#(Yes I'm doing that again no I will not pick any other country)

[da-riya]

I'll try out Vic3 again I think I didn't give it a fair shot on it's own terms

[glitterslag]

bureaucracy...

[qqueenofhades]

oh god is biden dropping out? i don't know what happens then

Jesus effing Christ.

Few thoughts:

The billionaire Democratic donors got their way, apparently. All I saw was that the big-dollar donors were secretly putting pressure on the rank-and-file Democratic elected officials (i.e. House and Senate) to denounce Biden or not get any more money, and other shameful backroom maneuvering to knife Biden. I will refrain (lol, no I won't) from speculating that billionaires of any political stripe feel threatened by Biden's increasingly progressive tax/wealth redistribution policies, and saw their chance after the bad debate performance to knife him. Because until further notice, I'm going to think that was the biggest factor.

I don't know if there's an actual health condition that made Biden agree it was the best time (in fucking July) to step down, but if this was an issue, there needed to be planning last year, at the earliest, to prepare for a new successor. I don't know what's going on. This is a clusterfuck on many, many levels.

However: it is true that this does change things and not necessarily only for the worse, as long as Harris is immediately confirmed as the new nominee and this stupid Democrats In Disarray nonsense, which is giving the media exactly what they want, is put to a fucking end. If Harris is also swept aside and the billionaire donors try to install their preferred "Centrist!!!" candidate (lol Manchin or some shit) with an equally antidemocratic closed-door Star Chamber convention, then yes, we're fucked. Because the Congressional Black Caucus and African American voters saw exactly what the rich white man billionaires were trying to do by torching Biden and then Harris, and they are not going to play ball with some Magical White Man replacement.

If Harris is immediately confirmed as the new nominee (and to the best of my knowledge Biden has endorsed her), then she has a chance of reinvigorating the race. There were a lot of Americans who did not want either Biden or Trump. I suspect they were fucking braindead, but so be it. Harris has apparently polled pretty and increasingly well in recent days (in some cases actually better than Biden) and again, there is no remotely small-d democratic alternative to her. The billionaire donors already trashed the duly elected (by the primary process) Democratic nominee. If they do the same to Harris, then yes. We will have Trump and there won't be any more democracy in this country on either side, because the Republican big-bucks donors will gleefully pick up where the Democratic big-bucks donors left off.

Jesus fucking Christ.

The message needs to be "Harris is Joe's successor, she is younger and already has four years of experience and is the only candidate." Anything else is a fucking gift from god to the Republicans, once more getting trashed after Trump's terrible RNC speech. Maybe she can then pick Whitmer or Shapiro (both popular and effective Democratic governors of swing states, MI and PA respectively) as a running mate, but the nominee has to be Kamala. There is no other fucking choice. This is already enough of a mess.

If that can happen, and the fucking donors can refrain from fucking it up, then... okay. It's not great, but it does change things. It makes the ticket younger. It makes it historic (first Black female president beating Trump would be amazing). It could reach people disenchanted with the current two-old-white-guys setup.

This is an incredible sacrifice on Biden's part and I only wish that I could believe he did it voluntarily, rather than being forced out by a small class of rich people worrying about his policies getting too progressive.

I wish him only the best and I recognize this decision was taken under extreme pressure. If we then lose to Trump, I hope everyone who forced Biden out burns in hell.

I was a diehard Biden supporter not because I loved the guy personally, but because he was the only choice for preserving democracy in America. The essential stakes of the election have not changed, even if the billionaires just knifed us in the fucking back, possibly to nobody's surprise, because R or D, they are not our friends.

Kamala is the only choice. I will now have to defend her as hard as I did for Biden. She needs to beat Trump. There is nothing else to it. If you think she can't, then you need to work at helping her do that. There is already enough calamity and doom. We do not have a choice. We cannot lose sight of what is at stake here.

Kamala Harris/Whitmer and/or Shapiro and/or Buttigieg 2024.

The end.

[hihimissamericanbi]

what’s the best smut you’ve ever read?

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED. I WAS MADE FOR THIS MOMENT.

Non non you know I can't pick just one/rank my beloveds like that. So I'll throw a few atcha that always come up for me, again and again. If you hang out with me a lot, they probably won't surprise you.

And to any creators I tag who have seen me rec these things over and over again. Hi let's get married.

Mmmmwah! Enjoy! <3

Quebecois by @we-are-swearwolves

Sirius/Logan (Sweater Weather by @lumosinlove), Sirius/Remus

34K words

The first two chapters are the bulk of the smut. Canon ships with consensual/ethical friends fucking, everyone loves each other, porn with GIANT feelings, heeling through sex, exhibitionism.

Scorch by @theresthesnitch

James/Lily/Other

11K words

Devil's threesome. So much consent and enthusiasm and dirty talk. Yes I know I LITERALLY just referenced this fic but I am never getting off Snitch's dick okay don't come for me. Or do heh.

collarbones like a bow, skin an arrow to the heart by @lqtraintracks

NB Gin/Pansy

4K words

"Are you packing, daddy?"

For Queen And Country by Quietlemonhush

Sirius/Remus, James/Regulus

***A/B/O***

6K words

This whole series is one of my all-time faves. Fucking hilarious and hot. There are podfics available too.

i've got diamonds in my eyes (for you) by @crushofdoves

Sirius/Remus

6K words

ALL THE FEELINGS trans joy hot hot hot they are in LOVE. Sirius is Gender. Remus is Besotted.

Keep Your Hands on Me by @tenthousandyearsx

Draco/Harry

21K words

This author and I currently have an adorable meet-cute miscommunication thing going on (hiii <3) so it's extra spicy for that reason alone. Read the tags. You'll know why I recc it :D.

Last but not least:

My own shit!!! :D If I am truly asked to pick my favorite smut ever, I'm going to pick my own stuff. It doesn't get more tailored to one's tastes than that! Don't hate the player hate the game idk.

Many many blessings to you, Non Non, for asking such an important question, for all of humanity, really. We are all indebted to you.

[joanquill]

Caught making out

IM SO SORRY TO BE SO LATE!! ITS STILL A FEW HOURS BEFORE ITS 17TH FEB IN MY COUNTRY SO I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THIS REQUEST 😭😭🙏 How about Prompt 4 With William Moriarty Obv it'll be a romance 😭 And pls fluff no angst 😭🙏 IM REALLY SORRY FOR BEING SO LATE

William James Moriarty

A/N: And this is the last for the Valentine's event, thank you, everyone! 🥰 Tag/s: Established Relationship Warning/s: Suggestive? Mention of Hickeys

"Hmm..." you muttered, staring at the variety of Valentine's gifts on display, analyzing each one.

You sighed in defeat as you stepped back.

'It's no use... I can't think of a way to surprise Will...' you begrudgingly thought, remembering how all your old attempts to fluster your boyfriend failed.

Since you two started dating, William has never failed to tease you and make your face turn red, whether in private or with other people present.

You tried to do the same, but he was always ten steps ahead.

At this point, even just a little startled expression would be enough.

"If you keep staring like that, the chocolate's gonna melt," Bonde warned as he patted your head, making you turn to him.

"I'm sure Will-kun will like any gift you give him," he reassured with a teasing grin, making your face flush as you removed his hand from your head.

"The chocolate's for everyone," you reminded with an awkward cough, making Bonde roll his eyes.

"Right... That's why we're on our third department store for the day," Bonde added as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders with a smirk.

"Haha... Yeah... Thanks again for coming with me,"

"Don't mention it! Besides, you promised me you'd buy me that new perfume, remember?" he reminded, walking up to one of the stalls with various colognes and perfumes.

"Yes, yes..." you chuckled, looking at the selection as Bonde started trying on some of the samples.

As you continued to look through the store for Bonde's perfume, an idea popped into your head.

'That could work...!' you thought as you rushed to Bonde.

"Hey, can you help me pick out a perfume?" you asked, catching him by surprise.

"Sure, but why? Are you buying one for Will-kun?" you shook your head in response,

"No, it's for me. I have an idea,"

'All right!' you smiled as you took out the perfume from the bag, testing its spray before the surprise.

"(Y/N)? The meeting is about to start," William called out as he walked into your shared bedroom, making you hide the perfume behind you as you turned to him.

"Okay! I'll be out in a minute," you innocently replied, making him raise a brow as he walked up to you, making you step back.

"What are you hiding?" he asked with a knowing smile, making you nervously laugh.

"It's just the perfume Bonde and I bought," you answered honestly, showing him the bottle.

"But the real thing smelled different from the samples we tried," you added, spraying some into the air.

"It smells off..."

Curious, William leaned into the spot you sprayed and smelled the perfume.

"I don't think-" you gently held his chin and kissed his lips, feeling your face flush.

William pulled away as he looked at you in surprise, making you step back and look at him for a reaction.

"Pfft," he quickly covered his mouth and turned away, making you furrow your brows.

"It didn't work!?" you asked in exasperation, making William chuckle.

"Well... I wouldn't say that, my love," he replied, showing his cheeks flushing pink.

"Ah-" you muttered, letting out a sigh.

"Fine... I'll take it as a win," you murmured with an exhausted smile, making William lightly laugh.

"All right, let's go to the meeting-" as you were about to leave the room, William grabbed your hand and pulled you to his chest.

"Will? We're gonna be late," you reminded, seeing a mischievous smile on his lips.

"We still have a few minutes to spare," he reassured, wrapping an arm around your waist as he kissed you, his free hand laying on the back of your head as he deepened the kiss.

"Did you truly think you could pull a stunt like that without consequences?" he whispered against your lips before kissing you again.

"Where are they?" Sebastian grumbled, looking around the meeting room for you and William.

"I wonder..." Bonde thought out loud, trying to piece together your plan for the perfume.

"Do you know why Mr. William and Mx. (Y/N) are late?" Fred asked innocently, making Bonde grin.

"I have an idea..." he replied, getting out of his seat and leaving.

"And where are you going?"

"To see if I'm right!" Bonde answered as he headed straight for your and William's bedroom, getting ready to kick the door open and announce to the whole manor that you two were late and see why.

BONUS:

"Now that we're all present..." William started the meeting casually as you sat in the very corner of the room.

Steam was practically coming out of you as you hid behind your scarf, hoping to hide the hickeys William happily gave you.

"Why the hell were you two late?" Sebastian whispered to you, making your hide further into the scarf.

"I don't want to talk about it..." you replied, hoping the curious eyes of everyone would leave you.

"So, I guess your plan worked?" Bonde asked with a grin, making you flush and lightly hit him.

"That was not my plan!" you corrected, making him laugh.

"What was?" Fred whispered, making you hide behind your hands in horror.

"Can we please focus on the meeting...?"

[justabigassnerd]

Hidden Talent

Pairing - Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell x daughter!reader

Word count - 1,615

Warnings - little pinch of angst, mostly fluff, an unpopular trope I guess, don't like it don't read it

Summary - after some convincing, you finally take part in karaoke night and surprise the Daggers and your dad

A/N - I guess I should apologise for disappearing again... I'm so sorry I've been picking up a lot more shifts recently at work so I'm in a permanent state of exhaustion right now and I'm trying to get myself writing for y'all it's just a fight right now. I know this trope isn't popular but like... it was a request so just scroll if you don't like it and yes I chucked Taylor Swift in there because I was listening to her music while writing so yeah. anyway I won't ramble anymore, as per y'all please send in requests, feedback, and enjoy!!

Karaoke night at the Hard Deck had very quickly become popular among the Daggers when Penny implemented it every Saturday night. It usually consisted of the Daggers singing various songs off-key while a few drinks in. It was great entertainment for you, watching the people your dad worked with to be up on their feet singing the likes of Celine Dion and various attempts to sing the whole of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Each of the Daggers had invited you to get involved on multiple occasions but you always turned them down, saying you got stage fright and that seemed to get them to back off enough although they did reconvene together and whisper about how uncharacteristic it was for you, the daughter of Pete Mitchell to experience anything like stage fright.

One night, you were hanging out at the Hard Deck with the Daggers and watching Jake sing what he has dubbed as one of his favourite country songs, but you weren’t too sure how serious he was about it since he claimed almost every country song as his favourite. As Jake sang, beer bottle in one hand, microphone in the other, Bradley sidled up alongside you in front of the bar where Penny had just handed you a soda and spoke up.

“You going to sing anything?” He asks, keeping his tone as casual as possible.

“Not a chance.” You reply with a slight laugh tagged onto the end as you glance up at Bradley. You knew if you went up there and sang you might get made fun of. You were sure you could sing, after all you had made the school choir but that didn’t stop you from being terrified that the Daggers would tease you and then somehow word would spread to your dad, and you’d become a disappointment in his eyes.

“Come on. Just one song? Please?” Bradley pleads, making you roll your eyes with a light scoff. Since your dad and Bradley had made up, Bradley had no issues stepping in as an annoying yet loveable big brother to you.

“Bradley… have I ever said yes?” You question, raising an eyebrow as Bradley falls silent for a moment before speaking up.

“Just this once and then I’ll never ask you to do it again. Promise.” Bradley insists, nudging you lightly with his elbow, chuckling when you squirm at the tickling sensation that came with the friendly nudge.

“I’ll do it if you and the Daggers promise not to make fun of me or tell dad.” You say after a brief moment of consideration and when at first you saw Bradley light up at you saying you’d do it and then when he heard the rest of your sentence his expression shifted.

“You’d think we’d make fun of you?” Bradley asks softly, eyes regarding you gently as you begin to feel guilty for your words at the crushed look on Bradley’s face.

“Well… you guys always tease each other when you sing so I just assumed you’d act the same towards me. I don’t mind the teasing I’m just nervous enough at the thought of singing in front of you guys that any teasing might just- I don’t know.” You try explaining, not really knowing how to say what you want to say without sounding rude. You never minded a bit of fun with the Daggers, you were able to keep up with their usual banter with ease but there was something so terrifying about singing in front of them. You had grown more passionate about singing the more you did it at school and you weren’t ready for everyone around you to make fun of your interests and passions.

“y/n/n, I promise we will not make fun of you. We can go and speak to them now to get all of them to promise.” Bradley offers, making you nod with the slightest of smiles on your face as you follow Bradley from the bar to where the Daggers had congregated.

“Hey, y/n! Is everything, okay?” Reuben asks as you approach, all of the Daggers noticing how you stuck to Bradley’s side.

“Is something wrong?” Bob asks worriedly, eyes flicking between you, Bradley, and the other Daggers to try and figure out what was wrong.

“Do you want to tell them of should I?” Bradley asks quietly, glancing down at you softly.

“I’ll tell them.” You say, taking a small step forward and addressing the group who give you their undivided attention.

“Bradley has coerced me into singing a song tonight. But I will only do it on two conditions. One, you don’t make fun of me if I sound awful or anything. Two, no one tells dad about it. I’m not ready to potentially embarrass or disappoint him.” You say clearly, the way you command the group eerily reminding them all of Maverick and how he could control the group much easier than any other superior officer. After you finish speaking, the Daggers all exchange looks once more before softening.

“I promise we will not make fun of you, kid.” Jake says sincerely, as the rest of the Daggers agree and give you their own promises to not make fun of you or tell your dad. They were all a bit confused as to why you were so shy about your dad knowing about you taking part in karaoke night but since you didn’t want him to know, they promised they wouldn’t tell him. With their promise secured, you cross to Penny and tell her what song you want to play, and Penny is quick to find you a karaoke version before letting you take the stage.

As the opening bars of Fearless play, you divert your attention away from where the Daggers are sitting and instead focus your attention on the furthest wall to keep yourself distracted as you begin to sing.

When you started to sing, the Daggers exchanged looks of shock and awe. They had no clue what to expect when you took to the stage, but you had taken control of the stage and sung your heart out.

Unbeknownst to you and the Daggers, Maverick had entered the Hard Deck, ready to pick you up but instead of finding you talking and laughing with the Daggers, he saw you up on the small karaoke stage singing. You seemed so happy and confident as you sang, and Maverick couldn’t help but feel his heart surge with pride at the sight. He had no idea you could sing so well. You had never sung in front of Maverick before, not even in the car or singing around the house.

“Hey Pete.” Penny’s soft voice shakes Maverick from his stupor, and he turns to face her as you sing in the background.

“Did you know y/n could sing like that?” Maverick says, awe written across his face as he speaks, making Penny softly laugh at the expression.

“No, I didn’t. And neither did the Daggers by the looks of things. She’s never taken part until today.” Penny says, nodding her head in the direction of where Maverick’s squadron was sat, all of them looking just as shocked as Maverick was, and constantly turning to whisper to each other about your performance.

When you finished the song, the Daggers were quick to cheer and the second you stepped off the small stage Mickey and Javy grabbed you into a hug.

“That was amazing y/n/n!” Natasha says excitedly, pulling you into a hug the moment Mickey and Javy released you from their hug. You couldn’t help but laugh at how everyone was scrabbling to give you a hug or congratulate you. When the group finally dispersed, you came face to face with your dad and you stiffened slightly, worried about what was to come.

“Hi, dad.” You say nervously, trying to anticipate his next words.

“Hi y/n. I didn’t know you could sing like that.” Maverick says, a smile soon breaking out on his face which makes you relax and smile in return.

“That was amazing! I’ve got one talented kid.” Maverick continues, pulling you into his arms gently, holding you close as you wrap your arms around him with a grin.

“Thank you, dad.” You say softly, squeezing him a little tighter as you feel him press a kiss to the top of your head before pulling away.

“I hope we’ll get to hear more of your singing from now on. You can’t keep a talent like that hidden away now.” Maverick says, unable to wipe the grin from his face as you shrug lightly.

“Well, I did make the school choir… maybe you and the others can come to some performances or something?” You suggest, and Maverick wasted no time in agreeing.

“I’ll be there for every performance I can be.” He swears, making your smile widen as you go in for another hug, grateful that your dad was supporting your passion instead of shooting it down like you had feared.

“Hey, pops! Stop hogging the future superstar!” Jake calls over to you and Maverick, making you both laugh out loud as you pull away, turning around to look at him and the rest of the Daggers as Bradley steps forward.

“I just think the most important thing is I finally found myself a singing partner.” Bradley says proudly, slinging an arm around your shoulders and pulling you close to his side as everyone chuckles.

“Bold assumption that I want to be your singing partner there Bradley.” You say with a laugh as Bradley’s jaw drops in mock shock.

“Come on! At least one song a week. Deal?” Bradley bargains, everyone falling silent and awaiting your response.

“Okay. Deal.”

[11queensupreme11]

About the humans, how misoginistic would they be since they are from ancient periods (especially Adam) ? If Percy was raped by one of the gods, what would the humans do (especially Adam) ?

so for this question, it all stems down on not only what they believed back when they were alive, but how willing they were to change their beliefs after their deaths as times went on and stuff became more progressive

adam was the first ever human and since he got booted outta valhalla along with eve, he never got influenced by the gods' misogyny THANK GOD plus he's just too good to ever think of such a thing especially since his own wife was nearly sexually assaulted by that snake bitch. ALSO, since he was the first ever human, the concept of misogyny (at least for humans) didn't exist for him. misogyny only ever became a thing when more and more humans started popping out

unfortunately, all of the human fighters came from a time where misogyny was extremely rampant and in some cases (depending on countries maybe) before women even had voting rights 💀 the youngest is simo hayha (1905-2002) 💀💀💀💀

confucianism was already a thing before qin shi huang's reign, but thankfully he hated it so much that he had confucian scholars buried alive and their books burned LMAO (he was known as a tyrant just like a certain daddy we know) but it definitely wasn't because of how misogynist confucianism was. i'm trying to google some more stuff about him rn, but all i could find rn is that women still had shitty lives under his rule, and he had no wife, just concubines. not much info on how he treated women, but then again, in ror we know he loved and respected his mother figure, chun yan. but just because he treated one woman right doesn't mean he's like that with all women unfortunately, but lets hope chun yan can keep him under control 💀💀

then there's also leonidas. i can't find any excepts of him being particularly cruel towards women or saying anything crass, but he's from ancient fucking greece 💀💀

i don't have time to search up more about the others, but i feel like tesla's probably decent. he was alive between 1856-1943 which was also a very bad time for women, but i found stuff about how he has praised some women for their intelligence (though sometimes it could come off as patronizing but again, 1856-1943). for arsenic blues, i'm planning on writing him off as a very progressive and caring more about intelligence rather than gender. so he definitely won't be sexist.

SO ANYWAY, realistically, more than half of these people were probably sexist to various degrees in real life 💀💀 but i most likely won't write all of them like that in arsenic blues. the more ancient characters would probably be pretty bull-headed in their sexist views, but i'll just have them be more patronizing (especially since percy's not just a girl, but a CHILD in their eyes), rather than full-on spitting vitriol at her for her gender.

(they're basically picking favorites, like ppl in real life would do 💀 "yeah [insert marginalized group] are kinda inferior, but not you though, you're different!" 💀💀💀💀)

also, as for your question, ALL of them would be pissed. yes, even the sexist ones. percy is someone close to them, a child they all care about. so ofc they'd be pissed, and it doesn't help that they already HATE the gods for all the shit they've put humanity through over the millions of years 💀💀

[talaok]

Chapter one: The perfect life

Pairing: No-outbreak!Joel x married!reader

Series summary: You moved to Austin Texas with your husband due to his job, but your already troubled marriage is about to get more complicated when the contractor remodeling your home, Joel Miller, will enter both of your lives.

Chapter summary: Moving to Austin was the right decision, but you can't shake the feeling that something's wrong.

warnings: hints to the reader's unhappy childhood, and a very short smut moment

Next chapter

New city, new home, new life.

You should have been happy, you really should have been, but the weight that had sat on your chest as you got on the plane had lingered.

You wanted this. You had to.

You had the perfect life.

A big house with an even bigger lawn, more money than you ever thought possible, and a loving husband.

A loving husband of two years, a loving husband who had to move to Texas for work, a loving husband who you followed across the country, leaving everything and everyone behind, because it's him, and you love him. 

Yes. You love him, just as he loves you.

You just needed time, time to adjust, and find a way to start new.

And Austin seemed as good a place as any.

It's warm and sunny here, and the city has an aura you had never quite encountered in any other place.

It's different from New York, yes, but different is good, different means change, and you needed a change.

"I smell burnt"

"oh- shit" you hissed, your gaze finally dropping from the window and down towards the pan where bacon was frying.

You turned the stove off and opened the window, trying to get some of the smell out. 

"You ok?" 

You looked at Richard, his deep blue eyes, perfectly slicked-back hair, and the tailored suit hugging his body like a second skin made him look as if he had come straight out of a commercial.

He wasn't watching you anymore, his attention had moved to the coffee maker.

"yeah I'm fine, I'm just a little tired I guess"

"you should rest today," he said, pouring some coffee into a cup

"I will" you nodded, glancing at the pan "I should probably make more bacon"

"don't worry" he stopped you "I'll just eat something on the way"

"you sure?"

"Yeah" He took a sip from his mug and set down on a stool 

"So..." you walked to the opposite side of the kitchen counter to face him "Are you nervous?"

He raised his eyes from his phone to look at you.

"Why would I be? I'm the boss"

"yeah, but it's still your first day"

He shrugged "I just want to get it over with, today's only gonna be meetings and people introducing themselves, tomorrow's gonna be my actual first day"

"right," you offered him a small smile "And have you talked to Francis?"

"Yeah, he said he'll show me around today" 

He stood up to place the cup in the sink.

"and about the remodeling?"

"Right, yeah he gave me a number, I'll text it to you"

"great"

Silence fell, and with it, a spell seemed to turn you both to stone

He broke it first

"Right" he glanced at his watch "I better go"

"Right," you said, taking a step closer to him.

His lips were on and off of yours so quickly you wondered if you had imagined it.

"Have a great day" you managed, as he walked out of the room

"you too"

__ __ __

The shelves had finally started to come to life.

"Why do we have to bring all your books, it's a waste of time" you recalled Richard saying "It's not like you're gonna read all of them again"

It infuriated you how he didn't get it, how completely baffled he was by your decision.

Like hell you were leaving such an important part of you back home.

Some of the volumes filling the living room you've had since you were a child, some of these stories raised you when there was no one else bothering to do the job.

A small, unexpected smile pulled at your lips as your gaze fell to the last remaining book in the box.

'scary stories to tell in the dark'

You were only 12 years old when you read it. You had found it in the school library, and tempted by a bravado that didn't belong to you, you had picked it up and stuffed it in your bag, carrying it all the way home as if it were the most precious treasure ever known to man.

It had helped silence the screams down the hallway, but it also made it impossible for you to sleep for a whole week.

A quiet laugh climbed your throat as you remembered watching every shadow in your room mutate into a horrifying monster.

You had never given it back.

The barely-together copy in your hands was the same one you had held 22 years ago.

For some reason, out of all the books you've read, this one you held closer to your heart.

Perhaps it was the rebellion behind the act, or perhaps, it was the feeling that that book had given you, the courage, the proof that you could do it, that you were gonna come out the other end, the proof, at last, that monsters can be fought, and at times even defeated.

You sighed, as you settled the book onto the now overflowing shelf, taking a step back to admire the living room.

That's it.

Piece by piece, you were gonna make this your home.

The next hours passed in a frenzy and by the time only a box was left on the floor, it was two in the afternoon.

You had been so caught up with your work you had forgotten to eat.

And now that you realized... god if you weren't hungry.

It's just one more box though, you thought as you peeked at it.

Yeah, c'mon I can do this

Only the stuff for the coffee table remained, and as you took the first item-

Fuck.

The shattered lamp rested on the floor like paint on a Pollok.

Fuck me, man, that was expensive.

You cringed as you bent to try and pick up the sharp pieces, but of course, as a ringing sounded across the room, you gasped and lost your focus, cutting your finger on the glass.

A stinging pain shot through you and you winced loudly, stumbling backward while trying hard not to look at the blood.

This really wasn't the time to be fainting.

Your phone was still annoyingly ringing.

"What?" you picked up without bothering to look

"I'm sorry is this a bad time?" what sounded like a confused male's voice spoke through the phone.

"Richard?" you frowned as you realized it was an unknown number "I'm sorry who's this?"

"I'm Joel, Joel Miller, from the contracting company" he paused "Your husband gave me your number"

"oh" you breathed "I-I'm sorry, he didn't tell me"

"Ma'am if this is a bad time I can call you later"

"no, no please don't worry I just- Now it's fine"

"ok good, your husband has told me you want to do some remodeling?"

"Yeah, we have a big room on the second floor that's unutilized and I'd like to build up a wall and make it into two rooms, perhaps a guest bedroom and bathroom"

He hummed, considering your words "That shouldn't be a problem, I'd like to come to your house one of these days so I can see the space firsthand"

"Yeah sure" You nodded, wrapping a paper towel around your finger once you walked to the kitchen "Would tomorrow be alright?"

"Absolutely, how does 10:30 sound?"

"perfect" you smiled 

"Alright then, if you just give me your address we're gonna be all set"

"of course"

__ __ __

he didn't come home for dinner.

"I'll eat out with some of my colleagues"

That's all he said.

And before you knew it you were heating a frozen pizza in the oven, and watching the sun disappear on the horizon through the kitchen window.

It was good that he stayed out, that's what you kept repeating in your head.

It's good that he's already getting to know his colleagues, and it's good that he's already settling in, it's perfect.

It's what you should be doing.

And yes you would have liked to spend more time with him today, but there's still tomorrow, and the day after that... there's still the rest of your life, one day certainly won't make a difference.

And it's not like you didn't enjoy the quiet, it gave you time to think, to look around the bare walls and ponder what you should fill them with.

A painting there, a mirror there, photos there... it was all coming together in your head.

The house had started to look more like a home, your home.

It was 9 pm by the time you decided to go to bed, it was early for your standards, but you'd had a long day.

He wasn't home yet.

You didn't know what time it was when you heard the front door open, but you were still awake, having tossed and turned hoping to tire yourself out for what felt like an eternity.

"hey" you murmured, once he entered the bedroom

"What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep"

He only nodded, as he started undressing

"So how did it go?"

"well," he said "Everyone seems nice enough"

"I'm glad" you smiled, turning on your side to look at him better "I unboxed everything for the living room today"

"cool," he sighed, hanging his suit and walking into the bathroom.

You laid there, listening to the toilet flush and the sink being shut on and off.

He emerged from the door again and made his way into the bed.

"And the contracting guy called" you continued, as he made himself comfortable "He'll come by tomorrow"

"that's good" he breathed, turning the light off 

"I told him what we wanna do and he said it shouldn't be a problem"

"yeah?" he asked, as you felt him shuffle closer to you

"Yup, he said he's done stuff like that before and he just needs to-" Your words got lost in your throat once you felt his hand travel to your chest.

"Richard?" you murmured, while his mouth moved to your shoulder and slowly up your neck.

The smell of his two hundred dollars aftershave hit your nostrils immediately.

"mh?" he hummed, letting his hand sneak down to find your ass through your shorts.

"Richard... I'm tired" you whimpered

"C'mon baby, you don't have to do anything I'll do all the work"

His hands on you felt inexplicably wrong right at that moment.

"I just-" you tried to slowly shift away from his grip "I've unpacked all day, I don't feel like it"

He emitted an audible groan "Y/n it's been like a month since you've last felt like it"

Your mouth closed as quickly as it had opened.

It was the truth, you hadn't been in the mood for a while now. 

"I'm sorry, I don't know- maybe tomorrow..."

He sighed, pushing himself off of you

"Whatever"

A small gust of air sent a shiver up your spine as he got up.

"where are you going?" you asked, watching his shadow move around the room.

"I'll just watch some tv or something"

"oh- alright," your voice was so small you almost didn't sound like yourself.

He didn't seem to hear you as he closed the door behind him, casting a veil of darkness over the room.

Once again, you were alone.

You turned towards the window, the moon's soft glow split the ocean of blue in the sky, shily lighting the neighborhood.

You felt a knot in your stomach, a sudden urge to cry, but as you watched the wind glide through the leaves and trees and grass, you were able to breathe, breath with each gust, slowly willing your heart to stop racing and your eyes to dry.

There was nothing to cry about.

Everything was good, great, fantastic even.

You had the perfect life.

Everything you had ever dreamed of was right in your grasp.

You just needed time, and everything was gonna work itself out fine.

…

Next chapter

...

(if you’d like to be added to the taglist comment or text me)

[fannyyann]

Keeping up with the Florida Panthers (aka Sara Civian interviews Matthew)

EP Rinkside: What's something away from the rink that’s making you happy these days?

Matthew Tkachuk: I would say, just, I'm lucky at this time of year. Especially across the whole country, it seems like it's freezing everywhere. It's beautiful down in Florida. And we just moved into our new practice rink recently, so that's been awesome.

EP: There was a quote floating around from (head coach Paul Maurice) from before the nine-game win streak and before you started getting hot on the scoresheet. He said people are going to say “Matthew Tkachuk is back,” and he's going to say you never left. Did you see that?

MT: I did, yes.

EP: How did you feel about it, and what's your relationship with him like?

MT: Well, Paul's been a very important part of my last few years. He’s one of, if not the best, coaches that I've ever played with. He's been very important for my development, and I just think that he trusts my game, and I trust my game. I wouldn't say (the puck) was going in early, but I haven’t changed one thing, I'm still doing the exact same thing, it's just finding a little bit more success right now.

It’s been a great year for our team and as of late, it’s picking it up a little bit for myself. Hopefully, we can just keep trending into the second half of the year here.

EP: How important is that trust between a coach and a player and how is it developed?

MT: I just think that he's always given me the right leeway, but still expects me to play the right way. He knows that there's some parts of my game that (are unique) I need to maybe take a little bit more chances than the average player. He gives me full leeway to do that, but also expects me to work my butt off and to lead by example.

EP: We always talk about “buy-in,” it's kind of cliché at this point, and you guys obviously have that factor. But how does something like that start?

MT: I just think being so close to winning it all last year has made it very, very easy to come back this year and have that immediate buy-in from the guys wanting to win a championship here. So many returning guys who are so close and so upset with not finishing it off. There's a lot of motivation.

EP: Do you have a favourite moment from last season's run?

MT: I would say, probably all of the series-clinching wins, the series-winning goals. The overtime winner in Boston, the overtime winner in Toronto, the last second one at home against Carolina.

All three of those are by far the greatest goals I've ever been a part of.

EP: I feel like we're not as a society talking about Sam Bennett enough. Can you give us a little bit about what he's like off the ice and what it's like to play with him?

MT: He just plays so hard.

He was one of the first guys I met when coming to Calgary, and we've been so close ever since. I'm so happy that we got to play together again down here in Florida. He was the first guy I talked to when I got traded, and we've just been so close for eight-plus years now.

It’s so fun that we're able to play with each other still, we just have such great chemistry on and off the ice. He just plays so hard and he complements my game so well. And off the ice, we're just super close and have a great group of guys that pretty much do everything together away from the rink.

It makes it so much fun to come to the rink every day, work with them, and then when we leave the rink, do stuff together.

EP: If you became the commissioner of the league today, what's the first thing you'd change?

MT: Overtime until somebody scores. No shootouts. And no back-to-backs. I don't know if we need any more back-to-backs right now.

EP: Other than you, who has the best chirps in the league?

MT: I'd say the guy who chirps a lot on our team is Brandon Montour. He has some good ones. Nick Cousins has got some good ones. (Ryan) Lomberg, too. They all have some good ones.

EP: Best advice your dad ever gave you?

MT: Two things: Compete and be a good teammate.

EP: Last year you gained some recognition outside of the hockey world, and it kind of sparked, like, a debate about personality in the NHL. I've always wondered What you actually think about this whole conversation, like, do you like being kind of the personality guy in the NHL?

MT: Well, I’m never going to not be myself. I grew up with great parents that taught me great things and around a great family. I’ll carry that for the rest of my life. I’m not trying to do anything, and some guys are (quieter) and that’s OK. This is just how my personality is.

EP: Can you give me three words to describe the current Panthers?

MT: Oh, I would say very fast. So fast. Close – we’re a super close team.  I've never seen a team like this where, you know, we're going to dinner on the road and we're having, you know, 15 people reservations and everybody hanging out with each other. it's been awesome. Fast, close, and fun. Nobody has more fun than our team.

[dilemmaontwolegs]

The Aftermath || LN4 {3}

Pairing: Lando Norris x widow!reader Summary: Things are changing between you and Lando, slowly but surely pulling you further from your grief. Warnings: 18+ only, grief and loss, fluff WC: 2.3k

F1 Masterlist || One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten || Eleven || Twelve || Thirteen || Epilogue

You weren’t quite able to pinpoint the moment things changed between you and Lando. It had been subtle and it had been soft, but there was no doubt it was felt on both sides.

Maybe it began the first day he showed up, when he had rescued you from the hole you had buried yourself in. Maybe it was the night he woke you from the recurring nightmare that plagued your sleep and he had held you until you could breathe steadily again. Maybe it was when he invited you to England and you said yes.

You were both surprised by the answer considering only a month ago you had struggled to leave the house and now you were going to leave the country. It was progress, and it wasn’t forever - just for ten days while Lando did some testing in Woking and raced at Silverstone. 

There was only one condition to your trip, and your stance was firm on it. You did not want to see him in his race car. Just the thought of it made you ill despite him having raced the other week in Austria. You hadn’t been able to turn on the tv while the race was on, in fact you had turned your phone off completely too so you didn’t hear any news about it.

What you didn’t know couldn’t hurt you. Or that’s what you told yourself when you spent hours trying to distract yourself out in the garden. The roses were trimmed terribly because you hadn’t been able to concentrate on what you were doing. You were lucky you still had your fingers intact after some of the wayward clippings you had done while your mind drifted away on you.

It was only after you knew the race had surely finished that you turned your phone back on to see dozens of missed calls from Lando, the voicemails growing increasingly more frantic as he begged you to answer him.

“Is this all you’ve packed?” Lando asked as he picked up the carry-on sized suitcase. 

“Most of my clothes are too loose,” you said with a shrug to ease his mind but you could see the worry crumple his forehead. “It’s been a while since I last went but there’s still shops in England, right?”

He chuckled as he put the bag in the boot of the McLaren René had given you. “I could get you some Quadrant gear. It would look good on you.”

“Because it’s yours or because I can make anything look good?” you joked as you pulled an exaggerated pose for an imaginary photoshoot.

His smile grew as he unzipped his bag, pulling out an oversized hoodie with his brand’s logo on it. “Let’s see.” 

He pulled it over your head and you dutifully slipped your arms in as you inhaled his scent that clung to the soft material. 

Taking a step back he tapped his fingers across his lips. “Hmmm,” he hummed deep in thought before nodding. “Both. Definitely both.”

Lando opened the car door for you, closing it behind you before walking around the car and taking the driver’s seat. “Did I pick up my passport?” he asked himself as he buckled his seatbelt and frowned.

“No,” you said with a shake of your head before pulling it out of your handbag to wave it in front of him. “But I did.”

“What would I do without you?” he swooned dramatically as he took it and shoved it into his hoodie pocket. The car roared to life and he connected his phone to the airplay since your playlists were a year out of date.

“Go out, have fun and live it up in your 20’s like you should,” you offered as he pulled out of the driveway.

“You’re in your 20’s too.”

“I don’t know how to have fun anymore and I think I age in dog years now, so really I'm in my mid-thirties. Which sucks because I’ll be due a midlife crisis soon.”

“I am going to prove you wrong,” he said as he reached over the gearstick and took your hand. “We are going to go out and have fun, promise.”

You were grateful to have Lando’s hoodie when you landed at Heathrow and saw that the summer weather in Monaco hadn’t extended to the UK. A miserable grey skyline greeted you outside the airport before a horn tooted in the pick up zone and Lando waved to his friend Max.

The footpath was slick with puddles and the rain only seemed to get heavier as you prepared to leave the shelter of the terminal for a mad dash to the car. Before you could step out into the downpour, Lando stopped you and pulled your hood up over your head then donned his own and took your hand. 

The first time he had held your hand you had been left feeling confused and guilty. It had been the first time you felt safe in a year. It had been the first time you had felt warmth in a year. It had felt like a betrayal because it had only been a year. 

You had tried to put distance between the two of you after it happened, pushing him away and rebuilding the wall around your heart that he had been stealthily dismantling brick by brick. But in true Lando fashion he had blatantly ignored your request for space and instead arrived back at your home with a large suitcase and stayed even more.

It had taken time but Lando had convinced you of what deep down you already knew, René would want you to be happy. He would not have cared that the happiness came in the form of his teammate and friend - if anything, at least you knew it was someone René had trusted and shared the same values with.

Once you were able to accept that truth and forgive yourself for the guilt you had felt, things got better. Now you welcomed the small touches, the soft kisses he pressed to your forehead and the grounding weight of his arm when he draped it over your shoulders. 

“Ready to run?” he asked as he tugged the strings for your hood, closing the gap around your face to minimise the chances of getting wet. 

“No, just please don’t let me slip and make an ass of myself.” You could see the phones pointed your way, thumbs tapping the capture button as they took photos of you and Lando. The hoodies weren’t enough to hide your identity but you had grown used to the attention over the years of dating and then marrying an F1 driver, it was just different now that the pictures were with Lando.

“Never,” he chuckled and tightened his fingers laced with yours, “only I can take embarrassing pictures of you.”

You sent him a droll stare but he just smirked before Max tooted the horn again and you both rushed out into the rain. Your shoes splashed into the puddles and soon a giggle escaped as you tipped your head back to feel the cold and refreshing droplets on your lips while Lando opened the car door for you. 

“As much as I love hearing you laugh, come on before you catch a cold,” Lando said with a smile as he placed his hand on the small of your back, guiding you into the backseat. 

“Hey, Max,” you greeted the former racer who had been in the same up and coming circles of drivers as René had been. He had become a familiar face in the last month whenever Lando jumped on the simulator in the basement and streamed with the rest of his Quadrant esports team.

“Hey, Y/N,” he nodded to the hoodie with a grin as the boot slammed shut and Lando sprinted to the front seat, shaking his hair out as he pushed his hood back. “Nice kit.”

“What’s up, bro?” Lando greeted him before following his line of sight to you in the backseat. “Looks good, right?”

“Yeah, you could totally do modelling, or be an influencer.” 

“No thanks, that sounds horrible,” you said with a roll of your eyes as you buckled up. “Plus, I deleted all my social media accounts so I have no one to influence anyway.”

Max shook his head in disbelief before focusing on the road as he pulled out into the midday traffic and headed to the hotel Lando had booked. 

“That Monaco tax holiday is paying off, smart lad,” Max joked as he pulled up at The Shard in the heart of the city. “Did you get the tickets?”

Lando’s eyes flickered your way and Max bit his lip before mouthing ‘sorry’ and Lando sighed. “Yes, I got those explicitly stated surprise tickets.”

“Do I get to know what they are?” you asked as you leaned in between their seats. 

Lando turned and booped you on the nose. “Nope, that would ruin the surprise.”

“What should I wear?” you asked Lando as you tried to phish for information on where he was taking you while you rode the elevator up to the room on the 50th floor, but he really wasn’t giving you much.

“Whatever you feel comfortable in.” 

You tugged the hem of the hoodie down lower so it hid your denim shorts and looked like you were wearing nothing underneath. “What if I’m comfortable in this?”

His lips tugged up in amusement. “Then you can wear just that.”

“Hmm, so it’s nowhere fancy, that’s a relief.”

“I would totally take you somewhere fancy in that. I especially like this part,” he said as he turned you around so your back was to the mirrored wall. 

“My ass?” you joked as you looked back over your shoulder.

“That too, or more, actually, but I was talking about this,” he explained as dragged his index finger across his name that was printed just above the hem. 

Your breath caught in your throat at the touch and you peered up at him as the temperature in the elevator skyrocketed faster than it was carrying you up the skyscraper. 

Maybe it was being out of the house you had shared with René that spurred the sudden freedom you felt, or maybe it was the culmination of touches and sweet gestures that had been building for weeks. Whatever it was, the cage you had kept the last little piece of yourself hidden in was unlocked by it.

His eyes held yours as his palm came to rest over his name and pulled you flush against his body. Your hands naturally found their way to his shoulders as you steadied yourself and you were struck by the grey that danced in his blue eyes, holding the same electric intensity of the storm you were sheltering from. But this was your true shelter, his eyes, his arms, they were your safe haven.

“Lando?” you asked shakily as your eyes drifted down to his full lips that he wet with his tongue.

“Yes, Y/N?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave.

“Will you-” Your lips sealed shut as the doors opened at the leisure centre floor and a woman in her gym gear hopped in. 

A frustrated groan nearly escaped when Lando changed his hold on you, curling his arm around your waist as he chuckled into your hair. Unfortunately the woman was only a floor below you so there was no time to pick up where you left off and then Lando’s hands were preoccupied with carrying the bags to the suite.

The space was stunning as you took it all in and your heart skipped a beat at the sight of the large bed, the only one in the suite. There had been nights when Lando fell asleep next to you, when your nightmares woke him up and he didn’t have the energy to go back to the spare room he had taken over. But this was different. 

Walking further into the living room you froze at the terrifying landscape before you, the sprawling city almost invisible beneath the blanket of clouds across the skyline. It was dizzying how high up you were with only a thin pane of glass separating you from the storm outside. 

“I’m afraid of heights,” you whispered as you took a step back and into Lando’s chest, his arms enclosing around you.

“I won’t let you fall.” His breath was warm on your neck as he kissed your racing pulse. “Now, what were you going to ask me in the elevator?”

You turned in his arms and draped your arms around his neck as your heart threatened to beat right out of your chest. “Will you…kiss me?”

You felt his smile on your skin as he kissed your forehead and you tipped your head back to tell him that wasn’t what you meant but he was quicker and stole the words right from your parted lips as he kissed you properly. 

You might have floated away on the clouds outside if it wasn’t for his arms holding you down. Oxygen no longer meant anything as you breathed him in instead, your fingers combing into his curls with desperation to keep him close. 

Both of you were reluctant to break away but with screaming lungs you pulled back with a gasp and he dropped his forehead to yours. 

“Wow,” he breathed with a soft chuckle that made you giggle. “Can we do that again?”

You answered him with a kiss as your hands drifted up under his hoodie and over the hard planes of his abs. “Mhmm, yes, please.”

Click here for part four.

Tagging: @yunnie-f1 @neiich @zendayabelova @stillbreathin @dr3lover @writerscurse @christianpulisic10 @alwaysclassyeagle

[brain-works]

um he literally said you have to have respect for trump… in many ways even…

ooh I love this one! and to be clear, whatever I say here, this is no hate to you anon, assuming you're saying this in good faith. and also thank you for actually answering my last post with an ask, I love a good excuse to write an essay.

ALSO before I start: if anyone dares to come into my replies saying that I'm biased - yes I am. I've never denied that. if you haven't picked up on that by now I really don't know what you're doing on my blog. that being said, I also try to look at full contexts to these situations, especially since I watched this specific press conference live.

ALSO ALSO I AM IN NO WAY A TRUMP FAN. LET ME MAKE THAT CLEAR. I AM NOT DEFENDING TRUMP OR ANY OF HIS ACTIONS, PAST OR PRESENT. now, to my argument:

the first thing I need to make very clear is the environment in which he was asked this question. it might seem inconsequential that it was a press conference, but it's actually a very important context. for one, the drivers are not allowed to simply not answer a question. that's not an option that's available to them (despite some people thinking that's the case). they must answer any questions posed by the press, whether they like it or not. they're allowed to dodge questions, sure, but the only guaranteed way to get a journalist off your back is to just give them an answer they can publish. we've seen this time and time again with different drivers. they're also not allowed to make outwardly political statements without being given a hefty fine by the FIA. saying, for example, that you don't like a former president of a country that F1 wants to continue racing in is an easy way to have this fine (and potentially worse) levied against you.

secondly, with any interview, there is a massive difference between the words presented vs. how they were said. what does this mean? well, to put it simply, sometimes intent does not come across the same in text vs. in speaking. this happens a lot with Lando's interviews, where he says something jokingly or in an unserious tone, but when his words are written down, they seem much more malicious than they actually were. I'd go hunt down examples, but I want to stay on topic.

now, exactly what he said was:

and here’s a link to the video of the interview

I'm not going to say that he didn't say, in some manner, that you have to have a lot of respect for trump. however, the way in which he said it is what matters to me.

for one, spelling out that someone, regardless of who they are, is a former president of a country and should be respected for that accomplishment is a textbook diplomatic answer. again, this is regardless of who they are. I guarantee you he would've said the same thing about any other political figure in any other context, because this is a safe answer. he's not definitively praising anyone, and he's not bringing anyone down. this is not the response of someone who is a big fan of trump. this is the generic, PR-guided response of someone who can't say anything negative, but doesn't want to say anything too outwardly positive.

notice, for example, how he says that trump said that he was Lando's lucky charm. it would've been easy for him to state that he thought that trump was his lucky charm, but he did not. he could've even said that he hopes that trump comes to future races. again, he did not. this is an important distinction, if a small one. anyways, his body language and facial expressions also make his stance clear. he's not happy to be asked this question, he clearly does not want to answer it. in fact, as soon as he starts answering, you can see him slip into that PR mode as his face drops and he starts giving his response. this is not how someone answers a question about someone they like! and this response, once again, is very generic. he literally only mentions trump by name once throughout his actual response, and without that you could assume he was talking about literally anyone else.

for two, idk about you, but when I'm forced to publicly interact with people I don't like, regardless of the context, I don't usually insult them to their face, because that makes me look bad. and I don't usually have half the amount of cameras on me that Lando does. generally speaking, it's also not a good idea to get on the bad side of someone with as much political power as trump. we all know who he is, and we know that the people that support him can resort to dangerous actions when someone says anything remotely negative about him. so, if remaining neutral is the most negative you can be, then that's the way to go. he had no way to avoid trump - he was literally brought directly to him to shake hands - and was asked a question directly connected to trump.

saying that you have to have respect for someone in a lot of ways is not an inherently positive statement. in fact, something I say a lot of the time when I don't like a celebrity is that I respect their accomplishments, but I don't like their personality. I'm not saying this justifies Lando's response, but I am saying that if you were put in a similar situation, where you're asked a question that demands you speak positively about someone regardless of what you think about them personally (especially if your opinion is negative), you'd have a harder time answering than you think you would.

and finally, Lando is not a US citizen. he does not know the political turmoil happening in this country personally, and I wouldn't be surprised if he only knew the bare minimum of why trump is a bad person, rather than the full itemized list that Americans are very familiar with. at the end of the day, even if he was a trump fan (he's not), he does not vote in the US, nor does he have any sway over actual US voters. we all know the rhetoric of people who like trump, and nothing Lando said personally sets off any alarm bells. I'll admit that I don't love the way he phrased it, but if I could go on another whole tangent about how I hate the way that Lando's (sometimes awkward) phrasing gets misrepresented in text vs. in speech.

bonus round: if you wanted to get upset at drivers interacting with controversial figures, might I direct you to the time that Lewis Hamilton (allegedly) sprayed putin with champagne. obviously this article is tabloid-esque, but you get what I'm saying. this isn't a dig at Lewis, btw, it's just my way of pointing out that it's not new for drivers to be faced with impossible situations regarding political figures.

tl;dr if Lando wanted to say something outwardly positive about trump, he would've had the space to, but he purposefully kept it vague and generic, and that means something. these drivers cannot speak as freely as we often (mistakenly) think they can, and it's important to understand the full context of a situation rather than assume bad intentions.

[hearts4youz]

"The Captains Daughter" Chapter Two

comment if u want to be added to my tag list <3 @abbiesxox A/N: Thank you all sooooo much for reading chapter one, it means a lot!! Heres chapter two. From here on out you can expect like 1-2 chapters of this to come out per week!! i'm so excited to share the rest of this story that has been marinating in my braincells for so long lmao.

Word count: 1.5k

Reader pov: You marched into the training facilities for your first session with the masked Lieutenant. You donned a hoodie and leggings, the training rooms were chilly. You walked into the changing rooms to lock up your bag, although it was highly unlikely someone would steal it, this was a military base after all. Fastening the lock around the small cubby, you took off your hoodie and threw it inside as well. Leaving you in a thin cropped t-shirt. You left the locker room and took in the smell of the training area, it was the size of a warehouse and smelled like your high school gymnasium. There were multiple different areas of the facility. A gym, featuring endless sets of weights, squat racks, benches, etc. There was an enclosed area for weapons practice, boasting many different kinds of guns, knives, and any other device used for bodily harm. The base also boasts, an impressive, multi story agility course with different obstacles at each level. Last but not least, there is a recovery room, mostly used for warmups and cooldowns.

After you took it all in, you spotted Ghost doing squats with a great deal of weight on the bar. He sported a skull print balaclava instead of the mask he wore at yesterday's meeting. He also had on tapered black sweatpants, a fitted t-shirt which hugged his muscles in a very flattering way, and tennis shoes. You walked toward him, stopping short and standing by the weight rack so you didn't interrupt his workout.

You watched as he did rep after rep of squats, face contorting more with each one, you could see his face more now with the absence of eye black he wore yesterday. Sweat dripped off his brow, his eyes squeezed shut as he finished the last rep, the bar made a clattering sound as he rested it back on the hooks of the rack. Wiping his face with his sleeve he turned to you.

"Do you sleep with your eyes open," he says abruptly.

"What?"

"Your eyes, are they always like that or am I just that impressive," he says smugly

"No- I," You start.

"Save it, lets get started."

He starts walking at a fast pace to another area of the gym, you jog to catch up. Ghost leads you to three boxing style rings.

"lets start with a spar, consider this a pre-test, I wanna see what you are capable of," Ghost gets straight to business.

You gulped, you're not a bad fighter, but he has an unfair advantage. He's at least 6'2, not to mention you just watched him casually squat 600+ pounds for reps. The two of you stepped into the ring, you tried to not let your nervousness show on your face. You weren't going to be able to overpower him, you were going to have to outsmart him, or be faster than him. Lucky for you, you used to be a competitive runner in high school, placing well in state championships for Cross Country and Track yearly. You also practiced Yoga, agility will be your friend in this matchup.

"Ready?" Ghost said.

"Yes, Simon," you taunted.

hopefully your mention of his name caught him off guard, you ran at him, faking a punch and slipping between his legs, popping up behind him. Your surprise worked, his delayed reaction gave you enough time for you to kick the sensitive area behind his kneecaps. Ghost stumbled forward but caught himself, turning to face you. He threw a punch, you tried to deflect it but he was too strong. Quickly recovering you ran at him again, trying to juke him out by performing another fake move. He must have picked up on your style quick because he stuck his leg out to trip you before you could jet by him. Realizing you lost the upper hand, you tried to stand up before he could pin you. Instead, he grabbed you by the collar of your shirt and hauled you up from the ground.

"Round two," he said gruffly

The second time around was worse than the first. You didn't have the element of surprise. He took you down within seconds

"I've seen enough," dissatisfaction present in his eyes.

"I know I did poorly, but to be fair," you tried to justify yourself.

"Do you think fights are fair?" He chastised.

"Let me tell you that none of the men you face in the field will be as gentle as I. Your little trick? Do you think an enemy soldier would even give you time to talk?" He continued, voice becoming more of a yell.

"How did you even get here?" He questioned.

"I'm not a bad shot, for what I lack in strength I make up for in speed and agility too."

Ghost raised a brow

"You've got a lot to work on in terms of hand to hand combat, but lets test your aim," He said.

Feeling more confident for this next test, you followed him over to the shooting range. The two of you entered the room, paper targets on one end, soldiers practicing their aim on another. Ghost picks out a variety of firearms. He hands you a Pistol first.

"Go ahead," he gestures to the targets.

You nodded, drawing a deep breath in and exhaling as you lined yourself up with the target 50 yards away. Inhaling again and holding it this time, you brought the gun up in front of your face, extending your arms and firing 3 shots rapidly. Two hit the center circle, one skimmed the edge between the center and the ring next to it.

You turned back to face Ghost, he only handed you the second weapon, a rifle. You repeated the same process before, this time letting the gun rest in the crook of your neck and holding it against your cheek as you fired three more shots in quick succession. All three hit the center this time.

Ghost handed you an SMG when you turned around. Holding the new gun in the same way as the rifle, one pull of the trigger fired multiple bullets, these were less accurate but still impressive. Clicking the safety on the gun, you handed it back to Ghost, he put away the weapons without a word.

"That's all for today, you are excused Sergeant," he says bluntly.

"Thank you for training me sir," You said, Mock politeness dripping from your tone.

"By the way, don't call me Simon. It's Ghost, or Lieutenant." Ghost grunted and turned to go, leaving you alone in the range. You stood for a moment, replaying the last 45 minutes in your mind. You had hoped to impress him with your marksman skills, but he seemed unimpressed. You needed to decompress, a run would relax you perhaps? You walked towards the locker rooms to change into warmer attire, the weather was cold in late November.

Ghost's pov:

The first day training the Sergeant, Y/N wasn't a total bust. I recalled the events of our session as I changed. She was a decent rifle shot, a terrible fighter though. Her use of my name was alarming, a clever move though. Soap probably told her, they talked through the meeting yesterday. Can't blame em' though, Price sure does love the sound of his own voice.

As I was about to leave the changing rooms, I spotted Y/N leaving the building, it was awfully cold outside to be going out. She had earbuds in, so it wasn't hard to follow her out the door. She lingered in front of the door for a moment, I stayed inside the vestibule leading to the outdoors. She took a breath and started jogging, turning the corner and leaving my sight.

I didn't know she was a runner, she mentioned she was fast after our spar though. Training after hours is quite admirable actually. Maybe she won't be such a letdown for the team after all.

I shuddered at the thought, Remember what happened last time you overestimated a newbies skills. I told myself. I will never let that happen to someone under my command again. Wincing at the memory, I tried to push the thoughts aside, but it comes flooding back to me

"It wasn't your fault Simon," Price

"There was nothing we could do," A doctor

"I'm sorry," Another doctor

Two lives

Gone because I authorized them for the mission

I thought they were ready

I didn't train them hard enough

I treated the two of them as friends, as brothers. I grew attached too quickly. I wasn't as close with them as I am the rest of the squad, fuck I barely knew them.

One week

One week they were here, their first mission they were so giddy, so eager to prove themselves, two boys about to become men. I remember the feeling when I was in their position.

Next, they were gone.

Never again will I let that happen to someone.

Never will I let that happen to Y/N.

For now, I'll pretend I don't care.

She can hate me all she wants, she can think I don't give a shit about her. Better that than her trusting me and me letting her down. For now, I won't care about her. Until she can prove herself worthy, I won't treat her as a friend.

Because I don't want to see a friend come back in a body bag.

[antimonyandthyme]

antimony do u have anything else from ur carcar tlou au?? just read it and i’m obsessed

anon thank you so much for inquiring about the tlou au... it brings me great joy to imagine carcar navigating a cordyceps infested world... put them into situations amirite?

drew comparisons with joel and ellie and carlos and oscar because both parties basically speedran the enemies to whatever-it-is-they-are-to-each-other-now course. joel would of course level the entire world for ellie. he has in fact, levelled the entire world for ellie, and i see carlos doing the same, because he has decided oscar is his to protect. except there's nothing special about the package. oscar isn't a cure. they're both just trying to survive.

in my head, just like joel, carlos picks oscar up by accident. not from any group, just by coincidence. magnets, right? oscar just has something carlos wants, and carlos is very good and dispatching infected. after max and charles, he thinks he's a little too good.

after max and charles, he also travels exclusively alone, but after bringing oscar back to his city, only to see the kid bury the one person he went back to the city for, carlos offers it up without thinking. hey, wanna come along with me? i'm not very good at taking care of people. in fact the last two people i travelled with, well. but i can't really leave you here, tear-tracks still wet on your face. charles would be very disappointed in me. so. wanna come along with me?

oscar of course says yes. anything to not be alone.

carlos doesn't talk much in the car rides, until oscar somehow manages to steal them more country music cds. then carlos talks, while oscar makes fun of his music tastes. but keeps stealing more country music cds.

of course, because the world hasn't changed and everyone is still fucked up, oscar gets taken. by whatever group, the fireflies, the seraphites. whatever it is, oscar gets taken. maybe over something as simple as jacking a car with a working cd player, after their old one breaks down.

there's a switch at the back of carlos's head. he didn't think it'd be so easy, but it is, to go from killing the infected to killing anyone who stands in between him and oscar. he pulls oscar out, unconscious but wondrously unharmed. carlos's body count of non-infected probably rivals that of the infected now. that's how many people he works his way through to reach oscar.

carlos doesn't say anything when oscar wakes up in the car. he'd forgotten to wipe the blood off his own face, before getting out of there in a hurry. oscar does it for him, wasting precious water so he can clean off carlos's brow.

this is what you get for liking country music so much, oscar says. carlos hears, i don't give a shit about what you've done, i'm staying with you.

and then they never speak of this incident again.

[mythserene]

I've been rereading The Beatles' sections of Cellarful of Noise in between re-listening to the episode while I make a ring, and I disagree with Phoebe that “[Brian] also seems to be offering a bit of a mea culpa" in his version of the story, because I don't think there's a way to read this anecdote as anything other than Brian using it as an example of how he messed up early on by showing favoritism, leading to Paul getting upset and himself overreacting and all of them missing a show... and then calming down, them working it out, and Brian picking everyone back up at their homes to play the last show. (Happy ending.)

So it's more than a bit of a mea culpa.

I mean the thesis statement is, “I have no favorites among the Beatles and this they realize now, but it wasn't always so.”

I have no favorites among the Beatles and this they realize now, but it wasn't always so. A manager dealing with a close-knit foursome has to be as fair as and as cautious as a father of four children. And one night very early in my management of the Beatles this was brought home to me with an unpleasant thump.

It neither acquits nor condemns Paul for being late because the point of the story—bookended by others about the other Beatles—is the different personalities and bumps in the road with each one. (Except George, who he says he's never argued with.)

They're all, essentially, “we can work it out” stories.

The next example is the story of John in the studio telling him, "We'll make the records. You just go on counting your percentages,” and how Brian left the studio afterwards “in a sullen rage” and never got an apology.

"We'll make the records. You just go on counting your percentages." And he meant it. I was terribly annoyed and hurt because it was in front of all the recording staff and the rest of the Beatles. We all looked at one another and felt uncomfortable and John turned away, indicating that there was no apology coming. I left the studios in a sort of sullen rage.

Ringo's anecdote seems worse than Paul's, or at least as bad. (And a train is involved again.)

It was January and the Beatles were due to tackle a country in which —compared to, say, Scandinavia or Germany, they were an unknown quantity. Therefore I was anxious to make a good initial impact. This can be achieved, and the U.S. trip proved it, at the arrival airport.

But fog descended over Liverpool and Ringo Starr could not leave for London to catch the connecting aircraft to Paris. The other Beatles and I and a score of journalists were in London when we heard the news. Naturally I was very disappointed that three Beatles instead of four would descend the steps at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. I telephoned Liverpool and asked Ringo to catch the train so that he could join up in Paris as soon as possible.

He refused, possibly because he believed that a Beatle shouldn't travel by train, and said he would catch the first available plane. I didn't want this because I didn't trust the weather and I said so.

I said, "Ringo, I have never asked you to do anything especially for me before," and he replied: "Oh yes you have. You know bloody well you are always asking me to do things— to see the press, or travel for this or that. I'm not doing it and if you don't like it you can do the other thing." ...

Why was Ringo trying to sabotage Brian?? (Could it be because of Stu?) 🤔

...I was very angry and when, eventually, he arrived in Paris there was quite an atmosphere. But sulking has no place in a group like the Beatles and with just a couple of meaningful looks and a grin, all was well. And, as with other difficulties, a frank talk helped.

But all the little stories end with them understanding each other better and a compliment for the Beatle he's telling a Bump-in-the-Road story about.

Which is, of course, how his Paul story ends:

This was the only time any one of the Beatles refused to play and it could never happen now. But it was not the only time one or more of the Beatles fell out with me. It would not be normal or reasonable to expect four artistic men to glide through life without a clash of views, and although rows are rare, they happen.

So, Brian's takeaway is that “a manager dealing with a close-knit foursome has to be as fair as and as cautious as a father of four children.”

But Lewisohn's takeaway is:

John saw a bigger picture, and it would be surprising if it wasn’t equally obvious, or made obvious, to Brian and George. He likened Paul’s enduring snag with Brian to his other long-standing difficulty: “[Brian] and Paul didn’t get along—it was a bit like [Stuart and Paul] between the two of them.”

Inevitably, this wouldn’t be the only dispute to arise between Brian and a Beatle in their years together, but it is one of the few to be known, and its timing is telling. Brian devoted more than a page to it in his autobiography, saying how “worried, angry and upset” he was.

What?

One of the few to be known except the other two on the very next pages??

John causes Brian to storm out of the studio in a “sullen rage” and with Ringo he was “very angry” and there was “an atmosphere.” But Lewisohn makes it sound like Brian singled Paul out to tell this one story, so it must be a big deal.

I thought I had a very quick point to make, but somehow the moment you start to unravel any part of this you discover it's like a bottomless plate of spaghetti. (I should probably say, “the moment I start to unravel...” but from listening to the podcast I feel pretty confident that I am not alone in this.)

But at some point you just have to cut it off.

💡 🌚

[inactivewattpadauthor]

[Old]Erron Black x SF Reader

----------------------------- "Come on, Y/n, you look great!" Cassie snickered at you, secretly snapping a picture of you wearing...whatever the hell the females in the Black Dragon wear. Jacqui was still working on your outfit, trying not to laugh or make a comment.

"Cassie. I look like a whore." You blinked at her, unhappy about the whole situation.

You were dressed up like this because of a damn mission. And part of this was the plan. The Special Forces picked up suspicious activity happening in the Black Dragon, and your friend, Cassie, had the idea to have YOU get a disguise and go in. Since, you're anonymous to them.

At first it was suppose to be a joke, all of a sudden the general thought it was a good idea. Bad thing is, you didn't get a say in the plan. So now you're on your own. Good luck.

You exited the truck at the entrance of  the Black Dragon's camp. You were aware you weren't going to come back out alive, and free, but you see your two friends still laughing at your outfit.

"Good luck with the investigation, Y/n!" Jacqui cried in laughter, in the truck. "God, I have to send this to the boys!" Cassie said beside her. The truck sped off, leaving you to your mission. Thanks. You rolled your eyes.

You continued your path towards the center of the camp, already disgusted by the amount of trash there is. You had to watch out for broken beer bottles. It would be a shame if you already got injured within the first 20 seconds of your mission.

But then again, you were supposed to be a hacker, you worked indoors, not out.

You managed to make it to the center of camp. You observed the amount of black markets displayed everywhere in the large crowd of people. Now if you could just remain anonymous.

You spotted an isolated path that may keep you hidden. You may have a disguise, but what if it brought the wrong type of attention. You secretly went to it and started doing your spying.

You looked around to see any suspicious activity before you heard some loud conversation about Special Forces. Bingo! Maybe this'll answer all the questions.

There was nothing too useful in the conversation, just some bitching about Sonya and her ex. But then something came inA "Something for the special scums, Kano is plannin' to-"

Unfortunately, you couldn't hear the rest of the sentence. In fact, you got dragged way back from where you were. You weren't a good fighter either, but you were about to put up a fight.

A covered hand was quickly pressed against your mouth, preventing you to make any sound, as for the other arm, wrapped around your stomach to reduce your struggles.

"Now, now, princess, I'm doin' you a favor to not attract any attention. These aren't the type of guys that'll exactly...'help' you." Some man with a country accent spoke.

He had a point. You were on enemy territory. You stopped struggling, wanting to know who this strange, kinda charismatic, man is. He did let you go, believing you were calm.

You examined your attacker. Tall, country accent,  literally a cow boy, THE INFAMOUS ERRON BLACK?! Your e/c eyes widen, as your heart stopped.

"What's wrong? You look like you seen a ghost." Erron tilted his head to the side. "Y-You're Erron Black!" You stuttered. "Yes I am. And I suppose you're not from around here. State where you're from."

You silently gasped as you saw him rest his hand near his gun. You didn't know what to do in this position. Either way, you were probably going to die.

"I'm dead anyways, what's the point in telling you?" You grew a small pair and said. "Heh, Special Forces got a loyal one." How the hell-

"They weren't too slick dropping you off on our camp. Besides, don't you think you went a little overboard with the disguise?" You got tensed with his question, as he was observing your very explicit outfit. "I'll have you know this wasn't my idea! I would never dress like this in any occasion!"

"Well then," Erron adjusted his hat. "I see no point in taking your life. Besides, I'm already starting to like you. Come with me." You froze once more. Erron Black wants me to come with him?? Am I lucky or unlucky?

Erron noticed you weren't budging. "Do you want to go out there and get yourself hurt?" He asked. You focused back on him before doing what he said.

"So what's your name?" He smirked at you. "Uh, Y/n L/n." You answered, unsure if that was a good idea.

"Okay, Ms. Y/n, what do you do in the Special Forces?" Why is he asking me these questions? "I'm one of their hackers."

You stopped your tracks,  now wondering what was going on. "Where are you taking me?" You wrapped your arms around yourself, getting scared. "I'm escorting you out of here. It would be a shame if you end up in those filthy brothels, or maybe part of you is being sold." He said, keeping the same charming tone.

This...disturbed you. "Thanks." You said shyly. "No problem, my lady."

At the exit of camp, Erron turned towards you. "I gotta say, the next time I come across you, I'll probably keep you with me." He winked. You blushed, rolling your eyes at him. "Thanks for not shooting me." You sarcastically said.

"You're welcome." He walked back towards the broken fence. "Also, when your friends return, tell them to keep one eye open while sleeping." Erron said before tilted his head in a goodbye before walking off.

You blinked at his request before sitting down, thinking about how you made no progress while in here. I tried to tell them it wouldn't work out. *Sigh* I actually hope I see Erron next time, he's pretty cute.

[emryliz]

Ikemen villian x Ikemen vampire collaboration of liar foxes and frivolous writers

The translation can be wrong

This is the memory a little before I met Kate.

London, the capital of the UK, governed by Queen Victoria.

In this country, there is a crown, which is a loud life downstairs.

(That is us)

Last night was a bad night.

There is no protection subject under the mission.He was killed and was thrown away in garbage.

Of course, the crime is in the hand of the crown.

Therefore, it was erased from this world.

(... It's annoying now, it's sunny today)

I got a rest for a long time and hang around the city without any good.

(... Oh, this feeling again)

Walking through a lively city can be made into a feeling that only you are separated from the world.

Depending on the crown mission, you may have to take this way.

I have died more than once or twice while being cursed with curse words.

(I got used to it for that)

(I have no regrets on the road I chose)

It's not a lie.

I abandoned my dream for a "purpose".I abandoned my calm life and became a member of the crown.

I just decided to walk in the dark.

But-

(Sometimes the darkness is too dark,I'm going to lose sight of myself)

I went to a familiar bookstore to deceive something.

This bookstore, which faces the passage in London, is quiet and reluctant.

(Oh, this book ... a new book came out)

(Hmm? This looks interesting too)

???:"Yo, brother, do you like books?"

Harrison:"...?"

Looking at the person who heard the voice, it was in front of the bookshelf.There was a man who was there.

The man's face is hidden in the shadow of the bookshelf and can only see the bright hair of London Blue.

London Blue Hair -colored Man:"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was very seriously looking for a book, so I'm curious."

"So, do you like books?"

(What is this guy? Even though we met for the first time, he's getting really excited...)

I stare at the back of the man who is crouching.

(He's a weird guy that makes you mad, but...)

(This guy has a strange and unpleasant smell of lies that other people don't have)

That's why I ended up answering the question out of spite.

Harrison:“…I think you like books.”

Curse, I gained the ability to see the lies of others.

The world I saw with my eyes with a lie was just more lies than I expected.

Lies to commit people, lies to sell, betrayal lies, self preservation,i was painted on such a lie, and I gradually became exhausted.

In such a situation, I suddenly picked up a book that made me feel a little lighter.

I thought the world of novels, which are made up of layers of exquisite lies to entertain people, seemed kind to me.

Harrison:"That seemed like a good lie to me."

"Everyone who writes novels is a liar, i think."

``But, I quite like that lie.That’s it.”

london blue colored man:"Yes, that's good."

"Certainly, as you say, the writer is just a liar."

"But, I want to think that the lie is ... kind/gentle."

That’s what I want to think.”

Harrison: "....?"

London blue haired man: ``For those of you, yes! This book is super highly recommended.”

``Good-looking, sexy, and popular with girls.It’s like a book written by a popular author.”

"Oh, just be careful because the detective who appears in the work is a bad guy."

Harrison: "Huh? Hey, wait a little ..."

I was forced to hold a book and looked at the cover.

Harrison: " "Sherlock Holmes"? "

"Hey, this is..."

(That guy was ...?)

The moment I took my eyes off him, the man was gone.

It's like a summer bar.

When I returned to Crown Castle, Victor and Will were elegantly drinking wine.

William: "Welcome back, Harrison."

Harrison: "Ah. You're both drinking so early.Isn't it rare for you guys to drink at this hour?"

Victor: "I was considering the incident that has happened in the last few days."

"While tasting a dripping bloody wine,"

Harrison: "…event?"

Victor: "In the vicinity of the Regent Park, It seems that a corpse with a bite on the neck was found. "/"It seems that a corpse with a bite on the neck was found near the region park."

"It's multiple, named"

Victor: "Is there a bite mark in all of the corpse?

The police seem to be calling it the "vampire murder case". "

Harrison:"Vampire is a.... fictitious creature Isn't it? "

William: "It's too early to crush the possibilities with assumptions.

What is it? Life is sometimes something you don't think of. "/

"It's too quick to kill the possibilities with assumptions. Life sometimes happens to be unreasonable."

Harrison:"What do you think of?"

William:"I hear that vampires are creatures that live forever. Yes ..."

"If the greats are actually vampires, do you think they would be optimistic if they were still alive?"

"If Da Vinci and Napoleon are still breathing somewhere in this world."

Harrison: "Don't be the biggest enemy in the crown"

William:"By all means, what you want to ask is"

As usual, sighing to the elegant and pleasant self -righteous king will change the air on the spot.

Victor, a queen assistant, opened his lips with one blink.

Victor: "So, Harrison. From His Majesty to you It's a request for a mission. "

The darkness spreads again, and the footsteps trying to swallow me echo.

Still, I can't stop here and not go.

(Until the day to achieve × ×)

Harrison: "Oh, good. But just ask the requirements."

"I have a book I want to read."

While laughing a lot, I re -held a book recommended by a man like a doubt.

It has become dirty, with this hand.

i try to put the picture in order but it doesn't go the way i want it too