100th Blog Post Celebration
Introduction
'lo there!So in case you didn't notice, this is my 100th blog post! Hurray! (Or boo! depending on if you support my applying, uh, hobby.) My friend suggested I do something special and I agreed! I mean, why not do something, right? The question, of course, is what I should do. Some of my ideas included:
• a general character for anyone to use and modify
• a list of moodboard gifs (which I recently learned about and enjoy greatly but rarely use)
• my personal tips on how to make a visually pleasing application
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Unfortunately, while everything was super entertaining, in the end, I couldn't just pick one. I wanted it to be different and since every application was a way for me to give to another author - a character for them to use - I decided that maybe I should do something for my own mini celebration. Then the second question was what I could benefit from which led to ideas like:
• a mini chapter of something just for myself but others could, of course, read it
• a compilation of my favorite mangas for me to recommend to everyone else
• a music list of songs just for everyone to enjoy
Again, it didn't reallly strike a chord within me either, especailly since half of them ended up about others (again). Now back at square one, I decided that maybe a 100th blog post celebration wasn't for me. Because, well, it hadn't succeeded for me so far. Of course, that's when inspiration struck:
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mini scenes for my characters
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It was something that was for myself but something that others could (attempt to) enjoy too. Plus, it was a good way to go back and look through my old applications and to write little scenes that I had pictured while writing the character. Hopefully you will be curious enough to try reading at least one and will let me know what you think. Please and thank you.
-KoreanGal5 aka Soul
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Character Name: Kimura Mizuki
Story Status: Started
Application Status: Co-Author
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She wants to knock her head against the wall in regret. She settles for taking a long, deep breath and walking into her room as though the festival hadn't changed her perspective on her friendship. Her parents are still at the festival, understandable since fireworks are going off still, illuminating the village in colors of celebration.
Her shoes are abandoned as is everything she's gained from the festival stalls, placed down mindlessly. She flops on her bed, her usual grace discarded in favor for overdrive thinking.
"Idiot," she whispers, voice drowned out by the loud boom of another firework going off. She stares at the mask sitting on her sidetable, chakra swirling in her hand. She taps the wooden floor just at the edge of her fingertips and it begins to grow, morphing to exemplify her thinking process.
She closes her eyes, won't let its visual influence its outcome.
Time passes and when she's done thinking over every moment, finished dissecting every scene, she opens her eyes and stops her chakra flow.
She groans.
"What's the complaint for-Whoa!" Her father.
"Good evening to you as well," she deflects, knowing what the tree looks like. "In case you were wondering, my relation with Zitao is no longer platonic in nature on his side."
"And yours?" he asks, stepping in and eyeing the wooden structure.
She waves a hand at it - the sturdy base and delicate branches curling carefully around a small bird.
"I know I taught you wood manipulation for examining your emotional state and circumstance but I can't read yours, only my own," he reminds, sounding amused. She stares but though she can read the light fib in his eyes, she can indulge him and his need for vocal confirmation.
"It's not romantic on my end," she simplifies, eyeing the branch that is reaching towars the creature. "Yet. It could grow to be."
"And the issue," he suggests, coming over and taking a seat beside her. The bed dips with his weight.
"Skill difference. Age difference," she names, feeling a pang at the reminder that they could lose each other quite easily to mission or age but the pain is nothing life ending. "I don't feel as though I'm a viable match."
"But he thinks so," her father states knowingly, tapping the sculpture and watching it return to the ground.
"Somehow," she confirms, watching as the last of the branches disappear until the grain of the floor is smooth once more.
Silence.
"It's your choice," her father states finally, pressing a light kiss onto her forehead and leaving. "Make sure to tuck in. Mission in the morning for all of us."
"Hospital?" she questions. He nods and shuts the door behind him. After another moment, she prepares for sleep, sitting on the bed moments later with her thoughts still swirling but face more comfortable without the layer of make up on it. She touches strands of her hair, twirling it around one finger, and she pulls her hand away abruptly once she notices.
Disgusting.
Her first non-mission kiss and she's a girl with a crush instead of a kunoichi with goals.
She sighs.
She can't accept his advances. Not while she wants to place her career first and to not ruin Zitao's chances at his own future.
She chews on her bottom lip.
If he's willing to wait, she decides.
If he will wait until he is a jounin and she is an ANBU captain, then she will accept.
She smiles lightly at the condition, amused at the definite future response.
Love, she knows - from the love between her parents and her own relations whether friendship or otherwise - and remembers - recalls from nights of her mother comforting her nightmare-ridden father, from lunch breaks given for another round looking at patients, from the sunny heat tolerated to join her scarce age group in mini adventures - that love, is patience and sacrifice.
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Character Name: Choi "Soul" Sooyeon
Story Status: Deleted / Draft
Application Status: Chosen
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She giggles, lets the exiting audience leave with the impression that she's a young boy - better to be questioned about her age than her gender in this day and age. She gives a quick sweep across the stands and signals for clean up to begin. From backstage, the different members of each act burst through the curtains in a wave of color and sound that she secretly finds just as magical as each stage.
One of the twins - her twin she thinks deviously - stops by just long enough to hug her, their cheeks brushing together lightly.
"You're still keeping up with the circus well."
She swivels towars the voice, shoulders falling and expression opening in a way the others of the circus have never seen.
"Rebel," she greets, pulling herself into an easy position so that her hands are on her hips and her weight is casually distributed. "What are you doing here Seungyeon?"
"Two-faced," Seungyeon returns, smirking. "Here to see your ugly face of course."
"Punk," she complains, putting her hands out in offer. Seungyeon snorts.
"Jerk," Seungyeon responds, shaking her head lightly in decline.
"What about your fight? I'm pretty sure that's where you should be," she asks, putting her arms back down and guiding her guest to the chairs where they can sit and talk.
"Obviously I'm here to pick one with you instead," Seungyeon teases, settling into the chair with an ease that hadn't been there before.
"You could have let me know. I could have slipped you a ticket," she finds herself scolding, laughing at Seungyeon's expression. It'd been so long.
"Soul, who's this?" the clown of the circus questions too casually, passing by with a stack of boxes.
"Meet my sister," she introduces simply, gesturing to the girl beside her.
" 'Sup," Seungyeon offers, holding up two fingers in salute. "You might know me better as MMA National Finalist and possible Champion this coming Friday."
"Seriously?" she asks, raising a brow.
"You know it," Seungyeon confirms, holding out a fist.
"Good job," she compliments, bumping her fist with her own. The clown mouths something towards the twin acrobats and leaves. Ah. Insecurity. She'll address it later. "I'm guessing in this town?"
"We've established," Seungyeon snorts before staring over at the twin acrobats. "One of them yours?"
"They're both in my circus," she deflects simply, waving a hand in their direction.
"But one's yours," Seungyeon presses, smirking.
"If you want to put it so crudely," she agrees, tilting her head slightly to indicate which one. Seungyeon deliberately looks over at the two, squinting her eyes before turning back.
"I'd tap that," Seungyeon announces with exaggerated loudness so that everyone in the entire circus can hear - including the twins.
"You're terrible," she complains, laughing and rolling her eyes at once. "They're both taken anyways."
"Should probably watch over yours," Seungyeon remarks, smirking. "She's insecure and or jealous."
"Once you leave," she notifies, chuckling. Their chat lasts a couple more minutes - casual but so much more - before she bids her younger but unfairly taller sister goodbye.
She helps in clean up after, thanking and apologizing to the rest of the circus for her distraction. They wave her off and when she has a moment, she asks her twin to her office after.
She agrees and when they both walk in, the twin sits on on one of the chairs immediately, posture too tense to be casual.
"So Soul-"
She leans in, cutting the girl off and placing her hands on the arms of the chair.
"You seem to have forgotten. You're mine," she reminds, leaning lower so that their lips brush lightly and the young acrobat shivers at the contact, "and I am yours."
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Character Name: Moon Jinjung
Story Status: User Deactivated
Application Status: Accepted
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He can't breathe.
Air rests in his lungs but his blood is moving too fast, desperate to get enough oxygen to his system despite the lack of flow.
"Hey Jinjung. Breathe. We'll get out of this," his partner reassures softly, smaller hands gripping his own and grounding him. He squeezes back and closes his eyes, focusing on breathing.
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"So I suppose now is a terrible time to mention I need to hydrate, right?" his partner jokes. He scoffs immediately because it's just like her to joke to lighten the mood but pauses within seconds because the hands within his are not as smooth as usual and there's an edge to her words. He waits and there's a hitch of her breath.
"You're drying out," he mutters softly, worry invading his mind.
"I-"
He swipes his thumb across her palm, a reminder that he can feel. She sighs.
"Yeah. I am. Some kind of siren-mermaid thing I am," she complains, her breath hitching again. He opens his eyes and swivels his head, the blond of her hair just visible out of the corner of her eye. The tips are starting to turn blue.
"You're a mermaid-siren hybrid," he reminds patiently, the cage around them disgustingly narrow so that neither of them can move. He chokes again but this time out of pain and strain - though the cage should elicit fear, he can't while she's on his mind - because they took his hoshi no tama.
"Jinjung," his partner calls once more, worry painting her tone.
No.
She is drying and he will kill himself if they are sold by this sadistic Grimm because he is useless.
He glances down at the stab wound in his torso, grimacing. He's bleeding too much. His body can't repair itself with the distance. His heart squeezes at the strain.
The air is hot and it takes him a moment to realize they're purposely attempting to dry her out.
His eyes narrow.
"I'm going to break us out of the cage and lip-hydrate you," he warns, his voice too low for the cameras to pick up. "After that, you have to get me my hoshi no tama. I won't be able to do anything else."
"Jinjung," she hisses in return, voice breaking onhis name though with emotion or without water, he can't tell. The blond on her hair is disappearing too fast.
He focuses entirely, gathering what he can from himself. He starts with sweat but there's not enough and he refuses to take from her. He looks around and eyes the stab wound.
Sacrifice, he remembers, and love.
He focuses again, taking his sweat and blood, chanting under his breath. His skin feels hot and he can feel another stab of pain in his chest because the strain is too much but he has to-
Their chains and the entire cage around them falls to pieces. He falls.
"Jinjung," she calls immediately, her face appearing before his. Her eyes - blue like the sky - are shining with tears.
"Drying," he reminds deliriously - can't waste tears on him - and reaches a hand up. He guides her - can't put any strength in his hand in his state - and they meet lips, skin barely brushing against skin before she realizes his intent. She pulls away and he's too weak to chase.
"I drain life force with water," she reminds, her voice cracking again. Her face is inches from his still and a tear lands on his cheek. "Usually you can siphon enough off but your hoshi no tama-"
He reaches up again but can't seem to gather the energy to. Another tear and a sniffle.
"I'll get your hoshi no tama for you," she promises quietly. She leans down and their lips meet. As he loses consciousness, he notes that, at least, the strain of his soul is soothed by the song of her soul.
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Character Name: Moon "Kiyoshi" Jinjung
Story Status: Draft
Applicaiton Status: Turned In
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"Good job," he compliments, tickling the owl perched on his arm gently. Yuki, in return, hoots and flaps his wings in a telling way.
"Spoiled," he teases, leaning forward and pecking the bird on his forehead. He shakes his arm lightly, half-joking now, "Go chase some mice in the engine room."
"Now if you showed your captain half the amount of affection-"
He swivels to face to speaker, sighing.
"Gareki-"
"-I'm sure she'd-"
"-what do you want?"
"-swoon. What do you mean? Can't I just come here to visit an old friend?" Gareki complains, casually strolling closer and looking up the ladder.
"No," he warns, knowing what Gareki is thinking.
"No what?" Gareki asks innocently, putting a hand out on the ladder.
"If you-"
Too late.
Gareki shoves against the ladder, unbalancing it. He loosens his muscles and presses off against the ladder. He lands on his feet, huffing, and punches Gareki in the arm. The ladder, in the background, lands with a harsh clatter that echoes down the halls of the ship.
"I have a show in less than an hour you jerk," he complains. Gareki rolls his eyes in response.
"You were fine and you're all prepared for the show. Don't even lie," Gareki retorts, holding out a lollipop.
He sighs and holds out a different lollipop from his own stash. They swap the sweets and chew on them for a moment.
"Well?" he asks simply from around the treat, raising an eyebrow.
For another moment, silence and an exchange of glances, then Gareki breaks it with a knowing huff.
"You're being invited to dinner," Gareki informs, the disgust in his tone distinct. "Apparently a certain blond on our team is trying to make a tea party or practice his cooking or something."
"Why are you the one informing me?" he asks after another moment.
"We drew straws," Gareki states in deadpan. "Obviously I drew the shortest one."
"As long as your captain drew our captain," he replies.
For a moment, silence.
"I wasn't being serious," he remarks, raising a brow and crossing his arms.
"I was," Gareki replies, mimicking his body language. After another second, Gareki drops the pretense and smirks, hands shoved in his pockets and eyes twinkling with mischief. "If we hurry, we could spectate."
"Purely to make sure they don't kill each other," he comments, raising a brow.
"Of course," Gareki agrees, schooling his expression.
He waits, faux considering, as Gareki plays the game. He lets himself drift slightly, zeroing in on Gareki's eyes but not actually focusing on anything in particular.
It could be an hour or simply minutes when Gareki finally gives, shifting his weight and fidgeting.
"Well?" the male offers, disguising his loss with impatience. "Are we going or not?"
"Fair," he finally answers, giving his companion a half-smile. "We can go watch the chaos before the joint planned dinner."
"Thank god," Gareki huffs. "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't at least blow off steam before the stupid tea party. Last I checked, Yogi was making macaroons the size of my thumb."
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Character Name: Eve Gardener + Ryuunosuke Abe
Story Status: Apply Closed
Application Status: Chosen + Accepted
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She blinks, brown eyes inches from hers. It takes her another second for her brain to click into place so early in the morning.
"Ryuunosuke," she greets coolly. Immediately, the eyes in her vision crinkle and he backs up.
"Morning Eve!" he returns, the smile on his face nearly blinding. "You got up earlier than your personal alarm aka me."
"Thanks for coming to wake me up," she diverts, heading to the bathroom and shutting the door. He knows not to enter but isn't at all hindered in continuing his conversation.
"I had an awesome dream," he begins, the cheery tone now explained. She gets ready while giving half of her attention to the details of his night travels, making encouraging sounds to show she's listening.
His dream is, she amuses, very adventurous (if not on the bloody side) complete with an evil giant who could breathe fire and loved blood, some magic sword that had to be pulled out of a mountain of corpses, and a princess in a tower who turned out to be a prince who wasn't allowed to get a haircut.
When she exits the bathroom, he's busy telling her about the end in which he swept the prince off his feet and sacrificed the royal boy to the giant to stop terrorizing the town.
"A bit morbid," she comments mildly, raising a brow. She sees him deflate from the corner of her eye as she brushes her hair. "Did the giant stop though?"
"Yup," he answers eagerly. She rewards him with a smile, amused.
"A good dream indeed," she agrees, pulling her hair into a bun to finish off her morning routine. "Do you know what's for breakfast?"
"I smelled eggs and bacon on the way up," Ryuunosuke informs, beaming. His smile falters and his brows scrunch together. "I think it's Steve."
"It's usually Steve," she dismisses, touched but also exasperated with the older's tone. "He's not going to do anything to us, not after so long."
"I did," Ryuunosuke reminds carefully, referencing his past.
"But will you to us?" she returns, raising a brow and keeping pace with his long strides.
"No," he huffs immediately.
"And if I give you the benefit of the doubt, it's only fair I give it to Steve too," she reasons. He doesn't look convinced so she smiles once more, shaking her head lightly.
"I can take care of myself Ryuunosuke," she promises. He frowns but the drops the topic, walking backwards to maintain eye contact with her as he continues talking.
"Anyways, I was thinking later we could all maybe take a beach trip! I've never been except for one-" he babbles, his hands flying everywhere in his excitement. He trips over the word, frowning because his psychological barrier is still present.
"What do you want to do there?" she asks, picking up the conversation and diverting his attention. He brightens immediately at the attention.
"I want to pick up shells on the shore and maybe catch a fish with my bare hands. I heard sand castles are hard to make but I think I can make a decent one," he continues, eyes shining. "Oh and then bonfires! I still haven't had a s'more so-"
"You haven't had a s'more before?" Jae interjects, coming up from behind the duo. A pause. "And I thought I was crazy."
"We'll have to see where we can schedule the beach trip," she warns, carefully placing herself between the two. (The last time they had argued, the casualties had included several walls, about three potted plants, a lot of plaster, and one of the nice paintings Tony - or Pepper - had chosen for the walls.) "But we can try making s'mores at home tonight or tomorrow night. How's that?"
"Yes!" Ryuunosuke cheers, throwing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a tight hug. He lets her go within a couple of seconds (and yes, she recognizes, that had been a real hiss from Jae) and runs into the common floor kitchen, shouting about s'mores.
"Like a puppy," Jae hisses, falling into step beside her closely so that their arms brush together.
"It's a good excuse to all come together," she notes, offering a hand. Jae stares at it and after a couple of seconds, takes it. Their intertwined hands swing between them.
"Still like a puppy," Jae warns, her other hand in her pocket - no doubt her favorite knife.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't eat all of them," she reassures, smiling as they enter the kitchen where Ryuunosuke's excited shouts can be clearly heard.
"-S'mores!"
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Character Name: Eve Gardener
Story Status: Deleted / Draft
Application Status: Turned In
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She knows the day will go wrong immediately because she wakes up late and has to forego her usual morning routine of tea and a story.
She is proven right because her students are unruly more than usual at the dojo, she foregoes lunch outside only to have someone attempt to rob her as she's closing up, and Ms. Potts calls her and requests she cover for Ms. Robertson who is nursing a broken arm after another Stark Industry confrontation attempt but, unfortunately, she can't because she had already made plans. This is all on top of smaller things that usually she can brush aside but wear on her patience, of which she has none today.
By the time she walks into the facility, her expression drives everyone out of her way and even Agent Hill takes one look at her before directing her to the training room.
Black Widow is thrashing another student into the mat when she arrives so she zeroes in on another free agent who attempts to deny her but fails.
She makes a quick stop to the locker room, changes, and returns with heat burning on her shoulders. The agent favors judo and boxing so she feels no remorse when one of her grapples sends him flying onto the floor because he'd be used to it.
"If you keep that up, we're going to lose junior agents," her purple co-worker calls, sounding amused if not wary.
"Clint," she greets simply, her lips crooking upward in one side.
"Eve," he returns mockingly, grinning casually.
"Will you take his place?" she asks coolly, raising a brow and praying for a confirmation. He's one of the few other than Black Widow who can return her fire with equal fervor.
It takes a moment and she can practically see him go over his schedule since bruises and stray scratches from their confrontations are common but annoying for future missions.
"Sure," he agrees, smiling so that all of his teeth flash predatorily. "Let me change. One more round with the newbie and I'll be back."
She nods.
The judo-boxer groans when she asks for another match but stands, putting his fists up.
She's in the midst of throwing him on the mat, practicing the thigh throw Black Widow has taught her, when someone comes up behind her and puts her into a chokehold. She releases her legs, permission for her previous sparring partner to leave ("Thank god!" the male groans, stumbling away.), and flips around using momentum and a well-placed push.
She breaks the hold and attempts one of her own, releasing the second he puts his teeth into her leg. They both put distance between themselves.
A breath.
They meet in the middle, trading blows. She tries another hold - one she hasn't used on him before - and succeeds, feeling him thrash in her grip for a couple of seconds.
Then something pops - cracks loudly even above the pounding of her heart and the heat of the battle.
She releases and scrambles back, eyes wide.
"Oh my gosh," she squeaks, frozen. A second and she's going back to him, lightly touching his shoulder and repeating, "Sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. So sorry."
"What happened?"
Black Widow.
"I was-We were sparring," she answers, taking a calming breath. "I dislocated his shoulder. An accident."
"I'm fine," Clint butts in, rolling his eyes and looking, despite the odd angle of his arm, totally relaxed.
"I just dislocated your shoulder," she hisses, narrowing her eyes at him. "You don't speak unless you are in pain."
He opens his mouth but seems to realize her ploy and shuts up, his teeth clacking audibly. He frowns at her though and raises his intact arm, making-
"You know sign language," she realizes, frowning because he found a way around her rules. "Of course you know sign language."
"He's annoying like that," Black Widow inserts, turning Clint over and bracing Clint's dislocated arm and her own body.
"You know him? Wait, you're just going to-"
A grunt of pain and jerk of the body and Black Widow stands casually.
"This idiot," Black Widow directs, jabbing a thumb at Clint's prone body, "is Hawkeye aka my partner. He dislocates his own fingers picking up a spoon for cereal. If I had to get a doctor every time, it'd be a waste of time."
Clint stands, rolling his shoulders.
"I'd also like to point out you dislocated your shoulder last week from that super awesome but tough judo-throw-thing," Clint complains before turning his attention back to her.
"Sorry for scaring you. After our line of work, a dislocated anything isn't too big of a deal," he reassures, smiling. "Show me how to do that hold?"
Finding our one of her favorite sparring partners is a deadly ex-SHIELD agent on par with her physical trainer - and sign language! - was not on her list of plans for the day.
Of course there's only one way to react and not freak out.
"Sure," she answers simply, letting the information stew in her head while walking him through-
"I'll show you the hold."
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Character Name: Choi Sooyeon
Story Status: Apply Open
Application Status: Accepted
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A high-pitched squeal rings throughout the hall and she waits patiently until it's done before putting the cell back to her ear.
"Yes!" her cousin shouts, the eagerness in his tone undeniable. "You're sure, right? No backing out at the last minute?"
"Are you changing your mind about my company?" she teases lightly, her lips quirking upward.
"As if," he scoffs in return, his happiness contagious. "I'll see you soon then. And don't be late! You may be an Olympic hopeful but-"
"I've been in commercials before," she cuts in not unkindly.
He huffs.
"I know but you can't help me worrying," he replies before backtracking and amending, "Not that you aren't going to do well. You'll be great. But you're still my younger cousin."
"I know," she answers simply, eyes drawn to a sound in the long corridor - just someone going to the bathroom. "Anyways, I'm going back to practice now. I'll see you at the shoot."
"Love you," he states, chuckling.
"Love you too," she returns before hanging up and walking back into the large, padded room. She puts her phone back into the pockets of her workout bag and tosses a clean towel onto a dozing female.
"Up for a couple more rounds?" she provokes, stretching lightly.
"Where you get your stamina is beyond me," her companion complains, standing and stretching backward before straightening and glancing at the clock. "One more round?"
"Sure. If you can keep up Jandi," she remarks before meeting her partner on the mat.
It's a long tradition to trash talk or just distract talk on the mat to prepare for opponents during an actual match.
That does not prepare her for the immediate comment Jandi throws her way.
"So those online friends of yours," Jandi states, going for a belt drop.
She fumbles but recovers, quick but not quick enough as Jandi has a knowing look in her eyes.
"They're coming to your next match, right?" Jandi asks, countering a sweeping hip throw. "Prepared?"
"As I'll ever be," she answers simply, maneuvering into a better position with a grunt and shift of her weight.
"You might fail," Jandi reminds sharply, the two attempting to gain ground.
"I might," she confirms, trying for a lifting hip throw.
"Ironheart," Jandi breathes in complaint, countering with a rear throw.
"Korean pride," she teases in return, landing on her feet and darting out of range.
"Jerk," Jandi complains, making a sound of frustration.
"Rude," she mutters while sidestepping Jandi's knee wheel and successfully pulling off a valley drop.
Jandi huffs, lying on the mat.
"You're rude," the judoka retorts, frowning. "I can only get the drop on you once a conversation-" She helps her sparring partner up. "-if that. The least you can do is be shaken for an entire match."
"It's only because I love you so much," she deadpans, reciprocating Jandi's chuckle with an honest smile.
Jandi snakes an arm around her shoulders, leaning on her exaggeratedly.
"Woe is me! I'm Sooyeon's favorite sparring partner! Oh the bruises! Oh my hair and oh the sweat!" Jandi complains dramatically.
"I am leaving you here," she grumbles good-naturedly, slipping out from Jandi's grip and ducking into the showers first.
"Woe is me!" Jandi shouts again, laughter ringing in the air.
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End Note
So for those who haven't noticed, I didn't start at the very very beginning of my application / blog post list (because those were appalling and, though a part of my growing process, didn't elicit any want from me to write). I took some liberties with the vignettes. Some stories, I couldn't recall the plot clearly as it had been taken down but I hope you enjoyed anyways. There's a reason I enjoy making applications and it's because when making my application, each one comes to life in my head like above.-Soul
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