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kaeichi · 2 months

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love is in the air.

. . . and maybe that's why mikage reo can view the world with such clouded, pink-hued vision, and why nagi seishiro cannot breathe at all.

series. nagi + reader + reo. no gendered terms, but some implications of m! reader. reader likes boys. bestfriend! nagi. valentines/white day. highschool setting. swearing. humor. fluff & angst.

a/n. repost bc it wasnt showing up in tags T-T i js want a shoujo anime w these two as the MLs...

prev ┊ next ┊ 01 … 02 … 03

⊹ 01 : my dear partner [wc: 4.7k]

TWO YEARS AGO

“…dude. you're scaring all the hoes away.”

nagi watches your lips move, though he barely registers anything you've been saying since he has stopped listening a while ago—which, honestly, comes as no surprise to anyone.

there’s no real reason to be so lethargic at this hour (it's already late noon, plus he surprisingly had a decent amount of sleep the previous night for once), nor the time to think about trivial things, but he can’t help but think about how exactly every single thing stopped being so bothersome like it used to.

he can't quite pinpoint what brought on this gradual change, but if he had to, then it’d probably be three springs ago—when he’d wake up a little earlier than usual to the gentle kiss of the sun through his window and the cherry blossoms were in perfect bloom. around that time is when he’d received his quiet companion choki, he’d finally scored top 1 in the leaderboards after months and months of grinding in his favorite mobile game, and… when you’d first sat next to him in middle school.

for as long as he remembers, you were simply just there. an unexpected oddity that has not only forced its way through, but has also wedged firmly into every aspect in his life. and somehow, he’d concluded that maybe some things weren't so bad—that some things weren't such a hassle to him after all.

“move, idiot. at this point you might as well hold my hand.” the snow-haired male barely hears your voice over his wandering thoughts, stumbling from the light shove you give him. he has now become acutely aware of your swinging hand, wary of the close proximity and the faint buzz of static that lingers on his skin. huh. maybe it is better to move away.

still, he’d rather not reposition himself. it’s too much work, he’d like to reason, and it's certainly not because of anything else… maybe. he doesn't really know for sure. what he does know though, is that the space beside him suddenly feels strangely empty.

when he looks at you to see a pout forming on your lips, he can't help but sigh. you're being unreasonable. there's something that's been nagging his curiosity for a while now, and it took him quite a bit to realize what it is.

“seishirooo,” you whined one day, allowing your head to sink against his mattress, taking up nearly the whole space while nagi sits at the corner of the bed. you came over to his place that day to bother him, stating that you needed some comfort because apparently, “no one ever looks at me. i feel so damn invisible.” he shrugged and offered you his controller, challenging you to a 1v1 with him as a distraction.

“…but i look at you all the time?” he replied.

“yeah, but that's different.” and he would've asked you to elaborate more, if not for the fact that you've been horribly vague about it when he does ask, and the perpetually sleepy gamer only has so much patience before he gives up and decides it's something not worth spending his energy on.

besides, you're always emotional like that. this was probably just another one of your fleeting phases.

it's not until he notices you've been longingly gazing at the couples on the campus, quietly seething under your breath that it finally clicks. now, he may not have the greatest understanding when it comes to feelings and all its complexities, but even he can tell you’re reeking with jealousy.

despite being pushed off only seconds ago, nagi shuffles closer again as he falls into step beside you. even if sparks prick his skin, it feels right in this way. “dunno why you ‘need’ hoes when you already have me.”

“just because i'm into guys doesn’t mean that i like you in that way,” you mutter, sending him an odd glance like you thought there’s something wrong with his head for even suggesting that. not knowing how to respond, he settles for staring right back without a word.

“what's with that look? you know what i mean, seishiro.” you continue, averting your gaze from him. what look? he asks internally. “it's just, well, literally everyone is getting into relationships. and i know we're still first years, but… it just feels like i’m missing out, y’know?

“do you really? sounds like a hassle to me,” he shrugs, and it truly does—he never saw the appeal of dumb crushes, of drama nearly every day, of possible unrequited “love,” or of wasting half your time and energy on someone just for it to not mean anything at all in the end. video games sound way more fun, and way less heartbreak inducing.

“you can't say that when you haven’t even experienced it,” you argue, still pouting.

“it’s overrated anyways. being single is better.”

“hah! of course you’d say that, you virgin.”

“you’re one to talk,” nagi boredly quips. “i’m celibate purely by choice, but you on the other hand… if you really think about it, you're basically an incel.”

nearly choking on your spit, you exclaim, “hah?!”

“you don't even really talk to other guys except for me, and on top of that, you're barely approached by anybody,” he explains in a matter-of-fact tone, oblivious to the way his best friend’s confidence waning rapidly by the second the more he speaks.

“yeah? and who’s fault is it, you cockblocker!”

nagi simply sticks a tongue out as you flip him off.

right after that, the two of you ended up breaking into a sprint as you heard the clicking sound of heels walking on the tiles around the corner, not wanting to get caught for skipping classes. well, you ran, and just dragged him by the wrist. he felt the warmth of your fingers even through the thick barrier of his baggy sleeve.

PRESENT

you try not to trip and fall face first as a cold hand guides you through the crowded hallway.

it's embarrassing enough as it is to be rushing through the middle of the corridor and pushing past the bodies of random students like you're a main character or some sort, but even more so when the (apparently) most popular guy of the campus that you’ve (never) seen is walking right in front of you.

and it gets even more humiliating when said popular guy has taken hostage of your wrist, leading you away to a more secluded area. shocked, harsh whispers echo throughout nearly the whole floor, and multiple eyes shoot daggers at the fingers wrapped around the sleeve of your uniform, and you’ve never wanted to bury yourself alive more than this moment.

after rounding a corner into a miraculously empty hallway, you finally skid to a stop, yanking your hand away, ready to pounce at the culprit who made you go through all that unnecessary attention. however, before you can get a word in, the refined male bows his head low in front of you, and you find yourself face-to-face with sleek purple locks.

“i’m sorry, but i have no time for dating. i’m really flattered, though. i hope we can stay friends still.” he hurriedly says, hope gleaming in his matching purple eyes.

…what.

who is he again? and why is he rejecting you?

for some reason, you find the stranger’s gaze too bright that you have to look away; so you do exactly that, tilting your chin downwards instead and letting your hair mask your expression.

after a few beats of silence, he clears his throat. “i'm really sorry, it hurts me to see you look so down… i’m sure we can put this behind us and—”

“nice shoes,” you interrupt, still not raising your head to meet his now confused stare. “i can tell you really love wearing them, judging by the busted, worn out stitches. hey, is it just me or is that prada logo kinda wonky too?”

the male's jaw drops down nearly all the way to the floor.

“pardon me?” he says through gritted teeth, keeping his composure by flashing his usual award-winning smile, albeit a lot more stiffer. “i know i just rejected you, but you don't have to be so hostile…”

when you finally raise your head, your expression can only be described as terribly and solemnly unamused, unimpressed beyond words.

then, you suddenly lean closer, peering closely into his violet irises with thoughtful hum. an unwilling flush of red creeps on the tips of the boy’s ears, his eyes widening comically at the sudden intrusion of space. “you’ll do,” nodding to yourself, you now grab his wrist and pull him away. “come.”

“w-wait, huh? where are we go—”

“you're the one who made me late. let's go!”

reo isn't quite sure why he's the one being dragged away now.

he has only initially planned to gently turn down the person who last confessed to him, whose family just so happened to be related to his father’s business partners—but now he somehow finds himself on a whole date with that person? (the same one who brazenly insulted him by implying his shoes are fake, by the way!)

“i have other plans today, you know…” the heir says, subtly trying to inch away from you.

you tug him back by his sleeve, with twice as much force than he had used on you earlier. “i can imagine, my dear partner.”

“w-what?” reo stutters, and he's cringes at himself for how he's acting at the moment. the usually composed and charming mikage reo, now reduced to a stuttering and blushing mess? how embarrassing.

“normally my best friend would do this with me, but he slept in today.” leave it to seishiro to leave me all alone on the day that actually matters, you irritatedly mutter under your breath. “well, whatever. come on.”

as you and him enter the packed bubble tea shop, the fingers that were wrapped around his sleeve slides down to interlace with reo’s own clammy ones. he realizes this a second too late, and before he has the chance to let go, the clerk by the entrance greets them with an enthusiastic “welcome, lovebirds!”

“huh?!” reo’s jaw slackens, dumbfounded. he’s really starting to hate himself now—it's unbecoming of him, really, but it's hard to process everything when you're so close to him that the scent of your shampoo keeps invading his senses and subsequently messing with his head.

“here’s your special tickets for today. thank you for participating, and happy valentines!” you drag him straight to the back, where the colorful claw machines are set up. reo catches a glimpse of the pink posters set up on the walls of the quaint shop, which reads: couples get free special tickets! today only! …ah. that's why he's here.

“aoi-san… you're gripping too tight,” he says, gritting his teeth together into a forced smile.

“aoi?” you repeat, your grip finally loosening until you let go entirely. “huh… i see. by the way, what's your name again?”

needless to say, the purple-haired male is beyond perplexed. “is this your unique attempt at a joke or something?”

“come on, rich boy. we've held hands and i don’t even know your name!”

“right… which i totally wasn't being forced to do…” he lets out an awkward laugh. sure, some admirers of his tend to get a tad excessive, but they were never able to get far with him, much less forcibly drag him out on a date—and it's not even because they want him to spend his unlimited budget on them and spoil them rotten, but just so they can get… a free special ticket for a claw machine. how did he end up getting in this bizarre situation? more importantly, how does he get out?

you simply shrug. “your fault, rich boy. you should try thinking about anyone other than yourself for once.”

“excuse me?” he narrows his eyes, slightly peeved. he's had enough of your rude attitude; potential business partner or not, he hopes that he never has to interact with you again in the future. “stop calling me that. i have a name, and it's mikage reo.”

the way your eyes widen doesn't go unnoticed by him. “and what did you even mean by that?” he presses defensively.

you plop down on the seat, with reo mirroring you as you insert the rouge ticket decorated with pink hearts into the slot of the claw machine. “well, mikage reo. i’m sure you're aware how aoi’s family is important, right?”

yeah, this person is definitely a weirdo, reo muses. who refers to themselves in third person?

“i heard they had connections everywhere… just like you. it's crucial to maintain a good relationship with someone like that, right?” you conclude—that would explain why reo had taken the time to personally talk to “aoi” one-on-one instead of just flat out rejecting them on the spot.

reo tilts his head to the side. “i’m not following…?”

“mikage.” you emphasize, looking at him straight in the eye before turning your attention back to playing. “i’m saying that the poor kid’s still waiting for an answer. your heartfelt and sincere rejection, to be exact.”

a few seconds of silence pass. well, as silent as it can be with the loud chattering of the crowd and the mechanical whirrs of the claw machine you're currently messing with resounding in the air.

“you mean, you're not…” reo trails off, all color draining from his face. “i’m so, so sorr—”

“aoi’s the one you should apologize to, not me. oh, i got a double! how lucky.” you eagerly grab the prize, the limited edition valentine’s merch exclusive to this boba shop; a plushie collectible that comes with a redeemable code for your favorite video game. you want to collect all of them, but you’re broke as hell and you’re only here due to the free ticket. turning to reo, you shove the second plushie to his chest. “here, this is for you. since you did help me out with getting these.”

“ah, thank you…” reo absentmindedly accepts the small toy, still reeling on how he could make such a careless mistake. “listen, i do apologize—”

“i wonder how'd you even mix us up. is it ‘cause we have the same hair color?” you ask, slightly amused because aside from that, you and aoi look nothing alike. your fingers tap on the surface of the control panel, observing reo’s shame-stricken visage. “or maybe… is it because everyone just looks the same to you?”

at that moment, mikage reo realizes two things: (1) maybe he's more transparent and vulnerable than he thinks, and (2) you're dangerous, and it's better to stay far, far away from you. how could you see right through him so quickly? what if that's something you'll use against him?

he doesn't like to admit it, but it's true—in his perspective, everyone's the same. they're just after him for money and status, and at some point, they've all just become faceless, superficial pawns vying for his attention.

and of course, you’re no exemption.

noticing he’s gone quiet, you continue, “but i guess if my world was as vast as yours, i couldn't possibly keep up with everything either, so i get it. i’m not saying i’m in the same situation as you, but i can kind of relate, i guess. i only keep the ones who's important to me close, and the rest just exist and do whatever. i’m selective, but in that way, at least i can give my all to the ones that really matter.”

reo closes his mouth shut. here you are casually saying that you don't matter to him, and while that isn't a lie in the slightest, he still can't help but feel guilty. maybe it's just the people-pleaser in him, or maybe it’s the way the corners of your lips are slightly quirked up and to form a miniscule, accepting smile, but he wants to reassure you, “still, i’m sure you feel that—”

“i don’t.” you don't mind that he didn't know you, because you didn't even know him either—there’s no reason for you to take it personal. you’d be a hypocrite otherwise. “i really don’t.”

you smile at him. he thinks it's out of understanding, but unbeknownst to him you're actually just entertained by how his inner turmoil is so clearly reflected on his expression. “so don’t worry about it. plus, we’re even now.” you add, gesturing towards the prize.

hopping off the stool, you wave at him as you start to walk away. “...happy valentines. i'll see you around, mikage. maybe. er, probably not.”

“wait!” he hurriedly jumps off the stool as well, clutching the plushie in his hand as he follows after you. “i… let me drive you home.” the words stumble out before he even realizes what he's saying. you're probably just using him, and you're dangerous, and you see right through him, and he should stop wasting his time because his actual valentine's date is probably three seconds away from storming out the restaurant he's booked at—

so why is he doing this?

“drive?” you repeat, because of course he’d have a driver. damn rich people, you think internally. “nuh uh. it's like a ten minute walk, and i’d rather save the environment.”

“then i’ll walk with you.”

“you do realize i’m done dragging you for the day, right?” you quirk a brow up, amused; you could've sworn he was itching to get the hell away half an hour ago. “you're free. you can go home if you want.”

reo smiles, a more genial one this time. “i know.”

“so, you into popular guys now?”

“hell no.”

nagi narrows his eyes at you. “you’re just into reo, then?”

while you expected to be grilled first thing in the morning by random people about your apparent relationship with mikage reo (to which you simply replied, “i don’t know who that is, sorry,” and proceeded to run away), you didn't expect to be interrogated by your apathetic best friend as well.

usually, nagi prefers to be completely silent during the 1st period (and actually all the way through lunch), not bothering to utter more than a few words, but today, he seems uncharacteristically on edge, waiting for you at the corner of the gym with a wrinkle between his brows.

“why are you on a first name basis with him?”

“everyone calls him reo.” he shrugs. “why him?”

“i never said i was into him.”

“then what's all that partner thing about?” he asks, which confuses you a bit. you doubt that reo would go around announcing to everyone how you teasingly called him ‘partner’ and practically dragged him to a date against his will, but it's not like him and nagi are close either, so you wonder where nagi has heard this information from. then, you suddenly recall back to yesterday, where you saw the curtain of your neighbor’s bedroom window swinging side-to-side, as if it was drawn close a mere second before you looked up.

it seems that your mind wasn't playing tricks with you after all, and that a certain someone was eavesdropping on your conversation with reo as he walked you to your door.

“fake partners, you mean? and it was a just a joke—i met him that day.”

“that day? why are you acting so close if you've just met that day?”

“you're awfully talkative today, seishiro.”

“i know. it's making me exhausted, and it's all your fault.” he then presses his weight against you, leaning his forehead on your shoulder—as he always does when he's tired and you're within reach. your eyes widen immediately, darting around the gymnasium to see if any of your classmates has noticed.

you don't want people to get the wrong idea about you two. it's not because it kills your chances with anyone due to the assumption that you aren't single (which you still very much are, by the way), or even because of potential issues of being a two-timer due to a certain rich boy—it's just that whenever you get asked if you and your best friend are together, you can't help but flinch from the idea, like ice is being poured inside the back of your shirt. you don’t really know what to call it, but you do know that you've answered the question a hundred times and you're positively sick of it.

“i told you to stop doing this in public,” you hiss, trying to push the giant, clingy sloth off you. “and stop whining, nagi. i’m not going anywhere. besides, i’m not even looking for a relationship or anything like that. not after… you know, what happened during our first year.”

he lifts his head up, frowning at you. “don’t call me nagi. just ‘cause you met a new guy doesn't mean you get to call me nagi.”

you raise an unimpressed brow. what’s his problem? “only if you stop whining.”

“…‘m not.” he slurs his words together, only proving your point.

“yes you are!”

“why do you have to be so annoying? you're such a pain,” he sighs, now walking away from you.

“i'm the annoying one?! and don't call me a pain, you—!” without hesitation, you promptly snatch a red ball from the steel ball cart beside you before swinging your arm at him, slamming the dodgeball right to his head. well, you tried to, at least; even with his back facing towards you, nagi only takes one step to the side to avoid it.

“your shitty aim sucks balls,” the tall male comments unenthusiastically, his white fringe falling over his eyes as he gazes at you over his shoulder. his nonchalance only spurs you on, now hauling multiple dodgeballs at him.

“how about you suck my ba—”

“give it up already. you're never gonna hit me.” and nagi actually has the audacity to yawn mid-dodge. of course, it only fuels your irritation even more. you eventually run out of balls to throw, so you mindlessly grab the nearest object to your right and chuck that as well.

…which unfortunately, happens to be nagi’s phone that he's snuck inside the gym, peeking under a face towel on the bench.

“oh, fu—”

because of your (rightfully) so-called shitty aim, it swung way up high to the left, a few steps away from nagi. in less than a second, he realizes what you have flung at him, and his body moves instinctively; he throws himself towards it, swinging his leg upward and trapping it with his foot with perfect ease before it has the chance to plummet down on the floor.

“why are you making me move so much…” he sighs. “what a pain.”

“you’re supposed to move anyways, we're in PE. you're welcome,” you smugly reason out. and then not even a second later you fold, shoulders curling inwards as you glance toward his phone; if it weren't for his godly reflexes, you would've broken it. with a small voice, you meekly add, “sorry.”

nagi shrugs in response.

when he saunters over to place his phone on the bench again, a silver glint catches your eye. a small charm swings lightly, small beads of white and black strung haphazardly together attached to the side of his phone case.

“wait, this is…” a phone charm crafted by hand, which is your birthday present for him four years ago. “i didnt know you still had that.”

“why wouldn't i?”

“where was it this whole time? this wasn't here a few days ago.”

“i just kept it in my drawer ‘cause i don’t wanna lose it.”

tilting your head to the side, you ask, “so why'd you suddenly decide to attach it to your phone now?”

he looks away, scratching the back of his neck. “…dunno.”

eyes dropping into slits, you mutter, “you know, that kinda sounds sus—”

“hey! that was amazing! nagi, right? you should play soccer with me!”

nagi and yourself both turn to the direction of the sudden voice, seeing a familiar figure running towards you, vivid purple eyes gleaming under the gymnasium’s stark white lights.

“mikage?” you exclaim.

ever so slightly, nagi sharpens his usual droopy eyes. “nah.” he immediately says, turning on his heel.

“seishiro? wait, weren't you supposed to be looking for a club?”

“don’t really care.” you follow him, lightly jogging to keep up. as soon as you catch up by his side, the taller male glances at you as he asks, “will you join too?”

is he seriously asking you that… “no?”

“then i won't.” nagi concludes as he continues to walk away from reo.

“hey, wait up!” reo calls out, placing a hand on your shoulder. “ah, i was completely shut down… say, will you help me convince him?”

your brows shoot up as your gaze flicks down where he's casually touching you. after your initial confusion of who he is yesterday, you then recognize him after learning his name—the most popular boy in school, known for his good looks, charisma, and most especially, his wealth. he gets along well with literally everyone, and acts genuinely close with them even if they aren't.

“uh, why should i?”

“remember that limited edition merch you like? i can get you the rest of the collection. in fact, i’ll even buy out the whole place just for you.”

“wha– seriously?” you feel your eye twitch. damn rich people. “it was limited edition. they all ran out of stock already.”

“i have my ways.” well, that's not shady at all. he flashes a grin at your skepticism, winking at you, “anything for my partner.”

and you now understand why he's earned his title. this is probably how he always gets what he wants—with a smile like that, anyone would drop to their knees and do whatever he’d ask. two years ago, you would've keeled over for attention like this, but now, you're nothing but indifferent.

he places his hands on both of your shoulders now, completely stopping you from taking off. wide violet eyes scrutinize your own, making you scrunch your nose at the close proximity. “shouldn't you be begging him and not me?”

“yeah, but...” reo swears he feels an air of animosity radiating from the white-haired male, and that's why he has decided to turn you instead. “you wouldn't leave your partner hanging, right? as partners, we help each other out, riiiight?” he says, dragging his words out.

you lean as far as you physically can from his grip, but he doesn't seem to care, excitedly looking at you with stars evident in his eyes. “mikage, you—” he smiles at you, bright and blinding, and you find yourself withering under his intense gaze. “okay, fine, just—”

“well, that's settled then! they’re joining the club too, nagi seishiro. they can be our manager.” you briefly wonder why he didn't outright offer to have you join the team, but he probably saw how you threw the dodgeballs earlier… though it's not like you have to use your hands in soccer, so what the hell, this is kind of insulting.

“says who, mikage?”

“you're gonna come watch all our games?” he negotiates.

“why don’t you offer that i join the team?”

“ahahaha. haha. hah.” he laughs awkwardly, swinging an arm around your shoulder and ultimately evading your question.

because you were too busy trying to shrug him off, you miss the way nagi’s eyes zero on to reo’s arm around you, wordlessly observing the whole interaction with his lips pressed taut.

you still don’t know why reo hasn't moved away; he's so close that you can see the dark amethyst specks in his irises, the long strands that frame his face are lightly tickling your cheek, and if you lean in even just an inch, you can practically—

“you said anything i want, right?” your voice drops to a low whisper, and reo nods slowly, still seemingly oblivious to the lack of space between you.

“then... what if i said i wanted a kiss?”

reo’s smile drops immediately, recoiling away from you as if you've slapped him, his whole entire face heating up all the way to the tips of his ears. finally out of his grasp, you erupt into boisterous laughter, shaking your head as you leave the flustered boy alone and catching up to nagi.

likes/reblogs/feedback appreciated ♡

#blue lock x reader #nagi seishiro x reader #mikage reo x reader #reo mikage x reader #bllk x reader #bllk x you

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ghostflowerhotpotch · 11 months

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Meet the Parents Part 2

Okay, once again, I rambled for too long and needed to do a second part. Sorry that this post is also coming delayed, real life stuff comes first.

Part 1 to be up to speed!

You know? Maybe it was for the best that the post got cut short, I realized of a small detail that didn't notice yesterday.

The sequence where this four frames are from last around a 1 or 2, I am not really doing this in any professional fashion so I cannot say the exact time; but it is pretty quick, even at half speed.

But you can see how for a moment, Gwen either realizes this is not going well, or drops the enthusiastic persona for a second. Either way, I think it shows that this is not going how she expected.

While Gwen hasn't heard enough to know it was a bad idea using their first names, I don't doubt that Miles talks about them fondly.

She got along well with May and Ben (I notice later that there are some flashbacks including Ben.) And that probably meant a lot to her because you can see how prevalent was the relationship between those families, eating together, talking, etc. Almost like a family.

I don't think Gwen would like to replace Peter and his family, but Miles is not a replacement of Peter anyways. She probably wanted meeting them (Even if I am sure she didn't want to have this meeting today,) would run a lot more smoother.

Because she knows Miles loves his parents, and they do sound like good people; she didn't even seem to think this could actually turn so awkward.

This moment just last a couple of seconds at best, so this goes fairly quickly.

And again, I am not saying this because I want to paint Miles' parents in a bad light; even if they are not giving a fair shot to Gwen, all things consider they are been extremely patient with Miles.

(I really need to do a post about that.)

Now going back to where we left it.

Oh this scene is so hard for me to see.

(Sorry, but DAMN the representation here; this didn't exactly happen to me, but similar enough that is giving me the most embarrassing flashbacks. No I am not saying this is an universal experience, just very painfully real to me.)

Okay, Miles' parents are being over protective here? Oh for sure.

While I think their actions are very logical and understandable once you remember they have no idea what Miles is doing; this is really the part where Rio and Jeff shows us they also need to mature in this movie.

And I don't say it as an insult; a lot of parents have trouble with this transition, and Miles is their first and only child; with said child suddenly not acting as the same kid anymore.

(Sidenote; I am surprised Miles doesn't have any siblings, Jeff and Rio look so in love I am surprised it didn't happen.)

I love how Gwen just takes her hand back, like "well damn I didn't even get a date with him and his parents already are telling me to back off."

Also oof, poor Miles. Honestly forget three months this is probably worse than that already.

Rio making that joke is painfully realistic and let's move on to the other part of that dialogue.

I think Rio and Jeff aren't just trying to establish some rules with Miles (considering the amount he has broken today,) but they also need to reaffirm themselves of being able to dictate what's going on Miles's life.

Again, this is coming just after they grounded him, and then he dipped out. They are feeling they are losing him.

I love Rio, I do, but ma'am this is how you get your kid to keep even more secrets for you.

Not much else to say here, this is the lesson she and Jeff need to learn. Miles is (probably) still hating being alive right now; and Gwen is somehow able to keep that composed face despite everything which has to be one of her most impressive feats in this film.

I honestly have to feel it for Gwen right now.

She probably knows the alert her watch is giving her is bad news, so she really doesn't have another choice.

Forget not making a good impression with Jeff and Rio, now she just lost her chance to have a decent goodbye with Miles.

At this point I don't think she would had admitted to herself this couldn't happen again, I think even now she hoped for another chance later down the line. But there is no idea to know when.

I have no idea what she would had said if she had the chance to say goodbye on her own terms, to his face; but it was certainly not what she ended up doing.

Girl, 3 years being spiderwoman and you can't still come up with good lies for situations like this?

Ok I cannot blame her for not being able to come with up with something better; this entire conversation was already not going well and now she basically needs to flee, which doesn't help.

Oof, look at Miles's face, he really looks so heartbroken here.

For all the awkwardness Gwen has sported during this conversation, this is among her most natural expressions; while she is probably not stranger for dipping early, I do think this is not how she wanted to leave.

Gwen really didn't want to leave, at least not leave Miles. While she couldn't really explain what was going on, I think she wanted to let him no that this isn't about his parents or him, she wouldn't be going out if she didn't have any other choice really.

Jeff hasn't really said much during this conversation, mostly having judgy stares at most, but you can see his expression become a bit more open once he sees Gwen's behaviour change.

Rio I think is trying to maintain a mask because she probably also caught on this looking a bit off, but also because is around here that she starts to realizing how much Gwen means to Miles.

I think is also around this point that Rio seemed to want to say something else.

She could just be trying to say goodbye, but I think her expression and her hand point out more than she actually wanted to intervene here.

I am pretty sure that regardless of how Jeff and Rio felt about Gwen, they didn't want to make her run away like that.

Because again, they are missing context; Gwen is leaving because the Spot flee and she just got herself into a mess, Miles knows this is related to spidey issues.

But as far as Jeff and Rio are concerned, this girl tried to be friendly (way too friendly for their liking but friendly nonetheless,) and is now running away after Rio decided to play Mother Hen.

(Sorry, that joke may not be understandable in english. Mama Gallina/Mother Hen is an expression used a lot in my country for moms that are very protective of their kids.)

Oh, this shot.

This is an interesting comparison because when Miles heard that Gwen was leaving, he looked so crestfallen; she could see it so did his parents but he didn't register the fact that it was so pain this was for him.

Gwen maintained a somewhat composed face to them, but on this shot that she is giving everyone the back, she looks so sad.

This, is basically their relationship in a nutshell. Miles wears his heart in his sleeve and can't help himself on it, and Gwen tries her hardest to keep her emotions at bay, but everything so often they creep back.

This is awkward, and it looks awkward, and this is really more into speculation territory than analysis, but I think she did it because she wanted to go for a hug, or similar.

I had mentioned in other posts how I believe Gwen is an affectionate person, or at least, someone who likes and seeks physical affection to those important to her.

The way she went to hug her dad both at the beginning and end show how much she craves affection; and how she barely contained herself before hugging Miles tells me not just that she probably has even less people to hug nowadays, but how much important he is to her.

But she probably doesn't want to upset his parents more, and his mom told her just a minute ago to basically leave Miles alone; so this was the best she could think of.

Nobody is really happy. Even Rio and Jeff are realizing how uncomfortable is Gwen; thought again, they are probably thinking this is all their fault.

This is really the moment when Rio and Jeff are probably realizing that whatever the heck is going on with Gwen and Miles, is important to them, or at least Miles.

Again, Jeff and Rio are worried, and they have no idea what Gwen's situation is, Miles mentioned she left town but they didn't even believe she existed prior this so they probably doesn't think that's case. Or even if it was, well, keeping contact can't be that hard in this day and age right?

(Sadly, Miles really needed to fall in love with a girl who to get in contact with you need technology from another timeline.)

Miles is 15, and they just met this girl, they couldn't imagine how much she matters to him, specially with all the secrets.

And here, is when Rio finally can let her own feelings aside for a moment, and see her actual son, and not the idea she has of him.

Of course, he is just staring at where she is at, no idea when he would see her again.

A part of me wonders, if he would had tried to go and say something else if his parents wouldn't had been here.

I really, do think Gwen wanted to say something else.

Now with all the context, it makes me so sad to see Gwen leave, and still have trouble to actually do so.

Because she knows this meeting wasn't suppose to happen, and she has no idea if she could ever repeat it or when. She has been so focused on Miles she completely neglected the mission, heck, she even neglected to keep an eye on the guy, which wasn't even so much of a fix for this situation.

You know? Something I kept thinking while analyzing this scene, is how is not just Miles struggling to keep a civial life and a spider life, Gwen is going to the same thing, or similar enough at least.

At this point, she has embraced the Spidey life, she literally has no other choice because she cannot go back home. Her life as Gwen Stacy was gone; being able to just be a carefree teen is left by the times she can be crashing at Hobbie's dimension, and even then, you see that is not enough.

In this sequence, she tries to go back to those patterns, like the camaraderie she had with May, or the jokes she probably shared with her dad's buddies.

But it doesn't go well, and her last moments with Miles were extremely awkward, and them discussing about the organization.

This all feels just like a bitter reminder, she can't be just a teen anymore.

Is a shame, because on the Clock Tower we basically confirm, that Miles was the only person that could make her feel that someone was seeing her for all her. To combine those two worlds she belonged.

But she can't have that now, just like she believes, she can't have Miles.

#ghostflower #gwiles #gwen stacy #miles morales #atsv spoilers #rio morales #jeff morales #across the spiderverse spoilers #across the spiderverse #ghostflower files #will reblog this tomorrow to a decent hour lolol

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localplaguenurse · 4 months

Note

Playing a game with Pantalone but everytime one of you loses you have to remove one article of clothing and suffice to say you lost all your clothes rather quickly and now he's smirking on how shall he indulge in you this time

I thought this was a predator/prey situation at first, which would have been pretty pog, but then I remembered the dumb strip poker joke I made the other day and realized that’s probably what you were talking about-

So that’s what I’m gonna write

CONTENT WARNING: Playing strip poker, no full blown smut but still suggestive. I might circle back to this in the future because I have ideas, but I’m not in a super smutty mood. Honestly it’s more silly than anything, but 18+ please. Also I have only played the Luigi poker minigame so shhh.

You hate this game, you don’t know why you keep agreeing to play it, and you hate that it was all your idea to begin with. It sounded like a fun way for you and your husband to spice things up a little, and in general seemed like a fun way to bond. Sure, you figured he’d win the first few times you played, but you weren’t complaining at the time. Surely, he wouldn’t win every time, right?

… Right?

You glare at your hand because you don’t want to glare at Pantalone. It’ll mean you have to look at his stupid smug grin over his winning streak. You see it every time he suggests you two play a few rounds of strip poker. Tonight is no different, and though you love his face so much, you cannot stand looking at him right now.

You don’t question if you’re losing because you have terrible luck or if you’re just bad at poker anyways. You know it’s both. It also can’t help that your husband is very good at taking chances and placing bets. He never makes a decision until he’s certain of the outcome and that it will work in his favour. You find this trait very admirable, except for right now.

“Darling, are you alright?” Pantalone asks, faux concern lacing his words. “You’re shivering a little.”

You’re currently hugging a pillow to your bare chest, both to give yourself some dignity, and because you’re nearly nude. “I’m fine.”

He chuckles. “Well, if that’s the case, have you decided what your next move is?”

“I-I’m still thinking,” you grumble, body cold but face burning hot. Truth be told, your hand is shit. The only thing you have going for you are two fives, and that’s it. That may as well be nothing with how your game has been going. Pantalone’s only lost the shirt, and you’re pretty sure it’s because he felt bad for you and threw that round. You don’t know what’s worse, him pitying you, or that he still decimated you.

You take two cards out of your hand and discard them, leaving only the two fives and an ace. You’re already certain you’re losing the round anyways, so you might as well see if you can get another ace, or maybe a five. Just something to make your hand better than being just above trash.

“Interesting…”

“Shush.”

You pick up two new cards and place them in your deck. Let’s see, you had a five of hearts, five of diamonds, and an ace of spades. You’ve picked up–

No way.

You blink, trying not to let your shock show (your poker face isn’t that great, either). Those two new cards consist of an ace of diamonds, and a five of clubs. Holy shit. Holy shit. That’s a full house! The only way Pantalone can beat that is if he gets 4 of a kind, a straight flush or a royal flush. You actually have a chance! Not a chance of winning the game, Archons no, but you’ll be keeping your underwear on for a round longer.

You smile, and present your hand. “Full house.”

Pantalone’s eyebrows widen, and he smiles. “Oh, goodness! Look at you! You’re starting to get the hang of this now. That is very impressive, my darling.”

You cross your arms, giving him the smug grin he’s been giving you all evening.

He sighs. “That… makes this all the more painful, I’m afraid.”

You watch as Pantalone lays his cards down in front of you. Your eyes widen, and your jaw drops.

“... Absolutely not.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Are you kidding me!?” you ask. “A royal flush?! No, no I refuse… You did not just get that!”

“I assure you, darling,” he purrs, “I got it fair and square.”

You glare at him and his cards. An ace, a queen, a king, a jack, and a ten of hearts. Of course it has to be hearts, too.

“Now then, I think you know the rules.”

“Fine, fine, you win.” You move the pillow from your chest and toss it at his head. It makes contact, which makes him laugh. “I know the drill.”

“My my, you make it sound like such a horrible fate,” he teases. “Sure, I may have won again, but I think we both know this will be… equally rewarding for us, no?”

You roll your eyes. “Easy for you to say, champion strip poker king…”

“Oh, my little darling,” he coos in such a patronizingly sweet voice, “where’s the fun in being such a spoilsport? Don’t you enjoy playing with me?”

“I do, but it’s just frustrating that you’ve won every game we play.”

Pantalone laughs. “Then I suppose you’ll have to get good, as people say. Now, about my prize...”

#ask #sheepy!#pantalone #pantalone smut #pantalone x reader #idk if i need the pantalone smut tag but may as well get my bases covered

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jennagrinsoverml · 2 years

Note

hii do you have a list of miraculous fics you think everyone should read at least once?

Anon, I have been excited to answer this request ever since I got it. What better way to celebrate my 50th Rec List (!!!!) than with my favourite fandom fics? 🎉🎉🎉

I've tried to choose fics with a variety of tones, from different fandom eras, and different authors. These fics are all special to me in some way, and whittling this list down was HARD. Others may have fics they think should be on this list, and to those people I say: make your own rec list. This one's mine. 😘

Experimental Kisses by @komorebirei

Ladybug watched him. Maybe it was guilt, maybe sympathy, maybe a streak of playfulness. Maybe the traumatic akuma experience had softened her up. Whatever the reason, a thought wafted lazily through her mind and out of her mouth. “You know… you’re right. It isn’t fair, is it?”

Chat Noir looked up.

“I remember my first kiss, but you don’t.” She hummed and tapped her chin, making a show of remembering. “It wasn’t a bad kiss, but we were in the middle of fighting an akuma, so I didn’t get to enjoy it much, either.”

Oops—that came out sounding a little, no, a lot more flirty than she had intended. Anyway, if she was going to commit to this idea, she may as well go all in.

One-shot. Ladybug offers to kiss Chat since he doesn’t remember their kiss and the way she reacts to the kiss…it lives in my mind rent-free. I have fallen asleep many a night fantasizing about what the repercussions of the kiss might look like. One of my absolute favourite Ladynoir fics.

team is a four letter word by @ladyofthenoodle

Alya didn’t want to come between Ladybug and Chat Noir. But she didn’t want to stop being Rena Rouge either. And if Chat Noir didn’t want to talk to her, then she’d need to find a different way to prove all three of them could be a team.

Her plan unintentionally brings a few secrets to light, which leads to even more secrets coming to light, which leads to… well, Alya is sure it’ll all work out eventually.

Multi-chapter. Warning, this fic is a WIP! (But there’s only one chapter to go.) Honestly, I didn’t want to have any WIPs on this list and I was lowkey hoping that it would be finished before I posted this list but I’m obsessed with this one and couldn’t leave it off. It’s literally one of the BEST fics in the entire fandom and, I think, the absolute best delving into the characterization and relationship dynamics of the core four. This fic feels so dynamic and complex, with all of the characters feelings so like themselves and each having their own distinct voices. The conflict is so well done and so realistic. It’s such a fantastic tackling of the issues that came up in the last couple seasons and I cannot rave about it enough!!

œuf ouch owie by @ominousunflower

Chat Noir enlists Rena Rouge's help to create an Aspik illusion. Absolutely nothing goes wrong.

Ladybug smiles. “I wanted to drop by and welcome Aspik. I know it must be a little intimidating, being surrounded by so many veteran heroes…so, welcome! We’re glad to have you on board.”

“I look like an egg!” Aspik announces, T-posing.

Chat turns to Rena, feeling like he has been punched in the solar plexus. What the hell? he mouths.

Rena grimaces, her eyes wide with panic. Stomach sinking, Chat remembers one of the first things he learned about the Fox Miraculous: that if Rena Rouge isn’t focused, her illusions go haywire.

Oh, no.

One-shot. This is hands down the FUNNIEST fic in the entire fandom asdfghjkl like I have read this fic at least 50 times and I still laugh out loud every single time. If you have somehow failed to read this fic before, read it now. You won’t regret it!

lucky (we're in love in every way) by @carpisuns

Chat Noir is Adrien, and Marinette is freaking out. If she manages to quiet her internal screaming, maybe she can also find the guts to tell him her identity too. And maybe they'll actually live happily ever after—well, as soon as Tikki and Plagg are done humiliating them.

One-shot. This fic just makes me so incredibly happy. Like it puts a smile on my face every single time I read it (and I have read it many, many times!) I love Marinette’s reactions and Adrien’s sweetness and the kwamis just absolutely ROASTING both of them. Marissa has written a ton of amazing fics for this fandom (seriously we are so lucky to have her) and I was tempted by others (like tell me something i don't know) but in the end, I had to follow my heart with this one.

Your Kitty by @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights

“Such a dramatic kitty.” Marinette scratched under his chin, bringing a smile to his face and a purr to his throat.

Your kitty, he didn’t say.

Wait. What?

(The one where Chat Noir thinks he needs pats like a cat, only to find out he may have jumped to the wrong conclusion.)

One-shot. When I think of Marichat, this is THE fic I think of. Adrien being touch starved is 100% my headcanon now. This is just so sweet! Marinette’s affection and Adrien’s determination to do the right thing no matter the personal cost and the way they fell for each other without meaning to... Also I love that they both encouraged the other to go back to their original crushes because that makes so much sense!!

rattle my cage by @lnc2

In which history, despite Alya's best efforts, does not repeat itself.

One-shot. I am always here for Adrien being rash and Marinette being smart and capable and just switching to treating him as Chat absolutely seamlessly after a reveal. I absolutely love the vibes of this one.

Chasing the C/h/atwalk. by @runningoutofink

Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

Multi-chapter. It should come as no surprise by now that I’m a sucker for reality tv and this is my absolute favourite reality cross in the fandom! I love that it’s canon compliant, and frankly the idea of Marinette and Adrien as designer and model on Project Runway is friggin’ BRILLIANT. The slow burn and pining are delicious, and the identity reveal is incredibly well done! (And it has a steamy sequel, Meet me in the Middle, which is 🔥🔥🔥 and intensely satisfying after all of that build up.)

daydream by @clairelutra

you're my daydream

you know that i've been thinking about you lately

In which Adrien finds out Ladybug is Marinette, and beats the 'this is fine' dog at his own game.

One-shot. Shout-out to the author for realizing way before canon let on that Adrien is way more likely to figure out Marinette than the reverse! And then absolutely murdering us with this intense slow burn that absolutely drips with mutual pining and UST.

What Will You Do When Everyone Knows? by @sariahsue

They stepped in closer, shoulder to shoulder to catch the akuma as she landed, but she twisted in midair, landing squarely in front of Cat Noir, swiping at him. He stepped back, trying to keep his balance. Her fingertips almost touched his face, and Ladybug felt her stomach lurch.

“Duck!” she yelled to him as she whipped her yoyo around. He did, but unfortunately, the akuma woman did, too. Ladybug suddenly had no target to latch onto and lost her balance. Her stomach twisted again as she pitched forward. Black hands darted forward to catch her, but too late she realized it wasn’t her partner. Cold gloves caught her shoulder and neck, then slid up her face, brushing past her earrings. Cold. The woman’s touch froze Ladybug’s breath in her throat.

Then there was something warm around her middle. Cat Noir’s shout sounded distant as he pulled her away. As the woman’s black gloves left her face, Ladybug felt even more heat being pulled from her, along with… something else.

Multi-chapter. There really isn’t another fic in the fandom like this one. The akuma is original and provides an absolutely amazing premise for this fic. We have mystery, intrigue, and a huge upset to the status quo with the public revealing of Ladybug’s identity. I also loved the dramatic irony of Marinette being unable to understand Chat’s reactions to things that make perfect sense to us readers. It’s got amazing characterizations and suspense, and I love it!

But All I’m Seeing Is You by @chelseaapproved

After Ladybug finds out Adrien is her Chat Noir, they start dating. She didn’t think it’d be so hard to keep her identity a secret from him. She also didn’t realize how much it would affect her friendship with him as Marinette.

One-shot. This might be my favourite ladrien of all time. It’s only about 5k, but man does it ever pack in a lot of emotion and relationship development and I really, really, really love it. I really felt how much they love each other in this one and Marinette is just so, so wonderful to Adrien and he’s so wonderful to her and if you haven’t already please read this.

A Miraculous Reveal by @kasienda

Series of one-shots and drabbles all centered around The Reveal Moment. Identities will be revealed, feelings will be confessed, and secrets will be discovered through contrived situations, accidents, meddling friends, desperate moments, and moments of emotional vulnerability. Each chapter is a self contained piece. Love-square focused, but will not remain exclusive to them. Each chapter will have its own trigger warnings.

Collection of one-shots. I feel a little like I’m cheating in including a collection here, but like most of us in this fandom, I’m an absolute sucker for identity reveals, and @kasienda is especially talented at writing them! Every single one of these is beautiful, amazing and worth reading at least once.

the wonderful part of the mess that we made by heresie_irisee

They knew.

They knew, and there would be no magical reset button for the memories they'd made today. She'd have to see him at school every day, and she'd see the Chat in him, as surely as he'd see the Ladybug in her.

One-shot. Oblivio is probably my favourite episode and this is such a great alternate take on it. The mutual pining is so, so, so good! Especially love Marinette struggling to assimilate Adrien’s identities and Adrien’s obliviousness.

The following fics are amazing and absolutely worth reading, but do feature sexual content, so minors beware.

The Ladybugs and The Bees by @bullysquadess

AKA the early-fandom Ladynoir puberty fic that spiraled waaaaay out of proportion.

Multi-chapter. I’ve avoided reccing this fic for so long as it was literally the most kudosed fic in the entire fandom when I joined. However, the kudos are well-earned and I can’t make a list of must reads without including it. I love the ladynoir, the way it builds slowly, the focus on the developing relationship, both physical and otherwise, the yearning and the devotion and the vulnerability. And, of course, the steamy scenes are fantastic!! The whole thing is just so well developed and feels so grounded and real. I absolutely love it.

one night of moonlight by @mirthaculous

i’ll always think of you

inside of my private thoughts

i can imagine you

touching my private parts

2:13 ok im texting you now like i promised instead of drunktexting adrien and telling him how badly i want his cock tonight. arent you proud of me?

2:19 this is Adrien, hi.

Marinette’s brain-to-mouth filter isn’t great on the best of days. Add some beer and some misplaced texts, and things get a little more… interesting.

One-shot. Rated M. This is one of my favourite fics of all time. This is so steamy, seriously the UST is off the charts!! It is absolutely unreal how much these two want each other and the mutual pining and they’re so stupid and this fic literally killed me and I thanked it.

#ml #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic #ml fic rec #ml fic recs #ml love square #adrienette #adrinette #ladynoir #marichat #ladrien #prpr #identity reveal #fic recs #jennarecsml

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leupagus · 1 year

Text

Beard and Nate: friends to enemies to God I hope they get to be friends again

One thing I found interesting about this episode is Beard and Jane's axe-throwing date with the bespoke Nate Crotch Targets. Leaving aside Beard's 17 axes, which he cannot imagine having in a different country (and I do love that at some point between probably season 1 and 2, when he and Ted decided to stay in the UK for the forseeable future instead of going home after those first four months, Beard had his axes shipped and has added to the pile since then. Also that Ted is aware of Beard's axe problem), the vitriol of that is something that's really narratively significant, I think. Because it speaks to the fact that Beard has not remotely forgiven Nate for what he did. And I think that says a lot about Beard as a person, and as a friend.

Beard and Ted have been friends for a long time — long before Wichita (remember, they were only there for one year) — and whatever their past may be, they have a loyalty to each other that is really remarkable. Yes, Beard came to the UK along with Ted; but Ted must have insisted on them as a package deal, and Beard would have a pretty nice salary from Richmond too, not to mention comparable company housing to Ted's pad. They're very close and comfortable talking about complicated, messy emotional stuff with each other — part of the reason the Diamond Dogs formed was because Ted and Beard's rapport began to expand to encompass Higgins and Nate. He sees those two as similar kinds of men, willing to honestly express their feelings and mutually support each other.

And then Nate starts to change.

Beard and Ted first clock it in the very first episode of season 2, in Nate's attitude toward Will (which I think is more Nate repeating the mistakes that his father made with him than Nate actively reveling in abuse — I have a whole BOOK I want to write about Lloyd and Nate's conversation in this past episode, I absolutely cried, don't look at me). Neither of them say anything, which I think would be a mistake if this was real life but in the show is meant to reflect the idea that "sometimes you can let people make mistakes and improve on their own, but sometimes you have to step in early." But Beard, throughout the season, watches Nate a little more carefully, and then when Nate really goes over the line with Colin, he finally steps in. Nate makes his public apology to Colin and things are seemingly fine — remember, Nate's awful comment to Will happens out of Beard's sight.

But Beard obviously doesn't stop watching Nate, because he figures out pretty much instantly that Nate was Trent's source for the story about Ted's panic attacks. Not only that, but the first thing Nate does when Beard sees him is to ask where Roy is, and then lie to him when Beard makes a pretty blatant comment about the article. Then later, when they're all talking with Roy about the Jamie & Keeley situation and Nate confesses about the kiss, Beard makes the flat "I'd be happy to punch you in the face" comment. Because from his perspective, Nate's done something absolutely awful and won't even admit to it, even though he'll readily admit to trying to kiss Keeley. (I'm not making any claims as to which one is "worse," but the show clearly wants to portray Nate talking to Trent as the bigger problem.) Then you have the fight between Nate and Ted (which Ted 10000% told Beard about, I cannot imagine a world where he didn't), the ripped sign, and Nate leaving the club to coach for Rupert Mannion.

As far as Beard can see, Nate took what Beard and Ted had given him — not the assistant coachship, but the camaraderie and trust — and used it to hurt Ted in the most cowardly way possible.

And I don't think Beard is right.

We still don't know exactly why or how Nate told Trent about the panic attacks (what I wouldn't give for THAT flashback), but I think the folks who assume he did it to advance his own career or at the behest of Rupert or something are way off. I think Nate's anger at Ted is a whole other essay, and this past episode has really made it clear how much it's tangled up in his expectations for himself as well as for his father-figures, but I don't think that it's something Beard has been able to understand. All he sees is the fallout from Nate and Ted's broken friendship, and the grief that caused Ted this past year. He's only seen the pain on one side and not the other.

So we have Beard celebrating Nate's departure from West Ham, despite (and maybe because of) the fact that Ted's already forgiven Nate. We see Beard slowly trusting Trent — who after all did write the article but who wasn't Ted's friend or confidante at the time and owed him absolutely nothing — but still willing to erect boundaries when he wants to (even if he pulls them down within 30 seconds). And what I hope we get in the next two episodes is Beard understanding Nate more and accepting that his friend still needs him.

And that his friend is Nate.

#ted lasso #this is what I meant the other day when I said that I don't really watch the show for romantic relationships #because the friendships are SO FASCINATING #not all the characters on this show are written to be fully dimensional #(Dani as amazing as he is does not really... make sense as a person ESPECIALLY AFTER THIS EPISODE)#but the even those characters I want to study like my PhD is on the line #sidenote: who else is dying to know what the deal with Rene is #BECAUSE THAT RUNNING GAG WAS STUPENDOUS #believe mothereffers

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tsams-confessions · 2 months

Note

Y'know, I know this whole thing is for confessions, a place for people to express their opinions on the show and what not, no matter how negative or positive it may be. But i cannot help but see many who express negativity (of course it's their rightful opinions to express as they wish, i'm not trying to target anyone here), whenever it's about the way it's written, the characters, or just the fandom overall. I personally feel that it can have the chance of leaving a bad taste in people's mouths, possibly change how they view the show or the fandom, whenever they're a new or a long time fan. I just got one thing to say to this. You should not be afraid, ashamed or embarrassed to say that you like the show (or any of the other shows for that matter) or any of the characters. You gotta remember, every single media has a good and bad side to it, and especially within the audience. In this fandom i'm one to believe the bad side of the audience is much more vocal and loud when it comes to their believes and opinions, which of course makes them seem bigger than they actually are. I am a long time fan, been watching ever since the very first upload (I'm an OG and I'm proud!). Of course there has been bumpy parts within the writting, but what could you possibly expect from a daily uploading roleplay channel? We cannot expect it to be 100% perfect all of the time. My experience watching from start to now has honestly been very enjoyable, actually helped me through a very tough time of my life! Without a doubt there's been parts and moments that i didn't like, but i just complained to the mirror and got over it, tried to look on the brighter side of things. Is something really bad happening? could make for some really juicy angst or drama! Is a character getting side-lined? (You all know what i'm talking abt fellow Sun fans) Maybe it's intentional and could lead up to something big! Is there drama happening within the fandom? Don't mind me, i'll just avoid that and cuddle up in my comfort corner with my favorite babies. Overall i'd say that this show (and fandom!) is pretty god damn epic 10/10 best shit ever and honest to god, i hope that others can also have as much of a good time with the show as i do, whenever they're new or old! POSITIVE VIBES ALL SENT FROM ME!

#sun and moon show #the sun and moon show #tsams #sams #tsams confession #< block this if you dont want to see these #mod 1blood

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echo-lover · 3 months

Text

!The Bad Batch season 3 spoilers!

I'd like to share with you my feelings and opinion about the new episode of the Bad Batch. Again, I wanted to do this right after watching it but my mind had other plans... emotions I felt overwhelmed me and I needed some time to put myself together. I WAS A CRYING MESS I SWEAR! And I felt a lot.

From the beginning to the very end, this episode has my whole heart. Honestly, this might be my favorite episode of season three so far, even though the previous ones were absolutely wonderful. I love Omega and Crosshair duo so much and seing their bond getting stronger means the world to me. They showed the typical brother - sister dynamic. Crosshair now looks more like himself, just like I remember him from the Clone Wars episodes. Confident about his skills, with sharp tongue and painfully honest. Despite everything he's been through and his apparent trust issues, he allows Omega to lead their small group. Of course, he adds some sarcastic comments of his own, but overall he does not question Omega's ideas and, despite his hesitation, helps her the best he can.

Batcher is so adorable and I love how she tries to get closer to Crosshair even though he is clearly offended and annoyed. This bring smile on my face.

Omega once again shows her more mature side. She's confident and seems to have taken some of Crosshair's sarcasm with her. She wants a peacefull way to left this planet and only when things get really bad, she allow Crosshair to do it -his way-.

Absolute chaos and destruction, it looks like Crosshair wants to enjoy as much freedom as he can. He's free and he won't let him and Omega get captured again. He has nothing to lose and this little girl has become his main priority. He even allows physical contact, which we know he didn't like to share at all. A gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder, ahh I love them. And the way he was called Omega's father and she confirmed it without hesitation. Crossdad is real guys, haha.

But it was the ending that was so shocking to me. The way Crosshair tried to convince Omega that Hunter and Wrecker might not have survived, that so much time had passed... and she don't want to listen. She strongly believes that her brothers will come, that they will take them, save them and they can all be together, she does not accept that they may no longer be alive.

All doubts disappeared the moment I saw Marauder on the screen. Of course, in the back of my mind I had the thought that it might be a trap, but then...

Omega running out of the ship with a wide smile, Wrecker shows up in the open door of the Marauder... OMG I couldn't hold back the tears. I DIDN'T EXPECT THEY REUNION SO QUICKLY. Tears came to my eyes when Wrecker literally ran to her and lifted Omega into air, hugging her tightly close to him. Our little girl could finally allow herself to show her emotions. She had been so strong for so long when she had been on MountTantiss, now she could be a child again, let others take care of her now. She's not alone anymore. Tears flowed, both from Omega and Wrecker, and from me.

I love the fact that Wrecker was the first to welcome her, not Hunter. He was second. Here my tears were flowing down my cheeks uncontrollably.

Hunter wanted to find his little girl for so long... That one word "five" made my heart beat so fast. This is what happened, this is real. They were finally together.

The moment Omega saw Hunter showed all her emotions. Relief, longing, fear and happiness all mixed together. Hunter practically fell on his knees with his arms open for Omega to jump into his embrace. HE FINALLY HUGS HER! The way he held her, the focus on his hands... He finally had his little girl with him, nothing bad could happen to her in his arms. When they broke apart, Omega wiped her tears and Hunter just simply smiled warmly at her. They really looked like father and daughter here, I swear. Words cannot describe how much this means to me. I felt like I was there with them in that moment.

And then the atmosphere thickened as Crosshair appeared, slowly exiting the ship. THE MUSIC HERE WAS ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS! I have mixed feelings about Hunter and Wrecker reaction to their brother's arrival. I understand the lack of trust, but were such hateful and cold looks towards him necessary? Hunter tightened his fists, freezing in place, even Wrecker had a cold look in his eyes.

I feel that in the next episode they will have to explain many things to each other... it won't be pleasant... Maybe there will be harsh words, maybe they will blame each other for Tech's death, maybe they will never fully trust each other again. I just hope that they will be okay after all this. No matter what, they have to stick together...

And I have one little question WHERE THE KRIFF IS ECHO?! It's forth episode and we still don't see him!

Oh Force... it was a huge amount of emotion for such a short moment.

#the bad batch #star wars #the bad batch season three spoilers #clones #tbb hunter #tbb omega #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #reunion #tears tears tears #ugly crying #clone wars #never stop loving clones

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the-obnoxious-sibling · 3 months

Text

in which late night sad topics are broached, buggy comes to his senses (???), and we do need to get out of bed at some point, shanks. there are things happening outside your personal drama, you know.

part seven of the post-marineford portion of the near miss fics! (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) if you have no idea what i’m talking about but would like to read a shanks/buggy story about kissing in disguise and then having to deal with the emotional fallout of doing that, click on this link, that’s the tag for the whole thing in chronological order. (plus a fair bit of complaining about writing, one inspirational improvised musical number, and a snippet of shanks pov) if you do know what i’m talking about: i am afraid this fic is turning into a test case for zeno’s dichotomy paradox, where the closer i get to the end the farther away it becomes. >>; i honestly cannot see how it would take me more than 5k to wrap things up, but i said that last time, and the time before that, so… see you in part eight! eta: i almost forgot!! if a moment early on sounds familiar, you may have already seen the huyandere art that inspired it. either way please enjoy the silliness.

Buggy woke with a start, and didn’t know where he was. The bed was too soft, the person at his back was too warm. And too close, Galdino had so far always curled up facing the far side of the bed, what was he—Buggy blinked blearily at the faint outline of a sake flask on the nightstand. Oh, right. This was Shanks’ room.

The windows above the bed let in a fair amount of moonlight, but the moon was waxing crescent tonight so Buggy couldn’t see much of anything. He hadn’t thought about it when he decided to stay the night, but he didn’t sleep well in new places. Stupid to think that just because there was a familiar person that the unfamiliar place wouldn’t still disturb his sleep.

Ah, well.

Buggy moved slowly, not wanting to wake Shanks if he could help it. It should be possible, they weren’t wrapped up in each other or anything stupid like that… though if Buggy had been asked, he would have imagined Shanks was as clingy asleep as awake. But no, Shanks was close enough that his body heat had soaked into Buggy’s back, but they weren’t touching.

Buggy stretched a little, yawned a little, and rolled over. He couldn’t resist the opportunity to see what a fully grown Shanks looked like asleep. The possibilities were too tempting… what if he had stupidly messy hair, or drool dried on his face, or a big snot bubble on one nostril?

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get to find out, because it turned out that Shanks was awake. He was lying on his side, in fact, staring at Buggy. Biting back a yelp of alarm, Buggy swatted him on the arm.

“What the hell!” he hissed.

“What?”

“Why are you watching me sleep? That’s so weird!”

“Is it?”

“Very!”

Shanks smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I just couldn’t sleep, I guess, so I was lying here, thinking…” Buggy open his mouth and Shanks immediately put his hand over it. “I know I set you up for it, but please, no jokes about how hard that must be for me or whatever.”

Buggy made a muffled grumbling sound and shoved Shanks’ hand away. “Thinking about what, then?”

Shanks glanced away for a moment and sighed. “Well, I guess it is after midnight.”

What did that have to do with anything? And then Buggy remembered: his moratorium on sad topics had been for one day only. With a huff, Buggy turned away from Shanks. He didn’t want to see Shanks’ face while he asked his question.

“Buggy. Buggy, look at me? Please?” Shanks’ hand tugged at Buggy’s shoulder, a silent echo of his request.

Silently groaning—he used to say no to Shanks all the time, when had he lost the knack for it?!—Buggy rolled over and said, “Fine. But I get my sad question first!”

Shanks considered him. He nodded. “That’s fair.”

Great! If only he’d had one prepared. Buggy’s thoughts went every which way—what did he want to know, what intel could he get out of Shanks?—before latching onto something totally useless, but also deeply important. “Did you know?” Realizing this was stupidly vague, he added, “About the kid?”

Shanks’ brow furrowed. “‘The kid?’”

“Ace.”

“Ah.”

“Did you know he was Roger’s?”

Shanks sighed and laid down. Staring at the ceiling, he said, “I… had my suspicions. When I met him, a couple years back, he told me a lot about himself. His dreams… where he was born… it was suggestive. And then there was his name.”

Buggy groaned. “Who names a kid after their sword?!”

Shanks chuckled. “Roger.”

Buggy sighed. “Roger.” He propped himself up on an elbow to look down at Shanks. “So he didn’t—no one told you?” Told you and not me?

Shanks shook his head. “Who would have? Who could have?”

Buggy shrugged. “I don’t know, doesn’t that haki stuff sometimes let you talk in each other’s heads or something?”

Shanks laughed. “No! It doesn’t work like that! How many times—”

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t know how it works, I don’t care how it works! I just—” Wanted to know if I’d been overlooked again. “—wanted to know if you knew.”

“No.” Shanks eyes softened, as if he’d heard Buggy’s real reason. He reached up to curl the end of Buggy’s ponytail around a finger and tug Buggy closer. “No, I think the only person Roger told was Garp.”

Buggy made a disgusted noise, which was not at all strangled by his reaction to Shanks’ hand in his hair. (Nope! That wasn’t provoking any kind of feeling in Buggy at all!) “Garp,” he muttered darkly. “What the hell was Roger thinking?!”

“Probably that Garp could keep his son safe.” In the dim light, Shanks’ eyes were hooded, unreadable.

“Oh yeah, he kept him real safe,” Buggy said dryly.

“As a kid, I mean.”

“What’s that matter? However safe his childhood was, he’s dead now,” Buggy snapped. “Our childhood was about as far from safe as possible, but at least we’re alive! At least we were cared for! That kid… the way he thought of himself…” Buggy buried his face in Shanks’ chest and sighed deeply. “It wasn’t right. One of us should’ve had him.”

Shanks’ hand came to rest on the back of Buggy’s neck. “Being a dad at sixteen would’ve been hard.”

“I guess,” Buggy grumbled. “But we would have managed.”

Shanks’ hand went stiff and still, fingers digging into Buggy’s neck a little. Buggy realized what he’d said and started to sweat. He’d been hoping to distract Shanks from his question, not bring them back around to that topic himself.

“Buggy. Please look at me.”

Buggy craned his neck back to look Shanks in the eye, resting the point of his chin on his chest in a pointed, hopefully painful move.

Shanks grimaced. “I’m sorry, Buggy, but I have to know. When did you ever want to be my first mate?” How did I miss that, his eyes seemed to ask.

It was about as hard to look at as Buggy had expected. He averted his eyes. “That last year with Roger? Maybe earlier, I don’t know.” Shanks started stroking his thumb across the spot where Buggy’s neck met his hairline. With that bit of contact soothing him, he managed to get the truth out. “I thought it was the only way I’d get to the last island.”

“…you wanted to go there together? That long ago?”

Buggy grimaced. That awed tone of voice told him Shanks had gotten the wrong idea. “More like I didn't think I could get there alone.”

“Oh.” After a moment’s pause, Shanks went back to stroking Buggy’s hair. Buggy relaxed, cheek sinking into Shanks’ chest. His heartbeat thudded away by Buggy’s ear in a slow, steady comfort. I’m here, I’m alive, I’m here… “Then I’m glad.”

“Hm?”

“I’m glad we didn’t stay together back then,” Shanks said, sounding almost surprised by his words. Buggy stared blankly into space. Was he hearing Shanks right? Shanks nodded, surer, and said, “Yeah, never thought I’d say that, but… I want you to believe in yourself more than I want you to be with me, Buggy.”

Buggy blinked a few times, fighting off a sharp stinging in his eyes.

Shanks tensed underneath him. “Buggy?”

Buggy shook his head, lifted himself up the barest amount, and pressed their lips together. Shanks made a soft, protesting noise, but Buggy would not be moved. He wouldn’t express these feelings in words, it couldn’t be done. This was the best he could do.

With a resigned little sigh, Shanks sank back into the bed, fingers threaded into Buggy’s hair, and let Buggy kiss him. Their faces came together and drifted apart so slowly, so many times, that Buggy would be hard-pressed to pinpoint the moment when they finally stopped, but stop they did, as sleep claimed them again.

When Buggy woke for the second time, early morning sunlight gleamed through the windows over Shanks’ bed. He was warm and well-rested, sated in almost every meaning of the word, and had no interest in getting up. And who could blame him? Shanks, still asleep, was lying on his back facing Buggy, his hand loosely curled around the back of Buggy’s neck, unconsciously keeping him close. Not that Buggy had made any effort to get away in his sleep; his head was on Shanks’ shoulder, his hand resting lightly against Shanks’ carotid, where he must have kept track of that pulse all night. I'm here, I'm alive, I'm here… Shanks’ face was so close that Buggy could see every small hair of the dark red mustache that had grown back in overnight, could feel the air flutter against his cheek every time he breathed. Which—well, the sour, alcoholic morning breath didn’t exactly fit the morning’s atmosphere, but Buggy had smelled worse.

Buggy drifted a little, enjoying the gentle rocking of a boat at sea, the human contact with someone who cared for him, eyes shuttered against the sun’s attempt to wake him fully. He didn’t want to get up until he had to. That motion of the boat meant they’d already left port. It wouldn’t be long before they met up with Buggy’s ship and crew, before this time together came to an end. Buggy intended to enjoy it while it lasted. Maybe if he laid here long enough, concentrating on his warm satisfaction, he’d be able to preserve it in his memory.

Outside, something fell to the deck with a loud crunch of wood on wood, the moment was ruined, and Buggy came to his senses.

He grimaced. What was he thinking? Preserving the memory of this sweet, soft morning? Ugh. Buggy rolled away from Shanks, his sappy thoughts snapping him to true wakefulness. What was he, some dockside lover pining away for a pirate he only saw once a decade? As if! If anyone was leaving someone behind here, it was Buggy! And he wasn’t gonna be some sappy excuse for a pirate either, staring wistfully at the horizon, thinking of someone he couldn’t be with—no way! Best to start as he meant to go on: by reminding himself of all the reasons he’d left in the first place, reasons why he would not miss Shanks at all.

He got up, not bothering to wake Shanks but not going quietly about his business either. His clothes were scattered all over the room—which was, he noticed with a touch of amusement and (ugh) affection, a lot less messy than it had been when he stopped by yesterday morning—and they’d gotten all mixed in with Shanks’ clothes, too. After a few false starts (they’d been right, Buggy could not fit in Shanks’ pants these days), Buggy made himself sartorially presentable. One last check in the mirror hanging next to Shanks’ closet, and—what the fuck.

Buggy gaped. He looked like something out of a horror story. His chin was streaked with red, his cheeks a ghastly pale gray where the powder hadn’t rubbed away entirely, just the faintest hint of the original crossbones showing through.

Good god, this makeup wasn’t just cheap, it was really cheaply made. The kind of stuff that would barely last an hour on an expressive face, let alone a day. Buggy put a finger to his cheekbone and watched with dismay as powder came off in a little cloud of dust. Not even his good setting spray would save this stuff. And the way the lip had smeared was—

A thought occurred to Buggy, and he spun around to stare at Shanks in horror. Marks that he hadn’t noticed last night were in the light of day very obvious lip prints in a deep red tint. On his neck, his chest, all the way down his chest in a very telling progression… oh no. No, no, no. This could not be borne.

Buggy dug around in his pockets and pulled out the makeup removing stick he’d gotten from Galdino. He’d thought he might need to touch up the makeup a bit in the morning, but not this much. Glancing between Shanks, the little wax stick, and his own increasingly panicked expression in the mirror, Buggy came up with a plan.

He finished making himself presentable— cleaning up the edges of his lip and removing almost all of the powder from his face, save the slashes of blue meant to draw attention to his eyes—and leapt onto the bed, jolting Shanks into consciousness.

“Shanks!” he hissed.

“Mm?”

“Shanks!” he hissed again. Shanks didn’t stir. “I’ll hit you,” he warned, and Shanks groaned piteously, hungover.

“Not into that so much,” he mumbled, “but if you insist…”

Buggy flushed, shoved that reaction down deep, and said, “Would you wake up already?! I have to go, and you need to promise not to leave your rooms until I’m back.”

“Hm, ’s that so?” Shanks cracked open one eye, finally, and frowned a little at the sight of Buggy, fully dressed. “Now who’s the one in a rush?”

“Didn’t I just say I’ll be back?” Buggy chided. He flicked a finger against Shanks’ chest. “You need makeup remover, and I assume you don’t keep any in here.”

“No.” Shanks blinked. He looked down at himself. “Why would I—oh.” He looked under the blanket. “Oh, wow.”

“You see the problem,” Buggy said dryly.

“I sure do,” Shanks said, voice wavering with disbelief and laughter. “I mean, wow, Buggy.”

“Shut up! It’s not my fault—those guys went and bought me new makeup yesterday!”

“That was sweet of them.”

“Yeah, that and three hundred berries will get you a cup of coffee. Stupid me, I assumed a couple dozen guys doing a day’s work could afford something a little better than this.” Buggy waggled the wax stick around; powder rained off it onto the bed. “This stick’s run its course, so I’m off to beg another one…” Buggy gave Shanks’ lipstick-marked chest a considering look. “Maybe two… off Galdino.”

“Bring him tea,” Shanks suggested. “Roux says he’s more agreeable after a cup of Earl Grey.” At Buggy’s look of surprise, Shanks smirked. “That guy’s not the only one keeping tabs on people around here, you know.”

Huh. Well, Buggy would have to rethink every conversation he’d had with or in the presence of Lucky Roux. Later. For now, a bribe of tea sounded like a better plan than the one he’d had (shouting until he got what he wanted). He headed for the door, but was stymied by a hand tangling in his sash. He glared over his shoulder at Shanks.

“What now?”

Shanks—Buggy blinked, not believing what he was seeing—pouted. “Can’t I get a kiss goodbye?”

Buggy blinked twice, not believing what he was hearing. “You must be joking.”

“You aren’t gonna kiss me again after you get this lipstick off me, not when that would undo all your hard work,” Shanks said, sounding very reasonable for a man with his bottom lip stuck out so far. “But I need a kiss. Just one more, please?”

If someone had told him even yesterday that Shanks would become such a baby the second he was shown the smallest bit of affection… “You know what? Fine.” A delighted expression bloomed on Shanks’ face as Buggy walked back to his side. Buggy smiled, laid a loud, wet kiss dead-center on his forehead, and pulled back to watch his face crumple.

The pouting was, if possible, worse this time. “Buggy, come on.” Shanks tugged at his sash again.

“I don’t know who told you this behavior was attractive, but they did you a real disservice,” Buggy said, splitting at the waist when it became clear Shanks would rather pull the sash loose than let go. “I’m going. I—” Actually, if he was flying anyway… “—do your windows open?”

Shanks dropped the pouty look—ugh, Buggy knew he’d been faking, what an ass—and glanced up. “Yeah, there’s a hinge somewhere…”

Buggy flew up and found a simple latch that let the windows swing out. Not great for hiding that the windows were open, but sensible for evacuation purposes. He flicked the latch and carefully swung open one window. Just big enough for him to get out, excellent.

“Don’t go anywhere.”

Shanks gave him a fond smile. “As you wish.”

Giving Shanks a wary look—he really couldn’t tell how many of these strange comments were jokes anymore—Buggy floated out the window and off toward the mess. Roux happily put together a mug of tea for Galdino when asked. He also pulled out a cup of drinking chocolate for Buggy, unprompted.

Now that Buggy knew to look for it, it was a little uncanny how well Roux had him figured out after all of two days’ acquaintance.

Well, however well Roux knew Buggy, Buggy didn’t know him at all; he couldn’t tell if the grin on Roux’s face was a smug, knowing one, or if that was just how he smiled. As Roux was adding the finishing touches to the tea—apparently Galdino liked it with lavender syrup and steamed milk, which was about as fancy as Buggy might have expected—Buggy thought, what the hell, the first mate already knows, and asked for something to eat, chef’s choice, and a bowl of that tomato-egg stuff Shanks liked, both to be picked up when Buggy was done bothering Galdino.

Roux’s grin didn’t change when he agreed, which answered that question.

When Galdino didn’t answer the door, Buggy went ahead and broke in. (Though was it really breaking in when it was supposed to be your room too?) He was dead to the world, those wax plugs in his ears again. Buggy started rapping his knuckles against the headboard, knowing the vibrations would get through even if normal sounds wouldn’t. After a minute, Galdino groaned, rolled over, and wrapped himself in a cocoon of wax.

Buggy paused. That was different.

“Did you get drunk last night or something?” he asked, speaking loudly to be heard through the cocoon. He couldn’t think of another reason Galdino would be this resistant to getting up.

The wax melted away to reveal a miserable, red-eyed man huddled in a ball on the bed. “Or something,” he agreed. Spotting the tea in Buggy’s hands, Galdino made a pathetic little sound and reached for it weakly, fingers stretching out but his arms not actually moving. “Those Red-Haired Pirates do not mess around when it comes to drinking games.”

“I could’ve told you that,” Buggy said, passing the tea along to Galdino, who drank slowly and gratefully. “Shanks could polish off a bottle of wine in an afternoon with no problem by the time we were thirteen, it’s only natural he’d find a crew with similar tolerances.”

Galdino groaned. “Yes, well, that would have been helpful information to have yesterday.” Draining the mug, he said, “What did you want, then?”

“Hey, not every interaction has to be transactional, you kn—” Buggy started to say. Galdino gave him a narrow-eyed look, and he gave up mid-word. “More of the makeup removing sticks, please. The shit those guys got me was cheap as hell, it got everywhere.”

“Everywhere?” Galdino’s eyebrow shot up. “Like… everywhere everywhere?”

“…and how’s that any of your business?” Buggy asked flatly, glaring daggers at him.

“You can’t blame a man for being curious,” Galdino said with an unrepentant little smirk.

“The hell I can’t, you flashy, nosy know-it-all!” Buggy grabbed the closest weapon—a pillow—and tried to smother Galdino with it. Galdino shrieked, shielding himself from the onslaught with wax armor. After a brief battle of wills, Buggy stopped trying to kill Galdino, and Galdino made him a full dozen makeup removing wax sticks, at which point Buggy attempted to smother him again, and half the sticks melted and bound Buggy’s hands up, and—anyway. Buggy got out of there eventually, with a reasonable number of wax sticks hidden away on his person.

As he left that room there was a tugging at his waist that had Buggy looking back, remembering too late that his waist wasn’t here, and grumbling to himself. Oh, was he taking too long for the poor Emperor of the Sea? Tough luck. If someone wanted to see Shanks that badly, they deserved to see him as he was, all lipstick-stained and sex-haired. So long as Buggy wasn’t in the room when it happened, it wouldn’t embarrass him. (Probably.)

The tugging continued, and Buggy rolled his eyes and let it happen, even when it changed from a tugging to a gentle pressure, what felt like Shanks’ whole hand pressed against his waist. What was Shanks thinking, touching Buggy like this? Was he just lying in bed, staring at Buggy’s disembodied legs? What a weirdo. Buggy smiled—then, remembering himself, frowned. What a creep.

At least the mess was empty. Buggy hadn’t checked a clock, but he suspected the night shift and first shift men had already come through, and those without an early schedule had yet to get up. It was super convenient, actually: no one but Roux would see him doing something sort of thoughtful for Shanks. Not that he deserved it, the way he was acting right now, making Buggy start to sweat with the effort of not reacting to the hand on his waist, the thumb rubbing little circles into his skin.

Roux had, somehow, just finished preparing the food, though Buggy had taken twice as long as he’d meant to with Galdino. He had everything packed up in little boxes, tied together with butcher’s twine, a paper cup that reeked of grassy green tea sitting on top of the stack.

“Let me know what you think of what I made for you today,” Roux said with a grin as Buggy went to leave. “I got a little experimental.”

“I’m sure it’ll be great,” Buggy said with a grin. “I almost think you could get me to eat tomatoes and like it.”

Roux laughed. “I still haven’t managed to get Shanks to eat blueberries, but I guess anything’s possible!”

That had Buggy laughing to himself the rest of the way back to Shanks’ rooms. He’d forgotten Shanks’ thing about blueberries! As a child, Buggy had accused Shanks of copying him, pretending to hate a blue food in revenge for Buggy legitimately hating a red one, but the truth was he’d always been a little squeamish about their yellow-green insides. Hadn’t liked the look of them, or so he’d said.

Oh, the pranks Buggy had pulled! Hiding a single overripe blueberry in all kinds of terrible places: the bottom of a bowl of porridge, on the seat of a chair, gently placed between the pages of a novel Shanks had bought at the last port town… man, he’d been such a menace as a kid. But Shanks had given as good as he got, so it never felt unfair to mess with him. As they’d gotten older, though, he’d stopped reacting. Either stopped getting mad, or stopped showing he was mad, Buggy had never been quite sure which. God, it had pissed him off. Shanks was only five months older than Buggy, where did he get off suddenly being so grown-up?

And now Shanks was more easygoing than ever! Buggy didn’t trust it; no one was that unruffled by him, especially not when he was being obnoxious on purpose. Even now that he’d seen some of what Shanks had been hiding, Buggy knew there was more to it. Behind those fond smiles and carefree laughter, there was a part of Shanks he didn’t trust Buggy with.

Which was fine! It was the most sensible thing he’d ever seen Shanks do, honestly—Buggy was a no-good, thieving, backstabbing pirate, he shouldn’t be trusted—but that he wouldn’t admit to it pissed Buggy off. To others, sure, let Shanks play the fool, whatever, but to Buggy? The least Shanks could do was be honest about lying to him.

As he was approaching the open window to Shanks’ room, a sudden jolt of sensation nearly made him yelp. Shanks had shifted his hand lower in a caress that sent a shiver up Buggy’s spine, and now he was rubbing his thumb across Buggy’s hipbone, just like yesterday in the park, which was… Buggy shivered again. Not something to be thinking about in public, damn him! He flew in the window, scowling, dropped the food on Shanks’ nightstand, scowling, and floated back up to shut the window with a scowl on his face.

“Buggy, hey!” Shanks was sitting on the edge of his bed. He’d found pants at some point, but not bothered with a shirt. He grinned. “You got us breakfast?”

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Buggy said, turning that scowl on him.

“Hm?” Shanks said, an innocent look on his face. He was still stroking Buggy’s hip, like that four-inch curve of flesh and bone was the most fascinating thing he’d ever felt.

“I refuse to give you your stupid goodbye kiss, so you decide to rile me up while I can’t do anything to stop you, so when I get back I’ll be unable to help myself, huh? Is that it?”

Shanks blinked. He looked from Buggy’s lower half, standing between his legs, to Buggy’s upper half, floating above him. “Couldn’t you have just… stepped back, or kicked me, if you didn’t like it?”

Buggy opened his mouth to respond and found he didn’t have one. He could have done that. He just… hadn’t wanted to.

Shanks began to smile. “‘Unable to help yourself,’ you said?”

Buggy scowled. “Oh, you’re lucky you’re hot.” He shoved Shanks back and climbed on top of him, ignoring the laughter that burst out of Shanks as his head hit the mattress.

Later, very relaxed and searching for reasons to stay mad at Shanks, he was annoyed to learn that the boxes Roux had packed everything in were special heat-retaining boxes that could stay warm for upwards of half a day if left alone. He couldn’t even revenge himself on Shanks with a cold breakfast! He tried to eat resentfully, but the food was just too good to manage it: thin cuts of yesterday’s fancy ham, fried with syrup to a salty-sweet crisp and layered with fried eggs, cheese, and a sour spicy sauce on a hot dog bun. Roux really was some kind of miracle-worker; the bun wasn’t even soggy.

At least with a hand-held breakfast he could scrub aggressively at lipstick stains with his free hand while he ate. Shanks had to hunch over his nightstand to eat his breakfast (the tomato-egg stuff Buggy had requested, served over fried rice with what looked like spicy pickled cabbage and the fancy ham mixed in), and obviously he had no hand free to pitch in. He was happy to criticize Buggy’s technique, though, saying, “Won’t pressing hard enough to bruise defeat the purpose of cleaning me up?” as he leaned into the scrubbing motion.

This was, unfortunately, a reasonable point.

Muttering, “Well excuse me, I didn’t realize you bruised so easily,” under his breath, Buggy switched his focus to less easily bruised parts of Shanks. Just as he was getting started, there was a knock at Shanks’ door. The two of them shared a look—Buggy recently reclothed and fed, Shanks sitting there half-naked with his half-full bowl of food—and Buggy sighed. He split himself a couple ways, leaving one arm behind to scrub at the lipstick on Shanks‘ chest, floating his head and the rest of his torso to the other room.

“What?” he barked out, sounding so annoyed at being interrupted that (hopefully) no one would question why Buggy was in Shanks’ rooms at this hour.

“Oh, good,” said Benn Beckman. He walked in, terrifying Buggy, who’d been fairly certain that door was locked. “I didn’t have any idea where to check if you weren’t here,” he admitted, glancing past Buggy and making a face at the glimpse he caught of Shanks. “Boss, I think you’re gonna need to just give in and bathe to get all of that off,” he said, before returning his attentions to Buggy.

But Buggy was too distracted by this piece of information to let Beckman get back to his point. “There are bathing facilities on this ship?” he said, horrified. I could have gotten actually clean? Jabbing a thumb at Shanks, he said, ��And he still looks like an unwashed rat half the time?!”

“Hey!” Shanks said, affronted.

Beckman coughed, poorly hiding a surprised laugh. “Well, I can’t speak to my captain’s personal hygiene decisions, but yes, we do have showers, and yes, we deliberately hid them from you.” Buggy gaped, aghast. “Our potable water reserves and salinity filters are decent, but we just don’t have the capacity to let hundreds of people use them over such a short span of time,” Beckman admitted. “It would have caused interpersonal conflict none of us wanted to deal with to only give some people access to the showers, especially if there appeared to be any signs of favoritism.” He gave Shanks a sideways look. “And there would have been.” Shanks shrugged affably, not denying it.

Buggy scowled, but nodded. This was a fair point. He'd been avoiding thinking about similar issues that would be sure to come up when he attempted to squeeze all of the Impel Down prisoners onto the Big Top. The space, the supplies, the food… he needed to find a proper home base, an island no one cared about in Paradise, where he could leave most of these guys while he figured out what the hell he was going to do with a crew that had more than quadrupled in size overnight. Multiple ships? (How?) A bigger ship? (How?) A permanent land-based population? (Who? Where?)

Buggy shook his head. Stupid to borrow problems from the future when he had plenty on his plate in the present. “What did you want with me, then?”

Beckman tilted his head towards the door. “Captain Buggy, if you don’t mind?”

Oh. Using his title, and wanting to talk without Shanks overhearing? This was serious. Buggy dropped the wax stick—Beckman was right, a shower with lye soap would work just as well on makeup this cheap—and reconnected his body, following Beckman into the hall. Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, “I’m listening.”

Beckman ran a hand across his face. In a ragged undertone, he said, “Our timeline is a lot tighter than we’re making it look. There’s a trade wind we need to catch tonight, and to do that we need you and yours off this ship within an hour of docking. And, well, you saw how slow-moving that bunch can be. Can you get those guys in some kind of order? God knows they aren’t going to listen to anyone but you.”

Buggy nearly laughed. Encouragement to boss around those guys some more? Was that all? With a grin, he gave Beckman a slap on the arm. “Tell you what,” he said, pushing Beckman back towards Shanks’ room, “you take care of your idiot in here, and I’ll take care of all of mine out there.”

Beckman sighed, relief making him look ten years younger. “Deal.”

(If a protesting sound came from within Shanks’ room, both of them chose to ignore it.)

#notfic #the near miss fics #one piece #shuggy #buggy #shanks #i gotta get these guys off the damn boat. /fatt reference #(but also literally. the fic can’t end until buggy leaves the boat. pls leave the boat buggy i’m begging you.#← says the person who keeps finding new reasons to keep him on the boat.)

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selenecrown · 2 months

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I just watched the Spider Within and honestly, I think it is great. While it may not mean anything in the grand sceme of the Spiderverse series-I personally think it is a great addition full of good panic attack representation especially in the Black community, and In-Universe implications.

While I cannot speak much on the part of speaking about panic attacks to others representation, as while I have had panic attacks in the past, I am white and have had a much different experience then those of color, who have a distrust of the medical system in my country and deal with different stigmas and my panic attacks went in a different direction then Miles where he is seeking help whereas I almost. . . Game Overed myself before I got the help I needed-I think The Spider Within's verson of a panic attack is still a good interpretation of a panic attack. While it does not show physically what it is-it creates a wonderful metaphor for it.

Anxiety is like a spider on you-you may not even notice it at first, it's small and insignificant. But overtime, it gets worse and worse, until eventually, the spiders become too much to handle and attack you all at once if they are not swatted away. It also feels like the more spiders you notice, the worse it gets. And when anxiety strikes-it feels like many spiders attacking all at once and makes you feel unsafe even in your own skin.

So, in that regard, I love the use of Spider Horror as I think it serves as a wonderful metaphor I can use to explain it to someone who doesn't have anxiety.

Another thing I love, is unironically, the implications of the short-as a comic book fan (or at least to my experience) it's never really been addressed the struggles between your superhero identity and your true identity and what that entails for a person.

We have to remember Miles is 13 in Into the Spiderverse and 15 years old in Across the Spiderverse.

Let me say that again.

Miles Morales is 13 and 15 years old at the time of the movies he stars in.

He is still a teenager and he is balancing his identity as Spiderman and Miles Morales.

Most of the superheros we see are adults. Fully. Grown. Adults. who HAVE the skills to cope with their double lifes and often times have a support system of superheros and those who understand around them to help and guide them through whatever they are dealing with. This is especially clear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where is it very clear most superheros have help.

No superhero is ever truly alone in the MCU.

Miles is not that case and this has been emphasized by many Spiderman characters-they feel truly alone and they have to do things by themselves. Miles doesn't have the help like other Marvel characters do. He is the only Spiderman in his own universe, and possibly the only superhero in his universe. To quote Peter Parker in the first movie, "The only thing standing between this city and destruction, is me."

It is just Miles Morales against whatever threat there is, and he has the deal with the consequences after. And as he saw in The Spider Within, this is taking a huge toll on Miles, enough for him to have a panic attack.

This shows, like the movies keep saying over and over, being Spiderman, and by extension a superhero-is NOT something to be taken lightly. It takes a lot from a person to be a superhero, which also has not fully been addressed in comic books or comic book movies. It is not just a simple you get superpowers, side with the good people and BOOM! You are superhero no questions asked. It is a commitment to a cause, a curse and blessing and honestly I LOVE that.

I also love what this implies during the first movie-Peter Parker of Mile's universe most likely have gone through the same thing, which makes his line of "You're like me." That much more impactful and devastating to me.

The hope in Peter's voice-when Peter Parker and Miles Morales first met, through the Spidy Sense they knew they where one in the same. And this gave Peter Parker hope because in that moment, he was not the only one who had to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. And to add insult to injury, it is HIGHLY implied Peter Parker was NOT a part of the Spider Society as seen in Across the Spiderverse. Peter didn't have that help so he truly felt he had to do everything by himself. Peter Parker felt he was alone until Miles came into the picture, which got his hopes up and I imagine really comforted Peter even in death that things would be okay, despite him saying otherwise.

Being a superhero takes a toll on people. And I think The Spider Within addresses that wonderfully.

#the spider within #into the spider verse #across the spiderverse #marvel #marvel comics #marvel cinematic universe #miles morales #peter parker #personal shit

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shiningwonderland · 3 months

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Ai Mikaze (All Star)

Translator: Nadie (twitter: NmoniaG)

Proofreader: Raz (twitter: agnadance)

Editor: Emily (twitter: magicalmeily)

Love End: Winter Blossom

I’m waiting in the hallway when Senpai leaves the dressing room in his costume.

Overall, the outfit is white and adorned with fluttery feathers that fit our song's theme.

Haruka Nanami: Oh, you look like a prince!

Ai Mikaze: Really? If you say that even I might get bashful.

He tilts his head and the feathers in his hair sway with the motion.

Haruka Nanami: … Senpai….

As I watch him, I have a feeling that he might just quietly disappear, so I grab hold of his sleeve.

The hand underneath his sleeve is burning hot.

I look up and see his troubled expression.

It's not just his hand, his arm and cheeks are also emitting a fiery heat.

I recall Shinomiya-san’s reluctant face from earlier.

Haruka Nanami: How much time is… left?

Silence.

Ai Mikaze: … So you found out. In that case I’ll tell you.

He pounds on his own chest.

Ai Mikaze: Honestly, it might be any moment now. Aside from some trivial information, quite a big amount of my memory is already gone.

However, before my memory gets erased my system might actually reach its limit first.

Haruka Nanami: You mean your… body?

Ai Mikaze: Mhm…. I thought it would be the last to break so I didn't expect this. How troublesome. In any case, it’s only a matter of time until I can’t sing.

I keep resisting, but the damage has reached the point where standing is already… pretty tough.

And just like that, the moment we’ve worried about is here.

Senpai sways and tilts over, but I go to hold him up.

Haruka Nanami: Should I call the professor? Or maybe—

I consider taking him back to the dressing room but he grabs me by my arm.

Ai Mikaze: Hah… I’m fine so stay with me until the show starts. No matter if it’s for one minute or one second… Right now, I want to stay with you.

His breath is ragged. I've never seen him in so much pain.

I nod and support him as we head backstage where there is no one around.

We’re hiding in the back as he leans on a wall to catch his breath.

In this gloomy and empty place, we can hear the other contestants through a monitor.

He grasps my hand and although the heat remains, at least his breathing calmed down.

Ai Mikaze: I’m sorry. I’m worrying you until the end.

The end….

Those words pierce my heart.

Nevertheless, I remember our promise so I bring myself to smile.

Haruka Nanami: That’s not true. I know that you’ll perform the song well, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Ai Mikaze: Of course I will. I'll do all that I can to deliver this song—your feelings—to everyone properly….

With those tender words he gently lifts my hand.

Ai Mikaze: I'll be singing with all my strength, which means I may not be able to be with you for your debut.

But if it’s you, it’ll be fine. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it.

I want to sing your song and I also want to let you debut. These are the first dreams I ever had. And today I'm finally going to make those dreams come true.

I’ll open the future for you. That’s why… you have to do your best.

I cannot hold my tears back anymore—they start flowing down my face.

Haruka Nanami: I’m sorry… I can’t… keep my promise anymore!

Ai Mikaze: It’s alright. Whether you laugh or cry, I still love you.

Mikaze-senpai wipes my tears away with his finger.

Ai Mikaze: I really love you.

His lips softly touch mine.

Ai Mikaze: Nh… I love you…. Haruka…. I really… loved you….

He kisses me on my forehead, my eyelid, my cheek, and once more on my lips.

Lovingly showering me in tender kisses.

Without realizing it, his warmth already reaches me through our entangled fingers.

Ai Mikaze: I don’t want to disappear…. I really don’t want to disappear! I want to stay with you forever and ever.

But… as long as I can leave even a few memories behind, that's enough. I’ll leave the proof of my existence in you.

Thank you for everything.

Haruka Nanami: No, I should be thanking you…!

Ai Mikaze: Even if I’m reborn as another being… I’ll find you again, no matter what.

Haruka Nanami: … I’ll be waiting.

He nods, narrowing his eyes.

Ai Mikaze: I love you so much….

He gives me one last gentle kiss.

We hear cheering from the monitor. It's Mikaze-senpai’s turn next.

Ai Mikaze: … I have to go now.

Our lips, bodies, and hands part.

Senpai’s warmth is fading away.

Still, there’ll surely be warmth in his singing.

Senpai is heading to the stage.

His cheeks are paler than usual and gently glow under the stage lights.

His posture is perfect. Looking at him now, it’s as if his condition earlier was a lie.

Ai Mikaze: Bye-bye, Haruka.

Amidst the cheering, Senpai whispers these words into my ear and heads straight for the stage.

The stage is sparkling in blue lights and the person who is heading towards it looks just like a mermaid returning to the ocean.

As Senpai walks up to the microphone and begins to speak, the audience falls silent as the deep sea around him.

Ai Mikaze: I’m going to sing with all my feelings. Please listen to it: “Winter Blossom”.

Tomochika Shibuya: Mh~ You’re right, this is really delicious!

Haruka Nanami: Hehe, right? It’s called “Marine Jelly”!

I see Tomo-chan mumbling as she holds her spoon, so I eat one of the sugar shells as well.

The sun shines softly through the window on this beautiful spring day.

Tomo-chan holds the transparent jelly towards the light.

Tomochika Shibuya: So, did Mikaze-senpai contact you afterwards? He’s studying abroad now, right?

Haruka Nanami: He seems to be very busy at the moment so he hasn’t contacted me yet…. But I’m sure he’s doing well!

Tomochika Shibuya: I see. Well, since he seems to be really busy it makes sense that he can’t even contact his own partner.

After the Song Festival I’ve returned to my usual daily life.

About what’s happened…

Mikaze-senpai finished singing and returned backstage, where he collapsed in my arms.

As time passed, all of Senpai’s functions stopped.

He managed to sing my song at his very limit.

The professor came running to us. Because of Senpai's bad physical condition, he was immediately carried away.

At the Song Festival, our song won the first prize.

I successfully managed to become an employee of the agency and debuted as a composer.

According to the official statement "Mikaze-senpai is studying abroad" was what I stuck to. Whether he would return was still uncertain.

Everyone at the Agency was surprised by the sudden news.

Only Shinomiya-san and Syo-kun seemed to have realized what happened and cried with me.

With Senpai, the professor and Aine-san vanished as well. We searched for them in the lab but they were nowhere to be found.

I still don’t know where Mikaze-senpai is.

The president came to me after the Song Festival and only apologized to me with a single “I’m sorry”.

He made an exception and permitted us to become partners without canceling Mikaze-senpai’s contract.

His apology was surely the president’s way of atoning for his failure to prevent so many things from happening.

Fortunately, I received a lot more job offers after my debut. So I tried my best to act normally.

Tomochika Shibuya: I’m glad you seem to be doing fine! I was worried you might feel lonely after Mikaze-senpai’s disappearance.

Haruka Nanami: I’m okay! There's so much to do. Everything's getting serious now that I've debuted.

Tomochika Shibuya: Oh! Spoken like a real adult! My, my, you’ve grown, haven’t you?

Haruka Nanami: I became a professional composer after all! So don’t treat me like a child!

I retort back, but I can’t help but smile at how much Tomo-chan cares for me.

Tomochika Shibuya: Speaking of which, isn’t Mikaze-senpai’s movie about to get released?

Haruka Nanami: Right! I heard they’re doing final editing right now, so it should be done soon!

Tomochika Shibuya: Oh, I’m looking forward to it! I’ll watch it for sure!

Haruka Nanami: Really? Thank you! In that case I’ll send you a ticket!

Mikaze-senpai might be gone, but time kept flowing surely and steadily.

When I went outside, Mikaze-senpai’s song was broadcasted everywhere throughout town.

Senior High School Girl A: Ah! I love this song!

Senior High School Girl B: Me too! You know, I wonder when we’ll get a new song~ It’s about time he releases an album or something.

Matching alongside the melody, those girls started humming the lyrics.

Tomochika Shibuya: Wow, it’s so well received by everyone! That’s great, Haruka!

Tomo-chan chuckles, watching the girls gush about Mikaze-senpai.

Haruka Nanami: Right….

“I’ll watch over you, even when I’m gone.”

Mikaze-senpai’s words ring in my head, realizing that this might be what he meant….

I listen to his voice with these thoughts and a happy heart.

My phone rings.

Haruka Nanami: A call. Wait—it’s from the president!?

W-What could he want?

Shining Saotome: Yeees! This is ME asking YOU for a work related request!!

His voice blasts through the speaker.

Haruka Nanami: O-okay, what is it about??

Shining Saotome: A first version of the movie was finished~

The movie “The Mermaid’s Tears” has been completed and for some reason they’re showing the preview screening today.

Haruka Nanami: Uhm, so it’s today?

As always, that’s too sudden, President.

Shining Saotome: YES! It’s fresh out of the oven! Go and check it out!! YO, better not take your eyes off it until the last minute!

Haruka Nanami: Yes!! Understood!

So the movie is already done but what do I do? I’m not mentally prepared for it yet!

Haruka Nanami: Wha-wha-wha-what should I do, Tomo-chan?? He said the movie’s done so there’s a preview screening and since I was part of the staff I have to go watch it today….

Watching me panic, Tomo-chan shows me a wry smile.

Tomochika Shibuya: Okay, okay! Hurry up and go!

Haruka Nanami: But I really wanted to watch it with you…. Ah, I gotta go!

Tomochika Shibuya: Be careful on your way and watch your step!

Haruka Nanami: I will! Thank you!

I wave behind me as I rush to the train station.

I barely managed to arrive at the screening location on time.

Haruka Nanami: Ah, it has been some time, I’m Nanami.

I saw a familiar staff member and composer so I sat next to them.

Staff A: Yeah, it has been a while. Seems like the movie turned out great.

Haruka Nanami: I see…. I’m excited.

The movie begins.

On that evening, a girl meets a boy singing on the beach.

He is an excellent singer. A boy with eyes the same blue shade as the sea.

That boy is, in reality, the mermaid prince.

He and the girl gets along well. So much, that he often visits her and sing for her.

When the girl talk about her dreams, she mentions that she wants to become a music teacher.

The prince falls in love with the girl, and she also feels the same in return.

As I watch Mikaze-senpai on the big screen, I recall the memories we had together.

The time when we had just met.

The taste of the jelly we ate.

The somewhat funny udon he cooked while taking care of me. Our accidental kiss.

The happening on the Ferris wheel.

Memories of the Christmas Live.

His sparkling eyes while looking at the aquarium.

The day when he told me that he wanted to sing my song, even though it hurt him.

And finally our kiss on the Ferris wheel….

As the time inside the movie passes, the girl grows up to become a woman.

Due to an accident, she loses her sight. She loves to play the piano, but she is unable to do so anymore. Even her dream of becoming a music teacher can't be fulfilled.

In order to recuperate, she returns to her hometown near the ocean.

The mermaid prince and the woman reunite at the beach where they first met.

“I have very fond memories of this ocean. Those days were the happiest of my life,” she says.

“I want to hear that song again” she adds.

Haruka Nanami: And that’s how it’ll end.

If the mermaid prince lets out his voice, the curse of the ocean will turn him into seafoam.

Mermaid Prince: … May you keep smiling and find happiness.

Those are his last words.

He sinks into the ocean, vanishing into countless bubbles, as if melting away.

Mikaze-senpai once mentioned that they don’t show what happens next.

No one knows what happens afterwards.

… At least that’s what I thought.

The ocean appears on screen once again, but this time with no colors—it’s all gray.

Haruka Nanami: The movie… isn’t over?

People start muttering all around me.

Most of the people involved in this film are present—

—yet no one seems to know where this footage came from.

It simply shows a gray ocean on screen.

“Is the projector broken?” someone whispers.

I can hear the sounds of the waves.

Gradually, the gray ocean starts to gain back its color.

The blue of the sky and the blue of the ocean.

Are those white flower petals?

Fluttering like snow, the petals dance over the screen.

That’s when someone dear to me appears in the center.

???: Where could you be? I’m right here.

I dash out of there.

I follow my instincts. My heart is so impatient that I stumble over my own feet.

This hill from which one can see the ocean—this time I’ll pass it down alone.

There he is, facing the sea, singing by himself.

Standing there, singing in front of the sparkling waves, he looks like a prince.

His voice is clear, and echoing like the rippling waves.

I calm my rapid breathing and call out to that person.

Haruka Nanami: …I am here!

He stops singing, slowly turns around, and whispers something to himself.

The ocean breeze is strong.

The loud wind drowns out his answer, but then—

—he stretches out his arms towards me.

A silver bangle sways on his arm.

Those falling flower petals, as fleeting and white as snow, will never disappear again.

I take a firm step on the sandy beach and leap into his arms.

With his comforting arms he catches me firmly.

“I’m home”.

#utapri #all star ai #ai mikaze

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tlbodine · 2 years

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Lessons Learned at My First Book Signing

I attended an in-person author event today for the first time ever. It was not an especially high-profile deal -- just a local author fair hosted by the library. But it was still the first time I'd ever set up a table for the purpose of selling and signing books and interacting with would-be readers, and I want to talk about that experience a little bit and give some take-aways and advice for other writers who might be curious about doing something like this.

Step One: Find an Event

My dear friend and co-conspirator @comicreliefmorlock tipped me off about this. She saw a flier for it at the library and I applied on a whim, not even sure if I'd get accepted for the event. But I did! And that's the first lesson I want to give you: Everything good I have in my life I got by saying, "Fuck it, let's give it a shot."

Don't get too deep in your own head about things. Don't self-reject from opportunities. Kick imposter syndrome in the teeth and just do the thing.

Step Two: Set Up a Table

I was operating on a major shoestring budget for this, and I didn't have time to put together real signage or anything fancy. But I could go to the dollar store for some Halloween flair and a tablecloth and honestly? Even that was eye-catching enough that it definitely lured some people over. Next time I'll be better prepared to do something a bit more cohesive. But even these little touches put me miles beyond most of the other authors there, who just had a small stack of books on a bare table.

A few tips:

Don't put out all your books at once. Leave most of them in the box and tuck it under the table or somewhere. Fewer books, artfully arranged = implied scarcity. And it just looks nicer.

Scatter your business card/swag around the table. Consider leaving out a dish of candy. Freebies lure people into stopping.

Put up a sign with pricing. I used a small whiteboard from the dollar store and doodled on it when I got bored.

Try to have a little flair. Keep it on-brand with the type of stuff you're writing. The goal here is to be eye-catching enough that people want to come see what you've got going on.

Step Three: What You'll Need

If you're going to attend any kind of author fair or signing event, I recommend the following:

Some way to take payment not in cash. If I'd had a Square reader today, I would have probably sold at least a couple more books. Nobody carries cash anymore (but plan to have a bit of change anyway). The sales I made today came through PayPal, and having that QR code sign (free with my business account!) came in clutch.

An assistant. If you can, try to bring someone along to be your helper. It makes a huge difference having somebody who can watch your table while you go network with other sellers, as well as somebody who can help make change and restock the books if you get busy talking to people. And on the flipside, if nobody shows up, your helper can keep you from feeling super lonely and awkward.

Some kind of swag or, at least, a business card. Bookmarks or stickers/bookplates would be baller, too. But you for sure need something with your name and some kind of identifier -- your website, your social media, your Wattpad, something. This is what my business card looks like:

They're double-sided (the black is on the back). I had these printed up for Wattcon 2018 (and then forgot them in my car at the airport) and didn't have a website yet at that point. But I'm still quite fond of them. I designed them, had them printed, and picked them up at Office Depot.

I cannot express enough the importance of the business card. You may think you're there to sell books. But you are actually there so that people will remember your name. Folks who stop by might not be ready to buy your book, but they might check you out later. At the very least, they'll now have a thing with your name on it in their possession, which will help stick in their mind so the next time they see your name, it will have a ring of familiarity to it, which will make them much more likely to be interested in what you're doing.

Step Four: Talk to People!

Make eye contact and smile with passers-by. Engage with people who look interested in what you have to offer. Don't try to hard-sell or anything, but be available to answer questions. Have a quick, one-sentence pitch for explaining your book at the ready. Encourage people to take your swag.

And then get up and go talk to other people! If you're at an event where there are multiple authors, go introduce yourself (bring a business card!) and ask them questions about their work. Be friendly. I traded one of my books for a book from my neighbor's table today:

Eirik, it turns out, is a Twitter mutual of mine. We share like 20 online acquaintances and would have never known we lived in the same place if not for this event. I tagged him in my tweet about the event, and he tagged me back for his followers. That's networking, baby! (also this book looks sweet as hell. The Great Gatsby with werewolves? yes please. I'll let you know how it is after Angel gets done with it because she yoinked it from me as soon as it came back to the table).

Even if there aren't any other authors to meet-and-greet and network with, ingratiate yourself with the staff of the library/bookstore/wherever. Be friendly and thank them for the work they're putting in. Being kind and gracious is how you get invited back to more events. And you really want to make friends of librarians and bookstore employees because they're in a position every day to recommend books to dozens of people. Word of mouth is literally priceless in this business.

Something I saw others doing that was really smart is capturing email addresses to add to their newsletter. One had a giveaway raffle - sign up, then a name gets drawn at the end. One just encouraged people to sign up so they could learn more about his work. This was really clever and a good use of the space -- I'm going to do something similar next time I do this!

Step Five: Don't Get Discouraged

I sold two books at this event. That was twice as many as anybody else I talked to. Like I said earlier -- this is a marketing thing, not a chance to profit directly off book sales. Don't feel disappointed if you go to something like this and don't sell out. If people are scoping you out and engaging with you at all, if they're taking your card or signing up for your newsletter, that's a win.

R.L. Stine pretty famously had one person come to his first book signing. He writes about it in his autobiography. I figure, if his career could start out like that, it's good enough for anybody.

You can learn a lot from going to an event even if you're not selling books. From watching the way people interacted with my table, I came away with a few observations:

Most people who use libraries are, in order: old people, parents with young kids, teenagers. Of that, I captured the most attention of teenagers. They were drawn like catnip over to my table, maybe because of the Halloween decor, maybe because of the covers. Old people don't read horror, by and large -- they prefer mysteries. But a lot of them know someone else in their life who does like scary stuff, and a lot of them took my card to presumably tell their loved ones about it. (I had a few teenagers who absolutely would have been sales if they'd had any money. I told them I was also on Wattpad and encouraged them to take a card to look me up there. The response to that was an even mixture of bafflement, suspicion, and excitement. Yes, graying middle-aged farts like me are on Wattpad.)

The Darkness of Dreamland was far and away the book that captured people's attention. I think the cover really drew people in.

Purple is an unusual color in the genre, and that hand-painted unicorn with its malevolent, unusual design is a real eye-catcher. A lot of people wanted to stop and read the back cover to see what was up with this book. Which leads me to....

Your back cover copy is your most effective sales pitch. The front cover has to get them through the door, and the back cover seals the deal. It's really easy when you're working on them to forget about that. It's easy to get too deep in your head about making both of them accurate or literal interpretations of the story or symbolic or whatever. That's not the purpose. Your book cover is a marketing tool, it is ad copy, and you have to approach it with that mindset.

So those were my takeaways from my first-ever author fair. I hope some of this was at least a little interesting or helpful for you! I got a lot out of this experience, even if I did spend a whole lot more money ordering copies than I earned selling them -- now I just have to challenge myself to sell the rest of the books in my trunk!

Happy to answer any questions or give clarification on things.

#long post #writing advice #publishing advice #writing tips #publishing #book selling #writeblr

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vogelmeister · 11 months

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Do you know any shows or movies in dutch or even music? Im trying to improve my skills (but this language is terribly complicated)

I wrote a post on dutch songs a while back so ill pm it to you. However media is a different story, and I'm actually not that great on media, even in English- but i will show you where i learned basic dutch aka important words aka… very random words.

may i introduce you to

✨Wie is de Mol ✨

(everyone clap)

hello dear reader would you like to TRUST NOBODY? yes. okay. cool. picture this. you are a semi famous dutch person and you, along with nine other dutch people go off to a foreign country to complete super cool challenges (opdrachten) and earn money to go towards a group pot. except there’s a twist. theres a saboteur (de mol) and their whole purpose is to ensure the least amount of money enters that pot. during this de mol must obviously gain the trust of the group (kandidaten) and the kadidaten have to figure out who de mol is. at the end of the episode theres often a test and execution in which the participants have to answer 20 questions re who the mol is (questions include things like ‘what city was de mol born in’ ‘how much money did de mol earn in the lasergame’) and whoever does the worst has to go home. the mol can never go home. the winner is the person who guesses de mol with the most correct answers in the final and they get the contents of the pot. im not kidding when i say this show is equal parts hilarious (bc they’re human and do stupid shit), suspenseful and very fun (bc you can play at home!).

Some of my favourite seasons include:

Season 18. This season is my favourite by far. Had one of the gutsiest mols, all around good group and honestly one of the best game show reality TV plot twists of all time. Art’s last season as host, too.

(Also I definitely stole his surname for my OC bye.)

Season 19: Idk why this ones here I just felt like including it. I actually think the 2018-2021 era of widm is the best one so that’s why im putting it here, and this season is fun. Cool mol reveal too.

Anniversary Season: Honestly I definitely recommend watching some older seasons before diving into this bc they definitely reference shit from old seasons and bring back old mols, but asides from this the mol this season was pretty good and Tuscany is lovely to look at. Fun group too full of old kandidaten.

Season 14: Unpopular I know but I loved the mol this season- they definitely reminded me of myself but also I just remembered this season as being super fun with cool opdrachten. Also a really important thing gets introduced here which was a staple in newer seasons

Season 13: The superior South Africa season with a very fun mol.

Season 21: Honestly? Shit mol this season, I figured it out via a DREAM but the kandidaten this season are iconic and it has one of the best alliances in widm history in my opinion. Czechia is stunning and it was the first time i guessed de mol too

Season 11: Watch for nothing if not Art Rooijakkers and the most unsafe opdrachten ever.

(If you want my opinion on any other season pm me lol, it’s late and I don’t want to type them all but SEASON EIGHTEEN!!!)

Anyways all episodes are on YouTube with English subs, just google widm English subs and you’ll find them. The seasons often ten episodes long, 1 hour per episode, with the final episode being the mol reveal. I think if you want that channel also supports dutch subs but i cannot remember rn!

enjoy!!!

#I really feel like im passing the baton down right now #theres also trumps and shit but i can explain that later #also if i think of other dutch media ill tell you i just turned this into a widm show #widm #wie is de mol

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missdeepend · 21 days

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I was Wrong about Wendy Marvell

I used to say for years and years that when Wendy and Carla joined Fairy Tail is when the series as a whole began to go downhill. In retrospective, it is when the show had begun to change its course in a way that I did not understand at the time. A more mature series was going to emerge and that was something I was not ready for.

While I dislike Carla still and find her character a little less than irritating, I have to say for many years I was wrong about Wendy Marvell. Wendy to me was the connection between the series going downhill in my eyes and I couldn't look past that. Now I know that she is probably one of the best developed characters in the show.

This will definitely be long fair warning and I will without a doubt bring up 100 Year Quest. I just cannot speak about her character without bringing it up. I mean I could, but I would feel like this is incomplete. Please keep reading though if you care to. If you dislike Wendy or believe she is weak then I beg you to read this.

Wendy was a character I felt no attachment to despite watching Fairy Tail for the first time when I was around her age. I cannot tell you how I felt about the Oracion seis arc when I first watched it, but I can tell you it was mixed feelings. At some points I was excited that the series was going somewhere and we actually had a reason for the mention of dark guilds. Another part of me, however, was upset that the series I loved so much for its silliness was taking a turn for the darker side of things.

Carla's characte rI never could like. She was too bossy for me and her selfishness and outlook for only Wendy never sat right with me. However, Wendy... well I felt indifferent about her. I believe it only turned to dislike due to connecting her with when Fairy Tail changed so much. Even now, after putting aside my feelings for the change, I feel indifferent to Wendy first appearing.

Wendy begins as the weakest member of the alliance in the Oracion Seis arc, well besides Carla and Happy. She did bring the interesting concept of a female dragon slayer that was also a child. She helped greatly but due to her small size and strength she could only go so far.

On the other hand, Wendy's personality I always found to be sweet and I know now it makes so much sense for her. She was a girl that lost her parents, who she now doesn't remember, and then her dragon mother. She was a scared child left to fend for herself until Mystogan had found her. Then after he brought her to Cait Shelter, he left too. Honestly, it is no wonder why Wendy had so many emotional issues at the start and was hyper sensitive. By the age of 12 she had lost her parents, her adoptive mother, Mystogan, and Cait Shelter. We also learn that she had gotten separated from Anna Heartfilia and the boys so you can count that as a loss as well.

My thoughts are is that Wendy may have developed an idea of abandonment, which is why she is scared to mess up when she joined Fairy Tail and was apologetic. She was most likely nervous she would be kicked out if she wasn't strong enough and didn't prove herself, which set her off on a path to get stronger. Not to mention the idea of wanting to protect her friends.

By the Grand Magic Games you can see just how much Wendy develops. Sure she may have been struggling prior to that and wasn't too reliable on Tenrou Island, but by GMG she had grown so much. I'm sure by then the concept of Fairy Tail abandoning her had left her mind and after Edolas Carla was guaranteed to stay at her side.

Speaking of Edolas, side tangent here, poor Wendy had to watch her guild be taken away once again and then later learned that her own cat was supposed to be turning her into Edolas which would've led to her death. This poor girl has endured so much.

With Grand Magic Games, we see a new side of Wendy. That fragile girl is a bit more toughened up thanks to her "older siblings" aka Team Natsu. As soon as she is able to participate in the games once again, she does. She doesn't care who she has to fight if she can bring back smiles to her guildmate's faces after 7 years. It is during the GMG that we see her first interaction with Shelia, who becomes her best friend (and if you ship it then love interest). These two have such a dynamic that I love. Although they have to fight for a win for their team, the two compliment each other and act like...well... young girls. They don't need bickering about how their guild is naturally better. They don't need the blind insults thrown at each other despite not knowing one another. They just act like girls that just met and they just so happen to have to fight. This is also the first time we see Wendy fight someone that is meant to be on her level. Its not some strong mage from some dark guild or giant dragon, just another girl like her with rare magic.

Considering Wendy's main spells center around healing or status buffs, watching her go head to head with a god slayer is entertaining. Of course she does have the one weakness that she can only heal others while Shelia is able to heal herself, but she continues to push forward. This earns her a tie with the girl, which in Wendy's case is a big win.

This doesn't even delve into the fact that in the same arc we have seen Wendy summon a dragon from a weak life force left behind and help take on the dragons.

Wendy's arc really reaches its peak at Tartaros when her and Carla are up against Face. They have grown so much over the course of Oracion Seis that they are willing to give up their lives for the Fairy Tail guild to succeed in their job. Not to mention Wendy coming in full circle with her Dragon Force coming in at such a young age. You could argue she knew about Dragon Force and therefore knew something to work towards, but she transformed into Dragon Force and fought a Demon of Tartaros at just roughly 12-13!

She is continuing to grow in 100 Year Quest, which is something that I am enjoying the watch of. While there isn't much to the characters I enjoy anymore in that plot, seeing little Wendy mature with the help of Irene is nice to watch. Unfortunately with the departure of Irene we haven't gotten much out of Wendy afterwards.

This doesn't even mention the fact that Wendy has some of the best interactions with characters due to her age. They are protective of her and know just how dangerous being in a guild could be, as some of them were even in it at her age. However, she tells them she isn't afraid and you can just see the proud look on their faces. This is especially true when it comes to Erza, who invited both her and Carla into their guild with open arms.

Just please watch Phoenix Priestess and pay attention to all the Wendy scenes. When she obviously could be scared as they are going up against an entire army in a kingdom, she tells them that she can't be scared because of having to rescue a friend (Eclair) who they just met.

If Fairy Tail isn't worth watching for those characters that are already extremely powered up such as Natsu or Erza, Wendy is the person to watch it for. It makes the experience much more enjoyable when you take into account where she started and where she ended up.

That was pretty long, but I still could go on forever just about Wendy alone. But what do you all think about her? Maybe you guys thought or still think the same thing that I did. I'm curious to know.

Anyways, I'll see you later in the Deep End!!

#fairy tail #manga #fairy tail anime #fairy tail discussion #fairy tail characters #fairy tail manga #fictional characters #wendy marvell #fairy tail wendy #fairy tail carla #dragon slayer #dragon slaying #sky dragon

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nonsubstantial · 1 month

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MARCH 2024 DIARY POST

I'm keeping up the habit of writing a monthly post to catalogue all the things I've been obsessed with in 2024. At the end of the year, I want to be able to look back and remember what was making me happy all year long! If you are reading this, I hope you will enjoy hearing about these things or checking them out too! First, a chaotic collage of those things!

VIDEO GAME: As you may already know, Splatoon is probably my favorite video game franchise of all time. I really cannot overstate how important it is to me. Naturally, I was highly anticipating its new singleplayer DLC, titled Side Order, but when it finally came out at the end of February, my elbow was fractured in a way that made it painful for me to play. So, I had to wait until about a week into March for my elbow to heal a little. Then, I spent about 10 hours obsessively playing it, and I loved pretty much every second of it. It featured by far the most difficult levels ever seen in a Splatoon game, which was a treat to me as a player who was disappointed by the rather simplistic story mode of the base game. Splatoon 3: Side Order took the form of a roguelite battle tower, similar to Salmon Run but with new enemies, unique (and sometimes puzzling) stages, and customizable weapon builds. Even players who find it a bit too challenging at first can eventually mod the difficulty to an extent that (hopefully) makes it doable. The story was nothing crazy, but the gameplay and visuals were so unbelievably good that I honestly wished I could erase it all from my mind and play it again from the start. Just yay 💕, I love Splatoon so much.

TWITCH STREAM FAN EDIT: If you don't already know who Jerma is, he is a prolific video game streamer that I became a big fan of a few years ago. His unique humor has consistently impressed and appealed to me, and his fan community has proven itself to be both creative enough and motivated enough to persistently churn out edited “best of” versions of his streams. For better or for worse, Jerma announced his retirement from streaming last year, leaving his eager fans with nothing but his earlier content to dredge for, well… content. One such fan edit that was released this year, post-retirement, was a massive compilation of all his Nancy Drew playthroughs (save for one). This edit in particular was one that I found overwhelmingly funny and good, and it inspired an ongoing fanfic that I’m still currently working on writing. Oddly enough, watching this caused a domino effect that got me back into writing in general and has given me the surge of confidence and inspiration that I needed to keep working on creating the fiction that has lived inside in my head for years. I really hope this feeling never dies. You can watch the stream that inspired me, linked here!

MUSICAL ARTIST: Peach Kelli Pop is probably tied (with a few other artists) for the title of my favorite band of all time. Their entire discography is only about 2 hours long, but they were still my most listened to artist for several years in a row. It’s due to the consistency of the vibe across all of her work: upbeat and positive while still delivering a profound emotional impact. I've been able to just listen her entire catalog of music over and over and over again on shuffle. I might describe it as DIY rock, or feminist punk, and if you haven't heard it before, Gentle Leader is probably the best album to start with. Listen here!

MUSICAL ARTIST: After listening to nothing except Peach Kelli Pop for about a week straight, I started to look into similar bands that I hadn't already checked out and found one that really caught my interest. That's how I was introduced to Tacocat! Their band name is both a palindrome and euphemism, and their album Lost Time was love at first listen. They have cozy lyrics about aliens, birth control, and creating your own values, and their music has left me in a good mood every time I've thrown it on. You can listen to the first song that I heard, linked here!

SONG: It's Don’t Rain On My Parade, by Barbra Streisand!! I still haven't watched the musical that this song is from, but the drag queen Plasma mentioned it on RuPaul Season 16, which is how I ended up hearing it. This song gets an individual mention because I was absolutely blown away by this one individual track! It's brilliant and catchy right out of the gate, "Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter! Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!" It's from 1964, but its recording sounds crystal clear and it channels its intended emotions perfectly. I felt compelled to listen to it over and over again, because it really is just so cheerful and artistically inspiring. I feel like it's a perfect piece of music. Listen here!

SONG: I have to give another song an individual mention! It's Mood Indigo, by Nina Simone!! I’ve been a big fan of Nina Simone for years now, but more often than not, I've stuck to my favorite album, Pastel Blues. I did branch out and listen to this song a few times in the past, but it only recently dawned on me just how perfect it is. Wikipedia says that it was recorded in 1964, about the same time as Don’t Rain On My Parade, and while it's technically a cover of an old Duke Ellington song, Nina Simone’s version has a totally unique vibe, evident from the first few bars. Its lyrics are meant to be cathartic, as they discuss suicidal ideation, while the drums, bass, and piano create a beautiful and upbeat swing melody that perfectly juxtaposes and rebuts the content of Nina’s vocals. It's menacing, catchy, uplifting, and truly perfect! I now believe it to be a landmark in Nina Simone’s career, and the whole of music history in general. Listen here!

MUSICAL ARTIST: Okay, one last music rec, I swear!! I was really feeling the vibes this month (but mostly just listening to bands that I already know and love). Along with Peach Kelli Pop, another one of my favorite bands is King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Ever since 2017 (aka, the year of the gizz) they have probably reigned supreme as my #1 most listened to band. They just have so much music, with so much variation, that I can usually find at least one of their songs that appeals to me. Since the start of this year, I've been collecting and organizing a playlist of my favorite songs by them, titled 31 Days Of Gizz. Not for any particular reason, but just because I find it fun to make lists! At the last minute, I decided that I would organize the songs, specifically in the way that I would play them if I were introducing someone new to the band. So, if you haven’t heard their music before, maybe it’s time I introduced you? But no pressure, I just like their songs and I made my playlist just for me! I'm linking to it on spotify, HERE, if you’re interested! (forgot to put this one on the collage, lol)

VIDEO GAME: Right before the month ended, I bought the new fantasy tactics game, Unicorn Overlord, and I am fucking in love. I’ve been a longtime fan of the fantasy tactics genre, so as soon as this game started making waves, I begrudgingly accepted that I HAD to play it. I really don’t have a lot of time in between trying to take care of things at home and working on my writing, as I mentioned before, but I briefly dropped all my other hobbies and managed to fit about 10 hours of gameplay in before the month ended. I really wish I had time to obsess over it, because I feel like it is a masterpiece, even if the rumors about there being gay content ended up being a disappointing exaggeration (the game was developed by Vanillaware, but was published by homophobic giants ATLUS and SEGA, so I’m not surprised). Despite the story being pretty much dog shit though, I believe the gameplay is damn near perfect, and even revolutionary within its genre. I’ll probably be sinking all my game time into it until the new Elden Ring DLC drops. If you’re a person who also likes fantasy tactics, then I highly recommend playing it (I got it for the Nintendo Switch, where it seems to run perfectly).

(that’s it. It is now APRIL!! There might be some repeats this next month, or I'll leave them out... we'll see. Hope you have a good day! ♡)

#personal #2024 reviews #2024 #march #splatoon #jerma #peach kelli pop #tacocat #don't rain on my parade #mood indigo #king gizzard #unicorn overlord

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