to be Izuku’s passenger princess

TW: Slightly (but briefly) suggestive towards the end

Bakugo version here!

⇶ One of Izuku’s primary love languages is quality time, so you being his passenger princess is inevitable

⇶ He loves to be with you all the time, and he feels like running around town with you rather than by himself is the perfect way to spend his day

⇶ Riding around with Izuku is something you do at least once a week, normally over the weekend when he has to run errands

⇶ Shoots you a text first thing in the morning, telling you good morning and asking if you wanna come spend the day with him

⇶ He’s an early riser, usually waking up around 5 AM and starting his day with a good workout, so you don’t respond till hours later and he’s okay with that

⇶ He keeps his notification sound on just to make sure he doesn’t miss it when you text back, happily agreeing to come with him

⇶ Izuku immediately puts down whatever weight he’s lifting, or stops his push ups or sit ups, and replies in an instant, telling you he’ll be over in an hour

⇶ Finishes up his workout then takes a quick shower and gets dressed in some sweatpants and a random hoodie before heading out

⇶ You always tell him that he doesn’t have to, but Izuku was raised a gentleman and everytime he comes to pick you up, he’d much rather come to your apartment door to get you instead of just making you walk out to his car

⇶ Always thinks you look the prettiest in a casual outfit, and little to no make up. His heart melts everytime you greet him with a glossy lipped grin, smelling like your favorite perfume

⇶ Never fails to get a kiss from you, despite your protests and whines about how you just put on lip gloss

⇶ On top of quality time, Izuku is alllll about acts of service

⇶ Before you even go anywhere, he asks if you need anything from anywhere

⇶ Won’t take no for an answer, even if you truly don’t need anything

⇶ Takes you to breakfast before anything if you haven’t eaten yet, and pays for the both of you

⇶ Izuku then proceeds to take you anywhere either of you need/want to go

⇶ He may be the one driving, but he still follows whatever you want like a lost puppy

⇶ If you even slightly mention something about going to Target, the beauty supply, Sephora, Ulta, or even IKEA, you can bet that’s where you’ll end up next

⇶ He’s got zero self restraint, and although he’s grown out of letting people walk all over him, he’s still a people pleaser to an extent, and will try and make his loved ones happy by any means

⇶ Especially you.

⇶ Throws anything that you even glance at into the cart

⇶ Don’t even say “Aw, that’s cute,” to anything, because he’ll offer to buy it for you on the spot no matter the price

⇶ Because he grew up with a single mother who did what she could to make sure he lived well, Izuku can be hesitant to spend money

⇶ But that only applies to him spending money on himself and others spending on him

⇶ No matter how much he loves something, if that price tag isn’t pretty, he’s not getting it.

⇶ But when it comes to you? You could drag him into every luxury store on Earth, and he’d swipe his card on every item you ring up without even looking at the price.

⇶ You never make him spend crazy amounts on you of course, but he denies you everytime you try and deny him buying you things

“What? You don’t love me anymore?”

He was exaggerating, of course. He knows you love him, but he gets pouty when you don’t let him show affection the way he wants to.

“Don’t start with that, Zuku,” you rolled your eyes. “And put that back, you are not getting me that. I wouldn’t even buy that for myself for that kind of money.”

Izuku kissed his teeth in response. He could be so sassy sometimes, only he would get this riled up about not being allowed to buy someone a necklace.

“Okay? That’s you,” he argued. “I’d buy it for you, you know I will.”

Emphasis on the ‘I will’, and not ‘I would’. Izuku has always been the stubborn type, and not even you could change that about him.

“Izuku, absolutely not,” you shook your head at him.

He sighed, walking up behind you and placing the gold rope chain against your collarbone.

“C‘mon angel,” he whispered. “You were just talking about how beautiful this was and how you love it so much. Lemme buy it for you.”

He was sweet talking you now, and it was working. You hated it.

“Izu, baby,” you started, but he cut you off before you could protest again.

“You’d look so good with it,” he put the necklace on you, clasping it and turning you towards a mirror. “See? And I could get you a pendant for it, maybe put your initial on it.”

Izuku pressed a soft kiss behind your ear.

“Or even mine.”

Your face was burning up, and you huffed in defeat.

“…How much is it, again?” You asked.

Izuku smiled at you threw the mirror.

“Don’t worry about that, princess.”

⇶ If the man ever went bankrupt, it’d be because of you, but he wouldn’t even complain

⇶ As much as he loves to spoil you on your shopping trips, grocery shopping is his favorite

⇶ It feels so intimate and domestic, he seriously considers proposing to you then and there

⇶ Picking out veggies that look fresh, seeing which fruits are ripened to your liking, and buying extras of things just because they’re on a good sale

⇶ Groceries are always your last activity of the day, just because you always run around doing so much, Izuku doesn’t want to have fresh food sitting in his car for hours on end

⇶ But he always loves walking around with you from aisle to aisle looking for what you need and checking off the grocery list

⇶ Once again urges you to get anything you need or want, and still won’t take no for an answer

⇶ Sometimes, you just pick up a pack of gum or some candy at the register so he stops asking

⇶ Izuku never wants to leave you when the day is coming to an end, so you always go back to his place to put away groceries and cook some dinner together while he convinces you to stay the night

⇶ He’s lucky he’s a pretty boy that’s got a way with words, otherwise, all his sweet talking would never work

⇶ You already have everything you would need at his house. Shower supplies, your usually lotion and other moisturizers, clothes, and more bonnets than anyone needs

⇶ And of course there’s two of every bonnet, just so he can match you

⇶ After dinner, you take a shower together

⇶ Aside from Izuku not knowing how to keep his hands to himself when he offers to wash you, showering with him is relaxing and endearing

⇶ He holds you whole hot water runs over you both, fixes your shower cap so your hair doesn’t get wet, and lets you wash his face for him

⇶ On top of your matching bonnets, you have matching pjs as well, and a lot of your sets are hero themed, naturally

⇶ Izuku lights up a vanilla scented candle, then gets an assortment of snacks from the kitchen while you pick out a movie or a show to binge watch

⇶ And after a long, hard, and oh so draining day of sitting pretty in Izuku’s passenger seat while he buys you anything and everything, you fall asleep on the couch with him, curled under a blanket, and wrapped in his arms <3

—

Taglist: @megurulvr @miirene @planetlunaa @romiantic @szaplsdropthealbum @dreampurpledreams @goldenglow149 @gender-queery @roaringlion @cosmiles @tatiquichi @kxtsxkii @lillizxzz @starsoir

Send in an ask or DM me to be added to all taglists, or fill out my form to be added to select ones.

—

Thank you for reading, comments and reblogs are appreciated! Follow for more!

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fcknstar · 1 year

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,,locked up with you "

marcuslopez x fem! reader

a.n : this was requested and its been such a long time since ive watched deadly class omfg. im abit rusty in writing him and m vv sorry. i hope this is okay and could go to the suggestive way which m going to make a part 2 of! my taglist!

warnings : intoxication?, suggestive ending

**lowercase intended**

there was only one rule that was greatly feared by the students. “ never kill another student in and outside school grounds. “ it was widely known among students that there was once an incident that happened, the culprit facing grave punishments.

walking back to your dorm to set your thing down before getting lunch was the only thing you looked forward to. you enjoyed eating as much as you enjoyed eating it with your best friend. despite being one of the most respected students here, you didnt care if people gave you the side eye if they caught you being friends with the rats. it was normal some of the royals from other groups to bust down your door to take you to serve you a reminder to never communicate with that “ filthy rat “ you associated yourself with. lex, petra and billy were the only few rats you enjoyed being with. the rest? not really what you are looking for in a friend. of course, being friends with the rats doesnt mean that you get along with every single rat you see. for example marcus. ever since he joined kings dominion, hes nothing but a stuck up bitch. just because rumors has it that he killed an entire orphanage, he thinks that everyone will fear him.

going out of your dorm to meet up with lex, you were met with a hard chest. when the scent smacked you in the face, you knew exactly who you bumped into.

" hey! arent you going to apologize? " marcus voiced out.

ignoring him, you quite literally had to push yourself out of his big figure, dodging him as he tried to push you against the wall. seeing lex in the distance, you called out for him and pretending that marcus isnt trying to kill you. of course, angered by your actions, he tried to scare you off, when the master lins people started pushing everyone into random dorms. to your luck, you were in your dorm with lex. to your luck, marcus was too in it.

" another student have been found dead and im going to find out who. " master lins voice echoed through the empty halls.

" oh my, t's lockdown. well, seems like we are going to miss lunch, beautiful. " lex chuckled.

" beautiful? you? calling her beautiful? are you seriou- " marcus started pestering you, gesturing all kinds of hand signs that nearly looked similar to gang signs.

" well, she is one of the finest women here in kings dominion. hey, you got any glue and a plastic pencil case? " lex started looking around the room for the said items, making marcus frown in confusion.

" its in the drawer in my desk. to the left " you knew lex found it when you heard eager sniffing after a fart-like sound signaling that he emptied the glue out.

" ohh.. " marcus concluded that lex wanted to get high. of course.

it had been afew hours and lex got knocked out after being starved and getting high on an empty stomach. you were on your bed looking through your textbooks for answers to the chemistry equations.

" you know those are really easy to answer. "

" hey, im talking to you. " youve ignored him, not once, not twice but three times.

" would you please shut up? if you want to talk, whisper " glancing at lex snoring softly.

" someones mad. " marcus looked up from whatever book he saw lying around, watching you scratch your head in confusion.

" you know, if you need helP- ouch " marcus was met with a book that was flung into his way. another indication of you wanting him to shut up. he watched the way you looked at lex, giggling about how stupid he looks, lying on the ground breathing slowly.

turning to your side to look at marcus, you huffed.

“ why do act the way you are? acting so high and mighty when you are just a timid rat? “

“ well i did- “

“ didnt burn the orphanage down. fuckface did. “ you deadpanned.

“ ho- how did you.. “ marcus began sinking into the chair, realizing that you had figured him out which scared him.

“ i know who fuckface is, marcus. “ you slowly advance towards him.

“ and something is telling me that he is after you.. for stealing his name.” you ran a finger against his neck, gesturing that fuckface was coming for his head.

“ so, if i were you, id start running. “ you whispered, faces inches from his. lips close enough that if one of you were to lean in, your lips would be connected.

marcus thought it was going to happen, everything you said flew out of his mind as he could only think of you. he would never admit it, but he was greatly attracted to you when he saw you in school. he felt something turn in his stomach, the undeniably annoying heat that he was tremendously feeling. so when you pulled away, he was caught off guard. jumping back onto your bed, you sighed happily, as if nothing ever happened between you two.

“ i know the fucking game youre playing, ( name ) . “ marcus whispered.

“ oh do you now ? “ you smiled softly.

it was when marcus pushed your books away from your bed, moving towards you. once he was in the same eye length with you, he whispered, “ may i? “

it didnt have to be a verbal response, it was plenty to understand that you wanted it too.

taglist :

@superpositvecloudshipper

#one shots #imagines #answered #marcus lopez imagine #marcus lopez x reader #marcus lopez arguello #benjamin wadsworth #mattheo x you #mattheoxreader #mattheo riddle

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digitaldiarystuff · 5 months

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The Interview

Hi guyss! Thank you so much for the support for my last post, here’s another idea I’ve had and if you want a part 2 to any of my stories feel free to reach out to me!

————

summary: You’re an actress in Spain who supports atletico and are asked in an interview about Joao’s goal against your team, you playfully answer and receive a notification afterwards.

genre: fluff

pairing: Joao Felix x Y/N

————

So, Y/N, we’re coming to the end of our interview but before that, I see here in my cards that you’re a die hard Atletico fan. Is it true?” Jim, the interviewer asked. You giggled.

“It’s true Jim, growing up, my dad was a football man. We spent every weekend watching games in the stadium or at home and I still do, just not going to games because of my crazy schedule, just watching them with my Griezmann shirt at home. We’re all big fans.” you answered truthfully. You loved watching the games but sometimes it was hard to catch up.

“So, did you watch the game they played against Barcelona?” he asked, intrigued.

“I did, actually. It was heartbreaking.” you said.

“Oh yeah yeah. Felix scoring the goal.”

“Yeah, it was hard to watch because I always knew he was a good player, seeing him score against us was hard.” you answered hoping that nobody would get upset because as much as it was true, you knew you had to make interviews professionally. Especially the live ones.

Soon after, the interview was done and you were in the backstage grabbing your items to head out. It was an off-day and you had planned on going home and not do anything.

When you went into the house, your dog, Biscuit was waiting for you at the door. You played with her for a few minutes and then grabbed some treats from the kitchen and a blanket to make yourself cozy and watch some TV but your phone vibrating like crazy meant the interview was up and everyone had seen it. You weren’t a big time celebrity but your recent role in a Netflix series has gained you tons of attention.

You were going through your message requests seeing the good and the bad things people said until one name caught your eye.

Joao Felix

Sorry to break your heart 💔 he said. You stared at the message for what felt like an eternity.

Maybe one or two footballers slid in your dm’s in the past months but none had any effect on you but Joao’s single sentence made your tummy flip. Was he mad? How could you respond to this, if you were to respond of course because you shouldn’t. Right?

It’s a little late for that, what’s done is done, you wrote but deleted right after, was it too harsh. You always had a weird sense of humor and enjoyed banter in flirting but you didn’t even know if this was flirty.

Well, you could always make up for it, you wrote then but feared it might be too forward, what if he was just apologizing genuinely to a fan? Oh god that would be embarrassing.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just your job” you wrote and sent. This is the most appropriate, you thought. And maybe, he wouldn’t even respond after this.

You were wrong, he replied back in a minute.

“What can I do to make it up to you?”

Okay, this wasn’t about all fans, you thought. Because he specifically asked what could he do for you. Breathe Y/N, breathe.

Before replying, you quickly went onto his page, he was an amazing looking athlete there’s no denying and you’re single so you shouldn’t feel bad about the butterflies in your stomach.

“You could start with a dinner.” you replied and threw the phone on the couch scared of his response. Oh god, you hope you didn’t misread the interaction.

After a few minutes you decided this was stupid and picked the phone up.

“My pleasure. Tonight at 8?” he wrote and you nearly screamed, this gorgeous man was taking you out tonight and you were already shaking.

You quickly said ok and decided to have a long shower and get ready since it’s already 5. He also asked for your location to pick you up at 8.

After the shower you went into your closet trying to decide on what to wear and ended up with a navy dress and did your makeup. Just as you were putting on earrings, you heard the door knock. You tried calming yourself and opened the door and saw the most handsome man you’ve ever laid eyes on with a big smile and a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

“Hi.” he said sheepishly.

“Hi.” you replied equally giddy.

“Are you ready?” he asked, eyeing you up and down.

“Yes, here just let me take those of your hands and we can go.” you said, blushing because he was looking at you with no shame.

He drove you to a fancy restaurant which you’d once been with your manager as a celebration but he reserved a secluded table for the two of you.

At first, you were a little nervous about being on a date with him but that quickly went away as you talked about anything and everything. You quickly realized he was the most down to earth guy and wasn’t full of himself. He listened and gave you compliments as you described your life and you listened about his career. Before you knew it, it was nearly midnight and you were having the time of your life. You didn’t have to put on a facade with him and say whatever.

When the bill came, you of course offered but he wouldn’t budge and paid for the night and helped you walk to the exit with his hand on the small of your back. You got goosebumps just from a simple touch.

You went in the car and he started driving so you put on the radio and singing along the song when he joined you. You giggled.

“What, do you not like my voice?” he asked offended.

“No, I actually do.” you said. It felt like you knew him for years.

“I had fun tonight.” he said while walking you to your door.

“Me too, thank you for everything.” you said as you walked up the stairs to your door.

You stood just looking at each other’s eyes, lost in the moment.

“I sho-“

“Do you want to come inside?” you cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

“Yeah.” he smiled as you walked in the door.

He started looking at your home, analyzing details and when he saw the pictures of your family, he smiled.

“Did I also break your dad’s heart?” he asked.

“Why, are you going to buy him dinner too?”

“No, that was all for you.” he said as he walked over and held your waist looking at you intensely.

You looked up at him and smiled. He leaned in and stopped, as a way of making sure this was okay and you gave him the permission by pressing your lips against his. He smiled into the kiss and started moving his lips immediately. You lost yourself at his touch and placed your hands behind his head, playing with his hair. His hands roamed over your body trying to hold you closer.

“Y/N, I think I like you.” he said after you broke the kiss to breathe.

“I think I like you too Joao.” you said smiling widely.

“Now take me upstairs.” you said in a quiet tone, needing more of him.

He nodded immediately telling you to jump and wrap your legs around his torso. He carried you upstairs and you strengthened the connection you found today, until the sun came up.

You opened your eyes slowly, feeling a presence next to you and it was Joao. He was still sleeping. After you went to sleep, your mind wandered if this was just for one night but seeing him next to you happily snoring made that feeling go away. You carefully escaped his arms holding you at place to wash your face and go down to the kitchen. Just as you were passing the living room, you saw the flowers he brought last night. Smiling to yourself, you picked them up to put in a vase when you noticed a card sitting in between pink tulips.

You opened it up to see what was inside and found a note from him and smiled even wider if it’s possible.

“I hope this is the beginning of a great story”

————

Ahh, this was sooo sweet even when I was writing I was smiling, hope you enjoyed it! Feedback is always appreciated luvs 🌷

#joao felix #joao felix imagine #joao felix barcelona #joao felix atletico madrid #football #football imagine #football oneshot #football x reader #joao felix x reader #joao felix x y/n #football x y/n #football fluff

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anonymous-dentist · 6 months

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Or: a pirate au

Before having the nerve to turn Roier in to the Navy, Spreen had this to say:

“I have no compassion for anybody.”

And then he had leaned forward and driven both the metaphorical and literal-actual-goddamn sword in between Roier’s ribs, and he had whispered right into Roier’s ringing ear:

“You’re lucky I’m not drowning you.”

And then he had kicked Roier off of his ship and onto the Navy’s, and he had sailed away, free to live and fight another day while leaving his best friend and first mate behind.

But, well. Joke’s on him! It’s been a year since that fateful day, but Roier is alive, and he’s free, and he’s got a gun and a sword and a ship of his own, and he’s gonna make Spreen pay.

But first? Breakfast, and fast. The Navy is after him, and he doesn’t want to get captured this early in the morning. (Foolish would never let it go!)

The Barcoier docks just after sunrise, and Roier is off the ship and speeding down the pier before Jaiden even has the anchor weighed.

The island is small, so small that it’s just a town and some farms and a couple of trees and a single lake smack in the center of it all. It’s so small it doesn’t even have a name, but that just makes it all the better for hiding from the Navy on; if it’s too small to be on a map, it’s too small for those idiots with the Navy to pick up on.

Maybe Roier is a bad pirate captain for leaving his crew to tie up the ship and run errands while he gets everyone breakfast and tries not to get arrested. But also:

(“We need a chef,” Jaiden complains. “No offense, dude, but your cooking sucks.”

Roier sniffs, hurt, but he doesn’t argue. He’s a better chef on land than he is on the water.

“I’ll get us a chef,” he promises. “But only if you-” He pokes Jaiden between the eyes with a corner of his hardtack biscuit. “-get us better food! Nobody can cook with this!”

He smacks his biscuit hard enough against the table to crack it [the table.] Jaiden rolls her eyes, but she shrugs.)

Where there’s a good breakfast, there’s a good chef. And, on an island as tiny as this one is, said chef might just be desperate enough for a change of pace that they’d agree to become a pirate. (It’s how Spreen got Roier, after all.)

How hard can it be?

…Really hard, actually, especially now that the Federation and its Navy are starting to crack down extra hard on pirates. They’ve moved on from life imprisonment to public executions, and all because most of the pirates left on the seas have started to unionize under the guidance of the feared Captain Bad Halo.

But, who knows? Maybe today will be the day!

Maybe…

The town’s only restaurant is closed for renovations, but the town’s bakery is open, thank God.

The bakery, much like the town it’s based in, doesn’t have a name. It does, however, have a wooden sign hanging above the door with a donut painted on it. The donut’s center, rather than being a hole, is a bright yellow-irised eyeball. Freaky.

The door jingles like rusted keys as Roier enters. Someone swears from the back room; otherwise, the bakery is entirely empty.

“Coming!” Roier hears.

“No worries!” he responds. “Take your time!”

He doesn’t exactly have time for the baker to take, but he isn’t exactly going to get himself a chef by being rude, is he?

So Roier waits, and he takes the opportunity to look at the display cases by the front counter. Donuts, of course, some muffins. An… abnormal amount of meat pies. Sure? Why not! Every place has its specialties.

A few moments pass, during which Roier starts mentally counting how many of each item he’s gonna need, and then footsteps from the back and an apologetic, “Sorry, I’m just-”

The baker cuts himself off as Roier stands up and looks him over. He’s… handsome, okay. Okay. More importantly, he already looks more piratey than half of Roier’s crew: pierced ear, scar across the bridge of his nose, solid build. Hot.

“You’re a pirate,” the baker says, much calmer than most regular people would be. Good, he’s brave, pirates need to be brave.

Roier leans forward against the counter, propping himself up on his elbows. He smiles, head tilted juuuust so.

“Who, me?” he asks. He shakes his head. “Naaaah. I’m just a regular guy looking for breakfast, you know?”

The baker’s eyes trail over Roier’s head and shoulders like he’s memorizing him. Creepy, kinda. Hot, kinda.

Roier continues, “But I’ve never been here before, so… any recommendations?”

He winks. The baker’s eyes widen slightly, and then he smiles himself and leans himself against the counter, his arms just inches away from Roier’s.

“Well,” he says, “the donuts will last longer on a long trip, if that’s what you’re asking. Everything else has fresh ingredients in it.”

“Who says I’m going on a long trip?”

The baker rolls his eyes and pushes himself off the counter to start unloading donuts into a bag. “Please, nobody actually wants to stay in this shithole. I’m used to tourists.”

He has nice arms. Maybe he even knows how to use a sword already.

“Sooo… you want to leave, too?” Roier asks.

The baker shrugs. “Maybe someday.”

That isn’t a no…

So it’s basically a yes!

Roier beams. “What if today was your someday?”

The baker gives him a flat look. “I’m not a pirate.”

“Maybe I’m not, either. But I do need someone on my ship who knows how to cook, and you wanna get out of here.”

The last donut is dumped into the bag, and the baker ties the bag shut and plops it onto the counter. He leans over it with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not a chef, either,” he says. “Shouldn’t you be hiring someone that can actually cook, Captain Roier?”

At Roier’s gasp, the baker nods his head towards the wall behind Roier. On it is a bulletin board with wanted posters for nearly every pirate on the seas, Roier included.

Whoops.

Whatever! The baker hasn’t called the authorities yet, so he’s fine.

Roier opens his mouth, ready to try his pitch again, but he’s rudely interrupted by a cannon ball sailing through the bakery’s front window and slamming into a cabinet full of flour.

The room explodes into white, sending both Roier and the baker reeling.

“Fuck!” Roier coughs. He fans the air in front of his face, blinking rapidly to get the flour off of his eyes.

The bakery’s door is slammed open by a heavy boot. Its owner, a Navy officer, follows it in with his sword drawn and pointed at… the baker.

“Hands in the air,” the officer sneers.

Roier looks at the officer. He looks at the baker.

The baker looks at him. The baker looks at the officer.

He raises his hands slowly, holding the donut bag with it for whatever reason.

He looks at Roier again, a small smile on his handsome, yet flour-dusted, face.

“Thank you for having me aboard, captain,” he says.

The officer just then seems to notice Roier, but the poor bastard is just a bit too late because, just as he’s turning around to slash at the very obvious pirate captain in the room, Cellbit chucks the donuts at the idiot’s head. The bag makes contact, and then it makes the officer stumble right into the pointy end of Roier’s sword.

What a shame.

Roier pulls his sword out of the guy’s stomach with a grimace, wiping the blood on the bakery’s shredded window curtains.

He turns to smile at the baker, then.

“Glad to have you aboard…”

“Cellbit,” the baker supplies.

Now, where has Roier heard that name before…?

Whatever! There’s time for that later.

For now, Roier has a ship to get to, and he has a chef to deliver to it.

#a.d.'s fics i suppose #a.d.'s fics i suppose.#spiderbit pirate au #that’s right I revamped it #based loosely off of 1 piece iykyk

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sasaranurude · 13 days

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Okay. I've been playing Tokyo Debunker today, since the release happened to catch me on a day when all I'd planned to do was write fanfiction. I just finished reading the game story prologue (it was longer than expected!), so here's a review type post. If you're reading this post not having seen a single thing about this game: it's a story-based joseimuke gacha mobile game that just released globally today. It's about a girl who suddenly finds herself attending a magic school and mingling with elite, superhuman students known as ghouls. If you look in the tumblr tag for the game you'll see what appears to be a completely different game from 2019 or so: they retooled it completely midway through development, changing just about everything about it due to "escalating competition within the gaming industry."

I'll talk about how this looks like a blatant twst clone at the end.

Starting with the positive: The story is charming. I enjoyed it thoroughly the entire time and am excited to read more. The mix between visual novel segments and motion comics was really nice--it broke things up and added a lot of oomph to the action or atmospheric scenes that visual novels generally lack. I like the art in the comic parts a lot. the live2d in the visual novel parts is... passable. Tone-wise, I think the story was a little bit all over the place and would like to see more of the horror that it opened on, but I didn't mind the comedic direction it went in either. The translation is completely seamless. The characters so far all have unique voices and are just super fun and cute. Of the ones who've had larger roles in the story so far, there's not a single one I dislike. It's all fully voiced in Japanese and the acting is solid. (I don't recognize any voices, and can't seem to find any seiyuu credits, so it seems they're not big names, but they deliver nonetheless.) Kaito in particular I found I was laughing at his lines a ton, both the voicing and the writing.

He's looking for a girlfriend btw. Spreading the word.

The problem is like. The gameplay is the worst dark-pattern microtransaction-riddled bullshit I've ever seen. Hundred passive timers going at all times. Fifty different item-currencies. Trying to get you to spend absurd amounts of real world money at every turn. There's like five different indicators that take you to various real-money shop items that I don't know how to dismiss the indicator, I guess you just have to spend money, wtaf. Bajillion different interlocking systems mean you have zero sense of relative value of all the different item-currencies. I did over the course of the day get enough diamonds for one ten-pull, which I haven't used yet. Buying enough diamonds for a ten-pull costs a bit under $60 (presumably USD, but there's a chance the interface is automatically making that CAD for me--not gonna spend the money to check lmfao), with an SSR rate of 1%. BULLSHIIIIIT.

There's like a goddamn thousand-word essay explaining the dozen different types of character upgrades and equippables and equippables for the equippables!! Bad! Bad game design! That's just overcomplicating bullshit to trick people into thinking they're doing something other than clicking button to make number go up! That is not gameplay!

In terms of the actual gameplay, there is none. The battle system is full auto. There might be teambuilding, but from what I've seen so far, most of that consists of hoping you pull good cards from gacha and then clicking button to make number go up. There's occasional rhythm segments but there's no original music, it's just remixes of public domain classical music lmao. I'd describe the rhythm gameplay as "at least more engaging than twisted wonderland's," which is not a high bar

At least there's a cat in the rhythm bit.

And like, ok, I gotta remark on how derivative it is. Like I mentioned in my post earlier, this game is unabashedly aping twisted wonderland's setting and aesthetic. (That said, most of the stuff it steals from twst is magic school stuff that twst also basically stole from Harry Potter, so...?) However, it isn't exactly like twst: in this one, the characters say fuck a lot and bleed all over the place and do violence. Basically, the tone is a fair bit more adult than twst's kid-friendly vibe. (Not, like, adult adult, and I probably wouldn't even call it dark--it's still rated Teen lol. Just more adult than twst.)

Rather than just being students at magic school, the ghouls also go out into the mundane world to go on missions where they fight and investigate monsters and cryptids. Honestly, the magic school setting feels pretty tacked-on. The things that are enjoyable about this would've been just as enjoyable in about any other setting--you can tell this whole aspect was a late trend-chasing addition, lmao. So, yeah, it's blatantly copying twst to try to steal some players, but... Eh, I found myself not caring that much. Someone more (or less) into twst than me may find it grating.

Character-wise, eh, sure, yeah, they're a bit derivative in that aspect too, but it's a joseimuke game, the characters are always derivative. Thus far the writing & execution has been solid enough that I didn't care if they were tropey. If I were to compare it to something else, I'd say the relationship between the protagonist and the ghouls feels more like that of the sage and wizards in mahoyaku than anything from twst. There's some mystery in exactly what "ghouls" are and their place in this world that has me intrigued and wanting to know more about this setting and how each of the characters feels about it. I have a bad habit of getting my hopes up for stories that put big ideas on the table and then being disappointed when they don't follow through in a way that lives up to my expectations, though.

So, my final verdict: I kind of just hope someone uploads all the story segments right onto youtube so nobody has to deal with the dogshit predatory game to get the genuinely decent story lol. Give it a play just for the story if you have faith in your ability to resist dark patterns. Avoid at all costs if you know you're vulnerable to gacha, microtransactions, or timesinks.

#suchobabbles #Tokyo Debunker #it's a global simultaneous release so I'm curious to see how it ends up doing in Japan #it's gonna be competing directly with stellarium of the fragile star which releases in a few days lmao. and is about a magic alchemy school #looks like the two games twt accounts have a similar number of followers #and then theyre competing with bremai releasing in may...#also adding this at the very end since i cant confirm anything:#but i found out abt this game bc it was rt'd by the former localization director/translator of A3en #i dont know if she worked on it or maybe her friend or maybe shes just hype! who knows! but i think her word (or rt) is worth something

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shadowfloofster · 8 months

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Bad's character is SO interesting yet so tragic but it's rarely noticed, even by a large majority of the ghosties as it happens.

(all /rp and no neg to anyone)

Bad worked SO hard to help the island from the moment the eggs joined. He's been coming up with ways to protect the eggs, he's got nearly every item possible, has always been happy to equip anyone with what they need and has always been up to babysitting without even being asked because he wanted to make sure all the kids are safe and alive.

Yet during the election arc, people constantly said how Forever did the most for the island because his stuff was the most obvious. Bad's contribution was hardly mentioned at all because they were less obvious to people.

He might have won the islanders vote, but he lost overall by a single vote. In his mind, it doesn't matter, he lost and that's it.

He starts his 'vacation' arc that was a cover for his mental breakdown as he lost his chance to have Skeppy, his main anchor to emotional stability. So he builds statues of Skeppy to help cope. And people treat it as a joke, tell him he's crazy. Cover the Skeppys because it's fun for them. They say he's crazy but laugh it off and never try help.

Baghera tries after seeing how much he's hurting, but he always deflects. Foolish lets him keep his vacation treehouse in his home because he knows Bad isn't doing great. But none of it helps.

He's still expected to babysit the eggs when they've not been taken care of. Expected to happily hand out whatever people ask for. Expected to go into super dangerous dungeons and get little to no recognisation for how well he's done, Etoiles getting called the best fighter on the server and only Etoiles recognising how powerful Bad is.

So he gives up on the 'vacation' as no one is noticing. The vacation was treated as a funny joke so why continue? Then when Forever takes the credit for builds Bad has helped with a lot, it hurts Bad a lot because that's supposed to be one of his closest friends practically refusing to acknowledge his help.

One thing he's slowly starting to realise is that people only see him as 'the babysitter and rich guy' of the island. He's not Bad. He's the helpful guy. We first see him snap when the daycare him, Pomme, Dapper, Richarlyson and Senhora (?) Worked on was blown up without as much as an apology until afterwards. He snaps and goes to blow things up because he's snapped.

He doesn't take it too far, just targetting the person who deserves it. But it's a sign he's getting close to snapping.

Bad wants Forever, one of his closest friends on the island, to just say thank you for helping. He can't ask as that takes every ounce of meaning out of the words, he can subtly hint at that's what he wants, but if he outrightly says it, then it means nothing.

The thank you isn't just a "I want you to appreciate what I did for you" thing, it's a "We're friends, right? You care about what I've done to help you right? So you care about me right?" To Bad. It means much more than just thank you to him.

But he can't just ask like Pomme said. It means nothing when asked for. So he has to try get him to say it without directly saying he wants it.

Bad's getting closer to the end of his sanity and nothing is helping. Few people are trying to help because he tries to play it off as a joke, the ones who do try don't know how. He wants two small words from someone, but he's told he's wrong. That he should just talk to Forever because it's not that big of a deal.

Bad's problems are being constantly dismissed by people on the island because he treats it so much like a joke no one thinks about it being any deeper than a joke because they expect him to tell them. When that's now how he is. He's never been truly open about any emotions and he isn't going to suddenly start because people aren't noticing his subtle hints at not being okay.

#qsmp #qsmp badboyhalo #qsmp analysis #it's so hard to watch when you realise these things #There's so many things about his character that people don't initially notice until someone points it out #Just ahhhhhhhhhh

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no-phrogs-in-hats · 3 months

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Baby Steps Part 6

Larissa x pregnant!reader

Summary: Larissa and Reader's life as parents

A/N: Final part bitches!!! Hope you enjoyed it!

Read Part 5 here

You were completely and utterly exhausted–and sore. But you couldn’t remember a time in your life when you were happier.

Laying back in the hospital bed, you watched with a dazed and sleepy smile as Larissa held Ramona in her arms. A bright smile was plastered on her face, accompanied by eyes that were almost equally as tired as yours.

“I love you,” you mumble, your stare at her unwavering.

Larissa, with the baby still in her arms, walked over to you and pecked you on the lips. “I love you too, darling. And may I just say, you made quite a cute baby.”

“I have many talents,” you giggle, accepting another kiss from Larissa.

“How the hell do people use these?” you groan as you try to buckle Ramona into her carseat. “Larissa, can you help me?”

It was like magic. Since getting the carseat a few months prior, you had practiced unbuckling and buckling a babydoll into it, and every single time, only Larissa could do it.

“What the fuck??”

“Language!” Larissa joked. “There’s a baby right here!”

You rolled your eyes and made your way to the hospital bag, double checking that you had everything and more. “Oh, please. She’s two days old, Larissa. All she does is eat and poop.”

“Go lay down. Larissa and I have this.”

It was the third time you were being scolded by your sister to rest.

“Mia, no, I have to feed–”

“There is milk in the freezer,” she countered. “Trust me. We’ll be fine. Go rest.”

So, begrudgingly, you listened to her and went to bed.

With Larissa back at Nevermore and you on maternity leave, you had quite a bit of time to yourself when the baby was sleeping. This led to quite a bit of online shopping while binging seasons of new shows when you were bored. However, some of the items you had bought weren’t just for you.

It was eight when you put Ramona to bed, sleeping soundly with a full belly in the nursery. You snuck into your room, shutting the door quietly and completely ignoring Larissa who sat in bed reading her nightly chapter of the book she was reading. You made a B-line for the bathroom, excitement coursing through your veins as you dug through the cabinet under your sink.

You pulled out a skimpy set of red lingerie, knowing damn well how it’d affect Larissa. After throwing it on quickly, you opened the door to the bathroom and posed seductively. And to your satisfaction, she looked up and her mouth instantly dropped.

Larissa tossed aside her book. “Where did you get that? When did you get that?”

“Well,” you said, creeping closer, “I’ve had quite a bit of free time…” On your hands and knees, you crawled into bed and up to Larissa. “And I thought, you’ve been so helpful lately that you deserve a little…treat.”

“Three more weeks,” Larissa muttered to herself. “Three more weeks…three more weeks…”

You giggled and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Just because I have to wait three more weeks doesn’t mean you have to wait. I’m not the only one here who’s able to have a mind blowing orgasm, Larissa.”

And with that, she pulled you in for a deep and passionate kiss, holding you close and breathing heavily when she pulled away from your lips to get a few words out. “You, my love, will be the absolute death of me.”

“I’m counting on it.”

The past five years had flown by almost too quickly. With Ramona’s fifth birthday just a few days away and her starting kindergarten just a week after, yours and Larissa’s life was absolute chaos.

“Mom and Dad said they’ll be able to come over for the party,” you said from the kitchen island with a cup of coffee in your hand. “Mia said she can bring her boys over for some cake and almost every kid from Ramona’s daycare class will be here. So that’s…thirteen people coming over.”

Larissa, who was at the sink washing dishes, sighed. “Okay, so I guess we could just order a few pizzas. The kids will eat anything sweet, so we could just get a sheet cake from the market bakery. We have the pool, so that should keep everyone occupied most of the time.”

“We still need to get the decorations, though,” you said. “Ramona wants all pink. We could go tomorrow…have her pick the stuff out…take her to lunch. We need to get her some school supplies too. She starts on the 26th.”

Larissa turned the water off and dried off her hands, turning around and pouring herself a glass of wine at the island. “I think that’s a good idea. She could pick out some snacks too. Maybe a thing of soda. Between that and cake, though, these kids will have a world record sugar rush.”

“Oh, my darling,” you said, grinning into your glass. “The sugar rush will be bad, but think about the sugar crash.”

There were children everywhere and you were thankful for the backyard renovation you did a couple years prior. Multiple times, Ramona had insisted Larissa throw her in the pool and when she asked why you couldn’t do it, Ramona whined and said, “Cuz you’re taller so it’s funner! Please!!”

It was complete domestic bliss. Watching Larissa play mermaids with your daughter filled you with more joy than you could’ve imagined–especially when Larissa actually shifted a mermaid tail and all the kids went berserk.

The sun was setting when the pizza arrived and mermaid-Larissa was completely forgotten about when the kids found out it was stuffed crust pizza. The three large pizzas were absolutely devoured and the cake was practically torn to bits.

You met Larissa’s eyes across the patio, and noticing she looked horrified by the kids’ sugar rush, you mouthed, ‘Sugar crash,’ and she rolled her eyes and smiled before cleaning up empty pizza boxes and used paper plates.

Larissa groaned as she got into bed beside you and pecked you on the cheek. “I am exhausted. I don’t know how your sister does it with two kids. I could barely handle throwing Ramona in the pool twenty times.”

You paused the typing on your laptop where you were finalizing summer-school grades. You didn’t know what to say. The nausea would come and go, but you truly thought you were just sick with something a student gave you, and then you counted the days back to June. Your sister had taken Ramona for a week to give you and Larissa a little break. And that break led to a little road trip to a beach further south, which led to…a lot of sex–to put it bluntly–and a lot of experimenting.

Well it’s sooner or later, you thought. Without a word, you shut your laptop and went into the bathroom. You came back out with your hand behind your back and an uneasy look on your face.

“What is it?” Larissa asked, looking up at you.

“Well…” You let out a deep breath. “Remember in June, when we went to the beach, and we did that…thing?” Larissa still looked confused. “You know…the shapeshifting thing…That we both really liked…?”

Larissa’s eyes widened. “Oh! Yeah…What abou–”

Her words were cut short as your hand came out from behind your back, fingers clasped around a positive pregnancy test. You handed it to her, and the second she saw it, she gasped. “Are you serious?”

“You’re not mad, are you?” you asked.

Larissa beamed like the morning sun. “Mad? Darling, how could I be mad?” She got on her knees and pulled you into bed, laughing with you and pressing kisses all over your face.

“I dunno,” you shrugged. “It’s just so sudden and…unexpected.”

Larissa shook her head and kissed you firmly on the lips. “My love, some of the best things in life are sudden and unexpected.”

Tag list: @gwenistheloml @barbarasstar @gwendolinechristierulez @furrysharkfart @yourgaeyisshowing

#gwendoline christie #larissa weems #larissa weems x reader #fanfic #fluff

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brucebocchi · 4 months

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Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 4: #5-1

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

The list is complete! This took a lot of work but I'm over the moon to get this out there. Please consider leaving a tip if you've enjoyed reading.

Here goes, my top five anime of 2023:

5. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Zom 100’s debut hit like a freight train, especially coming from a brand new studio. It had everything: Visceral satire of Japanese work culture, incredible animation, vibrant colors in unexpected places, clever cinematography, wish fulfillment for everyone who’s ever wanted to Stone Cold their boss, and most importantly: Zombie titties.

The premise is magnetic: When your job makes you feel like a zombie, an actual zombie apocalypse means certain freedom from the grind. Akira Tendo realizes that he can finally use the vacation time he amassed while being exploited and overworked at a legally dodgy black company, so he writes a bucket list of everything he’s ever wanted to do, with all intention of checking off every single line item before succumbing to a zombie bite. He manages to rescue his hunky fuckboy bestie from college, and they embark on a road trip across Japan to finish out the list, along with a beautiful, risk-averse tsundere and a big-tiddy German weeb.

It's a perfectly fine elevator pitch, and a welcome break from the guns-and-grit quagmire the zombie genre has been stuck in for the past two decades, but what makes any good zombie-flecked media resonate is the human element, which Zom 100 delivers expertly. You’re quickly given reason to care for all the characters, their motivations are clear and relatable, and you want to see them survive and live out their dreams. But more importantly, you just want to hang out with them through their hijinks. It even delves into more serious matters, like what we owe our parents as adults, the ways isolation and bitterness can drive people to act out in their worst moments, and even the factors that push abuse victims to stay with and even return to their abusers.

Above all, though, it’s a powerful (if extreme) story of finding joy in the direst circumstances. Akira, Kencho, and Shizuka are all kindhearted, well-meaning people whose situations kept them from what they truly wanted to do with their lives, and there’s something kinda beautiful to be found in them finding a new opportunity during the possible end of the world (Beatrix is a sweetie too, but aside from the whole zombie thing, she’s already exactly where she wants to be). The final arc of the season, in particular, looks you dead in the eye and asks you: If you were suddenly faced with the ultimate freedom, would you use the opportunity to better yourself, improve the lives of others, or do whatever the fuck you want at everyone else’s expense? You may not like the answer at first if you’re honest with yourself, and that’s okay. The world isn’t over, and there’s still time for you to be your best self.

Zom 100, unfortunately, fell prey to a cruel irony in the form of production issues. Bug Films is a new studio made up of a former team from OLM that was responsible for similarly gorgeous projects such as Komi Can’t Communicate and Summer Time Rendering. They clearly saw so much of themselves in Akira's workplace exploitation that they had to swing for the fences here. The firm he works for is named “ZLM” in this adaptation, for fuck’s sake, and he fully destroys his zombie boss in the first episode. But new studio or old, the anime industry is a grind, and Bug had trouble keeping up; animation quality did take a bit of a dip after the stunning first episode, and episodes were frequently delayed as the summer broadcast season wore on and ended without the entire seasonal run making airwaves. Hell, it was impossible to watch the final three episodes until just a few days before I could write this sentence.

For what Bug were able to pull off, though, Zom 100 is outstanding. The paintball-colored blood splatters everywhere are an instantly-iconic look that strike the balance between horror and spectacle. Everything and everyone looks gorgeously faithful to Kotaro Takata’s art, and delivers an appropriately cinematic look that the manga always deserved. I almost don’t know what else to tell you but that this show is a fucking blast.

There’s also a zombie shark. What more could you want?

4. Oshi no Ko

I spent a good chunk of 2023 just assuming Oshi no Ko was going to be a layup for anime of the year. Shortly after moving on from Kaguya-sama, I rushed to binge Aka Akasaka's subsequent manga in time for the anime's feature-length debut. I was taken in by OnK's bonkers premise and sudden dark turn and quickly fell in love with the characters, and my anticipation only grew. I had high expectations for the screen adaptation, but nothing could have prepared me for just how lovingly it all came together. This is as close to a perfect adaptation as you can find, and the same can be said about both the preceding and following entries on this list.

Oshi no Ko is an audiovisual feast. Doga Kobo cleaned up Mengo Yokoyari’s character designs just a smidge, but put just the right flourishes on them to make every single cast member instantly iconic. One look at Kana Arima’s eyes will tell you everything you need to know about the level of care put into the visual design of this anime. The performances are on point as well; though many of the main cast members are relative newcomers to the world of seiyuu, you can tell they truly came to understand the characters before they even recorded one line. I’ve already gushed about Rie Takahashi in earlier entries, but her turn as Ai Hoshino is easily one of the best voice performances all year. Takahashi makes a meal out of every single second Ai spends on screen and gives you every reason to care about her as a character.

Showbiz manga in general is obviously missing an audio element, and when an adaptation can expand on that aspect well, it can help turn even middling source material into something transcendent (see also: Rock!, Bocchi the). Music is central to Oshi no Ko, and the OP/ED combination is already iconic; YOASOBI’s “Idol” has had the best worldwide chart performance of any Japanese song ever, and the prolonged intro to Queen Bee’s “Mephisto” became a meme in Japan in the same vein as JJBA’s iconic use of “Roundabout.” Rather than taking manga characters’ word for it that someone is a terrible actor, we actually get to cringe along to an amateur actor’s hammy emoting. We get to see and hear what turned a fictional idol group into a national phenomenon rather than just see cute girls posing on the page. All of this is to say that while Oshi no Ko is an excellent manga, it needed a screen adaptation, and especially one of this quality.

Oshi no Ko deserves every shred of its success. I've never seen an anime make a splash this enormous with just its debut episode, even if it’s kind of cheating to say so because the first episode is almost literally a movie, and if I were to give an award for the best single episode of anime this year, it would be that one, hands down. Adapting the entire first volume into a feature-length debut was the correct move (mostly because it’s a tonal rollercoaster, and the Big Event that defines the entire story wouldn’t have happened until the fourth episode otherwise), and the investment paid dividends. The hype naturally died down a bit as the season wore on and settled into a more consistent tone and rhythm, but it remains an essential anime to 2023.

You may have noticed that I have said very little of what this show is actually about, and that’s by design: If you still don’t know the plot of Oshi no Ko’s first episode by now, I refuse to tell you: you need to go in blind. All I will say is that it is an idol anime that glorifies nothing. If you've read this far and still trust what I have to say about anime, I beg you to just take my word for it. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.

3. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

There's just something so wonderful about taking in an adaptation of a work you’re already familiar with and knowing, almost instantaneously, that every single person working on it genuinely loved the source material and relished the opportunity to bring it to life. Nearly every single member of the original cast is in the dub (including the ones who went on to be MCU mainstays), Edgar Wright is back on as executive producer, Anamanaguchi reprise their soundtracking duties from the video game, and even Bryan Lee O’Malley himself helped co-write everything.

That last detail is probably the most important thing about this entire production: It’s not exactly a secret that the original Scott Pilgrim comics are very imperfect portrayals of a very imperfect young man. I knew reading them at the time that the comic did not have a great grasp on relationships and the dynamics between men and women, and that was at a time in my life when I myself was pretty terrible with and to women. O'Malley has said that he would only revisit Scott Pilgrim if it was “the right thing” and that he was leery of a straight retelling of a work he has since outgrown.

So instead, we have the Rebuild of Scott Pilgrim, to put it simply. Takes Off is a completely new story that reexamines the Scott Pilgrim comics, movie, and even game without undermining what came before it. This series is not a repudiation of Scott Pilgrim (the character or the franchise)’s flaws, nor is it purely fanservice; it splits the difference perfectly. It’s both more mature and completely self-indulgent. This show so easily could’ve marched to the familiar discourse drumbeat of “Scott isn’t the hero here” or “he’s actually not a good dude,” but it instead focuses on what should always be the second half of that sentence: “But Ramona still sees something in him.”

Yes, Ramona Flowers is effectively the protagonist of a new work that doesn’t even have her name on it, and it tackles some surprisingly necessary questions: What was her responsibility in creating seven evil exes in the first place? What made them evil? Are they even that evil? This series opens up entire worlds of possibilities within the extended cast and gleefully dives into them. Though Takes Off may not flesh out every single character, it does take its time with several of the ones who really did need a little more meat on their narrative bones, and even gives some characters new roles just because it would be fun to see them in new situations.

I still cannot believe they got Science Saru to make this show. “They made a Scott Pilgrim anime” and “They brought back the movie cast” are already good enough fodder for that Vince McMahon meme, but “It’s produced by the motherfuckers who made Devilman Crybaby” had me falling out of my chair. The animation maintains O'Malley's chunky, cartoony character designs and works wonders with line weights and simulated camera effects to give everything a tactile, weighty feel, like it’s somehow (and very appropriately) splitting the difference between a comic, a film, and even a video game. There’s a wide array of visual effects that helps to place all of Scott Pilgrim’s influences further on its sleeve: Dynamic action scenes, camera depth and chromatic aberration, and our beloved pixel art inserts. It looks like every Scott Pilgrim, everywhere, all at once.

The live action film’s cast did a (mostly) great job reprising their roles for animation, and there are some wildly unexpected cameos in there. Voice acting is not quite the same as stage or film acting, but everyone pulls their weight, and dialogue feels far more naturalistic than your average anime dub. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong and, surprisingly, Chris Evans are outstanding in their respective roles. I’m gonna have to watch this again in Japanese, though. Fairouz Ai as Ramona, Aoi Koga as Knives, and Yuichi Nakamura as Lucas Lee? Sign me the fuck up.

This is not an apology or revision of Scott Pilgrim the character or work, it is a celebration that still acknowledges and improves on the flaws. If you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan who’d been clamoring for a proper cartoon adaptation, Takes Off may not exactly be what you’ve wanted, but it may be what you needed. Chances are pretty good that you’ve grown since the first time since you read, watched, or even played something with Scott Pilgrim’s name on it, and it’s a blessing to say that while the character may not have grown, Scott Pilgrim the franchise finally has.

2. Jujutsu Kaisen, season 2

I’m so glad I picked up JJK this year, if only because I would’ve otherwise been caught in a mudslide of memes I didn’t understand.

Season 2 follows in lockstep with the manga from where season 1 left off, beginning in extended flashback with the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc, covering Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto’s high school life and the events that would eventually create the rift between them that came to shape Jujutsu Kaisen’s story. We see very different versions of Gojo and Geto here, much younger and more naive, but only marginally less powerful as they’re sent on an escort mission with the future of the jujutsu world in the balance. Because this is Jujutsu Kaisen, and because Jujutsu Kaisen is for masochists, nothing happens as planned.

We unfortunately do not get the precious slice-of-life hijinks the OP suggests, but if you watched season 1, you should know better by now than to trust an OP. While the initial arc does have its quieter and goofier moments (and some delicious homoerotic subtext), it wastes little time in declaring that this is a new version of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime: Lines are thinner, character models are looser, and action is buckwild. Two of the best fakeouts in the series happen in the span of five minutes. Those unfamiliar with the source material may have wondered for a bit why there needed to be a five-episode prequel arc to start the season, but the pieces would soon fall into place.

And then came Shibuya.

The Shibuya Incident arc was what made Jujutsu Kaisen a must-read in every new issue of Shonen Jump. It reset the status quo for the story and shaped it into something far beyond another “teenagers with special powers go to a school for teenagers with special powers” battle shonen. Needless to say, the hype for its anime adaptation was astronomical.

The Shibuya arc sets the stakes early: Nobody is safe and there may be no happy ending. Triumph is short-lived, and every threat is existential. Everyone who has been in the series up to this point plays a role, and you’re not going to like a lot of what’s needed of them. This arc punches you in the gut, repeatedly, and in between each blow is some of the most intense and innovative action you’ve ever seen. It will hurt, and you will beg for more.

I liked this arc a good amount in the manga, but by the end I was ready for it to be over. I didn’t get the hype around Toji, thought the deaths were cheap, and was so. FUCKING. sick of Mahito. Seeing it in fluid motion onscreen, though, everything just clicked for me and I couldn’t get enough. I fully get now why the girlies have been wetting themselves over Toji; the character modelers were HORNY horny this season. I see now how even the most unceremonious deaths fit into the narrative, or at least one will make perfect sense to me once Gege Akutami and I have a little chat :). And holy hell do I understand now that Mahito is one of the best shonen villains in the history of the medium, that sick bastard. Season 2 was my Rosetta stone for Jujutsu Kaisen; I see it all now. My sixth eye has been opened. Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the literate one.

JJK’s second season has a markedly different feel from the first from a presentation standpoint, and I feel it’s for the better. Every aspect of the presentation is on point, and I want to call attention to the audio element: The production music, with a heavy focus on jazz piano, is wonderfully unique for the genre, and the voice acting remains top notch. These are banner performances from the likes of Yuichi Nakamura, Kenjiro Tsuda, Takahiro Sakurai, Asami Seto, and Nobunaga Shimazaki, but the performance that defines the Shibuya arc (and by extension the entire season) is Junya Enoki as Yuji Itadori.

Enoki’s been great this year in lead roles in goofy works like KamiKatsu and Girlfriend Girlfriend (not to mention minor roles in Skip and Loafer and the vending machine isekai), so it’s no surprise that he continues to crush it as JJK’s protagonist; Yuji Itadori is a goofy dude. But the Shibuya arc, for as much ground and as many characters as it covers, is ultimately Yuji’s story as he is forced, time and again, to endure the cycle of the “suffering builds character” meme. His peers and mentors in the first season told him repeatedly that the life of a jujutsu sorcerer is a short and unhappy one, and he now has to shoulder that burden for everyone. Enoki nails every single part of a wide spectrum of emotions Yuji is forced to endure over the course of the Shibuya arc, be it determination, naive confusion, or just pure unbridled trauma. If this isn’t the best voice performance of the year, it’s top five at worst.

Like every major battle shonen release in the age of social media, this season has had its detractors. Reviewers at Anime News Network kinda hated the story, but that’s something you take up with Gege Akutami (and get in line behind the manga readers). I've seen people complain about the animation. Which, like. If you don’t like the new visual style, sure, fine, that’s up to personal taste. But if you think this season isn’t well-animated, you just plain don’t know ball. It may not have a cohesive look, but that was the draw for me: Season 1 was good, but at times I felt like it looked a little too rigid, a little too shiny, a little too samey. Season 2, especially the Shibuya arc, looks like everything. Sometimes it looks like an action film, sometimes it looks like Mob Psycho 100, and at points it looks, most crucially, like Akutami’s most iconic panels brought to life, stroke for stroke.

The varying styles weren’t an accident: Nearly each episode had its own director, and those resumes cover top-tier animations like Mob Psycho, Devilman Crybaby, Kill la Kill, Heavenly Delusion, Oshi no Ko, FLCL, even Akira and goddamn Golden Boy. While the episodes don’t look entirely consistent from one to the next, the variance is less jarring and more “holy fuck, what am I going to see next?”. The looser style of animation is what Jujutsu Kaisen always needed; Akutami’s art is very loose and dynamic, and his action panels are borderline inscrutable at times. Season 2 nails the feel of JJK to a degree that its adaptation always needed and lets its directors, storyboarders, and animators run wild. At times, characters will look like they leapt right off the page; others, they will look like something you have never seen before in your life.

It is unfortunately impossible to talk about this season without also bringing up MAPPA’s working conditions, and how animators were frequently overworked against nigh-impossible deadlines. It was an open secret last year as Chainsaw Man aired that MAPPA’s animation schedule was a meat grinder, but that came bubbling to the surface quickly as JJK’s second season aired. Word got out midseason that MAPPA had its animators sign NDAs about their work conditions, but complaints still broke containment and several staffers took to social media to apologize for their work looking incomplete, and some even publicly announced that they are leaving the studio. It is stunning that the finished product looks the way it does under such conditions, and I respect the animators for putting in such incredible work, but something has to give. Several major series suffered from major delays this year, some of which I gave significant praise, but MAPPA is lucky that all of JJK came out on time. I wish I knew what could push them to treat their workers with the dignity and respect (and pay) they deserve, but that’s a conversation that covers much wider ground than just anime.

MAPPA has already announced that the series will continue through the next major arc. While there is quite a bit of it that I would love to see on screen, I can only hope that the animators get to rest. For now, though, we can be proud of what they made under duress, even if some will forever wonder what it would look like if the staff were treated like something a notch above cattle.

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Fucking hell. This is why I watch anime.

I was curious about this one because a couple major anitubers I watch had reviewed the manga and were effusive in their praise. I knew the anime adaptation was on the way, so I decided to hold off on reading and see what the anime would be like, and with Keiichiro Saito (director of Bocchi the Rock! and key animator for Oshi no Ko’s instantly-iconic OP) at the helm, my excitement was piqued. That guy turned a B-minus 4-koma into an innovative hit comedy, so what can he do with a beloved source material and the backing of a legacy studio like Madhouse?

I've had so much to say about Frieren since the premiere, and I still have so much to say now, but to talk about what I love about this show is to talk about everything about this show. When the first four episodes dropped, I described it as “Mushoku Tensei without the baggage,” and I stand by that. There were multiple points throughout Frieren’s first cour where I'd nearly forgotten that I wasn't watching Mushoku Tensei. Every single element is on point: The animation is fluid and expressive, backdrops are consistently gorgeous, voice performances are quickly memorable, and the music is evocative and instantly iconic. This is, plainly, one of the most beautiful pieces of television I have ever seen on nearly every level, be it visually, sonically, or thematically.

The initial four-episode debut was a masterclass in establishing the setting, building emotional investment into the characters, and slowly but deliberately laying out the premise of the season to come. The titular Frieren is an elf mage who, for a very brief decade of her millennium-long life, lent her skills to an adventuring party to slay the Demon King. Though she helped save the world, she was never one for stuff like adulation or socializing, so she breaks away from the group to continue her hobby of collecting various spells and arcana. She regroups with them after 50 years, having kept in contact with none of them, only to find them older and frailer. The party’s leader, the hero Himmel, passes away shortly thereafter, and Frieren breaks down at his funeral, having realized exactly too late how important he was to her and that she’d never really bothered to get to know him as a person.

Some time later, she’s called by the surviving human member of the party, Heiter, under the guise of translating an old text, but soon realizes that he duped her into helping train the young orphan girl he adopted, Fern, as a mage. Upon Heiter’s death, Frieren and Fern head out together, carrying out odd jobs and retracing Frieren’s steps from the journey that changed her more than she realized. They soon learn from the other surviving member of the party, Eisen, that (ooh) heaven is, in fact, a place on earth, and that Frieren may be able to properly pay Himmel his final respects in person. In order to do so, they must make a trip to the north, past the Demon King’s castle. The story of Beyond Journey’s End is, quite literally, a nostalgia trip.

Frieren's story is one of grief and regret, but also how we can use those emotions as a way of moving forward rather than looking backward. Her history is a long one and her memories seemingly everlasting, but she uses them to pave the road ahead of her rather than let them shackle her to the past. This is best exemplified by Fern herself, as well as the other companion they pick up the way in Eisen’s former trainee, Stark. Frieren can carry on the legacies of Heiter and Eisen by helping their young wards grow into the capable young adults they’re meant to be, while Himmel’s legacy lives on in the memories of the towns and villages he helped save along Frieren’s new path, and most importantly, in Frieren herself.

The degree to which Himmel truly mattered to Frieren becomes more apparent to her as the story goes on, and it becomes more evident in her actions. Himmel was a gentle, selfless (if self-aggrandizing) man who was every last bit the hero the modern world believes him to be. With every statue of him she cleans, every flower she plants in his name, every core memory that returns to her, we are watching Frieren become more and more like him in real time. You would expect a thousand-year-old woman to be pretty set in her ways, but we see her holding off on old, bad behaviors because of how Himmel would react to them back then. As Fern and Stark grow into young adults, we see her beginning to treat them the same way Himmel treated her. Frieren doesn’t realize it until later in the season, but it’s apparent to us early on that Himmel well and truly loved her, and I feel that it’s dawning on her that she loved him too and didn’t recognize it. That is tragic in and of itself (this show absolutely is a tearjerker at times and I will cop to getting misty-eyed as I write this), but there is something beautiful, well beyond my grasp, in being able to honor the memory and carry out the legacy of a loved one in how you treat those around you. I don’t think anything could have made Himmel prouder.

Frieren herself is a really goddamn good character too (and expertly voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, best known for voicing Anya Forger in Spy x Family). Though she is portrayed as quiet and uncaring for the early part of the story, it’s been really delightful to watch her open up, and above all, inadvertently reveal that she’s actually just Really Fucking Weird. For as self-assured and put together as she always seems on the surface, it was great to learn that she’s just an enormous slob (she just like me fr), and any outward expressions of smugness or her offbeat sense of humor are always a joy. “Deeply weird person trying to act normal” is always fun, and there’s just something so consistently delightful about seeing someone so typically calm and intelligent get caught in a mimic chest every single time.

I still can’t get over how fucking good this show looks. Beyond Journey’s End features some of the most intricate, loving animation I’ve seen for stuff as simple as someone putting on a jacket. Action scenes are few and far between, but not a single frame is wasted when shit pops off. Not everyone is as detailed as possible at all times, and they don’t need to be, but everyone looks incredible when they need to be. It’s well above my pay grade to accurately say so, but this show could be a lesson in proper animation budgeting. I could go on and on and on, but I’ve written nearly eighteen thousand words about anime, so I’ll wrap it up.

The debut season of Frieren will continue into 2024, and if the quality remains a constant, it could very well be one of the best anime of next year too. It has remained as MyAnimeList’s top-rated anime ever for its entire run, warding off the legion of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood fans. Frieren deserves it. I say with no hyperbole that this is one of the most perfectly realized things I’ve ever seen on television. This is an essential watch for anyone who likes fantasy anime, anime in general, or fantasy in general.

#anime reviews

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todouswife · 7 months

Text

my oc x bloodline

So basically, I've been writing a Bloodline x OC fic for a couple months and found this little random part I wrote for fun. And decided I wanted to post it. hopefully, I don't get clowned on. Basically, it's a mafia AU, and it's like poly bloodline( not between the family just them with the oc) x my chubby ditsy black OC. Hopefully, I gain the confidence to post the actual story :P ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yasmine was beautiful. She had medium brown skin and big brown almond-shaped eyes. She has a cute button nose, and her facial features were soft. She had cute dimples and a round face and lips. Her body countered with an hourglass figure. She had big boobs, a slim waist, big round hips, with thick thighs. But she also had a tummy that someone could easily grip. That's where her problem starts. Nothing was ever big enough for her. The style she liked the most had almost nothing for big bodies. Not only that, she would constantly be rejected for her weight. Her ex-boyfriend even cheated on her because he felt she let herself go and didn't even try to lose weight. After that, she met four men with not only, lots of connections and money to get her the things she wanted but also thought she was beautiful in every way, shape, and form. She just didn't know of their feelings toward her yet.

Yasmine sighs in frustration while looking through the racks of clothes in front of her. Everything only went up to a large in the things she liked. She just went up a size, so half her wardrobe would be useless to her. She could just bearly fit what she had on. She wore a tight pink silk dress with darker pink roses scattered on the dress. There was a white lace trimming at the bottom and around the top of the dress. That same lace trimming made the straps of the dress. This dress was supposed to be mid-thigh length but now didn't go too far past her hips sitting on her upper thigh. She had white stockings with Hello Kitty bows at the top of them and a long black coat that sat at her mid-thigh sitting on her shoulders. The dress was hugging everything she had. Yasmine needed to vent her frustrations to someone but didn't know who. That's when she heard her phone ring from her bag. Yasmine unzips her bag and fiddles around in it for a minute to find her phone. She quickly answers not bothering to look at the contact.

"Yas, what are you doing right now?" a familiar, deep voice speaks through the phone. She immediately knew it was Roman and huffed knowing she could vent to him.

"Oh my gosh. I'm sorry but I have got to vent!" Yasmine starts to walk towards the door of the shop while quietly whisper yelling her frustrations to the phone, " Okay so I've been growing out of my clothes, right! So I finally went out today to try and find some cute clothes in my style and not go over my budget, you know because my job is shitty. But no! Forget the budget! I have now been in three stores and have not found a single thing in my size! And it's not like I can go to the store I normally go to." Yasmine finishes with a pout walking down the busy street, finishing her statement. She was making her way to a bubble tea place not too far from where she was. Roman chuckles at her outburst.

"And why can't you go there beautiful?" Roman asks already knowing the answer. Yasmine pout quickly turned into a shy smile at the nickname she was given. She could hear the smile that was on Roman's face.

"Because it's way out of my budget. Things that are made for big people are super expensive and I would only be walking out of there with two items. I could only set aside a little money because my little sister needed surgery and my parents needed help with money. I even had to dip into my savings."

"Is she alright what was wrong?" Roman asks with obvious concern in his voice. He even leaned up in his seat. Yasmine sees the sign for the bubble tea place and speeds up walking.

"I'm not sure what's going on, they didn't say much when they called. they just sounded panicky about it. I should find out something soon." Yasmine walks into the small shop and sits at a table ready to finish her conversation before ordering.

"How about me and Solo take you out then? We'll get you whatever you want out of that store you like." Yasmine eyes widen at his words.

"No! That would be so much money. I cannot let you do that." she fights back.

"Nah I think my mind is already made up beautiful. Where are you? We'll be there soon to get you." Roman quickly shuts down her protests wanting to see her and make her happy.

"I'll send my location," Yasmine sighs knowing there was no use in trying to argue once his mind was made up. She takes the phone away from her ear and opens her messages with Roman quickly sending her location. "There Ro are you happy now?" she asks

"Yes actually, I was going to go out anyway. I've got to prove to the twins I can kick their asses in Mario Cart, so I needed to go get something to play it on anyway."

"Okay then, I'll see you when you get here I'm gonna order my boba."

Yasmine walked through the mall in between both Roman and Solo. The two men just spent an unspeakable amount of money on Yasmine. She didn't even want to see the receipt she had it probably still printing with how much stuff they got for her. And they didn't even bat an eyelash. She was dumbfounded at how casual this was for them. After a while of walking, they got to a gaming store. Roman didn't say much he just went to get what he needed with Solo. This left Yasmine alone to look around the store. She landed herself around the same section where Roman was getting things when something caught her eye. It was an animal crossing-themed switch. it was so cute! She picks it up taking a closer look at it. after looking at the price she decides it's too expensive for her at the moment and puts it back. Solo was keeping a watchful eye on her and noticed this. He walks over to the store clerk and asks him to get the switch.

"Don't worry about it ma. I got it for you," he says to her after joining her in looking at the games. Yasmine looks at him like he has grown a second head. What did he mean he got it for her? All this in a day? How could they afford this?

"What do you mean? Absolutely not. That is not something I need, you should put it back."

"Nope, and you should tell me which games you want before I buy all the ones I even think you looked at." Yasmine wouldn't have believed him had he not said it in such a serious tone. With a pout, she gives him the four games she wants the most while mumbling something about how bossy he was under her breath.

"Don't get sassy with me baby," was all he said and Yasmine choked on nothing while trying to hide the fact his words made her face warm up. She looked at him with wide eyes, turned her head, and looked at more games. Solo noticed everything she didn't want him to. The tint of red creeping on her cheeks, the way her legs were slightly trembling from nervousness, he thought it was adorable. They walked to join Roman and Yasmine was curious.

"What do you guys do for work? Like you've just spent so much money today alone." Yasmine asks quietly so no one around can hear her words and try to mug them or something. Roman laughs and looks at Solo.

"We own restaurants. They're all doing well and give us plenty of money to throw around." he explains Roman bends down to whisper in Yasmine's ear," And you don't have to be cautious about it no one is going to do anything to us beautiful." The hairs on Yasmine's neck stood up at the feeling of Roman's breath that close to her neck.

"And how do you know that?" Roman and Solo share a look before lifting up their shirts enough to show the guns safely tucked on their hips. however, it gave her a view of under their shirts and that made Yasmine blush.

"You can calm down you in good hands baby," Solo says firmly trying to make sure she knew she was safe, "Now come on I want to kick the twin's ass in Mario Cart." he finishes walking to the register. Solo beside him setting yasmines things up so they could be paid for.

"Right hand on the bible, god can strike me down if I'm lying," Roman says in an eerily calm voice before he takes a deep inhale, "BUT THAT MOTHERFUCKERS CHEATING!" he yells pointing at Jey from the other side of the couch while everyone laughs at his outburst. all-day Roman couldn't wait to play Mario Cart so that he could beat the twins and Solo, but after coming in 9th place for the fifth time in a row he lost his cool.

"What's funny? Why are you laughing at me? He's cheating!"

"Nah Uce you just can't handle this heat," Jey says fanning himself. Yasmine busts out laughing at the interaction.

#jimmy uso #jey uso #solo sikoa #roman reigns #the bloodline #wwe usos #wwe smackdown #Poly bloodline #usos x reader #chubby reader #roman empire #fanfic #OC x Bloodline

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kazutora-kurokawa · 30 days

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Hi, I was wondering if you did maybe Male!Reader or GN!Neutral!Reader, if so, I'd like to request if you did a PLATONIC brother/sibling!reader with Ran and Rindou? Like headcannons of them pre-Bonten and during Bonten? NSFW can be more about the dirty part of being a gang member with said brothers XD I say nsfw meaning the more gruesome side of stuff ofc!! Another request I'd like to add maybe for a later time or now (Before the brother/sibling one) I just recently lost my cat of 16 years a few months ago (I now have a happy pupper since Christmas now so I am kinda happy again) but I still feel a void in my heart whenever I see a cat or someone with a cat, and I thought how would Ran and Rindou be if I was their sibling if I had recently lost someone I called my only friend during my elementary school, middle school, and high school days, how they would react to seeing their sibling who never shows much emotion, is now a sobbing mess in their room and refusing to come out (Can be pre-Bonten or during Bonten, but for this I'd prefer during their Bonten era ofc) I love your writing so much!! you can ignore this if you don't want or don't do what I'm asking for ofc! I'll just be happy you responded or acknowledged my request and took time out of your day too!

note: I normally don't start off with notes but I read every single word of this request and first off, I'm sorry for your loss, I bet your cat was the cutest little baby ever. I decided to do both requests in one so I hope you enjoy and I hope you're doing okay anon 🩷

Haitani Brothers w/ Sibling!Reader

♡ SFW and NSFW, murder, fighting, reader is gender neutral, reader is referred to as dude but it's gender neutral, reader is in Bonten ♡

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Pre-Bonten

🩵 They will beat people up for you, say the word and it's done

💜 All three of you match outfits on the daily and they convinced you to get a tattoo similar to theirs, it's just a sleeve though

🩵 They teach you how to fight and the three of you spar on occasion

💜 Ran let's you borrow his baton, sometimes you just steal it and whack him with it

🩵 Ran and Rindou are damn near blind and are always asking you about what color an item of clothing is

"Dude what color is this?"

"Please go get some glasses."

💜 You and Ran braided Rindou's hair once and purposely made him look goofy asf

"What the hell did you do to me?!"

*You and Ran giggling like schoolgirls in the background*

🩵 Rindou teaches you how to DJ and tries to teach you gymnastics but gives up after you almost kick him in the face

Bonten

🩵 Practically begged you to join Bonten with them, they were hellbent on not leaving you behind

💜 Y'all always go on missions together and Ran damn near gets you and Rin killed multiple times (he's so fucking stupid it's not even funny)

🩵 They teach you how to dispose of bodies and murder weapons (wholesome life lessons honestly)

💜 Y'all are cold and ruthless to a lot of people, but when you're together you're just vibing and enjoying each other's presence

🩵 They were there for your first murder and cheered you on like it was a sports game

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

Haitani Brothers w/ Depressed!Sibling!Reader

♡ SFW, angst, comfort, gender neutral reader, reader is generally calm and collected/never emotional, Bonten era ♡

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

🩵 They're completely thrown off when you come home in tears

💜 Try to ask you what's wrong but you go in your room, slamming and locking the door behind you

🩵 They try to respect your privacy but they can't help but worry about you so they knock on the door a few times

💜 Worry gets the better of them and they pick your lock and break into your room (in the most polite way possible)

🩵 Feels like a knife went through their hearts when they see you sitting on the bed essentially having a mental breakdown

💜 They sit on the bed next to you, close enough to comfort and far enough to not crowd your space

🩵 Threaten to beat up whoever made you upset, doesn't matter who it is, they don't play about family

💜 Realize that violence won't help so they just end up hugging you and reassuring you that everything will be fine

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Taglist

@arlerts-angel @i-literally-cant-with-this @trevengersprincess @giugiette @katkusuo @happy-trenchcoated-impala @drunkcheesecake @darkstarlight82 @reiners-milkbiddies

#tokyo revengers headcanons #tokyo revengers fluff #haitani brothers headcanons #ran headcanons #rindou headcanons #ran fluff #rindou fluff #sibling!reader

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echo-exanimo · 7 months

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a snippet from the fic im writing

speeding bullet content ahead!!

its a lil angsty but im havin fun with it hehe

for a touch of background, scout noticed snipers last name on an item earlier which is Why he knows that. just. for reference.

"Yeah, mate, not a problem. Let me start some tea."

---

A knock at his door woke Sniper with a start. It was dark outside, hardly time for anybody to be up and about. He slid from his bed, pistol in hand as he went to the door.

"Who's there?"

"...Snipes?" Came the quiet reply.

Sniper set down the gun on a nearby ledge, unlocking the door with a questioning look. "Roo? Why're you out here at this hour?"

"Uhhh," Scout scratched the back of his head. "Couldn't sleep. Ya mind if I-"

The two sat in silence as Sniper started a kettle and set aside a few mugs.

"Y'mind tellin' me why you're out here at..." He checked the clock. "4 in the bloody morning?"

"I told ya. Can't sleep." The easygoing smile he shot the Sniper didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Right." Sniper decided not to press it any further. They could talk over a few mugs of tea.

More silence. It felt stifling without Scout's near constant chatter, the way his presence didn't seem to take up the entire room and instead hardly took up the space of his body.

Sniper stirred a spoonful of honey into one of the mugs before turning and offering it to Scout. "Here. Chamomile." He tipped his head a bit at Scout. "My mother used to make it for me. Helps you ease up a bit."

"Sounds good." He took the mug, and Sniper was struck with how strange his hands looked when they weren't wrapped for work. He sat down across from Scout with a sigh, figuring if he didn't speak, the other man would eventually.

"...Snipes?"

"Mm?"

"You ever think about, uh, home?" His eyes darted to the ground before he looked back up. "Like... The people you miss? Wonder if they'd be proud?"

"Well, my mum and dad don't particularly appreciate my line of work..." He twiddled with the spoon in his mug, mixing even though the honey had long dissolved. "Didn't really have too many others."

"Oh."

Scout fell quiet again, sipping his tea thoughtfully.

"Well, I... I miss my ma. I worry about her, y'know?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's been a while since I've been home, she doesn't know where I am... Been a while since we talked."

"Is that what's buggin' ya?"

Scout looked down. "No, not really."

Sniper placed down his mug and watched Scout carefully as he began to speak again.

"It's my brothers. They, uh... These dogtags, y'know?"

His words were scattered in a characteristically Scout way without any of the energy. It made sense, but for a second Sniper didn't quite catch it. The Scout didn't often talk about his background.

"I just can't imagine how worried my ma must be, the third of her sons to disappear into a war she can't know about. She doesn't know I die every single day, she doesn't know what I do, she doesn't know any of it."

Scout looked uncomfortable, scuffing his feet against the legs of the table. "I wanna go home for a bit. Just let her know I'm okay. She doesn't have to know it all, just know I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." His voice got progressively quieter as he spoke, a far cry from the Scout he'd been just a few hours ago, rowdy in the lounge with the rest of the guys, cards and booze and raucous laughter.

"Mate..."

"Nah, nah, I- I know it's kinda dumb. Like. We all have people back home. I just worry for my ma. I should call her tomorrow." He took a long drink of the tea.

Another long silence, but this one felt a little less quiet.

"...If you'd like," Sniper winced at the sound of his own voice breaking through the quiet. "you can stay here for the night. If the company would help at all."

"...Yeah. Thanks."

"Not a problem." He nodded once and stretched. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Uh... Nah, I don't think so. Thanks, Mundy."

The Sniper stood still, having stood to start cleaning.

"Sorry. Shit. I can, uh-"

"No. No, it's fine, I'm just... Not used to hearing that name. Not anymore. But. It's Mick. Mick Mundy."

"..Jeremy Gallagher."

"Irish, mm?"

"Yeah. Irish."

The two were quiet for a moment longer before Sniper continued, empty mug in hand to place into the sink. "Blankets are in the drawer beside you."

"Alright. Yeah, thanks."

Sniper retreated to his bed, quietly groaning as he got settled. "Don't wake me up too early, now."

"No way. I'm tired enough as is."

This earned Scout a tired laugh. "Right then. I won't worry with the alarm. Five minutes to get ready work for you?"

"Yeah."

#tf2 scout #speeding bullet #sniperscout #speedingbullet #sniper x scout #tf2 #tf2 sniper #fanfic snippet!!

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xoxitgirl · 4 months

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⊹₊ ⋆ seasons results! ⊹ ࣪ ˖

⟡ part one ⟡

so usually I try to write it down from the day i start and document the results from then but I literally forgot lmaoo so heres it broken down into every couple days/every week! ima keep this method tho ngl because its so useful but this is probably gonna be a long post bc i wanna be as raw as possible w ya’ll.

season one: jdnavsthewrld ⋆𐙚 ₊ ˚ ⊹ ♡

overview

so first and foremost—my season is going to be filled with all of my designs blowing up, making hundreds of dollars a week, improving my relationship with my boyfriend, and getting a new charger. I wrote out everything in detail so that way it was easier for me to understand exactly what I want like shipping out orders and stuff in my new car, taking a trip to NY, collaborating with some designers that I really like + meeting some designers as well, having hella photo shoots, etc! so it starts off with me getting a new car, it’s easier for me to process all of my orders and get yarn/make clothing just because I have a more efficient car.

dec 3-10

this week was full of me reminding myself im living in my season and my whole idea is about my buisness blowing up and a new carr so ngl its already blown up a little cause someone posted my skirt but it slowed down and now its picking back up. one thing that I’m trying to remember is that I’m not going to know how good it is to have a lot of sales unless I know what it’s like to have lower sales like understanding the duality of owning a business that not every single day you’re going to have the most ideal amount of sales, but that ��time to be creative and breathe will definitely lead you to that outcome in the long run. I made 4 sales this week so its definitely making me feel a little like imposter syndrome like this cant be happening blah blah blah but I quickly redirected my thoughts to, “what happens in my season? my business was meant to blow up, this is what I’m meant to be doing.”

dec 11-18

okay I made 6 more sales, when I started I had 25 now I’m at 35 so I feel hella confident because I’m constantly falling asleep doing SATS. I can literally feel all the excitement and anxiety and nerves that come with an abundance of success. I sold my biggest custom order to a new client, this two piece set and a fur skirt so I’m like damn. its only bigger and better from here. another thing I added was me and my boyfriend are getting better and connecting more and I feel like our relationship is definitely growing in a healthier way. I made around $300 this week from my pieces so I cant even be upset if I wanted to (,:

dec 19-25

so okay new updateee I sold another 3 item set so I made another $100 this week, mind you im writing this the 21st so the week’s not even over yet, and I feel hella confident in my season. I finally finished drafting everything thats happening. im also having a lot of fun maintaining that it’s already mine. I literally spend so much time vaunting. I was meant to be a designer. of course I have sales, im that bitch. people loovee my clothes cause who else is doing it like me? literally nobodyy. this is what gets me to feel more confident too, if you’re not reassuring yourself who is yk? and my relationship is sooo goodd 🥺 like its been so peaceful and my bf has been surprising me with pinterest dates and shit like what is my lifee!!

ima come back and update after my moms bday, I always have a routine for the new year which is expelling all old energy. like cleaning my room, donating clothes, i also sage everything, make new sigils, wash my hair and alll my clothes so yeah lol i have a feeling the new energy will be beautiful.

dec 26-jan 2

okay I’ve been learning how to sew and I’ve been getting really really good at it. like making my own pieces by myself—before I used to have my mom help me, but now I actually know how to sew fr. I wanna show y’all so ill insert some things ive made/been making. ngl tho I think ima give it like a week or so more to really saturate my mind because I been listening to this sub by slade and its really been helping but I gotta focus on consistency! so thats really what im focusing on through the 15th so more updates around then!! my goal is to have more posts and get ready for a mini photoshoot.

jan 3-jan 12

jan 4th.. coming up with designs that are exactly what I envision/things that ive never seen knit or done in this style. made my collab post but skeptical about when I should make my collab collection so well see but I feel like the things im making rn are multimillion dollar designs like I can feel it in my core. also about to clean my car out soon to trade my car in for the charger of my dreams, apparently my parents were looking for chargers for monthsss and didn’t tell me cause they wanted to surprise me.. for reference y’all I literally have a charger sub i made 5 months ago and was so in my head about it but now i feel like my mind is fully saturated. every time I drive, it feels like im already in a new car, I imagine it in the driveway. I already have it in the 4d so its beyond mine in the 3d.

jan 7.. omg so update, I literally cleaned my car out today and I’m trading it in on friday like what the fuck is my lifee I knew it would happen but this was the first time where I realy put my foot down and envisioned myself driving the car literally everywhere. I race ppl like im in a charger already lmaoo the planes were bound to align sooner or later!! ill insert how it looks when it gets here yall we might have to order it but this is the first step in my journey—I get my charger, my design acc blows up, and so forth. (;

okay hi guys I made 2 sales recently and I just got my charger, everything literally feels like it’s falling into place and it’s kind of surreal. I think I’m gonna make a part two for my results because this post is getting helllla long but I GOT A 2023 CHARGER STX and tbh I wanted an R/T but the only one I could get was 2015 so im just hella happy I got a brand new car and it looks EXACTLY HOW I WANT—black rims, spoiler, it looks so mean!!! ugh im in love. peep my noface air freshener from my last car (,: and it only has 10 miles yall… I love using seasons so much

next post coming by valentines day! 💋

itgirl ⊹ ࣪ ˖

#vzn #xoxitgirl #seasons challenge

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