#// but that will not stop me from writing up starters on the side to post once im home

[crooked-wasteland]

It's been so odd seeing Ghostf*ckers currently sitting at 7.9m views two weeks later despite the boost of Hazbin's launch and the other episodes not doing anywhere near as bad; anything you feel might've factored into it?

I've mentioned it before, but I am happy to explain my perspective again. I obviously don't have the complete picture in front of me, so it's really only a grain of salt. More of a thought experiment than anything else.

For starters, the spike in views following Hazbin was a predictable boom and bust situation. There is a give and take with different styles of streaming, specifically around the trickle or binge models. More people will watch a series that is available to be binged vs one that is still in progress. Like some people who wait for the entire season to drop before picking up a new show. These sorts of drops see huge initial views, but people stop talking about the shows much faster.

The overlap of cultural impact as well as financial success makes Binging content appealing to the finance people, but the real money comes from maintaining cultural relevance. Which is why binge releases are generally criticized, especially by artistic people.

On the flip side, episode by episode releases, especially those like webcomics and web series need to maintain a sense of consistency to retain an audience. There must be deadlines that are achieved relatively consistently. It's even more important for content that is hosted on algorithm-heavy platforms like YouTube. It's why most content creators have an upload schedule to maintain their algorithms and promote their channel being recommended.

This is especially important on social media platforms because, generally speaking, only 10% of your audience are actually subscribed. While YouTubers don't get paid based on their subscriber count, it's used similarly to viewership. A channel like Mr. Beast has deals with mainstream studios like Amazon because of his subscriber count, in junction with the number of views he accrues.

The 10% active subscriber count is actually seen as a general positive so long as your views stay around that number, because it means others are being recommended your channel outside of your base. Once you get stuck in your "base" you're waiting for that thing ice to finally break. It means no one is discovering you and your legitimately risk losing everything. Most often from stale content, people becoming bored or disillusioned with what a creator is creating. And having no fresh eyes on your content, you will disappear in the algorithm eventually. For some people it means they can still survive just fine doing the same old things, for others (usually those who see the money before the art) it means the loss of everything.

The issue with inconsistent uploads is a major one that Medrano actually beat in the first season. The Vivziepop channel was so infrequently uploaded on, episodes being posted essentially the moment they were done, and yet Medrano maintained 35 M - 50 M views an episode (until Ozzie's which topped out at 28M before Hazbin Hotel, Medrano's first attempt at writing for the series).

So what I mean to say with that information is Medrano actually succeeded against the odds for the first season. She should have faded into obscurity, but the support for her show was legitimate and beat the odds of an inconsistent uploads schedule. I was never subscribed to her channel and didn't have Twitter until this year, but I would search Vivziepop every 3-5 months and usually saw a new episode had been uploaded in the last week to a few hours prior.

So while this is anecdotal, I'd argue that it was the general norm at the time. Reaching 35M when you only have 8.6M subscribers necessitates genuine effort of the part of the watchers to seek out the content themselves. And that's a good thing. You want people to be motivated to seek out your content on their own volition.

With that said, it explains all the possible, and probably, issues being had.

1) Upload Fatigue

Since viewership has fallen, Medrano has been posting more frequently to her channel. Mostly low-effort Vlog content that her main base is legitimately not invested in. People who love musicals and Broadway would recognize the low quality musical fodder Medrano creates. Animation fans, meanwhile, are not interested in celebrity actors being friends with Medrano.

That sort of content is what you see on Adin Ross' channel. If you don't know who that is, think Andrew Tate, but somehow more pathetic. The TL;DR is that his claim to fame was playing a video game with LeBron James' son. That's not what most people are really interested in, unless they carry the same fundamental psychology of the 'Man-osphere" or conservative grifters.

Additionally, these videos don't hit that 10% subscriber base. With 10.4 million subs, her lowest performing videos should still hit at least 1.4million views. Her major sale videos (Halloween and Valentine's mainly) still see this proper 10%

But the Vlog videos...

It isn't surprising that the video focusing on the fans being seen with Medrano and her friends would be the most watched, because of this mindset of piggy-backing self-worth off of someone else's name.

So for the fans that actually like the show, or at least want to support the series, are now being hit with a ton of videos they don't care about. Which can and usually does result in a loss of subscribers or your subscribers turning off their notifications for your channel.

2) The Show Left it's Base

Hazbin being aired on Amazon introduced many people to Vivziepop. There is a sense of quality that one expects from a big name like Amazon, regardless of how most of their shows they directly fund are not that great. But with the series leaving it's base, it offers new fans while threatening, and definitely delivering, a complimentary spike in criticism. Many people who would have accepted a subpar web series are going to be far more harsh of a show with a studio behind it.

With more voices discussing the issues of the series, it teaches people how to identify sub-par content and a lot of those people will lose interest in it once they realize the show isn't actually quality.

There are far more videos discussing the issues with Hazbin than there are of Helluva Boss for this reason, but once the luster is removed from one, inevitably it will impact the other.

3) The Story Sucks

This is obvious as we see more fans becoming less enthusiastic about the story. A badly written show can and will still be loved by those who love it. But it has become more obvious that the writing isn't subversive, just negligent. The characters aren't complicated, they are puppets. The creators aren't creative, they are regurgitating tropes without substance. The emotions are hollow.

But worse than any of that is that the show is contradictory to itself. Which makes the show feel unreliable, but that leads to the last point:

4) Medrano Exposed Herself as an Unlikeable Person

Medrano's description for Apology Tour exposed her to her YouTube base. YouTube is a place that craves authenticity, to the point they have manufactured it. There is a right and wrong way to be on YouTube, and the right way requires a ton of accountability, even when you probably don't owe anyone it. But accountability is something you must have on the platform, and Medrano was a bit too personal in how she made excuses for Stolas while not playing an even hand towards her main character.

That sort of attitude, fictional or not, will result in people turning their back on you. People have lost their whole channels over the same attitude. And the way Medrano handled it was responding to her twitter fandom criticizing the show, letting everyone know she doesn't see anything wrong with the behavior being expressed.

And that doesn't really sit well on YouTube. Not in the communities she's trying to cater to.

And like I said, this is all with a grain of salt as I can't say for certain. To be safe I believe a little of all of these play a role in Medrano's decline, but all of it is just my opinion.

[harrysfolklore]

little bitch - cs55

summary: yn piastri and carlos sainz absolutely hate each other. carlos thinks she’s immature, yn calls him a little bitch on social media. they also kiss every now and then. PART TWO

word count: over 10k + social media posts

folkie radio: guys this fic is my baby okay 🥲🥲 please take care of it i spent like two weeks writing it. FEEDBACK IS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED !!

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

2023 SEASON

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ynpiastri that’s my optimistic little brother cry about it 😚 see y’all after the break

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username1 LAJSIA SO MESSY

username2 yn really said you will NAWT mess with my little brother

lilyzneimer Love you forever 😂

↳ ynpiastri ilysm

username3 the sainz - piastri drama just spiced this season up

mclaren That’s our boy 🧡

username4 carlos sainz and yn piastri fighting on the internet and oscar is just 🧍

username5 the fact that daniel ricciardo and pierre gasly liked yn’s tweet too 😭

landonorris Stop fighting people on the internet please

↳username1 HELP HIS BESTIES ARE FIGHTING

↳ ynpiastri never 😤

oscarpiastri When nobody got me I know my messy sister got me

↳ username2 I LOVE THEM SM

↳ yourinstagram HE SAID NO PICKLES !!

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

"You didn't have to tweet that," Oscar said, giving you a look from his seat.

You were currently traveling from Belgium to Monaco in McLaren's private jet after the race weekend, and the main topic of the day was your little message to Carlos Sainz after his statement about your brother.

"Osc, he's being a petty bitch," you shrugged, "He keeps blaming you for what happened on the track and we all know it was his fault."

"Lando, can you help me out please?" Oscar looked at his teammate, who was immersed on his phone as a way to avoid the conversation.

"Oh no, don't put me in the middle of this," Lando shook his head, "I have enough PR issues myself."

"We know you're siding with your bestie anyways," you said, making him roll his eyes.

This dynamic was nothing new. Lando and Carlos Sainz were best friends, and so were Lando and you. The issue? You couldn't stand Carlos at all, and Lando was always in the middle of your bickering.

Oscar sighed, rubbing his temples as he glanced out of the window. "Look, I appreciate you standing up for me, but sometimes it's better to let things slide. Engaging with him on social media only adds fuel to the fire."

He had a point. Deep down you knew it, however, your were short tempered and protective towards your loved ones, so it was natural that you took the chance to come for Sainz's neck when he gave you a reason to.

"I get it, Osc. I just can't stand seeing him drag your name through the mud when you're not even at fault," you stressed, "You're my little brother, I'll always get protective, you know?"

"I know, and I appreciate you having my back," Oscar said, softening his tone. "But it's not worth it. Like you said, I'm not engaging with whatever he's saying so there's no point of starting stuff."

"He started it, I'm just finishing it," you shrugged, and Oscar gave you a pointed look, you were older than him, but he was definitely more mature than you. "Fine, I'll try to hold back next time," you sighed, leaning back in your seat.

Lando finally looked up from his phone, a smirk on his face. "See, that wasn't too hard, was it? Now, can we all be friends?"

"If that includes Sainz then no, we can't,"

You could never be friends with Carlos Sainz. That was literally impossible.

For starters, you were pretty sure he didn't even know your name, he was always too full of himself to even acknowledge those around him.

And lastly, he was a bitch to your brother on and off track.

"I just, I would really like for you two to get along," Lando said and you immediately rolled your eyes at his words, "You're both important to me, and it sucks being caught in the middle. Plus I don't even understand why do you dislike him so much."

You knew the real reason why you disliked him so much, you perfectly did. However, that was a subject that you decided to ignore every single time.

"Honestly? I find him arrogant. He always acts like he's the center of the universe. He never takes responsibility for his actions and always tries to shift the blame onto others. It's frustrating to watch."

Lando sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I get it, but you have to understand, Carlos is actually a good guy once you get to know him. He's passionate and competitive, sure, but he's also loyal and a great friend."

"I get that he's like your hero or something," you teased, "But it's not going to happen, Lando. I don't think I'll ever like Carlos, and I really wish you’d stop pushing the subject."

"Look, you don't have to be his best friend or something," Oscar intervened, "Just promise me you won't punch him when you see him in the paddock after the summer break."

"No promises."

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

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ynpiastri a weekend in monaco with some of my favorite people 🤍 back to race cars soooon (love being a nepo sister)

tagged: oscarpiastri, lilyzneimer, alexandrasaintmleux, landonorris

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username1 SLAAAY

username2 ahhhh lily x oscar content thank u yn

francisca.cgomes having major fomo rn, love you all babies 🥲

↳ ynpiastri get over hereeeee

username3 she has the dream life

charles_leclerc Stop stealing my girlfriend from me thank you

↳ ynpiastri never

↳ alexandrasaintmleux We’re like this 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

↳ charles_leclerc Don’t do this to me

lilyzneimer 🤍

oscarpiastri I think you just invented the term “nepo sister”

↳ ynpiastri and i’m too iconic for that

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

Going to Jimmy'z the last day of the summer break was a tradition among the drivers at this point.

You looked forward to it, for you, nothing could beat a night of loud music, drinks and friends. You thought that was the reason you got along with Lando and quickly became best friends.

“Ready to tear up the dance floor?” Lando shouted over the music, giving you smirk

“Always!” you replied, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the center of the action, Oscar and Lily being their introvert selves decided to stay at the table with some of your friends.

After a few songs, you returned to the table to catch your breath and order another round of drinks.

Oscar looked up from his conversation with Lily and smiled as you approached.

“Having fun?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” you replied, taking a seat next to him. “You two should join us on the dance floor.”

Lily laughed softly. “Maybe later. Right now, we’re enjoying people-watching.”

“Suit yourselves,” you said, shrugging, "I'm going to the bar, does anyone want anything?"

Oscar shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm good."

"I'll have another gin and tonic," Lily said, giving you a warm smile.

"Got it," you replied, turning towards the bar.

As you made your way through the crowded club, you found an open spot at the bar and flagged down the bartender. As you waited for your drinks, you felt someone step up beside you. Glancing to your left, you saw the last person you wanted to run into tonight... or ever.

Carlos Sainz was standing there with what you called his "resting bitch face" and acting like he owned the place.

You knew chances of him being at Jimmy'z for the last day of the summer break were high and you had decided earlier that you were just going to ignore him for the night if you ever ran into him. After all, you were there to have fun, not to get into a confrontation. But you were known for being short-tempered, a stark contrast to your brother's laid-back demeanor.

When you heard Carlos order his drink without so much as a “please,” you couldn't help but call him out.

"Whiskey, neat," he ordered, his tone clipped and lacking any form of politeness, his Spanish accent that you found absolutely irritating coming through.

“A 'please' would be nice, you know,” you interjected.

Carlos turned to you, his brow furrowing. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” you replied coolly. “It's not hard to be polite.”

"Do I know you?" Carlos stared at you for a moment before recognition dawned. “Oh you're Piastri's sister, aren't you?”

“That I am,” you confirmed, your tone equally cold.

“Figures," Carlos scoffed, shaking his head, "You’re the one who sent me that lovely message on Twitter.”

“You deserved every word,” you replied, crossing your arms.

“Did I now?” Carlos leaned closer, his expression hardening. “You don't even know the whole story. You just assume I'm the bad guy because of Oscar."

“I know enough,” you shot back. “I know you never take responsibility for your actions. You always blame someone else.”

“And what about you?," Carlos’s jaw tightened, "Hiding behind your keyboard, throwing insults. That's real mature.”

“Someone had to say it,” you replied, refusing to back down. “You can't just go around acting like you're untouchable.”

“And you can't go around thinking you're some kind of vigilante,” Carlos retorted. “Can't your little brother handle things himself?.”

“Maybe if you weren't such a jerk, people wouldn't have to call you out,” you snapped, feeling your temper flare.

Carlos sighed, clearly frustrated. “Look, I don't have time for this. Just stay out of my way, alright?”

“Gladly,” you replied, turning away from him.

When you rejoined your friends, they noticed your tense expression. Lando shot you a questioning look, but you just shook your head.

"Ask you bestie," you simply said and Lando threw his head back in frustration, once again, he was in the middle of his two best friends tension.

“I’ll talk to him," Lando said, sipping on his drink.

"Don't bother, he's a bitch."

Later that night, Lando found Carlos near the dancefloor chatting with some friends. He pulled him aside, needing to get to the bottom of the latest incident.

“What happened with YN now?” Lando asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

Carlos shrugged before speaking, “I was minding my own business, ordering a drink, and she just came at me."

“And?” Lando raised an eyebrow.

“And she’s just so immature and arrogant,” Carlos continued, “She’s always ready to pick a fight over the smallest things. It’s embarrassing.”

Lando shook his head. “Look, Carlos, YN is protective of Oscar. She sees you two butting heads and she gets defensive. It’s not ideal, but it’s not like she’s completely unreasonable.”

“Well, she sure seems unreasonable to me," Carlos crossed his arms, "I don’t know how you deal with it.”

Lando sighed. “She’s my friend, and so are you. I wish you two could just get along, but I know that’s asking a lot. Just... try to give her a bit of slack, alright? She’s not a bad person.”

"She's insufferable."

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

ynpiastri has added to their stories

carlossainz55 replied to your story

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liked by alexandrasaintmleux, oscarpiastri and 168,373 others

ynpiastri little bitches everywhere, always a pleasure monza

tagged: landonorris, charles_leclerc

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username1 HEEEELP

username2 she’s so messy we needed this 😭

lilyzneimer I can’t wait to hear this rant in person

↳ username1 LET ME INNNNN

username3 IS THIS CARLOS SHADEEEE

username4 not her adding the radio message

landonorris I would like to be excluded from this narrative

↳ ynpiastri scared of your boyfriend??

↳ username2 THEY’RE SO TALKING ABOUT CARLOS 😭

charles_leclerc Did you call me a little bitch?

↳ ynpiastri you’re literally the only ferrari i like..

↳ username3 she really hates carlos i’m screaming

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

The Ferrari hospitality was the last place you wanted to be during a Grand Prix, the mere thought of it being the place where Sainz (or as you liked to call him, the little bitch), was most likely to be kept you away from it.

However, Alex told you to meet her there after the Qualifying so you could leave together for dinner. Oscar and Lando already left with the rest of the team, so you had no choice but to wait for your friend.

"Looking for someone, hermosa?" your eyes immediately rolled without even turning around to see who was speaking, the thick Spanish accent that you despised filling your ears.

"Not for you, that's for sure," you said, not even bothering to face him.

"Are you sure? Because this is not the McLaren garage, did your little bro finally kick you out or something?"

"Sainz," you retorted sharply, finally turning to face him, "Shouldn't you be busy making excuses for your next mediocre performance on track?"

"Ah, always so angry, Piastri," he chuckled, unfazed by your hostility, "Maybe you're just frustrated because you're not getting enough attention. I could help with that."

"I don't need or want anything from you," you shot back, your voice laced with irritation.

Carlos leaned casually against a nearby wall, his smirk widening. "Come on, hermosa, you know you've got a temper. Maybe you just need to let off some steam."

Hermosa, the word he used often when he wanted to get to your skin. When you first heard it, you had no idea of what it meant. You were never good at learning Spanish growing up. But after a quick google translation search you found out that it meant beautiful. And for some reason you felt like throwing up.

"Believe me, Sainz, you're the last person I'd ever turn to," you replied icily, folding your arms across your chest, "And don't call me that."

He chuckled again, seemingly enjoying your discomfort. You wondered how Lando could be friends with him when he was nothing but an arrogant little bitch, and you cursed Alexandra for taking so long to get her stuff from hospitality.

"I hope you know that you have some serious issues, Sainz," you said, your patience wearing thin as his cocky stare weighted on you.

"Issues? Me?," Carlos raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by your anger, "I think you're the one with the problem, querida. Like I said, maybe you need to get laid. I could help you with that, your brother won't find out."

Your eyes narrowed, your blood boiled to the point where you could feel your skin burning up. If it wasn't for the all the people around, you swore you could've punched him.

You took a step closer to him, your voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "I hope your car sets itself on fire so you're not able to race tomorrow."

Carlos's smirk only widened, he was well aware that he got into your skin and he enjoyed every minute of it. Before he could respond, Alex finally appeared, her eyes flicking between the two of you with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Ready to go?" she asked, sensing the tension.

"More than ready," you replied, shooting Carlos one last glare before turning to leave with Alex.

The next day, news spread quickly through the paddock that Carlos' car had suffered a mechanical failure during the warm-up, rendering him unable to compete in the Qatar Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Oscar had won the Sprint and finished P2 in the race.

Karma got that little bitch, you thought to yourself

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

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ynpiastri season over and out. super proud of you, rookie of the year @/oscarpiastri 🥹

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username1 i’m going to miss this season sm

username2 proud sisssss

mclaren One for the books 🧡

username3 thank you for fighting sainz online all season long bestie

landonorris Little Oscar is all grown up now

↳ ynpiastri don’t say that i’ll cry

lilyzneimer 🫶🫶🫶

username4 highlight of the season was the piastri - sainz beef

↳ username1 not for lando 😭

oscarpiastri Thank you for always supporting me (creating drama online and all) Love you so much ❤️

↳ ynpiastri that’s what big sisters are for

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

The end of the 2023 season was a blur of celebrations, laughter, and champagne showers. Oscar had closed off the season as the Rookie of the Year and you couldn't be more proud of him, you were grateful you got to be by his side through it.

And of course, with the end of the season a celebration at Jimmy'z was in order, all drivers, their girlfriends and friends pulling up to Monaco for one last night of partying before the winter break.

You had stuck close to Lando and Oscar for most of the evening, since it was a special occasion, you decided not to hold back with your drinking and have as much fun as you wanted, Lando being your partner in crime as always.

So by 2 a.m, you were pretty drunk, not to the point where you couldn't stand on your own feet, but drunk enough to make a couple of bad decisions.

With that thought on your mind, you decided that it was time to find your brother or best friend and call it a night. But for some reason, both of them were nowhere to be found.

Stumbling through the crowded dance floor, you made your way toward the back of the club, hoping to spot them. The alleyway was dark and you couldn't see a single thing, but they weren't definitely back there.

"Fancy seeing you here, hermosa," a voice behind drawled, almost making you jump.

"What the actual fuck!" you said, holding a hand to your chest.

Of course it was fucking Carlos Sainz, once again

"You scared the hell out of me!" you snapped, narrowing your eyes at him, "Do you hide in dark alleyways like a creep all the time?"

"Slow down, hermosa, why are you so angry all the time?" his Spanish accent was thicker than usual, a clear sign that he was as tipsy as you were.

"I'm not in the mood for your games tonight," you retorted, trying to brush past him.

"Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble," he said, blocking your path with an easy grace. "Though you do seem to find me wherever you go."

"Only because you insist on being everywhere I am," you shot back, folding your arms over your chest.

"Or maybe you just can't resist my charm," he teased, leaning casually against the wall.

"Charm? Is that what you call it?" you scoffed, "More like arrogance and an inflated ego."

"Arrogance? No. Confidence? Absolutely," he replied with a smirk, "And I think you secretly like it."

"You're delusional," you muttered, feeling the alcohol clouding your judgment. "I can't stand you."

"Is that so?" he said, stepping closer. "Because you seem pretty invested in this conversation for someone who supposedly hates me."

True

"Maybe because you won't let me leave," you said, your voice rising in frustration.

"Or maybe because you've spent the entire season trying to get my attention by being rude to me and blasting me on social media, calling me a little bitch and all."

"I was defending Oscar," you snapped. "You kept messing with him on track. Someone had to call you out."

Carlos shook his head, his cocky smirk even bigger now. "It was never about Oscar, and you know it."

"God, I hate you," you said, ready to walk away but he blocked your way one more time.

"No, you don't," he replied, a knowing smile on his lips. "You just hate that you can't help but get all hot and bothered whenever I'm around."

"You're really are such a little bitch," you spat, but even as the words left your mouth, you felt a strange thrill.

"And you're a firecracker, Piastri. That's what makes this so fun."

"You're so full of yourself," you retorted, but the words lacked their usual bite. The alcohol was making it hard to keep up your defenses, and Carlos's close proximity was doing strange things to your resolve.

"Maybe," he conceded, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "But I think you like it more than you let on."

Before you could argue back, Carlos took another step closer, his body almost pressing against yours. The tension between you crackled like electricity, and despite your best efforts, you found yourself unable to pull away.

"You're infuriating," you muttered, your heart pounding in your chest.

"And you," he said, his breath warm against your ear, "are insufferable."

Without another word, he closed the gap between you, capturing your lips in a fierce, almost desperate kiss. It was a collision of anger, frustration, and undeniable chemistry, and you couldn't help but respond in kind.

Your hands found their way to his hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands as you kissed him back with equal fervor. His hands roamed down your back, pulling you closer until there was no space left between you.

What the hell was happening?

For a moment, all the animosity, all the bickering, melted away. It was messy, it was intense, and it was everything you hadn't realized you wanted.

When you finally pulled away, breathless and dazed, you could see the same mix of surprise and desire reflected in Carlos' eyes.

Before either of you could say anything, you were interrupted by Lando's voice calling out your name. You quickly stepped back, putting some distance between you and Carlos as Lando approached, a curious look on his face.

"Everything okay here?" Lando asked, glancing between the two of you.

"Just fine," you replied, giving Carlos a final, challenging look. "Just fine."

Carlos nodded, his smirk returning. "See you around, Piastri."

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

texts between lando and yn

texts between carlos and lando

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

2024 SEASON

Formula 1 was back and in full swing. And with that your "nepo sister" privileges, which included traveling with Oscar for races came back too.

You were excited for this season, Oscar was no longer a rookie and he had a lot to prove, and you couldn't wait to see him rise to the challenge.

In addition to that, this season was going to be extra interesting, since the news of your least favorite driver on the grid (or at least the one you swore you hated) being replaced by Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari were announced a few weeks prior.

"Did you hear the news?" Oscar asked, making his way to you.

"What news?" you replied, setting down your coffee cup.

"Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari next season," Oscar said, watching your reaction closely.

Your eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what? So the little bitch is out?"

Oscar nodded. "Yeah, it's going to be an interesting season."

Carlos Sainz was both a source of irritation and inexplicable attraction. You had tried to push the memory of that kiss at Jimmy'z to the back of your mind all winter long, but you just couldn't stop thinking about it.

Plus, Lando was firm on his mission of making wither of you confess that apparently you "liked each other", which made ignoring the whole situation even harder.

You just hoped that he would keep it chill this season, not bothering either you or Oscar so you could just pretend he didn't exist.

With that thought on your mind, you made your way back to the hotel. You spent the day exploring around Bahrain with Oscar and Lando, and now you were ready to unwind in your room. The boys deciding to spend a few more hours walking around before heading back.

Once in the lobby, you stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for your floor. Just as the doors were about to close, a familiar hand slipped in, forcing them open.

Carlos Sainz stepped inside, his ever-present smirk firmly in place.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, they say.

"Not going to say hello, querida?" he said after a few seconds of complete silence from you, leaning against the elevator wall.

"Carlos. Still popping up where you're least wanted, I see," you rolled your eyes, folding your arms over your chest.

"Missed you too, Piastri," he chuckled, pushing off the wall to stand closer you, "How was your break?"

"Great, thanks for asking," you replied coolly. "Did you enjoy yours, planning how to be a pain to other drivers this season too?"

"Is that really how you want to start our first conversation of the season?" Carlos raised an eyebrow, "I though we've left that in the past, specially after what happened at the end of last year."

You tensed at his statement. More than once during the break, you wondered if he remembered what happened that night. He was as drunk was you were, if not more, so you convinced yourself that he had forgotten about it.

"I don't remember much from that night. Must have been the champagne."

Carlos leaned in slightly, his voice low and teasing. "Oh, I think you remember perfectly well. Especially the kiss."

Your heart skipped a beat, but you kept your expression neutral. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Playing dumb doesn't suit you," he said with a chuckle. "But fine, we'll pretend it never happened. For now."

"Good," you replied sharply. "Because I have no intention of discussing it."

"Maybe you're playing dumb because you want me to kiss you again," Carlos teased, making you throw your head back in frustration.

"I'd rather choke on my own spit, little bitch,"

"Ahh, missed hearing that," Carlos said, his tone cocky and satisfied with your frustration. You mentally cursed the elevator for taking so long to get to your fucking floor.

"You know what? I hope you don't find a seat for next season at all. You act like a total peacock when everyone knows you're basically unemployed right now," you spitted out before you could even think twice.

Carlos raised an eyebrow, his expression momentarily serious. "Low blow, Piastri. Even for you."

You held his gaze defiantly, refusing to back down. "Just stating the obvious."

The elevator finally dinged, announcing your floor, and you stepped out swiftly, eager to end the conversation before it could escalate further.

Carlos Sainz had a way of getting under your skin like no one else, and the season had only just begun.

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ynpiastri and we’re back 🏁 i promise to make this season drama free

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username1 ICON IS BACKKKK

username2 nooo we need you to keep dragging sainz

mclaren Our favorite nepo sister 🧡

↳ ynpiastri that’s meeee

username3 yn always gives us lily x oscar content bless her

charles_leclerc What if I need you to fight someone from the grid for me?

↳ ynpiastri you know there’s one person i would gladly drag through the mood

↳ username1 HER HATRED FOR CARLOS LIVES

lilyzneimer love youuu✨

oscarpiastri Cute picture of me and Lily, thank u sis

↳ ynpiastri i’m just here for my babies 🫡

landonorris I know your reasons

↳ ynpiastri you’re so strange sometimes

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It was a sunny day in Melbourne, and the paddock was buzzing with excitement. The Australian Grand Prix was always a favorite, and this year was no exception.

You felt good to be back home, you always felt proud when you saw Oscar on the track, but seeing him racing in your home country was something even more special.

Carlos was also back from his emergency surgery and ready to race again. And even though you would never admit it out loud, you were relieved to see him back and healthy. The news of his appendicitis had shocked you more than you’d expected, and you’d found yourself genuinely concerned about his wellbeing.

I'm just being a decent human being, you tried to convince yourself, It would be really scary if that happened to Oscar or Lando.

Walking through the paddock, you looked for a familiar face to hang out with before it was time for the track action to start, spotting Lando's back talking to someone you couldn't quite identify, you decided to approach him.

As you got closer, Lando shifted slightly, revealing the person he was talking to, Carlos.

He looked well, a healthy glow back in his cheeks, his smile easy and relaxed. He was wearing his team gear, the Ferrari red suiting him perfectly. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and despite the casual setting, he looked effortlessly handsome for someone who had a major surgery just two weeks ago.

Your stomach did a little flip. You hated to admit it, but lately your hatred towards Carlos had cooled down. Maybe it was the memory of that kiss, seeing him vulnerable after his surgery or the fact that he had been decent to Oscar so far. You couldn't deny that there was something about him that made you feel… softer.

However, you decided to ignore those thoughts and feelings every time they got to your head, because at the end of the day, there was no way he could ever feel or think the same way. It was better to keep hating each other.

Lando noticed you approaching and gave you a teasing grin. "Hey, YN! Look who’s back from the dead!"

Carlos turned to face you, his eyes lighting up when he saw you. "Hey, Piastri," he greeted with a warm smile. "Back to your home turf, huh?"

"Yeah," you replied, trying to keep your tone casual despite the flutter in your chest. "It feels good to be back."

Lando gave Carlos a pat on the shoulder. "I'll catch up with you later, mate," he said, winking at you before walking away, leaving the two of you alone.

You stood there for a moment, awkward silence filling the air. Maybe he was still tired from what he had been through, but he didn't show any signs of cockiness or wanting to annoy you this time.

"You look well," you finally said, your voice softer than usual. "I'm glad you're back."

Carlos chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "I heard you were worried about me."

"Don't let it go to your head," you replied quickly, though the usual bite in your tone was missing. You felt a bit embarrassed that he knew, "I’m just being a decent human being."

"Of course," Carlos said, his voice nonchalant, "Decent human being, sure."

"I’m serious," you insisted, though your voice lacked the usual edge. "But I am glad you’re okay. It must have been scary."

Carlos’s expression softened. "It was. But I had good doctors, and I’m ready to race again. Thanks for worrying."

There was silence again, and you noticed that this was the first time you and Carlos had an interaction that didn't include biting each other's heads off.

It felt nice.

"Well," you said after a minute of silence, "don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you had surgery. You're still on my watch."

"Wouldn’t have it any other way," Carlos smirked, "But for the record, it’s nice to see you care, even if you won’t admit it."

"Don't push your luck, Sainz," you warned, but there was a hint of playfulness in your voice.

"I wouldn't dare, Piastri."

"I should get going," you said, pointing towards the McLaren hospitality, "Good luck out there."

As you turned to walk away, Carlos's voice stopped you in your tracks.

You glanced back at him, eyebrows raised in question.

"You know, this is the first time you don't call me a little bitch," Carlos said, a small playing on his face.

"What, you miss it already? Does it turn you own?"

"Maybe a little," Carlos chuckled, "Keeps things interesting."

You shook your head, trying to hide the smile that threatened to spread across your face.

"Well, good luck out there, little bitch."

You didn't wait to see his reaction, but you knew he was grinning from ear to ear.

Later that day, Carlos crossed the finish line first and won the Australian Grand Prix, sending the crowd into a frenzy. You watched as Carlos celebrated on the podium, spraying champagne with Lando and Charles and holding up the winner's trophy with pride.

You swore you played it cool, but everyone around you noticed the huge smile on your face.

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username1 AUSSIE QUEEN

username2 omfg included a picture of sainz win??

↳ username1 how pissed do you think she was bc he won in australia

↳ username3 i love that she didn’t tag him tho 😭

alexandrasaintmleux Mama piastri >> 🫶

↳ ynpiastri our real queen

lilyzneimer the third pic is my faveeee

username4 surprised that she didn’t blur carlos in the podium pic

landonorris Please don’t make me do a shoey ever again

↳ username2 OMFG I NEED TO SEE THAT

↳ oscarpiastri Aussie traditions mate

↳ ynpiastri cry baby

carlossainz55 started following you

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"You're not my best friend," Lando said, sitting on the plush couch of your hotel room, watching as you put a sweatshirt on, "You've been replaced with an alien or an evil twin, there's no way you're YN Piastri."

"Can you quit being dramatic," you rolled your eyes at him, "It's no big deal."

"You're grabbing sushi with Carlos Sainz," he stressed, moving his hands to emphasize, "You hate Carlos Sainz, it's been an issue for me for the last year because both of you force me to pick sides and I have to make sure you don't kill each other. And now you're suddenly going on dates."

"This is not a date," you protested, "Don't even say that out loud, it's gross."

"Then what is it? Because he asked you out and you said yes, that's literally a date."

You didn't give him a reply right away, hiding behind your your busy hands as you pretended to adjust your sweatshirt.

Truth was, you didn’t have an answer, at least not one that made sense. You couldn't blame Lando for thinking you've been replaced with someone else, because you'd never accept anything from Carlos last year, let alone willingly grab dinner with him.

But here you were, about to head out to meet him.

"I just want free dinner," you shrugged, "And he offered to buy it, so I'm taking advantage of it."

"Sure, free dinner," Lando gave you a skeptical look, crossing his arms, "Because you’ve never had other options for free dinner before, right? Your brother is rich, he could buy you whatever you want."

You huffed, trying to sound annoyed but feeling a bit defensive. "It's just sushi, Lando. Stop making it a big deal."

"You know, it's okay if you like him," he said, his tone genuine. "I mean, I get why you're hesitant, but it's fine to have feelings for someone, even if it's Carlos Sainz."

"Are you out of your mind?" you immediately said, your voice sharper than intended, "We're talking about the little bitch, what on earth makes you think that I could have feelings for him other than disgust and irritation."

"I don't know, maybe the fact that you're getting ready to get dinner with him, or that you were on the edge of your seat worrying the entire time he was recovering from the surgery, or the time I almost caught you kiss-"

"God, just shut up," you interrupted him, "Oscar would understand. He knows I'm never going to get all lovey-dovey over Carlos."

"Oscar might buy whatever you tell him," Lando raised an eyebrow, "But that doesn't mean you're being honest with yourself. It's not the end of the world to admit you might have a crush."

"I do not have a crush on him," you insisted, your cheeks heating up. "It's just... complicated."

"Complicated how?" Lando pressed, leaning forward. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks pretty straightforward. You’re intrigued by him, he’s intrigued by you, and you both can’t seem to stay away from each other."

You let his words sink in, Lando might be a year younger than you, and often perceived as a carefree guy who didn't have a serious bone in his body. But in reality, he was a very wise person who understood the complexities of situations better than most.

That was one of the reasons why he was your best friend.

"Look, it’s not that simple," you sighed, rubbing your temples, "We have history, and not the good kind. I don't trust him, and I don’t think he trusts me either. We're just… trying to be civil for once."

"That's good," Lando stood up from the couch, sitting beside you and wrapping an arm around your shoulders, "Honestly I was tired of dealing with your constant bickering, if you didn't kiss and make up on your own, I was going to lock you up in a closet until you resolved it."

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username1 BESTIEEEE

username2 THIS LOOKS LIKE A DATE

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↳ username1 LET ME INNNN

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username3 CARLOS SAINZ ???

↳ username1 girl no way they hate each other

↳ username2 he’s in the likes tho 😭

landonorris IM FREEEEE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFEEEE

↳ username1 wtfffff

oscarpiastri Answer my texts right now please

↳ username1 IM SCREAMING

↳ username2 OSCAR 😩

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After a nice dinner and a couple of drinks, you and Carlos walked back to the hotel. The sushi had been surprisingly good, and the conversation… surprisingly pleasant.

The bickering between you was still present, but this time it wasn't harsh or spiteful, it was playful and and light-hearted. The tension that usually accompanied your interactions had lessened, and you actually acted friendly towards each other.

"I still can't believe you made me try that weird seaweed thing," you said, bumping your shoulder against his as you walked.

"You loved it, admit it," Carlos chuckled.

"Maybe a little," you conceded with a small smile, "How did you know this place anyways?"

"I like reading restaurant reviews online," he shrugged, "It's a random hobby of mine, and I'm going to need those in case I don't have a job next year."

You paused, his words sinking in. Carlos joked about it, but you knew the uncertainty of his future in Formula 1 must be horrible. The sport is cutthroat, and the thought of not finding a seat to race must be weighing on him heavily. It made you think about Oscar, and how that could happen to him too.

"I'm sorry for saying that I hope you don't find a seat next season," you blurted out, feeling a pang of guilt. "You're right, that was low, even for me."

"Are you really apologizing, Piastri?" he teased, "First you cared about my health, now you apologize. What's next? You'll stop calling me a little bitch?"

You rolled your eyes, but there was no malice behind it. "Don't push your luck, Sainz. Just take the apology and run with it."

"Alright, I'll take it," Carlos laughed, a genuine sound that made your heart skip a beat, "You must be praying I stay just so you have an excuse to argue with me, aren't you?"

"Don't flatter yourself," you shot back, grinning. "I can argue with anyone."

"But you like arguing with me the most," he said, his voice softening.

You didn't reply, the truth in his words making your heart race. From the corner of your eye, you saw the satisfied grin on his face.

Soon enough you reached the hotel lobby, and once you walked through the doors you spotted Charles and Alexandra by the reception desk.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Charles called out, drawing the attention of Alex, who looked at you with raised eyebrows.

"Just coming back from dinner," you replied, trying to keep your tone casual. "What are you two up to?"

"We were just about to head up," Alexandra said, linking her arm with Charles's. "How was dinner?"

"Surprisingly good," Carlos said, glancing at you with a smirk.

Charles raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "This is new. You two actually getting along?"

"Don't get used to it," you said, rolling your eyes. "I just wanted free dinner."

"Right," Charles said, not convinced. "Well, we're heading up, you coming?"

You all piled into the elevator, the small space filled with a mix of comfortable silence and light conversation. When the elevator reached your floor, you stepped out, Carlos following close behind.

"Goodnight, guys," Alex called out as the elevator doors closed, giving you a look that screamed 'TEXT ME ASAP'

Carlos walked you to your room, the hallway dimly lit and quiet. As you walked side by side, the occasional brush of his arm against yours sent small shivers down your spine.

"So, the only reason you agreed to come with me tonight was because you wanted free dinner?" Carlos asked once you reached your room.

"Exactly, what else do you think would make me want to spend an evening with you?"

Carlos chuckled, leaning against the wall beside your door. "I don't know, maybe my charming personality and good looks?"

"Charming?" you raised your eyebrows at him, "You're literally the most annoying person I know."

"Likewise, Piastri," Carlos shot back, his smirk widening, "But here we are, aren't we?"

"You really think you're that special, don't you?" you said, rolling your eyes.

"I know I am, querida," Carlos replied, stepping closer. "And you can't get enough of me."

You looked away from him, his stare suddenly becoming overwhelming. He was really close, as close as he was the night you kissed at Jimmy'z, and even thinking about it has your neck crawling away in sweat.

"See? You can't even deny it." Carlos grinned, his eyes locking onto yours again, his voice dropping an octave as he took another step closer.

"Don't get any ideas," you warned, but your heart was racing, and you were sure he could hear it.

"I can't help it," he said softly, his face now inches from yours. "You bring out the best in me, Piastri."

"I still hate you," you whispered, your breath hitching as he leaned in even closer.

"No, you don't," Carlos whispered back, his lips brushing against yours.

Before you could protest, he closed the distance and kissed you. It was gentle at first, tentative, as if he was giving you a chance to pull away. But when you didn't, the kiss deepened, becoming more intense and filled with a raw passion that took your breath away.

Your hands found their way to his shoulders, gripping tightly as you kissed him back, losing yourself in the moment. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you even closer.

When you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless, a small smile playing on Carlos's lips.

"Goodnight, Piastri," he whispered, his voice husky.

Unable to move from your spot, you watched him walk through the corridor and disappear into the elevator doors, your mind still blurry about what happened just seconds ago.

You were fucked.

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A playlist full of pop classics played as you got ready for Lando's millionth win celebration.

He took the win at the Miami Grand Prix and the next following days were full of partying and champagne. You were beyond happy for him, and willing to put up with his multiple celebrations of his well deserved win.

This time, the setting was not that over the top, just a casual dinner at his place in Monaco with his close friends.

"Can I come in?" you heard after a knock on Oscar's guest bedroom, the place where you stayed when visiting Monaco.

"Sure," you replied, quickly meeting with your brother's figure.

Oscar entered the room, a casual grin on his face. He glanced around before his eyes settled on you. "Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah," you replied, adjusting an earring. "I hope this is Lando's last celebration, I can't keep up anymore.

"He's definitely on a roll," Oscar chuckled, "You know, Carlos is going to be there."

"I know," you said, looking away from him for a moment and trying to keep your tone nonchalant.

"You do?" Oscar raised a eyebrow.

"He's Lando's best friend, Osc, it's obvious he'll be there."

Oscar nodded slowly, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Right, of course. But you two have been getting close lately, haven't you? You didn't even come for his neck after Miami, and you always do that."

You sighed, knowing where this conversation was heading. There was no denying that there was something between you and Carlos, your friends might not know about the times you've kissed, but they definitely noticed the shift in your behavior towards each other.

You found yourself enjoying his company, looking forward to catch a glimpse of him every weekend and craving his touch. You don't know if he feels the same way, but the way he looks at you and finds ways to get you alone tells you he does.

Admitting this to Oscar felt like crossing a line, even though he had always encouraged you to be open about your feelings.

"We're just… getting along better. That's all," you muttered, "And you asked me to behave on social media this season, I'm trying to do that."

"That's bullshit, YN," Oscar shook his head, a teasing smile forming on his lips, "Come on, admit it. Maybe the real reason you didn't attack him this time is because you like him."

"Oscar, we're not having this conversation," you quickly became defensive, "I don't know why everyone insist on something that's far from the truth. I don't like Sainz."

"Sis, it's okay if you like him," Oscar said, his tone gentle but insistent. "You don't have to hide it from me."

You looked away, feeling conflicted. Ever since you first met Carlos, there was something about him that intrigued you, however, you were too caught up in convincing yourself that he would never see you as more than his brand new rival's sister. Things getting worse when his incidents with Oscar on track started and you took that as an opportunity to be reckless to him.

It was a self defense mechanism for your own feelings.

"It's complicated, okay?" you said, feeling vulnerable but knowing you could trust him, "We spent last year coming from each other's necks all the time, but now he's nice to me and I am too, we spend time together, we kiss. But at the same time, I feel like I can't trust him, that he's going to switch to little bitch mode again and I'll end up feeling stupid for potentially catching feelings."

"Holy shit you've kissed!" Oscar said, his eyes widening, "Lando was right all along."

"Oh god, I shouldn't have said anything," you threw your head back in frustration.

"Sorry, sorry," he put his hands up in defense, "But It's okay to feel confused. You can talk to me, you know. I'm your brother, and I just want you to be happy. I can tell that this is really bothering you."

You sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I just don't know what to do, Osc. One minute I think I might actually like him, and the next I'm terrified of getting hurt."

"Look, I know Carlos can be intense on track, but off track? He's a good guy," Oscar sat beside you, putting an arm around your shoulders, "When he's not trying to push me off the track, he's really supportive and a nice guy. There's a reason why Lando adores him. Plus, maybe he's figuring things out too."

You leaned into Oscar's side, grateful for his comforting presence. "Do you really think so?"

"Yeah, I do," Oscar nodded reassuringly. "And you deserve to give yourself a chance at happiness. If Carlos could make you happy, then why not see where it goes?"

"When did you become so wise?" you teased, giving him a small smile, "You're supposed to be my annoying little brother who picks his nose and runs around the house."

"Hey, I can be wise when I want to be," Oscar chuckled, giving you a playful shove, "But don't worry, I'll always be your annoying little brother, nose-picking and all."

You laughed, feeling some of the tension ease from your shoulders. "Thanks, Osc. I needed this."

"Anytime, sis," Oscar said warmly, giving you a quick hug. "Now, come on. Lando is probably drunk already and we haven't made it to his house yet."

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username1 so iconic tbh

username2 EXCUSE ME MISS IS THAT CARLOS SAINZ IN THE LAST PIC ??

↳ username1 i thought they hated each other 😭

danielricciardo 🙌

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↳ ynpiastri and i don’t see you over her which means your boyfriend sucks for not bringing you

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↳ username3 i love him 😭😭😭😩

username4 carlos sainz and yn piastri the ultimate enemies to lovers lowkey

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You're not sure how it happened, but Carlos' arm laid casually in the back of your chair as you chatted with those around you. His fingers gently brushed your bare shoulder from time to time, his thigh pressed to yours under the table.

Maybe it was the couple glasses of champagne you both had, you're not sure. But you definitely didn't want to move from your spot.

No one dared to say anything about it, but your friends had teasing grins at the sight. You knew you'll have to deal with them later, but you decided to ignore it for the night.

"Alright, I think I'm calling it a night," Oscar said as he got up from his chair, Lando immediately booed, "Are you coming, YN?"

You looked at him with raised eyebrows, you definitely didn't want to leave yet, feeling too comfortable in Carlos' presence. In addition to that, you haven't had a chance to get him alone, and that was enough to not want the night to end.

After a minute of silence from you, Carlos spoke up, "I can give her a ride home if she doesn't want to leave yet," he offered, his voice smooth and nonchalant.

"Oh, a private chauffeur service now, Carlos? How fancy," Max teased from across the table, making the entire group laugh.

Oscar hesitated, glancing between you and Carlos, his protective instincts kicking in. "Are you okay with that, YN?"

"Yeah, I'm okay with it," you met Oscar's eyes and nodded, "Or I can just crash here, Lando is too drunk to notice anyway, don't want to cause much trouble."

"It's really no trouble," he insisted, his hand still resting gently on your shoulder. "I'll make sure you get home safely."

Oscar seemed to relax a bit, though you could tell he was still a little uneasy. "Alright then. Just... be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry, Osc," you replied, standing up and giving him a quick hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

As Oscar left, the group continued to tease and laugh. You always enjoyed when the drivers were in a casual setting like this one, where they could forget about competition and teams and just hang out and have fun.

You stayed glued to Carlos the entire time, getting even closer as the night went on, you could feel your eyelids getting heavy, so you laid your head on his shoulder.

"You're falling asleep on me, hermosa," Carlos whispered to you, not moving your head from its place.

"I'm not," you protested, but at the same time you did a yawn escaped your mouth, which made Carlos laugh.

"Come on let's get you home," Carlos offered you his hand.

You took Carlos' hand, not even thinking twice about it. As you both stood to leave, your friends couldn't resist one last round of teasing.

"No funny business, Carlos," Charles called out, grinning widely. You couldn't help but roll your eyes at him. "We have Oscar on speed dial."

"Yeah, don't make me come after you, that's also my sister," Lando added, too drunk to even make sense.

You laughed, waving goodbye to everyone as you and Carlos made your way out. The cool night air was refreshing as you walked to his car, your hand still in his.

The drive to Oscar's place was quiet but comfortable. Carlos kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the center console close to you. You found yourself stealing glances at him, admiring the way the streetlights played over his features.

At one point, Carlos glanced over and caught you staring. "You're staring," he said, a smirk playing on his lips.

You felt your cheeks heat up but didn't look away. "Maybe I am," you replied, a teasing edge in your voice. "You have a problem with that?"

"Not at all, Piastri. Not at all."

When you arrived at Oscar's place, Carlos parked the car but you made no move to get out. The silence stretched between you, heavy with unspoken words and lingering tension.

"Are you ready to stop pretending we hate each other?" Carlos asked suddenly, his voice low and earnest. "Because I am."

His words hung in the air, causing your heart to skip a beat. The intensity in his gaze made it clear he wasn't playing around or teasing you. He was being real and serious.

You took a deep breath, your eyes locking onto his. "Yeah, I am."

Your heart pounded in your chest as you closed the distance between you, your lips meeting his in a kiss. His hand cupped your cheek, pulling you closer as his lips moved against yours with a mix of tenderness and hunger. The world outside the car ceased to exist, and all that mattered was the way his kiss made you feel.

Carlos' other hand found its way to the back of your neck, deepening the kiss as he pressed you closer. Your hands tangled in his hair, holding on as if letting go meant losing this moment forever.

When you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless, your foreheads resting against each other as you tried to catch your breath. Carlos' eyes searched yours, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

"But… I'm not ready to stop calling you a little bitch, though."

[pomefioredove]

Hiya! Hope you're doing okay, and take it easy if you haven't been!

For the flirty prompts starters list, could you maybe do: "Stop saying things that make me want to kiss the hell out of you." with Vil? I think it'd be a good one

Thanks!

(I hope you have fun writing this if you do! No biggie if you don't or if someone else already asked!)

GIGGLING SO MUCH

summary: "stop saying things that make me want to kiss the hell out of you" type of post: short fic characters: vil additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu, Vil experiencing cuteness aggression.jpg, not proofread a part of this event

Vil considers himself to be an eloquent man.

After all, how one speaks is just as important as how one carries themselves, and every last inch of him, from his looks to his body language to his words, have been refined to perfection. Each a golden thread in the dazzling tapestry that is Vil Schoenheit.

And yet, despite that, he still can't seem to find a way to describe you.

Frustrating is not quite right. Epel is frustrating. Those first years you insist on spending your precious time with are frustrating. But you...

You are not annoying, nor are you incompetent. His usual vocabulary for the students of NRC is useless when it comes to you.

...And different is too vague.

Vil just seems to forget what to do with his hands when you're around.

You look so soft in the golden afternoon light of the lounge, which is distracting enough as it is. Now you're giggling in the way you do, and he can't concentrate, and... what was he doing, again?

"Stop that," he says, plainly, not looking up from the textbook he'd been reading. Or trying to, anyway. He'd lost his place some time ago.

You make this... sound, this confused little hum, and he pictures you tilting your head to the side like a puppy. Sevens, you're just so...

He huffs. "I said, stop,"

"Stop what?"

Clueless little thing. Vil sighs, finding it within himself to make eye contact. He'd given up on finishing this assignment early, anyway.

"You know what,"

You stare back, unblinking. Are you really so oblivious? No, there's no way you aren't doing this on purpose, whatever it is, just to get on his nerves. Did those friends of yours put you up to this?

He should scold you. He invited you to study with him, a luxury which many would pay millions for, and here you are, being...

Ugh. He still can't think of the right word.

"Am I being too loud?" you ask, a confused lilt in your voice.

Sevens, you are so dense, he wants to just grab you and squeeze you like a stress ball until a thought comes out of that empty head.

The thought of that is no help. If anything, it just bothers him more.

He pinches the bridge of his nose. Are you really not doing this on purpose? "No. You're distracting me,"

"Oh... sorry,"

...In such a soft, meek little tone, like you really feel bad about it, looking up at him with those eyes of yours... ugh. He wants to bite you, squeeze you in his arms until this overwhelming, restless feeling passes. You're so...

"It's... fine," Vil relents. "I don't think I would've gotten much done today, anyway."

You actually tilt your head to the side this time, worsening his condition. "Something on your mind?"

Sevens, what are you doing to him? He can't sit still. He pictures himself reaching across the table to pinch your cheeks, to kiss that sweet, worried expression off your face. The effect you have...

And you're not even doing anything!

"No," he says, his voice strained with the weight of the lie. "Just burnout. It's a busy time of year for me."

You seem to take that as a cue, standing from your seat with wide eyes and holding out a hand, much to his chagrin.

"You should be resting, then. Overworking yourself will only make things worse. Come on, let's go back,"

Such a determined expression on that pretty face of yours. There's just something about how you respond so innocently, so intent on caring for him, you're...

You're so...

Vil feels his heart drop. Oh, Sevens. That's the word.

You're so cute.

"Stop that," he snaps. He can feel his face warming. "This is the last time I'll ask."

A little flash of annoyance crosses your face at his dismissal. How adorable...

"Stop what?" You repeat.

Even your scoff is cute. His face feels hot. He can handle beautiful. Gorgeous, pretty, sexy, even, But not cute. And now he's getting himself all worked up over it, and you're being so sweet, and...

"Stop saying things that make me want to kiss the hell out of you!"

Nothing has ever had such an effect on him before.

After all, it would take something incredible to fluster Vil- and here he is, blurting out every thought he has, blushing like a schoolgirl as he realizes what just came out of his mouth.

Vil Schoenheit, suddenly terrified of being rejected. It was as if he'd woken up in a parallel universe.

Or died, and went to his own personal Hell.

The shock slowly wears off your face, and you... laugh.

You laugh.

"You're very forward,"

"I'll take that as a compliment, and not the way you meant it," he mumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. "Though I'm failing to find what's so amusing."

You move around the table to sit next to him, eyes gleaming. "How would you like me to react, then?"

Vil stares back. Was that... flirtation? Perhaps you're not so oblivious, after all...

But still cute.

Still very cute.

He sighs, though there's a smile playing at his lips now. "Save me the embarrassment of being rejected,"

"Hmm... I suppose that can be arranged,"

And with that, he cups your face in his hands and draws you in for that kiss.

[twstfanblog]

*~Toddler Chronicles-3rd Years PT.1~*

A/N: I have no excuses. I've just been hoarding my writing and trying to stack finished stories and post them out when I have depressive episodes—just to make sure I have something for you all! So anyhow, I hope you guys enjoy this part. The series is going to be so full of cute baby shenanigans that you'll have a toothache. Thank you again to @bun-lapin for letting me use their wonderful OCs! They are so fun to chew on... Word Count: 6.3K Pairings: Alluded Ruggie/Leona Warnings: Needles, Children, Me typing out a country accent, Google translate french

Starter, Pt 1

Ruggie had only felt fear so strongly he could taste it twice in his life. The first was when he was five and awoke in his hut with his grandma nowhere in sight. The second was when he was twelve and a drunk man had gripped at his arm to the point it bruised him for days.

And now he can say he's tasted fear three times. The third being he realized the second prince of the Savanna had been turned into a four-year-old and was missing. Anyone left in Savanaclaw that weekend morning was out and searching, using every nose and ear in the dorm to hunt down their missing leader.

Ruggie had to stop after an hour, his panicked breathing pulling in the scent of his search party more than the sandy flora he was looking for. He stood to the side, his head in his hands while his thoughts raced on what could have befallen the defenseless toddler that a pack couldn't find him.

“Ruggie!”

He looks up, not even trying to hide the tears pooling in his eyes. A rhino beastman, a third-year who heard Leona was missing and the pure distress in Ruggie’s voice quickly helped mobilize the dorm, stood before him. He shook his head, “We've searched the gardens side to side, we've got teams combing the woods. The school and coliseum are next for the beta teams, but we haven’t found anything.”

Ruggie’s sigh was ragged, dropping his head back down to grip at his hair in frustration. Dropping to the ground in a squat as he started to rock in a self-soothing motion. 

The third-year sighed along with him, folding his arms as he looked out to the campus, “The ‘Emergency Protocol’ for a lost member is normally Rook…but you said he was four, too, right?”

“Yeah…”

“...” He tilted his head, a questioning sneer showing his teeth, “Why are they four?”

“If I fucking knew, do you think I would be five steps away from a heart attack?”

“Okay…geeze…” The third-year turns around hearing someone call his name. With a nod to them, he turns back to Ruggie, “Cool your head. You know Leona best and you're in charge when he's not available. If anyone could figure out where he went it'll be you.”

As the other beastman left, Ruggie was left to calm himself. Once he could breathe without the laborious tug of his own nerves, he really thought. Leona had very key areas he went to, all secluded away from others as he was always more comfortable alone. But those areas were also easily accessible, a factor that the possibly scared four-year-old no doubt didn't care for.

Away from others, carefully hidden, familiar…

Ruggie’s eyes snapped open, jumping from his position and bolting back to the empty dorm. His hands braced against one of the open-air window sills, hopping through it with ease as he sprinted into the faux savanna their dorm resided in.

In his first year, before they had started their situationship deal, Ruggie remembers waking up in the middle of the night. Nothing serious, just thirsty, so he left his room. But on his way to the kitchen, he saw Leona outside of the dorm's walls and walking into the fields of scattered vegetation and rocks. Ruggie never asked where he was going, but that memory was enough to tell him Leona had more places to hide than he thought.

Tracking Leona became almost laughably easy once he was far enough from the dorm, after a while the only smell was Leona in the magically sterile lands. A scent he followed to a small cave, the opening semi-hidden from view by a large rock resting in front of the opening and the amount of weeds growing from the top. Brushing the strands of grass aside he bit his tongue to hold in the urge to bark out laughs at the scene before him.

It was a pretty sweet setup, by Ruggie’s standards. A large rug had been laid out on the ground, softening the area while also keeping the dirt trapped underneath it. There was a low table at the center of space, the remnants of a quick meal by way of multiple snack wrappers and an empty juice bottle. But the best thing was the ‘bed’. A pile of old blankets and pillows all pressed into the corner, a tiny mass with reddish brown hair swimming in a daishiki resting on it. As always, Leona slept with his back to the entrance, laying in a curled up ball with his tail laid out behind him.

Ruggie stepped into the area as slowly as he could. Yeah, Leona was four, but he was still Leona. And Ruggie did not want to see what the potentially scared toddler could do to him in an enclosed space. He couldn't stop the swear he mutters, seeing a single tiny ear suddenly flick around and point toward him. He sunk to his knees, hands held up in a motion of surrender as Leona slowly woke up, “Hey…hey there, bud. You ok?”

The kid turned, a big green eye full of distrust peering at Ruggie as if daring him to move. Before long Leona had moved to fully face Ruggie, sniffing the air a few times before narrowing his eyes and wrinkling his nose, “You smell like the sheets in that room…”

Nodding, Ruggie tries to walk on his knees, one step for every few seconds to not startle the toddler, “Yeah. I do your laundry, it smells like me sometimes. I'm Ruggie, I…I take care of you here.”

Leona did not look pleased in the slightest that Ruggie was getting closer, but made no move past the adorable sneer, “Where's here? If you're trying to get money you picked the wrong kid.”

Ruggie didn't know if that was the inkling of something terribly sad or if Leona was actively threatening him and he didn't care to find out. He chuckles, one-half hobble of a step makeing Leona tense up, his poker face pinching together as he struggles to hold it together. Ruggie takes two knee steps back.

“I'm not dangerous. Hell, I think you'd wipe the floor with me anyway. I haven't had breakfast yet.”

Leona eased, his face slowly morphing into a pout and placing his tiny hands onto his stomach as he looked to the side, “I haven't either…”

Ruggie chuckles, eyes looking to the table and the empty wrappers, “You haven't?” He snorts at the little growl of a huff Leona lets out. He turns back to the kid, his smile turning soft as he held a hand out, “How about we get out of here and I make you some food? You can call Kipaji and we can go from there…”

“Kifaji…?”

Name dropping the aid was the right move, Leona's eyes lighting up at the familiar name before he schools his expression again. He wrings the edge of the now oversized sleep shirt in a show of nervousness. Sniffing the air, Leona wasn't able to smell anything pointing toward malice from the hyena. If anything it calmed him in a sense, the scent of something sweet with the earthy smell of dandelions, the same smell clinging to the fibers of the room he woke up in. 

Ruggie kept his hand outstretched, breathing in relief when Leona finally walked closer and grabbed at his fingers with both of his hands. the sophomore stands, his scrawny hand wrapping securely around one of Leona's, “Let's get you a good meal then. You're so tiny; I gotta make sure you're well-fed!”

Leona pouts, following as the older boy guides them out of the little sanctuary, “I'm not that small for my age…”

Epel sighed, placing two plates down in front of the toddlers, “Here. Some nice and filling breakfast. Y'all want somethin’ to drink?”

Vil looked up, the long sleeves of his button-up pajamas neatly cuffed to allow his hands to be free of the fabric. He tilted his head, purple eyes curious, “You talk weird…Can I have peach juice?” he looked to his plate, smiling as he took notice of the gold swirls along the rim.

“...” Epel sighed, quirking his lip as he rolled his eyes. He couldn't smack the little bugger across the back of his head, he was four, he was going to say whatever was on his mind. 

While Vil started to eat his breakfast, buttered toast and cut-up fruit just as he had requested, Rook was pouting, poking at his food in mild confusion.

“Rook?” The child snaps up, looking to Epel at the sound of his name, “Ya okay bud? Do ya not like ya food?”

“...” Rook pouted, eyebrows pinching together before he turned to Vil. He patted Vil on his shoulder, calling him to lean closer to whisper into his ear.

Vil hummed, nodding and swallowing his food before looking at Epel, “You got his food wrong.”

“Ah…how!?” Epel gestured to the bell pepper omelet on Rook's plate, “You said he wanted eggs and bell pepper! Did he want them raw!?”

“Don't yell at me!” Vil huffed, his tiny nose scrunched up as he slapped his hand to the table, “He told me you made it weird. You're the big kid, you should know what little kids need.”

Epel rolled his eyes so hard he nearly fell. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself down before speaking to Rook, “What's wrong with it? What'd ah get wrong?”

Rook only looked at him confused, blinking a few times before mumbling a few words to Vil. The other blonde perked up again, swallowing his food before he responded in stilted Florian. Epel watched the back and forth, eyes following and wondering why…they were speaking in the other other language…

Vil nodded after a while, turning to Epel, “You made it wrong.”

“What did ah make wrong?” How could such a cute kid be so annoying in this small amount of time?

Sighing, Vil gestured to the omelet on Rook's plate, the other child finally picking at the food to eat it in tiny bites, “His food! You made it wrong!”

Epel gestured to the plate almost in a hysterical fashion, “Ya said he wanted eggs and peppers!?”

The pout Vil pulls is cute, Epel can't lie. But the glare he gave him was all too familiar to the disapproving stare of his 18-year-old self, “That's what he said he wanted! That…Rook, qu'est-ce que tu voulais?” *

“Shakshuka! Mon papa le fait pour moi, mon frère et ma sœur. Il n'y a pas des tomates…”

Nodding, Vil passed over a few chunks of his fruit medley to Rook, turning to glare at Epel, “You forgot the tomatoes.”

Sighing once again, Epel braced against the table and leaned closer to Rook, “Lil guy, ‘ou're gonna need to communicate with me. What is Shakshuka?”

Rook blinked his two big green eyes, tilting his to side as he gave Epel a look of pure confusion.

Vil leaned past Rook, cupping his mouth with both hands to loudly whisper, “I don't think he knows Common yet…”

“...”

Oh, that…that was bad. Epel forgot that Rook was one of the younger third-years; most kids didn't start learning the worldly language of Common until they were around four or prepping to enter the school system. He could make the assumption that the other third-years had at least started their introductory lessons, allowing the school's translation charm to be properly activated for them still.

Epel looked to Vil, trying to keep himself from looking concerned, “Wait, why? He should at least know a few words by now?”

Another brief conversation in Florian between the toddlers, Vil turning to Epel, “He said his mommy said he wasn't getting lessons until he was five.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Epel breathed out. A new annoyance to this pile of nonsense that has become his school life.

Crewel sighed, leaned over his desk as though it was the only thing keeping him up. brushing his hair from his eyes he looked at the group of students and toddlers gathered in his homeroom. The toddlers all dressed in makeshift clothing of oversized shirts, socks, and magically resized shoes.

Riddle stood behind his two turned juniors, eyes watching them like a hawk. His gray pupils moving back and forth to make sure neither child was acting out. A helicopter guardian move that proved unnecessary since both children were sharing a chair and crowded against each other, looking with wide eyes at whatever was on Cater’s phone.

Ruggie stood still with a blank expression, for a second Crewel had feared that the Savanaclaw students hadn't managed to find Leona. Only to see tiny hands creep from behind Ruggie’s head to tug at the corners of his mouth. An equally tiny face peeking from Ruggie’s shoulder and demanding to know when he was going to be fed again.

Epel sat in a chair, eyes glaring straight ahead in purely concealed annoyance. In his lap was Vil, the toddler quietly whispering in a harsh tone as he held and picked at Epel's nails. Clearly scolding him for having dirt under his nails and the small nicks on his fingers. In contrast, Rook was comfortably seated on Epel's shoulders. The other child smiling and having fun messing with the freshman’s hair by running his hands through it and trying to pull it into pigtails.

Ortho was the calmest, Idia practically swimming in his standard hoodie from Ortho's arms. The junior's long hair had shortened dramatically, now a fluffy halo of blue flames compared to the tail it was before. He sat curled into Ortho's arms, his mouth covered by his hoodie sleeve as he nervously glanced around the room and chewed on the fabric.

The most contrasted pair were Malleus and Lilia. While Mallues stood on the ground, holding onto a folded over Sebek's hand and calm, Lilia…

Silver held the still hissing and yowling child by the arms and as far away from his body as possible. The long-haired bat fae was kicking and squirming, nearly fighting for his life to escape Silver's hold. Though from how he kept angling his head and biting into the fabric of the shirt, Crewel could only think it was also a demand to be freed from the prison called clothing.

Crewel groans, covering his face with both his hands. Soon Hui-Yan enters the room, looking annoyed as she tips her head toward Crewel in greeting, “I’ve alerted the other teachers, no one else seems to be affected so I believe it was just this group affected…”

“Uh…” Ruggie reached up, Finally pulling Leona's hands off of his face and moving to hold the toddler to his front, “So…I know they have these meetings every now and again. I help Leona make stuff for them sometimes. That's most likely where they got spelled or dosed…”

Riddle hummed, eyes still locked on his unbothered charges, “A potion makes the most sense…it would explain the delayed reaction more than a spell-Cater, don’t you dare open that message!” He reaches down, pulling the phone away from Cater’s little hands and ignoring his and Trey’s whining.

“...” Crewel sighed again, reminding himself that he had a bottle of scotch calling his name once this whole event was settled, “What potion even does this…? Bucchi, do you have any idea how they could have dosed?”

“Leona was making a big fuss last night on Malleus fuc-” He nearly bit his tongue, closing his mouth as nearly everyone’s eyes snapped to him, basically daring him to finish his sentence, “...He said Malleus messed up the drink mix he brought and it tasted bad…”

Silver sighed, trying his best to rework his hold on Lilia as the child managed to wiggle one of his arms free from his hand, “I remember…Kalim came over a day or so ago with various syrups and sodas…Malleus just said they were mixing things for fun but it must have been for this meeting- Ow.” He groaned frowning at the growling child digging his fangs into his hand, “Please, stop biting me…”

“I don’t think Kalim al Asim would bring anything that contained magical properties. So that leaves the Scarabia and the Diasomnia dorm as the prime location for a third-party to slip something into the beverage.” Ortho nodded at his reasoning, giving his brother a worried glance, “My most present concern is what could have done this. It was strong enough to effect full-blooded fae but weak enough to humans to ‘deage’ them  both to the same age.”

“...No?” Sebek spoke quietly, eyes glancing between Malleus in his arms and Lilia wrapped around Silver's arm and biting into his wrist, “They're…they're not. Waka-sama! Do you know how old you are?”

Malleus had only jumped a bit at the sudden volume increase that was Sebek’s voice before calming back down, “I'm forty…”

“...”

Crewel pinched the bridge of his nose, counting back in his head to calm his rising blood pressure. He grabbed his phone with one hand, texting Oster as he searched in his other coat pocket, “I’ll need to do some tests to determine what’s in their systems. Not to mention just making sure it’s not actively hurting them…”

Epel spoke up, Vil moving from his hands to poking and pulling at his face claiming he was going to get wrinkles if he kept glaring, “How are you gonna test it?”

“Blood sample.” Crewel then pulled what they could only conceive as the biggest-looking syringe any of them had ever seen. Silver and Sebek both only seeing one of such style in the valley since it seemed more modern needles weren’t so…comically terrifying.

…

Every child once in a relative calm had started to sob the second the syringe was brought out, each wailing and struggling to escape the room or their guardians' hold once they realized they were going to be stuck with the insanely scary needle.

Silver was fighting to keep Lilia from kicking him in the throat in his efforts to break free of his hold. Sebek wasn’t any better as Malleus whimpered and whined, the lights flickering the more distressed he became as the clouds darkened outside. Ruggie had Leona on his head, the child hissing and trying to tug Ruggie by the ears to demand he turn around to leave the room. Epel and Riddle had it the worst. Both of the smaller boys tried to strong-arm two wailing toddlers from flinging themselves to the ground.

Riddle yells, face red both from overexertion and rage, “Why do you have a sterile syringe in your coat pocket!?”

“Don’t you bark at me, Rosehearts! I’ll keep what I need to deal with you lot of rowdy puppies!” The teacher groaned, the sound of wailing children something he had no desire to ever hear. 

Hui-Yan was no better as the woman stood almost frozen beside him with her eyes jumping from one crying kid to the other. She leaned over, eyes glancing to Crewel’s phone to see what he had texted the other science teacher, “Is Oster bringing more syringes or are you going to draw from each of them?”

“... I'm not using the same needle on all of them Hui-Yan.”

“Okay.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I just assumed that’s what you’d do.”

“Why-”

“Um!”

Crewel and Hui-Yan look in surprise. The voice was squeakier but Idia was clearly the child to speak out. He was making direct eye contact, pulling his face from his sleeve and nodding his head.

“I can go first! To show them it’s not scary.”

“O-oh…Thank you, Idia…?” Both teachers glanced at each other, almost asking if they had heard the same thing. Idia as an 18-year-old was not brave, loud, nor as considerate as his toddler counterpart. While very helpful, it was simply jarring…

Crewel pulled out his crop, starting to cast a few spells on the syringe in hand, “Another teacher is coming with more supplies so I can safely get a sample from each of you. You’ll get one of those needles since I have this one for Malleus or Lilia. Modern syringes are made from steel which, if you puppies have been doing your science homework, is a mixture of iron and carbon.” He held up the syringe again, eye twitching at the increased wailing of the children, “I have a few vintage syringes that are still functional that were made with silver. A few cleaning spells and they’ll be safe to use for the fae…”

Oster bursts in, a bag slung over her shoulder as she huffed and puffed, “I’ve come with the items!”

“Perfect timing. Please prep the baby Shroud to draw blood and prep yourself to potentially fight several children…” Crewel pulled out the single-use bags of syringes, looking each over before he started to prep the second vintage syringe.

Rook peaked from under Epel's arm, watching as Idia let Ortho and Oster maneuver his jacket around to show his arm. He whimpered louder, watching the teacher wipe at the other boy's arm with a cotton ball that stained his skin orange, “Vous ne savez pas ce qu'est un tir? Ils font mal et font peur!” **

Idia looked down, eyebrows creased together in confusion, “Wha…?”

Ortho hums, gaining Idia’s attention, “He’s speaking Florian.”

“Oh…” Idia turned back to Rook, shaking his head at the terrified child, “I don’t speak Florian…”

“Scary! He’s saying shots are scary!” Vil wailed, struggling and twisting his arm in Epel’s hold while Rook started to do the same with his other side.

“Oh…Well. I get shots a lot, so I’m used to them.” Idia gains a fearful expression seeing both Oster and Crewel give the needles a final check over, “Yeah, it feels like a pinch but then you get a sucker!”

Malleus stopped his whimpering, shyly peaking from a fretting Sebek’s shoulder. He sniffled, looking over to Idia, “What…what is a sucker?”

“...A sucker?” Idia responded, looking just as confused. How did anyone not know what a sucker was…?

Sebek spoke up, patting Malleus on the back in an effort to calm him more, “It’s a confection; like the honey drops given out at the spring festival! Once you have the test done, you will receive a sucker as your payment for your bravery!”

“...” Malleus looked over to Crewel, the man realizing he was being watched and stiffly held the syringe up. Turning back to Sebek, Malleus nodded his head in a determined manner, “...I want a honey drop…”

“I will ensure you have as many honeydrops as you can stomach, Waka-sama!”

Two of the eight children pacified by the promise of candy, Riddle and Epel took notice and decided it was their best bet.

Riddle managed to kneel down, almost being pulled over by the two struggling toddlers, “Trey, Cater, you can have sweets if you both allow the nice teacher to get a blood test-”

Trey all but wept, the fight slowly leaving him after nearly two minutes of tugging against Riddle’s grip, “I want my moooooooom…!”

Vil cried out, much angrier and still fighting to be released from under Epel’s arm, “I want my lawyer!”

It took another five or so minutes for every child to be calmed and pricked. Trey demanded to call his mother and father once he had his blood drawn and his sucker firm in hand. Cater completely rejected the idea of candy, pitching an even bigger fit at the idea he would be force-fed the sucker after he had his blood taken. Riddle had to promise not only on his life but his favorite color that Cater would be the one allowed to pick what they all had for lunch that day.

Vil had nearly screamed himself hoarse when Crewel approached him with the needle, completely falling into tears on the ground and forcing Epel to fully console the child. It took a promise of as much frozen yogurt as he wanted for dessert and to swear he hadn't been kidnapped by crazy fans of his father. The other blonde toddler had helped Epel explain to Rook that they needed to take a bit of blood to make sure he was healthy. Though he didn't look happy about it, he gained his sucker by holding Vil's hand and closing both of his eyes tight.

Malleus had allowed Oster to stick him with the needle, hiding in Sebek's shoulder and whimpering. The first-year nearly making the woman break the needle off under the toddler's skin, yelling at her that she had taken enough blood when the sample had barely reached the first measurement mark. Lilia fought tooth and nail, never having seen a syringe and thinking it to be a weapon of sorts. It took both Silver and Hui-Yan distracting the child with the promised bright green sucker, allowing Crewel to gather his sample the moment Lilia had let his guard down, barely moving away to avoid razor-sharp baby teeth.

Leona refused and no promise of candy nor food nor any activity Ruggie could think up was accepted. In the end it took Ruggie holding the little prince in a body lock with both his legs and an arm. His last appendage helping Oster by holding Leona's arm still as he hissed and yowled. Once released the first thing the prince did was turn around and lunge at Ruggie, biting down hard on the hyena’s ear and had yet to let go.

Idia had watched it all, comfortable and snug in Ortho's arms with his star-covered bandaid and already blue sucker-stained mouth, “Bunch of babies…”

A botched potion was the answer. From the trace of ingredients found, Crewel and Oster were able to conclude the original potion was a magic reduction syrup. A rare concoction, but commonly prescribed for younger children with high levels of magic and no proper training. A potion that Oster had started to make once she and Crewel realized the children would possibly need it, Malleus mostly…

The main deviation was the substitution of moon crystals for moon petals. An ingredient commonly found in high-quality beauty creams for rejuvenating purposes. Both Crewel and Oster recognizing it from their own beauty night creams. Not harmful, but, it did manage to turn the recipients four. Luckily the potion would only last for a week or so, two tops.

Crewel had tasked Hui-Yan to do what she did best, hunting down students. Someone had planned to potentially poison multiple students and it was an act that would not slide, even by Night Raven standards. But, until the culprits were caught, there wasn't much any of them could do but make sure their new tiny charges were comfortable.

With promise of properly sized clothing and other necessities to be delivered, everyone took their respective toddlers back to their dorms.

Riddle sighed, a pouting Cater holding onto two of his fingers and a still sniffling Trey clutched in his free arm. Walking back to Heartslabyul was a chore and his workload would only grow as the days went on. While aid would be coming in the form physical items, Cater and Trey were pillars of the dorm, emotional support for many a student and Riddle's closest aids. He was aware he'd lose them once they went off to their internships, but to have it happen only a few weeks into this repeat year was cruel. Even if it was only for at most two weeks, Ace and Deuce were not ready for the task of filling their juniors roles yet…

As he entered the dorm's lounge area, he made eye contact with Ace. The redhead freshman sitting on a couch opposite Deuce while the other muttered quietly.

“Wow…they're still four, huh? I would have thought Crewel-Sensei would give them something to make them older again…” Ace stood from his seat, walking closer and raising an eyebrow. Both at Trey whining into Riddle's shoulder and the foul little pout Cater was giving him, “What's their deals?”

“Shots. Suffice to say, neither were too happy about it…” While he was able to guide Cater toward Ace, the smaller redhand's pout lessening when he was picked up, Trey had simply refused to detach from Riddle.

Deuce smiled soft, poking at Trey's back, “Hey, lil guy. Nothing to be afraid of, we're all pretty familiar with each other when you're older.”

Trey merely shook his head, not moving from Riddle's shoulder.

Sighing, Riddle did his best to shuffle Trey in hopes of moving his weight in his quickly tiring arms, “It was a very emotional morning for everyone. Maybe a nap is in order for them, at least until lunch…”

Ace takes notice of Cater in his arms. At the mention of lunch, the toddler seemed to be on the verge of tears the longer Riddle spoke on sleeping arrangements instead of the actual meal time.He bounced the toddler lightly in his arms, gaining his attention before doing a stage whisper to gain everyone's attention, “Hey. Why are you so mad?”

Cater puffed his cheeks out, sending a glare over to Riddle before whispering back to Ace in a harsh tone, “He lied about letting me pick lunch. He didn't say I could pick…”

Ace gasped, looking toward a confused Riddle scandalized, “Housewarden! Shame on you! Did you promise Cater could pick lunch? And you go back on your word? Shame! Jail! Jail for one thousand years!”

Deuce turned to Riddle, frowning himself at the slight, “Rosehearts-senpai…”

“I-! Cater is still allowed to pick lunch!? I didn't say he wasn't? I only gave the opinion that they should have a nap beforehand. It was a very busy morning.”

Cater’s demeanor changed, his eyes widen in amazement and moving away from curling against Ace, “You mean it? I can still pick what's for lunch?”

Riddle softened, smiling at the clearly excited toddler, “Of course you can, Cater-CATER, DON'T JUMP!”

Calm had fled quickly, Cater managing to slip out of Ace's relaxed hold and hit the ground running. His little legs zooming him out of the room before any of them realized he was running.

Deuce was the first to sprint after the child, “Diamond-Senpai! Where are you going!?”

“To pick lunch!”

Ace and Riddle rushed after them both, Riddle still carrying Trey in his tired arms, “Cater, lunch isn't for hours!”

Cater demanded to pick lunch, only then would he even entertain the idea of a nap. So Riddle, Ace, and Deuce all walked along the kitchen. Following behind a far too excited toddler as he looked around the curvy space looking for something to eat.

Trey had finally calmed down, pulling himself from Riddle's shoulder to look around the kitchen himself. Luckily he was distracted enough for Riddle to hand him off to Deuce, finally giving his arms a break.

Riddle watched from a stool, Deuce carrying and holding Trey up to cabinets and various items of the kitchen for closer looks. Ace was following behind Cater, laughing whenever the child opened a cabinet below only to be greeted with pots and pans instead of the food he was expecting.

But soon, Cater found actual food in the cabinets he could reach. The redheaded toddler proudly presenting an unopened jar of tomato sauce to Riddle, “This! I want this for lunch!”

Riddle looked at the jar, knowing the sauce was healthy enough but…, “Just the sauce?”

“Yes.”

“No. You're not just eating sauce for lunch.”

“...” Cater’s face started to flush, tears welling up in his eyes before he started to stomp his feet, “No! You said! You said I could pick! You promised!”

“I did promise, but sauce isn't lunch. You need to pick something else.”

“Nooooooo!” Cater had fallen back onto his bottom, shaking his head and nearly throwing the glass jar to the ground in fury before Ace kneeled down. The now older redhead trying to both calm and reason with the child.

“H-hey. It's ok. We can find something other than sauce for lunch-”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!”

Deuce had appeared, still holding Trey at an arms length while the toddler held out a box of dry spaghetti  pasta. Trey shook the box, gaining Cater’s focus before he shook it again.

“We can have sauce and noodles! Then you can have a lot of sauce with them.”

“...” Cater seemed to weigh his options, casting a pout at Riddle who remained seated in his chair but was unable to look at the upset toddler for long, “I want a lot of sauce on my noodles…”

“...” Riddle knew they had some chicken in the fridge, Trey had wanted to try to teach a few dorm members proper breading techniques, “Yes. A pasta is a wonderful idea for lunch. You're both very smart boys. Cater’s sauce will help make the perfect food for lunch.”

The praise was more than enough to dry Cater’s tears, the toddler holding the jar tight in his hands as he smiled.

Ace, Deuce and Cater walked around the kitchen, both of the freshmen taking turns lifting the toddler to see into the upper cabinets. Riddle sighed, a weight settling into his chest. Children were…so emotionally fragile. A part of him feared this was another avenue of his life that his upbringing failed to prepare him for. Feeling a tug on the top of his boots, the housewarden looked down to Trey, the once content toddler now looking unsure and back on the verge of tears,

“Can I call my mom now? You promised…”

“...” Brief panic gripped his heart, a bead of sweat forming at his temple before he smiled at Trey, “S-sure. Just one moment…”

Riddle pulled out his phone, looking at the personal content number of Mrs. Clover, a number that was routinely deleted and re-added before and after every school break. He gulped, clicking on the icon for a video call and waiting.

The line had rung only a few moments before a middle-aged woman with cropped black hair appeared on screen, she blinked at the camera with warm honey eyes before a wide smile took over her face, “Oh! Riddle, hello, lovely. How are you? You don’t normally call. Oh! While I have you on the line, can you tell Trey I tried to call him this morning but his phone kept going to voicemail?”

“...About that…” Riddle smiled nervously, making brief eye contact with a very excited looking Trey at the sound of his mother’s voice, “Something happened today and…Well…” Riddle turned his phone around, doing his best to keep Trey in frame of the camera.

The sound of pans falling from over the phone was loud and as disastrous as Riddle feared it to be. Instead, Trey beamed, waving with both his arms and bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Hi, mommy! I got shots today and was really brave!” Trey moved closer to the screen, holding up his unopened sucker for his mom to view, “I got a sucker. I think it’s strawberry. I can tell because it’s pink but still red. So it’s not cherry. I can tell!”

Riddle could hear how frazzled Mrs.Clover was, the woman stuttering over her words, “Oh, how amazing, Trey! You’ve gotten so good at telling flavors, haven’t you? Um…B-be a good boy for mommy and be nice to Riddle okay? He’s gonna look after you for a bit, okay?”

“Okay, mommy! I’ll be good!”

“Trey!”

Riddle and Trey looked over, Cater now on Deuce’s shoulders and looking into a cabinet with an expression of wonder, “There’s more pasta shapes in here!”

“I wanna see!” Trey had dashed over, only to stop and double back to wave to the camera one more time, “Bye, mommy!”

“Bye, sweetie~...” Once Trey had ran off, being picked up by Ace to look into the cabinet, Mrs.Clover whispered, “Riddle, what happened to my son?”

Riddle turned the camera back to himself, whispering low as to not gain anyone’s attention, “There was a situation involving a misbrewed potion being slipped to a group of juniors and Trey was unfortunately a part of it. Bloodwork was taken and there’s no harm being done from the potion. They’re simply…four for the next few weeks.”

Mrs.Clover stood with her mouth lightly agape, giving Riddle a hard stare that lasted so long her husband had called out to her in mild confusion and concern. She shook her head, blinking herself back before turning around. She said a few words that Riddle couldn’t make out before facing him again, “We’ll get our ducks in a row over here. By…By Sunday we should have everything all set to close down for the week to come help you boys out.”

“Mrs.Clover, I couldn’t possibly ask-”

“Well, you aren’t, I’m offering, Riddle. You said a group got turned right? You boys over there are still just kids. My husband and I will be there to take the load off of you from watching them. Plus, it’ll be nice you know? We missed so much of Trey’s childhood…It’s not permanent but it’d be nice to have more pictures of him from when he was small…”

“...” Riddle huffed, looking to the side, “That would be helpful…I will have plenty of paperwork to handle now that Trey and Cater are indisposed…”

“I’ll call you later tonight! I can help you get Trey settled into bed. You should think of calling Cater’s parents, too. Bye, Riddle. Talk more later, okay?”

“Understand. Farewell and a good afternoon to you Mrs.Clover.”

Once the call had ended, Riddle thought over her words. It may be helpful for the others dealing with toddlers to have a week break from tending to them. Humming under his breath, he sends a message to Ortho, wondering what the android though of the idea of alerting the turned junior’s families…

Translations!

*V: Rook, what did you want? R: My papa does it for me, my brother and my sister. There are no tomatoes

**R: Don't know what a shot is? They hurt and are scary!

[xopearlz]

pinky promise | katniss e.

𓆉 katniss everdeen x fem reader

summary: katniss made you a promise before the games, and now that she’s back she’s going to keep it.

cw: fluff!!, little angst, but not much, rain kiss scene bc why not??? sfw!!

a/n: first ever post!! might not be the best as im not that good at writing yet but thats ok. beginning takes place before the games and the end takes place after, time jumps are divided by a dash (-)

wc: 1.1k

your hands brush past the rough bark as you move briskly through the trees, keeping your eyes out. you hear a snap of a twig, causing your movements to halt as you listen closely. a hand places itself in the small of your back, causing you to let out a small gasp as you jump away, turning. you smile once you see who the hand belonged to, walking over.

“gosh, you scared me! you have to stop sneaking up like that.” you grin, katniss smiles back.

“if you’re going to be out in the woods, you have to focus better on your surroundings. who knows whats out here.” she replies and you roll your eyes playfully. she reaches out a hand which you take, interlocking your fingers as they brush against her slightly rough skin.

she leads you further into the woods, stopping at the edge of a lake. you let go of her hand and head to the edge, sitting upon a big rock that rests besides the water. you dip your fingers in, relishing in the cool sensation. katniss watches you for a moment before walking over and sitting besides you. you turn to her with a soft smile and she reaches a hand to brush the hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear.

“you always look so pretty, especially surrounded by nature.” you blush slightly, turning your head to look at the lake. she smiles at your reaction.

“i’m serious, you really do.” she says softly, watching over your features, her thumb gently brushing your cheek as she holds the side of your face in her hand.

you and katniss had been seeing each other in secret for a while, not wanting to risk anything with the chance of getting reaped still present for the next few years of your lives. you had known each other for only a few years, but it felt like forever. you chew gently on the inside of your cheek, thinking about the reaping which was upcoming in the next few days. katniss noticed the change in your face and her brows gently furrowed.

“what is it?” she asks, causing you to turn back to her. “what’s wrong?” you sigh softly.

“it’s just the reapings… what if one of us gets picked?” a slight hint of worry is in your voice. her hand still cups your face gently.

“it’ll be fine, they won’t take you from me. i won’t let them.” you shake your head slightly.

“but what if they take you?” she looks you in the eyes, gaze unwavering.

“i’ll come back to you. then we can be together.” you nod before holding up your pinky.

“promise?” you ask, to which she smiles softly.

“promise.” she confirms as she wraps her pinky around yours.

-

you sat on the couch, blunt nails digging into the armrest as you watched the broadcast of the annual hunger games. katniss had volunteered for her sister primrose who had gotten picked, and many things have happened since then. for starters, the male tribute, a bakers boy named peeta, declared he was in love with katniss. to make matters worse, you had to watch them as they kissed. you barely focused on the games after that, tuning in from time to time to get an idea wether or not katniss had survived, yet the bitter feeling of jealousy washed over you. you were never officially together, only in secret, so you couldn’t really be mad. maybe katniss just found something better and assumed because it was private then there wouldn’t be a point in discussing it. your stomach churned at the thoughts.

-

the day had come of katniss’ return. of course, she was returning with her newly found lover, yet all that mattered was she survived. at least, that’s what you tried to believe. you couldn’t ignore the feeling that washed over you when you saw the two of them get off the train together, holding hands. you couldn’t stop yourself from turning around and going home rather than trying to greet the other. you also couldn’t stop yourself from staying locked in your house, avoiding any possible encounters with katniss. you could only avoid the inevitable for so long, however.

you find yourself back at the lake you were at only a few weeks ago, watching the small tadpoles swimming around the clear water. there’s a light sprinkle of rain, raindrops falling softly onto your face. you don’t sit on the rock as you did before, instead standing off to the side. you feel a presence, causing you to turn around. you were greeted by katniss who offered a small smile.

“guess you started focusing on your surroundings.” she says slightly sarcastic. you chew on the inside of your cheek, turning back towards the lake. katniss’ smile drops as she walks over.

“hey, what’s wrong? you’ve been avoiding me ever since the games…” she starts, reaching her hand towards yours. the metallic taste of blood slightly fills your mouth as you bite harder down. you focus your gaze on the tadpoles.

“i’m surprised you even noticed, considering your new ‘star crossed lover.’” you mutter. she brings a hand to cup your face and turn your head towards her. your gaze finally meets hers, her hands are softer than before.

“he’s not my lover. it was for the games.” she breathes out a small sigh through her nose. “you are my lover, nobody can change that.” she smiles, and you feel your heart quicken.

you had been jealous of the boy, enough to not see the accomplishment katniss had made by winning the games. you offer a soft smile, shaking your head slightly.

“i guess i was jealous.” katniss lets out a small laugh.

“why?” you gently bite on your lip, looking down.

“because he got to kiss you.” katniss is silent for a moment, her thumb brushing your cheek.

“he doesn’t get to kiss me now.” she says quietly, causing you to look at her once again. her eyes are soft and she smiles slightly, and she starts to lean in. your eyes flutter shut as her lips meet yours. her lips are slightly chapped, but you could care less. she had come back to you. 

the rain seems to fall harder as you wrap your arms around her neck. after a while, you both pull away to breathe. you smile at her, fingers brushing through her hair she had chosen to keep down.

“i told you, i promised you.” you nod, giggling slightly. you take a moment to look her over, sensing a new level of maturity she gained from the games. even at sixteen, she seemed older.

“what?” she asks, causing you to focus.

“you’re just so pretty.” you say, and she smiles. you giggle slightly as she places another soft kiss on your lips.

she takes your hand in hers, intertwining your fingers together. you lean your head on her shoulder and look back to the lake, the rain going back to a slight drizzle as it splashes gently on the water.

[heartfeltcierra]

Dude where's my submarine? Part 1 of Isekaied Law X Female Reader

AN- This will be a multiple part series. I should have the second part up by Sunday night. This was a change of pace from my normal writing so I hope you all enjoy :)

Masterlist

Part 2- Here

Part 3- Here

Word Count 4.8K, Lightly edited

Summary- A familiar man finds himself in your strange land, so what do you do? Give him unrestricted access to the internet, hope for the best and pray he doesn't see your AO3.

Warnings~ Mentions of being sick, Light cursing, Suggestive content, Angst, Fluff, Modern World AU, Y/N is a huge simp for Law and has a hard time hiding it

 “I am so sick of being sick.” You groan out before blowing your nose into a tissue. “If this keeps up my nose is going to fall off.” You throw the used tissue into your bedside trash can that was home to a million more just like it.

 You’ve been sick for the past week and no matter what medicine you’ve taken nothing is helping you get better. At this point you'd do just about anything to be able to breathe out of both nostrils again.

 You look over at your alarm clock through your glassy eyes and see the glowing red numbers. Crap, it's already midnight?

  The familiar sound of your text tone fills the silent room. Who's messaging me this late at night? After unlocking your phone you see a text from an unknown number saying. “What do you wish for?” 

 After looking at it for a few moments you chose to ignore it thinking It’s some type of scam. You lean over to plug your phone to its charger, causing the screen to light up. A smile forms on your lips seeing the familiar fictional man you simp for as your wallpaper, Trafalgar Law. A thought crosses your mind. If I could make a wish……

 “I wish you were here Law, I bet you could help me get better in no time.” You laugh at yourself as soon as the words left your dry lips. “I sound crazy, but i guess It was worth a shot. I should probably go to a real life doctor tomorrow.” You turn onto your side and curl up next to a pillow before closing your eyes.

 Thump

  The unprompted noise causes your body to tense up. It almost sounded like someone or something fell. Slowly, you turn around on the bed and look into the pitch black area where the sound came from.

 Thump

 “What the….” Your racing heart stops in your chest hearing a man's voice followed by an irritated grunt. 

 “Who’s there?!” You grab your phone off the bedside table and turn the flashlight on while getting into a defensive position.  “No way.” Your eyes nearly fall out of socket. In the middle of your room, clear as day, was a very realistic looking Law. I have to be hallucinating. You blink a few times, but he was still there, giving you a confused look. “LAW?!” Your legs give out thanks to the cocktail of shock and adrenaline , causing you to fall into the floor a few feet away from him.

 “Where am I and who the hell are you?” He quickly stood up from the floor and held the handle of his sword like he was going to attack. “I’d answer quickly if I were you.” His golden eyes were sharp and serious. 

 “No need for that!” You stick your hands up showing you have no weapon. “Trust me when I say I’m not stupid enough to fight you. Nor would I anyways.” You can’t help but smile like an idiot, completely enthralled at the fact he was in your room. “You're like my favorite character Law!” You cringe at yourself the second the words left your mouth. Be cool Y/N, be cool.

 “Favorite character?” He removes his hand from the sword and surveys the unfamiliar room. “Care to explain what is going on?” You stand up from the floor and turn the bedside lamp on.

 “Well if I’m being honest, I’m not so sure myself.” With the room better illuminated, you get a good look at Law. He was wearing his signature post time skip hat, dotted jeans and a hoodie with his jolly Roger on it. I don’t think I’ve seen that one before. “For starters, you are currently in a different world.” You watch as Law’s brows furrow in confusion. “What I'm about to tell you may be alot to take in, so you may want to sit down.” You motion towards an empty spot on your bed. “My name is Y/N by the way, Y/N L/N.” 

 “I’d introduce myself, but it seems you already know me.” Law props his sword up against your bedpost before sitting down. “Go on.”

 He follows along as you summarize your world to him and how you know who he is. 

 “So in your world I’m from a book series and tv show called ‘One piece’.” You nod your head. “ And in this world there is no ‘one piece’, devil fruit abilities, or pirates?” 

 “Well there are pirates, but they aren’t a big threat like they were in the 1700’s. That was this world's golden era of piracy. Right now the year here is 2023, so it was a long long time ago.” 

 “I see.” Law props his chin up on his hand. “So what did you mean when you said I was your favorite character?” You give him a nervous smile. 

 “Oh well you see. I just think you're really cool.” The complement causes a smirk to form on his lips. “Let me show you something.” You jump up from the bed and walk over to your closet. You dig around until you find what you were looking for. “Tadah.” You turn around to reveal the replica of Law's hat placed on your head “ROOM……..SHAMBLES “ You do the hand movements for his attacks. “Pretty impressive huh?” I look like a dork.

 “Yeah, good job.” Law deadpans. “My turn.. ROOM.” The air in your room grows dense as the blue film spreads across your bedroom. “SHAMBLES.” You felt the hat on your head shift before it transferred into Law's hand, meaning the one you wore now was the real thing. 

 “Yours is a lot better quality than mine. But it’s the real thing so that makes sense.” You hold the hat and study its fine details. “And it’s a lot fluffier.” 

 “Oh yeah?” He took the lesser version of his hat off and spun it around in his hand. “Yeah this one is pretty crappy.” “SHAMBLES.” The knockoff hat was sadly transferred back into your hands. You place it back in your closet before sitting back down on the bed.

 “I know you just met me and I’m sure you're overwhelmed right now, but can I ask a favor of you?” To your surprise Law nods his head. “I’ve been sick for the past week and I feel like crap. I’ve taken every medicine under the sun and I’m still not better. Do you think you can help?” 

 “I figured you were from the sound of your voice. I should be able to.” Law got off the bed and pulled his sword out. “Lay back.” If only that was in a different context. You lay down and watch as his sword waves over your body. “SCAN.” 

 “Did you see anything?” Law nods before putting his sword down. 

 “It’s right here.” Law places two fingers on a spot above your chest. The gesture causes your heart to flutter. “You have a virus of some kind. I’m not familiar with it, but I can take it out.” You feel blood rush towards your cheeks as his fingers brush against your skin. “Do you trust me Y/N?” He said my name!

 “I do.” You nod confirming.

 “Good. It may hurt for a moment. Just close your eyes, and it will be over before you know it.” Law's voice was smooth and calming. You slam your eyes shut and felt a sharp pain, but it was gone just as quick as it came. “Done. You will still have some drainage for a few days, but the virus itself is gone.” He places his sword back into its sheath and props it back up against your bedpost.

 “Strangely enough I already feel a little better, thank you.” You weren't lying either. The heaviness in your chest was gone and the pressure behind your eyes was dwindling away.  “So...” Law hums to let you know he was listening. “I’m not really sure how you got here, and I’m not really sure how to get you back if I’m being honest. I’m still having a hard time believing you're actually here.” 

 “Yeah. It’s pretty strange.” Law takes his hat off and leans back on the bed. “One minute I was walking around the submarine and the next minute I had some weird girl asking for favors and copying my moves.” You gasp at his audacity.

 “Is that so? Well this ‘weird girl’, is the only person you have in this strange world you’ve found yourself in, so maybe you should be nicer.” You cross your arms over your chest defensively.

 “You know I did just heal you.” He says in a matter of fact tone. “Was that not nice enough for you?” 

 “No, it was very nice. But…” You grab your nearest squishmallow and chuck into Law’s face. “What kind of doctor calls his patient a ‘weird girl’.” 

 “What kind of patient throws a..?” Law grabs the stuffed animal and examines it. You watch as a small grin forms on his lips after giving the plush a small squeeze. 

 “They are called squishmallows.” You point over to a shelf that’s filled with them. “I really like them as you can see.” 

 “I won't lie... It's kinda ugly."

 “He is not ugly!” You grab the squish from his hands and hold it against you like a child. “Instead of putting my son on blast, how about we talk about the elephant in the room.”You take a deep breath and lean against the head of your bed. Having Law here was a dream come true, but at the same time you knew he needed to go back. “Tomorrow I’ll try to figure out a way to get you back to the one piece world. I’m sure Bepo and the rest of the crew miss you.” You stood up from the bed prompting Law to follow. “In the meantime, let me give you the grand tour of my place and I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

 “Lead the way.”

~~~~

 “So this is my kitchen.” You show him all of your snack cabinets. “I don’t have a whole lot right now, but I’ll go shopping in the morning.” You trail off as you rummage around cabinets. “I know you hate bread, but you like grilled fish and rice balls…”

 “You even know that?” Law cocks his head to the side. 

 “Of course I do!” As much as you want to tell him everything you know about him, you also don’t want to overwhelm the poor guy with fun facts about himself.

 “Well Y/N. What’s your favorite and least favorite food?” His question catches you off guard. He wants to know?

 “My favorite food is (F/F), and my least favorite is (L/F).” You make a gag sound at the mention of your least favorite food. “It’s so gross.”

 “Now we are even.” You blush seeing the small smirk on his handsome face. 

“I guess so.” You smile nervously. “So anyways, on to the next room."

~~~~

 “You can sleep in here. It's my spare bedroom/office area.” You open the door and  flip the light on, revealing the bed, computer desk  and two large bookshelves filled with anime figurines. “Oh and those are here too, haha.” Please don’t walk over there.

 “Thank you.” Much to your horror the pirate waltz straight over to the shelves. He picks up the figure of his pre timeskip self. “How interesting. These are pretty accurate.” He places it back on the shelf before reaching for another. “I’ll be damned.” Oh no, it’s that one. “I really am your favorite character aren’t I?” His coy smirk never faltered as he held up the shirtless figure of himself. 

 You turn your head away, hiding the embarrassment written all over your face. “I think that’s enough boosting your ego for one night.” You look over at the wall clock in the room and see it’s almost 2AM. I need sleep. “There is a bathroom connected to the room over there and if you need anything let me know. Goodnight Law.” You ran out of the room and to the safety of your own. How am I going to survive this?

~~~~

 The next morning you woke up feeling alot better. The soreness in your muscles went away and the fatigue you felt was replaced with energy all thanks to Law.

 “Wait..Was that real or did I hallucinate?” You get out of bed and walk towards your spare room. The door was cracked open just enough for you to peak inside. Shockingly you see Law standing up in the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. So it wasn’t some fever dream, he really is here. You watch as droplets of water fall from his dark hair and down his tone, tattooed back. It was mesmerizing to say the least. 

 But what you couldn't figure out was what he was looking at. You adjust your angle and notice what he was holding. A pang of sadness jolts in your chest, he was holding your Corazon figure.

 “Is spying on someone a custom here in your world Y/N?” You freeze up thanks to him calling you out. Law puts the figure back onto the shelf and walks over to the door that he surprisingly opens all the way.

 “No it’s not like that. I was just getting ready to go out and wanted to see what all you need?” Your eyes give him one rundown before you close them and look away.

 “Sure that's what it was.” The familiar smell of your strawberry shampoo invades your nostrils as he leans in closer. “So tell me Y/N?” His voice was right up against your ear. “Do you prefer the real thing or the figure?” Your brain hotwires at his words. 

 “Unless you want me to bring back nothing but bread, I’d suggest you stop teasing me.” You take a few steps back to create some distance. I’m so not enjoying this. “I’m going to go make some breakfast before I go. Come down when you're ready.” You walk away and turn back around to get one more glance, only for him to be staring right back at you. He gave you a small smirk before shutting the door. 

 ~~~~

 “Here you go.” You give the now fully clothed Law a pen and notepad. "If you don't mind, make me a list of things you need."

 “Okay.” Law sat down at the kitchen table and started to jot stuff down. “I’m not sure how sizing in this world works, so I’m just going to put my measurements down.”

 “That works for me.” You grab a spatula from a drawer and close it with your hip. “I may be out for a while at the store, but I want to show you something before I leave.” Carefully you use the spatula to transfer a fried egg to a plate and paired it with some fresh cut fruit. “Breakfast is served.”  

~~~~

 “This is what we call a laptop. It is a device we use for multiple things, but what I want to show you is a magical but equally horrifying thing called the internet.” You place the laptop on the kitchen table “The internet is a huge database filled with all the knowledge and information you can think of.” Law leans in closer to watch you navigate the strange device. “I’ll show you the basics. First let's start off with google. It is a search engine and you can ask  just about anything. For example.” You type in 'Trafalgar Law One Piece' and it pulls up his character info page.

 “So that’s how you know so much about me?” He reads over the screen with an interested look on his face. “Interesting.” 

 “Yeah. But there is a lot more to the internet.” You click away from the page and pull up youtube. “This is where you can watch different videos. Anything from music, tv show clips, documentaries and even surgeries. You can watch it all here!”  You find one of the one piece openings and play it for him. “I don’t know if I told you this or not, but Luffy is the main character.”

 “Straw-hat? That figures.” He rolls his eyes and judging by his tone…..

 “Are you jealous that it’s not you?” After all the teasing he’s inflicted on you, it’s time the doctor tasted his own medicine.

 “No!” 

 “Yes you are~”

 “I am NOT.”

 “Are too~” 

 “ROOM.” The blue film engulfs your kitchen. “So remind me who’s jealous?” The devilish smirk on Law's face sent a chill down your spine. 

 “Certainly not you.” You stand up from the chair and inch your way to the front door. I’d rather not die today. “I guess I’ll get going, try not to miss me too much emo boy.” You grab your keys and purse before you run out the door, leaving a very confused Law behind.

 The first thing Law googled by himself was “What does it mean to be an emo boy?”

~~~~

 As you shop around the store you look over the list of things Law wanted. He didn’t ask for much besides clothes and a few necessities. You go to the mens clothing section and pick out a few button ups, t-shirts and some jeans. The colors and style you pick seem to match his typical color pallet and aesthetic. 

   You wander down the book sections of the store and come across a book titled “How to shift into a different universe.” You glance through the pages without finding any clues or hints. How did he end up here? How was it even possible? How can I help him get back? Will he ever be able to go back? Your thoughts swirl around as you think of last night. What was I doing before he showed up?

 “Wait.. the text message!” You blurt out in the middle of an aisle, earning a few awkward glances from fellow customers. You mouth a “Sorry” before scurrying away with the shopping cart. For now you decide to focus on the task at hand to avoid embarrassing yourself any further. You grab the rest of his requested items and a few extra things to keep him occupied until you figure something out.

~~~~

 “Law I’m home!” You kick the door open and walk into the kitchen with the grocery bags. “Want to come see what I got you.” You yell out.

 “No need to yell, I’m right here.” Law pokes your shoulder causing you to yelp out. When did he get in here?

 “Are you trying to give me a heart attack??”  An amused chuckle leaves his lips as you slam a hand over your racing heart. “Anyways, I got you a few extra things besides what was on the list...” You pull out a mens body wash and shampoo. “I doubt you're enjoying smelling like a field of strawberries.” 

 “I appreciate it..” Law grabs the bottle and smells it. “I like this, but.” He looks at the label on the bottle with confusion written on his face. “Why is it called bear fighting in a snowy tundra?” 

 “Your guess is as good as mine.” You shrug and Law does too. “Welcome to my universe, Law.”

~~~~

 “So the internet…” The look on Law’s face can only be described with one word. Disturbed. Oh no. “I found some very interesting things. But what stood out the most was the things you’ve googled.” You clear your throat realizing you made a rookie mistake. I didn’t delete my history before I gave him the computer. You were sweating bullets at this point. “My favorite was “Law one piece smut”, that was quite interesting~”

 “Not another word from you.” You turn away from him and grab your chest in relief. At Least it wasn’t worse like ‘Law rule 34’.

 “I also saw you googled ‘things to do when you feel lonely.” The playful mood in the room dies and is replaced by an awkward silence.  

 “Way to kill the vibes Law.” You deadpan. “But yeah I did, what about it?”

 “I’ve not seen any other people here besides us, so I take you live by yourself?” You nod. “Don’t you have any family or friends?” His question opens up an old wound that you never wanted to revisit.

 “Well no, not really.” Saying that stung. At one point in your life you had both, but as you grew up people grew apart. “In this universe it's normal for family and friends to grow apart. But it’s okay.”

 “I don’t mean to pry, but it clearly is not okay If you look something like that up.” You know he’s right, but there’s not much you can do about it. “Doesn't it make you sad?” You go silent, unsure how to answer. “You don’t have to answer that, I apologize for overstepping.” 

 “No, it’s fine. But to answer that, yeah, sometimes it does make me sad.” You smile thinking of what you do when you feel down. “This is going to sound strange but when I feel sad or lonely I like to watch one piece.” 

 “Does it comfort you somehow?” 

 “It does and I know how Silly it sounds.” You let out a nervous laugh. I need to change the subject. “Anyways, do you want to watch a few episodes with me? I’m sure you're curious.”

 “Sure.” Law smiles

~~~

  You flip on the T.V and pull up one piece. Scrolling through the hundreds of episodes you decided to watch the Sabaody archipelago arc considering it was when Law was first introduced. 

 “This is very strange.” Law watches the screen while scratching his goatee. “I remember that.” Law smirks, seeing himself cut up a group of marines.

 “That is one of my favorite moments.” You couldn't help but laugh. “You were such a menace pre time skip.” 

 “You say that like I’m not currently a menace…. “ROOM.” The blue film fills the living room. “SHAMBLES” The fuzzy blanket you were curled up with is replaced with a piece of lint. You look over and see the blanket now covering Law. “I hope you don’t mind if I take this.”

 “Give me that back!” You try to pull the blanket back over but Law overpowers you. “You're such a brat.” 

 "First I'm a emo boy, now I'm a brat!?” You smile triumphantly seeing how his face has offended written all over it. “That’s no way to talk to your favorite character Y/N.” Time to hit him where it hurts.

 “I think I changed my mind. I think Kid may take your place.” You hear a quiet, but audible gasp come from Law.

 “I’ll believe that when you show me a shirtless figure of him.” He recovers quickly with a wink before turning his attention back to the tv. I can't win with this guy.

 You both watch the show in a comfortable silence. Every now and then Law would point something out or add in something about a scene. You smile watching as his tattoo hands move explaining something to you.  Despite Law being a little despicable, you were enjoying the comfort that came with being around him. 

  After hours of watching your eyes became heavy.  For a few minutes you fight it wanting to stay up with Law, but you lose the battle and succumb to a much need rest.

~~~~

 Law found it hilarious watching you fight the urge to fall asleep. He was about to tease until he noticed you were lightly snoring. So she fell asleep? His brow raises seeing the uncomfortable position you were in. Your head was leaned on the back of the couch and it looked like your neck was going to snap in two. Your body must have realized this, because you shifted until your head fell against Law’s leg. He oddly enough, didn't mind. He threw the blanket he stole back on your body. You subconsciously nuzzle into his thigh causing the teeniest tiniest blush to form on his cheeks.

 “Enjoy your nap, I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

 ~~~~

 A few hours later you wake up disoriented and in a strange position. 

 “Did you enjoy your nap?” Your head whips around to see Law above you reading one of the Modern Medicine books you got him. 

 “I’m sorry.” You lift up from his lap and scooch back over to your side of the couch. I was sleeping in his lap!

 “You weren't bothering me.” He shuts the book and places it on the coffee table. “I’m sure you didn’t get the best sleep last night considering I showed up all of a sudden.” Wait, that’s right.

 “That reminds me! I think I know why you got brought here.” You grab your phone and unlock it. “Right before you showed up I got a weird text on my phone.” 

 “Text?” Law raises his brow.

 “So this is my cell phone.” You grab your phone and hold it up. “It is this world’s equivalent to a transponder snail. You can call, video, take pictures and receive/send written messages on it.”

 “How convenient.” He grabs it and sees his picture as your background. “You really are something else.” You roll your eyes.

 “Stop acting like you aren’t eating it up.” You grab your phone and pry it out of his hands. “So back to what I was saying. That night I received a message saying ‘What do you wish for?’ I didn’t really think much about it, but I did say I wished you were here because I was sick.” You pull up the message and show it to him.

 “It has something else written underneath it.” You lean in with Law to see the text. 

 “Wish will expire one week from now at midnight.” Your heart drops. It’s nice knowing you have more time left with him but you know this whole ordeal has to be a big inconvenience for him.“ I can't help but feel guilty. I pulled you away from your crew for my own selfish wish. I’m sorry.”

 “It’s okay, my crew can handle themselves for a few days.” Law props his feet up on the coffee table. “This is like a vacation for me, plus I find this universe interesting. The medical knowledge here is very advanced and I’m sure there’s a lot I can learn.”

 “I’m glad you see it that way.” You stand up from the couch and head towards the kitchen. “I’ll make us some dinner.”

~~~~

 After reading a recipe online you made tuna filled rice balls. They ended up looking good thanks to the mold you bought that shaped them like bears. You just pray they taste good.  If anything he’ll at least find them cute. 

 “You're no Sanji, but I’m proud of you Y/N.” You pat yourself on the back and smile seeing how adorable they turned out. “They look like Bepo.”

 “They do look like him.” Law yet again sneaks up behind you, causing you to jump out of your skin.

 “I’m starting to think you enjoy freaking me out.” You gave him a playful smack on the back.

 “It’s becoming my favorite activity~.” He grabs one of the rice balls and takes a big bite. The look on his face was hard to read. Did he like them? “Was this your first time making them?” 

 “Yeah why? Are they bad?” You're mentally preparing yourself for negative feedback.

 “No, they're actually really good.” He shook his head and swallowed the last bite before grabbing another one. “The rice was cooked perfectly, and the filling.. Is it tuna?” 

 “It is! I figured that would be a safe bet. I made sure to stay away from the umeboshi recipes.” You grab one and take a bite. They are good.

 “You're a very considerate person Y/N.” Law walks over to your fridge and pulls out two bottles of water. He hands you one before sitting on the countertop. “With that being said, it’s a little unfair how much you know about me versus how little I know about you. So tell me Y/N.” You turn your attention to Law. “What makes you, you?” 

 “What makes me, me.. Hmm.” You lean against the countertop beside him and ponder the thought. “I’m not really sure.” Your mind went completely blank being put on the spot.

 “Is that so?” Law finishes off the last rice ball and takes a drink of water. “I guess that leaves me six days to figure you out.” 

[feedthefandomfest]

I have a question because I want to comment but I feel nervous. It is very foolish but it is seriously something that prevents me from commenting-

So English is not my first language and I suffer from a disease known as 'fuck you all English leaves your brain when you tap on the comment box'. Like I'm fluent enough to write a fic but the comments break me and I can only do basic 'subject verb complement' and forget half my vocabulary because I'm so nervous, so it often ends up being broken English.

I back out of posting comments except 'i love this this is amazing thank you for writing I love it' because I'm too scared the author will take it badly ? Like, what if they find it annoying ? What if they believe I think they write bad English and I'm mocking them and they don't want me to ever read their works ever again ?

Anyways, my question is : Does it actually bother anyone to receive broken English comments? Do people find it annoying ?

I would never be annoyed by such a thing and I'm positive that's true of others as well. On the contrary, it kinda blows my mind whenever I stop to think about how members of fandom for whom English is not their first language are so often working in translation. Like the trickiest barrier I have to contend with when writing anything is sleep deprivation and your average writer's block 😅 so to imagine also rendering those words in a different language?? 🫠

To varying degrees, the tragic disease of "empty comment box = empty brain" can strike anyone, regardless of language. On the plus side, some of the tricks to break through the blankness are also broadly applicable, such as

drawing from a list of sentence starters like the ones offered here or here (the beginner bingo card also has similar tasks!!)

installing this handy script that generates a positive comment on demand, which you can modify or expand on as needed

using the floating comment box to track moments or quotes you want to compliment specifically, even with just a string of emojis 💕💕💕

I can recall a couple comments I've gotten where the person apologized or gave a sort of disclaimer that English wasn't their first language, and honestly it just made me even more appreciative of the comment? Because there are so many reasons that a reader doesn't comment, and a language barrier is the most understandable!! And yet here they are, making me smile with their words. I always want to reassure them in my reply that an apology/disclaimer isn't necessary, but I don't always know how. (And there's nothing wrong with acknowledging something you're self-conscious about, after all.)

The concept of "broken English" has also got me thinking, though... And since it turned into a bit of an essay I'll leave it under the cut. 💛

Because the term "broken English" has a lot to unpack, seeing as it's always unfairly positioned those who speak English as a second language imperfectly as lesser (broken = defective). And that strikes me as a bit ironic, considering the degree to which English is a Frankenstein's monster of a language—this conglomeration of every language it encounters and subsumes. In that sense, English itself is a broken language? Or rather the shards of numerous languages held together with duct tape and gum and a whiff of imperialism. Its usage is always in flux, always evolving as speakers adapt it to new circumstances, and those adaptations become dialects in and of themselves. There is no one English language.

I teach high schoolers, and I'm consistently struck by the growing chasm between the kinds of English I can speak and the kinds of English they can speak. And technically my job is to train them in how to use American Standard English and read literature written in American Standard English, but really I find that pretty limiting.

Take the tone of this response, for instance! The more I've leaned toward trying to articulate these complicated issues of language, the more formal my speech has become. Contrast that with the first paragraph, where I'm trying to get across this awkward earnest admiration for the extra effort required of some fans just to engage in fandom, and so I ended up using more casual phrasing and emojis in a way that (hopefully) conveys a certain warmth and self-deprecating humor and whatnot.

If I were to leave a comment on a fic that blew me away, left me in a state of awe or delight or anguish—just a puddle on the floor—I'd find American Standard English quite lacking. Downright restrictive. The unique jumbled babble of fandom-speak functions on breaking the standard rules in order to evoke an intensity of emotion that meets the demands of the moment.

Another thing about commenters who really commit to throwing the rules out the window in favor of vibes is that I get such a strong sense of personality beaming through. A distinct voice that's generated, an intense impression of there being an individual on the other side with a particular shape. And there's something delightful about that.

...I suppose this is all a very roundabout way of saying that if there's anywhere to just unleash, vocab and mechanics be damned, where it's more than okay to string together whatever words you can in service of how you're feeling, it's the AO3 comment box. 💛

[tikus-library]

"Selfish"

One Shot - RPF

Characters: Ethan Hawke

Posted: Dec 29th

WARNINGS: fluff, absolute fluff, gross fluff, tiku doesn't write this kinda fluff but here you go. Smut is hinted at.

A/N: sometime your friend asks for a story and it happens... really hope this is what you wanted @cevans-is-classic

Like, Comments, & Reblogs are always appreciated and loved. 

**Please Do Not Repost or 'Fix' My Work** 

“Baby, I'm home!” He called a little chuckle curving his lips. It never ceased to amaze him that such a small inside joke would please him so much, he dropped his keys in the dish and toed his boots off, slipping them in place.

He was exhausted, the day of filming had taken longer than he expected and he had kept up well enough with your texts throughout the day, but he had eventually sent you one that explained he wouldn't respond till much later.

You understood of course and he had grinned at the heart and kiss emojis you sent his way. Along with one that saluted him, another inside joke. “Yessir” it was you being sassy, joking that he was older, he knew it was in fondness and he loved it. You. He loved you.

He sighed heavily as he stepped into the darkened living room, scanning his phone for last minute details about work and leaning a hip against the couch, he nearly jumped out of his skin when you shifted on the couch beside him.

Ethan looked up to realize the TV set was not off, but merely in rest mode. If he touched the remote he just knew there would be a documentary on or some true crime shit. Setting his phone on the stand nearby he leaned down to rest his arms on the backside of the couch, one of your legs was uncovered, bright sock sticking out. He tried not to laugh loudly, softening as he took in your sleeping face. He carefully reached out and ran a single finger down your face, smirking as you scrunched your face. He repeated the motion, a memory of you atop him gasping softly as he ran his finger along the curve of your jaw. ‘Beautiful…’

“Beauty..” He hummed softly, he remembered when you had first met.

He had called you sweetheart and you had corrected him, reminding him of your name. “Why?” He had asked.

“Stop that,” you chided him, “nobody calls me those kinds of names. Certainly not someone like you, I'm just here to help. You'll forget about me eventually.”

“Uuughhh!” You moaned, catching his wrist in your hand while simultaneously kicking the large furry soft blanket off you. “Stop that!” You mumbled sleepily.

Ethan dropped his head to the side, he couldn't help but grin, you had that effect on him. He couldn't not smile when you were nearby, just like he couldn't not look at you, even while others spoke to him bright blue eyes slipped to your form, tracking your moves. “Hey there love.” He watched your face color as you sat up and decided he would never tire of it.

You yawned, the shoulder of your oversized shirt slipping off exposing skin, “hOOoow was your day?” You asked around the yawn, legs stretching as you blinked rapidly and rubbed at your eyes with your free hand, the other still locked around his wrist.

You were selfish, he found. Once he stepped into your space, once he made certain you understood you could touch he couldn't keep your hands off him. Simple little things. Your fingers catching his shirt or sleeve, simply bumping into him from behind, fingers slipping into his pocket. He would pull you in under his arm silently, even if he was speaking to another, you hated when he ruffled your hair but stood patiently while he did so.

He was selfish, maybe.

Maybe he loved you too much.

Moving you into his place, within a couple months of dating, but it turned out you had a knack for fixing homes. His bare walls filled up with interesting pictures– “we don't even have a baby… why is this on our walls?”

“It's a conversation starter?” You had answered, “see? Conversation started…”

He laughed, but his items were never thrown out or moved far from their original spot. Blankets were placed on the couch and extra pillows, he didn't understand until he'd gotten in from a long day and fell asleep on said couch, he had been warmed and the pillows soft, before he would wake to an achy body.

To him, you were magic.

You reached up, fingers scratching along his scruffy jaw, making him hum contentedly. “Did you eat?” You asked, swinging your legs over the edge of the couch, losing contact with his face as you stood.

Ethan wrapped his fingers around your hand, watching as you smiled sleepily and followed his direction around the couch and in front of him. “I did eat, what about you? Hiding under large blankets?” He asked, easily slotting his large frame against yours, he needed it, maybe he had become too accustomed to having you touch him. It didn't matter, he needed you touching him.

“I ate,” you hummed as he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours softly. You smiled into the kiss, a little dazed at the sudden affection but not complaining.

“Still sleepy?” He asked, breath warm on your lips. You nodded, hands slipping around his slim waist and snuggling closer. “Perfect…” he hummed, walking you towards the bedroom, “I'm going to curl up around you and you cannot deny me.”

“Oh nOoOo! The travesty of it all,” you laughed breathily as you clutched at him to keep your balance.

Ethan didn't turn on a single light, instead patting the soft night light you kept beside the bed.

“It is not a night light!” You protested.

“You use it at night?”

“Well - yes..”

“Is it to brighten the entire room?”

“Tsk, well no–”

“Use it to see just enough?”

You scowled, arms crossing over your chest as you refused to answer.

“It's a night light and I love it, just like I love you,” he had laughed softly, looking back at his book. It took a moment, but he realized he had said it aloud and then sighed softly at the quiet overtaking the space between the two of you. “Baby, it's alright, you don't have to say it back, it's just how I feel” he looked up when he heard a soft noise, panicking when he realized you were in tears, he dumped his book on the floor, the bookmark skidding across clean hardwood floors as he scrambled across the bed to capture your face in his hands, “no, no, what? What is it?!”

“You weren't supposed to say it before me!” You managed. “We just moved in together and everything was so fast… I was going to say it but- but –”

He laughed, magic, you were the magic people talked about in scripts, the magic that made dealing with everything worth it. Magic that made him happy to wake in the morning. “I take it back!” He laughed, swiping at your face, “I take it back” he said softer, pressing a kiss to your lips, “now you say it…”

“I love you,” you said, voice wavering softly as he kissed you, “I love you,” you repeated, more confidently this time, laughing softly against his lips.

“Jus’ a minute,” you whined softly as he directed you to bed, wrapping yourself around him, seeking out his warm body.

“Baby,” he hummed, “I need to change.”

“Okay…” You pouted, untangling yourself and climbing into bed, watching as he undressed and slipped into PJ'S, quickly scooting into him once he was in under the covers. “Ethan..”

He pressed his forehead to yours, thumb gently running along your jaw, “hmm?”

“I'm glad you're home,” you answered softly, eyes closed, already slipping back into the dark realm of dreams as he tangled his legs with yours.

“Me too baby,” he hummed, watching you drift off into sleep.

He was in love.

Too far in it to escape, not that he wanted to. No, he had been wrong, you weren't the selfish one. He was.

Read on Ao3

[viisoul]

★ ﹒ SHE’LL BE BACK!

it’s only three hours, choso. she’ll be back.

cw : sub!choso — fem!reader — some masturbation — unprotected — handjob — established relationship — breeding — slight masochism, choso getting bit — hair pulling if you squint — ‘y/n’ only being mentioned like twice.

a/n - i haven’t yet read jjk, so i’m writing him as how i perceive him to be lol, please forgive me if he’s ooc. — hope you guys like the new theme!:3

choso was a man of few words. he was introverted and kept to himself. it seemed quite evident to anyone else that he was as hard as metal on the outside, rarely showing any emotion to anyone. however, there was one person that could look past his cold, quiet demeanor and rough shell.

that was none other than the woman he called his girlfriend, and his polar opposite. for starters, she was quite talkative. choso didn't mind it, though, being that her voice was like a delicate melody to his ears. she was extroverted, had many friends, and liked to hang out. he was more of a homebody and had forced himself to go places with her when she begged or if he didn't want to leave her side. she'd also stood out far more than him, her sense of style being quite vibrant while his was dull, making him fairly unnoticeable.

nonetheless, she was one of the only people he could allow himself to loosen up around, showing his softer side and even speaking a bit more than he typically did. she was so gentle with him, never failing to give him the praise and soft touches he so desperately yearned for. that'd been only one of the several reasons he disliked when she left his side.

so, when she said she wanted to go out for a bit, he couldn't help but feel his stomach twist in dissatisfaction. he couldn't stop her from leaving, nor did he want to make her feel bad. he'd thought his emotions hadn't been noticeable, but she could tell by the way his eyes dropped and his lips twitched that he wasn't happy.

she had to reassure him, telling him that she'd only be out for, at most, three hours. she could have been out later, being that her friends wanted her to be, but even she'd admit that she couldn't handle being away from choso for so long. sure, he said he'd be fine, but the second she stepped outside, he couldn't help but allow himself to overthink.

after all, she was all dressed up, makeup perfect and that pretty dress hugging her body so good. who could she be going with? could it be a guy? she'd never, right? he couldn't stop refreshing his social media feed—, the app he'd rarely been on. it was clear, being that he had no profile photo, no bio, one follower and was only following one user. that one follower had been his girlfriend, and he'd followed her back.

however, that was it. he'd find himself mindlessly scrolling through her posts, thoroughly examining each photo, thinking about how lucky he was to have her. some pictures had her pretty lips curled into a beautiful smile, others showing off her outfits and even some with him in it. the selfies she'd taken with her kissing choso's cheek had a slight blur to them, but the flash had helped make it a bit clear since the photo had been taken in the dark.

he only had to wait three hours, but fuck—, looking at every picture of her had made him miss her even more. he felt so needy, craving for her attention and her attention only. she'll be back, he thought to himself, veiny hands grasping the blanket that had a sweet aroma, reminding him of her.

she'll be back.

but, every thought of her face flashing in his mind had only made him more desperate and impatient. seeing the dress she wore before she left hadn't helped a bit, and it instead made his mind wander. he lets out a shaky sigh, turning his phone over and closing his eyes. sleeping would help pass the time more quickly, so he'd just take a nap in the meantime.

still, he couldn't stop himself from imagining the drawled out call of his name from her fine voice, whispering sweet nothings in his ear while her soft hands trailed all around his tense body, her mere touch loosening each tight muscle with ease.

just imagining her touch him made his skin hot, sweat beads gradually growing. his pants felt so restricting, especially between his legs. he placed a hand on his crotch with a slight grunt. it was only three hours. could he seriously not compose himself until she got back?

the time was moving agonizingly slow. however, his thoughts were moving so fast. if he wasn't checking her account every five minutes, he was looking at the time in hopes it'd move by quicker.

she'll be back.

but, he didn't think she'd make it back in time. he could only control himself for so long when it was about her. and in this case, he could barely control the growing erection in his pants. he couldn't think about a single thing but her. choso was just so needy whenever she wasn't with him.

he ran his hand across the fully grown bulge, beginning to palm it through his grey sweats as a groan slipped past his lips. it was low and rough, his body tensing at the feeling. his breathing was uneven as his hand dug into his pants, past his boxers, and onto his bare cock. his calloused hand gently stroked himself, yet, it was nothing in comparison to how good her hands felt instead. however, it would have to do for now, being that he still had about an hour and a half to go.

with his free hand, he reached for his phone and unlocked it, going to that special album in his photos that was for his eyes only. it was filled with pictures of her nude body that she teasingly sent him on days where she was needy for him, but couldn't get to him.

there was one video in particular that he was simply obsessed with, the one where her middle and ring finger desperately rubbed at her clit and sunk inside of her hole oozing with her juices that made his mouth water. he could hear her voice moaning his name from the phone so prettily, making his hand stutter.

he hated that he couldn't have the real thing in front of him, but it was so hard to simply ignore his erection and not take any action. the only thing he could do was imagine it was her smaller hands wrapped around his dick, rubbing it so good that he had to edge himself so he wouldn't cum on the spot. his eyebrows furrowed in sexual frustration, the video not being enough when he was so needy for her. no matter how fast or rough he'd jerk himself, it simply hadn't had any effect.

she'll be back.

please. please come back. please hurry and help him, the man so needy for her that it was beginning to get unbearable and even quite sad. so unbearable that he began to repeat the words 'miss you' in his head, dazed eyes glued to the video of her rubbing herself so good, hands harshly stroking himself in a quick manner with rough, wheezy breaths.

"...choso?" that voice he'd been longing to hear called out, the door slowly creaking open as light from the hallway began to spill inside the room.

she'd seen his disheveled hair covering his face, but it hadn't been as much as to hide the red tint on his cheeks or his chapped lips trembling.

"y/n..." the name of the woman he'd been yearning for, wanting her to love him, touch him, tease him, fuck him.

she closed the door behind her, walking inside. choso turned his phone off, the room going completely dark. he could hear her shuffling around before a dim light began to flood the bedroom.

by then, she'd already been shimmying out of her dress, giving him a look at that half-nude body that he wanted atop of him. once it was completely on the ground, she crawled onto the bed with him. her gentle fingertips caressed his jaw as she pressed her soft, glossy lips against his.

she said three hours—, but he wasn't complaining at all. in fact, he was so relieved to have her in front of him, gradually straddling his hips as their kiss deepened. her lips were so soft against his, the taste of her flavored lip gloss so succulent on his tongue. he loved the fact that she knew how to handle him and give him what he wants, even without words. to anyone else, everything about him was inscrutable. however, she could read him like a book.

her soft hand ran down his chest, sending shivers up his spine. she trailed her lips from his mouth to his jaw and down to his neck, sucking on his skin so good.

"missed me, hm?" she hummed against his throat, running her tongue across it and leaving a trail of saliva.

she watched as he nodded his head desperately, lip getting caught between his teeth when she kissed his adams apple.

"well, m'here now. i'll take real good care of you, 'kay?"

"mmh—, mhm..."

she pulled away from his neck, lightly pushing him against the headboard. he winced from the coldness of the surface against his skin, trembling hands reaching out for y/n's waist. just the feeling of her soft hands on his skin had his breath hitching. however, the way she grasped his hard cock, gently squeezing it and watching as a bit of cum spilled out from his flushed pink tip made him let out a small whimper.

being with her was one of the only times he'd allow himself to be a bit more vocal than he typically was, and that especially applied to when they had sex. everything she did just made him feel so good, how could he not whine like a little bitch under her?

the grin growing on her pretty lips had his heart racing. she wanted to play with him a bit before giving him what he wanted.

"choso," she called out.

him locking eyes with her was all she needed to know he was listening.

"touch me." she said, leaning into him closely.

he nodded slowly, tongue going across his chapped lips in eagerness as he moved his hands up her waist, feeling for that skimpy little bra she chose to wear. it was a bit of a struggle getting it off, but he managed, watching as it fell down her shoulders. he hungrily grasped at her breasts, the pads of his thumbs grazing over her hardened nipples.

he reluctantly leaned in to kiss her once more, rutting his hips so he could get some stimulation. she noticed this, stroking it quicker. he began to groan into her mouth, eyebrows narrowing. she pulled away, forehead still leaning against his.

"you like it fast like this, baby?"

"y-yes," he choked out, his voice wavering.

"want me t'fuck you? hm?"

she watched as he inclined his head desperately.

"use your words..."

"yeah...please—!"

it was so cute to hear him whine and beg for her, it made her want to succumb to him and give him everything he desired. she slowed the pace of her hands before coming to a complete stop, watching as he panted. she then removed her hand, using it to tug at her lacy panties and pull them down.

so now, she sat completely nude in front of choso. so pretty, he thought, admiring every aspect of her perfect body in front of him. every curve, mark, mole, he loved it all. he couldn't help but paw at her skin desperately.

she took ahold of his cock, smearing the precum around his tip before give it a teasingly slow stroke, aligning it with her wet hole. the second his tip entered the warmness of her insides, he was whining. she slowly sunk down, letting out a pleased sigh.

"choso..." she whispered. "want me to move now?"

he nodded, lips parted and letting out pants. she gradually began to bounce on him, her walls squeezing at his cock so good. his whimpers were breathy, hands reaching to tightly grab at her hips. it hadn't taken long for choso to get impatient with her slow movements, his short nails digging little crescent marks into her her skin.

he began to help her bounce atop of him at a quicker pace. heavy breaths came from his lungs as he started to feel intoxicated off the feeling already. her skin was so soft, whines so pretty, body so alluring, expression delicately concentrated.

"so big, choso." she whispered. "feels good."

if she kept talking to him like that, he might've just had to fill her up unexpectedly. his fingers pulled at her skin, leaving red lines with every rough trail of his fingertips. sweat beads were falling down his face. his eyes were hooded and heavy, but he wasn't tired. not when he'd had such a beautiful girl like her bouncing on him like it was her last time doing so.

her insides were warm and welcoming, squeezing him at times and making her squeak out a higher pitched moan than usual. it was cute. she trailed her fingers up his temples, entangling them in his greasy black strands of hair. she pulled on it, choso whimpering from that action. he loved when she pulled his hair—, it felt so good.

"you like that? you like me pulling on your hair?"

"yes," he drawled. "love it..."

"fuck, you feel so good inside of me, choso... wan' you t'fill me up with all your kids, baby." she leaned down into his neck, smelling a mixture of sweat and the soap he’d use, opening her mouth and sinking her teeth into his skin.

“o-oh—, fuck…” he whimpered. “hurts… t’hurts… feels good,”

“feels good?” she repeated, voice muffled as she began to suck on his skin.

“mhm—!”

she began to kiss his pain away, lips so soft against the newly formed bite mark.

“again…” he said.

“want me to bite y-you again?” she stammered, feeling herself tighten around him. she let out a shaky breath, rolling her hips against his until she’d felt herself brush up against his pelvis, doing it all over again. “is that it?”

he nodded.

“where?” she reached for his neck, placing her hand around it. she began to move it, only stopping when he wrapped a hand around her wrist. “here?”

“yeah…”

she leaned in once more, biting into the skin of where he wanted her to bite him. his back arched, the grasp on her hips tightening. it was so painful, but it felt so good and she felt so good around him, her body was so soft to touch and her whines sounded so pretty.

“y/n, fu…uck—! g-g’nna cum, ah—!” his eyes rolled back slightly, breath hitching. “i-i’m cumming…!”

“yes, baby, fill me up…” she whimpered, feeling his warm cum spurt inside of her without hesitation.

he let out a throaty moan, one loud and clearly pleased, y/n whining along with him. he panted, finally feeling the relief of release he yearned for. she slowly came to a stop, allowing herself to bask in the feeling of his cock still inside of her, and her insides filled with his cum.

“you okay, choso?” she whispered.

he nodded.

she moved the hairs that’d stuck to his forehead out of his face, seeing his expression more clearly now. he was so cute with his pale face now tinted a shade of red, beads of sweat dripping down his temples, his eyes hooded and his lips parted.

“so cute…” she smiled.

he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her forward a bit as a soft moan escaped her lips from the action.

“love you…” he muttered.

“i love you too, baby.” she planted a quick peck to his lips. “but…”

he looked up at her, seeing her slightly embarrassed expression.

“c-can you fuck me now?”

[zndr315-blog]

I finished reading Roxxon Presents: Thor and immediately wanted to throw up, which is a testament to Al Ewing’s excellent writing, but this page in particular stood out to me for a couple of reasons.

I think this page has a few more layers past being just a callout on big businesses putting out art, or “content”, about the evils of big business… I doubt Al Ewing would keep writing marvel comics if that were case.

For starters, if we go with the theory that this comic is partially meant to parody the MCU and it’s take on Thor, then this could be seen as reflective of how the MCU started to stop taking itself seriously and have all of it’s characters treat the very world they inhabit like a joke, to act like all they’re battles have no real stakes, and constantly make jokes when they’re supposed to be protecting civilians. People often criticize the MCU for all too often serving as propaganda for the military industrial complex (I thought the MCU was moving away from that aspect for a while, only for phase 4 to double down on it) and I think a big reason that this aspect usually slips past people’s heads is because the MCU rarely ever takes itself or the sociopolitical themes it tries to tackle seriously, and instead opts to focus on quips and jokes.

Secondly… him referring to the comic as an in-universe work of self parody, an in-universe joke at the people at the bottom of society’s expense… really brings to mind how an entire generation was radicalized by jokes and memes. For the longest time, fascists and fascist-leaning trolls on the internet cloaked their beliefs under the guise of ‘humor’ and ‘irony’. Right up until they had grown their base large enough to actually impact the real world.

With that in mind… I can’t help but wonder how certain people in the marvel universe are reacting to this comic that is supposedly a work of self-parody. I imagine all the people who put thin blue line Punisher skulls on their cars all looked at the page where The Executioner calls down an army of Roxxon crowd control drones to electrocute some protesters (in the interest of good taste, I am not going to post that page) all applauded that scene on social media, before then immediately walking that back by pointing out the scene where The Roxxin’ “Thor” advertises some Roxxon engine oil and hot sauce scented body gel and saying “what are you getting so upset about? It’s just a joke!” I also imagine Dario himself has his fair amount of simps who act exactly like the Elon Musk fandom in real life and still continue to do so even after the Xemnu debacle from The Immortal Hulk. I imagine they’d all look at the page at the end of the comic where Dario essentially bribes The Roxxin’ “Thor” into doing his bidding and say: “wow! If only the real Thor was more like this!” (Side note, maybe all the right-wingers’ and fascists’ craving for a more right-wing, authoritarian version of Thor, ignited by this very comic, is what Amora is actually using to fuel her spell?)

This whole comic feels like it was ripped straight out of the world of The Boys and, in this case, I mean that as a positive.

[doubleddenden]

The new trailer was interesting. It did the thing I didn't really want it to do by spoiling story related stuff and not reveal the actual new Pokémon we're missing, but for what it's worth it seems like the story will be pretty content heavy. Let's look at some screens I took and speculate on some stuff: and a friendly reminder that nothing I say here has any bearing on leaks that are possibly out there, so if I guess anything in the future, it was just a guess:

This crystal tree is pretty suspicious. Like first of all, this appears even DEEPER into Area Zero than we've been before, assuming. Did something or someone plant it here? Is it the remains of an underground world? Could it possibly be related to a legendary? Not to mention the FULL crystallization of the tree, vs the partial crystallization of the trees up top. It's definitely not safe to be here for long.

Next, Z move pose! BBA is off the coast of Unova, but there's a lot of Alola rep here. I wonder if they're doing this because Bank will shut down soon and this will be where they want us to get Alola forms for the next 5 ish years before they discontinue Switch online services?

Next, this is Crispin and what appears to be proof the BBE4 won't be restricted to singular types. My friend pointed out that this could possibly be a sun team with Exeggcutor there. Wonder why they opted for Kanto when Alolan is there? (I mean besides Kanto being why).

Next, the reveal of, WHOA WHODA THUNK, Champion? Corrupted Kieran anyway. I made a post a few months back when they showed off this guy from the neck down and made the prediction he'd be champion- that's not entirely confirmed just yet, but it does seem to be pointing in that direction. It's not really that much of a W because GF can be very predictable with their writing.

Anyway he looks heavily corrupted- YEAH LETS GO VILLAIN ARC!!!! His hair is fully purple now- honestly I'd have preferred it with black like before, but it's probably symbolic of his corruption. My friend even pointed out his hair kinda looks like the Toxic Chains the Loyal Three have- theory time, whatever gave them the chain is also corrupting Kieran because look at him. No light left in those eyes. Just rage. Fun :D

Next we have this- I assume it's Penny or Mela tbh, because I saw from a ways back where it seems like Team Star's Giacomo has reintegrated into Naranja/Uva Academy. Maybe Penny has stopped dying her hair and grew it out or Mela is being super proper now or something. Could also be a completely unrelated character.

Lastly for major story stuff, this is cool poster material. Kieran's rage or possibly fear of Terapagos, Carmine's worry for her brother, Briar... I mean come on, she's a villain in waiting, look at her face. Idk if I'm too quick to claim Terapagos is evil though, because the anime has firmly planted him in Just A Little Guy territory and I don't think they'd want to ruin that image considering they've been in charge of hyping him up since Horizons first started.

But yeah, the culmination of everything we've been through in one image. Kinda exciting.

Oh, and just some small tin foil hat pics

It's odd that they paired these trios together to me. Pokémon loves sprinkling breadcrumbs to tease at future projects, and these could pass for potential Legends starter trios.

But not for Unova.

Tepig and Snivy are the odd ones out here because it'd be kinda dumb to re use Unova starters for a Legends Unova game- now for Johto? Squirtle, Treeko, and Tepig COULD work, but Squirtle is also pretty close to home.

If I'm being real, this is probably nothing and just meant to highlight the starters across different generations coming home, with Tepig and Snivy being stand outs because this will be their first time being available on the Switch. Ever.

Other notable things I didn't screenshot:

BQs: basically side quests.

Synchronization? I guess? We can actually control a Pokémon. Conspiracy brain wants to say this is alluding to something, but I'm unsure. It's at least kind of neat because this has been a topic of various NPCs in the series for years. Those were probably just alluding to Mystery Dungeon games, but when Game Freak does something like this in DLC, it could hint at a future mechanic or possibly a feature in a future game.

Legendaries returning: I'm gonna be real, I'm not really all that excited by the prospect of yet another Legendary Bargain Sale that they've been doing since ORAS at this point. ORAS, USUM, Crown Tundra, and now Indigo Disk. At this point the legendaries are more common and accessible than some common pokemon like Furfrou or the elemental monkeys.

What's interesting to note are a couple of things:

1. DLC pokemon from SwSh are here too, including Kubfu. That's interesting, I wonder how it will evolve considering we needed the two towers in IoA last time? An NPC from the dojo?

2. Boi if you thought I wasn't gonna talk about the Unovan dragons- they didn't HAVE to single them out like that! They didn't have to. They did, though. I'm pretty sure we all know their next projects.

You may be saying "but it's too fast!" And I agree. They need to stop rushing things and take their time, but we all know they won't. All we can do is hope they actually try this time.

Anyways that was the last trailer for Indigo Disk. Maybe it's my severe depression talking, but I'm actually excited for Indigo Disk. It looks very content heavy and a bit prettier to look at than before. I hope it runs okay- I mean it won't, but I still hope it. I also hope this isn't as quick as Teal Mask was.

1 week lefts, bois

[hughiecampbelle]

Succession Preference: Helping You Dye Your Hair

Requested: absolutely love love your succcession posts!! thanks for constantly feeding us fans (esp the shiv girlies out there) could i request the roy sibs with an s/o who’s constantly changing their hair color and one day their partner helps/joins them? - anon

A/N: I love the Shiv girlies, it makes me so happy knowing y'all like my writing!!! I love this!!! I've dyed my hair every single color and it was so fun, it made me feel like me. I still love dyeing it :) Pink was always my favorite lol. Anyways this idea is so cute! I hope you like it!!! Feedback is always appreciated 💜💜💜

Connor adores what you do with your hair. he's never been the adventurous type with his appearance. When he started going gray he just accepted it and moved on. He never thought of hair dye, not even in a fun way. The first time he saw you he couldn't believe hair could be that bright, that neon. It was of course the first thing he noticed about you, but certainly not the last. He's always coming up with nicknames for you around the color of your hair, too. When you ask him for help he's more than eager. He's never done anyone's hair, let alone his own, so you do need to walk him through it at first. Once he's got one side of your head done, he's confident he can do the rest without any hand holding. He ends up getting covered in the dye, his hands, his face, even some in his own hair, but he looks at you with such pride you can't help but compliment his best efforts.

Kendall thinks when you change your hair you're being cute. He looks forward to it every time you change it. He's always heard that hair dye and piercings and tattoos, any way of self-expression, is unprofessional, but you're far from it. Your hair can be blue, green, pink, etc. and it doesn't stop you from kicking ass in the board room. Logan has his own views, but he can't stop you, and Kendall doesn't want to. When you ask him to help for the first time he's nervous he's going to mess up. You laugh, explaining there's no way to mess it up when you're just painting your head. He's slow and careful, working ever so carefully. In the end it looks perfect. You thank him with a kiss and that makes him blush. He knows you can do a far better job, but you like when he does it. You enjoy the company.

Shiv has always been told, her whole entire life, never to touch her hair. Everyone compliments the color before anything else. She never minded, though she knows it annoys others. She's never felt the need to change her appearance in the way. She finds that cutting it is more satisfying than anything else. You, on the other hand, feel the need to change it monthly, sometimes even weekly. Shiv is an expert in everything somehow. When you ask for her help she looks like a professional, despite it being her first time. She loves when you change your hair, especially right before events and parties. The color is always bright and she can help you pick out certain outfits that really bring out the color. She's neat while she works, far neater than you've ever been. Not a drop touches any other surface besides your hair. You joke that she should quit her day job.

Roman calls you a troll doll from the moment he sees you. Once he gets to know you, there are of course more personal jokes at your expense. What else were you expecting? He secretly loves it. He never got the chance to learn how to express himself like that, he never wants to stand out from the crowd, too afraid of what will happen. You're not. You love the bright colors, it makes you feel more like you, and he loves you. When you ask him for help it's a bit of a disaster. For starters, he's adamant he won't get any on his white collared shirt. Stubborn as always, you can't force him to change. He gets it absolutely everywhere, all over himself, the bathroom, you, but he's pretty proud of his job. Despite the dye all over you, staining you, your hair-dyeing clothes, you look great. He doesn't need your thanks, he's on top of the world right now. He jokes he could do it professionally.

[foxofninetales]

Unlearn the Way of Being Strangers by afrikate, cryptive, fox_of_nine_tales, frith_in_thorns, Hils, Merinnan, mimosaeyes, MountainRose, Onmyo-Jin (silvercolour), rainisfallingdown, WindStainedDreams

Fandom: DMBJ | The Grave Robber’s Chronicles and related fandoms

Relationship: Hei Xiazi/Liu Sang/Xie Yuchen

Rating: Teen

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Action/Adventure, Post-Canon, canon-typical tomb creatures, Injury, Caretaking, Mind Control, Tentacles but not like that

Summary:

Having finally regained his hearing and his health after his Thunder City adventures with the Iron Triangle, Liu Sang is looking forward to a new contract with a new employer. With Xie Yuchen's reputation for competence and the resources he has to draw on, this should be a smooth, professional tomb raid that gives Liu Sang a chance to showcase his skills. What could go wrong? Well, for starters, Hei Xiazi is there.

Excerpt:

Liu Sang wiped his nose irritably; if there was some sort of hyper-allergenic mold down here he was going to be livid–

Oh. His fingers and the back of his knuckles were smeared with something dark, and a flash from his flashlight lit it up bright, virulent red.

"Oh fuck, uhh–" he had tissues somewhere, right? Shit, he’d emptied his pockets when he got doused…

"Use this," Xie-ye said, handing him... was that silk? Definitely too nice a handkerchief to bring into a tomb – unless, apparently, your name was Xie Yuchen. "What happened?

"Nothing," Liu Sang said, reluctantly taking the handkerchief. It really was far too nice to get bloodstains all over it, but it seemed it was that or nothing. "No, really," he added as he held the handkerchief to his nose, catching Xie Yuchen's sceptical look. "I didn't hit it, or smell anything, or get anything in my face, or anything like that. It just started bleeding." He shrugged. "It's just a nosebleed. They happen."

“Did you hear anything before it started bleeding?” Hei Xiazi had materialised next to him, holding up some more standard paper tissues.

That triggered a niggling in Liu Sang's mind. There was something he was supposed to do. He shook his head to try to clear it. The door was open. Right. He needed to map the mechanism he could hear.

"Hey, did you hear me?" Hei Xiazi asked, putting something in his hand. What had he said before? Something about listening?

"I'm listening, the floor's hollow–"

"I'm asking you about the bells, Sangsang," he repeated. "Stop listening, put your white noise in."

There were people on all sides now, the medic, and Mop, and Xie Yuchen was touching his shoulder, and they all had nice, solid heartbeats that he didn't want to stop hearing, actually. "No, no, I'm listening–"

There were suddenly too many hands on him. He felt claustrophobic. He tried to bat them away but they kept coming back. Someone forced his earphones in his ears and turned up the white noise, and suddenly the world felt bleak, like he had lost something precious. He needed to listen. Why didn't they understand?

He tasted some warm and salty on his tongue and his knees hurt – had he fallen? Where was the music?

He tried to get up again, but someone had a hand on his shoulder and he just couldn't get the leverage. Warm, sticky, salty, unswallowable something filled the back of his throat and he was going to choke, off, off, get off–

He heaved over onto his side and coughed, violently enough that his ribs ached. In the harsh light-and-shadow, the ground misted red in front of him.

Commentary:  

This fic came about over on the Yucun Discord when Jin suggested cooperatively group-writing a fic just for the fun of it. Well, you can't go wrong with that DMBJ standard, the tomb crawl, and all of us are whump enthusiasts (in fact , I think most of the authors still lovingly refer to this by its working title, Tomb of Whump) so we set out to make our boys suffer and see where the plot took us. Nine months, 176k words, and a whole lot of hurt and comfort later, the entire fic is available to read on AO3!

Image credits 1 2 3 4

[takisayswhat]

Posted this on a Reddit sub but I really need people to hear this, this comic sucked! It was not what it was marketed as in the slightest if you’re a fan of Jon or Jay especially Jay honestly which I’m not! You should really not pretend this was remotely good imo.

Now for the heavy lifting about why this comic wasn’t good to me for starters I hate the way they tackle Jon’s queeerness, everything with Jon is so political & contrived & corporate written it’s so annoying it’s actually soulless. Now you would think having 2 LGBT writers on this one-shot that wouldn’t be the case but it just feels more the same of the Tom Taylor type writing. This is so stupid Jon stops this villain & talks about how his REVOLUTIONARY BF will teach him to petition & follow the law for LGBT + reform & change. Now I know Jay doesn’t have much of a personality or character but off his general marketing since we’ve met him this is the type of shit he would approve of he wouldn’t be against what this villain did. They play it so safe with Jon when it comes to Queer side & how he expresses it.

Now let’s get into my real beef, Nicole Maines is writing glorified Fanfiction & making it canon. For this story to have any real credibility you have to really believe that Jon & Nia (AKA Dreamer) have this super deep relationship, albeit (friendship or romantic vibes) that goes back years like you have to believe their the best of friends for this story to remotely hit at all! And we all know that is just not the case these 2 have about 7-8 issues worth of panel time together all written by this one writer, & she is HELLBENT on pushing this imaginary connection between the two at whatever cost. It does not work because everyone knows Damien is Jon’s bestfriend it’s not Dreamer him & Dreamer barely know each-other it’s so FORCED! She spends this entire comic suggesting they have these deep feelings for eachother when all actuality they barely know each-other! These 2 have known each-other for a few months at best.

Now let’s talk Jon & Jay which is a couple I really don’t see it for I don’t feel Jay brings anything to the table he can be replaced with almost anyone & nothing changes. However that being said their dynamic has never felt more off & IDK where it’s coming from out the gate Jay is acting really cold to Jon IDK why it’s not like he killed his mom, & this is all before Dreamer is even mentioned, the energy is just really weird. It’s almost like they had a fight off panel but that didn’t translate well if that was the case. And then them arguing over Dreamer again they expect us to believe Jon & Nia are super close enough to the point he would push Jay to forgive her for what she did to his mom & legit argue over that when it shouldn’t be the case cause again they barely knew eachother. It seems to be setting them up to be on a rough patch why IDK again it’s all coming across very forced IMO.

This comic was clearly only made to try & push this love Triangle in the future beyond that it’s a mediocre read, it’s not what Nicole & Sina marketed it as IMO very poorly executed. I was not a fan & genuinely this whole read felt like Fanfiction I cannot express that enough.

[alwayslurkinginthebackground]

Bad Day - A "Kissing You" Drabble

Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!reader

Rating: No warnings that I know of, just a bunch of fluff with the briefest of mentions about other enjoyable activities with our boy

Word Count: 800

Prompt #5 : Intertwining fingers

a/n: Okay, so I've been working on something for a while, and this is not that something, but rather a small piece of a different something that I'm really trying to convince myself to share. But for now, here's a small piece of that thing that I want to share for @browneyes-issac. I'm so sorry you had a horrible day at work and my brain wouldn't stop until I wrote this in hopes that it might help, even just a little. This is also my first ever released Frankie fic, and also my first time writing f!reader, and also the first thing I've written and shared on Tumblr in literal YEARS, so go easy on me. And if you like it, tell me to post the other ones that may or may not be sitting in my folders.

Masterlist | Next Drabble

Your day has been nothing short of miserable. 

As if a broken water heater hadn’t been enough, the standstill traffic on your way to work and the blown tire just two blocks from the restaurant gave you pause. And then you’d been foolish enough to believe that maybe, at least, work would be tolerable for once. 

But it hadn’t been, and now you're alone in an empty restaurant with a room full of tables still yet to be cleaned. Your coworkers had been no help, piling onto your load with table after table, nevermind your lack of a break. And then they’d left, all citing important events that they needed to attend while you stood, glancing at your watch as it told you your shift should be ending in ten minutes. Keyword, should.

A flash of headlights from outside brightens the empty room, and with a sigh, you head toward the front door, unlocking the deadbolt as Frankie appears on the other side. He’d agreed to pick you up when you’d called him about your blown tire, and he was, of course, on time. 

You're willing yourself not to lose it entirely when you breathe in his familiar scent, but it only takes a second for his wide smile to fade into genuine concern. “What’s wrong?” 

Saying nothing, you turn and walk back into the dining room, gesturing to the tables still stacked high with dishes. “There’s more in the kitchen,” you sigh, eyes falling to the ground in front of you, trying to hide your frustrated tears. 

Slowly, he takes your hand in his, lacing your fingers together and raises them to press a kiss to the back of your hand. “I’ll help.”

A laugh escapes you as you finally glance up at him, “You can’t.” 

Frankie’s eyebrows raise quickly, “and why not?” 

“For starters, you don’t work here. And you wouldn’t get paid. And it’s my job. You probably shouldn’t even be in here like this and you really can’t go in the kitchen and…” 

His grip on your hand tightens, causing you to stop your rambling. Without missing a beat, he counters your concerns with a plan. “How about you wash and I collect the dishes and bring them back to you? Then I can wipe down all the tables and rearrange everything out here while you finish up.” 

“Let me help you, Querida,” he continues when he notices you biting your lip, eyes flickering over the piles of work, and you feel him kiss your hand once more. You have to admit that his plan makes a lot of sense, and it would probably allow the two of you to be out of here long before you would if you did everything on your own. 

“Okay,” you agree after a long breath.

Frankie looks pleased, almost excited, and kisses your forehead quickly before rushing off in the direction of the nearest table. He picks up a stack of dishes and follows as you lead him toward the kitchen. Once you’ve shown him where to set things, you head toward the sink to begin the cleaning process. 

He appears every minute or so as he clears the dining room, stopping in between each trip to kiss you. Sometimes on your forehead, sometimes your shoulder or your nose. Whatever part of you he can reasonably reach, and with each passing moment you feel the weight of the day become a little lighter. A smile here and there, a laugh when he kisses you in the crook of your neck before rushing back into the dining room once more.

Methodically, you scrub away at the dirty plates, working as quickly as you can. Frankie is gone for a while, probably cleaning the tables, and soon the pile dwindles down to nothing.

Strong arms wind around your waist as you rinse off the plate in your hands, a warm chest at your back, and he presses a kiss to the side of your head. “Almost done?” 

You nod, pressing into him as you place the last dish on the rack. “Done.” You turn in his arms, and he doesn’t protest when your wet hands wind around his neck to bring him down for a proper kiss. It’s soft and warm, and you hum when you pull away to find Frankie smiling at you. “Thank you,” you whisper. 

“Anytime,” he returns, hugging you a bit tighter. “Now, are you ready to go home? Because I think I have the perfect remedy for your bad day.” 

His contagious smile finally transfers to your own face, “Is that so?”

Frankie nods eagerly, and you know the spark in his eyes well, so without another word you lace your fingers through his and tug him in the direction of the door. 

And later, when you’re laying in his arms, feeling sated and so very loved, your bad day is nothing more than a forgotten memory. 

Masterlist | Next Drabble

[pegaace]

Analysis on Witch from Mercury, Colonialism, The Tempest, and Caliba(r)n

Okay I know this is my first post ever but I was tryna find somewhere to put my thoughts after seeing a bunch of people everywhere slander Caliban and why that is not it and how my boi is innocent, good actually. For qualifications I did an undergrad lit class that covered The Tempest like 2 years ago so that's fine right (apologies to my profs if I fuck any of this up)

Okay so for starters yes by now everyone knows WfM is The Tempest, Prospera is Prospero (or Prospera actually, there was a 2010 film adaptation that had the gender switch already), Aerial is Ariel, etc etc. So therefore Caliban has to be this villainous, "monstrous" creature right?

Haha no sit down cos no that would be boring. (and also kinda racist as I'll explain) Notice how in the original Prospero isn't the villain of the story, not really, he's just getting revenge for being wronged years ago and trying to ship the kids together. But if recent gwitch is any indication, Prospera truly is the villain of this story, breaking hearts and stopping at nothing to destroy the Benerit group AND earth. Now I wonder which other adaptation of The Tempest has Prospero as the big bad HMMMM :thinking:

Enter Aime Cesaire and A Tempest. Written in 1969, it deals with a lot of the more unpleasant connotations of Shakespeares play. Let me lay it all out for you. So you're saying Prospero, a white dude, comes to this island, uses his western magic to overthrow the native witch (Sycorax), wrecks the land of its magic, and then enslaves her son to do his work for him, constantly insulting his appearance and intelligence? HMMMM seems pretty sus (racist and colonial) to me.

Cesaire, writing during a time of decolonial movements throughout the world, was rightfully really mad at colonizers for forcing their way upon natives with violence, and especially with the use of language to control said populations. Caliban has also been repeatedly dehumanised through previous adaptations of Shakespeares work slowly turning him from a man into a monster, not even human. This is similar to how non-european people have constantly been treated in the past.

Now like wait... Forcing communication through a set language? Dehumanisation? Colonisation of oppressed peoples? Where have we seen that before...? HMMMM

(its almost like... permet scores and gundam technology... Calibarn being free of permet links is like Caliban refusing language...)

And here's where I see the great potential of a Gundam Caliban. Gundam is certainly no stranger to decolonial movements (shoutout to my fave Gundam ZZ and the bois in Blue team and the African liberation front) and I think having Caliban as the Gundam to finally end Spacian oppression (perhaps in a sequel idk if Suletta is getting that far after bonking her mom by the end of the season) would be a great take.

As a side note, Aerial is kinda portrayed negatively in Cesaire's work for choosing to work for Prospero in exchange for their own freedom, as kind of a sellout who makes things worse and is ultimately tricked and trapped anyways and... hey! She's in a giant coffin now and Suletta is unhappier than ever! Oops.

Also like I qrted this on my twt but like its important to remember that Caliban is human too, and will respond to accordingly. They (and this might be where i disagree with @adracat a lil on their otherwise excellent posts) arent just a violent unthinking monster, thats just unfortunately how racism often portrays people of colour. If Suletta shows compassion and humanity towards Calibarn, like how she did to Aerial, and how Eri was able to connect with Lfrith in the prologue when Vanadis had failed, I'm sure she'll be able to bring Calibarn over to her side. And because they can connect so fully via human emotions and love (this is where I do agree with adra that love is the answer and key to open the door) (wooo yeah another love powered robot!! G Gundamming time) I dont think Quiet Zero will be able to stop them, as Suletta will have made the ultimate, unmediated connection between woman and machine, becoming one with it in the way Cardo Nabo had always truly hoped for. To don Gundam and live in space.

Okay sorry for the disorganised post but like one last thing I know I said it'd be nice for Calibarn to show up again in S2 but the other theory I have (which might or might not be true cos lets be real gwitch only rhymes, never copies, and i dont even know where schwarzette fits into all this [goatmom gundam my beloved i miss schwarzletta theory still]) is that the ending of A Tempest has Prospero send the girlies off as usual, but then still choose to stay on the island to fight with Caliban forever, till he can finally fully dominate him, cos racists are shit like that. This continues for a rlly long time cos his magics kinda prevent him from just dying of old age and he lives on, like a vampire sucking life from the island (wow capitalism huh) and its implied he and Caliban are just locked in this long struggle to the death until the day he finally croaks and the colonized can finally be free. Now what other gundam has an eternal struggle with fascism hmm?

idk just thought it might be cool for the gundam sisters to push suletta out of the way (maybe out of quiet zero?) whilst trapping prosperas grudge within it for all time, that would also be dramatic and neat lol. Come to think of it if Prospera does it itd be like ZZ again too lol with Haman pushing Judau away.