#< Played strikers at launch

[ranvwoop]

video games are evil what do you mean the 100$ p3r version doesn't even come with the dlc ...

[samarecharm]

geniunely not trying to put words in ur mouth im geniunely asking: what do you actually like about persona 5? from all ur rants im just wondering why you didnt drop the game bc it seems (again, im not trying to put words in ur mouth) that it simply not for you? i geniunely have not felt any of the issues you bring up outside of the writing ones and i cannot tell if i'm just easily pleased and not good at discerning what a good game is or we simply have dif things we enjoy in a video game. i hate getting tone across text but im asking out of geniune curiosity im not trying to attack your opinion (;-;)

Nah, i dont feel like ur attacking me, and I hope u dont feel the same when u see my complaints! Lmao. In my defense, I am replaying the game for the first time after completing my first file back in 2020, so alot of the faults i kinda shrugged off in my first playthrough are now glaringly in my face now that I no longer have the confusion and interest in learning the main story to keep me occupied. The game is clunky all the way through, and at some times, even frustratingly so.

But despite that, i do like this game. Alot! Its probably one of my top games ever if im being honest!

This ended up way longer than I intended, so im putting it under a readmore to keep the post short on dashboards

If i had to describe what I liked about the game in the simplest way imaginable…I think I would say, I like how the game makes me feel :) I like the music. I like the vibe. I like the immersion from city to city, and I like the premise! I like the characters and I like the connections you make with these characters! As im replaying this game, i am most excited to see Akira and his comments about the world :) i like hearing everyones voices, I like their little interactions in Mementos, and I like seeing them fight!

P5 is the first game I played in the series; its the game that introduced me to SMT in the first place! And it (smt) is a series that my longtime best friend LOVES and never thought hed be able to share with me! It is a game i keep very near to my heart; it has influenced me in ways i did not think would happen in the short couple of years since i first finished it. It genuinely keeps me awake some nights thinking about the world this game has created, and I think that is a testament to the impact its had, be it good or bad.

The joke about wishing theyd make a persona game that was Good is that despite all of its numerous flaws, the games manage to snatch your attention and pull you in anyway. Imagine if they made a game that had all of those things that i mentioned I loved, but done Right and executed Properly?? Where I got to have a story that made sense and didnt need to be spoonfed to me (in like an HOUR of dialogue and scenes; an HOUR!), and characters that talked and bonded beyond the tiny snippets of interaction theyre allowed to have in mementos? Combat that let me use PERSONAS i liked instead of BUILDS that stop me from getting instakilled throughout the entirety of the endgame, and a Persona building mechanic that didnt feel like I was shooting in the dark looking for possible fusions that end up not even being useful in the endgame.

Ive mentioned it before, but I complain so much bc I have seen what a good p5 game looks like, and its Strikers almost to a T. Combat is still your typical warriors-esque style combat, but it is at least different from the turn based strategy of the main game. Characters talk to each other freely, they hang out and comfort each other in a way that feels more connected that the base game. Strikers implements the ability to see ALL possible fusions with ALL registered personas, not just the ones in your Stock, so you can fuse easily without having yo consult a guide. The story feels like it makes SENSE with antagonists that feel morally grey and sympathetic. Genuinely, alot of the complaints for p5 I had were almost immediately rectified in this game.

But please also know that the praises I sing for this game is only bc of the groundwork laid by p5 and the world it created. Thats what I like about this game, that it had such a captivating premise and cast of characters, that a DIFFERENT company was able to hit the ground running with them. P5 had alot happening in that game, but i think what it had most was potential. The effort put into this game is astronomical, and the possible connections you can outright MISS if u arent paying attention was worth the money and time to implement; even if it meant that it could be considered a waste of resources to higher ups.

Books and games and part time jobs???!! Silly little cutscenes that add nothing to the game PLOTwise, but define and flesh out the personality of your protagonist. There was alot of love put into this game, and its evident by the fact that we have NOT seen a new persona game released; they bank on existing titles bc they are unwilling to make a game like this from scratch again. They dont want to ‘waste’ resources on good voice acting and a complex, overarching story; they dont want to waste money on scenes a player may never see, on routes a player may never get to experience. Making a game that gives u even the slightest bit of freedom means more money in programming and detailing that freedom. This has been an issue for a WHILE, and its a miracle that the gaming landscape had space for a colossal title like p5!

I complain bc I want better, and I do not think that is inherently at odds with my love of this game. In b4 im told to get good; ive played on hard and tested out merciless (its NOT fun, im making godbuilds again and its boring 😞). Its not the most accessible turnbased rpg; theres no colorblind modes, and the affinity system is convoluted and overwhelming. Combo moves are hard to keep track of and it can be incredibly frustrating to see your turns being skipped or seeing characters take extreme technical damage without understanding WHY it happened. The fact that they KNEW the game was desperate for qol improvements by the time royal came out, and instead of updating the base game to have those improvements too, they just pushed the royal edition out for people to play instead. It sucks! Customers and fans deserve better than being forced to shell out money for a game they already played !

As the gaming climate gets more and more hostile and unbearable, I think it is good to look at your games critically, and understand why products come out subpar. Persona 5 is a fun game that has a nice cast and an interesting premise, but it is ultimately tied down by its refusal to build on existing building blocks regarding its combat, and it insists on having insulting and downright out of character dialogue and scenes to appease the audience its designed to be targeted to. It is easy to forget sometimes that queer ppl are infact NOT the prime target of these games, its cishet gamer bros from aged 16 to 40 who will laugh at homophobic comments, who drool over a 16 yr old girl with a 16 yr old mindset and a grown womans body, who need to be placated with constant sexual comments to deal with a convoluted story that will inevitably make zero sense until its laid out for you before the literal end of the game.

Its bad. Its good. Its so shallow and its unbelievable that they thought having the plot twist make ZERO sense until they showed CUTSCENES of YOUR character discussing Goro and his connections to the metaverse for endgame SHOCK VALUE was more important than just having your team be smart and piece it together over time. Its shit. Its literally amazing. It let you FUCK your teacher ??????????????what the FUCK. They also let me shoot a god in the face w the best looking ult persona in the world so i can ignore that shit. And ultimately that is how i got through the game. Lol.

[no1ryomafan]

I do not like comparing things and/or needlessly taking jabs at something but holy shit the simultaneous feelings of me being almost done with gravity circuit and watching my friend in a call beat iX2 compelled me to make this. (Also I’m not posting this on my Twitter because I’d get more killed there)

[ravenwolfie97]

once again most of the nintendo direct did not interest me

however. new Professor Layton coming up. and Omega Strikers looked cool

that’s about it jklbjlk

[mostlysignssomeportents]

"Efficiency" left the Big Three vulnerable to smart UAW tactics

Tomorrow (September 22), I'm (virtually) presenting at the DIG Festival in Modena, Italy. Tomorrow night, I'll be in person at LA's Book Soup for the launch of Justin C Key's "The World Wasn’t Ready for You." On September 27, I'll be at Chevalier's Books in Los Angeles with Brian Merchant for a joint launch for my new book The Internet Con and his new book, Blood in the Machine.

It's been 143 days since the WGA went on strike against the Hollywood studios. While early tactical leaks from the studios had studio execs chortling and twirling their mustaches about writers caving once they started losing their homes, the strikers aren't wavering – they're still out there, pounding the picket lines, every weekday:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/09/how-hollywood-writers-make-ends-meet-100-days-into-the-writers-guild-strike.html

The studios obviously need writers. That gleeful, anonymous studio exec who got such an obvious erotic charge at the thought of workers being rendered homeless as punishment for challenging his corporate power completely misread the room, and his comments didn't demoralize the writers. Instead, they inspired the actors to go on strike, too.

But how have the writers stayed out since May Day? How have the actors stayed out for 69 days since their strike started on Bastille Day? We can thank the studios for that! As it turns out, the studios have devoted so much energy to rendering creative workers as precarious as possible, hiring as little as they can getting away with and using punishing overtime as a substitute for adequate staffing that they've eliminated all the workers who can't survive on side-hustles and savings for six or seven months at a time.

But even for those layoff-hardened workers, long strikes are brutal, and of course, all the affiliated trades, from costumers to grips, are feeling the pain. The strike fund only goes so far, and non-striking, affected workers don't even get that. That's why I've been donating regularly to the Entertainment Community Fund, which helps all affected workers out with cash transfers (I just gave them another $500):

https://secure2.convio.net/afa/site/Donation2?df_id=8117&8117.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T

As hot labor summer is revealed as a turning point – not just a season – long strikes will become the norm. Bosses still don't believe in worker power, and until they get their minds right, they're going to keep on trying to starve their workforces back inside. To get a sense of how long workers will have to hold out, just consider the Warrior Met strike, where Alabama coal-miners stayed out for 23 months:

https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/warrior-met-strike-union/

As Kim Kelly explained to Adam Conover in the latest Factually podcast, the Alabama coal strikers didn't get anywhere near the attention that the Hollywood strikers have enjoyed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvyMHf7Yg0Q

(To learn more about the untold story of worker organizing, from prison unions to the key role that people of color and women played in labor history, check out Kelly's book, "Fight Like Hell," now in paperback:)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fight-Like-Hell/Kim-Kelly/9781982171063

Which brings me to the UAW strike. This is an historic strike, the first time that the UAW has struck all of the Big Three automakers at once. Past autoworkers' strikes have marked turning points for all American workers. The 1945/46 GM strike established employers' duty to cover worker pensions, health care, and cost of living allowances. The GM strike created the American middle-class:

https://prospect.org/labor/2023-09-18-uaw-strikes-built-american-middle-class/

The Big Three are fighting for all the marbles here. They are refusing to allow unions to organize EV factories. Given that no more internal combustion cars will be in production in just a few short years, that's tantamount to eliminating auto unions altogether. The automakers are flush with cash, including billions in public subsidies from multiple bailouts, along with billions more from greedflation price-gouging. A long siege is inevitable, as the decimillionaires running these companies earn their pay by starving out their workers:

https://www.businessinsider.com/general-motors-ceo-mary-barra-salary-auto-workers-strike-uaw-2023-9

The UAW knows this, of course, and their new leadership – helmed by the union's radical president Shawn Fain – has a plan. UAW workers are engaged in tactical striking, shutting down key parts of the supply chain on a rolling basis, making the 90-day strike fund stretch much farther:

https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2023-09-18-labors-militant-creativity/

In this project, they are greatly aided by Big Car's own relentless pursuit of profit. The automakers – like every monopolized, financialized sector – have stripped all the buffers and slack out of their operations. Inventory on hand is kept to a bare minimum. Inputs are sourced from the cheapest bidder, and they're brought to the factory by the lowest-cost option. Resiliency – spare parts, backup machinery – is forever at war with profits, and profits have won and won and won, leaving auto production in a brittle, and easily shattered state.

This is especially true for staffing. Automakers are violently allergic to hiring workers, because new workers get benefits and workplace protection. Instead, the car companies routinely offer "voluntary" overtime to their existing workforce. By refusing this overtime, workers can kneecap production, without striking.

Enter "Eight and Skate," a campaign among UAW workers to clock out after their eight hour shift. As Keith Brower Brown writes for Labor Notes, the UAW organizers are telling workers that "It’s crossing an unofficial picket line to work overtime. It’s helping out the company":

https://labornotes.org/2023/09/work-extra-during-strike-auto-workers-say-eight-and-skate

Eight and Skate has already started to work; the Buffalo Ford plant can no longer run its normal weekend shifts because workers are refusing to put in voluntary overtime. Of course, bosses will strike back: the next step will be forced overtime, which will lead to the unsafe conditions that unionized workers are contractually obliged to call paid work-stoppages over, shutting down operations without touching the strike fund.

What's more, car bosses can't just halt safety stoppages or change the rules on overtime; per the UAW's last contract, bosses are required to bargain on changes to overtime rules:

https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Working-Without-Contract-FAQ-FINAL-2.pdf

Car bosses have become lazily dependent on overtime. At GM's "highly profitable" SUV factory in Arlington, TX, normal production runs a six-days, 24 hours per day. Workers typically work five eight-hour days and nine hours on Saturdays. That's been the status quo for 11 years, but when bosses circulated the usual overtime signup sheet last week, every worker wrote "a big fat NO" next to their names.

Writing for The American Prospect, David Dayen points out that this overtime addiction puts a new complexion on the much-hyped workerpocalypse that EVs will supposedly bring about. EVs are much simpler to build than conventional cars, the argument goes, so a US transition to EVs will throw many autoworkers out of work:

https://prospect.org/labor/2023-09-20-big-threes-labor-shortages-uaw/

But the reality is that most autoworkers are doing one and a half jobs already. Reducing the "workforce" by a third could leave all these workers with their existing jobs, and the 40-hour workweek that their forebears fought for at GM inn 1945/46. Add to that the additional workers needed to make batteries, build and maintain charging infrastructure, and so on, and there's no reason to think that EVs will weaken autoworker power.

And as Dayen points out, this overtime addiction isn't limited to cars. It's also endemic to the entertainment industry, where writers' "mini rooms" and other forms of chronic understaffing are used to keep workforces at a skeleton crew, even when the overtime costs more than hiring new workers.

Bosses call themselves job creators, but they have a relentless drive to destroy jobs. If there's one thing bosses hate, it's paying workers – hence all the hype about AI and automation. The stories about looming AI-driven mass unemployment are fairy tales, but they're tailor made for financiers who get alarming, life-threatening priapism at the though of firing us all and replacing us with shell-scripts:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/09/autocomplete-worshippers/#the-real-ai-was-the-corporations-that-we-fought-along-the-way

This is why Republican "workerism" rings so hollow. Trump's GOP talks a big game about protecting "workers" (by which they mean anglo men) from immigrants and "woke captialism," but they have nothing to say about protecting workers from bosses and bankers who see every dime a worker gets as misappropriated from their dividend.

Unsurprisingly, conservative message-discipline sucks. As Luke Savage writes in Jacobin, for every mealymouthed Josh Hawley mouthing talking points that "support workers" by blaming China and Joe Biden for the Big Three's greed, there's a Tim Scott, saying the quiet part aloud:

https://jacobin.com/2023/09/republicans-uaw-strike-hawley-trump-scott/

Quoth Senator Scott: "I think Ronald Reagan gave us a great example when federal employees decided they were going to strike. He said, you strike, you’re fired. Simple concept to me. To the extent that we can use that once again, absolutely":

https://twitter.com/American_Bridge/status/1704136706574741988

The GOP's workerism is a tissue-thin fake. They can never and will never support real worker power. That creates an opportunity for Biden and Democrats to seize:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/18/co-determination/#now-make-me-do-it

Reversing two generations of anti-worker politics is a marathon, not a sprint. The strikes are going to run for months, even years. Every worker will be called upon to support their striking siblings, every day. We can do it. Solidarity now. Solidarity forever.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/21/eight-and-skate/#strike-to-rule

[ninibeingdelulu]

Morning run ✧

Plot: Kaiser come back from his morning run.

The early morning light filtered through the curtains as Michael slowly blinked awake. His chiseled features settled into that signature smug smirk as he turned to admire your sleeping form beside him.

Just the sight of you curled up peacefully under the sheets made him feel like the luckiest man alive to have such an exquisite prize.

Leaning over, he pressed a lingering kiss to your cheek, lips quirking at the way your nose scrunched adorably in your slumbering state as you let out a soft mumbled groan.

Your arms instinctively reached out, tugging him closer in a sleepy snuggling embrace as if to keep him there.

"Stay..." you murmured groggily into his bare chest.

That low rumbling chuckle vibrated against you as Michael extricated himself with easy confidence.

"I'll be back in an hour, liebe. Morning run."

He threw you a wink before slipping from the warm cocoon of blankets, already energized to tackle another grueling training regimen befitting his status as one of the world's elite youth strikers.

True to his word, sixty minutes later the bedroom door swung open again as a sweaty, freshly exercised Michael returned.

He didn't hesitate before launching himself onto the bed, bounding over and unceremoniously sprawling half on top of you. You jolted awake with a breathless giggle, squirming under the sudden weight.

"Michael! You're all sweaty and gross," you protested with no real heat, trying in vain to shove his muscular frame off as he merely grinned unrepentantly.

With that wolfish glint sparking in those piercing azure eyes, he caught your wrists easily, pinning them over your head as he leaned down to trail hot, openmouthed kisses from your forehead to the tip of your nose.

You laughed again, torn between playing keep-away with your face and just surrendering to his passionate attention.

"Just admit you like it when I'm all hot and bothered for you," he purred cockily against the hollow of your throat.

Michael's wicked tongue darted out to drag a scorching path along the rapid flutter of your pulse.

"I-I haven't even brushed my teeth yet!" you protested weakly, stomach clenching at the blazing path his skilled mouth was mapping with each molten kiss lavished across your skin.

Michael pulled back just far enough to meet your conflicted gaze, sheer naked lust searing behind those intense eyes.

"Don't care," he growled before crushing his lips against yours in a searing, demanding kiss.

A trembling whimper escaped you as your treacherous body arched into him on instinct.

His talented tongue swept past your lips without resistance, slicking against your own.

Michael kissed you deeply, thoroughly enough to leave you dizzily breathless by the time he pulled back with a self-satisfied smirk curling those obscenely full lips.

Tendrils of copper hair stuck wildly to the light sheen of perspiration on his forehead in a way that should have looked ridiculous yet somehow made him even more irresistibly roguish as your shaky fingers caressed the sharp angles of his chiseled jawline.

"Gonna hit the shower," he husked, voice rough from your heated make out.

With one final toe-curling press of his mouth to yours, Michael rolled off you and strutted towards the bathroom, casually swiping his towel from the hook with an exaggerated sway of those powerful hips and not an ounce of modesty.

As the sound of running water reached your ears, you laid there for several long moments just catching your breath and grinning goofily at the ceiling.

Utterly under the spell of your impossible boyfriend - arrogant and domineering, yet somehow filling you with a sense of being the most treasured goddess in existence under his worshipful attentions.

With a deep sigh of contentment, you stretched out the lingering tension before climbing out of bed to start your day.

Your feet still felt a bit unsteady beneath you as you moved towards the kitchen, just imagining the sweltering sight awaiting you later when Michael finally emerged from that shower...

[imraespace]

LIFE AS RIN ITOSHI'S GIRLFRIEND.

- fem! reader x rin itoshi

THIS includes : headcannons/fanfic , texts , insta posts , twt posts genre: crack , fluff

BEFORE DATING -how did you befriend him?

RIN obviously comes off as blunt or harsh even unfriendly, so him even making friends will be hard, let alone forming a relationship in that sense.

With his head so deep into football, he won't even make time for anyone unless it's important, or affecting him in someway. So how do you even befriend him?

RIN is a sixteen-year-old teenager, he may be serious all the time but that doesn't take away his teenage mind. Of course things like crushes exist in his world as well, he will just simply ignore them.

So what will happen if you speak to him, completely unaware of the negative traits of the boy?

.

.

Such a smile you have, blinding him, of course he will slowly fall for you. Things like friends is something he's not familiar with so when you asked him to be friends, he was a bit confused.

Friends with him?

With you now in his life, it wasn't only football and practice. It was hanging out and slowly letting him break down his wall. Meeting someone new, who isn't a rival in the world he lives, it's quite different for him.

CRUSHING STAGE -how is he like with his crush?

RIN now has a new feeling in his life! Something he's has never once felt before. Without thinking, he turns in your direction whenever he hears your voice, scans the area for your figure or randomly daydream about the last time you both hang out. He finds it weird..

Why is this happening to him?

Before, he found rather annoying. His life was just simple, he wakes up, goes to school, practice, then repeat. Now he can't even keep a straight mind on the field, thoughts concerning you always appear. "Would you notice him on this same field?" "Where are you?" "What-

It will only cease when he eyes lands on you and his mind goes blank when he sees that face.

Before he wasn't welcomed into this side of the teenage world so when he sees you with your friends, male ones perhaps, a strange feeling sits in his core.

Why hang out with him and not RIN?

These days, when he sees it a different side of him wants to snatch you away and forbid that boy from speaking to you. No way he's better than RIN.

He glares at you both, hoping you will get the hint and leave that boy.

.

.

.

Successfully, you noticed his strange behavior and before he could take action, you did first. You cleared the air and calmed his nerves.

This is what RIN ITOSHI loved about you.

Differences sometimes attract.

DATING HIM - life as rin itoshi's girlfriend.

There will be some ups and downs in the first part of your dating life with him. Rin's main goal in life is to beat his older brother, so that played a main factor.

He may chose football over a lot of things like hanging out or dates if it clashes with his practice time. So patience was the best subject you used. Deep down you blew up everytime he left you for some sport.

So what if you put your foot down, told him to manage his time because it's not fair. His first crush threatening the relationship?

He will confess to you that this is his first time in this world and that will bring a small smile to your face.

"All you had to do was to tell me that, we can work together."

And that's where the rise of your relationship started.

RIN wants to be the best striker in the world and as his girlfriend you support him in many ways. RIN takes note of that and does the same for you. Whatever you want in your life, RIN supports you just the same way you do towards him.

RIN doesn't speak about the relationship publicly, not that he's hiding it, he just don't see the need to speak about it to anyone. Why do they need to know what's happening in his life?

You found it a bit funny, but accepted his wishes. Maybe later in the relationship, things like launching the relationship will be a choice.

What if you both decided to go on a date?

RIN seems to be a simple person, so indoor dates might suit him. Though, dates outdoor are welcomed as well.

Indoor dates may be in your room, or his, watching scary movies together. It's his favorite kind of date, mainly because everytime there's a jumpscar, you cling onto him for life. Bonus points to this date because there's scary movies.

Outdoor dates could be in a simple eating place, just being in each other's presence with food after school warms each other's hearts quite a bit. RIN might offer his favorite food, ochazuke, to you if he sees it.

What about your side of the relationship?

At first of course, he was a lot to handle but slowly with your skills, you broke his wall and invited yourself into his life!

Dating an athlete came with some pros and cons.

Firstly, he's hot! But attracts the fans.

Also he's tall!.. which also attracts fans.

He also treats football as if it's his life. But with this factor, you learned about the sport to maybe relate to him in some ways.

You don't understand it half of the time but it's the thought that counts!

Remember I talked about his height? That's one of your favorite things about RIN!

Silently, you sometimes sneak up to him and jump on his back when you both are alone! Depending on how shorter you are compared to RIN, piggy backs are always your favorite! He rarely complains about it. When he does, you're still on his back anyways.

What if you came over to his house?

With his special height, things like his clothes aren't wearable. What if the first time you came over, you borrowed a jacket from him? Then suddenly the next time at school he sees you drowning in it. Comfortable clothing cane be found in your boyfriend's closet and he let's you do it. He complains, but doesn't stop you.

You also found his baby pictures! And kept them on your phone without him noticing.

TEXTS - daily texts

With you now in his life, his phone rings more than usual. So now, on a regular, whenever he sees a notification appears, his first thought is you.

SOFT LAUNCH - how did you open up about your relationship?

RIN ITOSHI didn't care about soft launch or hard launch, he doesn't even understand what launch is so when he suddenly saw a few faceless pics of himself on your media he wondered why didn't you just post him up? Yet he didn't question anything, he let's you do your own thing.

TWEETS - daily tweets

After launching your relationship to everyone, RIN saw a lot of different opinions yet even though he hid it, he loved the fact that you show him off.

IN THE END..

Dating RIN ITOSHI would be shakey at first thanks to his past he builds up walls. Thanks to that, everyone misunderstand him most of the time.

So you entering his life all of a sudden with these new emotions always catch him off guard. Slowly, he will understand and then the term relationship, and he will understand you.

.

.

.

"Y/N?" His voiced called out in the darkness. You asked for a sleepover yet a few hours into the game, you already fell asleep.

He stared at your sleeping figure for a bit then back at the screen. He sighed, turning off the screen and fixed your blanket.

Your head rested on his pillow and soft snores is the only thing he heard. Sadly, you won't notice his small smile and the kiss he rested on your cheek.

Thankfully, you changed his small world.

──────────────────────────────

IMRAESPACE || MASTERLIST

[kamotecue]

imagine a KCC fic where they are trying to hide their relationship from the media but the fans are catching them doing everything (like walks together, going on holidays Mcfoord type shit) and they’re just debating wether to co form it or tease the fans

secret's out ✮ k. cooney-cross

pairing: kyra cooney-cross x fem!reader

a soft hum escaped your lips as the australian wrapped her arms around your waist, pulling you closer to her as she softly chuckled against your skin. she leaned against you, hiding her head in the crook of your neck as you softly smiled at her actions. it wasn't easy being a long distance couple, you both represented the australian team - you as a striker, and her as a midfielder, completing each other perfectly as you both had a few plays. the midfielder plays in the women's super league, playing for arsenal, the team you had supported since childhood while you play in the french league, alongside ellie carpenter, a national and club teammate of yours.

"i missed you" kyra's voice was softer than usual as you chuckled at her, before placing a lovely kiss on the crown of her head. "missed you too, sugar."

"we have a few more hours before the team dinner, is there anything you'd like to do?" you asked, as the midfielder stepped back to properly look at you, her eyebrows furrowed as you patiently waited to know that she was thinking of things to do. you noticed how she grabbed your hand softly swinging it, as she hummed and that's when you knew she had already decided on something.

"how about the arcade, and then let's settle for ice cream." you raised your eyebrows, ice cream before dinner - wouldn't that ruin the appetite. but you gave her a nod, giving her a small grin as she led you away from the hotel and onto the streets. the arcade was only a walk from the hotel, as you had your camera in hand - clearly taking photos of the day, as the two of you had been soft launching your relationship. the fans have noticed it, and certainly your national teammates have too, but they've always thought that the pair of you two were just best friends.

"ha! you lose." kyra shouted, as you chuckled at the loudness of her voice. subtly glancing to see if anyone had heard, and they did - but they had averted their eyes as you softly shook your head at your lover who snickered at your screen. you were always competitive, the both of you were - but if there was a game that you unfortunately suck at would be the car racing games.

"you always choose this game to break the tie" as you walked forwards, kyra instantly grabbing your right hand - interlocking your fingers together as you walked side by side, leaving the arcade and searching for an ice cream shop. you were scrolling through instagram, taking a peak at the photos you both posted on your individual stories, sooner or later there was bound to be a tiktok edit about it.

"thinking about the hard launch soon, love?" kyra asked, as she peaked at your phone - passing it to her as she hummed, stopping on a photo. it was a picture of your silhouette. "i like this one"

"because it's the one you took right? but yeah, i find it amusing - we're pulling a mcfoord move." you joked, making her laugh - but it's true, the irish and your fellow national teammate have been soft launching their relationship.

the two of you continued to talk about life, simply catching up as there were a few stories you never told her - just like there were stories she didn't tell you. as the two of you walked to the resturant where the team dinner was held, you watched as she went through the photos you took, quickly picking a few as she showed you.

"let's hard launch these." kyra said, as you came to a stop, flipping through the photos. the first one she chose was a mirror picture of you two, you were the one in front as kyra was the one in the back - you both made a heart shape with one hand.

the rest were simply photos that you two were being carefree, dancing when the sun was close to setting, or her sticking her hand out in the air as you rode the bide safely making sure that you both wouldn't fall - it would be collateral.

when she jumped you on the bed, as you had finally said yes to be her girlfriend - it was after camp had ended. your mother wanted to meet kyra, a simple dinner and when that dinner was over - you brought her to your room - the pictures you had hanged was something she loved.

and lastly, her personal favorite - her hand on top of yours. it's something she loved, she wore your ring in the picture, like she always does.

safe to say, as the mini collage hit the internet, you did get teased by the veteran players of the team. charli was the one teasing kyra the most, as you softly enjoyed it.

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y/nl/n: i guess it was never a secret, was it?

tagged kyracooneyx

liked by katie_mccabe11, kyraandy/nfan, alessiarusso99, and 572,325 others.

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[kaiserthread]

cliche!

romance tropes with the blue lock boys! characters: shidou, sae, kaiser content: pro players, gn!reader first installment of my feb. series! i got so many good ideas for other charas this is def getting a part two

SHIDOU RYUUSEI - meet ugly

your morning could not have gone worse, your alarms didn’t go off, you ran out of your favorite body wash halfway through your shower, and the clothes you planned to wear were sitting in your dirty laundry pile. of course the universe heard your pleas and as you’re leaving your favorite cafe you walk right into the broad chest of shidou ryuusei, spilling your large iced coffee all over his expensive looking jacket. you’re absolutely mortified, frantic apologies spilling from your lips as your eyes well up with tears. ryuusei’s kinda pissed that his jacket is wet but that anger quickly gives way to pity when he sees that you’re more of a pathetic wet kitten than human. he interrupts you and says, “hey, no worries! i can get this cleaned later but do you want a new drink?” he feels a rush when you look up at him, pretty eyes swimming with tears. you look up and find yourself staring at PXG’s superstar striker. you nod and he presses a hand to your back as he leads you back into the cafe. you reorder your iced coffee and he adds in a blueberry muffin and complicated blended drink, pushing your hand away when you try to pay and tapping his card against the reader. “you should’ve let me pay, i ruined your jacket.” you whine, trying to dry your eyes and compose yourself. “no offense, but you look awful darling, focus on calming down before you have to clock in.” he teases, pleased with himself when you flush red at the nickname. as disastrous as it was, the interaction leaves you feeling lighter and you leave the cafe with a fresh coffee and a smile on your face. said smile disappears in the middle of your workday when your phone starts blowing up. unfortunately a few paparazzi caught the tail end of your interaction with ryuusei and pictures of you two are going around social media. people are claiming that shidou ryuusei has a secret relationship and this is quickly becoming your worst nightmare. you pull up instagram to find a dm from ryuusei explaining that his pr team is working to take down all the photos and offering protection from his legal team in case anyone tries to dox or harass you over this whole thing. the fiasco blows over but he keeps messaging you (he thinks you’re adorable sue him) and eventually he’s asking to see you when he has days off and asks if you want to date after meeting a few times. you accept and his pr team sighs when he kisses you on the mouth after a match knowing they have some work ahead of them.

ITOSHI SAE - fake dating

sae’s relationship with the media hasn’t improved a bit since he was eighteen and his manager is getting fed up. said manager loses his shit when sae pisses off yet another reporter and offers him an ultimatum, sit out of practice to attend media training or find a way to convince the media that he’s turned himself around. sae would rather die than give up playing soccer so he pitches an idea to his manager: the good ole’ pr relationship. he approves and sae sets out to find his perfect match, eventually having shidou connect him to you, a high fashion model. perfect timing really, you’d just signed with a few brands and your agent had been nagging about marketing and exposure. the two of you strike a deal; he goes to a few of your shows, you come to a few of his games, meet up for dinner once in a while, sae becomes the perfect media darling and you get your name out there. the soft launch is cute, you fly out to one his games and he takes you to dinner, a hint of red hair and two plates in the resulting photodump. he’s spotted at one of your shows and doesn’t give the paparazzi a hard time, showing a ghost of a smile when he greets you after the show. social media is suspicious from the jump and he knows he’s gonna have to work for this one. so he pulls out all the stops for the hard launch, getting you a jersey with his name on it and kissing you after a big win. from there things get progressively more serious and several months later he has a clean sheet with the media and you’ve exploded in popularity. but you had noticed that he’d been acting like a real boyfriend six months in, sending you daily texts and holding your hand where no one can snap a photo of you two. you manage to completely forget about the fact that it’s supposed to be fake until your agent reminds you that the terms of the contract have been fulfilled and that the two of you can break up and move on. so after just under a year you decide to be the one who breaks things off before he can break your heart. you show up to his apartment with a rough draft of a break up speech in your head. he realizes then, watching you hold back tears and stumble over your words, that he can’t lose you. pulls you into his arms before you can finish and whispers, “let’s make this real, angel.”

MICHAEL KAISER - secret relationship

reporters are constantly asking him if he has a special someone and the answer is always the same: he prefers to focus on his career, but then he meets you, the luxury sales associate who sold him a cartier watch. and boy was he enamored, going as far as returning to the store to try on jewelry just to speak with you. you’re lowkey flirting with him but he knows better than to ask someone doing their job for a date so he waits for you to drop a huge hint before asking you out. you tell him when your shift ends and he wastes no time in getting a dinner reservation at his favorite restaurant. he asks you to be his partner after the third date under the condition of keeping everything between the two of you secret and you accept. it’s fun at first, there’s a rush when he smirks at the cameras and denies that he’s in a relationship, knowing that he’s coming home to you. the two of you sneak around like romeo and juliet, secret meetings and walking around with your faces covered when you go to meet each other. but it gets old after a while and you start prodding him about going public, kaiser always asks that the relationship stays private to protect you, he wouldn’t be able to handle it if people started getting nosy and critical with you just because he’s so far into the public eye. you agree because while it’s getting annoying to sneak around, you’d rather keep him private than not have him at all. the last straw is when social media concots a story about him dating some singer he was hanging with and kaiser doesn’t deny it when reporters ask him about it. you’re furious with him because if he can admit to a fake relationship he should be able to admit his real one and you refuse to be his side chick. you break up with him and he's MISERABLE, his performance in matches suffers to the point where he’s benched. so he comes back and grovels at your feet for your forgiveness, you take him back under the condition that the two of you go public. he literally whips his phone out before you finish talking and starts taking pics of you to post because what’s the point of protecting you if you’re not even there?

[queen-of-reptiles]

𝚀𝚄𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂

description: in which kirsty smith and her chelsea player girlfriend have to go through several interviews before the London Derby

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kirsty smith x female reader

disclaimer: this is all fiction do not take any of this seriously !

warnings: cutenesssssssss, talks about previous injuries for the reader!

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y/n just posted on her story

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kirstysmith.11 just posted on her story

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Kirsty hummed lightly as she walked through the corridor leading to the interview room, she opened the door, smiling at her girlfriend who sat happily in her Chelsea shirt.

"There she is." y/n cooed, standing up as she ran at her girlfriend excitedly.

Kirsty chuckled catching the bouncing striker as she launched herself at her, pressing excited pecks to her cheek multiple times. The crew around laughed, finding the sweet nature of the two humorous.

"Hi Baby." Kirsty chuckled. "Can I put you down?" She then asked and y/n squeaked, as if realising she was still wrapped around her lover.

"Oh yeah, course." y/n grinned, unwrapping her legs from Kirsty and being set back on her feet. "Sorry." y/n apologised as Kirsty followed her to their seats.

The two competed in their London Derby tomorrow, Kirsty being a West Ham defender and y/n being a Chelsea striker. The two were a known couple in the WSL and an enjoyed one at that.

"Right, so y/n, of course we have to talk about it. You scored your 161st goal for Chelsea over the weekend. How did that feel?" The interviewer asked and y/n grinned.

"Oh fantastic! I mean Chelsea has been such a big part of my life, with me growing up in the academy and then coming into this team, but there is something so special about getting that number in the net." y/n smiles softly.

"And Kirsty, we saw you at the game of course, having played the day before, how did you feel?" The interviewer continued.

"Just so proud, I mean she isn't called the best striker in England for nothing. But I am still so proud because she's done so well and even though I hate the colour she does look good in Chelsea blue." Kirsty smiles.

y/n lets out a laugh at that, smiling at her lover kindly as she traces her face with her eyes, Kirsty's hand slips into y/n's under the table and her hand squeezes tightly, loving the way y/n squeezes back.

"And of course, your relationship is big among the fans how do you find that?" He asks.

"I mean, I love that they love us and have done for so long, but it can get a little intrusive at times, if they don't see us together the rumours can be so vicious and hurtful." Kirsty admits and y/n nods.

"People love to talk to, when it came out we were together, all they could talk about was the four year age gap and it was so annoying and upsetting." y/n agrees and the interviewer nods.

"And obviously this weekend you are playing against each other, how does that feel? How does it effect the relationship?" The interviewer asks.

"I don't think it does really." y/n hums, looking at her girlfriend who shakes her head in agreement.

"Yeah, like we are loyal to our teams but we would never put us on the line because of football." Kirsty nods.

"Do you think some fans may find that un-loyal?" He continues asking and y/n shrugs.

"They're welcome to. But at the end of the day, football is not forever in our lives, this relationship will be." y/n states and Kirsty's head moves so she can admire her lover.

A soft smile on the blondes face as she watches y/n answer the nest question her eyes filmed with warmth as she makes sure to also pay attention to the questions being asked.

"And Kirsty, do you find it hard to defend against her?" He asks and Kirsty looks back to the camera.

"Yeah, of course I do, she's fantastic." Kirsty says and y/n smiles softly, running her thumb over the skin of Kirsty's hand which is still intertwined with her own.

y/n lets Kirsty let go of her hand, the older blonde now placing it on y/n's thigh, squeezing at it as she continues to talk about how talented her lover is at the game.

"But then again, I know her, I know the way she thinks, the way she sees the game, and I know I can use that to try and help my team stop the little rascal." Kirsty says and y/n laughs.

"And y/n obviously you had tough time of it in 2020, with your ACL then a broken ankle, how good did it feel to get back on the pitch just before the Euros?" The interviewer asks.

"I can't quite describe it honestly." y/n admits, the pain and heartbreak flashing through her quickly as she remembers the months it took.

"Take your time." The interviewer nods kindly.

"Well, to get back after an ACL was fantastic, I knew I had time as I was only 23 when it happened. But then first game back to instantly get a broken ankle, goodness, it was just horrid." y/n admits.

The game had been rough, it was against Arsenal and in the 70th minute while they were 2-1 up, Leah Williamson, her captain of her international team, made a bad tackle and broker her ankle.

"It was worse seeing Leah as well, because I knew she felt so awful and I just wanted to hold her and promise her it was okay, but I was in so much pain." y/n continues.

Leah had almost been in tears, she knew how much y/n meant to the Lionesses and the fact the two had such a close relationship didn't help either.

"Kirsty was fantastic however, I mean, I don't think I would have stepped foot back on the pitch without the support system I had. Chelsea, the girls, and Kirsty." y/n says softly.

Kirsty smiles, squeezing y/n's thigh once more as she leans her other hand down and drags y/n's chair to connect to hers, kissing her forehead lovingly as the interviewer smiles.

"I was lucky really, because I had such history at Chelsea and lucky to have such a good fanbase because I had been in the senior team so long already. But it is something I would never wish or hope for anyone because it is very hard." y/n nods.

"Okay, thank you." The Interviewer nods kindly before sighing. "One last question, what's going to be the score?" He asks.

y/n lets out a light laugh, Kirsty following suit as y/n finds herself grateful for the interviewer's way of lightening up the mood which had become slightly sadder.

"Well, I guess they will have to watch Sunday to find out." y/n grins and the interviewer chuckles.

"I agree with that." He nods before the cameras stop rolling. "Thank you so much for that ladies, I really appreciate it." He tells them as they shake hands.

"Thank you, it was lovely to work with you." Kirsty smiles.

"Yeah, you're lovely, thank you." y/n adds and the man smiles before Kirsty and y/n head over to their bags.

"You okay baby?" Kirsty asks quietly as they put their coats on.

"Yeah, I just forget sometimes that it hurt so bad, you know?" y/n asks and Kirsty smiles kindly.

"I know baby." She promises, pressing a light peck to y/n's lips. "Come on, lets get you home pipsqueak." Kirsty adds as she offers her hand and y/n happily takes it.

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y/n sighed in relief as the whistle blew, her body flopping on the ground as the Chelsea fans cheered for their win around them. The 2-0 win was hard, y/n getting the first goal just before half time and Sam getting the second barley five minutes before the end of the match.

However, West Ham had put up such a good fight, they had kept close and tight to the Chelsea girls and even had some counter attacks which were nearly a problem.

y/n was kept almost silent by her lover during the match, and while she was coming away with a goal and an assist, she felt absolutely knackered from the game her lover had done.

"You okay down there Pip?" Sam asks, standing over her team-mate and friend.

"Yeah, good cheers." y/n nods.

The nickname pip had originated from Sophie Ingle nicknaming her 'pipsqueak', years ago when y/n first joined Chelsea senior, she was only 16 and eventually Sophie started to call her pipsqueak.

The team found the name hilarious and it seemed to stick once they realised the striker wasn't going to grow above her miraculous height of 5ft 1.

Eventually, pipsqueak was shortened to pip to make it easier and quicker to say, and it was usually said more by her team than her actual name.

"Come on up you get." Sam says offering her hand and pulling y/n to her feet. y/n sighs as she nods in thanks to Sam and goes to grab her water bottle, gulping it down and listening to Emma's talk.

Once they are dismissed, two familiar arms wrap around her middle, the familiar claret and blue colour meeting y/n's eyes as she turns around to face her lover.

"Hi baby." y/n hums, the crowds cheering getting louder at the sight of the couple.

"Hi my little superstar." Kirsty smiles pressing a kiss to her forehead which y/n accepts with a happy hum.

"Pip! Pip's girlfriend! You're up for interviews!" Emma's call rings and y/n groans.

"Emma, why can't you use my name?" y/n whines as she walks past her boss.

"I did!" Emma denies and Kirsty laughs as they get to the pitch-side interview and are handed their microphones and separate to their own interviewers.

"y/n congrats on the performance today, a good win or things to work on?" She is asked.

"Thank you. Look every win is a good win really, but definitely things to work on. We were late to all the second balls, we didn't close down quick enough and we missed some really good chances." y/n nods.

"Always looking for ways to improve right?" The interviewer asks.

"Completely. We always do look for ways to get better, because that is how you stay the best and today proves that we have got a lot to work on." y/n nods.

"Even so, a great goal from you. Did you think it was going to go in?" The interviewer asks.

y/n's first goal had been from about 40 yards out, she had recieved it from Sam and while being closed down by Hawa Cissoko decided to just have a go, hammering it into the top left hand side to everyone's shock and awe.

"Not at all." y/n says honestly which causes the interviewer to laugh.

"Well, I appreciate your honesty thank you." The interviewer nods.

"Of course, any other questions?" y/n asks her.

"I think one more." The interviewer nods, eyeline behind her and y/n turns around, microphone dropping on the floor as she looks at her girlfriend on one knee.

Sam is stood next to the interviewer, clearly having tossed Kirsty the ring when y/n wasn't looking and now the teams had crowded around as Kirsty tried to not cry.

"Marry me baby?" Kirsty asks, y/n wiping a few stray tears away.

"Of course Kirsty, it will always be a yes." y/n nods, Kirsty grinning as she jumps up and presses her lips to y/n's tightly, before sliding the ring on her finger as they pull away.

Suddenly both teams jump at them cheering and screaming as the video being recorded becomes a soon viral one at the show of love one simple question caused.

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kirstysmith.11 just posted

liked by samanthakerr20, westhamwomen and 308, 298 others

tagged y/n

kirstysmith.11 can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together ! xx

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END

a cute one for a cute woman ! xx

-

Queenie xo

[12woso12]

Dorothy lands in North London - Part 4

Any requests of where you want to see this go? Or are you liking the story how it is? Let me know whatever you think :)

Part 3

You weren't banking on the park gates being locked. They stretched at least two metres high and seemed to expand around the entire perimeter until meeting the edge of a dark forest in the near distance.

You frown in confusion and glance around for any sign of Kyra, you were already on edge, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience navigating yourself around a new town in the dead of night. But your excitement at meeting Kyra out weighed your fear of actually getting to her.

'Oy' You hear the accent before you see her. As if on queue, Kyra appears behind you with a timid smile on her face. She was dressed similarly to you except where you were wearing bright green crocs, she had opted for trainers. Kyra had a ball under her arm and you groaned inwardly at your choice of footwear.

'It's nice to meet ya' Kyra stuck out a free hand which you took eagerly and grinned back at her.

'Likewise'

Kyra dropped your hand and moved past you until she stood in front of the gate and haphazardly threw the ball over. She grasped at the gate bars and hoisted herself up with ease before dropping down the other side. She paused to look back you.

'Coming?' She winked cheekily and you couldn't resist following the girl over having thought that maybe you'd finally met your partner in mayhem. You struggled a little more so than she had done because of your questionable footwear but eventually you managed to hoist yourself over the bars to where Kyra was waiting with the ball.

'I thought you might fancy a kick about?'

You chuckled and snatched the ball from Kyra's foot. 'What size shoe are you?

'What ?' Kyra's eyes widened 'Why?"

'I can't play with crocs on both my feet!' you explained already removing a croc from your left foot and holding it out to Kyra. 'Trade me one shoe and then we'll be even'

Kyra scoffed and hesitantly removed her own shoe. 'Why'd you wear crocs anyway?...And why are they so green? It's like you've skinned Shrek for them'

'I haven't been bothered to unpack yet' You explained tugging on Kyra's shoe. 'And my crocs are cool, you're missing out not having a pair of your own'

'I really doubt that' She countered, grimacing down at her feet before whacking the ball from your hands and sprinting across the field with it towards the nearest goal. You were hot on her heels and just as she was gearing up the shoot you slipped the ball away from her and towards the opposing goal.

'Come on' you shouted over your shoulder 'Aren't you suppose to be Kim Little's prodigy daughter?' You line up the ball and launch it towards the goal, it bounces off the cross bar and you cover your face in embarrassment.

'I can tell you're no top striker' Kyra caught up to you and patted your shoulder sarcastically. 'Less doesn't need to worry about competition'

'You're close with Russo?' You question more than eager to get a head start on understanding team dynamics.

Kyra nodded and went to fetch the ball. 'She's a lot like my older sister over here. You won't find anyone nicer than Lessi...penalties?' she asked.

'Only if you want to get destroyed' You mock running over to the goal to act as stand-in keeper. 'Best of five?'

'You're on y/n'

Somehow playing football with Kyra felt familiar. The way the girl passed back to you or teased you for showing off, it all felt as though you'd played with her your entire life. It was a stupid thing to think, really. And yet here you were, kicking a ball about with Kyra Cooney-Cross until the sun began to rise and the birds rose from their nests. Lost in the game, neither you or Kyra noticed how muddy the two of you had become or how as the skies grew lighter, you were getting closer to needing to leave for the Emirates.

'You know what we should do?' Kyra says suddenly stopping in her tracks. 'Feed the fans'

You grinned mischievously, immediately catching onto what she was hinting at. 'Your phone or mine?'

'Yours' she said instantly making you raise an eyebrow suspiciously. 'I hid Leah's boots at training today so i'm in her bad books right now but she can't be mad at you, you're not even officially an Arsenal player yet!'

Sighing you pull out your phone slightly nervous at the possibility of pissing off one of your captains before you've even shook her hand. 'I'll post to instagram' you said all the same.

Y/n13 added to their story

[meazalykov]

the blip:

salma paralluelo x reader (requested)

the request: "I have seen that you have written for marvel in the past I love marvel and woso too 🥲 Can I request a AU where reader plays for barcelona but is snapped for five years before coming back like Marvel?? She was dating either cata salma patri esmee or jana (You can pick) who wasn't snapped and her girlfriend moved on during those five years?? IDK just angst and sadness 😣 Hopefully this makes sense."

took me more than a week to write this, I am sorry to whoever requested. I hope you still like what I've came up with!!!

part one (part two here)

warnings: angst, sadness

Along the vibrant green pitch, Barcelona Femení was in the midst of a crucial match against Madrid CFF. Among the players sprinting across the field was Y/n, the fast defender who barely let anyone score past her foot. 

Y/n was fully concentrated as Bruna passed the back to her. Seeing a Madrid striker coming her way, the girl passed the ball back to Cata who launched the ball over the pitch to Mariona. Y/n jogged up the field to prepare for a potential pre-assist, assist, or goal. As the game intensified, the left back started to notice a strange tingle in her right foot.

Thinking that it was a cramp starting to settle into her dominant foot, she relaxed her foot at the recommendation of the doctor at Barcelona who told her to do that when she had cramps. Y/n looked along at the game to see Claudia take a shot, which missed. 

However, her eyebrows knitted at the strange sensation creeping over her, but now it was at her fingertips. She glanced down and her heart began to race as she saw her hands fading, as though being erased from existence. The girl looked around and saw Esmee, her left wing on the pitch, fade away first. Panic surged through her veins as she stumbled, realizing she was disappearing before her own eyes.

After she vanished, chaos erupted. Players from both teams were vanishing, leaving behind bewildered teammates and gaping spectators. Then, spectators started to disappear before their own eyes. The once lively stadium fell into a panic as more and more individuals faded into nothingness.

On the bench, Y/n's girlfriend, Salma, watched in horror as her beloved vanished on the field. She looked to her right to see her little sister, Vicky, gone too. Dust in the air replaced Vicky’s once existence. 

“Y/n?” Salma didn’t care about the game that should’ve been taking place. At this point, all of the players on the bench ran onto the field to try and find their missing teammates. They’re gone. Just 14 out of 22 players on the pitch survived the “impossible” thing that had occurred. 

A piercing cry tore from Salma’s throat, knowing that Y/n was gone, she collapsed into a state of shock, unable to comprehend the sudden loss since her lover was on the pitch minutes before.

Five long years later, the years passed like a dreamless slumber for Y/n. Then, as unexpectedly as she had vanished, she reappeared on the same soccer pitch where she had last stood. Confusion and disorientation gripped her as she took in the familiar yet altered surroundings.

Y/n wore the same yellow senyera Barcelona Femení kit from 2023-2024, a relic of the past that felt strangely out of place in this new reality. She looked around, and to her astonishment, she saw the faces of those who had vanished alongside her returning at the same moment. Nobody was in the stands except for a few people who patted their bodies in complete shock. What happened? 

“Esmee?” Y/n called out as she saw Esmee’s widened eyes and shocked facial expressions. Nobody knew what happened, except for those who survived the blip. 

“I-I” The Dutch woman had no idea what to say. Y/n held her shoulder as she looked around to see people calling their family members, friends, or ran off of the pitch to see what's happening. 

“Come with me!” Y/n held onto Esmee’s arm gently. She ran across the pitch to see Vicky, Ari, Keira, and Ona stand around in confusion and panic. She ignored them, only wanting to see if she could find Salma anywhere. Where is Salma? What happened to Salma?

Going into the hallway that leads into their locker rooms, Y/n froze at the new designs in the hallway. She felt like everything changed in just 5 minutes. To her, she was playing in a match against Madrid CFF five minutes ago and now she is here.

“What is that?” Y/n heard Esmee behind her ask. The girl in the ponytail knitted her eyebrows together before looking up at three jerseys hanging on the wall with a frame. None of the kits she recognized. 

Before she... disappeared... y/n remembered the 23/24 jerseys inside of those same frames. Y/n looked down at the yellow kit she wore and back up at these new ones... did she travel to an alternate universe?

Confusion clouded her mind as she stared at the jerseys. "What is happening?" she whispered to herself. Esmee, who stands alongside Y/n, noticed her distress even though she was stressed herself.

"Y/n, are you okay?" Esmee asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"I...I need to find Salma," Y/n stammered, her thoughts a whirlwind of uncertainty. She needed answers, and Salma was the only one who could provide them. She was on the bench when y/n played, and now she's gone. Salma has to know something.

Leaving the stadium, Y/n entered the parking lot, where more chaos filled the environment. People cried on the phone with loved ones, their faces etched with confusion and fear. Some were convinced they had experienced a mental episode, while others, recognizing Y/n from the barcelona femeni squad, bombarded her with questions.

"Do you know what happened?" one person asked, desperation in their voice.

"I don't, I’m sorry!" Y/n replied, her anxiety mounting. She made her way to the private parking lot for players and staff, where her car should have been, but it was nowhere to be found. She freaked out more before taking a few deep breaths remembering that public transport is good in Barcelona.

The journey to her apartment felt surreal, each passing scene a stark reminder of how much had changed. People were on the streets freaking out too. A toddler cried as her father comforted her in the chaos. Y/n frowned. When she finally arrived at her apartment after half an hour, she unlocked the door with trembling hands. 

Inside, everything seemed untouched, frozen in time. She realized that her apartment was the same way it was before she left for the Madrid CFF game —except for the absence of Salma's jackets on her coat hanger. 

Panic set in as she hurried round her apartment. 

Salma’s extra pair of shoes she left at y/n’s apartment? gone. 

Salma’s hair products she kept in y/n’s bathroom? gone. 

Salma’s clothes in the bedroom closet? gone. 

Y/n cried as she rushed to her kitchen island, where her iPhone lay. The device lit up, displaying a barrage of missed messages and notifications. Ignoring them all, she dialed Salma's number. The phone rang, each tone amplifying her dread and confusion. She needed to hear Salma’s voice, wondering if it was the end of the world. 

"Y/n?" Salma's voice on the other end was a mix of shock and sadness.

"Salma, where are you? What happened?" Y/n's words tumbled out in a rush.

Salma's response was hesitant. "Y/n, I-I’m sorry—---I can't talk right now." The line went dead.

The girl, who still wore her yellow Barcelona kit from the game she played “earlier” stood in shock. The Spanish girl never cut her off or ignored her like that. In a time where she needed answers and comfort, her girlfriend couldn’t talk? 

Desperation drove Y/n to Salma's apartment. Yes, she took the public transport again. 

After arriving outside the white door of Salma’s apartment, she pounded on the door. The noise was loud and neighbors would have complained if everything wasn’t so chaotic at the moment.  

The door swung open to reveal a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes, who stared at Y/n in astonishment. Y/n questioned if Salma moved away from the chaos, if this random woman now lived in her girlfriend’s apartment. 

"Who are you?" Y/n demanded.

"I'm Margo," the girl replied nervously. "I am Salma's girlfriend."

Y/n's mind reeled. "Girlfriend?" She felt her heart start to sink before her blood boiled, “What do you mean? You are not her girlfriend??” Her voice wavered as she pushed past Margo, entering the apartment. 

Her eyes found Salma, who had just walked into the living room, her expression a mixture of surprise and sorrow.

"Salma, what is going on?" Y/n's voice cracked, the weight of the situation bearing down on her.

Salma took a deep breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Y/n had tears pouring down her eyes as she looked back and forth between Salma and Margo, who had guilty looks on their faces.

"Y/n, I am so sorry—-- You don’t understand what happened, don’t you?” Salma asked. 

Y/n shakes her head, saying no silently. 

“You disappeared and you were gone for five years. News said that 50% of the population vanished because of an unreal event.” Salma explained. Y/n felt her lungs close together and her heart rapidly beat on her chest at the idea of being gone for FIVE years. Half a decade she was gone. 

“I didn’t want to hurt you this way. You were gone for five years. I waited and I hoped that you would come back eventually. I stayed in Barcelona and renewed my contract for an extra year hoping that you would return, but...I lost hope and now my contract is expiring— I’m moving to England to play for another club this summer. I’m sorry Y/n— I just had to move on before I got your call." Salma continued.

The words hit Y/n like a physical blow. Anger and sadness warred within her, tears spilling over. "I can't believe this," she whispered, backing away.

Salma reached out to hug her girlfriend?? ex-girlfriend?? However, Y/n turned and fled, the pain too much to bear. Salma had a new girlfriend and Y/n had a feeling that Salma wouldn’t drop Margo simply because she returned. 

Yn left the apartment, leaving Salma behind. She cried on the way home as she realized that her forever was altered by the cruel disruption of time.

-----

part two here for those who want a happy ending :)

</3

[brodygold]

The Playoffs: Quarterfinals

The locker room buzzed with a quiet tension as the Golden Army prepared for their first playoff game. Fresh off their victory over the Titans, they entered the quarterfinals as the top seed, now set to face the underdog 8th seed, the Redbacks. Captain Richard knew this was no time for complacency. Any mistake could end their championship dreams.

Huddling his team together, Richard’s voice carried strength. “We’ve earned our place here, every single one of us. The Redbacks are tough, but we’ve beaten them before. We can do it again.”

Jackson, the team's co-captain, stepped in with a grin. “Exactly! Look how far we’ve come this season. If we stay united and play our game, there’s no stopping us.”

The locker room, once filled with tension, began to lighten, though a flicker of doubt lingered in a few eyes. Could they live up to the expectations?

As the game approached, they ran onto the field, the roar of their fans vibrating through the stadium. Brody took his place at the center of the field, adrenaline rushing as the whistle pierced the air.

FWEEEEEEET!

The game kicked off with a fierce pace. Neither team was willing to yield an inch, the ball rocketing from one side of the field to the other. The score held at a stalemate until, suddenly, the Redbacks’ star player, Leon, found a gap. He blasted a shot that skimmed past Mason’s outstretched hands.

Golden Army 0, Redbacks 1.

Mason shook his head, frustration visible on his face. “My bad, guys. I should’ve stopped that.”

Richard stepped in without hesitation. “Don’t sweat it, bro. We’ve got plenty of time. It’s still early. Let’s refocus and make our move.”

The Golden Army regrouped, but the Redbacks’ defense held firm, frustrating every attack. By halftime, the score remained 0-1, and the pressure was palpable.

In the huddle, Brody spoke up, his voice calm but urgent. “We’re not done yet. We just need one chance. Let’s keep pushing, keep playing as one. We’ve got this, bros.”

Hands raised together, the team bonded in their belief in each other, and as they charged back onto the field for the second half, there was a fire in their eyes.

Their opportunity came soon. Logan, the swift and agile striker, cut through the Redbacks’ defense like lightning, finding the perfect angle and scoring. The stadium erupted as the score leveled.

Golden Army 1, Redbacks 1.

The team mobbed Logan, their energy infectious. The game was on a knife’s edge, and every second felt like a lifetime.

As the clock wound down to the final minute, the score remained tied. The Redbacks controlled the ball, desperate for one last chance. Their forward launched a powerful strike, but Mason was ready this time. He dove, snatching the ball just before it crossed the line. Without missing a beat, he launched it down the field to Zack.

The ball zipped from player to player in a rapid sequence of passes. With the Redbacks scrambling to defend, Brody found himself with the ball at his feet and defenders closing in fast. With mere seconds left on the clock, he made the unselfish play, passing to Chad, who saw the opening. Chad didn’t hesitate.

SWOOSH!

The ball sailed past the Redbacks’ keeper and into the back of the net just as the final whistle blew.

Golden Army 2, Redbacks 1.

They had done it. Victory was theirs, earned in the dying moments of the game. As the team erupted into joyous celebration, hugging and cheering, they knew this was just the beginning. Their journey continued, but whatever came next, they would face it together.

Together, as brothers.

[mamamittens]

Oh, Sweet Child of Mine (Pt. 15 END)

Platonic Yandere Whitebeard Crew (Ft. Others) & Reader Insert

Main|First|Previous

Warnings: Yandere behavior. Mild spoilers for Gear 6 iykyk. If yandere content makes you uncomfortable, please do block the tag 'oh sweet child of mine' as well as any variation of 'one piece yandere' that you feel is necessary.

Aside from AU romance endings with characters per request, this is the end! Marco and Luffy confirmed, btw. Now, I'm going to be playing Tears of the Kingdom so my responses will be slow lol

But thanks everyone for being here and enjoying this fic until now, expect it to be on AO3 soon!

Word Count: 2,043

It was a minor miracle that Ace’s little ship made it through the blast that rocked Banaro island. Likely because it was made to handle Ace’s normal fire-shenanigans. It didn’t exactly have room for three on it, but that’s only if you’re of the opinion that people need personal space. Something that, as someone who has been thoroughly grounded, you apparently didn’t need. Marco held you to his chest as he sat in front of the ‘bucket’ where Ace fueled the engine with his fire. You suspect that he was using his phoenix legs to hold into the sides but couldn’t confirm with your poor eyesight.

If he wasn’t partially transformed to hold you both in place it was impressive considering the breakneck speed Ace pushed the Striker at.

You drifted off several times only to find that you three were still traveling. It was only when you woke up starving that you saw Ace lean Striker towards a landmass.

“We’ve made really good time. This island has an optometrist so we can get you new glasses.” Marco spoke into your ear softly despite the wind whipping by you. Not feeling like fighting to be heard, you nodded your head.

Ace expertly pulled the boat up to the docks, tying it off and offering his hand for Marco and yourself. After well over a day at sea, you were a bit shaky but pleased to find you didn’t trip. The docks blurred into what you assumed to be a marketplace, both Marco and Ace finding a reason to keep a hand on you as they guided your path into a shop.

You were utterly relieved when you were handed a new pair of glasses after a few tests. The thick lenses shifting the impressionist blurs into sharp contrasting shapes once again.

Marco gave Ace a sly look.

“You know, I thought I saw the Thousand Sunny on the other side of the docks.” Marco mused, watching Ace’s face abruptly light up.

“We should go see them!” Ace looked at Marco in excitement. When he nodded in acceptance, Ace grabbed your hand and pulled you along eagerly. “You’ll finally get to meet my little brother properly! Lu’s got a great crew you know—his chef is top notch, I’m sure he won’t mind making us something to eat!”

You laughed, using your free hand to make sure your glasses didn’t bounce off your face so soon after getting them.

“Do you even know if they’re on board?!” You asked as Ace tore through the town in his rush.

“Eh, it’s fine! Luffy won’t mind if I drop by!” Ace proclaimed. You looked behind you to find Marco gone. Hopefully he decided to just fly there rather than fight to keep up through the crowds.

The Thousand Sunny was a pretty big ship with a cute lion’s head on the mast with a pointy mane like the sun. The gangplank was out so Ace just steamed up it with you in tow.

“LUFFY!” Ace screamed out, whipping his head around as Marco landed on deck with an indulgent smile. There was a crash somewhere below and thudding steps.

“ACE!” Straw Hat slammed open the door with a wide, excited grin.

“Stop BREAKING SHIT, LUFFY!” A woman screamed from below, quickly following her captain. Straw Hat wasn’t listening as he launched himself at Ace, arms stretching out and wrapping around his brother as he laughed. Ace gripped his brother’s red vest, swaying the two of them in loose circles.

“Did ya get ‘em? Did ya?!” Straw Hat asked childishly as a young woman with orange hair emerged from below, panting for breath from running.

“Sure did, Lu! See, I—We—Even rescued our crewmate.” You raised your hand and smiled.

“Sup.” Straw Hat’s eyes were wide as he finally noticed you were there.

“Eh?!? What happened to you?!” Straw Hat asked, arm stretching out to drag you in close. While you looked way better than before, you were still wrapped with bandages to keep your healing wounds from getting irritated from the high speeds of the Striker. Marco had been strangely dragging out the healing process—or possibly you were just that exhausted that your fruit didn’t properly share the powers just yet.

Straw Hat’s fruit still thrummed against your skin. A calling of the drums that resonated in your chest with that snappy, elastic taste that made you want to smile.

“Well, I got launched out of a sudden volcano and then hitched a ride in Mao’s mouth.” You explained, tolerating the gentle manhandling as Luffy squeezed you into the hug with Ace.

“Mao?” The young lady asked.

“Yeah. Mao. They might be here, actually. Baby~!” You called out shamelessly.

There was a deep, resonating call from the sea as Mao rose up. You squirmed free and ran to the side of the ship.

“Mmmmaaaoooo~! Maaooo~!” Mao called out, leaning down for gentle pets.

“Baby! Pretty baby, lookachu! Ahah~!” You laughed, stroking their nose as Straw Hat laughed behind you.

“Cool! Ace! You didn’t tell me they were friends with a sea king!” Straw Hat ran up and reached out his hand.

“L-Luffy!? Don’t get close to it! You don’t know if it’ll eat you! Can somebody talk sense into him!?”

You grabbed Straw Hat’s hand and gently placed it under Mao’s jaw.

“Mao’s a baby still, so their scales aren’t completely hardened yet. A little scratching right here feels nice cause that’s usually where they start shedding.” You explained softly, Straw Hat absolutely enraptured with a wide, beaming grin. He looked back at his brother.

“This is a baby?!” Ace shrugged his shoulders helplessly and you grinned.

“Yep! Sea Kings grow a lot before they reach maturity. It’s when they grow whiskers that you know they’re fully grown!” You declared.

“Wow! How do you know that?!” You chuckled, pushing up your glasses.

“My home island was near a sea king nest!” You laughed, “But they didn’t tend to go near the island, so we just knew by proxy.”

“I heard we had guests?” A blond man ducked his head out, catching sight of Ace before sighing. “I’ll fire up the stove. Two Ds… sheesh.”

“Join my crew!” Straw Hat asked with starry eyes. You saw Marco and Ace stiffen with Ace looking conflicted. You couldn’t help but laugh and smile wryly.

“No can do. I’m grounded. Sides, you guys aren’t ready for the Grand Line yet.” You tipped your head to the side, expanding your still sore senses. “You have two other devil fruit users that are pretty strong but it only gets harder from here on out. I can’t be a crutch.” You sighed.

Straw Hat pouted.

“What do you mean?” You looked at him with a bit of an indulgent smile. You get why Straw Hat was viewed as a rising star in piracy. But charisma would only get him so far.

“My devil fruit can influence other devil fruits. Make them stronger—or as I realized recently—negate them completely. You… tell you what, ask me again when you find the drums.” You poked his chest teasingly. Everyone looked confused. “…What is your devil fruit power?”

“I’m a rubber man!” Straw Hat declared.

You gave a soft, mysterious smile, finally giving into the impulse to ruffle his hair through his hat.

“Are you sure about that? Find the drums, Straw Hat, and then maybe I’ll join you.” You said. If he managed to find the limits of his devil fruit all on his own, he would probably not suffer the same hubris as your previous ‘partners’. Ace and Marco hadn’t despite being in close contact with you, after all.

Straw Hat huffed, face twisting with determination.

“Fine! I’ll find those drums, wherever they are, and then you’ll join my crew!”

Marco looked like he ate a lemon with Ace not much better, though oddly a little touched in spite of himself. Like he was proud but not sure of what.

--*--

The Moby Dick came into view rapidly with Ace whooping in joy, firing off sparks to let the crew know of your approach. There was, even over the wind, cheers as Ace pulled up close to the ship.

Ace swept you up into his arms and leapt up, planting his feet firmly on the railing as Marco sighed and followed suit. You laid in his arms awkwardly, thinking that this time was hardly any better than your first time on board.

Whitebeard laughed, grinning as Ace skipped over.

“We’re back, Oyaji!”

“Welcome home, my children.” You sighed, not surprised in the least as Ace sat on Whitebeard’s knee.

Whitebeard looked at you, taking in the mostly superfluous bandages.

“Surprisingly, it’s good to be back.” You grumbled without any heat.

Did it still weird you out? Absolutely. You don’t get what any of them saw in you that inspired such ferocity as to track you down across the Grand Line to get you back.

Whitebeard’s smile softened.

“I’m glad you all returned safely.” He murmured as someone stomped up to the main deck.

“You’re back!” Thatch cried out joyously, his usual chef ensemble swapped for loose pants and a shirt. Clearly, he was still on light duty as the nurses nearby scolded him for running. You elbowed Ace to let go and hopped down to the floor, aware that everyone was watching as you approached the suddenly nervous chef.

He glanced around for a hint of what was going on as you walked up to him. Then while he was still stiff with nerves, you wrapped your arms around his chest, gently patting his back.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Thatch.” You mumbled into his shirt. There was a high pitched cry as his arms locked around you, spinning you in circles.

“AH! AHHHH?! You did it! You used my name~!” Thatch cried out as several nurses protested to the vigorous movement, though on who’s behalf you weren’t sure.

You grinned.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Twin-Blade.” You said dryly, loud enough to be heard by everyone while hiding your smile. The effect was instant. His arms twitching as he nearly fell to his knees in mock-despair.

“Noooooo! My name! Use my name, damnit!”

You laughed, patting his back consolingly.

“Sure thing, Twin-Blade.”

“No!” Thatch barked, as the crew laughed at his plight.

While not what you imagined, life as a pirate wasn’t so bad if it meant feeling like this.

You considered your now bare wrist, no supportive cloth there to remind you of your past. What you hoped for in your future. Not quite freedom symbolized in marine-standard blue but consistency and a promise to support people. Nor a chain to remind you of your literal, more understandable imprisonment. You were free to put whatever you wanted there once they decided you didn’t need the bandages anymore.

And then? Well, it was a pretty good place for a tattoo… whenever you’re not grounded anymore and can slip away to get it done.

“…Hey, what does being grounded even look like?” You asked Thatch, Marco and Ace having avoided the subject. You assumed it was because they didn’t know either.

Thatch paused, looking over at his brothers and Whitebeard.

“…Nooooo mooooorrreeee… avoiding… parties?” Thatch guessed, receiving cheerful agreements all around. You couldn’t help but snort.

“You know, usually groundings means less of those.” You pointed out but Thatch nodded resolutely.

“Eating every meal!” Thatch added.

“I already did that?”

“More training!” Someone suggested.

“Okay, that makes sense but—”

“Hanging out with Oyaji!”

“Hey now! Don’t get ahead of yourself!” You barked, feeling ganged up on as more suggestions were added, Whitebeard doing nothing but adding to the chaos.

“Given names only.” He nodded and you sputtered.

“I’m not calling you Edward!” You huffed, craning your neck to glare back at him. He paused before smiling.

“That’s alright. Oyaji or Pops is fine with me.” You groaned, burying your face into Thatch chest as you fought the urge to laugh.

“Hey, you have to follow the rules. You’re still grounded.” Thatch teased.

“Does that mean I can stop when I’m not grounded?” You needled. Thatch letting out a bark of laughter.

“Hah! No.”

Why did you decide to stay again?

[cialovesklopp]

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 ➺ k.mbappé

𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 — in which a couple strengths their bond by meeting each other’s parents and recreating a grey’s anatomy scene

𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 — kylian mbappé x amara imani (oc)

𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 — 9.4k

𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 — lover [taylor swift]

𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 — sooo, i’m back from vacation and fully motivated again though I have to admit that this chapter is shit compared to my others so i’m very sorry for that, hope you enjoy though

— also thank you to my bestie @lorarri for keeping me going and feeding me with ideas, vacation did some things to my brain

𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 — @aechii @locedes @lorarri @charlesleclercistheloveofmylife @chxyz-ctrl

masterlist

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌

km7dailyupdates

liked by kylian.mbappe.updates and 669 others

km7dailyupdates kylian mbappé in mykonos recently with his new mystery girl and friends

view all 282 comments

username soo jealous, she looks gorgeous

username i swear to god i need to go to mykonos too and bag me some hot footballer

username fr, like they’re always there

username that must be the girl he soft launched in his story

username can’t believe kylian is off the market, hope it’s just a simple fling

username but the fact he bagged black girl instead of those typical blonde insta barbies >>>

username i kind of liked him better with his old girlfriend

𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄

one word. happiness. it was the only thing amara had felt (and still felt) those past days. sure, she was a bit tired and drained but nothing could erase that feeling of just deep, easy happiness that she felt rush through her body. and god had it been long that she had felt like this.

of course, it was easy to imagine the culprit behind her feelings. who else if not him? he was the reason for all her smiles, laughs and giggles. just the thought of him was enough to make her lips curve upwards. kylian mbappé was truly something else and yet she wouldn’t exchange him for anything in the world. they just fit perfectly for each other.

kylian tried to make every moment special for her. that had also been his main motivation behind their sudden trip to greece. the french striker had just surprised them (amara and his friends) with a flight to mykonos that he had paid himself. he hadn’t given any reason, just that he wanted to spend some time with them. and of course they had all accepted.

the real cause for this surprising trip though, he had kept for himself. he didn’t want anyone to know that the real reason for this trip was his and amara’s one year anniversary coming up. and it wasn’t one year of dating, it was one year of having known each other. and every second they spent together counted for him that much that he couldn’t let this mark go without celebrating. he just had to make that moment special though.

she had smiled at him when he had explained it to her, kissed him and attacked with hugs. no one had ever done that for her, made her feel so special that even simple things like that deserved to be memorized. every day kylian had a new way of making her discover love and all it’s good sides. he had transformed greece into a magical place — their place. but of course, all good things had to come to an end and here they were, back in paris, thrown back into their own realities. amara busy again with her album and all the pr that followed with it while kylian had to focus on his season, that he hoped was slowly coming to an end.

but she was happy. that was all that mattered.

she turned off her phone, smiling as she cuddled further into his chest, heat radiating through his body and warming up hers. the couple sat on the couch, arms thrown around each other as they bathed in the soft sunlight that shone through the apartment, enjoying their sunday afternoon. after all it wasn’t very often that they got to be together on a weekend with kylian’s busy schedules and matches.

amara absentmindedly played with the strings of his sweatshirt, listening as kylian told her some funny thing about his friends while her mind wandered back to their recently shared vacation. laughter and happiness filled the air, along with peace, creating a somewhat comfy and safe vibe around the apartment. it displayed perfectly the way they had grown yet only the walls of their apartment would be able to tell their story perfectly.

as she started to draw circles on his hand, her thoughts suddenly shifted to a certain topic she had tried to avoid for the last few days. more specifically, she had tried to find a good way to approach it but came up empty every time. her parents.

it was normal for them to want to meet kylian. anyone would want to meet the muse who had inspired someone to write so beautifully about a feeling. it was rare to have someone talk about love the way she did, so natural and carefree. she hadn’t tried to analyse the feeling, she had just felt it and wrote about it. and now her parents wanted to meet the person who was behind all this.

she paused for a moment, struggling to express the situation to kylian. of course, it meant a lot to her if he accepted but at the same time she didn’t want to rush him. he had been patient with her so she would understand if it was too quick for him or if he preferred to wait a bit more before doing the whole parents thing.

they weren’t even that curious. her mother knew that there was a new man in her daughter's life. it had been no surprise to her and amara had even admitted it when she had last seen her mother. her father though was a whole other story. they were close, closer than she was with her mother and somehow she wanted her dad to meet the other man in her life next to him. the only other man he’d ever have to meet because she couldn’t see herself with someone else in the future.

deciding to just blurt it out, she looked deep into kylian’s brown eyes, fingers still intertwined and took a deep breath before she spoke, “ky, my parents want to meet you. i told my mom about you and my dad, he just… he wants to get to know the guy who inspired me to write such a beautiful masterpiece.”

his eyebrows furrowed slightly, surprised expression on his face as he listened to her. he understood her hesitation, after all meeting the parents was a big and significant step in relationships but at the same time he was okay with that. somehow it didn’t seem like a big deal to him even though he should have been freaking out. “that’s a big deal i guess. do they know about a man or do they know about me?”

she chuckled at his question. “my mother knows about a certain man lifting my spirits and giving me enough motivation and inspiration to write a whole new album. she was the one to push me when i was insecure about us,” amara explained. “my dad only knows you because of the album i released. also i want them to meet you because you’re important to me. you’re not just anyone anymore, you’re kylian my boyfriend and you belong to me.”

“et toi tu te moquais de moi quand j’avais dit que nous on était pour l’éternité.” kylian jested amusingly. — and you were making fun of me when I said we were for eternity

“i wasn’t making fun of you,” the singer exclaimed. “i was just surprised. but if it cheers you up, i can’t imagine my future beside anyone else too.” she replied calmly. “anyway, will you accept? if it’s not too early for you? you don’t have to, we can always do this at another time and besides my parents will understand if—“

“bébé, tu peux te calmer,” kylian stopped her rambling, pressing a soft peck on her forehead. “i would love to meet your parents. after all, i’ve got to meet the parents of the girl who's going to take my name someday.” — baby, you can calm down

butterflies erupted in her stomach as her mind realized what the last sentence meant and she thanked the god profoundly again that she wasn’t able to blush — both knowing that he was serious. kylian mbappe had met a lot of girls, had been a womanizer for a part of his life and yet he would throw it all away for her. even if it was to just listen to her laugh for one more time again. there was just something so mesmerizing about it.

it was like a melody for him. whenever she laughed, he could swear angels were singing instead. maybe it was because of her voice that sounded so angelic that her laughing resembled so much to angels singing. either way, kylian would probably give up the world if it meant he could listen to it for the last seconds of his life. at least then, he would die a happy man.

“am i now?” she smirked, a smug smile on her lips.

“bien sûr. amara mbappé, ça l’air bien, tu ne trouve pas?” he replied, his face mimicking the exact same smile she was wearing. — of course, amara mbappé sounds nice, don’t you think

her lips let out a soft giggle as she stole a quick kiss from him — not that he minded though, he could kiss her for the rest of his life.

“avant de faire de grand plan comme ça, faut d’abord même rencontrer les parents de la fille, mbappé.” she reminded him jokingly. “donc pense d’abord à ça.” — before making big plans like that, you have to firstly meet the parents of the girl

— so start by doing that

he grinned. “right but how hard can that be?”

laughing, she shrugged. “i don’t know. but better start preparing to answer some questions, just in case you want to hold for my hand later.”

“well, i could always bring a powerpoint presentation in case i’m not convincing enough. you think a few slides about my life goals and plans with you will be enough?” he asked sarcastically.

she rolled her eyes at her boyfriend — it was still so weird for her to say this — but couldn’t hide her smile even though she was a bit annoyed at him. “only if you include all the videos of you missing a penalty or goals by miles.”

“i swear to god, i’m gonna report you for bullying. my heart is fragile.” he complained dramatically making amara laugh even harder that her stomach started to hurt after a while.

“but your ego is solid so that should do.” she retorted funnily.

“anything else i should include in that powerpoint?”

she shrugged dismissively. “if you’re so keen on impressing them with charts and pages about yourself, go ahead.”

he smirked at her. “i could also impress them with a song, now that i think about it, i should definitely do that. after all they’re the parents of the most talented singer.”

a horrid expression flashed over amara’s face. “please refrain from doing so. i just bought new glasses and i don’t need them broken just because you thought you could hit a note.”

“now you’re exaggerating. my voice is beautiful.”

“in comparison to a frog maybe.” she sassed back, quickly escaping as she saw kylian about to tickle her again. “just stick to telling them that you run after a ball for ninety minutes straight. that should do the trick.”

“think they’ll be impressed if i tell them that i’m being paid millions for sitting on a bench sometimes?”

she waved her hand, “now you’re on to something.”

a mischievous smile appeared on his lips. “and if that fails, i’ll just woo them with my magic tricks. it worked for you.”

wrapping her hands around his torso, she placed her head onto his shoulder, nearly hiding it in there while a huge grin graced her face. her face was bright, lit up with a radiant smile just because of the man next to her and all the affection her heart held for him. “i won the lottery with you, didn’t i?”

“well, you won’t find me twice on the market, that’s all i’m saying,” he replied in a teasing tone.

she shook her head, looking at him incredulously yet she reached up to kiss him passionately. “je t’aime ky. i hope you know that.” — i love you

“don’t worry, i know. je t’aime aussi.” — i love you

“oh and by the way, don’t forget i wrote a song about having sex with you. just as heads up.”

“do you think your mother will love the tulips i got her?” kylian yelled through amara’s apartment, nervously pacing around. his heart was racing, beating at such a quick pace that doctors would probably start to worry. usually, that kind of nervousness would give him confidence, the kind he needed whenever he was about to play in important games such as champions league ones. but this time it was different. instead of feeding his ego, his nervousness was making him sweat and anxious. the kind that could be fatal.

but who could blame him for being nervous? he was about to me the parents of the love of his life — of course his nerves would get the best of him. he wanted them to like him, better yet, he needed them to like him (i mean, how else would he one day ask for her hand?) and he was aware of how much it meant to amara. all he needed to do was impress them.

he had spent hours picking out his outfit and yet his fingers couldn’t help and fumble with the buttons, betraying all efforts to stay calm. he looked down at the bouquet of white lilies and soft red tulips, that stood casually on the small white table, practically teasing him for his nervousness. “i think we should still have enough time for me to run down and get new ones just in case.”

all the way from the kitchen, amara chuckled as she listened to kylian’s questions, his nervousness practically written on his face. a small smile crept up her face as she stirred the sauce, imagining just how nervous he must be. it was a new way for her to view kylian, who usually presented himself so confidently in front of her. it almost felt like a new part of himself if she didn’t know him that good already.

she left the kitchen, after turning off the stove and opening a window and walked into the living room, her heart nearly melting when she saw the state of her boyfriend. his fingers were tapping rhythmically against his jeans as he sat down, a simple sign that the nervousness was eating him up from the inside. seeing her presence though, he glanced over at her, seeking for comfort and some comfortable familiarity. “my shirt is not too formal is it? i could always change it, i even brought two back ups.” he rambled, his voice insecure and uncertain which was a big change from the norm.

instead of answering, amara just made her way over to him and reached over gently, grabbing his hands. “heyy,” she began softly, putting his hands on her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck, staring deep into his eyes. she loved being in that position with him, it often felt as if she was able to look further than just his eyes, she could see his soul and every of his emotion displayed in his eyes. “i promise you there’s nothing to be worried about. it’s a simple dinner and then everything will go back to the way it was.”

“and what if they think i’m like evan? i know i would think that if my daughter was treated that shitty.” he argued.

she planted a soft kiss on his lips that seemed to diffuse some of his tenseness that she could feel all around his body. “believe me, anyone who listened to my album knows you’re the exact opposite of that old scumbag. you made me believe in love again and i’m certain my parents will know that too if they listened.”

a surge of gratitude overcame him, thankful for amara’s calming words. they had had a soothing effect on him, not erasing all the nervousness but at least easing it. he wasn’t as nervous anymore as he was two seconds ago. and he was definitely ready to take the next step with her. better have it behind him than having to drag it out.

“je t’aime,” kylian whispered against her lips, smiling into the kiss. “and i’ll try my best so that they will love me.”

“if you’re anything like your usual self than they can’t help but love you, believe me.” she muttered against his lips. “and if that doesn’t help, then a good powerpoint presentation should definitely do the trick.”

be laughed loudly and rolled his eyes at her reference to when she had told him. he grabbed her face again, leaning in to kiss her passionately but their moment of intimacy was cut off as the doorbell rang, shattering the perfect balance of calmness in her apartment.

she reluctantly pulled away from him, trying to savor the scent of him and offered him a tender smile that spoke volumes. “it’s show time now,” she whispered in an exciting and empathetic tone. she intertwined her hand with kylian’s as they walked towards the door, hoping that the gesture would transcend some last feeling of support for him.

and it did. even though the hallway seemed endless today, tension thick in the air, her touch and smile calmed him down. gave him reassurance. maybe her parents wouldn’t like him but she would always love him.

sending him one last comforting glance, she reached for the door handle and opened the door, revealing her parents standing in front of it. her mother was the first to enter the apartment, immediately hugging her daughter.

“ada,” she exclaimed, greeting her, not even giving amara a chance to reply. “it’s been so long that i’ve seen you.”

amara smiled, rolling her eyes at her mother’s dramatic antics. “maman, on a téléphoné hier.” — mum, we talked yesterday on the phone

“still not the same,” she replied, waving dismissively. her eyes then fell on kylian, who was looking down nervously, awkwardly shuffling with his feet. “and you must be that handsome man my daughter wrote an album about?”

kylian straightened his position and held out his hand. “i’m kylian, mrs. imani. it’s lovely to meet you.”

“actually it’s mrs éwandé but there’s no need to be so formal. call me taraji,” she replied and threw the french international striker off-guard by pulling him in a hug. amara smiled at the image and turned towards her father.

she was immediately by his arms, burying her face into his neck. “tu m’as manqué,” she murmured under her breath, loud enough for the two of them to hear. — i missed you

“i missed my football partner too,” he replied softly, grinning. “don’t take it bad but your mother is definitely not the best person to watch football with.”

watching football together was their tradition, their bonding time. it went way back to when they were still in cameroon, where electricity was not a given and it had held on till now, where amara used to come over every weekend just to watch the premier league with her father. occasionally they would also watch formula one but that became rare when amara started dating evan and he began to distance her from her parents. now everything would go back to how it was.

her lips turned upwards, chuckling. “je sais. elle ne s’intéresse vraiment pas. mais j’ai quelqu’un qui s’intéresse sûrement…,” she trailed off, detaching herself from her father’s embrace and motioning with her eyes for kylian to come over. — i know, it doesn’t really interest her, but I have someone who’s for sure interested

“this is kylian, my boyfriend. the one you wanted to meet so badly.” she introduced the international french striker, smiling at him brightly.

“donc c’est toi qui a inspiré ma fille à écrire ce magnifique album?” he asked in an intimidating voice and kylian tried his best to hold his composure and stay calm. — so… you’re the man who inspired her to write that magnificent album

swallowing the lump down in his throat, he nodded and amara’s father turned towards his daughter again. “you did not mention that your boyfriend was kylian mbappé.”

amara shrugged. “i didn’t want you to already have an image or judge. i wanted to keep a neutral image.”

he let out a small huff, shaking kylian’s hand firmly. amara then suggested for them to move into the living room as amara had prepared dinner but her father held up his hand.

“avancer sans nous. on va vous rejoindre tout de suite.” andré declined politely. “got a few words i want to exchange with this young man.”

kylian felt his heart falling, his eyes begging for amara to not leave him, to contest her father that they could do this another time but even her hands were tied. she send him an apologetic smile as her mother dragged her into the kitchen, already rambling her ears full. amdré motioned for kylian to follow him into a more private space, which in amara’s apartment was her music room — the room where they had made music together.

“soo… you and my daughter,” he stated, kylian not really sure whether it was a simple statement or a rhetorical question made to insecure kylian and question all his life choices. “how long has this been going?”

“we have known each other for nearly a year now but we have only been dating for about three months now,” answered the star french player.

an eyebrow rose, skepticism clear in his expression. “and yet she was able to write an entire album for you?” he inquired. “i can count on my hands how many songs she wrote for that evan and most of them were not positive whereas now she is declaring all her love for you.”

somehow he understood the distrust that laced in her father’s words. the hidden uncertainty. because if his daughter had gone through all that shit because of one man, he would have seen red too and probably lock his daughter in a castle where no man would ever be able to approach her. it was just that kind of overprotectiveness.

“what are your intentions with her?” he questioned firmly. “amara means the world to us and hell will probably freeze before i let her into hands like those of that evan prat again. so i need to amd sure she’s with someone who won’t hold her down this time and won’t be intimidated by her rising career.”

“i love her. i truly do. that’s probably the most certain thing in my life,” he replied, contemplating how he could make it clear that he did not plan on ever losing amara. “she is worth more than any trophy i could ever win, they will never measure up to her, and her smile is probably enough to lift my day and brighten it. she is this ray of sunshine and even when it rains she still manages to shine bright. and i promised myself to do anything so that shine never fades out.”

to say that andré was shocked was probably exaggerated but the man was still stunned by kylian’s confession which he concealed with a neutral expression. hearing another man talk like that about his daughter, the way he used to talk about his wife — it gave a sort of safety. amara had once told him she wished to meet a man that would be half the person he was and andré could now confirm that she had. she had met someone who was half as good as he was, if not more. kylian held another kind of love in his eyes as he spoke about her, the mesmerizing one that people often longed for. that created unwanted jealousy because it was so rare today.

“you know, i had a feeling when she started dating evan,” he admitted after a short silence. “she was shining, happy but he didn’t look at her in a way that pleased me. she was a trophy for him but not a person. an accessoire that he got to carry around with him and jealous the people around him. but he forgot that for the trophy to shine, someone had to clean it constantly. and with time he tarnished her more and more. and i assume you know how amara is, always so stubborn.” at that kylian had to chuckle, knowing just how true that statement was. he may be stubborn on the field but amara took stubbornness to a whole new level. “wouldn’t leave him, not when he had thousands of talks with him. when she came after every cheating scandal but wouldn’t allow us to interfere in her relationship.”

“but you actually see her. the look on your face whenever you just think about her is enough. it shows that you’re here for the real deal and not for her highest moments. i didn’t know about you when that album was released and yet when i listened to it, i thought to myself: ‘damn, my daughter is in love again’. which angered me at first because i did not know who it was and i feared we had met another evan again. and then i listened further and i understood how much you loved her. amara painted a very beautiful picture of your love story. and i approve of that.”

words were stuck in his throat as kylian listened to amara’s father. he felt both humbled and touched by the elder man’s words but most importantly, he felt accepted. her father had confided him his thoughts, given him something new that he could add to the picture of amara and evan and also sort of given him his blessing. he felt empathy with the man’s concerns and thoughts, not offended when the tone was skeptic sometimes. after all, at the end of the day he was amara’s father and wanted the world for her.

“she tried to give me an out,” kylian blurted out randomly. “there was a very bad article that caused many sponsors and fans to turn their backs on her and it destroyed her, she tried to give me an out and i refused. she was at her lowest point and was ready to give up. but i stayed.” he recounted, thoughts trailing back to that day. “i did not say this to prove that i am right for your daughter sir, but instead i just want you to know that i care. whether she is at her lowest or highest.”

nearing him, andré reached over and clapped kylian softly on the shoulder. “i know now that she is in safe hands with you. gives me one person less to error about,” he responded before laughing again. “who am i kidding? i’ll always worry about her.”

they both chuckled, all the tension having disappeared. now kylian felt relaxed as he talked with her dad.

“how do you two manage with your relationship? football and music are not two very compatible branches.”

“we know that but we give our best to make it work. for now it’s easy because amara relocated to paris and i play there which gives us lots of time to spend with each other but of course that will not last and we’ll have to see how we will be moving forward than. but for now we just enjoy the closeness.” kylian answered truthfully.

“that’s good to hear. fait sort qu'elle reste heureuse. elle le mérite.” — make sure she’s happy, she deserves it

as the serious topics were discussed, the atmosphere began to lighten even though all the tension had already left. a twinkle in his eye, that fell in with amara’s twinkle that she often held in her eyes, andré playfully asked the french striker, “so son, just a small question,” he began in a teasing tone. “pourquoi tu ne veux pas joindre liverpool? je t’aurais supporté depuis le début.” — why didn’t you join liverpool? would have made it so much easier to support you.

shaking his head in amusement, he laughed as the two men made their way back to the living room where the table had already been set and it seemed as if the two women sitting had been waiting for them to start eating.

instantly at the sight of her boyfriend, a relieved expression showed up on her face and a soft smile made its way on her lips when she saw him laugh with her dad. she didn’t bother asking what amused the two men so much, instead she only motioned for him to sit down next to him, intertwining their hands again.

“so… in the end you didn’t need your powerpoint presentation, did you?” amara teased him lightly, nudging his shoulder slightly.

“i wasn’t really nervous. just didn’t want to disappoint anyone. in fact, the nervousness was just part of the act. i couldn’t be all confident, that would have seemed too suspicious.”

she arched an eyebrow. “not nervous, my ass. you practically shit yourself before they arrived.”

“did not.”

“did too.”

he rolled his eyes. “well anyway, now i’ve mastered it and your dad loves me. in the end i figured out all i had to do was make him think i was thinking of joining liverpool next year.”

“that’s just cruel. raising an old man’s hopes just to crush them.” amara scolded him playfully, giggling quietly.

the french international striker faked a shocked expression. “i’m telling you said that. you’ll definitely not be his favorite after that anymore.”

“you wouldn’t.”

“bros before hoes, bébé.” he smiled smugly at her as she watched him shockingly. “that’s the code.”

“i’m going to dump you.” she muttered lowly, making sure her parents couldn’t hear her while kylian starts to laugh and even amara herself couldn’t stop the grin that was spreading on her face.

during the dinner, the two continued their usual playful banters, not even realizing that they had an audience. andré and taraji were amazed by the way the conversation between their daughter and kylian flowed so effortlessly. and it marveled them how lively she was.

during her relationship with evan, they had to painfully watch as their daughter became a shell of herself, her star dampening and the twinkle in her eyes gone. her smiles stopped to reach her eyes and conversation felt forced with her. amara had built up a wall and was adamant on not letting anyone past it, not even her own parents. but watching her now. joke with kylian, there was a change in their daughter — one taraji had immediately noticed when she had visited her daughter — the walls had been destroyed and she was living again for life.

knowing smiles appeared on andré and taraji’s faces as kylian and amara cleared off the table, their sarcastic exchanges loud enough to be heard from the living room. there was no doubt that kylian loved her. just the way he had watched her, as if she was the most important person in her life, the sun of his universe — he had proven that he was good for amara and as it seemed, she was good for him.

it also made specifically taraji happy that her daughter had found herself a man like that, one that reminded her of her own husband and knew her value. evan saw her as his side chick, the kind of women he paraded around and got praised for. in kylian’s eyes though, amara was an angel, a gift sent from heaven and he knew not to take her for granted so he worshiped every day that they were able to spend together. all that was clear by just looking at the way he looked at amara. pure love.

“she has truly found someone for her, didn’t she,” taraji muttered under her breath, yet loud enough for andré to hear.

“she did. and she’s happy.” andré agreed, smiling softly at his eldest daughter as she and kylian joined them again in the living room.

the rest of the evening passed by smoothly. her father and kylian had started to talk about sports, specifically football and the premier league with amara occasionally leaving a few comments while she had also engaged in a gossiping conversation with her mother. it was a tradition for them to always update the other on any family drama that had happened and it was the one thing that bonded amara and her mother when they spent time together.

amara smiled when she watched her boyfriend and her mother in a deep conversation about growing up, happy to see that her mother had already integrated kylian as a member of the family and started to open up to him all sorts of topics. she was reassured that she would never have to choose again between family and love as she had to do with evan.

time passed quickly as they talked, not even noticing how the sky that had had a certain kind of dark blue was now pitch black. amara had enjoyed the time with her parents so much she hadn’t even noticed that three hours had passed. it had just felt nice to see her parents again after such a long time — especially her dad —and she had wanted to enjoy every last second of it before hugs became digital again as they were so often not in the same city.

andré and taraji had also noticed that it had gotten very late and prefered to go back now before they would be unable to find a parking space. both hugged amara and kylian again, which took the latter by surprise, and pressed a kiss on amara’s temple before leaving. amara waved at them from the window till she lost sight of their car and joined kylian on the couch.

“this went well. they adore you.” amara commented, fatigue also started to rush through her body.

“who wouldn’t?” kylian replied cheekily as amara rolled her eyes in annoyance. “i mean with this face?” he pointed at his face, smirking.

“you’re right. i forgot. everyone has a weakness for turtles.” she joked, mimicking kylian’s face expression.

“my face does not look like a turtle. take that back,” he exclaimed shockingly though all amara did was hide her laugh behind her hand.

“fine let me rephrase. a very handsome turtle.” she clarified, followed by a shriek when kylian began to tickle her on the side. tears formed in her eyes from the intensity while her laughter sounded through the entire apartment. after a few minutes of torturing her to death with his hands, kylian finally let go of amara and pulled her close so he could wrap his hands around her waist and cuddle.

pressing a soft peck on her lips, he whispered, “je t’aime,” followed by a passionate kiss. — i love you

“je t’aime aussi.” — i love you too

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌

𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚.𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢

liked by liyah_clark, k.mbappé and 25.847.023 others

amara.imani first performance after such a long pause, i loved hearing you cheer for me and sing along to my new songs, thanks for having me @jimmyfallon

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𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄

she was missing him; terribly. after having spent so much time with him, inhaling his scent so often, amara was coping horribly with him gone even though her mind knew it wasn’t their fault for their lack of time. they both had had a busy week with people expecting them and wanting things from them. had been busy with training and match preparations for his next champions league games whereas amara was forced to fly to the states for an appearance on the jimmy fallon show to promote her album — that was already successful and breaking records. the couple found themselves yearning for a moment of just them, where they could hold each other close and spread soft touches all over their bodies.

she missed his smile and he missed making her laugh. she longed to let her hands trail all over his body again and have deep, intimate cuddling sessions with him where they talked about everything. sure, they had spent hours on the phone to each other but it just wasn’t the same — his scent and happy aura wasn’t transportable over the phone and he couldn’t let his fingers brush though her coily hair that she decided to let open — it was all just missing.

but the longing would end today. it was the weekend — surprisingly one where kylian wasn’t needed on the field — and amara had decided to come over and surprise him as she had good news. news that had her practically dancing of excitement as she waited in the elevator to arrive.

a bright smile on her face and a heart full of anticipation, she arrived at kylian’s luxurious apartment, her heart dancing with excitement, even waving funnily to herself on the mirror of the elevator. the album’s success was incredible to her and she couldn’t wait to share the good news with kylian which is also why she had a bottle of champagne in her bag.

she was practically jumping as she rang the bell, waiting excitedly for kylian to open it as she had forgotten the spare key he had given her at home. her fingers tapped nervously against her thigh as she wondered why kylian was taking so long— usually it’s him that always complains when i’m not at the door immediately, she thought to herself yet the smile on her face hadn’t vanished.

her prayers were heard though as kylian finally opened the door, shock and surprise painted on his face, and he smiled brightly at her. amara, not able to contain her happiness and want any longer, instantly wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. she tried to savor the scent of him, his warmth that was able to heat her entire body, putting every of her emotion into the kiss — the wanting, longing and separation as well as joy. but something felt different as they kissed.

she felt eyes on her and an unusual feeling, making her slowly break the kiss. needless to say, surprise was an understatement for what amara felt when she saw several pairs of eyes on her and kylian — his family was there, gathered in the living room and had just watched an unknown person kiss their son. some of their faces held shocking expressions, other were amused.

“oh mon dieu,” amara exclaimed, thanking god again that her skin was too dark to detect a blush on her cheeks. she hid her face in her palms, embarrassed at what had just happened. “i am so sorry.” — oh my god

“i am so sorry i didn’t warn you. i didn’t expect you,” he chuckled as he excused himself, but was still grinning.

kylian’s mother was the first to speak, coming out of their stunned state. she smiled warmly at amara. “you must be his girlfriend. he talks so much about you but never gave a picture to the name. i’m kylian’s mother, fayza.”

“amara,” the singer replied uneasy, shaking the elder woman’s hand. “i am so sorry for interrupting this family event. i’m about to go anyway, i just wanted to tell kylian some news.”

“nonsense, stay.” fayza interjected, waving dismissively. “we’ve been begging kylian to meet you but he just preferred to keep you to himself.”

amara’s initial embarrassment slowly transformed into a mixture of gratitude and surprise as she was welcomed into the gathering. she was about to introduce herself to kylian’s father when she was interrupted.

“wait a minute, amara as in amara imani, the singer?” a woman, who seemed around her age asked, a small hint of excitement detectable in her voice.

she blinked in surprise and nodded. “yes, that’s me,” she replied nervously. “oh my god, i’m so sorry for not introducing me completely.”

“attend… donc toutes les chansons sur mon amour sont inspirées par lui?” a teenage boy asked her, pointing skeptically at kylian. amara nodded nervously again. “t’as fait fort grand frère.” he looked at amara again. “moi, c’est ethan. unfortunately the younger brother to this dickhead.” — wait… so all these songs on Mon amour are inspired by him?

— you did good, big bro, i’m ethan

“moi, c’est alice et j’adore tes chansons,” kylian’s cousin exclaimed. “mon amour est mon album préféré. je suis une grande fan.” — i’m alice and I love your songs

— mon amour is my favorite album, I’m a big fan

“merci beaucoup, ca me tient à cœur.” she replied softly, genuinely happy that she was accepted so quickly. — thank you so much, it warms my hearth

as the introductions continued, she felt a small tug on her jeans and looked down to find a small toddler pulling on her jeans to get her attention. she kneeled down to be at level with the small toddler, smiling brightly at him.

“and who might you be?” she grinned at the child before picking it up. she had always had a small spot for children. “i’m amara.”

kylian leaned in and whispered quietly in her ear, “that’s isayah. my nephew. his sister is asleep and he’s usually the more awake one.”

amara nodded, turning her attention back to the child again. she was grinning at the small boy she was carrying on her hip while continuing the introductions and getting to know the whole family. she couldn't help but be amazed at how easily they all seemed to fit together, as if she had been a part of their lives for years.

she introduced herself to his father, who had at first seemed wary about her but once they had started talking and kylian had slyly added that amara had grown up in cameroon before moving to europe, the ice was broken and wilfried immediately gained interest in her. it was clear that they loved her and even kylian’s nephew did not want to let go of her as she tried to put him down after a while. they had all taken a liking to her.

sitting at dinner was comfortable for her, she felt welcomed and all nervousness or insecurities had vanished as they laughed over several topics. it was even easier for them to talk when they found out that amara was a big football fan — even though it pained them when she told them she was a red — and soon, the conversation took a turn towards sports and some predictions for the ongoing season.

“eh amara,” ethan called her and she turned her head to face him. “didn’t you say, you had some news for kylian?”

her face brightened even more as she nodded excitedly. she looked at kylian, all eyes on them as she told him the news. “i got off the phone with grace and she told me that the grammy nominations just came in,” amara explained happily. “i’m nominated for eight categories.” she squealed, her eyes practically sparkling.

“wait what — that’s amazing. you did it. félicitations bébé,” he congratulated her happily, pulling his girlfriend into a hug. one by one, every person at the table congratulated her, sending her their best wishes as they all shared her happiness. — congratulations baby

“oh, i also wanted to ask you, if you didn’t mind, whether you would like to accompany me to it. only if you don’t have a match of course.” she suggested.

“what do i gain from this?”

“accompanying your girlfriend to an important event and seeing her happy?”

“not good enough,” he replied jokingly after contemplating about his options.

“you’ll meet beyoncé,” amara suggested in a light tone, grinning.

“i’ll think about it.”

ethan threw a small piece of bread at his brother, watching his antics. “amara you can just take me. i promise you i’m a hundred times better than him.”

“it’s an event for adults and not midgets like you,” kylian immediately shot back.

“who’re you calling a midget? you’re just jealous i’m taller than you.”

“but i’m still the favorite.”

“in your dreams.”

“kylian, ethan, arrêtez moi ça maintenant,” fayza scolded them, making the rest of the people laugh. they had already finished dinner and fayza had already stood up, beginning to clear up the table so dessert could be brought. “amara, could you please help me clear the table for dessert?”

she nodded, standing up and started to collect the dirty plates on a pile to bring them back to the kitchen. maybe she should have been more nervous being alone in the kitchen with kylian’s mother but the woman was so kind that amara couldn’t even work up any nerves.

she sent kylian thumbs up as she recognized the worried look in his eyes — one she had also had when he had spoken privately with her father — and went back to the kitchen with fayza, both carrying loads of dishes. they began to work like a chain, with amara washing the dishes while fayza dried them and put them back where they belonged while the sweet aroma of apple cake filled the air.

as she started to wash her hands, finished with the dirty plates, kylian’s mother turned to amara, warmth and kindness in her expression. “you know amara,” she began softly, “i’m not going to lie. when kylian first told me about you, i was a bit apprehensive. his last relationship was not exactly easy on him and she broke his heart horribly when he found out she just after his money. he went back to his party life again and stopped caring about anything to numb the pain.”

amara felt a quick sting as she listened to fayza, her heart breaking for kylian. she had always wondered how that man had managed to stay single if he was the way he acted around amara but now it made sense why.

“and still he didn’t give up. he became more realistic, yes, but he didn’t lose the joy in love. the good of love outweighed the bad so he put himself out there again. he didn’t give up.” the elder woman chuckled. “he carries the same attitude for life as he does in football. never giving up.”

amara felt touched as fayza talked about her son’s last relationship. it made her realize how similar kylian and she were but she also admired him — he had been ready to put himself out there again while she had hid, had given up on love because of so many bad experiences. he was truly enchanting. “he’s always been a fighter. on and off the pitch. that’s just my son.”

she paused for a moment, her gaze softening as she stared straight at amara. “and then he met you,” she said genuinely with a fond smile. “the change was recognizable immediately. he told me of a drunk woman he had met on a night out with friends and that somehow you had hit it off even though she was probably too drunk to even remember what had happened that night. that he had helped her by letting her sleep at his and that you had talked the next day and exchanged numbers. he just lit up differently. as if all his previous goals that he had set up for himself were suddenly unimportant. a new purpose.”

“you’re good for him. you bring out the best in him and make him a new person. a better version of himself. you truly see him. you are what’s worth not giving up, he could’ve given up a long time ago when he had gotten his heart shattered but instead he put himself out there and you are the prove that he was right by doing that. he has finally found the happiness he deserves, and i couldn't be happier for the two of you."

amara laughed, smiling brightly as she looked at the ceiling to stop the tears that were threatening to roll down her cheeks. a surge of emotion rushed through her, as she let fayza’s words sink in. it had been the first time she had met someone’s parents and they had praised her like that. had recognized the change and impact she made on someone’s life.

“vous deux, vous êtes faites l’un pour l’autre.” — you two, you are made for each other

“how are you so sure we are going to last forever?” she wondered out loud, wiping away her tears.

fayza smirked, grabbing the apple pie. “my dear, i do not live behind the moon. i listened to the album. it’s beautiful.”

they walked out of the kitchen, amara carrying the clean plates while fayza carried the apple pie. they placed everything down on the table and amara sat down next to kylian again, intertwining their hands.

“tout va bien?” he asked her worriedly and she nodded swiftly. — is everything okay

“tout est parfait.” amara stated lowly, the fond smile not leaving her lips. she put her head down on kylian’s shoulder. “i just love you and your family.” — everything’s perfect

he grinned, pressing a soft kiss on her temple and turned back to his conversation with his brother and father about some new rules in football. but his eyes never truly left her.

throughout the evening, amara enjoyed herself in the joyous atmosphere and cherished the new found connections she had made that evening. she was glad, she got along with everyone and nothing felt awkward anymore. she joked with ethan as the two played fifa, pouting whenever he had let her win as she wanted to win on her own but realized quickly she was horrible at the game. she had had long conversations with alice and fayza about some gossip in hollywood and had occasionally joined men when they talked about football politics, gaining lots of new knowledge. needless to say, she enjoyed the night. the surprise that had shocked her so much and made her so anxious had turned out as gift and she was glad as she felt her and kylian’s bond growing and becoming even more special. they had both taken big steps by meeting each other's parents — even though the last one was not planned — intensifying their trust in each other. this was everything she had ever wanted.

“your mother told me about your ex,” amara mumbled quietly, as she and kylian laid calmly on her bed, her eyes facing the ceiling.

after fayza had told her about kylian’s painful break up, amara had spent the entire night researching kylian’s ex-girlfriend and stalking her on social media. and comparing herself to her even though it wasn’t needed.

she had read every article of their sudden break up, her heart aching as she read the way kylian was betrayed. she wanted him to know that she would never do that to him and that she truly cherished him for who he was.

“i want you to know that i am in no way pitying you or anything like that and i am sure you have already closed that chapter. i just feel the need to tell you that you are everything to me and i would never dream of hurting you,” she explained, sitting up.

he hummed. “i know you do. i never doubted.” he replied calmly. “and you don’t have to tell me everything you talk about my mother. i trust you.”

“i know. i just didn’t want to hide anything from you. and i wanted to make sure that we are both on the same page in this relationship.”

“you should write that down,” he joked, sitting up too. “maybe one day we’ll use that as our vows. would save me some work,” he suggested, an amusing glint sparkling up in his eyes. his sarcastic reply gave amara an idea though as she stood up, rummaging through her writing things till she found her block of colorful post-it cards and ripped off a blue one. she sticked it to the bed wall and handed kylian a pen.

“qu’est-ce que tu veux que je fasse avec ça?” he asked her, confused at what he was supposed to do with the pen in his hand. — what do you want me to do with that?

“we…,” she pointed at the two of them, “are going to write down our promises and values that matter to us in this relationship. we’re making it official.”

confusion grew in his eyes. “what do you mean? you want to write these things down on this small paper?” he inquired further.

“yes, that’s exactly what we’re gonna do,” amara beamed, smiling brightly.

“where did you get that idea from now? you do know i was joking right?”

“i know you were. but i watched grey’s anatomy and meredith and derek did this.” amara explained, a huge smile still plastered on her face.

kylian shrugged, not caring anymore what they were doing. the smile on amara’s face was enough to make him do everything she wanted. “fine, let’s make it official.”

he took the pen, a thoughtful expression on his face as he scribbled down a few phrases. he handed the blue little paper sheet back to amara, who read it aloud, "we promise to always talk everything out, never leave the other on read even when we hate each other, always be there for each other, confide into each other, be each other’s best friend. we promise to never stand in the way of each other’s career.”

nodding in approval, she grinned. “sounds promising. i’m gonna hold you to this mbappé.” she took the pen from her boyfriend and scribbled down a few sentences too before handing it to him.

he glanced at the words and smiled. “we value our love, friendship, comfort, trust and bond. sums up everything perfectly.”

kylian took out his phone, snapping a quick picture of the blue post-it. “now we’re never going to forget those promises.”

she put the pen back to where she had taken it from, her eyes traveling around the room before they landed on her guitar, standing in the corner of her room. leaping to her feet, she grabbed it and brought it back with her to the bed.

her fingers strayed to her guitar, gently touching it as she ran her hand over the strings. “since we’re already talking about promises. i did promise you something, didn’t i?”

his eyes lit up as he watched her tune her guitar and he leaned slightly forward. “you did… oh my god, are you going to serenade me with a song from the album?”

with a smug smile, amara started to play the first chords of ‘lover’, a song that had been purely inspired by kylian. her voice was soft and angelic as she sang, enchanting. in another life, she could have been a siren, attracting men with her mesmerizing voice.

he hung to every word on her lip, watching with rapt attention while his eyes shined as he listened to her heartfelt and deep words.

not able to hold a cheeky reply, he chuckled as she sang the line ‘and you’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me,’ and replied, “who else should i tell them?”

he also couldn’t pass up on a good reply when amara sang the lines, ‘can we always be this close,’ answering to that, "i already told you, nous deux, c'est pour l'éternité." — we two, we are for forever

as she played the last tunes, the song finally finishing, a laugh flash rolled over amara as she thought about all the replies kylian gave her as she had sung, tears streaming down her face. her laugh was so infectious that soon kylian had started to laugh too, knowing just how cheeky he had sounded during her song. he wrapped his arm around her, careful not to damage the guitar on the bed as the two laughed. they knew that their promises and love would endure; would last. everyone around them was convinced that they were made for each other. and just like amara sang so often in her new album, she believed it too.

[yanxioustrikas]

obviously just for fun but it was one of those days when i suddenly thought ‘why not give ms altivo a sibling?’

guess what i did?

gave ms altivo a sibling

roland's relationship with other characters

— basic info —

roland eiji altivo (he/him)

🇿🇦 | 🇵🇹 🇯🇵 (based on my hc nationality / ethnicity for ms altivo)

eva altivo’s younger brother (three years younger?)

6'0 ft tall

classic (not-too-hostile) sibling rivalry between him and eva, but both have similar goals for their own self-interest —> to be famous worldwide

met sunny hellström (non-canon surname) in his intro journalism course, since then they both have a very interesting dynamic...

— career —

news anchor at futbol 360 (season 1 - 3)

has a reputation for finding and covering the hottest news and stories, while being charming and adding his own flair into covering the news

had beef with almost every news reporters and anchors in south africa

tried to start beef with lena long but was always unsuccessful due to lena not giving two shits

talk show host for 'roll up with roland' (season 4 and onwards)

roland literally rolls up in wheelies shoes in every show, that is his signature (credits to @abyss-strikas for this amazing idea!)

he and his show's reputation skyrocketed at a national level since the launch of roll up with roland, though still trails a little behind rob rawson's talk show

erasyl (headcanon name for the guy who got fired by ms altivo in the episode 'live and kicking') also works for the show, as one of the writers

despite that roland's talk show is distributed by another major media company (in contrast to his sister having her own company), he still believes that he can still beat eva in the popularity competition, as long as he can get everybody in the world to tune in to his show

— traits —

persuasive, charismatic, intelligent, extroverted, humourous, ambitious

manipulative, narcissistic, stubborn (has a bad temper if things don't go his way)

— fun facts —

besides english, also fluent in afrikaans and japanese, working on his portuguese, and knows a little bit of french and italian

played soccer as a striker, since young and up until after undergrad

obtained a bachelor degree (ba in strategic communications) in south africa, then a master degree (master of journalism) in canada

a prominent member of his high school's renowned debate club, where he literally carried his school to nationals (the school has a history of every member of the altivo family being in the debate club, with each of them carrying the school to the top)