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taiblogcomics · 4 months

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An Equestrian Exposition: 30 Pages of Ponies and Music

Hey there, worm drama. We're back on schedule! I hope your holidays were merry and bright, or whatever holidays are supposed to be. Well, I don't have much else for this preamble, so let's just get into it~

Here's the cover:

Ah, the "corkboard covered in polaroids" is a classic look! Always kind of a cool aesthetic, if you put in the effort. I think this one definitely is. Some of these MLP covers have not been great, but I think this one is! Let's talk about Bridlewoodstock for a moment. First of all, I think they were really reaching for the pun on this one. Secondly, it was a 45-minute special episode in G5. It had nothing to do with the ongoing plot (which G5 did actually have!), so we can probably jump right in. So is this going to be an adaptation? A continuation? I dunno! Let's find out.

Obviously, we open in Bridlewood. Izzy is preparing flower crowns for anypony who wants them, because this is obviously some absolute hippie bullshit. We get a full-page splash showing the whole grounds and setup, and these are the kind of pages I absolutely love. The sort of thing that's a treat just to look at, like a Where's Waldo book. Like, I don't think there are even any Easter eggs or hidden stuff in here, it's just fun to run your eyes over the page and see all the simplified characters. It really shows the scope of the event, and I think it's great!

This might be either an alternate continuity to the Bridlewoodstock special, or it's set during said special without impacting it. You can tell this because Izzy is still paranoid about the Troggles. She's right to be, you don't want them to trap your Muncher in a cell he can't run out of easily. Anyways, she's made a special flower crown as a display piece, made of the special Lumi-Blooms that the whole event is revolving around. She fears it might attract the notice of the Troggles, but thankfully nopony has asked about it yet. Then two ponies walk up and ask to purchase it. Wah-wah-waah~

So the big problem, first of all, is that there's only one Lumi-Bloom crown and two interested parties. They didn't come together, and they're obviously rivals. One is a fan of the Hoofpicks, while the other is here to see Electric Blue. These are bands performing at the event, if that wasn't clear. They clearly do not like each other or their music, and when they both reach for the crown, its glow disappears. Both are shocked, and Izzy isn't much better off. She figures it's vibes, y'know? Their disagreement is harshing everybody's mellow, you dig?

Izzy abandons her booth into her lackeys' hooves, and takes the two squabblers on a quest. No doubt she has something Izzy-ful in mind. She leads the two of them around the grounds, showing them everything from food stalls to jam bands, but the pair of them just keep bickering with each other over the way their preferred band is so much better than the other's. The argument continues right up until the reach the stage of a band called The Foals. Suddenly the pair of them unite over a mutual criticism of The Foals, agreeing that music is cool even when you don't like the band that much.

Well, that problem really wrapped up quick, huh? The remaining 22 pages must all be ads or something like--oops, no. Once the crown starts glowing again, a bird swooping by flies off with it into the woods, where its radiance awakens a sleeping shadow--one of the aforementioned Troggles. This is all unbeknownst and unseen by our cast, however, as they just lament the loss of the crown. With the once-quibbling ponies now making up, they set out to spread this unity to other members of their respective fanbases. If only it were so easy in real life.

Pipp comes by, glad to see problems have resolved themselves without her intervention. This is good, since she's set to go on next. She sends Izzy out to get her lucky microphone, which is over in a rest area with Sparky. Sparky is Hitch's baby dragon, sort of the G5 equivalent to Spike without the "little brother" charm he had. I mention it only because Sparky has barely ever come up in the comics, if ever at all. This might be his comic debut, for all my search can tell me! Anyways, he looks absolutely ridiculous here. I dunno if that's the artstyle, the Bridlewoodstock design, or both~

So one of the main things that makes Sparky less charming than Spike is that Sparky is a literal baby. Like, they called Spike a baby dragon, but he could talk and had autonomy and stuff. Sparky's inability to talk leads to a lengthy wordless section of the comic wherein the awoken Troggle tries to steal Pipp's microphone. There's several pages of chase scene, and Sparky eventually recovers it, returning to his lawn chair exhausted. And thus, cue the tired old punchline of "Here you are, Sparky! I haven't seen you move all day!" Sparky gives the reader an annoyed look, and I'm giving it right back. It's your comic segment.

So the reason Sparky even won that chase is because the Troggle got distracted by another pony's red mane and wandered after it. This pony is Cherry, and they play in the Hoofpicks. It's that band from the earlier segment! Unfortunately, by the time they turn up on stage with their bandmates, their voice has completely vanished. And of course this would happen just before they're set to go on in 20 minutes. Ain't that always the way? The rest of the band tries to come up with a solution backstage, while Zipp and Pipp go looking around outside.

Despite my criticisms of Sparky earlier, Pipp continues to show why she's the actual worst character in G5, musing whether it might actually be a good thing that Cherry lost their voice. This is because she does not "get" their music and thinks their songs are "dark" and "unusual". Plus there was almost a riot over Izzy's flower crown earlier. Zipp rightly points out that whether Pipp likes them or not, plenty of other ponies are excited to see them, and it'd be nice to not ruin that for them. Plus, not everyone likes her music either. Pipp accepts the criticism and shuts her trap.

As the minutes tick by and her bandmates prove to continue to be unhelpful, Cherry takes a ruby necklace and goes out to take matters into their own hooves. Thinking they've noticed the Troggle, they head into the woods--and somehow, by now, night has fallen--and just holds up the ruby. The Troggle is attracted to the ruby and gets sucked inside, restoring Cherry's voice. And points to them, they show real decency by apologising to the Troggle, knowing what it's like to be judged for looks and voice. There's a subtext here with Cherry using non-gendered pronouns, I'll let you work it out~

Cherry rejoins the band, playing it off cool and attributing their voicelessness to an attack of nerves. The band buys this, but Zipp eyes the ruby hanging around Cherry's neck. She doesn't voice her suspicions, but you can tell she's having them. Cherry also tosses Pipp a casual good luck as they walk out with the rest of the band. Pipp hesitates, then apologises to Cherry, saying they really do have a beautiful voice. Zipp notes that this is rather big of Pipp (the first time anything about Pipp has ever been described as "big"), and she replies that maybe she's just starting to see what Izzy was getting at with the whole Bridlewoodstock spirit.

However, as Cherry goes out on stage, we see somepony else who's not got the spirit. This pony is waiting at the gate, and as we spin back the clock 11 hours ago, we see what's wrong. This pony, Columbia, came with a friend, and she wanted to spend the whole day together. But the friend, Peony, wanted to get some merch before the show started and the two split up. Peony heads for the Hoofpicks' merch booth, gleeful at all the exclusive stuff, but is informed she needs to go to the back of the line. As you might imagine, it is extremely long.

Once she finally gets there, Peony asks the ponies ahead of her how long they've been waiting. One starts a speil about how it's been so long, he's forgotten the taste of fries and his own name, before being cut off by his partner and told it was only 30 minutes. Well, that's not so bad! Cue a time passing montage, while you can see Peony absolutely not moving forward from that spot for the next 11 hours. And even several scenes previous to the comic go by in the background. I really don't believe Izzy's tour and Sparky's chase took place five hours apart.

With only 30 minutes before showtime, Peony collapses in despair, which finally gets Sunny to put in an appearance in this comic. She asks Peony what's the matter, and the whole situation spills out. It's a tear between regret over missing the exclusive merch, or the regret of wasting the whole day instead of spending it with her friend. Sunny wisely points out that while merch is cool, memories are also cool. Both are something you can treasure. And whatever merch you may or may not have, nothing can make you less of a fan. And so the comic ends with the two friends reuniting just in time as the Hoofpicks begin to play~

This is kind of an interesting one, because structurally it's more or less an anthology story, but each of the stories are interconnected and form a larger narrative. It's actually very clever and really makes use of the ensemble cast (except Hitch, who is remarkably absent despite Sparky's presence). It's pretty good, too! You could probably fit this all into the actual special's narrative. It's been a hot minute since I watched it (or G5 in general, for that matter), but I don't think anything here contradicts the episode. You could squeeze it all in before the climax with the Troggles. This also might contain the first non-binary MLP character (at least as far as I can remember), and I think that's certainly something worth noting~

#comics #reviews #My Little Pony #My Little Pony: A New Generation #My Little Pony: Bridlewoodstock #Taiblog

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heyiwrotesomethings · 3 years

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Lepidoterophobia Prt. Three (Finale)

Shinobu Kochou x She/Her Reader

A/N: A couple of y’all asked real nice for kisses and you know what, that’s valid. Shinobu is such a tease though so she’s gonna make you work for it! Just not in the way you’d expect. It’s all fluff but get ready for some loving caresses and a massage at one point! It gets a little frisky, but nothing too explicit and sorry for the sub bottom energy but, come on, its Shinobu. I think this will be it for this little series. Thanks for liking it so much! <3 (Part One) (Part Two) Word Count: 4,977

(Y/n) had been recuperating within the Butterfly Estate for only two weeks before she felt as if she was about to lose her mind.

She still hadn’t been allowed to leave her bed. Only limited movement and changes in position to partake in very simple exercises and to avoid bed sores were permitted. What made it even more depressing was how the small movements would take the little energy she had right out of her. Then there was that disgusting medicine as well. (Y/n), quite literally, almost threw up the first time Aoi had given it to her. Aoi had scolded her good after that, going on about a special brewing process and rare ingredients; how Shinobu had worked tirelessly to make it for her.

Shinobu... Now, if (Y/n) had to assemble a list of reasons for the impending mental breakdown she felt coming on, Kochou Shinobu would be at the tippy top of that list.

She was an absolute tease! Lingering touches, no regard for personal space whatsoever. Then there was her downright devious way with words that could make (Y/n)’s skin heat intensely and her brain short circuit, leaving her completely out of commission for the rest of the day in some cases.

That was to be expected though, especially since this was Shinobu they were thinking about, and (Y/n) was fine with that. She wouldn’t want her any other way. However, despite all of the teasing, or because of all of the teasing rather, Shinobu and (Y/n) had yet to kiss, unless one counted nose and cheek kisses of course. There was no shortage of those sweet affections. And it wasn’t like (Y/n) hadn’t attempted on quite a few occasion to initiate a kiss herself, but her attempts had always been thwarted. If not by the sweet little girls of the estate interrupting the moment, then by Shinobu herself turning her head so (Y/n)’s lips would meet the soft skin of her cheek instead.

There were a few close instances, such as last night when Shinobu had come by to bid (Y/n) goodnight. She hovered over (Y/n)’s face, close enough that (Y/n) could feel the air leave Shinobu’s lips and wash over her own as she spoke. Unfortunately, (Y/n) had forgotten to actually pay attention to what Shinobu was saying, which led to more teasing.

After Shinobu had thoroughly roasted (Y/n), she delicately cupped the side of (Y/n)’s cheek, her cool and calloused thumb had skimmed over her lower lip, pulling it to the side slightly as Shinobu came closer still. Their noses brushed and (Y/n) almost forgot to breathe, her head muddled with the dizzying wisteria scent that clung to the other woman. (Y/n)’s eyes slid shut and her heart beat pounded in her ears. The feeling of Shinobu’s thumb as she made another pass over her lip was electric, fire, leaving a tingling feeling in its wake over the trembling flesh.

And then, a sweet yet chaste kiss to (Y/n)’s hairline and Shinobu rose back to her full height, an undisguised smirk and gleaming, mischievous eyes filled (Y/n)’s vision as her own eyes snapped open to look over the Hashira with a barely contained sense of betrayal. Shinobu’s pigeoned laughter rang in (Y/n)‘s ears for hours after the Hashira had retired to her own bedroom and (Y/n) awkwardly maneuvered herself in her own bed to yell into her pillow.

“(Y/n)? (Y/n), are you sleeping with your eyes open? What an unsettling habit.”

“Hm?” (Y/n) blinked, turning her head to see the devil herself smiling down at her. She looked unfairly angelic in the soft sunlight that was streaming through the window. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Shinobu asked, taking a familiar perch on the edge of (Y/n)’s bed.

“Meh,” (Y/n) shrugged, willing the beating of her heart to not betray her, “Nothing. What were you saying earlier?”

Shinobu leveled a look at (Y/n) that could be clearly interpreted as saying something along the lines of, ‘I could easily grill you for the answers I want, but I’m feeling merciful at the moment so I’ll let it be’. “I had said good morning and asked you if you were ready for your light exercises. It was strange to see you look so focused. I’ll admit, I didn’t know your brain could work so hard. Don’t strain it too much though, okay?”

“Shinobu!” (Y/n) huffed, pursing her lips while Shinobu laughed at her cute expression.

“Oh don’t take it too hard, (Y/n). You know I’m just teasing. I think you’re quite intelligent,” Shinobu praised, leaning over to land a quick peck to (Y/n)’s forehead before pulling back up. “Now how about we sit you up, okay?”

“Okay,” (Y/n) couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at her lips in response to Shinobu’s affections, “I’m ready.”

(Y/n) strained her core, and with a little help from Shinobu pushing at her back, she managed to sit upright in bed without much fuss. Still, (Y/n) felt a little light headed from the excursion.

“Take a moment to focus on your breathing.” Shinobu said. She had noticed (Y/n) swallow thickly and rubbed her back in soothing circles. “Let me know when your ready to move to the edge of the bed.”

After a minute passed, (Y/n) nodded at Shinobu and slowly but surely they worked together so that (Y/n)’s legs dangled off of the side of the bed and her arms hung loosely at her sides. It had really surprised (Y/n) how quickly her health had deteriorated in the wake of the butterfly demon’s attack. Even her legs which had been her best asset to her survival that night, felt like lead now. Heavy and weakened like the rest of her body as her energy was sapped away to heal the most damaged areas.

“Let’s begin with your arms, shall we?” Shinobu spoke almost in a whisper, her mind undoubtedly returning to that hard night as well. “Can you lift them for me?”

(Y/n) fought against the heavy feeling in her arms. Thanking the gods for the absence of the snug slings she no longer had to wear constantly. Though she had to fight hard, the burn she felt as she raised her arms felt kind of good, like stretching a sore muscle. She only managed to raise her straightened arms so that her hands were about level with her navel before they started to tense and shake.

“Good, Just hold.” Shinobu coached. (Y/n) held the position for almost fifteen seconds before she let her arms fall back to her sides in a sharp exhale of air. “Well done. Take a couple breaths and try another rep, okay?”

(Y/n) made it through three more repetitions. Blood thrummed in her ears and a light sheen of sweat covered her forehead but she had done better than yesterday and that was all she could ask for. Next were the wrist rotations which were a welcome relief despite the slight discomfort (Y/n) felt reverberate in her elbows. Then the finger flexes and shoulder rolls solidified the poor slayer’s exhaustion, but at least that signified the end of her light stretches. Or so she thought.

“We should really stretch your legs a bit. They feel stiff, don’t they?” Shinobu inquired, inspecting (Y/n) from where she stood in front of her, a finger tapping against her chin as she spoke.

“They have been feeling rather stiff,” (Y/n) agreed, “but I’m sure if I tried to stand up right now I’d buckle over like a sack of rice.”

“No need to stand. Usually I’d get the younger girls to help with such things but it won’t take long, lean back,” Even as Shinobu spoke, she didn’t give (Y/n) enough time to move on her own, pushing her flat on her back with a gentle hand pressed firmly against (Y/n)’s chest near her collarbone.

“Wah- wait. Aren’t you going to talk me through it or— eep!” (Y/n) choked on her words as Shinobu worked her hips between (Y/n)’s legs which still dangled off the bed. (Y/n) felt her blood pressure skyrocket as the space between them completely disappeared.

One of Shinobu’s hands moved slowly, excruciating so, over (Y/n)’s thigh in a way that was entirely unnecessary.

“Are you alright, (Y/n)? I’m not hurting you am I?” Shinobu cooed while her hand disappeared under the backside of (Y/n)’s thigh.

“No!” (Y/n) squeaked, cursing the way her voice rose another octave above her normal cadence.

“Good, I hope we can keep it that way. Let me know if it gets to be too much, okay dear?”

It should be a crime to have a voice that can hold such power over a person like that. Shinobu could have told (Y/n) to climb to the top of Natagumo Mountain and jump off and she’d have done it, no questions asked. (Y/n) released a shuddering breath and nodded her response, unable to trust her own voice to reply without risk of further embarrassment.

Shinobu hummed and pushed up on the back of (Y/n)’s thigh, her hand naturally sliding up to the crook of the slayer’s knee as the leg rose up. Slowly, she began to push the knee inward towards (Y/n)’s chest. (Y/n) winced slightly at the stretch, but it hardly registered in comparison to Shinobu’s extremely close proximity.

Shinobu placed her once idle hand over (Y/n)’s knee cap, her other hand sliding further up to cup (Y/n)’s calf, gently squeezing while she raised the rest of the leg and began to slowly stretch it over (Y/n)’s torso as far as she could get it to go.

(y/n) sucked in a breath, “Okay, that burns a bit!”

Shinobu paused her movements and held the leg in position, “Not bad flexibility, (Y/n). With a little bit of work I bet you could go even further. I think I’d like to see.”

What was (Y/n) supposed to say to that? She made some uncommitted sound and tried not to think too intently about how Shinobu was pressing into her. After a few more moments of holding the position, Shinobu moved the leg outward to stretch it from another angle. The limb cracked near the base of her hip and (Y/n) sighed with relief. This was a lot more gentle than what the younger girls put her through during recovery training all those months ago.

“Oh? Does that feel better, (Y/n)?” Shinobu asked, her voice like honey and silk. Her hands slowly massaging the muscles of (Y/n)’s calf and thigh. (Y/n) nodded, her eyes nearly closing as she focused on Shinobu’s ministrations. “I’d like to hear you say so, just to make sure.”

“Yeah, it feels awesome.” (Y/n) sighed again, unabashed. Shinobu giggled.

“Wonderful, let’s move on to the other one then, shall we?”

“Gods, yes please!” (Y/n) responded eagerly, rubbing her free leg against Shinobu’s side until Shinobu took hold of it and gave it the same treatment as the other leg which was now hanging loosely over the edge of the bed.

By the time Shinobu had brought (Y/n)’s other leg back down, (Y/n) was trying to fight off sleep. However, the loosened and relaxed state of her muscles after the stretches clearly were beating out her efforts.

“Wow, (Y/n). Tired already? You haven’t even eaten breakfast yet.” Shinobu commented while she absently ran her hands over (Y/n)’s thighs, the motion felt comforting.

“I know,” (Y/n) groaned, “It's your fault for being so good at your job. I feel like a limp noodle, a very sleepy limp noodle.”

“Oh?” Shinobu chuckled. Sliding her hands purposefully upward until they rested at either side of (Y/n)’s ribs. The shift in her weight had her resting on her elbows, her chest resting just below (Y/n)’s. “Perhaps I could find a way to liven you up.”

“What do you have in mind?” (Y/n) asked slyly, hoping Shinobu couldn’t hear how fast her heart was racing. She wrapped her legs over Shinobu’s hips, locking her in, in hope to distract her, but also to egg her on.

Shinobu grinned at (Y/n) and shimmied closer. One of her hands came up to cradle (Y/n)’s jaw. She leaned even closer and landed a quick kiss to (Y/n)’s chin, then she pressed another one in the crook of (Y/n)’s neck, making the injured slayer laugh as she nuzzled closer.

“Oh!” (Y/n)‘s eyes shot wide open as the feeling of teeth grazing the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Hm? What is it, (Y/n)?” Shinobu asked, smiling against (Y/n)’s neck. “You seem to be perking up already.” she added, punctuating her words with a quick swipe of her tongue over (Y/n)’s neck, making the girl beneath her shiver.

(Y/n) whimpered quietly, much to her embarrassment, while Shinobu lavished her neck with attentions. Shinobu slowly worked her way upward, kissing her jaw and cheek before connecting her line of vision with (Y/n)’s.

The lovestruck look in (Y/n)’s eyes quickly morphed into an indignant glare as she perceived the familiar, mischievous glimmer in Shinobu’s plum colored irises.

“No.” (Y/n) said, her tone disbelieving. “No.” She said again, this time with a little more force behind it, shaking her head while Shinobu grinned down at her. “Shinobu!”

“I’m sorry (Y/n), but my meeting is starting soon so I must be off. Aoi will be by with breakfast soon. Make sure you eat it all so you can get stronger, okay?”

“But—!” (Y/n) tried to hold Shinobu to her body by tightening her legs around her but they did nothing to help her in her weakened state. Shinobu easily slipped free and (Y/n)‘s legs dropped back down over the edge of the bed in defeat.

“No buts! Let’s get you turned around quick, alright?” Shinobu grunted as she hoisted (Y/n)’s lower half and twisted (Y/n)’s body to lay fully on the bed with very little help from the dumbfounded, disgruntled girl. Then with a quick, teasing squeeze of (Y/n)’s knee, she was gone.

(Y/n)’s arm shook as she painstakingly pulled one of the pillows behind her free and pressed it as hard as she could over her face. “What the fuck?! AHH!” (Y/n) screamed, her voice muffled by the dense material.

***

The next time Shinobu walked into her room, (Y/n) had decided that was going to kiss her. She was going to kiss her full on the mouth or die trying because if she knew one thing, it was that she couldn’t play Shinobu’s games any longer.

For the rest of the day (Y/n)’s head was filled with thoughts of Shinobu getting a taste of her own medicine. (Y/n) had it all planned out. First, she was going to tease and flirt. How hard could that be? Shinobu made it look as easy as breathing. Then, once Shinobu had been thoroughly charmed, she would be practically begging for (Y/n) to sweep her off her feet, metaphorically of course, at least until (Y/n) wasn’t on bed arrest anymore. Then she’d kiss her and it would be Shinobu who would short circuit, Shinobu who would be at (Y/n)’s complete mercy! A foolproof plan!

(Y/n)’s chance came around midday four days later. Shinobu had been sent away on a mission soon after her meeting, giving (Y/n) plenty of time to think of how to execute her plan of action. The slayer sat upright in her bed now that she could do so herself without too much strain. She stared the door down with a determined gaze, gently scratching behind Mochi’s head while the bird stood in her lap. Any minute now she would come through that door. Prepare to be seduced, Kochou Shinobu!

A knock resonated off the door before it slid open a moment later and Shinobu glided in. Mochi cawed happily, flapping off of (Y/n)’s lap to fly around the Hashira in greeting. Shinobu simpered at the overly enthusiastic raven and told the bird about a fresh meal worm cake with his name on it. Mochi screeched and Shinobu laughed, ducking her head as Mochi flew out the door and towards the garden at mach speed. Then Shinobu closed the door behind her. Then, when she turned back and smiled a most dazzling smile that was all for (Y/n), every suave thing (Y/n) had thought to say flew right out the window. Four days of planning, completely down the drain. And all that remained was one lovestruck idiot.

“H-hey... you.” (Y/n) greeted, returning Shinobu’s smile although she was definitely screaming at herself on the inside.

“Hey yourself. You already look so much better than the last time I saw you! You’ve been keeping up with your medications and stretches, right?” Shinobu sat herself down on the edge of the bed. Her back was tilted away from (Y/n) and one leg was tucked and bent over the bed sheets while the other swung off the bed. (Y/n) also noticed that curiously, Shinobu had one hand hidden behind her back.

“Of course I have. I want to get better as soon as possible.” (Y/n) nodded resolutely. “Now,” (Y/n) tilted her head and eyed Shinobu warily, “what have you got behind your back?”

“I have something I want to test with you, a game of sorts, (Y/n).” Shinobu grinned devilishly.

“I have a feeling I don’t want to play this game if that look on your face is anything to go by.”

“Oh don’t be like that, (Y/n). I think it will be good for you. Won’t you please do this? The reward should you succeed will be very sweet.”

“Hrrrmmmm,” (Y/n) winced as she adjusted herself on the bed to sit a bit straighter and looked at Shinobu suspiciously. The Hashira’s eyes gave nothing away and (Y/n) sighed. “I suppose I could humor you. I’ve missed you after all.”

Shinobu simpered, and bounced a bit closer to (Y/n) on the bed, jostling her somewhat. Her hand was still behind her back as the other one lovingly brushed at (Y/n)’s hair. “(Y/n), you’re too sweet,” she cooed, “I missed you too.” She came even closer and nuzzled (Y/n)’s nose with hers, giving it a quick peck before withdrawing. Her face appeared to have morphed into a more serious disposition that had (Y/n) feeling both confused and filled with a sense of apprehension.

“Uh, I don’t usually associate such serious expressions with games.” (Y/n) laughed nervously.

“Perhaps I misspoke earlier,” Shinobu amended, a bit sheepishly, “It’s not a game, I should not have phrased it as such. I’m sorry. I was belittling you without you even knowing, without me realizing. I didn’t mean to, I-“

“Shinobu,” (Y/n) covered the Pillar’s free hand with her own, “it’s okay. What is it?”

“Remember what I said about exposure therapy a while back?”

“Shinobu, no.” (Y/n) backed as far as she could against the headboard, her heart beat picking up pace.

“(Y/n), I think it would be good for you. I’m not saying you have to love butterflies, I just want to help lower the distress and anxiety you feel when they are near.”

“Maybe you should focus on your own fear of furry animals before you start trying to fix my problems.” (Y/n) shook her head, her eyes flickering between Shinobu’s own and the Hashira’s hidden arm.

“I told you, it’s not a fear. I just can’t stand the mess all that shedded fur makes. Need I remind you that I’m allergic to the dander left by most of those furry beasts?” Shinobu easily countered.

(Y/n) thought back to earlier last week when Naho had smuggled in a stray dog to feed it. Kiyo and Sumi had gotten an idea in their heads that if they could hide the dog from Shinobu, they could keep it. Unfortunately, they were not very good at keeping their excitement to themselves. They had already led the dog through most of the estate, including the infirmary just before Shinobu made her morning rounds. By the time they reached (Y/n)’s room to show her the sweet pup, Shinobu was already there, trying to find some solace from the irritants that ransacked her senses. Her eyes were irritated, puffy and watery. Loud, unrefined sniffles and sneezes practically had the poor Hashira gasping for air. (Y/n)‘ s heart went out to her, but the way Shinobu’s voice sounded while she was so congested was insanely adorable.

Shinobu had admonished the girls as gently as she could between ferocious sneezes that seemed impossibly loud coming from such a small woman. (Y/n) felt bad for the girls, for the dog, but at least the dog hadn’t been a stray after all.

Fortunately, it had belonged to the Wind Pillar of all people. Giyuu had apparently been charged with watching the dog while he was away on a mission. He had lost sight of it and had been looking for the fluffy white dog all morning. (Y/n) couldn’t help but chuckle as she recalled how Shinobu shit talked Shinazugawa and Tomioka while sitting at the desk in (Y/n)’s room while she mixed herself some medication between wiping her nose and dabbing tears from her eyes.

“You were so cute!” (Y/n) thought gleefully.

“There was nothing cute about it. I felt disgusting.” Shinobu disagreed, the vein in her forehead pulsed faintly. “Now, back to the subject at hand. (Y/n), behind my back I have a specimen jar. In this jar is a butterfly that is so small, it’s wingspan is only about half the size of my pinky finger,” Shinobu slid her free hand out from under (Y/n)’s and stuck out her pinky finger, “See how small that is?”

(Y/n) had wanted to say something snarky, something along the lines of every part of Shinobu being small, but she smartly kept that comment to herself and simply nodded instead. Shinobu put her hand back down over (Y/n)’s.

“The butterfly can’t get out unless you untwist the lid. All I want you to do is hold the jar for a minute. This is a completely controlled, safe environment for you to explore your responses to butterflies. If you really don’t want to try, I won’t force you. I’m only suggesting because I really wish for you to be more comfortable here, to feel more at home.”

(Y/n)’s heart warmed at Shinobu’s admission. Yes, Shinobu had an air about her that (Y/n) felt powerless to deny, but Shinobu would never want to take advantage of her nor anyone else. Though she provoked and teased like a demon, Shinobu was endlessly kind and compassionate where it mattered.

(Y/n) gave the Hashira a nervous smile and shakily presented her hands over her lap, “Don’t mess this up Kochou. I’m only doing this because I like you so much.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Shinobu said, sincerely. Finally, she produced the specimen jar from behind her back, cupping the bottom with her opposite hand while the other held firmly from the side. She gauged (Y/n)’s expression and observed for any intense discomfort in her body language as her hands made their approach.

(Y/n) immediately locked on to the small butterfly fluttering against the glass and swallowed hard. Her throat suddenly felt unbearably dry. Despite this, she kept her palms, now slightly sweaty, upturned in front of her, waiting.

(Y/n) jolted, feeling Shinobu’s knuckles slide against her palm. The only barrier left between the glass and her skin was slipping away.

“Oh gods!” All too quickly Shinobu’s hands were gone, hovering at either side of the glass, and (Y/n) was left holding the jar. “WhoooeeeEEAH! nooo nonono fuck-!“ (Y/n) scrambled to adjust her hold, only allowing the very tips of her fingers to hold on. Of course she realized that there was a layer of glass between herself and the insect, but she couldn’t help but hastily adjust her fingers every time the small insect fluttered too close. “Shinobu!”

“It’s okay, you’re doing great!” Shinobu encouraged. “Try focusing on telling me what you notice about the butterfly.”

“It looks like it’s out for blood!” (Y/n) exclaimed sharply, not taking her eyes off the specimen jar. Her fingers still dancing clumsily around the glass.

“How about you tell me about what you can physically see that is scientifically sound.” Shinobu tried again.

“It’s blue with black edges that have little white dots and it’s fast as hell! I think it’s tongue thing is flexing at me! Why is it doing that?!”

“That’s the proboscis, (Y/n). Butterflies use it to drink the nectar from flowers.” Shinobu provided helpfully.

“I bet it would drink my blood like a mosquito if it had the chance!” (y/n) thought bitterly.

“It physically can’t, (Y/n). The proboscis is too weak too pierce skin.”

“Is that true?” (Y/n) asked skeptically, “There’s not a single butterfly that would suck me dry if it could?”

“There is not a single butterfly in all of Japan that could do that to you, (Y/n).” Shinobu assured. Of course, she had read about some species of butterflies and moths overseas that did have the capability to drink blood and even presented the salty nutrients to their mates. She wasn’t going to tell (Y/n) that bit of information anytime soon though.

“Okay, that’s actually kind of reassuring, but it still freaks me out!” (Y/n)‘s fingers had finally found purchase on the rim of the metal lid. The butterfly inside had finally calmed down and settled at the bottom of the jar, it’s wings flapping intermittently.

“That’s okay, do you think you can tell me anything else about it? Our time is just about up.”

“Its legs bend weird. Its eyes are soulless. It looks like it’s resting now but it’s just biding its time.”

“Biding it’s time before I let it back out into the garden perhaps, but it has neither the desire nor the means to harm you.” Shinobu assured.

(Y/n) pursed her lips. She was staring so intently at the insect that she hardly registered Shinobu’s movements until she was fully straddling her thighs.

“What are you doing?” (Y/n) mumbled, not taking her eyes away from the jar despite Shinobu’s change in position. The Insect Pillar did not speak, instead lifting (Y/n)’s chin up. “Hey!” (Y/n) exclaimed. She tried to keep her head down, unwilling to let the butterfly out of her sight lest it suddenly disappear. Yet, Shinobu persisted, taking either side of (Y/n)’s head in her hands, drawing closer until all (Y/n) could see was purple. “Shi-“

(Y/n)’s mind went delightfully numb, filled with a fuzzy warmth that radiated all the way down to her toes. She leaned further into the kiss, reveling in the softness of Shinobu’s lips nipping against her own. After a few more moments, (Y/n) could feel Shinobu’s lips part into a smile against her own and (Y/n) couldn’t help but do the same, resting her forehead on Shinobu’s.

“What was that for?” (Y/n) giggled breathlessly, her hands had somehow made their way to Shinobu’s neck, her fingers laced behind her head threatening to pull the Hashira back in at a moment’s notice.

“Hm? Can’t I kiss my girlfriend?” Shinobu teased, landing a quick, a more chaste, kiss to (Y/n)’s lips.

“You can, and you have, but never on the lips. What changed? I thought you were going to tease me about it forever.”

“As entertaining as that sounds, I was actually trying to do you a favor.” Shinobu grinned.

“How do you figure that?” (Y/n) asked, looking at Shinobu incredulously.

“Because now that I’ve got a taste of you, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

“Mm!”

Another kiss more fiery and involved than the last. (Y/n) actually had to slip her hands down Shinobu’s chest and push her away so she could catch her breath.

“Not that I mind, and I really don’t mind,” (Y/n) spoke between breaths, “but what changed, why right this minute?”

“It was your reward.” Shinobu stated plainly.

“For...?”

“Oh my, you really did forget already, haven’t you? I’m sorry, I hadn’t realized I had cut off the oxygen supply to your brain so effectively.”

Suddenly (Y/n)’s eyes snapped down to her lap and yelled loud enough for Shinobu to wince and lean back a smidge. How had (Y/n) forgotten? She picked up the discarded specimen jar by the lid using her index finger and thumb and scanned the inside, shivering once she found the butterfly still inside. Then she reached to place it on the bedside table, it made a little clattering sound as she quickly removed her hand as if the glass had burned her. Pulling Shinobu closer, (Y/n) buried her face in her chest and groaned while Shinobu laughed and patted (Y/n)’s head.

“You distracted me.” (Y/n)’s muffled voice accused.

“Perhaps, but didn’t it feel nice? And look, you are no worse for wear. In fact, I might even say you looked even more relaxed than before we began.”

“So what, are you going to kiss me every time I see a butterfly? Hardly seems practical.”

“Mmm but what a lovely idea. There are certainly enough around that I could get several kisses every day. If we make a habit out of it, sooner or later when you see a butterfly, your first reaction will be to pucker up rather than screaming.” Shinobu mused.

“Can’t you just be satisfied knowing that you’re the only butterfly I have ever, and will ever like?” (Y/n) paused, “Well, you and Kanao, Aoi, Naho, Kiyo, and Sumi.”

“I’m so honored.” Shinobu smiled and rolled her eyes, still stroking (Y/n)’s hair.

“You should be. It’s a very exclusive list. But there is an even more exclusive list that only you have access to.” (Y/n) said, returning to an upright position to face Shinobu once more.

“And what list would that be?”

(Y/n) tilted her head and stole another kiss from Shinobu who eagerly reciprocated, chasing (Y/n)’s lips even as she pulled away, giggling.

“The list of butterflies that I could not be happier to kiss.”

#kny x reader #kny oneshots #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer oneshots #shinobu kocho #shinobu kochou #shinobu x reader #shinobu kocho x reader #shinobu kochou x reader

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sgstories123 · 3 years

Text

The Teacher

Joanne was tired. It had been a hectic week at school. There were so many meetings and so many assignments to mark. On top of that, she worked till 9 pm for three consecutive nights to organise an event for parents. She just wanted to go home, take a shower and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

As she walked towards her block of HDB flat, she noticed a group of young men smoking and drinking beer from cans at the void deck. In the last few weeks, as she lived on the third floor, she had heard loud talking coming from the void deck late at night. She wondered if this was the group that was causing all the noise.

As she walked nearer, she looked at the group closely. One of them seemed to be the leader. He was a slim Chinese man in his thirties with hair dyed blonde. He was wearing a tank top, revealing a long line of tattoo on one of his thin arms. The other two were younger, seemingly in their early twenties. Just then, the two of them turned their heads. Joanne gasped with sudden realisation. The two of them were formerly students in her school.

She had not taught the Malay man before but she had seen him in school. He was fat with a big belly and wearing a colourful t-shirt that was obviously too small. It was too tight and not large enough to cover his stomach, showing off large chunks of fat and his belly button.

But she recognised the third man immediately. It was Jun Long, her former student. She remembered that he was a shy and quiet boy, not the brightest in the class, but hardworking. She was surprised and angry that he is now hanging out with such hooligans, smoking and drinking, and making noises late at night.

She walked straight to the leader of the group and spoke directly to him in an angry tone. “What are you doing here, leading my students astray, smoking and drinking? You better leave them alone or I will call the police.”

The leader looked at Joanne quizzically and laughed. “Your teacher?” He gestured towards the two younger men. Jun Long nodded his head while the Malay man just laughed.

“You want to join us? I can always share beer and cigarettes with a pretty girl like you.” The leader sneered at Joanne, trying to peer down her blouse at her cleavage.

“I warn you. You better leave this place or else.” Joanne raised her voice.

“Chee bye! Fuck off! Who are you? Smoking and drinking against the law meh? Call the police lah!” The leader became angry that Joanne and spoilt his fun. He slammed his can of beer on the table, spilling the foamy drink.

Joanne was growing a little frightened at the aggressiveness but she tried to put up a brave front. “I warned you. You better leave soon.” Turning to Jun Long, she said, “You better not hang out with these gangsters. They are up to no good.”

She gave the leader a final glare and turned quickly towards the steps leading to her flat. As she walked up the steps, she heard the group of men running up the steps. She quickened her pace and managed to reach the landing just below her flat. However, the group of men had caught up with her then and the leader pushed her against the wall, holding her shoulders with both of his hands.

Joanne screamed but was silenced immediately by a tight slap across her face. The leader pressed one of his arms against her throat, cutting off the air and choking her.

“Make some more noise and I will slap you again.” He whispered menacingly.

Joanne now saw that the tattoo on his arm was that of a snake biting a bleeding heart. She shuddered in fear.

“Let me go.” She whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Chee bye! Now you not so fierce, huh?” The leader smiled with an evil glint in his eye. He took out a Swiss knife from his back pocket and flipped out the blade. He drew the cold metal blade slowly across Joanne’s face. “I can do a lot of things with this knife. Make me happy and I won’t do anything that will hurt you, okay?” He laughed.

With one arm still on Joanne’s throat, he slid open her blouse with his other hand using his blade. “Wah. Teacher also wear such a sexy black bra. Trying to seduce your students, is it? You must be a slut.”

The three men were now ogling at her. The Malay man gave a low wolf whistle and the leader laughed again. Only Jun Long remained quiet but his eyes were fixed on Joanne’s large breasts.

The leader pushed the bra up with his blade, exposing Joanne’s nipples to the cool night air. But this was quickly replaced with the warm tongue of the leader as he licked and sucked on each nipple in turn.

“No, please don’t do this.” Joanne cried. She received another tight slap in response. The leader pulled her hair, forcing her head back and exposing her neck. He pressed the cold metal blade on her neck, sending a shiver down Joanne’s spine.

“Do you want this to slide across your throat?” The leader whispered softly into Joanne’s ear. Joanne shook her head, not daring to utter a sound.

The leader pushed Joanne to the floor. She was now on all fours, tears welling up in her ears. But she did not dare to make a sound, knowing that she may be hurt.

The leader pulled her hair, yanking her head up again. She was shocked to see that the leader had now pulled down his pants and was shoving his semi-erect cock into her face.

“Suck it.” The leader held her head with one hand and pressed the blade on the back of her neck with the other.

The cock smelt bad as if it had not been washed. Was it the smell of urine? Joanne did not want to think about it. She thought to herself that the faster she is able to make him cum, the faster the ordeal will end. She grabbed the cock with one hand, stroking it to hardness and sucking on it as much as she can. As she was sucking the leader’s cock, the Malay man hugged her from behind, squeezing her breasts and pinching her nipples. She could feel his erect cock rubbing against her ass crack as he dry hump her.

Joanne knew that she should be frightened by this. But by now, the leader seems to be enjoying his blow job and he has decided to put away his blade and instead hold Joanne’s head with both hands, guiding her to give him more pleasure. Without the threat of the blade, Joanne was able to focus on her blow job and enjoying the pleasurable moans that she was able to elicit from the leader. She was also starting to enjoy the pleasures from the attention given to her from the Malay man. He was hugging her even more tightly now, replacing his fingers regularly with quick flicks from his tongue.

Joanne turned to find Jun Long, now with his pants on the floor, stroking his hard cock as he watched his two friends violating her. With surprise, she saw that Jun Long had an extremely large and fat cock. There were large veins protruding along his cock, which only amplified the size of the cock.

“You are being rape and you are fantasising about your student’s cock?” Joanned chided herself in her head. But she knew that she was starting to enjoy this and she is no longer sure if it was a rape.

“I am cumming. Swallow everything, bitch!” The leader moaned before making several quick final thrusts into Joanne’s mouth. He held her head, forcing her to swallow every drop. After a few moments, he withdrew his flaccid cock out of her mouth.

“See. We can all have fun and no one gets hurt. No need to be fierce, right?” The leader smirked.

“Suck me too.” The Malay guy walked over and pushed his hard, small cock into Joanne’s face. Joanne had to turn her face sideways to avoid the large belly hitting her head. But she sucked even harder, hoping the ordeal will end soon.

Joanne felt someone lift up her skirt. She turned around and saw that it was the leader. He pulled down her panties and pushed his fingers into her vagina with practiced familiarity.

“Chee bye! You like this, is it? You are so fucking wet. What a slut!” The leader laughed. “Long, stop masturbating and fuck your teacher.”

“No, cannot. He is my student.” Joanne protested. The leader spanked her ass hard, leaving a red mark. “You have not learnt your lesson? Who said you can talk?”

The leader pushed another finger into Joanne’s cunt and fingered her furiously, pressing against her clitoris and sending waves of pleasure into her. Joanne tried to suppress her moans but was unsuccessful. The leader laughed when he heard Joanne whimpering with pleasure. “Slut!”

As the leader continued fingering her, the Malay man continued squeezing her breasts and playing with her nipples. Joanne could not take it any more. She squeezed her thighs as much as she can, but she could not help herself from squirting as she orgasmed.

“Fuck! You are such a slut. You are really enjoying yourself, huh?” Turning to Jun Long, the leader continued “Fuck her until she scream in pleasure.”

Jun Long stood behind his former teacher, positioning his cock head at her vagina entrance. He pressed a finger in, finding it wet and slippery, ready for his cock. He pushed it in gently, relishing the warm walls wrapping themselves tightly onto his cock. As he inched his way in, he found it tighter and harder. Joanne had never had such a large cock before. It was pushing its way into places that she did not even know existed. She moaned in pleasure as Jun Long pushed deeper into her. Finally, Jun Long managed to push his whole length into her, joining his body with her upturned ass.

“Hey, continue to suck leh.” The Malay guy continued. Joanne complied and continued with her blowjob while Jun Long started to fuck her slowly from behind. A few minutes later, the Malay guy came into Joanne’s mouth but Joanne was enjoying her fuck with Jun Long and moaning so much, that she was unable to swallow all his cum, allowing them to drip out of her mouth.

By then, Jun Long was increasing his pace. He was pumping Joanne, holding on to her hips for support. The leader was watching this with a smirk on his face and stroking his cock which was now hard again. The leader moved closer to Joanne and position his cock near her face. He held Joanne’s face with one hand and stroked his cock with the other. With a grunt, he shot his load all over Joanne’s face.

At the same time, Jun Long also grunted with pleasure. With one final thrust, he emptied his load into Joanne’s cunt. He held his cock In her until it became soft and plopped out of her cunt. He watched as his sperm slowly flowed out of Joanne’s cunt in white globs.

By now, the leader and the Malay guy had dressed up. The leader held Joanne’s face with one hand and the other pressed his blade on her face. He tapped the blade gently on her face. “Bitch. Next time, don’t be so fierce. Teachers are not gods. Don’t think you can do anything you like.”

The leader and the Malay guy laughed and made their ways downstairs.

Jun Long pulled up his jeans and looked back at Joanne. She was still on her knees, with cum dripping from her vagina and her face. Joanne looked up, with an imploring look at Jun Long.

“Please help me to my flat?” She whispered. “Please fuck me again.”

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septiembrre · 3 years

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I'm a little late but I just saw your post from a year ago about latinx rep in good girls and its sad reflecting back on it and how the show could've done better. Rio was just another stereotype, I hate how he was ambitiously latino and there was just no connection to his culture. Was he first, 2nd, or 3rd Gen? If he was 1st Gen it didn't make sense to have the family speak English. One thing that always annoyed me is how OOC he was at times and how the writers purposely made him out to be like some brown aggressive misogynistic man. They didn't bother making him complex. In a way I'm glad the show got canceled. As a Mexican woman the way Rio was written was racist.

Wah, I’ve been sitting on answering your ask. I wanted to tease your ask apart and respond to it sentence by sentence. But... my brain kept rechazandolo, so now I have feelings dump instead.

Since Good Girls ended, I have been parsing through how I feel about S4 and GG overall — sometimes more positively, sometimes more negatively. Then, I flip to reminding myself it’s not that serious (it's just tv! this is supposed to be my leisure activity!). Then, I waffle back to reflecting.

So, no textual analysis just feels and whining under the cut. I know folks are still mourning the end of the show and I don't want to yuck anyone's yum. Tagging with #ggnegativity.

My short answer is that Good Girls is my beloved, sometimes joyful, sometimes hurtful, complicated little show. Even now that we’re no longer getting new episodes I’m wary of sifting through the information we have about Rio because it’s a mess and it seems like a lot of his character was poorly thought out (ahem, all those dumb messages from Bill Krebs confirming multiple instances of lack of intentionality or care!).

I say this because I was tempted to start responding to you by riffing off of your comment with, “y'know, now that you say that, I think he’s third or fourth gen…”, pero who cares? And the point was never specifically about what gen he is, or even more specifically about... lol, I was going to say it doesn't matter what nationality he was, they just needed to pick one. Ugh, but the wording of that is too glib. The lack of intentionality behind these details feels sanitized to me, it feels very white gaze, it feels lazy.

However, I could have forgiven a lot of this weak character construction if his baseline, plot-related characterization on-screen was more consistent. But, Rio was often used as a plot device in a way that often fell flat for me, a weekly recurring bogeyman whether his antagonism made sense or not. On one hand, I feel for the creative team, because I think they were in a hard place, trying to avoid romanticizing Rio, and trying to seemingly backtrack the sexualization of him in Season 2, but... Idk, it's complicated.

Retrospectively, it’s sitting with me how much Good Girls is rooted in whiteness. While it's something I discerned before (lol, most obviously with 2x13 and in S3 with Lucy's disposability), you know how some shows get to their third or fourth season and finally start investing in their marginalized characters? It’s a crappy thing to hold out hope for, they're crumbs! But, I was. And we did get some Rio worldbuilding. But, ultimately, it felt weak to me -- under-conceptualized or under-worked.

For example, I liked Nick as a Bigger Bad who drove Rio and Beth together. I also thought that Nick's non-existent moral code was a lovely foil to Rio's, and that this contrast humanized Rio in a way that he needed. It also cast a new light on Rio's behavior of the earlier seasons, outside of Beth's perception in a way that I thought was healthy and needed. Great, meaty stuff! However, Nick and Rio's relationship came across as shallow to me. There really did not seem to be a lived-in quality to their scenes. The show really struggled with that element overall -- even with the three lead protagonists (their decades-long history with each other and interactions between their families being largely absent). I wonder why they made that choice.

It's strange because on the flip side we got a hefty amount of contextualization for MLM guy Vance and Annie's bf Kevin... Even that cop who Mick killed! All white men, too.

Me da pena.

Or maybe the thing that bothers me is that those scenes between Nick and Rio didn't center Rio's perspective effectively? Despite the one-on-one scenes being outside of Beth's framing (Rio being a secondary character typically tethered to Beth's story arc), there still was a lot of distance between Rio and the viewer? Like I think of Vance in his kitchen with his wife and child, and the way we as viewers were brought into that to empathize with him, and I think of the distance of Nick+Rio boxing scene or the scenes at the bar. Argh! It's hard to pinpoint without the textual analysis I feel too grumpy to do. It was such a narrative choice to keep Rio aloof and I side-eye it.

Anyway --

Overall, the writing room/show creators/decision-makers didn't seem to consider Latine/x/a/o viewers throughout the crafting of Good Girls and that sucks. It really feels like I'm being told to conform to the white gaze in watching the show, and after 2x13 that makes me feel prickly and defensive. A part of me yearns to do a rewatch to map Rio’s character (and inconsistencies) but I still yield joy from Good Girls — it’s been my main comfort story during the pandemic. I also rendered joy from Season 4 specifically — some of those scenes between the leads at the end were phenom!!

I am leaning into what's bringing me joy right now, so I feel hesitant to stew in critique, even while I also feel some sort of need to make sense of the hurtful racializations. I have a compulsion to write them all down on the same post or list -- somewhere where I can see them all at once and understand. But, at the moment, it’s not a use of my time and energy that feels good. Opting into fics and writing is bringing me a lot of joy during hard times.

I have to close with one final whine, that I am SO fatigued with television options right now. I find myself desperately wishing for more TV out there whose priority audience isn't only white folks. Good Girls isn't alone in its treatment of Latinx characters, or alone in mishandling characters of color or gay characters, or prioritization of empathy for white het male characters, but certainly, creating something more thoughtful shouldn't be so hard.

#preguntitas #gg negativity #lol this is basically a long journal post #good girls and latinidad #nbc good girls

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helnjk · 3 years

Text

Let Go - H.G.

Hermione Granger x reader

Requested: yes

Can I request a Hermione Granger x fem reader (gender neutral is fine too) with angst prompt 7? Thank you so much <3 “it feels like you’re slipping through my fingers and i can’t do anything about it”

Word Count: 1.4k

Summary: the future is murky, and your girlfriend’s distance is not doing you any good either.

Warnings: angst

A/N: this is my first time writing for hermione wah, i hope you like it!

Prompt is in bold

Something was wrong.

The moment you had arrived at the Burrow, you knew something was wrong. Hermione greeted you before you could even get through the threshold, arms wrapped tightly around your waist. It seemed as if she was trying to say something with her gesture, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it.

Before you could ask her about it, you were guided away by Molly who was leading you to the room you were going to be staying at while you were there. Thankfully, all you had to do was to drop your bag next to the bed assigned to you and then you were off to find your girlfriend.

You found her out in the garden, whispering something urgently to Ron, gripping his arm and leaning in closely. The moment the pair of them saw you, they immediately sprung apart.

In the blink of an eye, you watched as Hermione put on a mask of calm and smiled at you as you walked towards them.

“Hey,” She said, taking your hand in hers as soon as you were close enough.

“Hey ‘Mione,” You replied, squeezing her hand, “Didn’t get to chat much when I arrived, sorry ‘bout that. Molly just wanted to show me where I’m staying.”

She shook her head gently, “Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you’re here.”

Usually, Hermione loved to talk your ear off, and usually it was about anything that took her fancy at the time. There was something constantly running through her head, be it an interesting fact she read about a demiguise, or a piece of news from the muggle world that seemed quite important to her but you couldn’t really understand.

Now, though, the two of you lapsed into silence and Ron, who had sensed the unusual tension, opted to make his way back into the house.

Your thumb rubbed circles against her hand, “Are you alright? Did something happen?”

Her eyes seemed to look anywhere but at yours, “Yes of course! Everything’s fine.”

“Hermione,” You warned, leaving no room to argue in your voice. This tactic never usually worked on her, though.

A sigh escaped her lips and she ran her other hand through her hair. It was down today, curls sticking out and slightly frizzy due to the extra humidity of the summer day. She didn’t look any less beautiful to you.

“Let’s go on a walk?” More of a request than a statement, but after the silent few minutes the two of you spent, you were eager to find out what was bothering her.

Summer at the Burrow was as gorgeous as ever. It was quite a shame that you couldn’t take it in, in all of its glory, because of the looming war and the thin thread your relationship was hanging onto.

You hadn’t known when it started. Well, maybe you did but you just refused to acknowledge it. When Dumbledore had died, you attributed Hermione’s distance to grief. Merlin knows you also needed time to wrap your head around the events that whirled past you that fateful night. It was a wonder that you got out of the battle unscathed.

During what was left of the semester, after the funeral, you found yourself seeing your girlfriend less and less. You would stumble through the portrait hole late into the night and you would find her huddled in a corner with Ron and Harry. Whatever they were talking about seemed to be of utmost importance to the trio, but no one knew their plans.

You had thought that they’d figure out whatever it was that they needed to do before you arrived at the Burrow, but it seemed like there were still many things left unfinished.

The two of you stopped at a small meadow, just beyond the line of wards surrounding the home. A cool breeze floated through the air and ruffled the flowers that littered the path. Despite the beautify of the place, you couldn’t help but be filled with melancholy.

Hermione paused, gripping your hand tightly as her eyes scanned your surroundings. You knew she was looking for any sign of danger and your free hand closed around the wand in your pocket.

You felt a shimmer of magic surround you, only noticing then that she was mumbling under her breath. When she finished, she released a breath and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

“You going to tell me what’s been going on with you recently?” You spoke softly, as if approaching a wounded animal and you didn’t want them to flee.

When she didn’t reply, instead gripping your hand tighter in hers, you continued, “Because it feels like you’re slipping through my fingers and I can’t do anything about it.”

Your statement finally got a reaction out of her and she let out a choked sob. Before you could react, her lips were on yours and she was snaking her arms around your neck. Automatically, your arms found their way around her waist and you pulled her closer to you. It was as if your bodies were speaking for themselves, telling the other I love you, I need you, don’t leave me.

Before you could pull apart, Hermione went back for more sweet pecks and more and more.

You could taste the saltiness of her tears leaking into the kiss, but you didn’t mind. This was the first time you two had been alone together for a long time, and something told you that there was a possibility of it being the last.

“I love you,” She whispered once you had finally broken apart, forehead resting on yours.

“I love you too.”

“You know I’d tell you what we have to do if I could,” She began and you felt your heart stutter, “But the less people know, the better. I want to make sure you’re as safe as possible.”

You released your grip on her waist and instead held her face and locked eyes with her, “You know I want to help. I can help. You don’t need to do this alone, Hermione!”

All she did was shake her head and look at you sadly.

Over the next few days, you had barely let Hermione out of your sight. You thought that she was going to leave any time with Ron and Harry, who arrived battered and bruised but alive a few days after you.

Her melancholy and anxious attitude that first day seemed to vanish, though. Throughout all the wedding preparations and loud dinners with the Weasley family, Hermione smiled graciously and the spark in her eyes seemed to make a reappearance. She held your hand more, and kissed you for longer. At night, the two of you would lay together and whisper sweet nothings until you fell asleep in each others arms.

It was almost as if she forgot about all of her plans.

The excitement surrounding the Weasley home the day of the wedding seemed to infect the both of you as well.

When you saw her walk down the stairs in her ruby red dress, your breath left your chest. Your vision tunneled and all you could see was the gorgeous human being in front of you. The smile on your face grew when she made a beeline for you and placed a sweet kiss on your lips.

A laugh left her lips as you spun her around, “You look absolutely gorgeous, love.”

“Thank you,” She blushed, pressing a quick kiss on your cheek, “You look stunning too.”

Hermione hadn’t let go of your hand the whole ceremony. When Bill and Fleur were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and shared a lovely kiss in front of all their friends and family, she squeezed your arm and sent you a knowing smile. Despite the stares from some of the distant Weasley relatives that you knew were sent your way, the two of you swayed together on the dance floor.

The moment you had taken a seat at your table, giving your slightly aching feet a break, Kingsley’s patronus appeared in the middle of the tent.

Your mind barely registered his warning before guests started yelling and scrambling to apparate away. You blinked and suddenly a cold fear washed over you. Your eyes darted to where you had last seen your girlfriend, panicking when you couldn’t find her in the chaos.

“Hermione?!” You yelled, just as masked figures had appeared and started throwing spells left and right.

“Y/N!” A voice yelled. It wasn’t who you wanted to be, your eyes finding the face of Ginny, “Y/N we have to get out of here!”

She began to tug on your arm, trying to lead you away from the crossfire, but your eyes were still searching for the distinct head of curls.

“Hermione!” You all but screamed as you were ushered out of the tent.

#Hermione Granger #Hermione Granger imagine #Hermione Granger imagines #Hermione Granger fic #Hermione Granger fics #Hermione Granger reader insert #Hermione Granger x reader #Hermione Granger x y/n #Hermione Granger angst

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nautiscarader · 3 years

Text

Nautiscarader’s Wendip Week day 3: Prank War

geez, this one took a while. I apologise, and let’s hope next one will arrive faster

(ao3)

============

Someone standing outside of The Mystery Shack might have thought that the living room contained a very predictable lighting bug, or at least that someone inside was broadcasting a rather boring Morse code message using light signals.

In reality, it was just Wendy and Dipper, slouched on the sofa, surfing TV channels, giving each of them at most three seconds to entertain their bored minds. So far, none of them stood up to the challenge.

But as Wendy continued the only physical activity she had the energy for, i.e. pressing one button, something finally caught their attention.

- "What's up everyone? It's your boy, the Prankster Prancer!"

A loud, obnoxious, blonde man in his twenties, wearing spiky, gelled hair rode into the shot on a fake unicorn, face-hugged the camera, filling the wide-angle lens and made both Dipper and Wendy jump in their seats as loud horn noise shook the air around them.

- Wait, I thought this guy was only on the internet! - Wendy raised her brow - Did he escape to the real world?! - Come on, who in the right mind would give him a show? - "So, first of all, thanks to our station, The Cheese Network, for giving me the chance to entertain you guys..."

Dipper and Wendy groaned in collective understanding.

- "...and for giving us some cheese to pay for our last week's prank!"

The screen dimmed and the camera changed to an aerial shot, containing not only fires and flood, but also several military helicopters.

- "So last time we did some EPIC prank during the gender reveal party and we've made a hole in the ozone hole!"

The man made extra effort to extend every vowel in the last word, to an equally obnoxious collection of sound effects.

- Wow. That looks... bad. Even by our standards. - Wendy watched the footage. - Yeah. Good thing this dude stays away from us. - "And now it's time to reveal the next place for our EPIC PRANK!"

The man took a baseball bat and unceremoniously smashed the unicorn doll in half, and stuck his hand in the fake guts, revealing an envelope.

- "And this one is a suggestion from my top commentator on-line, that girl leaves comments under every single one of my videos, so I could not ignore her request".

The envelope was opened, and suddenly, a girl's voice began reading it.

- "Dear Prankster Prancer. I love your videos, and how creative your calamity can be..." - Wait a minute - Dipper sat up, as his eyes widened in horror - Is that- - "My name is Mabel Pines, and I am staying in a small town called Gravity Falls, in Oregon...".

Dipper and Wendy looked at each other and understood each other at once.

- Barricade the doors!

But it was too late. As Dipper ran towards the lobby, the door were smashed to the ground, seemingly under the power of the air horns, and flooded the Shack with lights. The same blonde man walked inside, as if he owned the place, leading with him Mabel Pines.

- What's up birches? Is that how you call people living in the middle of a forest? - he shoved his face to the camera again. - More like, in the middle of nowhere! - Mabel added, high-five'ing him - Thankfully, me and my Prankster Protégé are gonna rock this place! - he shouted.

Dipper Pines stood up and cleaned himself from the dust and debris, watching as the two rock their heads to some aggressive tune.

- Hold on a minute! Mabel, why did you invite him here? If anything, there's too much going around in here! - Ugh, this is my little brother, Dipper. - Mabel rolled her eyes - I'm-I'm not little! - Dipper stomped in place - We're twins!

Somewhere behind him, Wendy snickered.

- What, you just look adorable when you're angry.

Dipper turned back and stormed towards his sister.

- Mabel, do you have amnesia or something? Gravity Falls is full of amazing things! We've been on treasure hunts, found all sorts of monsters in every lake, glade and a cave... You wanted to date a zombie on out first day here! - Yeah, sure, kid, as if I could just walk into a forest and find a dead body... - the Prankster took a sip of soda, looking somewhat nervously. - Mabel, we've seen living dinosaurs here! - Yeah, like I can see one now!

The Prankster pointed to the kitchen and very confused Grunkle Stan in his pajamas.

- What in the DMV is going on here? - Check this out, a living fossil!

The Prankster jumped towards Grunkle Stan and unceremoniously took a selfie with him.

- Oh no, my eyes! The light is coming towards me instead of the other way around!

Stan cried when flash of light blinded him, and with a sleigh of hand, the blonde man undid his belt, causing Stan to nearly trip and fall, if it wasn't for Wendy.

- Hey, you! You're not a prankster, you're a jerk!

At the sound of those words, the man stopped laughing and turned his attention, as well as cameras, towards Wendy.

- What's that? We've got ourselves a HATER!

An air horn was about to blow her hat off, but Wendy swiftly grabbed it and twisted it.

- Yeah, that's what I've said, you're a jerk. I like pranking people, but not to hurt them. - And watchu gonna do, leave a mean comment? - No, we're gonna prank you. - Wendy reached and brought Dipper towards her. - Cos we've done some pranking together ourselves! - Like what? - Like... when we've made our friend think his inflatable tube could talk!

The Prankster shot them with a dead stare.

- You know what, I don't even have time to play the "wah-wah" soundbite. But if you want to lose, your call. Tomorrow, we're gonna get an EPIC PRANK-OFF!

And he shot a pose in front of the camera.

- Right, now tell me where's someplace to eat. And they better have unlimited refills. - Lazy Susan is neat. And there's water tower nearby...

And with that, he and Mabel walked off, leaving the small destruction behind them.

- Wendy! - Dipper turned at once towards her - Are you crazy? He has entire film crew! And money! And very little empathy! He's gonna plough through us! - Chill out, man, we're gonna trick him, one way or another.

And she gently smacked the edge of his hat.

- Er, I know you guys like to babble all the time, but I still can't get up. - Grunkle Stan grumbled from the floor.

=============

The next day, Wendy woke up at the break of dawn with unbridled optimism. Dipper less so, and he was a bit nervous when Wendy gathered him and her crew in the small lumberjack shack in the woods to explain the plan of action.

- So, any questions? - she asked

At the same time, every teenager in the small room raised hands.

- So, how does exactly the can of whipped cream is supposed to work with the rake? - Tambry asked - And what do we have to do with the rat-shaped balloons? - Thompson asked shyly. - And can't we just... punch him? - Robbie suggested, mimicking the action. - Ugh, you guys!

Wendy groaned and hid her face in her hands. hearing the murmurs of doubt across the room, Dipper quickly stood up and continued.

- Guys, this jerk is giving us, pranksters, a bad name! We gotta prank him in a way that shows we are better... Because we can do better!

He watched as faces of the older teenagers brighten with his speech. Several of them even smiled.

- Plus he could, like, sue us for millions of dollars, so we gotta stay clean.

With newly gained optimism, the gang rushed to Thompson's van and readied themselves for the prank.

- Thanks, man, for giving me a hand. - Wendy suddenly patted Dipper's back. - Oh, no-no problem. - Dipper spoke, wondering if she noticed his blush.

=========

- Alright, we're all in places.

Wendy spoke to her phone, and observed the places, leaning from behind the wall. Her eyes moved from Robbie, hidden in the abandoned ice-cream stall, to Thompson, on top of a tree, to Tambry, pretending to read a large newspaper, and finally, to Dipper, holding a bag of provisions.

- We-Wendy, I'm not sure if this is gonna work. - Now!

She commanded, as Prankster walked nonchalantly out of the store. He thre away the half-eaten sandwich he just bought and was about to walk into the string that would have activate the whipped cream... if he didn't make a sudden jump.

He then threw something into the stall.

- Oh, crap, it's a grenade!

Robbie stormed out, tripping on the same wire he helped setting up, which resulted in his black hair covered in white goo and sprinkles.

Tambry was supposed attack next, but Prankester was already next to her. He took a bucket of soapy water and dumped it over her, destroying her diguise that covered her pruple hair.

For Thompson, he didn't even have to do much - he threw a mouse toy into the air, and listened how the boy tumbles down, shrieking.

And finally, he took something big and colourful out of his backpack and tossed it onto the street, watching as Dipper and Wendy rush towards it.

- Limited edition Giraffeoala!

They realised the two were after it when it was too late. Their heads collided with each other, just as the elusive plushie was yanked from their hands, back into his bag.

- Seriously, guys? You wanted to outsmart me? There like five of you and you couldn't do it. - Ha! That was a good one! - Mabel emerged from behind his back and did another high-five. - But I couldn't do it without you. - he pointed at her. - Me? But I didn't do anything... - Of course you did.

The Prankster lowered his sunglasses.

- Last evening at that stupid bar. You told me you were friends with everyone here. You told me how one of them likes gloomy, dark places. Like another one is afraid of mice. Like another one never looks away from her phone...

Mabel's ecstatic, radiant smile faded with each word the Prankster spoke, and her eyes, widened from excitation began to fill with tears.

- And, well, you told me what these two dorks are obsessed about... amongst other things. - Mabel! - Wendy and Dipper cried at the same time. - But-But I didn't... - Aw, really? You feel sad for them? LAME. - he pushed her aside and waved for his crew that followed him anyway.

For quite a while, all the small town could hear was Mabel Pines sobbing, until someone closed his arms around her.

- There, there, sis. - Dipper spoke quietly. - I guess you see why were so angry now. - I-I didn't know he would...

Dipper hugged her, letting her cry as much as she wants into his vest.

- It's not your fault, Mabel. - Wendy added, taking a knee and gently patting her. - But-But it is! - Well... Kinda... - Robbie added, and received a cold, piercing stare from Wendy. - Jerks like that like to... use people. And they know that the best ones are those, who are most trusting and kind.

Mabel's sniffing stopped, as Wendy continued.

- But you know what? - Dipper spoke suddenly - I think I got an idea...

He let go of his sister rushed to the Prankster, sitting on one of the toy unicorns, tossing quarter after quarter, while two children in queue began to tear up.

- Hey, you! - Ugh, you again, twerp. What, want me to reveal more secrets about you and your stupid hobbies? Or, like, who is your biggest crush after a toy plushie from the 90s?

Dipper's face reddened, but he remained unperturbed.

- We're not done yet. Tomorrow we're gonna prank you for good. Double or nothing! - Ugh, sure, fine. - the Prankster didn't even look at him - It's not like I can do anything until my lawyers clean up the whole "gender reveal party" fiasco. Like, who cares if the whole state is now inhabitable for life?

==============

By the next morning, the battleground was set. Cameras and tons of equipment surrounded the small grassy meadow in front of the Mystery Shack, where Dipper and Wendy were sitting in their chairs with their arms crossed, both wearing much more confident smiles. And the fact that Mabel was with them added them extra layer of morale.

When the clock struck 12, a mighty roar shook the place, as monster truck drove from behind the tree line, smoking and setting nearby branches on fire. The Prankster Prancer jumped out of it, and, drowned in the flashes of cameras, walked into his place.

- So, are you twerps ready for the FINAL PRANK OF YOUR LIFE? - he roared into the microphone, rolling his tongue back and forth as if he was about to eat it. - Nah, we're not gonna prank you. - Wendy shrugged - But someone else will.

The newly reinstalled door to the Mystery Shack opened, and a new figure appeared. An elderly woman walked out, being led by Grunkle Stan that gallantly helped her, for once not sneaking his hand into her purse.

And when she looked up from behind her glasses, the confident smile on Prancer's face disappeared at once.

- Grandma?! What-What are you doing here?! - Oh, don't you know? - Grunkle Stan rushed with explanation - We, old folks, all know each other. And I simply couldn't let her miss her grandson's grand day! - I'm so glad I can see you, Archibald!

The elderly lady used her cane to hook him by his neck and brought him into his arms, despite his best efforts to avoid any interactions.

- G-Grandma, don't- don't call me that! - Why not? - she continued, seemingly ignoring her grandson efforts to escape her tight hug. - I am your grandma, and I will call you by your full name, Archibald Roderick Sebastian Eugene!

Somewhere behind them, Dipper, Wendy and Mabel were having the time of their life, trying to hide their laughter.

- So, wait, his initials literally make him an... - Grandma! Make them stop! They-they are laughing at me! - Nonsense! Those young folks told me all your fans would love to see me talk about you. So I've send them some photos via the eclectic mail!

The blonde man looked to the side at Wendy and Dipper's faces. Their wide smiles told him everything, and in the act of ultimate desperation, he gently shook his head, silently mouthing his plea. He then looked at Mabel's, but hers was filled with spite.

In response, Mabel simply pressed a button.

The enormous screen behind them lit up, showing an adorable newborn blonde boy in diaper, giggling at the baby rattle.

Several more followed, showing his equally naked body in progressively embarrassing positions.

The screen changed, and the same boy was now three-years old, wearing a strict haircut as well as a bowtie. And the worst part was, he looked happy.

The Prankster Prancer fell to his knees, as tears began rolling from his eyes, which his grandma quickly dried with her handkerchief.

- Oh, yes, I do tear up a little at this one too. Oh, but the next one makes me so proud!

Prancer's eyes widen, if possibly even more, and throwing away all the pretence, he rushed to Wendy and Dipper and began begging them for mercy. But it was for nothing. He knew they have seen the photo already.

And with another press of a button, a seven-year old Prancer was shown, wearing a blue cardigan, sitting in an armchair with a big book in his hands, smiling at the camera, proudly showing his braces.

The scanned photo displayed a title, written in crayon over it.

"I love school!"

Flocks of birds flew into the air from the nearby trees in response to the shriek that reverberated the air, full of remorse, despair, and unmistakably, defeat.

- Nooooo!

The Prancer hit the ground with his fists, for which he was quickly reprimanded by his grandma ("You're going to make them dirty!"), while Wendy and Dipper high-fived each other, before giving Mabel a warm hug.

=============

- So I guess that will teach him? - Dipper asked Wendy as the two lay on the sofa, flicking through the channels again. - Pfh. I wish it did. - Wendy reached for her phone and showed Dipper a familiar blonde man waving his arms uncontrollably. - "What's up Prankster Pros? It's ya boy, and I've got this sweet book deal full of my MOST EMBARASSING photos! Look at that baby bottom! Only for $99.99..." - Geez, I guess they never learn. - Nope. But at least he's not here...

For a while the room dimmed every few seconds, as Wendy searched for anything interesting, but something else was on Dipper's mind.

- So... about those Cuddle Buddies...

The remote fell out of Wendy's hand.

- Uh, yeah, so, I just...

She shied away and mumbled her answer, until she saw a polite smile on Dipper's face.

- So, like, remember ever since you wanted to win that Duck Panda for me? I... kinda got into them, you know. Not like, obsessively collecting them, but... you know. - Yeah, I do. For cuddling.

The two looked at each other and exchanged the same, warm smiles.

- So which generation you like the most? - Well, gen 2 obviously - she rolled her eyes - What? Five is the best. - The best as sucking, perhaps. - Come on, they had changed the lead designer and everything, but they're still Cuddle Buddies...

For quite a while, the channel stayed on, as neither of them bother to change it. And when the night fell on, Wendy and Dipper realised that they might have discovered something new to talk about.

#nautiscaraderfics #wendipweek #wendip week #wendip #wendy corduroy #dipper pines #gravity falls #prank war

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natrogersfics · 3 years

Text

After All - Chapter 1/5

Cover art by @faith2nyc Read on AO3

In the history of work-life balances, The Daily’s has to be the most bizarre of any company, and Natasha knows that it has nothing to do with the reasonable work hours Pepper is a stickler for implementing. One would truly be hard-pressed to find another work environment where the people get along so seamlessly. Sure, they have their disagreements, and their instincts are always to engage in debate rather than shy away from it, but for the most part, the second the clock strikes five p.m., all spats are forgotten in lieu of brainstorming which watering hole to head to (Dalton’s, always Dalton’s).

To say that her coworkers are like family seems like a banality on the surface, the type of line an HR Department would print in the welcome packet for a new employee before their first day on the job. But as she stands by the doorway of Tony and Pepper’s living room, watching the very people she works with on a daily basis joyously mingle with members of her actual family, she does not know how else she could possibly define them. These people are the best of the best in the respective subjects, their combined accomplishments the envy of anyone with even a scintilla of ambition to succeed in the media. And yet here they are, holding plates filled with rainbow cake and sporting unicorn party hats, all because these happen to be her daughter’s latest obsession and they’re all powerless to deny her – especially on her first birthday.

In some ways, she knew they would be fond of Isabel, but she never expected them to adore her quite like this – for Thor to bring her a strawberry cupcake every eleventh to celebrate each new month of her life, or for Stephen and Christine to insist that they come over so the latter can personally perform routine checkups, or for Tony to customize a double stroller for when he takes both Isabel and Maria to his workshop. What’s more, they’ve all rallied around her as well, none of them ever more than a text message away when she’s in need of anything, which proved invaluable as she navigated motherhood for the first time.

This outpour of love from a group of people who are not by any stretch obligated to go so above and beyond is an anomaly, she knows. It’s going to take some kind of miracle for her to find another group of genuinely kind people who would go up to bat for her and Isabel. And it’s that very thought that wrests the sadness she’s been trying to keep at bay all day as she ponders how this may be the last time in a long while that they will gather like this.

“Are you sure you have to go?”

The question breaks her out of her reverie, and she turns to see Darcy next to her, holding up two forks in one hand and a plate of cake in the other. She chuckles, reaching for the other fork as they both take a bite and moan at the perfection that is Sarah Roger’s baking. “I already paid the security deposit on the flat we’re staying in,” she says. “So that’s going to be a yes.”

“Flat, huh? Look at you, getting in on the lingo,” Darcy teases before groaning. “But until your butt is officially across the pond, it is an apartment. And it is take-out, not take-away. Which, coincidentally, we happen to have the best of here. Where are you going to get your Nom Wah fix in London, Nat, huh? Where?”

“They have a Chinatown there too, last I checked,” she counters, laughing when Darcy rolls her eyes. “Besides, I have to go anyway on the account of me being out of a job. I do have a child to support, you know.”

“First of all, the only reason you’re out of a job is because you got a big promotion,” Darcy says matter-of-factly. “Stupid corporate ladder.”

“Big words coming from the newly minted editor of The Daily’s International section,” she says, suddenly brimming with pride.

“Only because I learned everything from you,” Darcy says quietly before sighing in concession. “Ugh! You better not forget us when you’re out there being a hotshot editor-in-chief. And you better make sure Boss Baby doesn’t forget who her favorite is!”

“Darcy, Darcy, Darcy,” she says, wrapping an arm around the shoulders of the first person to truly become her constant at work. “You are many things, but forgettable is not one of them.”

“Yeah, true,” Darcy concedes easily, causing them both to laugh.

“Speaking of the Boss Baby though,” she says, checking her watch. “It’s almost her bedtime, so I better go make sure none of her grandparents have let her eat all the icing.”

“I think what you really have to be concerned about is an aunt and uncle helpless over her charms,” Darcy says, smiling knowingly. “Last I saw her she was in the kitchen with Bucky and Wanda.”

She’s about to thank her, but before she can, Darcy’s already running towards the center of the living room at Thor’s roaring announcement that a game of Pictionary is about to commence. For a second, she allows herself a moment to watch the pandemonium unfold as her friends – her fully grown adult friends, no less – vie for the positions of team captains. “Hooligans,” she says, shaking her head fondly before making a beeline for the kitchen. She pokes her head in, finding Bucky and Wanda poring over the cheese and cold cuts selection laid out on the island before knocking on the wall to get their attention. “Any of you know where Izzie is?”

“Nat!” Bucky exclaims, “you have to try this cheese. It smells like something died in it, but it’s so damn delicious!”

She tilts her head to the side, the corner of her mouth tugging up in amusement. “Maybe later, Buck.”

“Ignore him. He’s inhaled too much cheese,” Wanda says over the rim of her wine glass before pointing upwards. “Steve took her upstairs for a diaper change.”

“Thank you,” she says, turning to leave. She makes it to the stairs, climbing it two steps at a time until she reaches the top and stops in front of the framed collage of Maria on the wall. As her eyes scan the plethora of pictures, she can’t help but smile. She’s seen this frame countless times before, can practically name where each photo was taken and how old her goddaughter is in every one of them, but for some reason, she finds herself lingering before it, as if she needs to recommit everything to her memory lest she forget. She gives herself another minute, and with a sigh, forces herself to look away and walk down the familiar path to the nursery.

“Do you know how much Daddy loves you?”

Steve’s words stop her dead in her tracks, and through the door left cracked open, she catches a glimpse of him sitting on the rocking chair with Isabel across his lap, their daughter staring up at him as he feeds her a bottle. The sight of them gazing affectionately at each other punches the breath out of her lungs, and it’s only by instinct that she moves out of view, pressing her back against the nearest wall.

“I don’t even know if I have the right words to describe how much,” she hears Steve confess with a little chuckle, to which Isabel coos, and in her heart of hearts, she knows that she should not be eavesdropping on this moment – it isn’t hers, and yet, she finds herself unable to move. “I guess it’s a good thing that you don’t understand me all that well yet, so I have some time to figure them out...” He sighs, long and winded. “Though, if I’m being honest, I don’t know if I ever will. There couldn’t possibly be words in existence that will encapsulate how much I love every little inch of you.” Steve’s voice cracks by the end, followed closely by a sniffle. “I’m going to miss you like crazy, fig. And I’ll call you all the time, so please don’t forget Daddy while you’re over there, okay? You’re my whole world, baby girl…”

The hallway and the stairs and the foyer are all a blur as she bolts, the air around her suddenly too thick. She makes it out the front door, but by the time she gets to the bottom step of the brownstone, her legs feel too heavy to keep herself upright and she slumps down, placing her head in her hands as the Summer night’s air blows by and the sound of the traffic on the Upper East Side rings ambiently around her. She sighs. Steve’s words weren’t even meant for her to hear. It shouldn’t affect her this way – shouldn’t hurt her this way – especially when they’re full of adulation for their daughter. And yet, it’s as if she’s taken another dagger to her already crippled heart.

“Natasha.”

She looks up in time to see her mother take a seat next to her, and in the warmth of Melinda’s embrace, she finally lets the tears fall. “Would you believe me if I said I was just tired?”

“Oh, Nat,” Melinda says, reaching over to thumb her tears away. “You don’t have to do this. You know that, right?”

“Only I do,” she says, the words tumbling out of her mouth almost immediately. “He’s had a year. Heck, he’s had more than that to say something, give me a sign.” Melinda’s expression softens at her words, and she knows that it’s because despite offering her a way out only moments ago, Melinda’s one of the few people who knows she’s right. It’s been too long since that fateful night she asked Steve if she had a reason to stay, only to be met by silence. It was damning then, and it’s even more so in the time that’s passed since they’d agreed to postpone both her move to London and the implementation of their custody agreement until Isabel turned one. If he wanted her, if he felt even a fraction for her of what she felt for him, he had countless opportunities and ample time to say so. But now here they are, their daughter past her first year of life, and a day away from each of them getting her six months out of the year. She shakes her head. “He loves her so much. That’s more than I could have ever asked for, and in some ways, that’s always been the deal.” She turns to Melinda, smiling sadly. “I can’t keep hoping anymore. I have to move on.”

With a sad smile, Melinda drops a kiss to her temple. “Okay.”

In the months leading up to this day, there were countless times Natasha had caught herself imaging how it would play out. She expected a tear or two to be shed – Sarah and Melinda being the most obvious culprits – but at the very least, she thought the massive crowds at JFK would prove a compelling enough reason for them to not only keep it together, but also to keep their goodbyes short and sweet. But here, on the tarmac in Teterboro, with the Stark Industries jet before her and her entire family close by, she realizes that this is quickly morphing into her worst-case scenario – drawn out goodbyes, too many sad eyes, and her heart feeling all too heavy in her chest.

“You tell T’Challa that I will never forgive him for this.”

Pepper’s words elicit a laugh from her. “Oh please,” she says, scoffing even as she wraps her arms tighter around Pepper and pretends not to feel the warmth of the tear that drips down to her shoulder. “If you were at all capable of holding a grudge, the three of us would’ve stopped being friends long ago.”

“That was before he plotted to steal my best friend from me,” Pepper mumbles, making them both laugh. “Do you realize that this is the first time since college that we’re not going to live within a subway’s ride from each other?”

“We’ll drop by for Christmas,” she offers quietly, unable to trust that her voice won’t falter if she dares answer the question directly. Over Pepper’s shoulder, her eyes quickly glance at the group by the stairs of the jet – Sarah, Nick and Melinda, and Bucky and Wanda all gathered around Steve and Isabel – and she finds herself relieved that she had already said her lengthy goodbyes to most of them last night. She takes a step back from Pepper as she says, “These next six months will fly by.”

“Alright, alright,” Tony interjects as he comes up next to them with Maria on his hip. “Let’s not act like there’s not going to be a Stark Industries emergency in the London office in two weeks that only the CEO can solve.” He eyes Pepper and then her knowingly before nodding towards the jet. “Best not to misuse company property more than we already are.”

She rolls her eyes, breaking away from Pepper’s embrace completely. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you the one who insisted on this whole spectacle?”

“You were gonna fly commercial,” Tony says, his expression twisting in disgust. “We’re not savages, Red.”

Her lips quirk up at that. To anyone else, Tony’s quip drips with arrogance and reeks of privilege from a life defined by exuberant wealth. But she’s known the man for over a decade now, and though most of the time his tact leaves much to be desired, she understands him enough to know how to read between the lines. Their friendship has never been defined by heartfelt tête-à-têtes, and part of her is glad that he doesn’t seem keen on starting that now. Nevertheless, she knows that making sure she and Isabel are nothing short of exceedingly comfortable on an already difficult trip, is Tony’s ultimate way of showing just how much he cares.

“Come here,” she says, stepping forward to engulf both him and Maria in a hug.

“Oh, we’re doing this?” Tony says. “Okay, we’re really doing this.” She ignores him, but it only takes a beat before she feels his free arm wrap around her as well, squeezing back. When they pull away, he has his signature smirk on his face. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

She chuckles just as she drops a kiss to Maria’s forehead. “Bye sweetheart,” she tells her goddaughter before turning back to Tony, raising an eyebrow at him. “Does that list even exist?”

Tony winks at her, prompting Pepper to shake her head at the both of them.

“Indeed, it does not,” Pepper says, linking arms with her. “Come on.”

The pit in her stomach that she’s been trying to ignore since she got up this morning rears its ugly head once more. It’s for the best, she reminds herself. These four words have become her mantra ever since she uttered them that night in Steve’s office when she had first given him the custody agreement, and though her heart had never felt as eviscerated as it had in that moment, the fact that she’s only minutes away from jetting off to a different continent is testament to the fact that there’s truth in it. That, despite all that she’d hoped would change, this is how their lives must play out if they are to make their arrangement work. She sucks in a breath at the thought, at the finality of it all, and as she huffs out, the reassuring squeeze from Pepper grounds her enough to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Sarah is the first to notice them as they near, and she’s quick to offer her a warm smile before turning to Steve, whispering in his ear and giving Isabel one last kiss.

“Be safe, darling,” Sarah says when she makes her way over to her, cupping her face in her hands. “And please, don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t,” she says, smiling earnestly. “Thank you, Sarah.” Sarah’s barely stepped away from her when she feels two pairs of arms wrap around her simultaneously, and she can’t help but laugh when she finds herself sandwiched between Nick and Melinda. “Sucking up all my oxygen here, guys.”

“Call us the second you land,” Melinda orders. “And not a second later, you hear? We have your flight plan.”

“Or by God, I will order an F-35 to come find you,” Nick adds.

She scoffs. “You’ve been saying that since I was sixteen.”

“It was true then and it’s even truer now that you’re taking my grandbaby with you,” Nick says, eyeing her pointedly. “Don’t try me.”

“Fine,” she says, chuckling softly. “We’ll FaceTime you the second we land. How’s that?”

“Excellent,” Melinda says, hugging her tightly once more. “Our girl, we love you so.”

“Love you too,” she says to each of them. Wanda and Bucky are last in line, and as she accepts a hug from the former and a kiss on the cheek from the latter, she begins to make her way towards the landing of the stairs where Steve stands cradling a sleeping Isabel. She stops a foot short of them, tucking her hands into her pockets and mustering the best smile she can. “We should get going.”

Steve nods, turning to nuzzle the top of Isabel’s head. “Be a good girl for momma, okay?” he says, and she has to avert her gaze elsewhere at the way his voice breaks at the end. “Daddy loves you so much, fig.”

Just as she had the night before, she finds herself once again an intruder in a moment she has no business being a part of as she listens to Steve whisper sweet nothings to their daughter. But despite the feeling of being so unwelcome, so unwanted, she swallows it all down along with the lump that’s formed in her throat in an attempt to keep it together. It’s only when she hears Steve mutter a soft okay that she dares look back, watching as he steps forward to place Isabel into her arms.

“Shh,” she says gently when Isabel stirs at the movement, carefully shifting her so she can rest her head on her shoulder before turning to Steve. “I’ll text you when we land and again when we get to our flat, so you know she’s safe.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he says, letting a beat pass before shaking his head. “Natasha…”

For a moment, she can only stand there, letting his utterance of her name hang in the air between them. Where she finds the courage to look in his eyes, she isn’t certain, but she does. The pain in them is clear as the sky above them, but for whom it’s for, she can only surmise. Surely, for being separated for the next six months from their daughter, who’s oblivious to the loaded silence between them as she slumbers peacefully against her. And though she knows she shouldn’t, she lets herself wonder – wish, really – if only for a fraction of a second, and perhaps for the last time, that maybe that pain is for her, too. And that maybe, just maybe, now he would say the words she’s been longing to hear.

Steve sighs, and she holds her breath as he leans down to kiss her cheek. “Knock ‘em dead, Natasha Romanoff.”

Her eyes fall shut at that, and though he’s close enough that she can smell the familiar scent of his cologne and feel the warmth of his skin, they might as well be continents apart already. “Thanks,” she whispers, giving him a final nod before she turns to ascend the stairs.

There’s only the whirr of the jet taxiing towards the runway as she settles further back against the softness of the leather seat. Across her chest, Isabel sleeps peacefully, her curls glowing russet in the sunlight streaming through the window and her weight a welcome distraction from the hollowness burrowing deep inside of her, settling in. By now, she realizes, the sensation is just an old friend. She sighs, running her hand up and down Isabel’s back, holding her closer. “It’s just you and me, fig.”

I’m not freaking out, you are!

Steve’s brow arches as he reads the words in the blue bubble, and he does not waste time pressing down on the file attachment, eagerly waiting for the video to take up the entirety of the screen. Once it does, Isabel comes into view, sporting a gray Dodgers jersey with her hair pulled up in two symmetric pigtails as she clings onto the edge of a coffee table. The sight pulls his lips up into a beaming smile, all but threatening to split his face.

“Come to momma, fig,” he hears Natasha encourage in the background. “You can do it!”

Despite Natasha’s message alluding to the fact that this had been a fruitful exercise, he finds himself holding his breath as he watches Isabel blink, her eyebrows furrowing in suspicion as if she’s contemplating her mother’s words. On the lower part of the screen, her foot inches forward ever so slightly, though whether it is to test the waters or tease her mother, he can only guess. But then her dubious expression fades as quickly as it had come, making way for a toothy grin, and then his eyes widen as he witnesses her take one wobbly step and then trot the rest of the way.

“Yay!” Natasha cheers, eliciting an elated giggle from Isabel, and he can’t help but laugh along as the camera flips to show Natasha with Isabel now on her lap. “We’re walking!”

He types back a quick Yes! followed by But also, uh oh! 😬 before pressing play on the video once more, this time watching Isabel walk on her own without the nervousness that had plagued him only moments ago. It seems ridiculous – though he’s willing to bet that most parents feel the same way – but he feels pride surge right through him. Isabel was just beginning to get the hang of walking while her hands were being held up during her first birthday, and now, less than six months later, she’s already cruising along by herself. Time, he muses, truly does zip on by.

Placing his phone down on the counter, he stops to ponder his last thought. If there’s one thing he’s come to realize about time, it is that it can be a real conundrum – moving faster than you wish it would when you least want it to and slowing down to an agonizing crawl when you’re all but begging for it to fly. Only, these two facets seemed to be happening simultaneously in the last six months since his custody agreement with Natasha had taken effect. On one hand, Isabel is growing and changing faster than he can keep up with, becoming her own person with every day that passes. But at the same time, it feels as if his turn to have her, to witness these milestones unfold in real time, is an eternity away.

“I don’t like that face. Not one bit.”

He turns towards the sound of the voice, chuckling when he sees his mother walking into his kitchen, a box from her bakery in hand. “So much for a face only a mother can love.”

“Of course I love that face,” Sarah says, setting the box and her purse down on the island before hopping on the stool next to his. “I made it.” Sarah snickers as he rolls his eyes. “What I don’t love is when it’s all broody and scrunched up” – she points to his head – “means something’s going on up there.”

With a sigh, he unlocks his phone, opening the video back up before pushing it towards Sarah. His mother squeals upon seeing her granddaughter, picking up the device to get a closer look.

“She’s gotten so big!” she says, her eyes on the screen. “Goodness, she’s walking. Really walking!”

“She finally fit into the jersey Thor gave her before she was born, too,” he adds, shaking his head in disbelief. “Now it’s just right.” It’s probably the tone of his voice – crestfallen, though he hadn’t meant for it to come out that way – that causes Sarah to look at him, her eyes rueful. He waves off her concern. “I’m fine, ma. Some days are just harder than most. Technology’s great and all, but I still feel like I’m missing so much. And now...”

Sarah reaches over to place her hand over his. “I’m sorry they’re not going to make it for Christmas, darling.”

“It’s fine,” he repeats. While he isn’t due to have Isabel until after New Years’, with some cajolery from Melinda, Nick, and Pepper, Natasha had agreed that she and Isabel would come visit for Christmas. That’d been the plan even before they left for London almost six months ago, and if he’s being completely honest, it’s been the day he’s been counting down to since. But then an emergency at Natasha’s work came up, preventing her and Isabel from traveling until after the holiday and successfully upending everything he had been looking forward to. He sighs. “It’s still technically Natasha’s time with her and she was being really magnanimous about sharing Izzie for Christmas anyway.” He swipes his hand out, as if to dismiss his melancholy, but even that is half-hearted. “I was just really looking forward to it, you know? Bucky already bought her a beanie with Reindeer antlers that light up and I thought maybe she could still see the Rockefeller tree.”

“Still might,” Sarah says, to which he gives a non-committal nod. “They don’t take it down right away anyway. But have you maybe considered asking Natasha if you can fly there for Christmas?”

“What?” he nearly spits out the word in surprise, tilting his head to the side as he looks at his mother like she’s grown three heads. “What’re- I mean, what in the world makes you think she’d agree to that?”

This time, it’s Sarah’s turn to look at him incredulously. “You two have been getting along great these past few months, haven’t you?”

“We text about Izzie,” he says, “and yes, Natasha’s there when we FaceTime too, but that’s because she has to hold up the phone on the account of Izzie wanting to put everything in her mouth. That is not the same as getting along great.” He sits up straighter, shaking his head. “Besides, spending Christmas together? In London? That’s not even remotely in our-”

“Oh please,” Sarah interrupts. “I don’t care what you two have written down in your contract-”

“Custody agreement,” he corrects.

“Semantics,” Sarah counters. “Like it or not, you and Natasha are forever bonded by the beautiful baby girl you two brought into this world. That makes you family, and families spend Christmas together.” Sarah shrugs, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip and seemingly deliberating her next words. “Unless…”

He looks at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. “Unless?”

“Steven, hon, you know I don’t like to pry,” Sarah says carefully. “But ever since… well, okay. I suppose I thought that maybe things between you and Natasha… especially after Izzie was born… I thought maybe you two would give it a chance. But then nothing happened, and I said I’d leave you two to it. It’s your lives. But now she’s over there, making a life for herself and you know what? Good on her. But then I see you, and I… It just seems to me like you’re stuck. And I feel like I’ve seen this before, so I have to ask… Do you maybe still have feelings for Natasha?”

His eyebrows shoot into his hairline. “That is not what-”

“And that is not an answer.”

“I…” he begins, only to pause to collect his thoughts. “I have had the tremendous opportunity of curating for a successful gallery and overseeing its expansions. And that is on top of my day job at the paper and making sure I am pulling my weight as a co-parent. I’m barely in the same place for five minutes, so quite frankly, ma, by definition I think that’s the opposite of being stuck.” When Sarah’s pointed glance does not let up, he sighs. “Look… if the lack of two more seats at our Christmas table this year is any indication, I’d say my feelings weren’t any good on a one-way street. If I were stuck, I’d still be standing on it, but like I just said...”

Sarah puts her hands up. “Well, if all the hatchets are buried…” she says as she moves off the stool and slings her purse over her shoulder. “No harm in asking then, is there?” She reaches over to the counter, pushing his phone back to him and nodding towards the screen. “You don’t get any of these moments back, Steve. So if there’s any chance you can be a part of them instead of watching from afar, try.” With a smile, she leans in to kiss his cheek. “I’ll see you Sunday at brunch.”

Sleep eludes him later that night as he watches the shadows dance across the ceiling, his mind replaying the conversation he had with Sarah. As he ruminates on its substance, he’s suddenly transported back to that night almost two years ago when Natasha had received her award from the Journalists’ Guild. At that point, their relationship had plunged into this strange and confusing pitfall. They had gone from living together as Natasha recovered from her awful fall, falling into domestic bliss as they did, to her serving him a custody agreement in his office seemingly in a blink of an eye. When he approached her that night for a dance, all he truly wanted was to erase the distance and the silence that had grown between them. But sometime in the middle of them swaying along to a soft string tune, she had informed him that she was going to take the job in London, and as he remembers how her words had made him feel then, hurt washes over him anew. She had pulled the rug from underneath him, sending him into free fall that, by the time she was accusing him of having never wanted their child in the first place, and asking him if she had a reason to stay, he was frozen. Speechless. Powerless to stop her from walking away and disappearing into the crowd.

Navigating their relationship after that night was incredibly difficult. They were both hurt, and understandably so, but giving each other space became nearly impossible when Natasha’s pregnancy spurned more health complications. They weren’t grave, thankfully, but it was enough to bring them to the sober realization that regardless of what had transpired between them, they couldn’t let their feelings get in the way of prioritizing the one thing that meant the world to the both of them. And by the time Isabel was born, the effort they’d both put in to make their circumstances work was so much that he told himself that it did not matter that his feelings for Natasha were not only lingering, but also brewing deep – rocking the boat was the last thing the three of them needed.

Further, what he had told his mother hadn’t been a lie. Feelings are no good on a one-way street. Perhaps there was a point where Natasha had felt the same way about him as he felt about her, but that was all moot now. In the end, she had gotten on the plane to London, and though he wanted nothing more than to tell her how he truly felt as they said their goodbyes at the airport, he still did not know with a certainty if that would have been enough. That, his love was a compelling enough reason for her to forego an opportunity that she’d been working towards her whole life. So instead, he told her the one thing he knew she’d do anyway – go and succeed. And if the reviews of the paper she’s helming and their cordial co-parenting relationship are anything to go by, it’s clear that staying mum was the right call.

It’s then that the merit of Sarah’s earlier argument becomes clear. While spending Christmas together isn’t something they’ve ever discussed, with the both of them moving forward, perhaps there really was no harm in asking. Perhaps what’s in the past can stay in the past. Perhaps Christmas didn’t have to be so somber this year.Before he can change his mind, he reaches for his phone.

Natasha holds her breath as she creeps out into the hallway, relief crashing down on her like a ton of bricks when she successfully clicks the door shut without hearing a cry. With a sigh, she brings a hand up to the bridge of her nose, pinching down and letting her eyes fall shut in exhaustion. Isabel’s been restless the last couple of days, waking up intermittently and distraught for reasons that she cannot seem to figure out. To top it all off, despite the holidays fast approaching, her workload only seems to grow exponentially, and with the recent lack of sleep, the fatigue is getting harder to stave off.With a heavy exhale, she straightens up, willing herself back to her living room and to where she left her laptop on the couch.

The words on the open document on her screen are ones she’s read enough times that she can recite them verbatim from memory, and yet, as she tries to come up with the next sentence, her mind draws a blank. With a groan, she pushes her screen down shut. Writing has always been her outlet of choice, allowing her to clear her head by losing herself in the topic of her current piece, and for it to fail her now when she’s most in need of a catharsis, she can’t help but feel even more untethered.The ding of her phone cuts through the silence, and she looks towards where it’s resting on the cushion to see an email notification pop up.

Picking it up, she glides a finger over the bubble on the screen and sighs when she sees the subject line read:

URGENT – Meeting w/ PR tomorrow

Without reading the contents, she closes her email app, deciding that at two in the morning, she just does not have the mental bandwidth to deal with any more work woes. But as she does, her photo stream appears, and a video begins to play. The camera zooms in, showing Steve carefully lifting a six-month-old Isabel up to blow bubbles on her belly, and she stops to watch Isabel giggle. In her desperation to soothe Isabel tonight, she had decided to play the video as she rocked her to sleep, and much to her relief, it had worked. Within minutes, and with Steve’s voice on loop in the background, Isabel had finally gone to bed.It’s when the frame switches to Steve and Isabel playing peek-a-boo that she finds her throat tightening. When she had moved six months ago, she had believed that not only was it the right decision, but also that the challenge of a new job and readjusting to a different country would aid her in moving on. But as Isabel’s soft coos and Steve’s laughter from the video fills the room, the sounds only seem to further underscore how big and empty her flat feels.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the audio cutting off, and she glares at the screen in anticipation of another work-related email, but her eyes only widen in surprise when she sees a text from Steve.

Hey, do you have time to talk tomorrow morning (late afternoon your time)? Just had a question…

As she reads the text, her eyebrows furrow. While they communicate several times a week, it’s only so he can video chat with Isabel or so she can send him Isabel’s latest photo. It’s not like him to shoot her a text out of the blue, and it’s even more so unusual for him to be vague about the subject. She bites her lip as she contemplates a reply, typing something out only to delete it. By her fourth attempt, her mind begins to race with a deluge of questions. With a huff, she puts her phone down, and finds herself almost grateful when she catches the porch light next door flicker on through her window. Hurriedly, she gets up, running through her foyer and hastily throwing her door open just as her neighbor is about to place their key into the lock. “Any chance you’re up for a nightcap?” she asks, biting her lip.

Her neighbor turns, looking every bit as tired as any reasonable person returning home at this hour should. Nevertheless, he smirks. “When you’re offering?” he asks. “Always.”

“Long week, huh?” she asks later on as they sit on her couch, each clutching a glass of wine.

“Endless,” he says as he angles to face her. “Two back-to-back shifts with a twelve-hour surgery somewhere in between that nearly went critical, to be exact.”

“Nothing the great Dr. Laufeyson couldn’t handle, I’m sure,” she says, eyeing him knowingly.

“The patient survived, if that’s what you’re alluding to,” Loki says, prompting them both to laugh.

Her gaze falls to her wine, watching the dark liquid swirl as she rotates the glass in her hand. “Must be nice, though,” she says, “knowing what you do saves lives.” She looks over at him as she adds, “That of children, especially.”

“It is,” he agrees. “They’re wonderful and pure, as I’m sure you know. Not yet privy to the trickery and harshness of the world at large like we adults are... But that’s a conversation for a different time.” He takes a sip of his wine before arching a brow at her. “So, tell me, Miss Romanoff. What is it that has you keeping me from my bed?”

She scoffs. “Didn’t realize I had the power to make you do things you didn’t want to do.”

“I’d do anything for you and that little angel of yours,” he says before shrugging. “You know that.”

Loki’s words bring a smile to her face. For all her struggles in the last six months, meeting and getting to know him has been one of the bright spots that’s kept her going. That, and the fact that he lives next door and is up at ungodly hours like she is, is convenient – especially on nights like this when she could really use someone to talk to. It’s with that reminder that she sighs and goes about catching him up on everything that’s been plaguing her mind since the last time she saw him. When she finally gets to Steve’s text, she hands him her phone. “I’m probably just over analyzing it,” she says. “For all I know, he probably just wants to FaceTime with Izzie more.”

“Then why not just get to it then?” Loki challenges. “Natasha, let’s be honest about what this is really about.”

She shakes her head. “I just said that he-”

“I don’t mean about him,” Loki says, sighing when she stares confusedly at him. “You’ve basically just admitted to missing the man-”

“I said no such thing!”

Loki shoots her a withering look. “Do you’ve any idea how many parents deny how much sugar they’ve fed their kids as I hold the results of their child’s blood work in my hands?” He scoffs. “It’s easy to say things, Natasha, but you cannot deny what is so. I assume you sulking in the dark and watching videos of him and Izzie aren’t just because you’re feeling nostalgic.”

“What do you want me to say, Loki?” she asks. “That I’m freaking out about this because I’m... lonely? Tired? Tipsy?” She chuckles, but it’s humorless, hollow. Her voice is barely above a whisper as she adds, “or that moving thousands of miles away was for nothing seeing as I’m still so pathetically in love with someone who clearly doesn’t love me back and who can seemingly pull me apart with a single text?”

“Only if that’s the truth,” Loki says, making her shoulders sag in defeat. “Natasha, I didn’t mean to upset you.” He takes her hand in his, causing her to look at him. “I simply wanted you to be honest about what’s at play here.” He sighs. “I don’t claim to know what or how he feels. And for that matter, what you truly do, and I will not pry. But what I do know is that you are smart, strong, gorgeous, and any man would be lucky to have you. The ones that don’t see that? They’re idiots and they don’t deserve you.” Her lips quirk at that, and he smiles. “Remember that the next time you think one text from someone can pull you apart, hm?”

Loki punctuates his words with a gentle squeeze to her hand, and as she lets the gravity of his sentiment sink in, she nods. “Thanks,” she says, laughing when he only winks and brings her hand up to kiss her knuckles.

By the time Loki bids her goodnight and she makes it to bed, her mind feels a little clearer. Maybe she’s right and that whatever it is Steve wants to ask her is something as small as wanting more time to talk to Isabel, but the reality is that she’ll never know if she doesn’t find out. And if it turns out to be something that takes a wrecking ball to her heart all over again, if what Loki said is anything to go by, then maybe she isn’t giving herself enough credit. She has made it this far – scars and all.

With that in mind, she reaches for her phone and searches for Steve’s message to type out her reply.

Sure! Talk to you then.

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

#Romanogers #After All #A Little Favor #natrogers #natrogersfics #new fic alert #Steve Rogers #Natasha Romanoff #au #fanfic #what if

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ssamie · 3 years

Text

five. IGURO OBANAI

suna rintaro x fem! mitsuri reader

(kny x hq)

warnings: spelling mistakes, 3k+ words, italicized words/ sentences are her thoughts, mitsuri’s hair+eye color was used.

gen masterlist. sakura mochi.

"hey y/n, wanna eat out later?" atsumu asked her as he slipped off his jacket "nope" she refused, much to his surprise "oh uh- i mean, i can't!" she explained with a nervous laugh

"eh?? where are ya going??" atsumu exclaimed as he crossed his arms over his chest

"ah, i have to visit the kimetsu dojo today" she replied "sorry, tsumu-kun" she continued packing her bag, putting away her things in her locker as she changed her indoor shoes

"but-but we were gon' take ya out after school!" atsumu whined as he watched her slip on a white haori. she patted down her skirt and hesitantly fiddled with her hands "well..you can take me out tomorrow.?" she suggested

"its not the same.." atsumu sulked "dumbass. its the same thing." osamu scowled as he slapped the blonde on his nape. "and don't worry about it, y/n" osamu reassured her "if ya want, we can walk ya there"

she immediately shook her head and declined his offer. a bright smile etching on her lips as she giddily pulled out her phone. "no need to do that, samu-kun" she said "obanai-kun is picking me up today! he said we'll walk together and get some food on the way there" she exclaimed

she showed them her phone which held the text messages between the two hashiras.

"alright.." osamu replied, narrowing his eyes as he studied her overjoyed state "but who's this 'obanai' guy, hm?" he questioned her with a dark look on his face

y/n didn't seem to be bothered, however. she simply twirled around, smiling gleefully as she fiddles with her hair

"obanai-kun is the sweetest!" she squealed "he's so nice and welcoming! and he always makes me mochi when im feeling down"

"he's the nicest boy ever!!" she gushed as she held her cheeks in her hands

osamu and atsumu blinked in response, nodding along to her claims. although they were quite sure it was a bit farfetched. seeing as, she always seems to have a completely different way of viewing a person. the said 'way' being, simply disregarding any and every bad thing about them.

"oi, what's goin on here?" aran chimed in as he and kita stopped before them "y/n's goin away with a boy. she's leaving us." atsumu replied gloomily

"eh?! tsumu-kun im just gonna train for kendo!!" she exclaimed as she nervously patted his back

aran sweat dropped and chuckled at their exchange, all while kita simply hums and gingerly touches her haori "i don't know much about kendo, but i can tell its not an easy sport." kita said "i admire your skill, y/n-san"

she blinked in shock and shakily placed her hands over her pounding chest. "ahm- you- really?!" she squeaked out "yes" kita answered her

'AKNSNSNSN he admires me?!?!' she screamed internally

'ME TOO ME TOO!! I ADMIRE YOU TOO, KITA-SAN!!'

'wait no.. he said he admires my skill, not me' she sulked in realisation

kita watched in slight worry as her expression visibly brightens, and abruptly drops. he could only wonder whatever it is that runs in her mind. "well, i have to go now" she announced as she waved them goodbye "i see obanai-kun by the gate" she said as she briefly pointed to a guy standing by the school's entrance

"see you!!" she said as she ran towards the said boy. the boys all share a glance and a curt nod. silently agreeing to follow her.

"obanai-kun!!" she greeted him with a wide grin as she threw her arms around the boy "y/n.." obanai mumbled as he lightly hugged her waist

"its nice to see you again" he said in a gentle tone as his heterochromatic eyes studied her uniform-clad body "you look good" obanai complimented her as he handed her, her sheathed sword

"wah!! thank you, obanai-kun!" she replied with a grateful smile as she tucks her sword in her belt "its been so long since we've seen each other! i was starting to miss sleeping next to you" she chuckled sheepishly "it always made me feel better" she admitted with a sweet smile

obanai stiffened upon hearing the newfound information, blushing heavily under his bandages as he gulped. "uh i- i missed you too, y/n" he muttered quite bashfully

she grinned happily as she intertwined their fingers together. obanai let out a breath of nervousness as he hesitantly pulled her closer. he was most likely blushing like a mad man at the moment.

her soft skin clashing with his lightly scarred and calloused ones had always been his favourite feeling.

"i guess her friend had good intentions after all" kita hummed as he eyed the mysterious looking boy

"he seems quite nice. just like she said." kita voiced out his observation as he watched her talk the boy's ear off.

"i don't trust him." atsumu narrowed his eyes at the black-haired hashira "he seems sketchy.." atsumu scowled as he glared daggers at the boy, eyeing him down in distaste.

obanai gritted his teeth under his bandages, and snapped his eyes towards atsumu. his hetrochromatic orbs bore through atsumu as various veins of aggravation popped themselves up on his forehead.

"agh! the hell?!" atsumu whisper shouted as he hid his face behind aran's shoulder "why's he lookin at me like that?!" atsumu snarled as he looked back to glare at him

though, it only backfired since obanai had never once averted his intense glare. except this time, it was much worse, if that was even possible. "oh! you've spotted atsumu-kun?" she cooed as she followed obanai's line of sight

"yeah. that ugly pice of crap had been glaring at me like some freak. i'll gauge his eyes out if he starts eyeing you." obanai growled as he pulled the girl closer to his side

"haha! you're so funny, obanai!" she laughed cluelessly, patting his back as she giggled. "im not joking." obanai said "i'll cut his damn balls off."

she smiled brightly and giggled fondly at his threat joke.

'ah, obanai-kun has always been expressive of his thoughts <3 how wonderful!' she thought to herself

"let's go meet them! i'll introduce you so you can get along with my new friends" she proposed as she dragged him towards the boys' direction

although obanai had no ounce of interest in meeting her friends, he complied either way. he grumbled under his breath as they neared a group of boys huddled around the corner.

"everyone, i want you to meet obanai-kun!!" she announced as she pushed him infront to present him before the boys

"he's the friend i mentioned" she said as she untangled their intertwined hands to force him to wave "obanai-kun, go on" she hummed expectantly as she looked at him with hopeful eyes

"..."

no one had uttered a word as the inarizaki boys looked down at the black haired boy, silently studying him as he refused to make eye contact with them.

"iguro obanai." was all he said. he looked up at them with deadpan eyes, a look of boredom and disinterest present in his features. the boys had almost scoffed at the rudeness this boy was showing.

"yup yup! he's my best friend!! so i hope you get along" y/n cooed happily as she watched them smile warmingly at each other.

or atleast, that's what she sees. the boys were all standing in their full height, chest puffed up as they stared stoicly at iguro. all while the snake hashira stared at them with a scowl. his hands were itching to unsheath his blade, but he was able to contain himself.

"ojiro aran." aran was the first to introduce himself. "kita shinsuke." kita chimed in, bowing politely despite obanai's harsh impression.

"miya osamu." osamu exclaimed, standing in all of his six foot glory as he glared down at obanai. though, obanai simply looked at him, unfazed and unbothered as he responded with a curt nod.

atsumu then stepped forward, leaning down teasingly to match iguro's height as he lends out his hand for him to shake. "miya atsumu. a pleasure." atsumu spat out paired with an irked smile

obanai narrowed his eyes in annoyance, glancing down at the setter's hand and grimacing in distaste. the hashira looked back at y/n, hoping to plead for them to make their exit. though he was only met with y/n smiling flusteredly to herself, murmuring and blushing as she watched their very tense interaction.

obanai sighed and reluctantly took atsumu's hand, giving him a firm grip before quickly retracting it back.

"ah, it's so nice to meet you. so nice." atsumu cooed teasingly as he pulled obanai's hand back.the blond gave his hand a firm squeeze, smiling innocently as he intended to inflict pain on the male.

obviously it didn't work, seeing as obanai could barely feel his grip on him."i could say the same." obanai hissed out as he squeezed atsumu's hand back except his grip was far worse, and atsumu swore he felt his bones slowly bending until they're in the verge of snapping off.

hissing in pain, atsumu hastily pulled his hand back. he glared at the boy as he shook off his hand, trying to hide the pain. it was fairly shocking that he could pack such immense strength in his 5'3 body.

"anyways. if there are no more pointless distractions, we'd like to get going." obanai said as he turned away from them "y/n, let's go." obanai said as he placed his hand on her back, gently leading her away as he takes her bag from her shoulders.

"eh? but you haven't met suna-kun yet" she pouted as she tugged obanai to keep him in place

"what." obanai scowled as he noticed her lovestruck expression. his eyes narrowed as he scanned the place for this 'suna' she spoke of.

"suna-kun is really nice and down to earth. you two will get along, for sure!" she beamed

obanai scrunched his nose, looking away from her as he picks at his skin in annoyance. he was quite sure that they wouldn't get along. "fine. but after that, we'll leave okay?" obanai cooed hopefully as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear

"yes, thanks so much, obanai-kun!" she cheered as she looked around for the middle blocker

"oh, i see him!!" she perked up as she saw suna walking out of the building with his eyes glued on his phone "suna-kun!!" she waved her hand to get his attention

suna looked up to see her smiling oh-so-sweetly at him, waving her hand as she calls his name. "hey" he said as he lazily waved back

"tch." obanai clicked his tongue

suna's eyes then travelled over to obanai who was looming over her shoulder, glaring at him with knotted brows and a scowl.

"this is obanai-kun!" she said as she gestured to the boy beside her "obanai, suna. suna, obanai." she said. she had taken the liberty to introduce them to each other, seeing as the two had refused to utter a single word for the past two minutes of staring at each other.

"... let's go." obanai said to break the silence.

he sent suna a nod of acknowledgement as he gently took y/n's hand in his. "eh? but you haven't even spoken to each other" she pouted as she sent suna an apologetic glance

"were gonna be late if we stay here for too long" obanai reasoned. the truth is, he genuinely felt like cutting the man's head off the longer time had passed.

"i guess so.." she mumbled. she latched onto obanai's arm as she looked back to wave at the boys. "we'll be off! bye everyone" she said as she waved them goodbye

the boys silently wave back, watching their retreating figures as the pair shared a conversation.

suna raised a brow as he stared at obanai's back. "what the hell just happened?" suna muttered as he ruffled his hair "what's that guy's problem?" he sneered with a small scoff

"maybe he just hasn't warmed up to us yet" kita suggested to ease the tension down "im pretty sure he just hates us" aran snickered as he looked back at the twins, who were quite literally seething.

"i'll kill him if he hurts my precious y/n-chan!!" atsumu exclaimed

"shut the fuck up atsumu, the whole school can hear ya screaming"

"ah, seeing everyone again will be so nice" she said as she stretched her arms over her head. "right, obanai-kun?" she hummed as she turned around to face him

obanai quickly looked away, as to hide the fact that he had been staring at her side profile this whole time. he wasn't fast enough of course. y/n simply giggled as she caught him trying to play it off with a laugh

"yeah. it's nice i guess" he answered with a grunt "but im not looking forward to see those three brats from the kamaboko squad" obanai scowled "the girl is slightly more tolerable given that she doesn't speak" he said

"aww, don't be like that! the boys are all so nice and cute!!" she gushed as she playfully slapped obanai's chest "and nezuko-chan is so adorable!! if i ever get married i won't die unless i have a baby like her" she dawned as she held her blushing cheeks in her hands

"is that so." obanai hummed as he looked at her longingly with a fond smile

"or maybe i can just adopt her and make her my child" she hummed thoughtfully "but that would mean i have to adopt tanjiro-kun too" she muttered "that would be nice!!" she beamed "right, obanai-kun?" she mused

"we could raise them together and feed them all day long" she gushed lovingly as she swayed their hands around

obanai froze, blinking dumbfoundedly at her as a hit feeling creot up onto his cheeks "um uh- you want to have children.. with m-me?" he asked in astonishment

he pointed to himself as he waited for her response. "y/n.." obanai mumbled, feeling kaburamaru hiss teasingly in his ear "i-"

unfortunately, he was cut off by a loud shrieking, followed by obnoxious laughter from the distance. "y/n-senpaaiiii!!!" zenitsu shrieked as he sprinted towards her with open arms, his tears freely flowing down his cheeks

"Y/N-SENPAI THE BOAR IS CHASING ME!!!" zenitsu cried "NYAHAHAHAH OI MONITSU, FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME!" inosuke cackled loudly

"tch. those lowlifes are at it again" obanai scoffed as he crossed his arms

"Y/N-SENPAI, P-P-PLEASE MARRY ME!! THAT BOAR HEAD IS GONNA KILL ME! PLEASE BE MY WIFE BEFORE I DIE!!" zenitsu exclaimed

she staggered lightly as zenitsu jumped onto her, clutching onto her torso tightly as he cried "are you okay, zenitsu?" she cooed with a soft laugh as she cradled him in her arms "N-NO?!?! THE PIG HAD GONE MAD! HE'S CRAZY!" he exclaimed

"NYAHAHA OI! YOU, PILLAR GIRL! FIGHT ME!" inosuke challenged as he swung his swords around "oh my, that sounds like fun!" she cheered as she jumped away just before his swords could slash her

"y/n-senpai!! i love you so much! you saved me!! please be my wife!!" zenitsu cried out as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck "ara, zenitsu~" she cooed teasingly as she gently pried his arms off her

though obanai beat her to it by harshly plucking him off her body and slamming him down on the ground "get your filthy hands off her, you good for nothing coward." obanai scowled with malice

kaburamaru hissed at zenitsu, both he and his owner glaring at the boy with snake-like eyes.

zenitsu froze in his spot, staring up at the snake hashira with teary eyes, and his mouth gaping as he tried to utter an apology "uh i- she-.. iguro-senpai-" zenitsu stammered

obanai simply continued to glare at him, reaching forward to grab him by the collar. though he was cut short as he heard y/n clicking her tongue in disappointment.

"tsk, tsk, tsk." she wagged her finger scoldingly at obanai "you shouldn't call our juniors mean names, obanai-kun" she said with a sigh "zenitsu might be quickly frightened at times, but he's not a 'good for nothing' " she said

she helped zenitsu up to his feet, and the boy was quick to hide behind her. "apologise" she demanded

obanai looked at her in disbelief, not really accepting that she chose to side with zenitsu instead of him.

"or else i won't talk to you" she threatened

his eye twitched as he forced himself to look the blond in the eyes. his hands shook as he clenched them into fists, and kaburamaru reluctantly bowed his head as well.

"s-sorry" he spat out in a strained voice. it was quite obvious that it took him half, if not most, of his dignity to do so.

"its fine!" zenitsu shrieked as he hugged the girl's arm for protection

with that, she visibly brightened up, smiling warmly at them as she pats both of their heads in glee. "that's better!" she cheered "now, let's go train, yeah?" she mused as she started walking off, and having to drag her arm to carry zenitsu's weight, since he still hadn't let go.

"tch." obanai scowled as he watched zenitsu continue to pester her, and for inosuke to follow suit

"ah, iguro-senpai?" cooed another voice

he swiftly turned around to see tanjiro smiling kindly at him, sending him a wave as he walks towards him.

"how was your day-" tanjiro was cut off by a fist colliding with his head. it didn't hurt him too bad, of course. but the force of the punch was strong enough to leave him staggering and to fall on the ground.

"shut up, you goody-goody forehead!!" obanai snarled at him, while his snake hissed menacingly

tanjiro had a look of dread on his face as he looked up at the hashira in utter confusion

"what did i do?!"

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fishylife · 3 years

Text

Thoughts on Street Dance of China 4 episode 2

(Aka Fishy is screencapping shows again. I’m screencapping straight from Youtube so sorry for the shoddy cut off screencaps but blame Youtube for having their player bar cover the video. I’ve never understood that because it’s always in the way.)

(Also Episode 2 part 1 is really just “How many times can Han Geng and Henry hug” and the answer is “as many times as they want”)

- Not really sure why Henry chose Anissa and Tuzi for the 2 vs. 2 battle, especially since Anissa was really not confident about it :( I felt really bad for Anissa because she seemed super nervous!!!!! I just hope that she doesn’t lose enthusiasm and that she can continue to enjoy the rest of the competition v.v

- Kelo and Uwa were extremely impressive though. Like, the way they move together is so awesome and cool.

- Among the dancers, Xiao Jie is actually really good at speaking. No wonder he gets interviewed a lot, because he’s able to describe the dancers to us layfolk, but he is also very smiley and entertaining.

- How dare Yixing be this cute 😤😤😤 He’s definitely far more relaxed when he’s just a spectator, that’s for sure. He was laughing at all the jokes and awkward moments and generally so much more animated when just part of the sidelines.

- Henry covering his mouth because he was enjoying Xiaohai’s performance was pretty cute too, not gonna lie.

- I liked San’er from episode 1, so I was cheering for him when he participated in the 3 vs. 3 battle lol. But it was really interesting to hear the conversation when Wang Yibo asked his team why San’er lost the battle. Ye Yin and Liangliang told him that to the judges who are old school, they care less for explosiveness, and more for actual skill, and while San’er’s performance might’ve looked really exciting to the average viewer, that’s not what the old school judges look for.

- So apparently Lil Kev plays a lot of mind games, and we saw that during his battle against Bozi. So he’s like...the Brad Marchand of breaking lol.

- Are...are we gonna comment on this hug between Poppin’C and Xiaohai? Lmao

- What are they being so cute for. (Also don’t @ me but Bunta is....really cute)

- Is it just me, or did we get fewer behind-the-scenes practice clips this time for Han Geng vs. Henry compared to Yixing vs. Yibo? Particularly for the 5 vs. 5 battle.

- Dimple alert. (Sorry I know this is a Han Geng vs. Henry battle but Yixing just looks so freaking cute today)

- Han Geng.....has a really soft and gentle voice (it is simping hours up in the fishy house okay). He speaks particularly quietly during his one-person interviews and his voice is so pleasant to listen to in those clips.

- Henry was talking about how he wanted to do that move with Poppin’C where they’d lean back on each other’s knees and do a wave with their arms. For some reason that move struck me as something that was very Henry like. He just strikes me as the kind of guy who uses a lot of waves and smooth-looking moves in his dances.

- Also lol @ Henry being “non fatigue!” That Ontario French curriculum at work.

- Han Geng and Henry trash talking each other except it just turns into a walk down memory lane about how Han Geng used to take care of Henry.

- Don’t even act surprised, y’all knew I was going to screenshot this.

- Kitty is amused.

- Of course Han Geng would end his routine with a big ol’ hug. What a huge softie.

- I did think that Han Geng and Xiaohai were kind of a rough duo because even if they were in sync, it was hard to tell because of the height difference. Actually, I spent a lot more time focusing on Han Geng, especially towards the end when the rest of the team crowded around them and he was visibly one of the taller ones.

- Henry’s move where he stood on Poppin’C’s thighs was super cool!! His performance was just super fun to watch. I felt like I was having a good time along with them haha.

- Please sir, may I have more hugs?

- I think Han Geng and Xiaohai’s second performance was better because it relied less on being in sync performing the same actions. However, at this point, Poppin’C and Henry have kind of created a specific brand (TM) for themselves, like they are so uniquely charming to watch, so they have firmly won me over Han Geng and Xiaohai’s team.

- Running into a hug? Are you kidding me, Lau Hin-wah???

- More

- Not only is this show cashing in on the Suju/Suju M fans, it is definitely going to pull in new fans with the Han Geng/Henry ship lol.

- Yixing spinning to get up.

- It is just so goddamn natural for them to be so close to each other. Also Han Geng said that his waist is feeling iffy from that popping ^^;; Old man joints

- Lifting Han Geng’s shirt to look at his patch...

- One of the dancers on Han Geng’s team was crying because he made a mistake in the 5 vs. 5 battle and Han Geng is like why are you crying? And gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

- Why is that the ads done by the dancer contestants are so much more entertaining than the professional ads (the ads with mainstream celebrities or with professional actors).

- Henry’s written the pinyin on top of the Chinese names of his team members. Better safe than sorry, you know?

- Lmao how dare they bully Tengzai and Shitou by making them talk XD

- I think that when Henry assigns his team members to certain battles, he is thinking more about the combination of styles, rather than the skill level or synchronization. When he assigned Anissa and Tuzi to the 2 vs. 2 battle, he wanted to try out the East vs. West approach, but the opposing duo of Kelo and Uwa had a lot more history together and were obviously better as a collective unit. When it came to Chen Mo and Waiwai, he was interested in seeing a waacking duo. In theory I think I know what Henry was trying to imagine, but I think it is difficult to have a really intense waacking duo because it’d be hard to synchronize very high speed arm movements. In the end, they went with some moves that were simpler, and I think that’s why they lost out to Tengzai and Shitou. That being said, Henry did win his first battle against Han Geng. I think it’s just the 2 vs 2 battles that are his weakness. The 3 vs. 3 battles are really just individual battles, and the 5 vs. 5 battles are usually made up of dancers who are used to routine group dances as opposed to solo or duo dancers.

- A quick word about the judge Icee. His name in Chinese is 王冰冰. The 冰冰 part is self explanatory enough (冰 means ice), so where does the 王 come from? I read somewhere (I forgot where), but apparently his wife’s surname is 王, so he just took on her surname for his Chinese name. Don’t know how true that is, but I think that’s cute.

- So often I see Bunta and Ibuki having fun and cheering on other people, whether it’s their own team members or dancers on other teams.

- Less than a second flashback of Zitao from a previous season v.v Please producers...let us have a LayTao reunion....please....I beg....

- The 5 vs. 5 battle between Yixing and Henry’s teams was pretty fun to watch, probably because the song was so hype lol.

- The leader battles between Yixing and Henry were really entertaining too though.

- The first piece of music for Henry and Yixing’s leader battles was very very cool. Like, it was just a nice piece of music to listen to, and I think that the kind of music it was gave way to rather creative interpretations. Henry and Han Yu went for a more story-based approach, whereas Yixing and MT Pop focused more on an aesthetic. I preferred Yixing and MT Pop’s performance here.

- Henry and Han Yu also had a pretty solid performance for the second song. As for Mingming and Gumball, they didn’t really perform “together,” because they were both doing their own thing, but their individual performances were interesting. (Also let us acknowledge, nothing gets Yixing turnt like KRUMP XD He was so into the performance haha)

- I was so caught up in the euphoria of Henry/Han Geng that I forgot that Henry and Yixing also had a past history, but I think their friendship probably mostly existed off screen. They were from different groups after all, but we also know how low key Yixing has always been. Even if they were bffs we never would’ve known. I also remember on Back to Field, Yixing said that Henry helped him install and set up his music software, so they probably have some kind of rapport on the music side. But yeah, it just seemed like Yixing was rather formal about it all, calling Henry his 哥哥/前輩. And Henry seemed to look at Yixing like his son lol. He was like oh look at Yixing and how far he’s come, etc.

- Xiao Jie said that he’d battled Hilty & Bosch 14 years ago, which means that Xiao Jie isn’t that young, which may be why he’s so chill lmao. Anyway, Xiao Jie is a very entertaining dancer to watch, and he worked well with Shen Zihao. But of course, HB are formidable themselves as well and their chemistry is just too too good. And they’re just incredibly clean dancers.

- Yibo went over to Han Geng to scope out who he was going to send out for their battle. Xiao Jie tried to warn Han Geng about this but he was too late and Yibo already made his attack. But the entire interaction between Yibo and Han Geng was so lols because it was so strange lmao. Yibo was straight up like “who are you going to send out during the battle?” And Han Geng kept thinking that Yibo was trying to play mind games and use that to gleam other information from him. So Han Geng’s answer ended up being really confusing too, he was like “if that’s what you’ve decided I’ll follow your lead.” The thing about Han Geng is that he is too senior for Yibo to clown on, so he is actually being serious, and Han Geng is trying to keep things light haha. (I think Yibo would totally be his normal gremlin self to Yixing and Henry, but Han Geng is like the next tier up from them both.)

- LMAO Aki-san calling out Tony-san for being older than him XD And Tony Gogo was like what have I ever done to you??? I love Aki-san hahahaha.

- Okay Aki-san vs. Nelson was pretty awesome, but SO WAS BORIS vs. ZYKO???? Holy crap that was sooo much fun to watch because like....human bodies can bend that way? And Boris and Zyko aren’t small guys, so it was insanely awesome to watch.

- Side note, Boris’ Mandarin is pretty good. I looked him up and on his Instagram he says he lives in Shanghai, so it makes sense that his Chinese is good enough for everyday communication. In one part of the show he was instruction Yibo on dancing and like, he was not stuttering at all.

- Wait, Han Geng says that he’s known Yibo for 10 years :o So I just looked him up and it turns out Han Geng has been with Yuehua Entertainment since 2010, so I think the math makes sense. Wow, how time flies. He always such a dad though, he’s always like, the top priority is fun and happiness!!! And honestly, he’s right. Like, what is this show if not just a huge dance showcase more than an actual competition?

- Physically impossible for Han Geng not to hug his didis.

- I love that in a dance party full of dancers, some will still choose to slow dance like this.

- Of course Henry will come and praise his gege. (ft. Nelson in the right lol)

- Yo I love Rochka. He’s one of the chillest guys there.

- The kids’ performance was cute :3 Their little jumpsuits uwu

- Also one of the kids was Shitou’s daughter and it was absolutely hilarious how he still introduces her in the most monotonous and neutral voice and he was like “please give her some encouragement” in the most low energy voice ever XD The b-boying kids were super legit though. Oh and apparently Xiao Jie’s son was one of the dancers too :3 Somebody was like “yo Xiao Jie isn’t that your son?” and he was like “lol yeah.” XD Aren’t they cute?

#thinking out loud #cvariety #street dance of china #screencaps

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lunnanunna · 3 years

Text

In This Together

ENHYPEN Extra Member AU

Summary: Sam and Heeseung during the first of I-LAND.

Warning: none

Taglist: @kimonmars @hyunmijung @wooya1224 @xiaojunssmile

A/N: Finally! Sam’s first official post! Hope you enjoy it.

Requests are open for each OC! Please tell me what you think.

“Hyung, I’m nervous,” Heeseung whispered, tugging slightly on Sam’s sleeve as they made their way towards the huge building in the woods.

“I would expect you to be,” Sam chuckled, turning his head to face the younger as they continued their way.

Heeseung scowled, flicking Sam’s bicep. “How are you not nervous?”

“Oh, I am. Trust me. I’m just trying to take it one moment at a time. Like, how do we get into this building?” Sam asked, jaw going slack as he looked up at the sheer height of it.

The younger stood next to him as they came to a stop. “Hyung, it looks like the Avenger’s Facility,” Heeseung gaped quietly as the two took in the building.

Sam chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing,” he said, then turned and saw a path, “Come on. I think the entrance is this way.”

The two walked over to the path towards what seemed to be the entrance. As they neared it the wall began to move, revealing the way in.

“Wah. This is the door?” Heeseung asked as they hesitated a bit before walking in.

Sam took a deep breath. “I feel like we’re going to be locked in, but at the same time it'll be really easy to leave if we don’t do well.”

Heeseung looked at Sam and chuckled. “Nervous now?” he asked him as he followed the Australian in.

“I’ve been nervous. I told you this,” Sam said, looking back at Heeseung and cracking a smile. Sam needed to help calm Heeseung. It was obvious that the younger was just as nervous as him, but Sam felt like he needed to stay calm and be Heeseung’s rock.

Heeseung stared at Sam, then smiled. “Then we’ll be nervous together, and then show them how bad we want this together.”

“‘Cause we’re going to debut together,” Sam said, holding out his hand. Heeseung looked at it then looked at Sam, smiling. He grabbed onto his hand and let Sam lead him down the hall.

The two followed the maze that was illuminated with white lights until they reached what seemed to be the end. There stood a doorway that led into another room, and Sam could already see and even hear some people.

“This is it,” Sam said as they neared the entrance. Heeseung nodded, releasing his hand and shaking out his wrist and then arms. Sam did the same, taking a deep breath. They both looked at each other, nodded, then walked through the archway.

As they walked through, Sam saw that the floor ended and a gap separated them from the other contestants who sat on the other side. Sam wondered how they’d make it across just as the illuminated floor began to move, taking them to the others. Sam looked at Heeseung and the two shared an excited smile.

They made it towards the others and walked off as the floor finally stopped. Sam walked towards the middle, Heeseung by his side, and bowed quickly in greeting. When Sam looked around at the faces, he saw many familiar faces of those he had trained with along with new ones. He grinned when he made eye contact with Sunghoon.

Heeseung began to move towards both Sunghoon and Jay, smiling as well, and Sam followed him. They sat down and were greeted right away by Jay.

“Wah, it’s been a long time,” he said smiling. Sam and Heeseung smiled back. It had been. Sam was glad to see so many boys that he had trained with, seeing as he struggled with getting to know new people. He had been afraid that other than Heeseung, he wouldn’t have known anyone else.

“Hyung!” Sam looked over and found Sunghoon grinning wide and waving at him.

“Hey, Sunghooh-ah,” Sam smiled back, buzzing with excitement at the thought of not only sharing this journey with Sunghoon, but possibly even debuting with him. (Was Sam getting too ahead of himself? He needed to focus on the now. Like his performance with Heeseung.)

A few more contestants came in and soon all 24 of them were sitting around, nervous as to what would follow. When they were told to begin performing and to vote whether or not each one would enter I-LAND, Sam’s nerves started up again.

As Seon got ready to start, Sam felt a hand on his knee, stopping the jittering that he hadn’t even realized was happening. He looked over and found Heeseung smiling at him.

“Hyung, we’re gonna do fine. We’ve practiced so much. I honestly think that we’ll both make it in,” the younger stated, moving his hand away and grinning at Sam.

Sam looked at him then chuckled, nodding his head. “You’re right. We just need to give it our all,” he agreed. (And when did Sam and Heeseung not give their all?) They’d be fine.

Soon it was their turn, and the two stood ready to begin. When the lights dimmed and the music started up, Sam’s nerves quieted down. He moved through the motions just like they had practiced and Sam was confident in their performance.

When they finished and moved towards the center, Sam’s nerves came back with a vengeance. He could feel his hands begin to tremble as he looked ahead. Hiding his hands, he folded them behind his back, and took in a deep breath.

“If you think Sam deserves to go into I-LAND, then raise your hand,” came the voice. Sam squeezed his eyes shut, not expecting to go first. He took in a deep breath then released it as he opened his eyes. What he saw honestly took his breath away.

Almost everyone had raised their hands. Doing a quick count, Sam saw that 19 of the contestants had voted him in. Sunghoon grinned at him, holding a thumbs up as the voice announced that Sam would be entering I-LAND.

“Thank you,” Sam said as he took a bow then straightened back up. He let out a sigh then looked at Heeseung who smiled proudly at him, but Sam could sense his fear. He smiled back, giving a nod. Sam knew for a fact that Heeseung had done better than him, so that would mean that he would get the same, if not more, hands and be let into I-LAND. And just as he thought, all, but one hand went up.

Heeseung smiled as he bowed in thanks, then moved over to Sam and grabbed his arm excitedly whispering, “We made it in!”

“Yes we did, Heeseung-ah,” Sam smiled wide, ushering the shorter over to their seats.

“Good job, Hyungs,” Jay and Seunghoon cheered as they sat down.

Heeseung and Sam both looked at each other than at the younger two and grinned. “Thanks!”

Sam’s Mastelrist

#enhypen #enhypen au #enhypen 8th member #enhypen fanfic #enhypen scenarios #enhypen reactions #enhypen oneshots #kpop scenarios #kpop reactions #kpop oneshots #female kpop additions #enhypen heeseung #enhypen jay #enhypen jake #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen sunoo #enhypen jungwon #enhypen niki

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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 3 years

Text

Friend in need.

So, where is it that we’re going?

We’re going to the Warrior’s house. We’ll need as much help as we can get if we’re going to track down this Organization Zetsubou agent.

Right, of course. It might be a good idea to go inform Ryoma and his buddies too.

I’m sure Captain Yozora will be glad to help us. It’s mostly thanks to her we were able to bust Haiji, remember?

Yeah...speaking of which, can you promise me that you won’t go rushing in on your own this time?

Even if it’s someone that we know?

...Yeah, don’t worry. I’ve definitely learned my lesson from last time...

To be honest, knowing you, I’m surprised you weren’t super mad at me when I got out...

You got out without a damn leg! I think I would have been more worried for your life than mad.

But seriously, don’t ever do that again.

I won’t I promise.

...Oh...

Hyah!

Wah!

Hwah!

Ugh!

*Komaru and Toko enter the Warrior’s house after being let in by Kotoko. They are led into the back garden, where they see Masaru playing a game of garden badminton with Yuta.

Hm?

Oh! Hey guys! Nice to see ya!

Mornin’ Komaru n’ Toko!

O-Oh, morning you guys.

Is everything ok?

Yeah, we’re good just...quick question...Since when are you guys friends?

Hm? Oh, you mean Asahina?

Ah, yeah. I was just in town trying to buy some sports drinks to I could drink them while exercising.

I ran into Masaru while I was out, and we...kinda hit it off?

Yeah, we found we both like a lot of the same things! So I invited him back here. And...now we’re playing badminton!

We’ve definitely had our differences and a rough past together, but we’re trying to make it all water under the bridge now.

Hah! Literally!

Are you really ok with that Yuta?

Well, you said yourself they weren’t bad people anymore, so...

Ah, I guess I did say that. Alright, whatever you fancy.

I mean yeah, the Warriors of Hope aren’t bad people...Monaca’s kinda wishy-washy though, so watch out for her.

Wow! Real nice of you Toko!

She’s right though, you’d better watch out for me. Puhuhu!

Anyway, what brings you guys here? Were we supposed to meet up today or something?

Sorry, this is a little bit urgent. We’re here on Foundation business.

You guys remember that whole spat that happened a while ago with Haiji?

Psh! Of course.

How could we forget?

Well, we’re facing a bit of a problem.

I don’t know if you guys knew this already, but Haiji was a member of this group of really bad people that the Future Foundation are fighting against.

They’re called Organization Zetsubou. We believe it’s their goal to restart the tragedy...and a part of that it creating another killing game featuring the survivors from 4 of the others.

Sounds fun!

Monaca...

I’m kidding! Though it does sound pretty fun...

Anyway, the point is, when Haiji...died...Zetsubou lost influence over the city. Right now, the Future Foundation believe they’re trying to reclaim it.

How so?

Right now, in the city, there’s another operative working for their group. We don’t know who or where they are.

But we need to look, or else everyone’s lives could be in danger.

...Right...I understand now...

What happened in Towa City a while ago? What’s the deal?

I’ll tell you in a bit Asahina. But...you have no leads at all?

There is a base or lab in the city that Future Foundation pinpointed. We believe there may be clues there.

Then why not just raid the place?

We don’t have a warrant, and we’re not rioters. This requires a more stealthy approach. Fortunately, we have someone in mind.

Are you referring to the young girl who leads the second generation Warriors of Hope?

Tch! They should get their own name.

When we find where this base is, we plan on asking Akeru if she can infiltrate it with her men. Hopefully find us any semblance of clues.

I see. That sounds like a good idea, but isn’t that risky?

“Risky” is Akeru Yozora’s middle name.

For now though, all I need you guys to do is scour the city, and go over whatever intelligence you have. Find this agent, and I will make it worth your while.

Of course.

What must be done must be done I guess...

I’m in!

Same.

Of course.

Then let me help too!

You sure?

Yeah, it might be dangerous but...

If this guy gets what he wants, we might have another Demon Game. It’d be better to stop it before it starts, right?

Would it be alright if I came with you to see these Warrior guys?

I don’t think that’s a good idea Yuta. They don’t really associate well with people they don’t know.

Alright then, I’ll hold back for now. But I’ll try and find what I can, even if that’s not a lot.

That would be lovely. Thank you.

#danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #danganronpa ultra despair girls #drae #danganronpa 1 #dr1 #komaru naegi #toko fukawa #nagisa shingetsu #masaru daimon #monaca towa #kotoko utsugi #jataro kemuri #yuta asahina #the life and lies of akeru yozora arc

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kittykatlizz · 3 years

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I fucking hate Sylvie. So much.

She exemplifies everything wrong with having emotions/relying on them to make decisions.

I’m not saying emotions are inherently awful, but when people literally decide to fuck everything up because of them? Obviously there’s a problem.

This could just be my analytical mind and Virgo moon but fuck emotions if you’re gonna use them as an excuse to do what Sylvie did in the Loki series finale.

Yes, she has trauma. Yes, she was just a child. Yes, she was on the run. But fuck her for not considering the consequences of her actions. Fuck her for simply killing off a man just because “wah wah he chased me through time and didn’t let me be a child”.

Yes, Sylvie, shit sucks. Life is hard. People are bad. Trauma will make your life exceedingly difficult. But that DOES NOT MEAN YOU PLUNGE EVERYTHING INTO CHAOS FOR YOUR CHILDISH REVENGE SCHEME. Don’t get me wrong, if I’d been in her situation, I probably would’ve been pissed too. But apparently I have infinitely more self-possession and patience than she does because I would never do what she did.

Would I still get revenge? Probably. Would I kill off the one person who prevents a larger danger from existing? NO. NO NO NO. Demented brain-dead woman.

This could just be my bias towards Eastern European protagonists but I feel like WandaVision tackled the problem of trauma and emotions way better than Loki did. Did Wanda Maximoff technically enslave the people of Westview and use them to play dollhouse? Yes, and I’m not denying that that was problematic, but she did end up freeing them and learning the lesson that you cannot play around with reality willy nilly. And she also had trauma, but she still learned from it and grew as a character and by the end of WandaVision she was no longer harming anybody.

Sylvie, though….. did not break through her trust issues (which, in fairness, is difficult and I don’t mind it that much in comparison to the other stuff), took away Loki’s decisions/disregarded his judgment when she shouldn’t have, AND ended up unleashing a threat greater than everything else they’ve faced put together.

Women can have emotions. People can have emotions. Emotions and trauma do not have to be avoided in the MCU as long as they are tackled well. But so far Marvel seems to want to go with the idea that strong emotions + trauma = bad decisions and a villainous arc. Which I really dislike. I’m not saying that people who have strong emotions don’t make bad decisions, but to have this constantly happen with the female characters feels…. A bit suspicious, to say the least. Also, as a woman who is more thinking than feeling, it’s annoying to see so many female characters be more feeling than thinking and then using that as an excuse for their poor decision making skills. Not only does it make me less inclined to be emotional in public, but it frustrates me that that is why they make bad decisions. Can’t they just make a simple error in logic for once?

Natasha Romanoff did so much better and guess what? She was thinking > feeling. I have hope that Wanda Maximoff will also be a decent hero/antihero, even though she’s more feeling, because she at least seems to grasp the severity of her situation. Sylvie, on the other hand, seems to have wandered off into an enchanted oblivion inside her own head. Gah.

Also, can we talk about the fact that Marvel actually went for selfcest as an alternative to a gay relationship? That’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever seen, and I’ve sat through many awful movies about Russian/Eastern European people with godawful accents that make a mockery of my culture. Truly, they should’ve just let him stay single. That would’ve been less offensive. I still want a MobiusxLoki endgame but clearly that will never happen, so… ugh. I’m disgusted.

Anyway, my conclusion on Loki episode 6 is that Marvel fucked basically everything up and it’s going to be a while before I trust them with my heart again. Thank goodness Season 2 won’t be anytime soon, so I should have plenty of time to recover from this and slowly release my anger.

also, if anyone at Marvel happens to see this: CREATE MORE THINKING FEMALE CHARACTERS. You killed off Natasha, so I expect a decent (non-sexualized) replacement soon. Not every woman is emotional, and although Wanda’s emotional personality was tackled well, Sylvie just came off as a petulant and childish little girl. Please show that there are dimensions to women just as there to men. Oh, and if you decide that you don’t have enough emotional women for some reason, at least make them have decent decision making skills that do not lead to enslaving an entire town/unleashing multiversal chaos. Please and thank you.

#Loki #loki spoilers #mcu

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lady-divine-writes · 3 years

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Klaine Advent Drabble 2020 - “Up in the Air” (Rated PG13)

Summary: Kurt is heartbroken after his plans for a romantic Christmas with Blaine are demolished when he gets locked into a flight he'd been trying to switch. Blaine reassures him that it will be okay, that they'll have their romantic celebration when Kurt's feet are back on the ground. But is Blaine possibly hiding a secret that just might sweep Kurt off his feet? (1638 words)

Notes: Written for the @klaineadvent Drabble Challenge 2020 prompt 'join'.

Read on AO3.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” Kurt grumbles, rushing down the corridor that leads to his gate with his carry-on in tow and his heart pounding, trying to give off the impression that he’s not rushing.

Appearance is everything in the flight attendant game.

He was supposed to get an hour sit before this flight, but the one he was on was late by close to forty-five minutes! He has roughly a minute-and-a-half to reach his destination, covering the distance of two football fields, and that’s not the crappiest part of his day.

“Pick up pick up pick up pick up! Blaine! Ugh!”

This is the fifth time he’s tried to get a hold of his boyfriend to tell him the bad news. Try his hardest, he couldn’t trade this flight out for one that leaves after the holiday.

His plans to join Blaine for a romantic Christmas have officially been canceled.

“Pick up pick up pick up pick up,” he chants as he checks in with security and heads for the boarding area.

“You’re late,” his friend Monica teases.

“I had three seconds to make it here from the complete other side of the airport,” he replies with a forced smile for the waiting passengers. The flight attendants can get away with making snide remarks as long as they keep a smile on their faces.

“At least you did it in flats!"

"Wah wah wah," Kurt teases back, giving Blaine’s number one last try before he'll need to turn off his phone and stow it away for the duration.

He's in for a long night - a soul-crushing series of flights, each one taking him farther and farther away from the man he loves.

Finally, Blaine picks up.

“Hey! Kurt! I was hoping you’d call!”

He sounds eager, Kurt thinks. Shit! “Hey.”

“Are you okay? It sounds like you've been running.”

“I have.” Kurt stops in the crook of the tunnel, out of sight from both doorways, to catch his breath. He has one precious minute before he has to perform his pre-flight checks with the crew. And here he is, spending it breaking a wonderful man’s heart. “Look …” He squeezes his eyelids tight, on the verge of frustrated tears “… I’m sorry, Blaine. It’s not going to happen.”

A moment of confused silence. Then realization. “Oh, no! Shoot!”

“I warned you there was a four percent chance it actually would. It’s impossible to make plans over the holidays. It would have taken a miracle.”

“Yes, but, Christmas is the time for miracles.”

“I know, I know,” Kurt says in a shaky voice. “Don’t make me feel worse than I already do.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Blaine says in a soothing voice. “I understand.”

“I know you do.” Kurt sniffles, pulling a handkerchief from his inside jacket pocket and dabbing under his eyes before they can get puffy. “It’s just … I know how I am. I’m the clingy, jealous type. I want to see you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don’t want you to resent my work. Or me.”

“Kurt, I could never resent you! I knew what I was getting into. This is one trip you couldn’t switch, and I understand why. This is just a hiccup. That’s all.”

“A hiccup on one of the most important holidays of the year.”

“There will be plenty of time after the holiday rush for us to spend together. I’ll see you soon. We’ll lie in bed together, hold each other in our arms, and it will be better again. You’ll see.”

Kurt nods in response even though Blaine can’t see. “I’m trusting you.”

“I appreciate that.”

Kurt hears footsteps hurry down the ramp, Monica whispering, “Hurry up, Kurt! We have to go!” as she passes. He watches her disappear around the corner and onto the plane. He sighs. “I love you, Blaine.”

“I love you, too. Have a good flight.”

“I will,” Kurt chokes out, blowing a kiss into the phone. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

Kurt hangs up and shoves the phone into his pocket. He grabs the handle of his carry-on and continues on his way. Halfway down the ramp, his phone buzzes in his pocket. Before he even takes it out to check it, he knows it’s a message from Blaine.

He should have waited until he got on the plane where there’s a bathroom to duck into because it unravels him more than he is.

I love you, Kurt. And I’m pretty sure I always will.

***

Kurt doesn’t want to be here.

He doesn’t want to be flying over Miami on Christmas Eve.

Not when he has a sexy man at home waiting to see him again.

Kurt loves his job. He really does.

He stumbled into it unexpectedly. It was supposed to be a stop-gap while he worked his way to Broadway - something to pad his bank account, keep food in his belly, and a roof over his head while he got to experience life, hone his craft. And even though he's held on to his dreams of Broadway fame, this job stuck. He has never regretted a single flight in his entire career …

… until this one.

God, what he wouldn’t give to be at home right now, watching cheesy movies on Lifetime, snuggled in Blaine’s arms!

Kurt doesn’t pay much attention to the passengers as he maneuvers the beverage service down the aisle, dishing out Diet Cokes and mini bottles of vodka and Crown Royal. He makes eye contact, nods and smiles, but that's it. He can perform this part of his job on autopilot, has perfected the art of appearing engaged while, in his mind, he goes over notes for an audition or takes a stab at writing his memoirs.

He knows the bare minimum about the passengers on this side of the plane from the things they let slip out of excitement or need - an older lady flying to see her daughter for the first time in ten years, an unaccompanied minor, a row of sorority sisters on a holiday excursion. Everyone is mellow, polite when he stops to ask them what they want from the cart. But there’s always one clown in the bunch.

And Kurt finds his sitting in Row 27, Seat E.

“Soda?” Kurt asks. “Coffee? Tea?”

“A medium drip, please? Or maybe a flat white?”

“A-ha. That's one coffee black for you,” Kurt says, his tone chipper, but sharp around the edges, barely glancing at the man as he hands over his drink.

"Perfect. Thank you, Kurt."

"You're very welcome." Kurt internally groans when the man uses his name. The airline requires all customer-facing employees to wear a name tag for passenger comfort "in a time of need" (or so says the employee literature). In this age of social media, it's used more by the Karens of the world to flame what they consider 'inappropriate conduct' without impunity. All claims are thoroughly investigated, and require passenger and employee corroboration before disciplinary action is taken. But it's gotten to the point that he doesn't Google his name and the name of his airline in the same sentence anymore.

It keeps him sane.

Kurt doesn't mind passengers knowing his name.

Just so long as they never use it.

But this man said Kurt's name like he owns it, and that Kurt doesn't appreciate. Not from strangers.

Kurt's eyes flicker up once it hits him.

He knows that voice.

But how in the hell can it be here?

'I'm projecting,' he thinks. 'I miss my boyfriend, I wish that he was here, but he's not here. No. I'm not going to look at the occupant of this seat and see ...'

“Blaine?” Kurt stares at 27E perplexed. It is him! Unless there's been a gas leak the pilot hasn't told them about yet, Blaine is sitting right there, looking as adorable as ever! Maybe more so, his smile bright and goofy with his master plan revealed. “Blaine!”

“Well, well, well ...” Blaine turns in his seat, attempting a casual recline against the rigid armrest, masking the pain on his face when its sharp edge digs into his back. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I didn’t know you’d be …! Wha---when did you even get a ticket?”

“A few days ago. Your friend Monica helped me with the details. I had to grease a lot of wheels, seeing as most holiday flights were already packed, but I’m on every one of your connections. I figured we can spend your layover together.”

“And what if I had managed to get the time off?”

“I would probably be out close to a few thousand bucks, but it was a chance I was willing to take.” Blaine tilts his head down so he can look coyly up at Kurt through long, thick lashes. “Are you surprised?”

“Yes! I … I don’t know what to say!”

“Say that you love me," Blaine says sincerely. "Say that you’ll have a little more faith in me.”

“I do have faith in you. It’s just sometimes … I don’t have all that much faith in myself. In my overall appeal.”

“Well, your overall appeal is so strong, I spent a small fortune to take this journey with you.” Blaine chuckles when he notices they’ve garnered attention from other passengers, wondering what happened to the drink cart but watching quietly to see the drama unfold. “So why don’t we enjoy the journey? See where it takes us?”

Kurt grins, his cheeks burning when the sorority sisters occupying the seats behind Blaine awww, and the older woman claps.

Kurt rolls his eyes when other passengers join in.

Only at Christmas, he thinks.

Then again, isn't this what he wanted?

His cheesy Lifetime movie?

His improbable Christmas miracle?

Kurt smiles. “That sounds like a plan.”

#klaine advent 2020 #klaine advent: join #klaine fanfiction #klaine fic #klaine

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