#I mean I guess this still tracks as this indicative of how in a world gone mad (as is the case with this issue) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gallusrostromegalus · 8 months

Note

Speaking of public health. What was the soul society reaction to the eradication of small pox like?

"You notice there's a lot less dead babies these days?" Iba asked in the middle of one morning's office work.

"Fewer dead babies." Komamura corrected without thinking. "Less is for things you measure by volume, fewer for things you count. We do not measure dead babies by volume."

"Oh. right." Iba nodded. "Yeah, that wouldn't be right."

After a moment, what his lieutenant actually said caught up with him. "Sorry- force of habit from living with a Librarian." Komamura shook his head and looked up from the monthly intake statistics analysis report, peering at Tetsuzaemon Iba through the narrow gap of his helmet. "What do you mean, fewer dead babies?"

"I dunno, it just occurred to me. When I started the academy in the 40's- right after the catastrophe- we did a student tour of the 7th division's recently deceased souls intake queue, remember?" Iba waved his hand leaning back in his chair, apparently uncertain of where he was going with this either, but articulating his thoughts.

"I believe so. I had just taken over from Captain Kotsubaki." Komamura nodded, patient. Chikane Iba was an excellent shinigami and had done a magnificent job running the third division, but she had a tendency to talk over and bulldoze her son, so Komamura had learned to be patient when the young man when he felt like he should share a thought.

"Yeah, yeah- Not gonna lie Boss, you scared the crap out of me back then." Tetsuzaemon laughed. "-But the thing that stuck out to me that day was just. The sheer number of Infants and little kids in the line. the guy giving us the tour- I think it was Old Ito, actually- He said that one in five babies in the living world didn't live to see their fifth birthday."

"An improvement even back then- it was one in three children when back when I started in the 1840s." Komamura nodded. "It's funny that I frightened you- Captain Aikawa apparently headhunted me for the 7th because Kaname told him about how the children at the library used to use me as playground equipment."

"Good grief." Iba blanched. "So, what, he threw you in the deep end with all the dead kids?"

"In Captain Aikawa's defense, I did volunteer to handle children's cases. As sad as a frightened infant is, it's infinitely preferable than dealing with the deceased who are angry."

Iba frowned, opened his mouth like he was about to object, reconsidered, closed it, considered further, rocking his head from side to side, and then nodded. "I- yeah, Yeah, that tracks."

"You were saying though?" Komamura laced his fingers in front of him, leaning forward to listen.

"Oh! Well- not as much these days but back then, every family had like seven and eight kids, you know? And I realized that, well- almost everyone I know has a dead sibling or two? Almost every mother lost a child- Gods know my mother's a basket case but even getting a cold could send her into fits. If something had happened to me when I was a tyke- I don't think she would have pulled through."

Komamura nodded enough for Iba to see his helmet tilt to indicate he as still listening.

"I- I don't actually know where I was going with this, but I was reading that report earlier and there's a note from Shita-san at the end that this is the first month we haven't had a kid under the age of five in the intake queue. Ever."

Komamura flipped though the pages of the report to read the hand-written note at the end. "That is excellent news!"

"Oh! Yeah! It's great!" Iba nodded enthusiastically. "It just- I don't know, I guess it just snuck up on me and I'm so used to hearing something went wrong I guess I don't quite know what to do with good news?" he shrugged.

Komamura pondered this for a moment. "Hm. Well. Take heart, to start. But I see what you mean- it's a tremendous achievement, but not one we contributed to, and a "No Dead Babies This Month" office party feels in poor taste at best."

"Oof, yeah- especially if next month there's an accident or something and there's a whole bunch in the queue." Iba nodded. He considered things for a moment.

"-What happened that there are le- fewer dead babies, actually?" Iba frowned. "-Whoever it is, it would be appropriate to toast them and make an offering in their name to the Gods of Good Fortune, I think. Also do more of whatever they did."

"That IS a good idea!" Komamura smiled under his helmet. Perhaps it was his training as a priest, but he did enjoy an offering of goodwill ceremony. Also, nobody would ask him to drink- just pour any alcohol he was offered on the statue of the relevant deity. "I think- It's probably in our statistics, if the tenth division doesn't have an idea already. Can you collect the cause of death data for young children for the last-"

He was interrupted by the thunderous footsteps of someone sprinting towards the office, immediately followed by a tall young woman with short white hair throwing the door open, red-faced and winded.

"THEY DID IT! THE MAD BASTARDS THEY DID IT!" She shouted with wild excitement.

"Isane-? Uh, Miss Kotetsu?" Iba flustered.

"Please keep your voice down-" Komamura said through gritted teeth, trying not to growl at being suddenly shouted at. "Who has-?"

He was interrupted by Miss Kotetsu bolting right up to his desk and shoving a newspaper into his face hard enough to actually wrap around his helmet in excitement.

"SMALLPOX! IT'S GONE!!" She shrieked with joy.

"-gone?" Iba asked, bewildered as Komamura gently took the newspaper from her and pulled it back to actually read it. It was a newspaper from the living world, dated that morning- someone had gone through some pains to get it back to the Seireitei at speed, but the news was worth it:

SMALLPOX IS DEAD!

"TOTALLY ERADICATED! EXTINCT! KAPUT! IT HAS CEASED TO BE!" She bounced excitedly. "IT IS AN EX-PANDEMIC!"

"So like. Nobody has it this year?" Iba tried.

"Nobody has it this year, or will ever have it again, if I'm reading this right." Komamura muttered in awe. "Thanks to an aggressive worldwide vaccination and disease protocol program, there have been no human cases of the disease for several years. Since there are no people infected, there is no way for the disease to come back..."

Both men stared into space, the news almost unbelievable.

"Well. That does explain the Less Dead Babies thing." Iba nodded.

"Fewer Dead Babies." Komamura and Isane corrected in unison.

"I mean yeah that sure is part of it because Smallpox was the number one killer of infants in the living world for a long time there, but there's a whole bunch of stuff that's really cut down on infant mortality in the last few decades in particular." Isane nodded.

"We were JUST Talking about that!" Iba said, excitedly. "-Good to know you guys in the fourth are keeping track of that, It was gonna take forever to pull out that data..."

"Oh, could you pull it out anyway Tetsu-kun?" She asked. "-That's most of why I came over- I mean, to share the good news first, but Unohana-Taicho is planning on using this to really push a widespread vaccination program in the Rukongai and having the numbers to back us up would be really helpful!"

"Oh! Uh, sure!" Iba blushed.

"...You know this young lady, Tetsu-Kun?" Komamura lightly teased.

Both of the young people twitched and bowed to him, pointing at each other and speaking at once.

"Oh! I'm sorry Sir, I'm fourth division third seat Isane Kotetsu, i just know Iba because we were in the same class at the academy-" She babbled.

"-this is Isane Kotetsu, she's the smartest person I know and she saved my life from a lizard one time!" He waved excitedly.

"...That lizard was not going to kill you." She sighed, covering her face in embarrassment. "-I mean, if you developed a sepsis infection from the contaminated wound it might have made you very ill but that would take weeks and we have antibiotics for that, the lizard itself wasn't all that dangerous."

"It was INSIDE my LEG!" Iba gestured to his right thigh.

Komamura slowly tilted his whole torso sideways at Iba, hoping that sentence might make more sense at a forty-five degree angle. "...How?"

"I. Uh." Iba stopped, realizing his story was maybe not one he should be telling his boss. "I was. um. Out camping with the lads back when I was in the 11th, and a lizard climbed into my cot and I was. not totally awake and thought someone was trying to cop a feel and well you know, that's behavior you respond to with force so I rolled over and tried to stab the intruder's hand and. Uh. Missed."

Komamura continued to stare at him blankly.

"There was. screaming. lotta flailing, blood, general mayhem sort of thing. And in the confusion the Lizard.... climbed. inside the hole. In my leg. Sir." Iba explained, slowly crumpling behind his desk.

Komamura sighed deeply.

"-but Miss Isane was right there and actually kicked Ikkaku halfway across the camp because he was trying to lure it out with a Banana and generally being useless and she just grabbed that sucker and ripped him right outta there and had the wound packed and sealed in less than a minute and I even got to finish doing boot camp!" He rallied, cheerfully waving at Isane in hopes of distracting his captain with how cool she was.

"...What happened to the lizard?" Komamura asked, warily eyeing her through the gap in his helmet.

"Oh! He was really, really human acclimated and sneaked into my medkit rather than go back into the wild, so Harry lives a very spoiled lizard life in a terrarium in my room at home! Though it's actually my sister's room now but he still gets all the mango and smashed beetles he can eat!" Isane nodded cheerfully.

"You named a lizard. Harry?" Komamura asked slowly.

"...Iba-san named him, actually." She blushed.

"Ironically!" Iba protested. "I'm only mostly stupid, sir."

Komamura sighed deeply and once again regretted that his disguise would not let him rub his face as needed. "Alright. Thank you for the announcement, Miss Kotetsu. We will get that data to you in a timely manner- was there anything else you needed"

"Oh gosh, there was something else, what was it-?" She tapped her chin, trying to remember.

There was the distant sound of explosives, and all three of them turned to see what looked like midday fireworks going off at the 4th.

"Oh Right! Unohana-taicho requests your presence at the 4th as. Um. 'Designated Non-Drinker and Unarmed Combat Specialist' because the party was getting kind of wild when I left actually-"

Komamura sighed, and picked up Tenken from his stand and started tying the zanpaktou to his belt anyway.

---

The following morning, a small party arrived at the local shrines to The Gods Of Good Fortune, bearing offerings on behalf of the living world's World Health Organization and the handful of names they'd been able to glean from the living world newspapers, and nursing varying degrees of of hangover.

Komamura lead the party, having gotten them up at a slightly malicious 5AM to be there first thing in the morning. Tetsuzaemon and his friends from the 11th he insisted come along and 'suffer with me, as my sworn brothers' were quite pained but doing their best to hold it together.

Shunsui was a veteran of this nonsense and was hiding the pain very well behind his longtime party companions, Ukitake and Unohana, who seemed so extraordinarily cheerful that Komamura had to conclude that they were both still significantly chemically altered. He couldn't fault Unohana- they were faint and only visible on the rare occasions she let her hair down, but just below her left ear there was still the faint divot scars from surviving her own infection.

Isane had celebrated just as hard as the 11th Division lads, but had also had the good sense to alternate beer and water and take both aspirin and some sort of horrible pink goop that apparently relieved nausea before passing out under a table and had woken up only slightly groggy.

Komamura's new friend Harry the Lizard- a remarkably loquacious and quick-witted reptile -had taken up residence inside his helmet, lightly intoxicated on the cocktail fruits people had kept feeding him, and was politely nestled in the thick fur of his neck to ward off the morning cold.

The rituals of gratitude for this miracle, and asking the Gods to bless those who had worked so hard went smoothly, and Komamura couldn't help but notice when he turned around that Miss Kotetsu had opted to lean on the shoulder of 'Tetsu-kun'.

It was not often Komamura started the day with the feeling that everything would turn out alright, but as he watched Tetsuzaemon cautiously but gracelessly take Isane's hand and her squeeze it back on the way back down from the shrine, he felt like the feeling might stay this time.

#AEIWAM #an elephant is warm and mushy #bleach fanfiction #bleach #sajin komamura #tetsuzaemon iba #isane kotetsu #long post #infant death mention #disease mention #injury mention #it's funny I promise

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bluemoondust · 1 year

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I saw Doppo Kunikida for the prompts and I’d LOVE to see more of him. How would he react to his darling always hiding by him when he’s with the agency. Darling is uncomfortable being around Dazai, while they’re friends with Chuuya.

:D The fave! First time writing for him, so I hope I got his character down!

✧Always Hiding By Him✧ — Doppo Kunikida

Warning(s): Slight Hints of Possessive Behavior (I guess?), Hints of Controlling Behavior, Mentions of Kidnapping

"Hm? You alright? Here, you can sit by me for now."

Kunikida actually doesn't mind you sticking by his side when you're in the Agency. As long as you're not interrupting any of his work, it's all good. Besides, he is able to keep an eye on you better this way, so this is a win-win situation for both of you. It's understandable that you would keep close to Kunikida, given his reliable nature in the Agency (which everyone is very aware of). Still, he does wonder why you hide.

It's not like there is any danger in the organization, plus, you're surrounded by members who will make sure no one is hurt. Do the other members make you anxious? Kunikida wonders this as he glances at you every once in a while as he works. You might get bored but...you're still right there. Sitting by him. How peculiar. Still, he is aware that some of his coworkers are...eccentric and assumes that might be why you hide away. He won't admit it out loud, but Kunikida feels a sense of appreciation that you go to him out of everyone.

Even if you haven't said anything indicating if you are wary of the other members, it's obvious to him that you're uncomfortable around Dazai. So of course, anytime his suicidal coworker is present, he makes sure let him near you. He knows how Dazai can be so a pointed look is directed towards the man. "Dazai, please refrain from pestering them." He's also more stern with him because Dazai is Dazai and Kunikida isn't particularly fond of the man's behavior around you. It gives him a bad taste in his mouth. Plus, he values your comfort and doesn't like to see your face contort into a frown like that.

But oh, is it a different story when he finds out you're friends with Chuuya.... He was also the last person to know about it— I kid, I kid. Kunikida found out relatively quickly once he put together the pieces and kept track of your schedule. His reaction? Very wary. He isn't really fond of the idea that you're friends with someone from the Port Mafia, but he isn't going to do anything drastic. No, that would just escalate things into an unnecessary conflict. So far, nothing is amiss and he'd like to keep it that way.

He will ask questions about your friendship with Chuuya, obviously out of concern for you after all. He cherishes you so much and he would blame himself if anything were to happen to you due to your friendship (because obvious reasons...). Heck, he might even try to convince you to break of being friends with Chuuya all together. Just to ease his anxiety. If you refuse, this annoys his slightly.

I will mention, this might motivate him to kidnap you earlier on. You obviously can't take care of yourself in the world. Kunikida is sorry to say that, but...look at the facts. Hiding by him when entering the Agency just means you can't handle certain people. With Dazai it's more reasonable, but still. It reads off to him that you constantly need him to hold your hand. So, this just means his actions are justified. You can't argue against him when he states all these things. It's hard to face the truth but it's plain as day. You need him more than you think you do.

"I'm doing what's best for you. You understand that, right? I know you trust me this much, so I assume you do."

#yandere imagines #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere #yandere bungou stray dogs #yandere bungo stray dogs #yandere bsd #yandere bungo stray dogs x reader #yandere bsd x reader #yandere doppo kunikida #yandere kunikida #yandere kunikida x reader

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footygirl114 · 2 years

Text

Misterios (Leila Ouahabi x Reader)

Okay friends Part 2 to Esposa - read that first if you want context :)

As much as you enjoyed kicking your wife’s butt, the game was super competitive and ended in a 1-1 draw. It kicked the competitiveness in you into overdrive and you used the excitement to fuel you and your team over the next month.

The international break was a week away and Manchester United have been on a winning streak for the last month. The winning has helped kept your mind off the Spanish federation and the drama there, and it also helped you to fuel your wife and her competitive drive as she was playing her heart out trying to stay up with you.

When your phone rang one evening when you were hanging on the couch with Ona, you laughed as you had hung up with Leila 20 minutes ago and assumed it was her calling back. Without even looking at the phone you answered with a laugh and a “Miss me already?”

“Y/N YL/N? This is Coach from the Spanish national team” when you realise it is not Leila you immediately straighten up and can feel the colour drain from your face.

“Yes, sorry I thought it was someone else. How can I help you?” You tell the person on the phone.

He laughs slightly on the other end and says “Lets start again. I am Coach Ruiz, It will be public news tomorrow but I have been appointed the new head coach of the women’s national team. Now I gonna cut right to the chase, I have been watching you Y/N”

Confused you can see Ona sit up and look over at you as you say “You have sir?”

Ona is very confused and scoots over to hear the conversation, you indicate for her to be quiet as you put him on speaker “Yes, I know what happened 5 years ago Y/N, and I want you to be back in the fold with the national team.”

You are in shock as you listen to him tell you this, you feel Ona nudge you and you tune back to the phone call to ask “What do you mean Coach?”

“I mean, If you are interested I want you to come to camp next week and join up with the team” he says seriously to you.

Ona immediately has a smile on her face as she hears this but you cant help but to feel the dread fill your stomach. Immediately you ask “Sir I don’t know if I am ready to come out to the world about it”

Ona places her hand on yours and squeezes as you listen to his response “Y/N, you will be reached out to soon, but we are clearing house regardless if you come forward or not. I know the truth and thats enough for me to want you to come back. I would never force you to come clean about this that is up to you, but just know I am an ally and I will have your back.”

“thank you coach, thank you so much” you choke out as you feel the tears start to track down your cheeks. You can feel Ona wrap an arm around your back as you move to wipe the tears on cheeks.

The Coach responds with “So does that mean you are interested Y/N?”

Laughing through the tears running down your cheeks you answer with a “Hell yes Coach, I am so interested.”

“Amazing, an admin staff will be in contact tomorrow to arrange transport, but we are so excited to welcome you back into the fold Y/N.” he says to you, its another few moments where you both exchange goodbyes before you hang up.

Immediately Ona squeals and squeezes you in her arms in excitement as she says “Y/N I am so happy for you!”

Still unbelieving what just happen you shake your head and say “That just happened right?”

Nodding she laughs and says “This is amazing Y/N, he seems like a nice guy.”

Before you can answer your phone rings and you look down to see Leila’s name, not willing to make the same mistake twice, but you smile and answer with a “Hi love, you will never guess what just happened to me.”

She laughs as she says “Hermosa, Ona texted me during the call. I have been waiting for the verdict of the reason for the call. The anticipation is killing me,”

Ona laughs as she yells out “Viva Espana!!”

“Well you know how you were whining about missing me while you went to Spain?” you ask her.

“yes?” she responds confused.

You pause to drag it out when you say “Love, how would you like it if I was there with you?”

“What?!”

Ona yells again “Viva Espana!”

“I got invited to camp love, I will be there with you” you tell her with a laugh.

She shouts excitingly “What! Babe, thats amazing!!”

You finish telling her the rest of the conversation and you can feel the excitement of your people and you know the one good thing is that no matter what happens you will have these two goofballs on your side through thick and thin.

The next time you see your wife, isn’t until you and Ona finally get through security at the airport and arrive at your gate do you see her. Immediately walking up to her she stands and wraps you in her arms, you wrap yours around her back and immediately feel the calm settle around you. “I missed you love.”

She presses a kiss to your temple as she whispers “Te amo mi amor”

You pull back and press your lips to hers once twice and third time for a deeper kiss. After a moment you pull back and take a step back to let Ona hug Leila.

After the greetings are exchanged you settle beside your wife on a chair, she immediately has and arm around your shoulder and you place your hand on her upper thigh. You take a deep breath when you tell them both “So, this camp, we aren’t married and we aren’t telling anyone why I was blacklisted, okay?”

Immediately they both protest your statement.

Ona with a “Y/N come on they will be on your side!”

Leila with a “How can I be around you and not touch you!”

Laughing at their two reactions you tell them “Hey, It’s my choice please. It’s one camp let’s just see how it goes before we do anything drastic. I want to feel the vibes before I decide anything.”

Sighing Leila presses a kiss to your cheek as she says “I’ll do whatever you want love, just know that It is going to be so hard to not kiss you and touch you whenever I want.”

Ona laughs and adds in a “Good Im glad to get a break from this sap fest you to have going on”

Turning to your best friend you stick your tongue out at her and Leila chimes in with a “don't be jealous Ona”

“ew gross, I am just happy to have the three musketeers together still” she says with a laugh.

You revel in these moments before things will go wild and chaotic at camp. You have no idea what to expect when you get there.

The icy reception you received from the Spanish players was not unexpected, but it was definitely a surprise how icy it was. The first few days of camp are an adventure, the only good thing is that when you are playing football everyone forgets the drama and the team is gelling and vibing well. As soon as you are off the field though its back to the iciness.

You were at least roomed with Ona so you had a safe space to go to every-night, and Leila took advantage of it and generally came by for a goodnight kiss before bed.

It brings you to tonight where you and Ona were walking down to team dinner together, as your walking up to the dining hall you can hear a few of the players talking, and when your name comes up you pause and Ona pauses with you as you listen.

“I don’t know how she thinks she can come back and we’d be just okay with it? We could have used her for the last five years” you think it’s Mapi who says this. You were close with her when you were originally on the team.

“How can you just shut out your country, not want to represent the national team, and turn your back on your friends and teammates” This one hurts as its Alexia’s voice. You and Alexia were super close before shit hit the fan and she was the one person you wish had handled things differently.

She could never understand how you turned your back on the national team, and she said some hurtful things to you when she heard this and you never had a chance to explain. She was your best friend and you wish you had her on your side. You knew that if she knew the truth, she would not take it well and the national team was her pride and joy and you couldn’t take her passion away from her.

“The craziest part is that she’s waltzed back in here and has fit right in on the field, we kind of need her, I know we could have used her during the world cup.” You are pretty sure this voice is Patri.

“Yeah but how do we handle that she refused to play with us for her country, she has no national pride.” Alexia again.

At this point Leila has walked up with her roommate Aitana and as they see you standing outside the room they stop and Aitana asks “What’s going on?”

Immediately you and Ona straighten up and you say “Oh nothing, Ona was just in the bathroom and I was waiting for her”

She shrugs her shoulders and walks by you into the room as Leila gives you a questioning look and she takes a look around and then steps closer to you and presses a kiss to your cheek and she whispers “Te Amo Hermosa” and then continues on into the lunch room where you and Ona shake your self out of it and follow them in.

When you walk in you are confirmed that it was Patri, Mapi and Alexia all talking about you, Immediately they all meet your eyes and you can feel the icy reception fall into place. Looking down you avoid their gaze and follow Ona to a table.

She sits with Leila and Aitana, who gets up to get food, when you settle beside Ona and across from your wife. Ona whispers to Leila “they were talking about Y/N”

Leila who you can see the lightbulb go off in her head immediately straightens up and asks “what were the saying?”

“Nothing leave it please” you beg your wife.

Ona chimes in “Y/N its not okay for them to say that”

“Please guys drop it I am fine.” you say with an air of finality.

They both know that you mean business and would not keep up with this conversation. Ona changes the subject and you sit silently and listen to them talk, you feel Leila’s foot reach out and entangle with yours and you know she’s trying to offer any support she can.

A few days later it's the end of camp and after a successful friendly where you were able to play a half and play well, you were hoping you made a mark on the team and the new coach. You, Leila and Ona were last on the field since you were all just sat taking in the sun and the grass, and they were both excited for you to have had your first game back with the national team.

Not realising that the three of you were there, you see Alexia and Mapi walk out of the tunnel and can hear their voices echo down the hall as Mapi says “I guess Y/N is still pretty good?”

“Yeah she always has been, I just cant get over the fact that she quit and left us and still thinks she can walk back in here like nothings changed.” Alexia responds.

“Why do you think she quit?” Mapi asks.

Alexia pauses before answering “I don’t know, she never told me. It clearly must be something important to forego your national team and teammates.”

“Idk I think she’s stupid, like why would you ever do this, why would you ever give this up.” Mapi says.

Alexia agrees and you can see them emerge from the tunnel as she says “Honestly it does not matter, she clearly never wanted to be here so why the heck does she think she can come back in here like nothings changed”

Before you can stop your wife, Leila is on her feet saying “hey Alexia, why don’t you act like a captain and stop assuming things and saying things that are not true”

Alexia and Mapi turn to the three of you with surprise on their faces as Alexia responds with a “What?”

Ona stands up and says “Honestly, you guys are both so narrow minded that you don’t even care to get the truth.”

“How do we even know this isn’t the truth?” Mapi asks.

While they are arguing you have gone quiet and let them argue but you step up behind them at that and say “Guys come on leave it.”

Leila immediately says “no Y/N, it’s not fair that they won’t give you a chance.”

“What do you guys care?” Mapi asks the two of you.

As Alexia adds in “We were close Y/N you clearly didn’t care about me enough to tell me the truth.” You can see the hurt in your former best friends eyes as she says this.

“You never asked” you say right back to her, as you refuse to meet her hurt eyes.

Before it can go any further most of the team walks out of the change room and you all drop the argument in favour of not upsetting the team further. You are annoyed with Ona and Leila for standing up but you also are upset with Alexia for assuming why you quit.

When everyone says their goodbyes later that night to head home, you cant help but feel like you have created a rift in the team as you can clearly see a bit of a divide and you are not okay with causing this drama. The team was fine before you came in and you cant help but to feel like you made it worse.

Settling back into life in Manchester was easy, but you still had this unsettling feeling in your gut about how you are making things harder on the Spanish team. You also cant help but to worry how Leila and Ona will be treated for their protecting of you. The last thing you want is for your wife or best friend to be alienated because of being with you.

Burying those feelings was easy as you could forget the Spain team until the next camp, if you got called back in. Being in the middle of your WSL season meant that you were able to throw your self into trainings and games. It was the third game back since being at camp, and it was the end of your winning streak. A loose back pass from you back to the keeper meant the other team was able to win it with minutes left.

It was a shitty feeling knowing you were the reason for the loss, but also the fact that you were not near to your wife to feel her comfort. She was away for a road game and wouldn’t be back till the next day. Knowing you were in for a night of self loathing and overthinking you camped out under your covers and tried to hide form the world.

When you awoke the next morning you checked your phone and saw a text from your wife with when she would be home, knowing she was exactly what you needed you decided to head over and meet her on her front step.

You sat there for an hour on the steps of her apartment when you hear “Y/N?”

Looking up you meet the eyes of your wife and her roommate Laia. Deciding that you didn’t care if her roommate knew cause what you needed was to be in your wife’s arms. You stand up and walk up to her and immediately she knows what you need. Once you are settled in her arms and can feel the comfort only she can bring you. “I love you” you whisper into her neck.

You feel her press a kiss to your temple as she whispers “Te amo Hermosa” you savour in her hug for another moment before she pulls away slightly, she keeps one arm around your waist as she says to Laia “So guess the cats out of the bag now, Laia I’d like for you to meet my wife”

She laughs as she says “is this where you have been sneaking out to Laila?”

Your wife still has her arm around you and when you hear this you tilt your head up to look at her as you ask “It better have been where you are sneaking off to.”

“Damn it Laia, you are spilling all my secrets to the wrong people” Leila says with a laugh as she presses a kiss to your forehead.

“Well lovebirds lets go inside and order a pizza.” Laia says to you both with a smile and a laugh.

Before you follow her inside your wife pulls you back and asks quietly “We can hide out in my room if you want, we don’t need to hang out with her”

You look at her with a smile and say “I think its time we get to know your teammates love, but thank you” you finish with a soft kiss to your wife lips, that you feel her linger in. The kiss is broken up when you both feel water spraying on your faces. Immediately turning towards the source you see Laia there with a spray bottle.

“If we're gonna hang out, I have ground rules. Rule one no smooching or you get sprayed” She starts with.

Leila turns and whacks her roommate in the shoulder with a laugh and a “trust me, we do not need you to help us get wet”

You laugh at Laia’s disgusted face but hit your wife in the shoulder. As you follow them both in to the apartment you feel better knowing that there is someone else who is on your side when it comes to your marriage.

It’s a week later when you are following Ona into a restaurant to meet up with some of the city girls for dinner. You and Leila decided that you were going to be more comfortable with other players, and Ona being friends with the Spaniards as well helps.

You are both guided to the back room where there is a table set up for your group. Laia, Vicky, Deyna and your wife are already seated and when Ona walks in first they all cheer for her and when you step in after her you think the cheer dies down.

Laia stands up and gives you both a hug. Deyna stands up and hugs Ona, and introduces her self to you.

“Well well well if it isn’t Y/N YL/N” Vicky says to you as she walks towards you.

You feel your stomach bottom out with her tone, you aren’t sure how this is going to go but you can see your wife making her way towards you when you answer with a “Hola Vicky.”

She shakes her head and with a small smile she says “Y/N it’s been a long time.”

As this point your wife has walked up to you and places her hand on the small of your back as you say “Yes it is has, I am sorry for leaving”

She smiles and says “Y/N I am just glad you have made it, and that the federation didn’t stop you from playing. I was one of the captains at the time, I know you didn’t leave by choice. I am sorry I never stopped it from happening.”

Feeling the dread leave your body you surge forward and give Vicky a hug, she was always like the big sister to the young players when you were still with the team. “Thank you for saying that, I have missed you and your protectiveness”

When you step back your wife is still beside you and she wraps and arm around your shoulder and presses a kiss to your temple and whispers “Te amo hermosa.”

“Whoa whoa, wait! what is this?” Vicky asks immediately.

You blush and feel Leila straighten up but keep her arm around your waist. Your wife shrugs and says to not only Vicky but to the table “So we’re married, have been for 6 months and been together for about 4 and a half years”

Immediately there is silence then Ona and Laia burst out laughing at the look on Vicky’s face. She has clearly done the math and immediately hits Leila and says “I cant believe you kept this a secret!”

You laugh at Leilas outburst of “it wasn’t hard, Y/N was a taboo topic on the team”

“Unless you know the secret then it’s not taboo with Leila” Ona mutters under her breath, and the table bursts out laughing at the blush that covers Leila’s cheeks.

Pressing a kiss to your wife’s cheek you meet eyes with Vicky who has a smile on her face, it drops slightly as she says “So you know how you said you missed my protectiveness?”

“Yes?”

She turns to Leila and starts with “So I didn’t get to do this before clearly so I will make up for lost time now, If you hurt her you will have to deal with me.”

Your wife gulps and answers with a “I would never hurt her Vicky, but I appreciate the protectiveness”

The waitress interrupts anything else and everyone takes their seats, you end up sandwiched on the booth side between Vicky and your wife, with the other three across from you. You have a great time with the girls and when Deyna takes a selfie of the table and posts it on instagram you do not think anything of it. Little do you know it would be the cause of your secrets to come out.

Its less than a week later when you and Ona are sat around the table your apartment eating breakfast when your phone rings, you always check the ID now and see its the coach. You answer and spend a few minutes on your phone before you turn to Ona and tell her, “they invited me back”

She smiles and leans over and hugs you from the side as she says “I am so happy for you Y/N”

“Ona?” you ask her in a small voice.

“si?”

Not able to look at her when you say this, you keep your eyes downcast as you ask “are we sure its a good idea for me to try to come back? It seems to just be causing more drama than needed.”

You can hear her move her chair and turn towards you as she says “yes, we need you Y/N”

“But if all I bring is drama then what is the point?” you ask still not able to meet her eyes.

She grabs your hand and squeezes and says softly “Y/N we need you, we haven’t been cohesive as a team in a long time, and since we have you back in camp there is more fire. We have all been too complacent we needed you to spice things up and light a fire under our asses.”

You look up at her and ask as you wipe the tears from your eyes “Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s about time this team had some drama to spice things up” she says with a laugh. “Plus I cant wait too see everyones faces when they find out the truth”

You laugh and at that moment both of your phones beep and you look down to see your Manchester Spanish Babes Group chat go off.

Laia: So the team group chat is going on right now…. but I think they made a group without Y/N and Ona in it?

Laia: they are talking about how clearly there is more going on then they know about Y/N. They saw the instagram of us all at dinner and think you are trying to get players on your side. I am not going to send any more messages but basically the chat is about how they cant believe that you’d come back and not even apologise to anyone.

Leila: It’s bullshit, do not listen to it Y/N.

Your phone rings at that while your head is swirling and you look and see your wife is calling, you pick up with a “Hola love”

“Hola hermosa, ignore the chat please. They do not have any right to ask for that from you. You do not have to justify or explain to anyone” She immediately says.

“thanks love. I know you think so but maybe it would calm things down.” you say back.

She laughs and says “Hermosa, who cares about them, you do what is right for you. Do not let them force you into doing anything you do not want to do”

Smiling you answer her with a “thanks for having my back love.”

“Always.” she answers. You continue on the phone for a few minutes and when you hang up you feel Ona give you a hug and you know that you will be okay. No matter what happens you have friends and family who will always have your back.

With Manchester United having an away game the day before camp you and Ona end up flying in separately the day after everyone else arrives in camp. You both are taken right from the airport to the training ground, when you walk down the hall behind Ona you cant help but feel like something bad is going to happen.

When you get close enough to the door of the change room you can hear your wife’s raised voice as she says “No you guys do not get to judge Y/N for anything. You need to stop this”

Before you can enter the room you hear Alexia say to her “I can say what ever I want. When someone who should have been honoured to represent their country tosses us aside then that affects me”

“We could have used her these last few years, she wasn’t there for us” Mapi adds on.

Before your wife can say anything to defend you, you enter the room and feel all eyes on you. Ona has stopped beside you and you feel her support, you meet your wife’s eyes from across the room as you say “I knew coming back would cause too much drama”

Alexia rolls her eyes as she says “You knew this would cause drama Y/N, do not act innocent”

Before you can say anything else Mapi steps in and adds “Y/N none of us get how you can ditch us and not care when we needed you.”

Scuffing Alexia adds “she clearly didn’t need us”

“Hey!” your wife steps in to defend you and before she can start you interrupt her.

“Leila stop please love, this is my fight not yours” you tell her softly. When you see her nod and meet your eyes with a small smile you gather your strength from your wife as you turn and address the team finally with your secret.

“I left not because I wanted to, because I was forced to. I was the one who came forward about the abuse allegations, and they got swept under the rug. I got swept to the side and kicked out to keep the cover up alive. I would have never left if I had the choice.” as you finish you wipe the tears off your cheeks and turn and spin out of the locker room.

#woso #woso imagine #woso imagines #woso x reader #Leila Ouahabi #leila ouahabi imagine #leila ouahabi x reader #espwnt x reader

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myjunkisyuzuruhanyu · 6 months

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*sigh* alright guess it's time to ask...

Expectations for the men's gpf?

Personally, I feel it's gonna be a 4 way race between Shoma, Yuma, Ilia, and Adam, which means who knows what the podium will look like in any form... though if even 1 or 2 of those 4 bomb and Kao and/or Kevin skate clean, who knows...

And to go even further in my thoughts, I would say Shoma has the LOWEST chance of falling off the podium, while Adam has the highest... too much pressure and apparently this is his first gpf? I saw someone say that. I could see Adam bombing, considering he's the favorite and going last in the short I think.

...what has this sport done to me

This GPF is really unpredictable. Actually anyone could podium depending on how the competition goes. What I can definetly say is that this is one of the best packed GPF there ever was.

The best 6 men of the GP series really did make it. Each of them has something special: Ilia has the highest possible BV and the 4A, Adam developed into a secure jumper but also brings a different style to skating, Yuma has stunning softness about his skating with beautiful executed elements, Kevin is just a showmaster on the ice, Kao has this raw energy about him and Shoma is a master in terms artistry and audience emoting and spell binding magic with the softest knees and brings the overall package to the ice.

This analysis is done simply from a mathematical point of view, so it doesn't say anything about deserved or not. There is a sort of track record that indicates the advantages and disadvantages.

If we look at highest total scores from the GP series that would go:

1. Ilia 2.Adam 3.Yuma 4.Shoma 5.Kevin 6.Kao

If we look at their personal best scores that would go

1. Shoma 2.Ilia 3.Yuma 4.Adam 5.Kevin 6.Kao

If we take into consideration their current BV layout that would go:

1. Ilia 2.Shoma 3.Adam 4.Kao 5.Yuma 6.Kevin

Imo a clean Shoma is unbeatable. But even an "unclean" Shoma usually gets more PCS than everyone else (even if Adam had a higher PCS at CoC fs but there was a cap to Shoma's PCS) and usually Shoma has a GOE advantage on Ilia and Adam on spins and in general Shoma's GOEs are high (let's really forget the final NHK score and look at the tech box GOEs they were massive). He also has the status as two time world champion and ofc experience and calmness to be the leader however ofc if tech panel is super strict with him again nothing can save him and ofc if mistakes happen, he may even be off podium. But I think Shoma's scoring potential is the highest and contrary to Ilia and Adam he hadn't shown his full potential this season and usually Shoma paces himself well towards the big competitions. So all in all I agree on Shoma being the unlikeliest to place off podium. (But well if this season taught us anything then that nothing is for granted not even for two time world champion Shoma)

Ilia and Adam - Ilia even more than Adam - have the BV advantage and their massive season best scores to show. So if they can repeat that they are the medal winners. Both looked fairly secure so far this season but we haven't seen Ilia for almost a month and Adam may also have peaked a bit early with all his competitions. CoC was his 6th competition the season!

If Yuma would have his old content I would put him up with Ilia, Adam and Shoma, but atm he doesn't have the same BV as before his injury. I am not sure he will upgrade his content. If he doesn't than he can win the SP, but winning overall depends on the others. Let's say he cannot achieve the win by his own merits. But a medal is possible nonetheless as it's unlikely Shoma, Adam and Ilia can all produce their best skates. And Yuma's scores aren't bad at all for his BV being much lower.

Pressure is a different beast and it's Yuma's and Adam's first GPF and on both are certain expectations Adam as the first qualifier and Yuma as the 2nd one beating Shoma and also the one who has the highest SP score of the season by a tenth but still. That is a disadvantage.

Kao has more BV than Kevin but his GOEs on spins and steps aren't as good as of the others and his PCS are not that high either. And I don't think it helps his case to have two other Japanese men at the GPF to uplevel his PCS reputation. He's also not as secure as Yuma, Shoma, Ilia and Adam. Kao will only medal if at least two of the other 4 will make costly mistakes.

Kevin is completely dependent on the others making mistakes to get to the podium. His PCS are among the highest, he gets good GOEs but his BV is too low to win a medal on his own accord.

That would be my analysis. But as experience tell nothing has to go like expected. I mean NHK scoring was really the best example that anyone can get crashed if the tech panel and judges want you to. We can only hope for fairness and amazing skates. May the best combined of both days win.

#figure skating #shoma uno #gpf 2023 #ilia malinin #adam siao him fa #yuma kagiyama #kao miura #kevin aymoz #i am excited #though a bit nervous if Shoma was affected by the nhk scoring in a negative way #and i am nervous in general for Shoma so #btw i haven't looked the bv or scores up it was all done by pure memory so correct me if something is wrong

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astro-royale · 8 months

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「Elvis Presley: Moon+Venus sign analysis

Hello my Royalties (followers of my blog will now be referred to as Royalties) because you’re a one of a kind STAR (Astro means star) ;))

Have you guessed I have a Leo in Venus placement…

I will be starting a series where I will be analysing the moon + venus signs of male celebrities and their dating track record..

I believe by doing so we can truly understand certain placements and we can learn how to now interpret them not just metaphorically but quite literally in our personal lives.. we can learn what to stay away from, potentially save our lives. Or we can find our best match

And what better way to start than with the King of Rock n Roll… Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was a Pisces Moon with A Capricorn Venus…

Now the moon sign in a man’s chart tells us what kind of personality a man is typically drawn to

And the venus sign informs us on preferences in regards to appearance…

His Pisces moon in 2 degrees of Taurus indicates he had a preference for mysterious, withdrawn and shy women, women which seem to be in need of protection.

The 2 degrees in taurus also points to women who can easily be possessed as well as women who he could easily secure and guide, women that he could invest in.

Which is definitely very true as he is known for his questionable relationship to Priscilla Presley. He pretty much guided her into being his “perfect girl” , shaping her personal style, taste in music, what she wore.. and she was pretty much hidden in his home for a big part of their relationship until they got married.

Even with his other girlfriends, they were all very easily influenced and able to manipulated and shaped due to their young age, which goes back to that 2* degrees Taurus of stability and investing into something so it grows over time… a little creepy but yeah I’m pretty much just quoting history.

I was inspired to write this post because I have recently watched a series on Prime with his ex girlfriends talking about their experience of him which made me want to ,,, look at his chart.

The 2* in taurus also points to women from the countryside or women with very simple backgrounds which again is very true in his case… and for his girlfriends which had a bit more status, well they were usually involved in some kind of art but SPECIFICALLY singing with that Taurus because Taurus rules the throat. And that was again true.

Now his capricorn venus shows us that he would prefer a mature look on a woman in terms of her style, women wearing leather and dressed in darker shades, also somewhat traditional, also preference for a darker hair colour.

Example: He made Priscilla dye her hair so it was darker

With this placement being in 29 degrees in Leo it does have a grandiosity to it, okay, so this could mean women with grande hairstyles (Priscilla was really known for that beehive). And the 29 degrees in Leo also points to colours that really stand out even if they were in darker shades, it could just be colours with depths to them like purple, blues etc and it could also mean mixing shiny details with darker colours, like gold on black and so on. Which ya know, Elvis was quite notorious for his flashy outfits,,

Priscilla did state that despite her being underage, Elvis would make her wear mature and sexy clothes. Well.. that goes back to that 29 degrees in Leo. There’s a big contrast between that Capricorn venus and Leo degree because it denotes that he likes a woman who embodies traditional values but still appears flashy and is in the spotlight.

Hey guys! Please keep in mind a lot of time and energy goes into this research :) I love being able to share it with everyone and I want to keep sharing my knowledge unconditionally which is why I haven’t created a Tumblr+.

Consider supporting me by booking a Tarot Reading or leaving a tip by clicking the Tip Button

IG: astr0royale

I also do pick a card readings on YouTube and it would mean the world if you checked that out

Thank you and much love to you all.

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total-drama-takes-takes-2 · 5 months

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ttwt episode 10

“Last time, on Total Takes World Tour: The teens you’ve grown to know and hate had a… surprise landing on the remote island of St. Helena, where they recreated the decisive Battle of Waterloo as a tribute to its most famous resident. Mal revealed a smart side to her crazy, prompting Ass and Courtney to make an unexpected alliance. Julia finally got Patrick eliminated, and Team Friendship became just a little more unraveled. Who will survive today’s challenge? Will anyone? Find out right here, right now, on Total Takes: World Tour!”

The sun finally disappears behind the sea of clouds, only visible from the windows of the clunky jet plane soaring through the skies. It’s dark now, but no stars are visible.

Julia peers outside the single tiny window in economy and squints, then turns back to her team. Ass and Courtney are sitting a significant distance from herself and Mal, whispering and giggling amongst themselves. The aforementioned is closer to Julia, but still holding her space as she stretches out on the bench, scrolling through her phone. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Julia takes a seat next to her. “So, what’s the M.O. for today?”

“Hmmmmm?” Mal asks, not bothering to tear her eyes away.

The blonde grits her teeth. “Any idea where we’re landing next?”

“I haven’t had the chance to run my Predictinator since yesterday. I’m running low on storage space,” she sighs. “What’s it gonna take for a girl to get a 30TB hard drive around here?”

Julia rolls her eyes and looks out the window again. A few lights are visible through the evening mist, piercing through the carpet of clouds like rays of sunshine. She turns back. “Lights, so, we’re somewhere populated. Paris, maybe?”

---

JULIA: “I wouldn’t announce it in front of anyone on this plane, but I think I might be the only smart player left,” she pauses to snort. “Who’s gonna out rank me? Pinkie Pie? Daria? The Nutcase? I don’t think so. If anyone’s gonna pull us together, it’s me.”

---

“Unlikely,” Mal says, adjusting a pair of cat-eared headphones on her head. “While the lack of stars is definitely a sign of light pollution, we’re not in Europe. I’ve been tracking our flight times, and we’ve been flying way longer. If I had to guess…” she thinks for a moment as the cat ears light up to an aggressive shade of pink. “Western United States. I guess it could be Vancouver, but the air and temperature don’t feel right.”

Julia raises an eyebrow. “How-”

“I went to San Diego comic con last year- total ripoff, by the way, the east coast conventions are so much better- and I was wearing my latest Diluc cosplay, and-”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” the blonde sighs, getting up and walking away out of economy.

Michela watches the interaction from across the room with bated breath. She turns to Albert. “Something’s up with that team,”

The boy, still absorbed in his book, looks up for a fleeting second. “Isn’t there something up with all of them?”

“Yeah, I guess, I mean like…” she holds out her hands and moves them apart, indicating the space between Mal and Julia, and then Courtney and Ass. “Totally split.”

Albert sets down his book and thinks for a moment. “Maybe… we could use that to our advantage,”

“We might have to,” Michela says, gesturing to herself and her last remaining teammate.

---

First class feels much bigger than usual with everyone crowded in the same area.

Bonnie and Kelly are squinting at a crude drawing of what appears to be a bell with a horse’s head in red crayon. Finally, the goth sighs. “I have no idea. I give up,”

“No giving up!” Staci insists, urging Phillip to shove the drawing closer to them as if the distance would suddenly reveal something to them.

“Come on, it’s obvious!”

“Um… steam boat?”

The small hour glass on the pull-out table in the center of the area runs out of sand and Phillip sighs. “It’s a physical manifestation of the concept of grief,”

“What?” Bonnie snaps, throwing their arms out. “WHO chooses that for Pictionary!”

“I thought Eiffel Tower was too obvious,”

The goth slinks back in their seat, groaning as if in a tremendous amount of pain. Kelly offers them a reassuring shoulder pat. “It’s our turn, Bonnie- I’m sure we’ll do better this time!”

They grumble, but relent.

In the opposite corner of the cabin, Max grimaces and holds his hands over his ears tighter.

---

MAX: “Staci thinks we haven’t been “working as a team” lately, so she’s been forcing the dunces to play “team building exercises”. AKA, kiddie board games. I only got out because I flipped the board after Phillip started crying when he lost Clue. I’m in time-out,”

---

“This is torture,” Bonnie mutters.

Finally, the intercom crackles to life and, like an angel descending from heaven, Chris swoops in to save the day with a different kind of torture.

“Attention, passengers! We’ll be landing in Los Angeles, U.S.A. shortly- so buckle in!”

No one wastes any time rushing to their seats and double-buckling before the plane plummets, accompanied by the sounds of screaming teens. Kelly and Staci grab onto Bonnie, who quickly shakes them off.

Phillip tries to grab Max’s arm but the latter dodges just in time, and he smacks face-first into the arm rest.

Economy isn’t doing much better. Julia covers her head, Michela and Albert duck, and Courtney and Ass grab the edge of the bench while dodging all the loose wads of gum and candy wrappers flying around the Zero-G cabin. Mal struggles to post a Tweet while the room trembles from the air force.

Finally, the plane swoops over the Southern Californian hills, pulling up just before colliding with the mountain face (but not before taking out one of the “O’s” in the Hollywood sign, leaving it as “Hollywod”).

The metal bird lands gently and delicately on the sandy, arid desert hills, its doors opening and releasing the woozy contestants with a round of hisses and groans.

Chris grins at the sight. “Apologies for the rough landing- nighttime- low visibility!”

“Sure,” Courtney mumbles, a deep inflection of sarcasm in their tone.

“Welcome to Hollywood! Famous for its movies, stars, and, well… fame!”

Kelly squeals, forcing everyone on their side to cover their ears.

---

KELLY: “Finally, I knew my luck would turn! I’ve always wanted to go shopping in Beverly Hills, strut the Walk of Fame, visit the gorgeous beaches… if there’s anything the Cali coast is known for, it’s good vibes and positive energies!”

---

“Right,” Chris grimaces, pulling his hands off his ears the second Kelly quiets down (thanks to a quick hand-over-the-mouth from Max). “Anyway… today’s challenge is all about the Stars- you’ll be climbing the metaphorical ladder from being pathetic nobodies to being someone important, like me!”

Bonnie rolls their eyes.

“Your first step is enclosed in this sealed Award envelope- you’ll be hunting for these throughout your stay here in La-La-Land,” the host says, pulling the glossy golden tickets from his shirt pocket and tossing one to each team. “First team at the last location wins immunity and first-class amenities. As they say in the theater industry- break a leg. Or two!” Chris chuckles. A helicopter suddenly swoops overhead, dropping a ladder for him to climb.

The teens watch as he ascends and begins floating off into the night. “Oh, yeah- almost forgot- like any Star, you’ll be avoiding the Paps- paparazzi, that is!”

“Ooh, I’ve always dreamed of being a famous actress- or a singer- or a triple threat!” Kelly squeals. Albert rolls his eyes. “I love having my picture taken!”

“Yeah, but not by these guys,” Chris shouts. “Good luck!”

Max massages his temples. “Okay, listen- as much as you oafs want to soak in the limelight like a dying houseplant, we need to keep a low profile. I-”

“Not so fast, Max,” Staci says, shoving a finger in his face. “Let’s hear from everyone before making any big decisions. We need to work as a team if we want to win!”

He hisses, but is luckily restrained by Bonnie when Staci turns her back.

“If we lose, she’s done,” Max whispers harshly. “I’m not going to be a part of her little friendship experiment. They’re destroying the team!”

“Anything to get out of-” Bonnie shudders. “Group bonding.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Still as solitary as ever, I see?”

“I’ve been improving,” they say, shrugging. “I’m just not sure how to like… not explode into a million angry pieces when I get fed up with everyone’s crap. What even is that?”

“Overwhelm. You went from no friends to all the friends. I’d imagine that’d take some adjustment,”

Bonnie’s eyes drift over to Albert and Michela as they open their envelope. “We both have some adjusting to do, huh?”

Nearby, Julia clears her throat and opens the envelope. “Oh, great, it’s another one of Chris’ stupid riddles. What does this even-”

She takes a deep breath, and then sighs. “Mal, would you-?”

Courtney and Ass make fleeting, annoyed eye contact, but don’t say anything as Mal peers over Julia’s shoulder.

The brunette sighs and rolls her eyes. “It’s just a haiku,”

“A what?”

“A haiku- you know, an ancient Japanese poem. You guys are like, so uneducated!”

“Okay, fine,” Julia grits her teeth. “What does it mean?”

---

JULIA: “As much as I hate that little IPad baby twerp, she might be the only other person on this team who has any competency. If I can keep goading her into participation without wringing her neck, we might have an easy ride to the finale three,”

---

“If it’s fame you seek, find the place of solid stars, and make like a bee,” Mal reads. “Hm… solid stars…”

“The Walk of Fame? Those stars are pretty solid,” Ass prompts.

Courtney shakes their head. “But what does that last part mean? “Make like a bee…?” What do bees have to do with the Walk of Fame?”

“Maybe Chris hid a bunch of killer hornet nests there,” they grumble in response.

Julia shakes her head. “If only there were someone… ugh. SMARTER THAN ME who could help out,”

Mal smacks the gum in her mouth and gives the team a sideways glance. After a brief silence, she sighs with a smile. “If you insist…”

She nabs the paper from Julia’s grip and reads it, then reads it again, and then holds it up to the lights of the city as if it’d do anything. Then she nods. “The wax museum,”

“What?” Julia snaps. “How?”

---

MAL: “Does it bother Julia that I’m good at things? Yes. Do I care? Not really. I’ve barely got enough storage space to unlock my phone… if I can “team player” my way into a hard drive, so be it,” she pauses to flick a lint ball off her shirt. “Besides, this is child’s play. I’ve been stalking and collecting data on deleted blogs since I was eight.”

---

“Uh, duh? Solid stars- bees? Wax statues,” Mal says, crumpling and tossing the clue behind her. “Can we get moving now? I’m getting like, NO bars here.”

---

Max pushes open the door to the now-closed and empty wax museum and peers into the dark foyer. “This is it,”

“Team work makes the dream work!” Staci says proudly, accidentally shoving him out of the way as they strut in. “Let’s go, guys!”

Bonnie helps Max to his feet and he grumbles, then follows the leader inside.

“Okay, problem: It’s too dark to see,” Staci says, scratching their chin. “Solution! Let’s find a light switch. Any volunteers?”

“Ooh, me! Me!” Kelly announces, dashing off into the dark before slamming into an unseen wall. Staci winces.

“You okay there, teammate?”

“Just… happy… to be included…”

Max rolls his eyes as he and Bonnie are ordered to go help them up. A sudden fwoosh catches everyone’s attention and they turn to its source.

Phillip is holding a lighter, emitting a short spark of flames that illuminates the area around him.

“Where’d you get that?” Bonnie asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I always carry a lighter on me, in case I ever need to light a smoke,”

“You smoke?”

He pauses for a moment, and then sulks. “No. I have asthma,”

“Well, it’s a good thing you came prepared anyway!” Staci says, patting him on the back. “Lead the way!”

---

BONNIE: “Staci isn’t a bad person, she’s just… a little in over her head. It’s like they’re reciting dictionary terms, not really leading… but I’m not going to test my luck. I might be next in line,” they shiver.

---

MAX: "Yeah. We’re dead,”

---

STACI: “Am I doing a good job or what? I finally feel like I’m getting the hang of this leader thing- college, here I come!”

---

Michela and Albert push the double doors open and dash in.

“It’s so dark in here- we must be the first ones!” she gasps, grinning. “Let’s find a light switch and get our next clue.”

The two run in further, seconds before Team Yaoi dashes in.

“That was Michela and Albert- how are we last?” Courtney huffs.

“Never mind, let’s just-” Julia thinks. “Mal, does your phone’s flashlight still work?”

She shrugs, her eyes still fixed on the screen. The blue light casts a menacing shadow over her face. Julia grits her teeth.

“Mal, would you be so generous as to-”

“On it,” she says, flicking on the flashlight and illuminating the darkness.

Dozens of lifelike statues surround the team, their dull stares sending shivers down everyone’s spines.

Courtney swallows a lump in their throat. “Okay… is it just me, or is this place kinda-”

“Creepy?” Ass says, finishing their sentiment with a nod.

Julia shakes her head. “Let’s just find our clue and get out of here,”

They press on into the dark.

---

“Hey, look!” Kelly says, pointing ahead. “There’s a note from Chris on the wall!”

““Your next clue is hidden somewhere in one of these statues- in order to find it, you’re going to have to get personal- heh. One unlucky teammate is going to have to carefully undress the statues, one by one, until you find it. Don’t worry- they’re not totally lifelike. Good luck!”” they read.

Max rolls his eyes. “He even enunciates his evil laughs in writing,”

Bonnie crosses their arms, ignoring their friend’s remark. “So… who’s gonna strip them down?”

The five of them look between each other awkwardly. Max turns to Staci. “Alright, since no one’s stepping up, looks like our leader is going to have to pick a volunteer,”

“Doesn’t that kinda beat the purpose of volunteering?” Staci chuckles, looking a bit pale. “Well… alright. How about-”

“I just got my nails done!” Kelly insists.

“I hate the feeling of wax,” Bonnie grumbles.

“No way, it’s way too gay,” Phillip quivers.

Staci swallows a lump in their throat and then turns to Max. “Would you-”

He shrugs, giving them a wicked grin. “Nah. I’m not much of a leader, after all,”

---

MAX: “Staci wants to role-play Mx. President? Fine. But I’m tired of being her VP every time she wants an easy out. If she’s going to actually learn how to lead, she’s going to have to make a hard choice eventually,”

---

STACI: "Okay, I'm no prude but... bodies make me a little squeamish. They're just so... fleshy,"

---

“That’s okay! I can figure this out,” Staci says, pacing back and forth. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it. Right?”

The other four teens shrug, and then follow her into the darkness.

---

“Oh this is SICK!” Julia gags, reading Chris’ instructions.

Courtney shrugs. “Hey, better than doing it to a real person like in the original season. Even though these statues are creepy as all hell,”

“They’re not so bad. They kinda remind me of my anime figurine collection. I have the largest collection of exclusive one-time-run limited supply Haikyuu figures in continental Canada, you know,” Mal says, poking one of the statues with a giggle. Julia rolls her eyes.

“Let’s just get this over with,”

The faint, ever-dreaded song bell catches their attention, and the entire cast seems to collectively groan.

“It’s creepy how they stand there, and don’t even blink!” Courtney sings, walking by an Elvis.

Ass crosses their arms. “I don’t wanna see them there, all smooth and pink!”

Julia leans into the two. “Hey guys, could we bribe Mal to strip them all down?”

Ass shrugs “I say let her at them-”

“Nuh-uh, she’ll burn this place down!” Courtney snaps.

Across the floor, Team Friendship isn’t faring much better. Staci is trembling, beet-red and unable to even undo a single tie on Marilyn Monroe. She turns back to the team for help.

Bonnie looks away. “No way, I can’t do it- I swear I’ll spew!”

“And I’m allergic to sequins-” Max smirks.

“Okay, that’s just cruel,” the goth comments.

Phillip holds up his hands defensively. “My sigma lifestyle, prevents me from touch!”

Kelly blushes and clears their throat. “Um, well, I think it’s just a bit too much,”

“If we’re gonna find that clue, there’s only one thing to dooooo!” Bonnie sings.

Max nods. “Force someone to strip them down-”

The four players sing in unison, pointing at Staci. “And sorry, Stace, that’s you!”

They groan, looking pale.

“If we’re gonna find that clue” Julia sings, nudging Courtney and Ass with either elbow. “There’s only one thing to doooo!”

“Force someone to strip them down,” Courtney and Ass nod, both pointing at Mal. “And Mal will have to do!”

Mal shrugs.

“Hey I think I got something!” Michela says, pulling an envelope out the back of Lady Gaga’s dress. “Come on, let’s go, quick!”

Albert shakes his head. “Good, let’s get out of here- this place makes me sick!”

Team Yaoi sings as Mal shreds the clothes off the figures one-by-one. “Yeah, we’re gonna find that clue!”

Staci unzips a single dress, looking green and dizzy. “We’re doing what Chris proposed!”

“Force someone to strip them down,” Max sings merrily, nudging Bonnie.

The rest of the team harmonizes in unison. “Cause if we don’t we’re toast!”

Bonnie walks throughout the rows of statues, hand clutched to their heart. “Totally to-oh-oh-oh-oh-oast!”

Staci shudders, pulling their hand away from the dress. “I don’t think I- guys, I can’t even look at Barbie dolls naked, it- it freaks me out!”

Max rolls his eyes. “Well, I’m not doing it. Bonnie?”

The goth shakes their head. Kelly whistles innocently, looking around the room. Phillip begins backing away, but doesn’t look where he’s going and crashes into a wax statue of Taylor Swift, both of them falling backwards.

The flamed tip of his lighter catches onto her tousled blonde locks and she goes up in flames, melting slowly and dreadfully into the concrete floor. Phillip winces.

“Hey, look!” Bonnie gasps, pointing at the melded beige remains of Swift. A single, wax-covered envelope pokes out of the mess.

Max grabs it and tears it open. ““With your wax surprise, find where the magic happens, and the crowd goes wild.” Any thoughts?”

“Wax surprise must mean the clue. Where the magic happens is what bosses say when you’re about to sign up for the worst job of your life,” Bonnie thinks aloud. “And the crowd…”

Max and Bonnie look at each other and speak in unison. “A studio!”

“Yayyyyy team!” Staci says weakly. “We did it!”

“Phillip did it, with his amazingly idiotic dunce routine,” Max snaps. “Whatever. Let’s get a move-on.”

---

Team Yaoi stops outside the gates of a massive studio lot, looking between the wrought-iron bars of the entrance.

Julia gives them a tug. “Locked,”

“Well, the clue has got to be around here somewhere…” Courtney thinks aloud. “Ass? Any help?”

“I’m thinking,” they respond, pacing back and forth. “If only we really were in the movies. Some deus ex-machina plot device would swoop in and save the day.”

Courtney snorts. “I wish. We could go for a corny superhero savior right about now,”

“Like in that one movie where the girl jumps off the roof-”

“-And that hero in the spandex swoops in and saves her! That was so dumb, I swear- I don’t think I’d ever be so infatuated with a man to jump off a roof for him,”

Ass crosses their arms. “Tell me about it. How dumb do they expect the audience to be to believe a working woman would throw her whole life away for some dork in tights? It’s basically the same as a ditzy princess marrying a rando she just met. I’ll never forgive my cinema studies teacher for giving me a low grade on my paper about that. He called it “too cynical”,”

“Yeah, I got banned from watching spoof movies when my parents are home,” Courtney chuckles. “Even though I’ll watch pretty much anything when they’re gone. Which is all the time.”

---

COURTNEY: “Out of all the people… I can’t believe I’m getting along with Ass- I mean, Natalie. Maybe this is some weird trauma-response to Mal and Julia’s alliance, maybe this show is just getting to me, but… they’re not half-bad company!”

---

ASS: “Courtney? I know. I used to hate their guts, but they might be the only sane person left. Even after we get Mal voted out, I don’t see any harm in continuing our alliance. It’s not like Julia’s the most pleasant person to converse with,”

---

A loud screech distracts the two from their in-depth analysis and they turn to the road, where seven black vans have pulled up.

“Don’t even tell me,” Julia sighs.

The car doors slide open and dozens of paparazzi file out, holding cameras- and stun guns.

“I guess this was what Chris was talking about,” Courtney says, looking at Ass nervously. “And the crowd goes wild!”

“I’m not sticking around for that. Run!”

---

“Okay, everyone, stay together!” Staci yells, running at the front of Team Friendship’s frantic escape from the stampede of coffee breath and flashing lights. “Remember, work as a-”

“Enough!” Max shouts, covering his ears seconds before he’s enveloped by the crowd of paparazzi.

“NOOOOOOO!” Bonnie shouts, throwing out a dramatic hand behind them as he disappears into the tidal wave. They turn back to Staci. “Man down!”

“We need a plan!” Phillip shouts.

Kelly yells ahead. “You can do this!”

Staci frowns, a bead of sweat running down their forehead. “I… I… I don’t know! I don’t know! Leave me alone!”

She screams and throws herself into the crowd, knocking over a dozen paps like bowling pins.

Bonnie blinks, turning to Kelly and Phillip. “I think our leader was just assassinated,”

“Not a bad idea though!” Kelly shouts back, grinning. They stop and throw themselves backwards, barreling over a few more people. The impact has a domino effect, and with each collision another row of paparrazzi fall.

“For my honor!” Phillip shouts, tossing himself too.

Bonnie shakes their head. “I hate you guys!” and jumps into the fray as well.

After the dust clears, and the sounds of groaning and grumbling have subsided, a hand juts out of the fog to help Bonnie up. They accept it and Max pulls them to their feet. He waves around a golden envelope. “Let’s get out of here,”

---

“The win which you need, is where stars are out of reach, skies are what you seek,” Julia reads aloud. “Okay, so… somewhere high…”

“That could be anywhere!” Courtney says, dusting off their shirt. “There’s multiple skyscrapers in this city.”

“But it has to do with actors, right?” Ass adds on as the team walks through the darkened city, wincing at their injuries from the paparazzi encounter. “There’s gotta be some agency building or something.”

“Maybe… maybe not,” a voice from the back pipes up.

The three turn behind them, where Mal is scrolling through her phone. The device itself is untouched, while the girl is covered in scrapes and bruises from the stampede.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Chris said this challenge is all about stars, right? Well, what if this clue is about a different kind of star?” She says, pointing at a hill ahead of them.

The Griffith Observatory flashes, twinkling in the night sky like a star itself. Julia sighs, not even bothering to ask, and then gestures the team ahead. “Only one way to find out!”

Mal grins and follows close behind.

---

MAL: “Okay, so I may have been lying… just a little,” she grins, barely holding back a giggle. “I’m not some riddle prodigy. It’s just that the studio infrastructure has like, no firewall, and, well…”

She holds her phone to the confessional camera, revealing live camera footage of herself in the confessional. She scrolls and it flicks to the plane galley, and then economy class, and then the cargo hold.

She takes back her phone and sits down. “I wouldn’t call it stalking so much as, per se… learning the lore!”

---

Team Friendship looks between each other as Max and Bonnie pace, discussing the clue. Staci is seated on the asphalt, far from the rest of the group, her knees pulled tightly to her chest.

“So it’s somewhere high up, has to do with actors, but isn’t a skyscraper, isn’t the Hollywood hill…” he thinks aloud, pacing. “I feel like we’re missing something.”

“A double entendre, maybe?” Bonnie asks. “‘Sky’ might be a metaphor, or a reference.”

Max groans. “This is useless,”

Kelly watches the two discuss the clue, team morale sharply dropping. They sigh and take a seat next to Staci. “They could really use you, you know,”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know anything. I’ve been playing everything by the book to a T- and I still suck at this. It’s no different than high school, or college… I’m just never going to understand people,” they sigh. “What’s the point of trying anything- friendships, school, romance… if I’m just never going to get it right?"

Kelly frowns, and puts a hand on their shoulder. “Staci, you have more strength than you know. I know I see the best in everyone, but… you’re a part of our team!”

No response. She looks away.

“Look, maybe you’re not a leader. Maybe you can’t be Max, or Bonnie… So what? You don’t have to be perfect at everything,” they smile weakly. “I know what it feels like to be out of place… but you, Staci, you belong on this team. You don’t have to be the head! You can be the… liver, or something.”

They raise an eyebrow. “Anatomy isn’t really my strong suit. Human bodies kinda ick me out,”

“My point is more than everyone has a purpose. We all have a purpose. You’re an important part of this team,”

Staci thinks for a moment, and then smiles slightly. Kelly grins, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment, before the both of them are called back to the group.

“Hey, we think we got it!”

---

Chris sits atop Mount Hollywood, tapping his watch. Despite the time, the observatory decks are packed with tourists, pointing and gawking at the lights of the city below them.

As the host checks his teeth in the reflection of his watch, a team rises over the crest of the hill and lands at his feet with a thud.

“Did we… did we make it?” Julia wheezes.

“You sure did, champ. Team Yaoi has won the challenge- and immunity!”

Only two people follow them, wheezing and covered in bruises. Michela groans at the sight of Team Yaoi already planted firmly in the winning spot.

“Dammit! I thought we actually did pretty okay this time,”

Albert huffs. “At least we’re not-”

“INCOMINGGGG!” Staci shouts, shoving a line of tourists aside as Team Friendship dashes forward.

With one final burst of energy, the five had managed to scale the hill- but not fast enough. Max sighs at the sight of the other teams, and then shrinks to the back of the group to conference with Bonnie.

Kelly cheers. “We made it! We made it!”

“We’re in last,” Phillip sighs.

“But we still made it, didn’t we?”

Albert rolls his eyes from nearby.

“That you did. Unfortunately, not in time,” Chris says, pacing between the three exhausted teams. “Team Yaoi- welcome back to first class. Team Friendship- I’ll see you later tonight. Enjoy the city while you can, folks- we’re taking off in ten!”

---

Team Friendship looks between each other nervously as Chris merrily clears his throat, munching on complimentary airplane pretzels and flipping through a Reality, Weekly.

“Hah, Blaineley’s getting canceled on Twitter again. I bet you guys are glad she’s not coming back, amirite?”

The teens stare back blankly. He sighs. “I miss Scruffy. Anyway, onto the votes. With three against her, Staci- time to take your final bow and step out of the limelight. And into the moonlight, amirite?”

Crickets. Chris glares. “Do I have something in my teeth? Helloooo?”

“Can we just get on with this?” Max snaps.

“Ugh. FINE. Staci, you have been eliminated never coming back, yadda yadda. Here’s your chute,” he tosses them a pack, which they catch with a thud.

She sulks, but stands anyway. “Well…” she says, a slight smile coming to her face. “Thanks for the experience!”

Staci waves to Kelly and jumps into the night sky, screaming all the way down. Chris sighs happily. “I missed that. Well, I’ve got a jacuzzi and three seasons of soap opera that are calling my name. See ya!”

The host walks off, leaving the remaining team members behind.

---

Julia walks into first class, holding a soft chocolate chip cookie. She plops down on the plush, comforting first class seats and leans back. Mal giggles at her phone from across the aisle.

“What’s funny?” the blonde asks, taking a bite of the baked good.

Mal clears her throat, quickly switching from live footage of the cargo hold to her Instagram account. “OMG, you’re gonna love this. My mutual posted this new Genshin meme-”

“You know what? Forget I asked,” Julia mumbles. She looks around the cabin. “Where are Thing 1 and Thing 2?”

“Bathroom and galley,” Mal states, matter-of-factly. She plugs her headphones back in and tunes out Julia’s grumbling as she switches back to the raw footage.

---

ASS: “As surprised as I am to admit it, this arrangement is… working for us, somehow. Now, I don’t want to be in the final three with Mal as much as the next guy, but-”

The door suddenly opens and closes behind someone.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize that someone was in here,” Courtney says. “It was unlocked.”

Ass shrugs. “Damn it, I must’ve forgotten. I’ve been kinda off my game lately,”

“Really? I feel like you’ve been doing pretty well,”

“That’s not what I… never mind,” they sigh. “Thanks, I guess. You too.”

Courtney smiles, and then chuckles lightly. “This is crazy, right? I feel like this is pretty crazy,”

“Yeah,” Ass smiles back with a shrug. “Crazy.”

The two beam at each other for a moment and then, without thinking, lean in and kiss.

---

From back inside first class, Mal’s eyes widen at her phone.

#total takes world tour #ttwt #im obsessed with mal you guys dont get it

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invested-in-your-future · 1 year

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Isn't it interesting that in ten years of show existing there's still absolutely ZERO indication on even basic things like:

The chronological dating system. Like ANYTHING beyond "this happened just now" and "this happened sometime before". How would people measure time? What would be the exact points they would count time from? Would the entire world agree upon it? How are even writers supposed to keep track of passage of time between various points in the story if the setting doesn't?

The nature of religion, how concepts of death, etc are handled. And I don't mean dumb two gods plot device or anything like that or anything that genuinely "happened" for plot. Actual religions. What is there beyond knowing they exist? What do people believe in? How would those faiths form? What do people worship and why? Does that impact governance, how people view others, etc? Do people have different beliefs of, for example, afterlife?? How about myths about end days?

How did the world progress technologically? As in just what is the actual progression of civilization. Some places are basically modern world while some seem identical to the awful two gods flashback. Because when combined with no sense of passage of time, the world kind of falls apart. As in it's like a bunch of kingdoms got plopped in specific locations and simply "are".

I guess you don't need those pesky world building things when you can just point and go "gods/relics did it!" and be content with what a great idea you had by dreaming up such a unique never before heard fresh concept as "Two brothers who are gods".

#rwby #rwde

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duhragonball · 2 years

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Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (some more)

I meant to watch Super Hero a third time while it was in theaters, but one thing led to another, and I just never got around to it. No big deal, I rarely see a move in theaters twice, so I’m satisfied. Still, I meant to keep discussing different aspects of the film, and I kind of lost track of that, so let’s talk about the scenes on Beerus’ planet.

The real purpose of this whole section of the movie was to explain why Goku and Vegeta aren’t around for the main plot. As with Resurrection F, they’re off-world, training on Beerus’ planet, and even though Bulma can contact them through Whis, it doesn’t work because Whis doesn’t keep a close eye on his magic staff.

This is something I really love about this movie, because it acknowledges something I’ve understood for many years: You can easily split up the cast and make anyone you want into the main character, simply by writing the stronger characters out of the story. The option has always been there and Toei and Shueisha have teased it more than once, but this is the first time they’ve committed to it whole-heartedly. Goku, Vegeta, Whis, Beerus, and Broly could easily take out the new Red Ribbon faction, but they’re not coming, so it’s up to Piccolo and the rest.

But that doesn’t mean we have to jettison those characters entirely. There’s a whole section of the movie dedicated to showing what those guys are up to. Mostly, it’s the same routine we saw in Res F, but this time Broly, Cheelai, and Leemo are on the planet too. When Beerus finds out, Goku explains that they brought them here to hide them from Frieza, but there seems to be some indication that Broly is there to train as well. When Whis proposes a sparring contest between all three Saiyans, Vegeta objects, because Broly might lose control of himself again and jeopardize the planet. So Broly ends up riding the pine, but it seems pretty clear that he’s there to learn, even if he didn’t do much in this movie.

On that note, I really enjoyed how Broly seemed to get into Goku and Vegeta’s match. In the last movie, Cheelai says that he probably doesn’t even like fighting, but I think the truth is that Broly doesn’t enjoy being forced to fight, the way his father and Frieza had been manipulating him to do. At the end of the last movie, he seemed interested in Goku’s offer to show him some things, and this movie builds on that idea. When he sees Goku and Vegeta duking it out, he smiles, because this is the kind of pure, honorable combat he can get into. The action he saw on Vampa was just survival. Frieza’s revenge scheme was just murder-for-hire. But Goku fighting Vegeta in a no-transformation, no-hand-energy, last-man-standing contest, that’s something much more noble, and I think that’s what appeals to him. Even though he wiped the floor with both of them in the previous film, he still admires their superior technique and disciplined control over their powers. It’s a nice touch.

There’s a few details with the Beerus’ Planet leg of the movie that have caused some debate, so let me weigh in on these now.

1) Beerus has the hots for Cheelai. At first, Beerus was irked to see freeloaders squatting on his planet like it was a hotel, but Leemo won him over with his cooking, and Cheelai won him over with her looks, I guess. I’ll give Beerus credit, he didn’t go gaga over Cheelai until she turned to face him. Before that, she had her back to him, so he could have been like “Wow, she’s got a great ass! She can stay!” Beerus is a class-act, is what I’m trying to say.

Anyway, the concern is that this might endanger the Brolai ship, which seemed pretty firmly established in the last movie. Not that Broly and Cheelai were kissing at the end of it or anything, but you know what I mean. Broly hasn’t expressed any clear attraction to Cheelai, so the fact that Beerus has implies that the franchise has taken a new direction.

For my part, I don’t see it that way. I think the scene was mostly included to give Beerus a reason to accept Cheelai, even in spite of her trying to steal a bunch of his stuff. He thinks she’s cute, but I don’t think Beerus is the marrying type, you know? Besides, there’s no indication that Cheelai feels anything at all towards him, other than fear, I guess.

To put it another way, there was one guy she said “Lookin’ good” to, and it sure wasn’t Beerus. I think Brolai’s pretty safe, at least until the next movie.

2) Vegeta explains meditation to Goku. At one point, Goku chides Vegeta for just sitting around with his eyes shut, and Vegeta (im)patiently explains that he’s trying to condition his mind in order to fight more effectively. Vegeta’s logic is that Jiren was never actually much stronger than himself or Goku, but he seemed invincible because of how he used his strength. According to Vegeta, Jiren would only bring his fighting power to bear at the very moment of action, and this precision enabled him to move more efficiently and decisively, putting all of his power to its most devastating effect. And Vegeta thinks he can duplicate this skill, but he has to do it in his head before he can train his body.

So what bugged a lot of fans about this is that it makes Goku look kind of dumb for not understanding this himself. I’ve even seen fans suggest that the writers must hate Goku in favor of Vegeta. I don’t think it’s that black-and-white, but it doesn’t surprise me that the Dragon Ball fandom would turn something into a zero-sum game between Goku and Vegeta.

First of all, there’s a legitimate critique to all of this. The observations Vegeta makes about Jiren are things we’ve seen in the franchise before. Goku himself used similar movements to defeat Recoome, Jeice, and Burter. The Kai-o-ken operates on the same concept, with Goku amplifying his power for short bursts. Both Mr. Popo and Korin spent a lot of time training Goku to get the most out of his movements. “Be as quiet as the sky, and move quicker than lightning.”

For that matter, Goku’s Ultra Instinct is all about this sort of thing, and that’s how Goku overwhelmed Jiren in the closing minutes of the Tournament of Power. So Goku shouldn’t need to have anyone explain all of this to him, or that meditation would help him achieve that ideal. Hell, we’ve seen him do this before. There’s panels in the manga of him meditating.

So this is just an example of the writers making Goku look stupid to make Vegeta look better, right? No, I don’t think it is. Yes, Goku’s meditated before, and yes, Goku knows how to control his movements for maximum effect, but he’s been learning to do that for decades, and I don’t think there’s ever really a finish line for any of this stuff. I think part of Goku’s weakness when it comes to training is that he tends to focus on the stuff he enjoys doing. The workouts on King Kai’s planet, sparring matches with Vegeta, and so on. He seems to feel like he already did the hard parts, and now all he has to do is strengthen his body to build on the techniques he’s already mastered.

And he really struggled with the hard parts. That whole training arc on Kami’s Lookout was full of moments where Goku just stone cold didn’t understand what Mr. Popo was trying to teach him, to the point where Kami was worried that he might not make it. Goku was also frustrated with Korin’s training, and he probably only stuck with it because he had no other choice. So Goku’s always had a blind spot for this kind of thing. He knows it’s important and he knows it works, and to a point he can pull it off, but it’s never his preference.

And really, who can blame him? This is a character who’s just stumbled into big power windfalls, either because of fate or genetics or natural talent. Korin used Sacred Water as bait to teach Goku something more valuable, but later Goku got to drink the actual Sacred Water and it made him way, way stronger than Korin’s training. Kami worried that Goku wasn’t mastering his training, which was why Kami entered the tournament to take out Piccolo himself, but Goku ended up defeating Piccolo anyway. And then Goku just snapped in the middle of a battle and became a Super Saiyan. Then he did it all over again with Ultra Instinct. I think the thing about Goku is that he’s so scary good at martial arts that he often doesn’t even understand how he can do the things he does.

On the flip side, Vegeta had to train his way to becoming a Super Saiyan, and he learned Super Saiyan God without any outside help, and he presumably picked up Ultra Ego the same way. He lacks Goku’s intuition for this kind of thing, but he’s a prodigy in his own right. The difference is that he can analyze a situation and articulate a course of action, where Goku just sort of figures things out on the fly.

Which is how you get scenes like Vegeta explaining to Goku how to do something that he ought to already understand.

3) Beerus seems afraid of Broly. Okay, so when Beerus first sees Broly on his planet, he worries that Broly will flip out again and destroy the whole place. Some fans have found this questionable, because Beerus is generally presented as being stronger than every mortal character by default. It’s not really a rule, but Golden Frieza was still suitably worried about Beerus, and Goku and Vegeta seem to recognize that they’re still not strong enough to defeat him.

But each new level they introduce in this franchise kind of strains Beerus’ credibility. Arguably, Goku and Vegeta have already surpassed Beerus, because Vegeta beat a nascent God of Destruction (Toppo) during the Tournament of Power, and Goku used Ultra Instinct to overpower Jiren, who was said to have defeated a God of Destruction himself. I mean, it doesn’t prove anything until they fight Beerus again, but they seem to be gaining on him and all he ever does is sleep and eat. Then you’ve got Broly, who clobbered Goku and Vegeta, and you really have to wonder how he’d do against Beerus. Oh, and Gogeta dominated Broly as a Super Saiyan Blue, so I wonder how Beerus would handle the likes of him,

So there’s a growing number of characters who seem to be in Beerus’ league, or maybe even beyond it. I don’t keep up with the manga, but I’m pretty sure Moro, Granolah, and Black Frieza belong on that list as well. And yet, there are fans who remain confident that Beerus would just tap each of them on the shoulder and knock them unconscious, the way he took out everyone in Battle of Gods. And maybe he still could, but when I think about Beerus vs. Jiren, I can’t see it ending that way. Jiren beat a God of Destruction, and even if we don’t know for sure which one it was, are we saying Beerus is way, way stronger than that guy?

On the other hand, it does seem kind of weird that Beerus might have already been surpassed by some of these characters and it hasn’t come up yet. If Broly’s already at that level, then that should be big moment. It begs for a scene where one of these characters gives Beerus a gut-punch and humbles him physically. That’s how this franchise works. But maybe they’re still building up to that.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure Beerus’ concern about Broly is that he might lose his shit and destroy Beerus’ planet, which is his home, where he lives. He didn’t care about the Earth, but it’s different when the unstable powerhouse is camping out in your own backyard. Beerus might be able to defeat or destroy Broly, but the point is that he doesn’t want to have to get into that kind of situation in his own home.

Or, maybe Beerus really is worried that Broly could defeat him in a one-on-one fight. It’s not inconceivable.

#dragon ball super super hero #dragon ball #goku #vegeta #broly #beerus #spoilers

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funkymbtifiction · 1 year

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Hi again, thanks so much for your evaluation. The more I think about it the more I find ENFP to actually fit me…I’d always just assumed I was cognitively introverted due to my intense withdrawnness and maybe that’s still the case, but being a 9 plus Ne already being the most ‘introverted’ extrovert function, I guess it makes sense.

Here’s what Jung says about extroverts:

Extroversion is characterized by interest in the external object, responsiveness, and a ready acceptance of external happenings, a desire to influence and be influenced by events, a need to join in and “get with it,” the capacity to endure bustle and noise of every kind, and actually find them enjoyable, constant attention to the surrounding world, the cultivation of friends and acquaintances, and finally by the great importance attached to the figure one cuts. Although everyone is affected by objective data, the extrovert’s thoughts, decisions, and behavior are determined by them. Personal views and the inner life take second place to outer conditions. He lives in and through others. If social mores change, he adjusts his views and behavior patterns to match. This is both a strength and a limitation. This is the extrovert’s danger: he gets sucked into objects and completely loses himself in them.

In previous submissions I fell into a crisis wondering if I was in fact a Ni dom and seemed to present some decent evidence, however I think I was looking too hard into it…or maybe just not looking in the right ways. I think what got me especially mixed up was how I’d heard some people explain the 'thought process of a Ne’ and then give the inner monologue of someone with severe ADHD and I just couldn’t relate. I feel like my Ne is in 'broader terms,’ if that makes sense; while I do a lot of ramblings in my head, they tend to generally stay on one track, while things like ideas, dreams or actions tend to change frequently over time.

Ne and Ni are very different, and if you dig into the descriptions in my book (I summarize them briefly on my website) you will see that. :) Ne/Te can stay on track and focus on things, but that’s Te having a goal in mind and steering Ne toward making sure all the ideas it generates are on topic. That is different from Ni’s singular focus and shifting of inner vantage points to find the best one.

Lastly, I know you don’t take tritype requests anymore…but you did mention how I might have a 3 fix instead of a 4 and I want to look into that while I’m on a roll. I do see evidence for both—obviously as a core 9 I’m mostly calm, passive and optimistic, but the reason I thought 4 fix (and 4 core when I first discovered enneagram because I thought 4 = caring about identity) was because even though I have a loving family and privileged upbringing, I tend to hold what pain I do have up on a pedestal, as though alienation and suffering are the only things that can make me special. However, now that I think of it, I see potentially stronger evidence of 3…Fear of being disliked, irrational fear of being 'cringey’ even when alone or in cringe culture/judgment free spaces, passing soft judgement on people I feel are overconfident in something I’m clearly better at, fear of showing emotion over stuff I find 'stupid.’ These are clearly all weak spots for me; though I can think of both my positives and negatives as a 9-6, I have none of the drive of a 3; only the bad traits. I’d like to know what you think, if it’s worth bothering. Thanks again.

This doesn’t really indicate one over the other for me, so I recommend you read through my 3 and 4 pages, as well as read Goblins of Discord’s 3 and 4 descriptions (both written by actual people of those core types, so it captures the flavor well). Prolonging pain and frustration does mean 4 is likely present, so you may be either 3w4 or 4w3.

#question #mbti #enneagram

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ughitsl-ay · 2 years

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Portwell alt Endgame

AN: So I fucked up lmaoo. So when I made the fic, Rina’s angst really strengthened and the writing I did for portwell endgame didn’t match. So I'm going to try a more angsty confession/ending. Enjoy :)

he gives a slight smile and walks away towards the barn. That was the last place she saw him at. Where she basically told him that they should call it quits. It’s probably too late. He’s probably asleep in bed and she’s wasting her time. A hollowness starts to form in her heart.

She opens the barn doors with a creak. She looks around her eyes adjusting to the dark, the moonlight through the big windows being the only source of light. That's when she sees him.

He's sitting at the table that was used for auditions. His elbows propped up on the table and chin against his knuckles. He has a candle lit on the table. giving off a huge shadow cast from him. He’s fiddling with the papers on the table.

He looks very un-EJ. Which makes a knot form in her throat and a rock settle in her stomach.

In this past year, she’s seen all sorts of EJ. She’s seen him snarky and mean. Seen him goofy and silly. Seen him insecure and in need of a hug. But she has never seen him so...desolate. It scares her more than anything in this world because...she knows that it’s her fault.

She walks into the barn in the dark, and her shoes hitting the wood floors causes EJ to turn in her direction.

She stops in her tracks. Scared to move. Scared not to.

“Gina.” He says. She cannot discern the tone in his voice.

She can barely see his eyes in the dark, but the soft glow from the candle gives her a view of empty glassy eyes. Like he has become settled on something that was bothering him.

Which scares her and puts a lump in her throat because what If that means she’s too late?

She tries to clear her throat before she speaks but it still comes out wobbly, “E-EJ...I am so,” She breaks off looking down in exasperation, “I’m so sorr-”

“Why should you be?”

She stops speaking; shocked into silence.

He stands up, the shadow from the candle making his shadow appear larger.

“You got what you want. You’ve finally gotten the guy you want, after all these years. How can I blame you for that? I guess I’ve lost to Ricky twice now huh?”

He gives off a snort.

Her eyes well up like she was slapped across the face.

Was she just another prize to win or lose?

The person in front of her is a person she hasn't seen in a very long time.

Hurt people hurt people.

She knows exactly how it feels. To want to hurt the people that have wronged her. She knows exactly how spitting vitriol at people to protect them from the fact that her throat was in knots and her eyes were welling up. She knows the feeling all too well.

“I was confused Ej, I didn't know how I felt and I th-”

he snorts again; interrupting her. His low voice carries in the empty barn.

“It didn’t feel like you were so confused when you broke up with me It seemed you knew exactly how you felt. How you knew you didn’t want me.”

At the end of the sentence his voice breaks. That being the only indication that he’s not EJ 1.0. Just a boy that is deeply hurt at not being picked...again.

She takes a step closer, and it seems like he wants to step back but something in her eyes stop him from doing so. She gets close enough that she is standing right in front of him.

Her intense sparkly eyes looking into his watery green ones.

His voice is low again, but this time it comes out small, “Why am I not enough?”

His head hangs as he lets it drops.

Her own eyes well up and she shakes her head as her chin wobbles. She closes the remaining distance and wraps her arms around him.

“You are enough, EJ...Eric...I promise you, you are.” She raises her hand to the nape of his neck. Laying his head on her shoulder.

His arms are limp and for a split second it seems like he was numb to it all. That he was going to pull back and untangle her arms in a second and walk away. And that...that would break her. Someone leaving again. Especially Ej. The boy who got her a plane ticket so that she could stay. Who’s been by her side and listened to her and made her laugh until she was sick.

But after that agonizing split second, she feels him reciprocate. Slowly wrapping his arms around the small of her back.

“Ej...I was confused because I’ve never stayed long enough to make connections. To have somebody on my side. So when he didn’t judge me, the first person to seem to see me. I clung on to him and the idea of him. and-,” she stops and burrows her face into his shoulder, “and this was my first time...staying somewhere, my first time having a boyfriend, the first time trying out for a lead, I was scared. I thought I wanted something I didn't.”

He slightly nuzzles into her neck but makes no other movement or sound. She continues.

“I want you with me EJ. Forever if I could. You are my favorite person in the world and waking up knowing that you’re there, knowing that I can trust you and depend on you...is the best feeling in the world, “ She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and inhaling in his natural scent of sandlewood and something just distinctly him, calming, “I’m sorry for having you doubt yourself. I pick you, EJ. I would a thousand times over.”

There’s another silence this time. It should feel suffocating, the teetering of something breaking and shattering into million pieces. Something she can never get back no matter how hard she tries.

She wants to keep him.

No, this silence was calm. It was calm because she knew that at least, even if she has to leave half of her heart in this barn tonight, she told him the extent of her feelings to him. He had to know that he wasn’t expendable. That he wasn’t second choice. He was her first.

Slowly, oh so slowly does he lift his head. He pulls back, and she is scared to open her eyes. Scared to see the thin line on his mouth, the hardness in his eyes. She’s scared to face a world where she never sees the look Ej gives her again.

What has her opening her eyes is the feel of warm palms sliding into holding her face.

She blinks her eyes open, a sole tear sliding down and what she is met with is a smile.

His smile.

She expected hatred or a numb and empty stare reflected back at her, but what she got back was a...smile?

His eyes weren't exactly the same eyes of what she knew. Before this. They used to shine at her with this sort of adoration that she never understood. Never understood how someone could ever look at her like that. She didn’t even know she not only got used to it but craved it until it was gone. Like now.

But his eyes weren’t empty. There was no hatred or glassiness. There was instead, this severity to them she hasn’t seen before.

“Gina.” His smile slowly drops to replace a more intense more important expression.

She blinks again at the usage of her name. It was different to how he used to pronounce it. He used to say her name like she was destined for greatness. Like he could already see her name in lights. She loved that as well but it is also gone now.

We do things that we wish we could change and reverse. But we can’t. Only forward.

Only forward.

He says it differently now, and she doesn't know why but it almost punches her in the stomach. He says it like he really sees her. Truly. Like he can see inside of her soul and knows her deep vulnerable secrets. Know what’s at the core of her.

She holds her breath, waiting for his next sentence. Scared it will be something that shatters her completely.

And shatter her it does.

"Gina.. I am in love with you."

His eyes look deeply into hers. Like he wants so badly for her to understand something. To understand this isn't just some love confession.

"I have been in love with you since Carlos quinceanera. I loved you when you were dominating the stage and taking everyone prisoner. ", she laughs which brings a smile to his face, "But also when I saw you smile that day. I don't know what it was that day. But I knew then that my heart felt stolen from me."

His eyebrows furrow. A desperated tone taking ahold of his voice.

His hands trail to the back of her head. Interwovening with her blonde braids.

"These past few months have transformed me into the type of man I always dreamed I could be. And you helped me see that. And become that. I'm not just in love with you because you're pretty, or that your talented or flawless on the stage. "

He shakes his head and inches his face closer to her's. So close that their lips were slightly brushing against each other.

"I love you because you're you, Gina Porter," he whispers the last part, "because you're always you, G".

At this point, Gina's eyes close and she shudders out a breath.

"Can I kiss you?"

#portwell #idgaf #rinabones #i hope

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