#*sings ''Man in the Mirror* on the top of my lungs*

[mrs-gauche]

Omg guys, someone on the BSN forum noticed that there's a face in the shattered mirror on the vinyl artwork??

(Edit not mine, credit goes to op!)

Please tell me I'm not the only one who didn't notice... lol

Anyway, that has to be Solas, right? The profile is almost identical with the way he was portrayed in the Fool tarot card?

Now I'm starting to see all kinds of shapes in the shattered pieces... lol Any ideas how this could be interpreted? His expression looks rather hurt, saddened.. And with the little pieces below, it almost looks like tears falling?

[requiemforthepoets]

you’re such a rollercoaster, some killer queen you are 𖦹 LN4

PAIRINGS: lando norris x female!reader

SUMMARY: it was a random encounter at a club in miami during lando’s first win and all he has to remind him of you was a polaroid.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: i’m now done with my midterms, finally! i’ll be posting the requests soon. for the meantime, pls enjoy this lando oneshot i made. enjoy! :)

REMINDERS: this is purely fiction, the way how the character is portrayed in my story does not reflect the person that is portraying my character in real life. always separate fiction from reality, and do not repost or copy my work in any way.

WORD COUNT: 6.1k

WARNINGS: not proofread, typos, reader has a full back tattoo, cursing, and no use of y/n

It’s finally the summer break, a month away from all university obligations. As the summer break kicks off, you find yourself in the vibrant heart of Miami, ready to enjoy the nightlife that awaits you with your best friends. The hotel room was filled with laughter and sounds of hurried preparations, with all of your excitement evident. In front of the mirror, you admired yourself in the silk black backless dress that definitely accentuates your figure, the fabric of the dress falling just right to showcase your stunning full Sak Yant tattoo that you had gotten on your last trip to Cambodia. It was a daring choice, but you loved the way it felt, and the dress paired effortlessly with your trusty white low-cut chucks—a perfect blend of style and comfort for the night ahead. Your friends squealed in approval of your whole fit, each one hyping how amazing you looked.

“Are we ready to paint the town red?” One of them chimed, a teasing grin plastered on her face.

“Absolutely! Let’s make the most of this summer!” You replied, excitement bubbling in your chest.

The first club was already buzzing when you arrived, its lively atmosphere spilling out onto the street. It was packed—it was way more crowded than you had anticipated, and the thumping bass reverberated through your chest, the energy was electric. But as always, you and your friends pushed through the throngs of people, determined to start the night off right. You managed to snag a table near the dance floor, which is also quite close to the DJ booth. You could feel the energy of the crowd surge, especially when the DJ began playing the iconic beats of 2011 club hits.

The moment we found love by Rihanna started playing, you and your friends erupted in cheers, and memories of late-night dance parties flooding back. This song was your jam and you guys won’t let this pass, so you grabbed your friends’ hands and rushed to the dance floor. All the people began to sing along to the song at the top of their lungs, including you, and losing yourself in the infectious energy that surrounded you.

In the midst of your carefree dancing, you suddenly felt a gentle yet firm grip on your waist that made you turn. You found yourself face-to-face with an incredibly handsome man—his curly hair framed a sharp jawline, his aquamarine eyes sparkled under the flashing lights, and a small, charming smile played on his lips. You noticed that he’s a little bit tipsy, evident by his slight sway, but still managed to maintain a charming composure with an air of confidence.

“Your tattoo is incredible.” He leaned down to whisper it in your ears. His voice was low and warm, sending a delightful shiver down your spine. Heat immediately rushed to your cheeks as you blushed, momentarily lost for words.

“Thanks!” You shouted over the loud noise for him to hear you, but not really sure if he heard you or not.

Just then, your friend—the one who always photographs, had tapped your shoulder, her polaroid camera ready. She aimed it at you, and without thinking, you turned to the handsome stranger, flashing a playful smile as your friend pressed the shutter button. The photo was developed quickly, perfectly capturing the moment, and she handed it to you with a knowing look. An idea suddenly sparked in your mind, and you quickly rummaged through your friend’s bag.

“Hey, do you have a pen that I could borrow?” You asked, almost breathless with excitement.

She handed you a sharpie, raising an eyebrow but not questioning your sudden burst of creativity at the moment. You wrote a quick “thank you” on the empty space of the polaroid, signing it with the initial of your first name with a flourish before slipping it into the pocket of the white polo the stranger was wearing. The stranger looked surprised, a mix of confusion and excitement on his face, but he simply smiled back, his eyes lighting up as he reached for you.

“Wait, I didn’t get your name—” before he could finish his sentence, your friend pulled you in your arm, her eyes sparkling with mischief, “time to hit the next club!” She called, pulling you away.

You turned back at the stranger, waving him goodbye, feeling an unexpected pang of regret for leaving him behind. But you couldn’t shake the feeling that this night isn't over yet. You exchanged glances with him one last time, a silent promise hanging in the air, your heart fluttering with the hope that somehow, you’d see him again.

As you and your friends spilled out onto the bustling Miami street, your laughter filled the night as you headed to the next club. However, all you could think about was the brief connection you had felt on the dance floor, a sweet moment that seemed to linger in the air, leaving you yearning for more.

The night had ended in a blur for Lando. After the wild celebration of his first Formula 1 win in Miami, the euphoria was slowly dissipating and replaced by a wave of drunkenness that hit harder than he had expected. By the time the club lights dimmed and the crowd began to thin, Lando could barely stand on his own two feet, let alone string together a coherent sentence.

Max and Carlos had taken one look at him and immediately decided that they needed to step in. “C’mon mate, let’s get you back to the hotel,” Max grunted, slinging Lando’s arm over his shoulder, while Carlos grabbed the other side.

Carlos chuckled, equally amused and exasperated, “he kept pace with everyone at the party. Now he’s paying the price.”

Lando, wasted out of his mind, stumbled along between them, mumbling a mix of incoherent phrases. “She…she was…beautiful,” he slurred, eyes half-closed, as they maneuvered through the hotel lobby. “The tattoo…I need to…find her.”

Max raised an eyebrow, exchanging a knowing look with Carlos. “Who’s he talking about now?” Carlos asked, chuckling under his breath.

“Who knows? Maybe some random girl from the party,” Max shrugged, though the curiosity in his tone was undeniable. “You think he’s talking about some girl he met tonight?”

Carlos nodded, “definitely. He kept disappearing from the group. Bet it’s some girl who caught his eyes.”

They wrestled Lando into the elevator, which was a challenge in itself as Lando kept sagging against the walls. When they finally reached his hotel room, Carlos fumbled with the keycard, managing to get the door open while Max dragged Lando inside.

“Alright, bed time for you, champ.” Max muttered, carefully tossing Lando onto the bed. Lando landed face-first into the pillows, groaning something incomprehensible as he sprawled out, completely out of it.

As they started to leave, Carlos noticed something peeking out of Lando’s polo pocket. “Wait, hold on. What’s this?” He said, pulling out a small polaroid photo. He studied it for a moment before handing it to Max.

Max blinked, holding the picture up to the light. It was a snapshot of Lando at the club, with a girl smiling beside him. They were both smiling and looking like they were having the time of their lives, clearly caught up in the moment. Lando’s arm was around her waist, and she was beaming up at him.

“So this is who he’s been going on about, huh,” Max mused, smirking as he showed it to Carlos.

Carlos grinned, leaning closer to inspect the photo. “It has no name, no number on the back. Just the word thank you and a signature,” he said, pointing at the small initial written on the bottom corner of the polaroid.

Max gave a low whistle, eyes flicking to Lando, who had now turned onto his back, snoring loudly. “The way he’s looking at her, though…” Max said, shaking his head with an amused sigh. “Poor guy. He’ll surely lose his mind trying to find her again.”

“You think he’s going to go all in on this mystery girl?” Carlos asked, already imagining the chaos that could ensue once Lando wakes up.

“Oh, definitely. Look at that face—he’s going to lose his mind trying to find her.” Max chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

“If he does, it’ll be entertaining for us. He might actually be serious about someone for once.” Carlos smirked.

Max laughed, tucking the polaroid back into Lando’s pocket. “Well, whatever happens, tomorrow’s going to be interesting for sure. But first, I’m betting his hangover’s going to be the real pain in the ass.”

“I second that.” Carlos clapped Max on the back as they both made their way to the door. “Let him sleep it off. If fate has any say in this, maybe he’ll see her again.”

Once Max and Carlos had managed to leave the room, the soft snores of their friend filled the silence behind them, but they couldn’t help but share one last grin. Lando Norris, hopelessly wasted and smitten, was in for one wild ride the moment he wakes up in the morning.

When Lando woke up the next day, it felt like the world had caved in on him. His head pounded relentlessly like a jackhammer, every inch of his body felt heavy, and the sunlight seeping through the curtains are making everything worse. He groaned, pressing a hand to his face as he tried to piece together the events of the previous night. His mouth even felt dry, and every muscle ached—classic hangover. Glancing at the clock, his stomach sank. It was already past one in the afternoon.

“Ah shit.” He muttered, rubbing his temples.

Lando’s memories was a total fucking mess. Fragments of the party slipping in and out of focus. All he remembered is that he was celebrating his first F1 win in a Miami club with a bunch of friends, music, drinks…too many drinks, clearly. But then, there was something, or rather, someone—who stood out in the haze. A girl.

The image of you on the dance floor flickered in his mind. Lando couldn’t quite place every detail of your face, but the memory of your presence lingered, the feeling of being inexplicably drawn to you. It was like trying to recall a dream that was slipping away. He just shook his head, trying to clear the fog.

Struggling out of the bed, he tugged off the polo he had been wearing from the night before. As he did, something fell on the floor. Lando blinked, looking down to see a small polaroid photo lying by his feet. He picked it up and stared, the image hitting him like a bolt of clarity. It was a photo of you and him at the club, your face being illuminated by the flashing lights, both of you are smiling. Suddenly, the blurry memory sharpened. He remembered you—your black backless dress, the intricate back tattoo, the way you turned when he approached you. You had been so close, yet before he could really get to know you, your friends had whisked you away, leaving him standing alone on the dance floor, with only the photo to show for it.

Lando’s heart skipped a beat as he flipped the polaroid over, hoping to find some kind of clue, a way to find you. But the back was just frustratingly blank, except for the written thank you and an initial on the free space of the polaroid. He ran a thumb over the handwritten words, feeling a pang of disappointment. There was basically no number, no name. It was all just a fleeting memory. He sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“She’s probably just someone who came and went,” he muttered to himself, but even as he said it, the thought didn’t sit right.

There was something about the brief connection he felt with you that night, something that he couldn’t shake off. It was strange, almost unnerving, how much he remembered the feeling of being with you in that brief moment—like everything else had faded into the background.

Without fully understanding why, Lando grabbed his wallet and carefully tucked the polaroid photo into his wallet, sliding it into the hidden compartment where it could be safe. He wasn’t even sure why he decided to keep the polaroid, especially in such a personal place. It seemed silly, but it felt right to keep it there, like a small piece of that night he wasn’t ready to let go of just yet.

Lando sat there for a few moments longer, staring at the closed wallet in his hand. The next race was in a week, and he had the time to get his shit together before flying to Italy for the Imola GP. But now, instead of just focusing on the upcoming race, his mind kept drifting back to you—wondering if you were still out there somewhere, wondering if he would ever get the chance to see you again. He finally stood up to get ready for the day and fly out of Miami, he couldn’t help but smirk at himself.

“Guess I’m going to be thinking about this for a while,” he muttered, the memory of your smile etched into his thoughts.

Miami was fun, and now it’s time to go back to reality. Once you got back home, the vibrant memories of the trip slowly started to fade into the background, already having been replaced by the familiar routine of gearing up for the new university year. This was it—your final year at university, the last stretch before graduation, and you are determined to give it your all. It was time to buckle down and focus on academics. After all, everything you had done in Miami was meant to stay in Miami.

Yet, no matter how hard you tried to immerse yourself in your studies, your mind would always reel back to that night in the club. The memory of the man you had met—his aquamarine eyes, the way he had looked at you like you were the only person in the room had kept replaying in your head, keeping you awake at night. It was frustrating how much he lingered in your thoughts. You had only known him for a brief moment, not even long enough to learn his name, yet you couldn’t forget the instant connection that had sparked between you.

The way he had complimented your tattoo, the way he had smiled when you slipped the polaroid into his polo pocket—it had all felt surreal, like something out of a dream, and then there was the polaroid. You literally had no idea why you had given it to him, that was the only physical memory of that night, the only proof that your paths had crossed. Yet, in the moment, it felt like what you did was the right thing to do. Or maybe it was the excitement, the adrenaline of the night you felt that had pushed you to make such a spontaneous decision. But now, you found yourself wondering if he had even kept it, or if it had ended up crumpled in some corner, forgotten in the blur of a party boy’s life.

You tried to push these lingering and uninvited thoughts aside. After all, he had seemed like the type who enjoyed the party scene, the kind of guy who was probably very used to fleeting moments like the one you had shared. You definitely have no reason to expect anything more from it. It was fun while it lasted—a brief, electric encounter in the middle of a packed club. Still, a small part of you couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened if your friend hadn’t pulled you away so soon. Would you have stayed and talked more, gotten to know him beyond that brief moment on the dance floor? Or maybe it was better this way, a perfect memory left untouched by reality.

With a sigh, you snapped yourself back to the present, staring down at the pile of thick college textbooks and notebooks waiting for you. It was time to focus on what was real, what was tangible—your studies, your future. The man from Miami would remain just a distant memory, one that you would tuck away with all the other wild moments from your summer. After all, you had more important things to focus on now.

Still, every now and then, as you walked to your lectures or sat in the library, you would catch yourself thinking about him—wondering if he still had that polaroid tucked away somewhere, just like you secretly hoped he did.

Lando was no better. Ever since that night in Miami, his mind has been drifting more than usual. He found himself distracted during meetings, zoning out during race prep, and even spacing out in the garage most of the time. His usual easy going demeanor was now often replaced by a more serious, almost contemplative expression. It was as if something had taken root in his mind, and no matter how hard he tried to shake it, the memory of you wouldn’t let go.

He had replayed that night over and over again in his mind—the moment he saw you, how he had felt an unexplainable pull towards you, the way you had smiled when he complimented your tattoo, and how effortlessly everything had seemed to click between you in that brief encounter. It was ridiculous, really, how hung up he had become over someone he barely even knew. He hadn’t even caught your name—and yet, the polaroid was still inside his wallet, tucked away like a secret he carried with him everywhere he went.

Whenever he felt particularly lost in thought, he’d pull it out and stare at it, trying to remember every detail of your face, laugh, and the way you looked at him. He was becoming a lovesick fool. But that only made it worse—like he had been shot by cupid, now hopelessly stuck in this strange limbo of longing for someone who felt like a distant memory. The problem was, he couldn’t keep it to himself anymore. But now, half of the grid knew about the mysterious girl in the polaroid. It had all started with Oscar.

Lando had been so deep in his dilemma that he couldn’t contain it anymore and had to vent about it, and Oscar, being a good listener, and always the voice of reason, had been the unfortunate recipient of Lando’s endless stream of confusion and longing.

“Mate, I don’t even know where to start looking,” Lando groaned one afternoon, slumping into a chair next to Oscar. They were in the motorhome, waiting for a debrief. “She didn’t even leave her name, no number, nothing. Just…this. I don’t even know why I’m so hung up on this! It was just one night.” He pulled out the polaroid for what felt like the hundredth time, showing it again to Oscar.

“Well, that tends to happen when you let Max and Carlos feed you shots all night. You’re lucky that you remember anything.” Oscar teased, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“That’s not helping.” Lando shot him a look, half amused and half exasperated. “I just—there was something about her, you know? It wasn’t just the drinks. I felt this connection, and then she was gone.”

“You really got hit hard, didn’t you?” Oscar chuckled.

“You have no idea, Osc,” Lando muttered, running a hand through his curly hair in frustration. “I mean, what are the odds, right? A random night in Miami, and now…I can't stop thinking about her. What’s wrong with me?”

Oscar chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “Hey, nothing’s wrong with you. You just like her, I guess. A lot.” He glanced at the polaroid again, shaking his head in amusement. “You’ve got the entire grid buzzing about this by now, you know. Everyone’s rooting for you to find her.”

“Great. So now everyone’s invested in my love life too.” Lando groaned, leaning his head back.

“You did show them the photo,” Oscar pointed out with a grin. “It’s hard not to get curious when you’ve been carrying that thing around like a lovesick fool.”

“I know it’s stupid, but it feels like more than just a random encounter. There was something there, Oscar. I swear.” Lando let out a dramatic sigh, though a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“So what are you going to do? Just sit around and hope she magically walks into the next race?” Oscar leaned back in his seat.

“I was thinking that maybe, I could hire a private investigator or something, you know.” Lando shrugged.

Oscar’s eyes widened in disbelief. “A private investigator? Tell me you’re joking.” Lando’s expression remained serious. “No, I’m not! Or, I could just post the photo online, let the fans do their thing. They could help me find her—someone has to know who she is.”

Oscar pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Lando, mate, listen to me.” He turned to Lando, face serious. “You’re out of your mind. You can’t hire a PI or ask your fans to find this girl. Think about how creepy that sounds.”

“But how else am I supposed to find her! I can’t even stop thinking about her, Oscar. I didn’t even get her name, and now I’m stuck.” Lando groaned again.

“Mate, if you’re meant to find her, you will. You can’t force something like this, and you definitely shouldn’t involve the internet.” Oscar sighed. “Just let it go for now. Focus on the races, and if it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen.” He added.

Lando sat in silence for a moment, staring at the polaroid again. As much as he hated to admit it, Oscar was right. He couldn’t exactly post the photo online and hope for the best—that would be absolute madness and would really violate your privacy. But letting it go? That shit felt realy impossible.

“Yeah, I guess.” Lando muttered.

Lando tucked the polaroid carefully back into his wallet. He knew deep down, he wasn’t really ready to let go of the idea of finding you again. Even if it seemed impossible.

More months passed by, and life had already moved on, but the memory of that night in Miami still lingered in your mind—and in Lando’s too. The connection, however, had left an impression on both of you, though neither expected to cross paths again. You had already given up any hope of seeing him again, and had decided to leave it all to fate. If it’s meant to be, then it’ll be. Besides, life has been busy enough for you. With your final year at university, you had too much on your plate to spend time wondering about a man whose name you still didn’t know. But it seems like fate had other plans in store for the both of you.

It started when you had a week off from university, and you and your best friends decided to go on a trip to Greece over your week off. You have no qualms about it, since you really needed a break as well, and what better way to relax than exploring the beautiful beaches and Acropolis of Athens.

The trip to Greece was everything you had hoped for, but unbeknownst to you, Lando was in Greece too, enjoying his own vacation with his close friends. You were sunbathing on a pristine beach, chatting away with your friends, when Lando walked by just a few meters away. He didn’t notice you, and you didn’t see him either—both of you are too caught up in your own worlds, yet there you were, so close but so far away.

The second time was when you took a trip to Ibiza. Another spontaneous getaway with your best friends. The vibrant nightlife and endless summer energy called your name. As you danced and had the time of your life at a beachside club, oblivious to the fact that Lando was just at a private party down the shore. His friends had dragged him out for the night, hoping to help him unwind after a tough race. You and your friends left just as Lando was arriving, two paths almost crossing once again.

It was starting to become a strange pattern—wherever you were, Lando seemed to be there too. The two of you had shared the same sunsets, wandered the same winding streets, and probably passed by each other without even realizing it.

The third time was in Monaco. A beautiful city, with its glamor and breathtaking views, it was the perfect escape before starting your last semester. You and your friends are strolling down the harbor one afternoon, laughing as you all pointed at the massive yachts that were all lined up, imagining what it would be like to live such a luxurious life.

Inside a nearby café, Lando was sitting by the window, sipping on a coffee and looking out over the same harbor. He had been restless, unable to shake the feeling that he was missing something—or someone. He looked up just as you and your friends passed by outside, laughing and taking selfies by the water, but you did not look his way, and he didn’t get up, assuming it was just another passing group of tourists. Once again, fate brought you together, only to keep you just out of reach.

It was as though the universe was playing a cruel game, constantly bringing you and Lando to the same place at the same time, but never allowing your paths to fully align. You could be randomly walking down the street while he was sitting just a few doors away in a café. Lando could be entering a restaurant as you and your friends exited from a nearby boutique. It was almost laughable how close you came to seeing him again, yet how impossibly far away it felt.

As the months passed, both you and Lando accepted that what had happened in Miami was a beautiful, fleeting moment. Something to be kept, but perhaps never meant to be revisited. But there’s still a small part of you that couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, fate wasn’t done with you yet.

For now, though, it seemed like fate was content with keeping the both of you on the edge—close enough to feel the pull, but never quite close enough to collide.

One night, it seemed like that fate had finally decided it was time to stop playing games. You were in the middle of preparing for your final exams when your cousins called with an unexpected invitation. They will be flying to Singapore for the Gran Prix two months from now, and they have already secured a paddock club pass for you—for all three days of the event. The kicker? They will be paying for everything; flights, accommodations, and even meals. It was definitely a golden opportunity, and although you had no clue what a Grand Prix was or even what Formula 1 is, you couldn’t turn down an all-expenses-paid trip to a place you had been saving up to visit anyway.

“Trust me, it’s going to be amazing,” your cousin assured you over the phone. “You’ll get to be up close to the cars, the drivers, and the entire F1 spectacle. It’s a vibe.”

While you were excited about the trip, the idea of spending three days around race cars didn’t exactly thrill you. You knew nothing about cars or Formula 1, and the most you had ever watched were glimpses of motorsports on TV at home with your father. But a free trip to Singapore was too good to pass up, and maybe, you would find something to enjoy about this whole Grand Prix thing.

Fast forward to your arrival in Singapore. The sweltering heat of Singapore was almost overwhelming, but the excitement in the air was noticeable as you strolled through the paddock area, soaking in the energy of the Grand Prix weekend. You are dressed in a flowing white sundress that caught the breeze just right, paired with chic Prada Monolith Crisscross sandals, a cute beige mini Lady Dior handbag that matches complete your whole outfit, and the paddock club pass hanging around your neck—in all honesty, you looked like you belonged at a chic summer brunch rather than a motorsport event. But you were grateful for your outfit choices, especially given how hot and humid it was in Singapore. You weren’t sure what to expect from the race weekend, but at least you felt prepared for the weather.

The atmosphere was buzzing, with fans eagerly awaiting glimpses of their favorite drivers. You and your cousins meandered around, snapping photos of the three of you to send to your parents for updates, and enjoying the free-flowing drinks and gourmet food available in the exclusive paddock club. Your cousins, die-hard Formula 1 fans, were thrilled to spot drivers walking around, rushing up to get photos with anyone they could.

At one point, they had spotted Oscar Piastri, the young driver who seemed to be gathering a crowd in the paddock. Your cousins were excited and hurried up to him, asking for a quick photo. Instead of joining them, you volunteered to take the photo, your cousin had handed you his phone and took a photo of them with Oscar. As Oscar posed with your cousins, you framed the shot perfectly, capturing their wide smiles and his easygoing grin. After the photo was snapped, you handed the phone back to your cousin, but something odd caught your attention.

Oscar was staring at you, a look of recognition flashing briefly across his face, though he didn’t say anything. His gaze lingered for a second too long, as if he was trying to place where he had seen you before. But before you could ask if something was wrong, he quickly and politely excused himself, saying something about needing to be somewhere else.

“Thank you!” Your cousin beamed, oblivious to the strange moment, as they admired the picture you had taken.

However, you were left feeling slightly unsettled. Why had Oscar looked at you like that? You just shrugged it off, thinking it was probably nothing. After all, he must meet thousands of people all the time, maybe you just had one of those faces.

You continued walking around with your cousins, admiring the cars as the mechanics prepared for the weekend’s race during the pitlane walk. The energy was contagious, you could feel it in the air—tension and excitement. While you didn’t quite understand the intricacies of the sport, you were starting to get why so many people were hooked.

As Oscar made his way back to the McLaren garage, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just seen someone important. The brief encounter with you lingered in his mind, he considered telling Lando about it, but something held him back. What if he was just mistaken? What if you were just another face in the crowd, one of the many people who flocked to the Grand Prix? He surely didn’t want to get Lando’s hopes up if he was wrong because the boy is already losing his mind of finding you.

But still, there was an undeniable spark of recognition in Oscar’s gut. The way you had smiled at him, the familiarity in your eyes—it was as if you were embedded into his memories, even if he couldn’t quite place you. The thought of Lando obsessing over someone who may not even be worth it felt almost cruel, so he kept quiet as he stepped into the garage.

“Hey Osc!” Lando called out from where he was working on some last-minute adjustments to the car. His energy was infectious, his usual charisma shining through despite the long day ahead.

“Just met some fans,” Oscar replied, casually brushing off the encounter. He knew Lando was too focused on the race to delve into any side stories, so he played it cool. “Pretty excited about the weekend.”

“That’s good! We need that energy. It’s going to be a wild race!” Lando said enthusiastically and grinned.

Lando was really in the zone, and Oscar didn’t want to disrupt that by bringing up something that might end up being inconsequential, but Oscar couldn’t help himself. As he watched Lando tinker with the car, a thought struck him. If he had indeed seen you, and if you were that same girl that Lando had met at the club in Miami, then there was a chance for another confirmation that it really is indeed you. Singapore is a big place, but the paddock? Not so much. People cross paths here all the time. Fate could also work in you and Lando’s favor.

“I have a feeling we’ll meet some interesting people this weekend,” Oscar said, casually testing the waters. “You never know who might show up in the paddock.”

“You think so? Like who?” Lando raised an eyebrow, now intrigued.

“Just a hunch. You know how these events go, a lot of fans and celebrities come through.” Oscar shrugged, playing it cool as he smiled at Lando. Hoping what he said wouldn’t come off too eager.

“Yeah, I guess we’ll see. It’d be nice to connect with some new faces.” Lando grinned.

Oscar just decided to remain quiet, but inside his mind, he had promised himself that if your paths didn’t cross naturally over the course of the race weekend, he would make sure to plan the two of you to meet. It was high time for Lando to get that second chance, and if fate wouldn’t still bring you and Lando together, then Oscar would be more happy to lend a hand.

As you and your cousins walked around the bustling paddock, the excitement of the day washed over you. You were engaged in conversation, pointing out different drivers, when suddenly, your cousins spotted someone they knew and ran off to catch up. You paused, taking a moment to soak in the atmosphere and admire the vibrant energy that surrounded you. You never knew that you’ll be enjoying the Grand Prix with your cousin—it was eventful, but really fun.

Suddenly, your eyes caught sight of someone familiar stepping out of the McLaren motorhome—a head of curly hair, sharp jawline, and those aquamarine eyes that had been burned deep into your memory since that night at the club in Miami. It was him. Most of all, you wouldn’t expect that the man you had met in the club was Lando Norris. You had seen his face all over the paddock, and your cousin telling you who he was.

You froze for a moment, your heart was caught up in your throat. Lando was walking with a group of people, laughing and chatting, completely unaware that you were standing just meters away. It felt like time had slowed down for you. Could this really be happening? After all those months of missed chances and near encounters, fate had finally decided to stop playing games and let your paths cross again—and here you were, in Singapore, of all places.

But just as you gathered your thoughts, Lando turned his head in your direction. His laughter faded, and his eyes locked onto yours. There was a flicker of surprise, then sudden recognition as his face shifted from casual curiosity to something more intense. It was like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, and neither could you.

For a moment, neither of you moved, caught in a strange limbo of disbelief. But as you or cousins called out to you, completely oblivious to the emotional earthquake happening between you and Lando, you snapped back to reality. You offered a nervous smile and a small wave, really unsure of what to do next. Would he even remember you? Should you go over and say something? Or maybe he was just staring at someone behind you.

“Hey! We’re heading over there!” Your cousins shouted, pointing toward another part of the paddock.

You felt a wave of disappointment was over you, knowing that you had no choice but follow and be with them. As you turn to leave, you glance back at Lando one last time, just in time to catch him staring intently at your back. Lando’s expression shifted as his eyes widened, and you realized he had spotted your tattoo—the intricate Sak Yant design that adored your skin.

In that moment, you could almost see the gears turning in his mind as he began connecting the dots. Your heart raced again, a mix of hope and fear. But before you could linger on your thoughts, your cousins tugged at your arm, leading you away. You felt a strange sense of longing, wishing desperately for a chance to bridge the gap. Little did you know, Lando was feeling the same way.

Fate had finally brought you together again. Now, the ball is in Lando’s court.

[paper-starz]

What would you say is the most unhealthiest coping mechanism each neighbor has for the self aware au?

OMG HIIII!! I never really thought about that, what a great question!

Barnaby- He copes with jokes but they become self-deprecating and dark after a while. Not only that, but he smokes a LOT more now. He also sleeps too much, but at least one of the neighbors could drag him outta bed!

Eddie- Toxic positivity. The poor guy just wants to see the brighter side of things, but he kinda minimizes the negative aspects. "Oh! My arm got ripped off. Oh well, guess I could lose a few pounds."

Frank- Overworking. Although it is inspiring that he and Eddie already found lots of clues about Welcome Home (and its history), Frank overworks themselves to the point of exhaustion. They are really trying to find a way out, who can blame him? He also barely eats since they are this close to figuring out EVERYTHING. Good thing Eddie's there to make them eat.

Sally- Self-criticism/perfectionism and LOTS of it. SHE's the best actress, SHE's not suppose to get caught nor make any mistakes. She beats herself up constantly, especially if she gets outta character. So, she practices in front of the mirror for HOURS, making sure that she stays in character no matter what. If she messes up, she does the entire thing over again. She barely gets any sleep because of this.

Poppy- Overthinking. She is the one that the neighbors turn to when one of them got hurt, she patches them up as best she can! But, what if they get hurt again? What if you CAN'T fix them this time? This kinds of overthinking makes her a bit of a Mother Hen, constantly watching over the other neighbors and making sure that they stay in character.

Howdy- Denial and avoidance. Poor bug-man tried flat out denying that he was self-aware. Him? In a show? Ridiculous! Of course, that denial soon went away after the first few visits with Home... then that denial turned into avoidance. He stays in his shop most of the time, making everything all nice and perfect. He's in a good mood when the other neighbors come in but as soon as good ole' Wally Darling enters his shop... he freezes. He can't move and he can't breathe and he's this close from screaming at the top of his lungs cause he can't STAND Wally being with him. The other neighbors (usually Sally) try to distract Wally while Howdy tries to pull himself together... or escape through the backdoor. He avoids Wally and Home like the PLAGUE.

Julie- Anger. Julie was never an angry girl, ever! She loved singing and dancing and having fun, but ever since she got self-aware... she got angry. How DARE Home hurt her friends! How DARE someone keep her and her friends trapped here! She gets so angry that she hurts those closest to her... Then she gets even more mad, so mad that she rips her hair out.

Wally- He has no unhealthy coping mechanisms! He doesn't even know what they are!

Home- Oh boy.... The demon house's form of 'coping' is violence. Preferably onto the neighbors. It also has some denial as it doesn't see what its doing as anything bad. It stitched Sally's mouth up because she was trying to tell Wally the truth! It's just protecting Wally! It took Eddie's eye because he accidentally slipped up again, he just needs to know that he can't make Wally upset!

[eternal--returned]

BEBE BUELL: Todd Rundgren introduced me to Patti. She was his girlfriend before me. I liked her immediately. She told me I looked like Anita Pallenberg, Nico, and Marianne Faithfull all rolled into one cream puff. Those were her exact words to me. Then she said, "You gotta cut your hair into bangs." At the time I had long hair and Patti told me to cut it with the bangs and stuff, so I did. Then she tried to talk me into dyeing it white, but I wouldn't. I used to drive Patti crazy. I'd go visit her every day. I would just show up on Twenty-third Street where she was living with Allen Lanier, you know, right after they'd just fucked or she was fixing one of her shrines or she was writing, but she'd always let me come in. We'd sit and talk and she told me, "I really want to sing." I'd tell her, "So do I." This is way before she started singing. So we'd put on records and sing to them at the top of our lungs. We'd put on "Gimme Danger" and try to imitate the attitude on the vocals, trying to get it right in our throats. Patty would say, "Yeah, this is how you learn how to sing." We'd use hairbrushes for microphones and stand in front of the mirror and sing. I had great times with her like that—she was really fun. Sometimes I would bring pot and Patti would not smoke a lot because she's just so smart and crazy that after two hits, she'd be like off, man—in the stratosphere, with philosophy and telling me stories about Sam Shepard. I was so young and crazy—I would always go running to Patti every time I had a problem with Todd. Patti still loved Todd a little, so it was hard for her to have this little brat coming over, asking her for advice about Todd when she still had a lot of feeling for him, even though she was living with Allen. Sometimes I would catch Todd and Patti hugging or something, and I would get very teenage about it. I'd go over to Patti and say, "Why you hugging my boyfriend?" She'd say, "Relax. It's okay, just cool out, little girl."

Legs McNeil & Gillian McCain ֍ Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (1996)

[mystcldydrms]

SILVER SPRINGS - EDDIE MUNSON

summary: you and eddie were in a relationship that ended and the only way to help you is singing.

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 1.3k

warnings: a bit angsty

notes: I listened to silver springs by fleetwood mac the whole day and I just had to write down this idea.

navigation | main masterlist | eddie munson masterlist | taglist

“I want to cover a song tonight.”

You said those words as soon as you entered the room where you and your band practised. They all looked at you with their eyes wide open, some of them even with open mouths because you knew they were surprised and shocked at the same time, except one boy, Eddie. He looked at you, but his face showed no emotion.

“What song?” one of your bandmates asked you while you slipped out of your jacket and dropped it down onto a chair that stood near the wall of the room.

“Silver Springs.”

You didn’t dare to look at Eddie. You knew he was watching you. He also knew why you wanted to cover that song, however, the other boys didn’t. Eddie and you had been in a secret relationship for over a year until he called it off a few weeks ago. To say you were devasted was an understatement, but you tried your best to pick yourself up on your own. You started to write even more songs than before, and one song in particular helped you through these weeks, Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac. You felt those lyrics. You screamed the song at the top of your lungs in your house. Your parents had no idea why, but they didn’t tell you to stop singing. They let you be yourself because they knew that music was your life, and whatever you were going through, they knew you needed that song.

“y/n, our performance is tonight. Shouldn’t we wait until our next one?”

You shook your head as you took your microphone into your hand, swinging the cable to the side before you turned around and looked at your bandmates, reluctantly glancing at Eddie, who tuned his guitar.

“You all know that song, right? I know you do, so let’s practice it. I want to play it tonight.”

These were the last words you had to say to the three young men behind you before you started your band practice.

It was now after 8 in the evening, and you were backstage, getting ready to go on stage. You had already done your hair and make-up. The only thing left to do was to go out there and sing. Before you were able to leave the room though, you heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.”, you said, looking at yourself one more time in the mirror before you turned around and came face to face with Eddie.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked you quietly, shutting the door with his hand, so no one could listen to your conversation.

You sighed lightly as you nodded your head. You had to do this for yourself. It just felt right.

“Eddie, I’m sorry, but I need this.”

“But why? No one knows about us and –“

“Oh, is this what it is about? You don't want anyone to find out that you dated the singer of your band? What would the people say, huh? I can’t believe you, Eddie.”

The young man in front of you instantly shook his head as he took a few steps toward you. You could see that he was trying to take hold of your hand but quickly dropped it again once he noticed what he was about to do.

“No. It’s not that. I always wanted everyone to find out, that you were my girlfriend, but the timing wasn’t right.”

You couldn’t help but let a humourless laugh escape your lips, shaking your head.

“Not the right time? There was plenty of time, Eddie. But you know what? Maybe now is the right time, even though we’re not a thing anymore.”

You walked over to the couch in the room. You grabbed your jacket for your performance and walked over to the door.

“Let’s go. We’re on in five minutes.”

You left him standing there. You didn’t want to talk to him anymore. This was for you and only you. You couldn’t and wouldn’t think about anyone else but yourself now.

As soon as you were on stage, you heard the small crowd, mostly consisting of some people you knew, clap, and you swiftly started playing one of your own songs. More and more people swarmed into the venue, getting themselves something to drink or crowding in front of the stage.

After a few more songs, it was time to play the cover you were looking forward to the most.

“Thank you.”, you said, a bit breathless, pushing your hair out of your face. “It is now time to play a song that some of you may know. It’s a cover of a song that helped me through a tough time. Maybe some of you can relate.”

You held the microphone tightly in your hands, quickly taking a glimpse at Eddie, whose eyes were already watching you. He nodded his head as he started to play the first few chords of the song, the other two boys following suit.

You closed your eyes as you started singing. The further you got into the song, the more emotions you poured into it. You lost yourself in this song, not caring that anyone was watching you. You kept your eyes closed until the right time.

“Was I just a fool? You will never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you. Was I just a fool? I’ll follow you down ‘til the sound of my voice will haunt you.”

Once your eyes were wide open, you looked to your right. You had no idea if Eddie had looked away from you during the song, but at this moment, when you sang those words out loud that hit you the most, he was directly looking into your eyes. Everyone around you could feel that, at this moment, there was something between you and him, something deeper, something no one had known about but now speculated.

You knew that if the two of you would continue to stay in a band together, he would always hear your voice. He would always have to listen to your sound. One thing you also knew, was that you would always have feelings for him. You would always feel love for him.

You didn’t know whether you two could ever be together again as a couple. Secretly, you hoped you would. You missed him. Did he miss you? You didn’t know. He was the one who broke up with you. But one thing you knew for sure, were the emotions you saw in his eyes while you sang those special lyrics straight at him.

His eyes glistened as you finished the song, and your eyes were just as wet. You sang the last word of the song before you stepped away from the microphone and took one big breath. As soon as the song ended, the crowd went wild, clapping and screaming, and you couldn’t help but have a big smile on your lips.

 “You did amazing.”, you heard Eddie whisper into your ear. You hadn’t noticed that he had walked over to where you were.

You turned your head to him, a small, almost unnoticeable, smile gracing his lips. You nodded your head as you took your water bottle into your hand and quickly took a sip of it.

“Thank you.”, you whispered, putting a hand on his arm, which you gently squeezed before you turned back around, ready to sing another song to the crowd.

[lynzishell]

~*~The Beginning~*~

*knock* *knock* *knock* [keys jangling, fitting into lock] [muffled voices] Aurelio: Thank you for doing this, I really appreciate it.

Aurelio: Phoenix? You here? Phoenix: *muffled* Go away. Aurelio: He’s here, he’s okay. Thank you again!

Aurelio: Hey man, you gave us quite a scare. You okay? Phoenix: …. Aurelio: No, of course you’re not okay. I heard about Greta. I’m so sorry. I know how much you loved her. Phoenix: … Aurelio: Hey. Talk to me. Phoenix: … Aurelio: Come on. You’ll feel better if you sit up and talk about it. Phoenix: …

Aurelio: Alright. I’ll tell you what. If you don’t talk, then I’ll have to sing. Phoenix: … Aurelio: I will sing to you. Phoenix: … Aurelio: Okay.. [clears throat and begins singing] Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow. Phoenix: *groaning* Aurelio: [continues singing] But if we are wise, we know that there’s always tomorrow. Phoenix: Ok Aurelio: [singing louder] Lean on me when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on!

Phoenix: Ok ok I’m up Aurelio: [singing louder still] For it won’t be long, till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on! Phoenix: I said I’m up!

Aurelio: Good… good, now talk to me.

Phoenix: [taking a breath] I fucked up! I fucked everything up! And now everything’s gone to shit. I fucking killed him. Sure, he was a monster, but what am I? I’m a fucking killer now? What am I supposed to do with that? And I lost Greta. Do you know what she said to me? She doesn’t feel safe with me. What the fuck?! I appreciate you all having my back and lying for me… but maybe you shouldn’t have. What do I even do now? I’m alone in this dump of an apartment. I have no job. I only have enough in savings to get through next month. Then what? I can’t even look at myself in the mirror. I don’t know who I am anymore, Aurelio.

He didn’t even notice he had started crying until he had to stop to wipe his nose.

Phoenix: FUCK! Why are you here?!

Aurelio: I’m here because I care about you, because you’re my best friend. I know exactly who you are. You are Phoenix fucking Realta. You are smart, resourceful, determined. All the things you moved here for, they’re all still out there waiting for you. And you’re not alone. I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I got into SMMI. I’m moving into the student housing apartments in the Arts Quarter in a couple months.

Phoenix: Congratulations. Aurelio: Thank you. Look, I know it’s been an awful year so far. Maybe you need someone to talk to, to work through the whole mess, and that’s okay. I've started seeing a therapist, only a couple sessions so far, but it's good. And I think it'd be good for you too, if you're willing. Julian and I will help. Phoenix: Ok. Aurelio: Yeah? Phoenix: Yeah. Aurelio: Good.

Phoenix: Thanks. Aurelio: You’re welcome. Phoenix: … Aurelio: Y’know, we have our whole lives ahead of us. And you are going to do great things. I know it.

Aurelio: This isn’t the end, ok? This is just the beginning.

Prev // Next

Personal story under the cut:

This post is dedicated to two amazing friends I had in high school. At the time, I was suffering from a deep depression, and had stopped speaking (a trauma response that still affects me from time to time). One day my friends pulled me out of bed and took me for a walk to the park on a sunny day. While we were there, they tried to get me to talk to them. But I couldn’t. So, instead, they sang this song to me… at the top of their lungs. And it was amazing. It didn’t solve anything. I didn’t speak for another couple months, and my depression lasted years more. But that moment will forever be a bright spot in a very dark time. To this day, anytime I feel down, I think back to that day and smile. After everything I put Phoenix through this week, I felt like he needed a moment like that… even if it’s super cheesy.

[neon-kazoo]

Nobody But You

I was too late.

I knew this as certain as I knew the Sun would rise in the morning. It was confirmed by the burning of my lungs as I breathed in the smoke and ashes that were once the people and place I had come to save. Stray embers kicked up by my boots singed the skin of my bare arms, making my failure all too evident as I traipsed through the fresh graveyard that used to be my home. I ignored the pain, and continued undeterred. It was nothing compared to what had happened to them. I was supposed to save them, the least I could do was stay and watch them burn.

My foot connected unexpectedly with the hard shell of what I could only assume to be bone. Tears sprung to my eyes, but I blamed the burning on the inhospitable environment and blinked them away. I already knew they were all dead, a reminder should mean nothing to me. I tried to focus straight ahead and keep moving, but instead my eyes connected with the remains of a charred doll with blonde hair dyed dark with soot and burned short by fire. It wore clothes of bright colors, standing out against the grey and black that blanketed the ground as far as I could see. A perfect mirror.

I loosed a scream of anguish that left my throat rawer than before. The sound carried wide across the open plain. It didn’t matter.

There was no one here but me.

No one but me-

And Him.

A figure stood tall and alone on the other side of what should have been a joyful place full of people, full of children, full of families, full of couples, full of love-

I had never been in love.

I had never been anywhere close, never so much as kissed a peer in school behind the gym, never held hands with the neighbor under the big oak tree, never confessed crushes with my best friend during a late-night sleepover.

I wondered, now, what it was really like.

How did it feel to carry another in your heart, to be connected so intimately? Was it heavy? How did it feel to be carried in the heart of another, to trust so deeply? Was it freeing?

I knew of butterflies, the so-described fluttering of the stomach that sounded curiously close to fear. Fear, I had felt before. I knew it well.

Now, however, I felt no fear. There was nothing left to fear; the worst had already happened.

When I found myself standing in front of the man responsible for destroying everything I had ever known, there were no butterflies. The only thing I felt in my stomach now was a deep, cavernous pit.

I longed for comfort, for warmth, for the chatter and bustling that should have surrounded me here. Instead, I heard only a solitary voice, smug and victorious.

“How does it feel? To lose?”

Heavy.

I heard once that, sometimes, love hurts. I was definitely hurting now.

Certainly, it was not supposed to feel like this, tinged with a festering hatred, full of a craving for anything, and topped with inexperience and confusion.

I looked into his darkened eyes, reflective of what he had done. We were close, too close for being in such a vast and empty place.

I did not know what love felt like, but I knew what it felt to be desperate for it.

Although I knew this wasn’t right, that this was no where near ‘good’ or ‘healthy’ or ‘normal’ or true love, I also knew it was as close as I would ever get.

I was out of time. For me, there was no later, there was no where else, there was no one else.

Not anymore.

And so, when I found a pair of lips hovering so very close to mine, I closed my eyes and shut out the decimated landscape. In that moment, I could almost believe that this wasn’t the same man that guaranteed I would never get the chance to experience the very thing we were pretending to have. We kissed, and he held me close with the very same hands that brought such catastrophic loss and devastation into my life. I let myself fall into the feeling, get lost in the touches—wrong as it all was.

Freedom.

It was over.

[crowblincray]

So I have at least 20 years of experience in the janitorial profession. (Work at a grocery store now) The number of stories I have from said time are kinda crazy.

I've cleaned for so many various businesses and have cleaned homes and apartments.

Most people don't think of the cleaning staff. It's a mostly thankless job, you're basically invisible until someone has something to complain about.

The pay usually sucks, at least with the companies I worked for. No benefits, no days off, no breaks.

You get to see a side of the world that most don't even think about.

I have a lot of ghost stories in particular. A lot of places I worked at had weird occurrences and paranormal things. Something about night time in various locations really changes things.

I grew up with an awareness of unexplainable things. My mom never told me ghosts didn't exist or anything like that. If anything, she had her own stories from her childhood.

I don't expect other people to believe my stories or beliefs about things. If you read my stories and want to think of it as just spooky stories, so be it. I'm not here to convince anyone.

That being said.

The most haunted place I ever cleaned for was a private school.

To my knowledge, it's no longer there and was torn down some years ago but I haven't bothered to confirm. I never want to go back to that place.

Now ghosts and weird stuff don't easily scare me. I cleaned for other buildings that had resident ghosts that I became familiar with and even kind of befriended, maybe?

Anyway this place in particular was bad. I don't know what it was about it.

During the day it was beautiful. Birds singing, squirrels running around. 8 acres, 10 buildings. Quiet area.

At night, the place changed. I once had a moment there that felt straight out of silent hill. I worked there with only one other person and sometimes completely alone.

One afternoon as the sun was going down we were outside of the performance building they had for plays and the science fair they did, etc. There was an airforce base within close proximity. The storm sirens at the base started up just as the last bit of light fell behind the horizon. Sounding just like the silent hill sirens. The area instantly felt different, malevolent. The woman I worked with felt it too. A large southern black lady who didn't scare easily. She shuddered at the same time I felt a chill and loudly declared, "Whelp, time to get in the building!" And left to go back inside. Me following right behind her.

The bugs that would infest that place were Massive. I usually don't mind most bugs but I'm talking centipedes that looked like living ostrich feathers that had no fear of humans. Various other bugs I'd never seen or heard of at the time.

It felt like it would rain every night there. Sometimes only on that property. One time I got so mad about it since I had to go outside and walk to each building carrying all my cleaning supplies and would get drenched in the process. One night I screamed at the sky in frustration, "Stop Fucking Raining!" At the top of my lungs at the sky. Oddly enough it did a few minutes later.

The place felt like it had a mind of its own. Like it was alive. I know it sounds crazy. Yes there were ghosts there but there was something about it that scared me more than the ghosts.

You know how at night big glass windows kind of turn into black mirrors and you can't see outside? Just a reflection of the inside?

I'd see kids in the windows all the time following me around. In one building there was a tall black figure I could see following behind me all the time.

The performance building I mentioned earlier had an old man I'd see there sometimes. Now to turn the lights off in that building you had to go All the way behind where the stage was and flip them off and walk back to the front door in pitch black. I didn't have a flashlight either. Now I'm not afraid of the dark, never really have been. I usually find it comforting. As soon as I would flip that light off I'd feel like I had to run out of there. Like I was being chased out by the old man. I don't think he liked people being around after dark.

I'd constantly hear my name being called or people talking though no one was there. I'd ask the other lady if she had called for me or anything. She never did. She was encountering the same kind of things that I was.

It got so bad and I started getting so paranoid and distracted that I started bringing music with me to drown it out. To try and ignore all the creepy crap just so I could get my work done. My coworker began to do the same.

Time would seem to warp some nights. Things that should have only been 20 or 30 minutes long would in actuality be over an hour.

Other times, nights that seemed to go on forever were relatively short. I usually have really good time management with that job so it was really weird.

There is one funny story about that place I'll never forget though.

The place had two huge gates that leads into the campus that were kept locked at night. One being right in front of the very first building.

It was around 2/3am, pouring rain outside. I had just finished bagging the trash in that building and was dragging it out the front door. We would leave the bags of garbage at the front of the buildings to collect at the end of our shift.

I was there alone that night. The road in front of the school was usually completely dead that time of night. I hadn't seen any cars go by at this point.

One lone car is going down the road and comes to a stop right by the gate as I'm putting the bags down. They roll their window down and turn their radio up.

It's blasting Set fire to the rain by Adele.

I stare at the car.

They drive off.

I shake my head and walked back into the building.

When we were given the news that we had been fired from that place I felt no panic or anxiety that I would usually feel at such news.

I was relieved.

I might try and post some other stories here sometime, but that place will always stick in my mind.

P.S. little funny fact. It was the exact same private school my mom had sent me for kindergarten/1st grade. Lol.

[colorfullfalls]

Soulmates?

In a world where you can see your soulmate’s life while you are asleep, somehow Y/n gets Danny Wagner as her soulmate. Easy for her to scope out, but how the hell was he supposed to find her?

Y/n fell asleep and she got to witness a greta van fleet concert. She got to witness the drum kit from the very point of view of Daniel Wagner. Fans screamed in excitement as the covering dropped and the concert officially began. Y/n thought how amazing it was when she went to the last concert. The music was amazing and so was the feeling of it all. Yet, she left feeling really disappointed. 

 She had went with the hope of being able to meet Daniel and have that soulmate magical moment. He would realize it was her and that they were destined to be. But instead he did shots with the people in the front and then went off stage to not be seen again. 

How was she supposed to get through to him when there were so many prettier fans? 

She was frustrated with having him as a soulmate. He’s a wonderful and talented man, but he was difficult to connect with. Stupid beautiful man. 

At the same time she heard him talk about soulmates before and knew that he took them very seriously. He was excited to meet her like she was him. She was desperate to finally see him and him recognize her.

Y/n had one more concert to get through to meet Daniel. She had a few hours before she had to go so she decided to go get coffee. Ordering and grabbing her own coffee went well, but someone bumped into her which caused their drink to spill on her arm. Their very hot drink actually burned her, causing a red mark to appear on her arm. 

She wiped off the drink and just ignored the pain of it. 

She met up with her best friend who knew about Danny being her soulmate, the only person who knew. Not many people would believe her if she said a rockstar was her soulmate. Many people could claim that. But Y/N was able to show her best friend Ellie by saying that Danny was wearing a certain outfit and the next day he posted it. 

Ellie about shit herself when she looked at the post to see that her best friend described that exact outfit to a T. 

“You will meet him tonight, I am telling you.” Ellie declared. 

“You said that last time man, there's no way I am gonna magically bump into him. He has very defining moments that proves who he is. Me? I just like exist. He isn’t gonna be able to pin point me from any other fan. Its a bunch of bullshit.” 

Ellie laughed, “Soulmates are special, he will know you the moment he sees you.” 

“Maybe if my boobs were out and he saw the tattoo but besides that..” 

“OH my god, that's it! Wear a low cut shirt so that he can see it. I mean surely he would know it from when you look in the mirror or shower.” Ellie said. The thing about the soulmates is that if they look in the mirror the face is blurred. It was an annoying condition but it was meant to make you search for your soulmate more rather than just being able to see. 

“What, so boobs out?” Y/n asked. 

“Hell yeah, boobs out. And if you don't meet Danny maybe someone will make out with you.” Ellie said, making Y/n snort.. 

Two hours later and they were in the pit of the venue singing their hearts out. Y/n felt nervous being so close to Danny. She watched him to mundane things when she was asleep like him sorting socks and playing cards with Sam. But on stage he was a fucking rock star and she thought he looked larger than life. 

Josh was dancing around singing at the top of his lungs during Light My Love yet all Y/n could think about was how good Danny looked while playing drums. He was so in his own world. During her sleep she witnessed him talking about lucky he was to be living his dream and touring with his brothers. 

She glanced down at Jake and then looked back at Danny to see him already looking at her. He offered her a breath taking smile as they finished up the song. She wondered if he saw her tattoo or was just smiling at another fan of his. Light my Love was the last song and she was waiting for a chance to see him. But he didn’t even take shots like he normally does, he booked it off the stage. 

Disappointment flooded Y/n, she was never going to get to meet him. She grabbed Ellie ans together they made their way to the cars to leave. Y/n felt doom at the fact that she didn’t get to meet Danny. She felt a bit hopeless.

They found a bar to get a drink at, Ellie going on about how soulmates are meant to meet and how she would meet Danny one way or another. It was encouraging but Y/n didn’t really wanna hear it at the moment, feeling too discouraged.

She wondered if he even noticed her. He was danny Wagner and she was just a girl. Would he be proud of her or like bummed out?

The bar door opened and she lazily peered over to see who came in. Maybe a cute guy did come and she could at least make out with someone since she missed out on meeting her soulmate today. Her eyes widened as she realized who just walked in.

It was Danny and Sam. Her heart beat raced as she saw them look around for a seat. She turned around and put her head down. She was suddenly really nervous. She mumbled about having to go to the bathroom before she got up and walked away.

She almost made it to the bathroom when she sensed someone behind her. She glanced back to see the beautiful man she saw in her dreams. He gave her a breathtaking smile before walking closer to stand right in front of her, almost pushing her into the wall.

“Did you not think I wouldn’t notice you?” He asked, eyes looking all over her face, “You’re eyes are more beautiful than I could have imagined.” He mumbled, not being able to look away.

She blushed, slinking more into the wall, “I didn’t know if you would considering how many people are at your concerts,” she shyly said.

He chuckled, “they’re not my soulmate, they don’t matter as much. I’d know that tattoo anywhere,” he said, eyes trailing down to her chest- making her blush even more. The tattoo was unique. It was a drawing of an eye as a planet but the planet’s ring was completely shaded black. Something that she had drawn in high school and just fell in love with.

“Are you saying you look at my boobs a lot?” She joked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

He laughed, shrugging boyishly, “Let’s just say my eyes wonder from time to time when it comes to you. Not my fault that you’re so stunning.”

“Stop, you’re making me blush like a fool.” She said, shaking her head and looking away in embarrassment. Danny finally noticed her and he was laying the flirting on thick. She didn’t expect him to be so forward.

“Maybe I think you look cute when you blush,” he lowly said, stepping closer so that his chest was against hers. She could feel how warm he was against her own skin and she felt butterflies in her stomach from his close proximity, “I’ve been hoping I’d meet you for years. Hiding from me?” He asked, grabbing her chin in his hand delicately, making her melt.

She shook her head no, “I came to a bunch of concerts” she admitted.

He leaned forward, ghosting his lips over hers, “You are more perfect than I could have hoped, sweetheart.”

His lips slotted against hers, soft lips opening up her mouth. She melted into the kiss as he wrapped his arm around her midsection pulling her close to him as he deepened the kiss. She sighed when he pulled away, disappointed that it was done so quick.

“We have the rest of our lives to kiss, let me buy you a drink.” He said, kissing her forehead and pulling her to the bar.

She thanked her lucky stars that he found her.

[septembersghost]

Folie a deux!

my favorite lyric: DIFFICULT actually, but i forever have strong feelings about: so boycott love/detox just to retox/and i'd promise you anything for another shot at life/and perfect boys with their perfect lives/nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy. also: i wanna scream "i love you" from the top of my lungs/but i'm afraid that someone else will hear me

my favorite song: i have love that cannot be explained for she's my winona and tiffany blews, but it still might be disloyal order of water buffaloes. the whole record though! the whole thiiiiiing

the song that makes me cry: what a catch, donnie

the song that’s a fucking bop: I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK AS LONG AS IT'S ABOUT ME THE BEST OF US CAN FIND HAPPINESS IN MISERY

the song i most dislike/least love: hmmm, america's suitehearts maybe? but it's another case of it's still a great song and i never skip it, because folie is skipless!

honorable mention to pavlove too because it's a not as well known bonus track, but i love it so much. i'm the invisible man who can't stop staring at the mirror!

[icebear4president]

Alfred as y/n because he’s so quirky✨This hurt so much to write, I almost cried.

I woke to my alarm clock playing my favorite song, 'Fight Song'. I walked over to my mirror and stared at myself. I had a muscular frame, bright golden hair, and piercing blue orbs. I wish I wasn't soo ugly. I'm not like other guys, you see.

I threw on my favorite jacket and tight jeans that showed off my thicc ass. I tried to put my blonde-golden hair into a bun, but my hair was too short. I blinked, tears swimming in my sparkling blue orbs. Why was my life so horrible?

As I walked to the UN building, I remembered when my father went to get chocolate milk, then got hit by a train and landed on a land mine. My mother and goldfish died in a plane crash 07.4 seconds later. I almost started crying again before I realized I didn't have parents or a goldfish.

I hate world meetings because everyone was soo fake and I would never be able to fit in with them. They all wear fancy clothes and tons of makeup, while I wear jeans and sweatshirts and only apply lip gloss. I'm not like the rest of them, I'm quirky.

As I headed inside the building, I slammed into a 9'7 body and fell backwards on my toned ass. Why must I be so clumsy? 

“S-s-s-s-s-s-s-sorry,” I stuttered.

"You better be," the voice snarled. I looked up and stared at the man. It was Ivan, my uwu baka crush. He was also a vampire, and so sexy that all the girls and guys wanted him. Except for me because I'm different.

"O-o-o-o-o-okay," I whimpered, even though I could totally beat him in a fight if I wanted to. Ivan shoved me against the wall, intense violet orbs staring at me. I shivered because this was hot and totally not textbook red flag at all.

"Just remember I will always be watching you," he purred, his tongue rubbing against his sexy vampire teeth.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-what do y-y-y-y-y-y- you mean?" I gasped.

"I own this public building that multiple people use, and that means I own you," he hissed. He got off me and walked away.

I got up and ran away, falling down twenty flights of stairs, tears falling from my electrifying blue orbs. I couldn't believe this was happening to me, so I ran to the roof. I grabbed the edge of the railing and starting singing.

"This is my fight song, take back my life song," I sang at the top of my lungs, because I'm not normal, I'm quirky.

"Wow..." I heard a voice behind me and saw a handsome guy standing behind me. He had blonde hair and emerald green orbs. 

"You sounded amazing," he said. "T-t-t-t-thanks," I stuttered.

"I'm Arthur, alpha of the local werewolf pack," he said. "I'm Alfred," I said back.

"I know we just met 17.76 seconds ago, but do you want to come to a party I'm throwing tonight later?," he asked? "O-o-o-course, I said.

"Great, see you then," he said, walking away.

I couldn't believe this! I walked to the stairs, however, I tripped and crashed down 30 floors. I got up completely unscathed, because my thiccness saved me. I was going to a party. I wonder if my uwu baka crush would be there.

But Alfred was so ugly everyone at the party died. The end.

(I’m so sorry, please don’t kick me out the fandom)

[bellysoupset]

hiii can you please write a fic with leo getting carsick with lucas and vince?? and this time it’s pretty bad, they have to pull over multiple times and he still can’t stop dry heaving long after he’s empty and vince and luke are in complete Protective Bro Mode taking care of leo

"So I put my hands up" Vince belted from the top of his lungs, causing Lucas to dissolve in a fit of giggles and turn up the radio. He joined in the singing "They're playin' my song, the butterflies fly away I'm noddin' my head like-" and then pointed at Vince, who chorused in, "YEeeaahhh"

"You two are awful" Leo groaned from the passenger seat, rubbing his temples.

"Moving my hips like yeah!" Vin yelled from the back and Lucas snorted loudly.

"It's a party in the USA!"

"God" Leo sighed, leaning his head against the window.

"Cheer the fuck up, Leo!" Vin squealed, shoving his big body between the passenger and driver's seat and shaking Leo's arm, "it's the song of our people!"

"...Your people?" Leo groaned, slapping Vince's hand away from his arm, "dumbasses?"

Lucas rolled his eyes, "you started dating Jonah a week ago, why is he already rubbing off on you?"

"Fuck off, Luke" Leo scoffed, rubbing his face and glaring out of the windshield. A heavy silence settled and Vince scoffed, slapping Lucas' arm.

"You gone and made it weird, cazzo" he grumbled, before ruffling Leo's blonde hair, "what's up kiddo, you're all mopey."

"Don't call me kiddo" Leo sighed and then bit down a groan as he felt his stomach flip flop. It felt like it was filled to the brim with hot soup, even though the last he had eaten was bland oatmeal, followed by his anti nausea medication. Said medication that had promised to knock him out and give him a blissful six hours of cross country trip. Clearly it wasn't working.

"Answer the question, you little prick."

"I'm just... Just feeling bleh" Leo blushed. Suddenly he felt like the worst person ever. Not only he was a hassle to deal with by constantly getting carsick, but he was also bringing down the mood of the car. Vince and Luke had been so happy not even a minute before and now they were both frowning, looking at him with twin faces of concern.

"Bleh?" Luke repeated, "as in a headache or I'm gonna throw up in the car bleh?"

"Uhm," Leo curled up in himself, "a little bit of both..." his stomach churned, "maybe more the second."

"What the heck, you're sitting on the front and you took meds!" Vince whined, "I thought that wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Me too, sorry" Leo mumbled and Vince winced.

"No man, I'm not mad at you, I'm mad for you. This sucks" he ran his fingers through Leo's hair without thinking, catching Lucas' eyes on the rear view mirror and doing that twin thing they did, where they talked with just their eyes.

Leo groaned and leaned onto Vince's touch. Vin's hands were always a touch too warm, but at least they were solid and steady, a change from the sensation of the moving car.

"Leo," Lucas reached in to squeeze his leg in a reassuring manner, "do I need to pull over?"

Leo thought about it for a second. He really wanted to say he could do until the next gas stop, but his stomach was going from angry to fucking furious and he could already taste his breakfast in the back of his throat, "...Please."

"It's okay buddy" Lucas nodded, swiftly slowing down the car and turning up the emergency sign. He parked on the dust shoulder and Leo groaned, unlocking the door with a shaky hand.

"I'll be right back" he mumbled, then dizzily stepped out of the car, trying to salvage a scrap of his dignity. He made it to the back of the car and crouched down on the gravel, using the trunk to support his arms.

Inside the car, Vince watched as Leo, pale as a ghost suddenly disappeared from view and he raised a startled eyebrow "uh... I think we just lost the baby."

Lucas snorted, "he'll be pissed if he hears you call him that...Even"

"Odd" Vince said, then threw up his hand in the space between them, holding up two fingers. Lucas had only held up one and he sighed, seeing the results of their childish match. Vince grinned, "rough, bud" he said, kicking Lucas' driver seat.

Lucas rolled his eyes, "give me a water bottle" he asked, taking it and getting out of the car. He cringed as he approached the back and found Leo hunched down, with a small puddle of chunky white and brown puke before him.

"Hey" he said softly, crouching down too and planting a hand on Leo's back. Today he was wearing a long sleeved henley and its back was already drenched in sweat, "Leo, you're done, man."

"Uhm," Leo gagged weakly, "don't..." he let out a small burp, "don't think so."

"Okay, take your time" Lucas planted a hand in the middle of his back, "why are you almost on all fours?"

"Didn't want you to-" Leo interrupted himself with a painful heave and brought up a mouthful more of brown liquid "ah fuck..."

Lucas wrinkled his nose at the mess. He wasn't one to be bothered by vomit, but this stank, "get it up," he said gently, rubbing Leo's back a little forcefully.

A minute later Leo let out a queasy moan and almost lost his hold on the trunk as he heaved. Lucas grabbing his shirt was the only thing keeping him from face planting, as he brought up a lot more vomit.

He stopped puking and hung over it, breathing strongly "I'm..." he paused and spat in the puddle "I'm done."

"Alright" Lucas grunted, since his legs were starting to ache from the awkward crouched down position, "up we go"

"You talk like such a dad, Lucas" Leo chuckled weakly, stumbling away from the mess and resting against the car, "fuck my stomach hurts."

"Yeah, I'd expect so" Lucas handed him the water bottle "the fuck did you eat for breakfast, battery acid?"

Leo lowered the water bottle before it could touch his lips and gagged at the mention of his breakfast, glaring at Lucas, who had the decency of blushing and mumbling "sorry."

He waited patiently as Leo swished the water around his mouth, spat it and then took a tiny sip, trying to regulate his breathing.

"It's staying down?"

"Uhm... Not sure" Leo pressed the cold water bottle to his forehead, "I'm very dizzy, Luke."

"Meds did fuck-all" Lucas noted, rubbing his arm, "we'll stop at the next gas stop we find, get you some of the real stuff."

"No point" Leo squeezed his eyes, "...doubt I could keep it down now."

"We'll try anyway" Lucas promised, then fidgeted, "ready to get back in the car?"

Leo nodded, albeit he wasn't so sure. Just the thought of being in a moving car, again, was making him anxious. Speaking of anxious, as soon as he sat back down, Vince was the perfect picture of a worried mother, combing his hair back, hands on his clammy neck and forehead.

"How are you feeling, Leo?"

"Like crap" Leo sighed, cheeks blushing because he couldn't stop himself from leaning onto Vince's touch, "I hate my fucking stomach."

"Me too, kid" Vince sighed, rubbing his shoulders as Lucas started the car back up, "Uhm, I got you a bag..."

It was a nice gesture, but it made Leo's stomach clench from the sheer humiliation, let alone the nausea. Why couldn't he be like the other two, just hanging out, having the time of their lives?

"Thanks" Leo mumbled, taking it and leaving it on his lap. He knew he was far from empty, even if he hadn't eaten much for breakfast, Jonah had made sure he ate more than one yogurt he was planning to have. Now he was regretting it.

Thinking of his boyfriend at least brought up the small ounce of relief that he wasn't around for such a pathetic display. Even if Jonah had seen him sick a million times before, at least this was one less.

His belly churned as Lucas pulled the car into the road and Leo kept his eyes shut. He wasn't sure if it was helping with the motion sickness, so he forced them to open, only to catch his two best friends in the act of silently communicating.

"You guys can speak about me out loud, thanks" Leo grumbled, wrapping an arm around his tender belly. It was nauseating and awful the fact that he could genuinely feel his bloated belly somersault under his arm.

"Just worrying about you, Leo" Vince sighed and kept petting his hair, "it's a long trip..."

Yes, six long hours and only one had passed. Just the thought that he still had five more hours of a car trip made his stomach turn unpleasantly, "please just punch me really hard..."

Vince chuckled, while Lucas pouted, "I don't think a concussion is really gonna help you on terms of feeling queasy, kiddo."

Leo chose to ignore the kiddo, just this once. He let out a groan and leaned his head back, into Vince's touch, "I'll just try to stay really still."

And he tried. He almost managed, pushing down the nausea for several minutes, letting out the tiniest burps that kept rolling up and tickling his throat, but bringing no real relief.

The car was silent now, the radio turned off and it was so quiet that all three guys could hear the rolling and churning of Leo's stomach. A gurgle made him cradle his belly and swallow in the acid tickling the back of his throat.

"Leo..."

"I'm- I'm fine..." he grumbled, getting a hand under his shirt and squeezing his tummy with his fingers. He burped, this one a real belch and felt something frothy claw its way up, "Ow..." he dizzily grabbed the bag in his lap, trying to get it open.

"Here, here" Vince reached in, despite the fact he was too big to keep squeezing himself in the tiny space between passenger and driver. He held up the bag for Leo, who grabbed it with both hands, leaning over it and trying not to puke.

He couldn't force his mouth to close, drool hit the plastic and he groaned loudly, no longer caring if he was embarrassing himself. Leo had the faint idea that Lucas and Vince were speaking about him, but he wasn’t sure what was being said, all that mattered was the growing sensation of being squeezed from his middle-

“UUURkk” he heaved and almost lost his grip on the bag. Vince’s hand cupped his forehead, keeping his head and aim steady and Leo gagged again, bringing up all of the remnants of his breakfast in one large gush that simply didn’t stop. Probably his dinner too.

 Oatmeal was the worst coming up, he decided, coughing and trying to get rid of the flakes in his throat, which kept triggering his gag reflex - He coughed up another torrent of liquid and the bag got heavy enough to sit on his lap and causing him to heave again, out of sheer disgust. 

“You’re empty” Vince was saying gently, “Leo, you’re empty, breathe.”

“Can’t” he gasped, eyes squeezed shut, “it’s in my thr-” he retched again and finally dislodged the little flakes which were making everything worse.

Leo’s hands trembled and he started to lower them, with the bag, only to feel Vince let go of his head to grab at it before all the vomit spilled over. He bunched it closed in one hand and Leo pressed his forehead to the car door. The wind was welcome against his face, wiping away the smell of puke that was making his stomach roil more.

“Leo?”

“I’m fine...” he mumbled dizzily, only for his shoulder to hitch and a small mouthful of puke to land on his shirt, “oh no...”

He heard Vince cursing something in italian, but Leo felt exhausted... And so queasy still, he couldn’t force himself to pay attention.

“Gonna be sick”

“You don’t have anything else to bring up, kiddo” Lucas said, only for Vince to snort.

“Don’t challenge him” Vince warned, holding the bag with one hand cupping Leo’s cheek with the other, “we need to stop, Luke, get a new bag, some napkins... Leo, hey,” he patted his cheek gently “stay in the land of the living.”

“I’m here” Leo turned his face, despite the droplets of puke clinging to his chin and buried his nose and eyes in Vince’s large palm, trying to block everything. He wanted the world to stop fucking twirling.

His belly felt like it was filled with liquid still, sloshing from side to side and he was so dizzy... His mouth watered and he groaned, gagging in Vince’s palm.

“Luke!”

“I’m pulling over, calm down!”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Vince scoffed and then the entire world came to a halt, chill air flooded the car as suddenly Leo was tipped forward, just as another rush of vomit came out of his mouth.

It stung his throat and nose, bile and water, nothing more. He hung awkwardly, half outside the car, half in and whined, unable to get it together.

“Okay” Lucas was saying, holding him put, “alright, new plan...” 

“Yeah?” Vince sounded eager to listen to the new plan. There was a beat of silence, interrupted only by Leo, retching again.

“Uhm,” Lucas sighed, “maybe get him lying down in the back, I’ll try to find a new bag and we can drive to a motel. There’s no way we’re making to New York with him in this state...”

“Noo” Leo whined,grabbing the door to force himself to sit up, “we’ll miss the concert.”

“Fuck the concert,” Lucas rolled his eyes, “who cares? Leo, you’re scari-”

“I care” Leo clenched his jaw, and yes he did. It hadn’t been cheap or easy to get the ticket, he was not Lucas Atwood who just got tickets sent to his household. He cared a fucking lot actually, “please.”

Vince groaned, “Lucas don’t fall for his puppy eyes.”

“Please” Leo repeated, turning to look at Vince, who immediately sighed, nodding his head.

“You’ll get yourself killed, kid.”

“I’m fine” Leo shook his head, before gagging softly “Well, I will be fine... Let’s not tell Jonah about this.”

“Lets” both boys agreed.  

[sweetlittleroses]

The Newcomers: the past

Pairing: Paul Lahote x Hispanic fem!reader( Connie)

Warnings: none

Summary: The arrival of new people was unique but now one knew how much they were going to throw the lives of many for a spin.

Author’s Note: Different works like this will be part of the same plot unless it’s said otherwise.Sorry again for uploading late but college is slowly killing me.

I watched as the droplets of rain hit and slid against the car window. It brought a small sense of peace at hearing the sound of the rain. I loved the sound rain and thunder but I especially loved it when it was cold. Looking outside the window I saw an endless amount of trees decorating the road.

On my left, my brother Danny, drove both of us to our destination. “We’re almost there”, he said. I finally realized of how close we were and looked up in time to see the sign saying “Welcome to Forks”. It felt weird to be coming to a new home and leaving many memories behind in Texas. Texas was a bipolar weather state with constant dry heat throughout the year and some coldness in the winter. But unlike Forks, there was a constant clear sky while Forks was gray.

As we passed by, I smiled at seeing Christmas decorations which helped bring a small pop of color to the wet town.

“How far are we?”, I asked. “We’re 30 minutes away”, he said as he continued to look at the road.

Danny was not my blood related brother but I called him that due to what we have gone through together. He was one year younger than me with being 21 years old. He was a combination of loyalty, protectiveness and strength but he had other traits such as shyness, humor, and comfort.

The quietness was cut short at the sound of honking behind us. A reckless driver but a known one. My other brother Eli. He is younger than both Danny and I, with being 20 years old and also not blood related. Eli can be described as fun and very outgoing ,but when faced with threatening situations, a switch flips.

Eli drove behind us but I could see as he laughed and waved at me through the mirror. With 20 minutes remaining to get to our destination, I decided to put some music to pass the time a bit quicker. We looked at one another before singing at the top of our lungs and before we knew it , we finally got to the place we would call our new home. La Push.

By what mom told me, it was a reservation for the Quilete Tribe and had resided many families for many years. My family was the only exception since they moved down to La Push just last year. They were what people called outsiders.

My parents had always wanted to live the American dream when they came from Mexico but for years they settled on living in Texas. However my mom always wanted to live in Washington and moved there at the first opportunity that made it possible. The closer we got to my parents home, the clearer the humongous house built in the middle stood out to us.

It was much bigger than what they previously owned back home and I smiled at what they owned now. I always wanted to protect my family and give them what they deserved for all the years they gave me, so I purchased the land and gave them the money.

Once the cars were parked, we stepped out the car to take in the place. Feeling the crunch of snow at the bottom of my feet caught my attention. I always wanted to see snow like this.

“ Wait for me”, Eli said as he got out his car. I chuckled a bit at seeing him almost trip. Danny on the other hand rolled his eyes before smiling. We noticed a cop car at the front which was a bit weird due to my family never having a run in with the law.

The closer we got, the more I noticed a man with a mustache and another man with long hair. It put us on high alert of what could have happened until I saw dad stepping out with his fishing gear.

At that moment, I broke into a run before tackling him with a hug. He was taken off guard at first until he realized it was me.

Dad, wasn’t my blood related parent. My blood related parent or sperm donor like I liked to call him was a coward. He abandoned my mom, older sister, and me when I was just a couple months old. The last thing he told my mom when he walked out on us, was that to never contact him again. Like a spineless coward he tried to come crawling back once our lives became better. He was a parasite.

My true dad, Alan, was the man that stepped up when he saw us alone. He had his own hardships that he didn’t like to talk about. Dad has a pure heart and took in all of us. He is a man of a few words but when he speaks, he makes sure to tell us how proud he was of us.

“Hi dad!Te extrañé!”, I said as I hugged him tighter. He returned the hug with the same tight grip and didn’t let go for a couple of minutes. As he finally let go, he noticed Danny and Eli, before they both ran themselves and tackled him with their own hugs. Danny being taller than my dad picked him up a bit before they bursted out laughing.

Meanwhile they had their moment, I turned my attention to the people in the car. They both seemed shocked by the scene.

The man on the driver side, regained his composure before asking my dad “ Alan, who are they?”

“Mis hijos” he said.

As I made eye contact with the guy driving he mentioned his name, “Hi guys, I’m Charlie Swan”. “And this grumpy man next to me is Billy”. Charlie had a sense of awkwardness while Billy seemed serious.

When I moved my eyes to Billy, it seemed like he was observing us, and seemed he couldn’t rust us. Once he snapped out of it,he said, “Hey kids, like this old man said, I’m Billy” and offered it with a welcoming smile.

Danny and I both nodded but to put a nicer front we gave them both a small smile. On the other hand, Eli quickly introduced himself before shaking Billy’s hand furiously. “Nice to meet you sir!”

“Well it was nice meeting you, but we are going to head out before it gets too late. Oh, and before I forget Alan don’t forget next week is another fishing trip” and like that he drove off in his cruiser.

When they disappeared from sight, Danny turned to dad chuckling “¿Quien son ellos?”

“ Son unos amigos” he said chuckling back and headed inside the house.

“Let’s get our bags and say hi to everyone”, as I turned around just in time to catch Danny taking a hit from his vape. I quickly smacked him in the arm which caused Eli to laugh.

“Ow, why you hit me?”

“Because we are here and you know how mom hates drugs especially any smoking!”

Danny realized his mistake and looked apologetic while he tried to put it away. As he was putting it in his pocket, Eli snatched it real quick before taking one hit himself and then passed it to me.

“ Remember we can do what we want but don’t get caught”.

As I said that I took one hit before the front door of the house opened quickly. Mom stepped out along with my sister as they both smiled and ran to us. Danny and Eli looked a bit panicked at me as I tried to hold it in. My sister ran to me first as she shouted “Sis” and hugged me with a tight hug.

My sister, Gabby, was the oldest of my brother and I. She was my blood related sister and took care of me when our parents were away for work. Like many other siblings we fought a lot but as we grew, we became very attached that we would do anything for one another. I love her with all my heart and she deserves the world.

As we hugged I looked behind her and saw how my mom hugged both Eli and Danny. She gave them a tight hug and kissed them on the cheek. Both of them returned the same hug.

When they broke their hug, Gabby went and hugged both of them while my mom grabbed me in a bone crushing hug.

“Mi niña, ya regrésate. ¿Como te sientes? ¿Dónde han estado?”

My mom, Lisa, was a fiery woman. She worked hard for many years to provide for us no matter if sick or tired. She was a fighter, who cared about her family and had a strong spirit. We inherited that strong spirit from her which sometimes caused us to bump heads.

All I could do was nod as she asked questions. The smoke was becoming unbearable and alI I wanted to do was breathe it out. My sister noticed the look in my eyes before calling the attention of my mom. As my mom turned around, I let all the smoke out. Danny and Eli were trying hard to laugh as I quickly swiped the smoke out the air.

“ Come! A comer!”, my mom said as both my sister and her walked back to the house.

“ In a bit. Vamos a garrar nuestras cosas!”, Eli shouted as we turned back to the cars. We took some time taking all our bags out and parking the cars correctly. Both Eli and Danny hurried quickly inside to get warm and knew mom had made ponche.

I laughed at their competitiveness to get inside to get food and say hi to the rest of the family. Climbing the steps of the porch, I froze as a tingling feeling went through my body and the hairs of the back of my head stood up. Turning quickly, I looked behind me, and looked across the rows of trees. I looked for a while before catching the glimpse of an animal running away.

I jumped at the sound of my mom shouting to close the door, and I did.

_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

A red and orange fur wolf ran past many trees. The wind passed through its fur like a feathered kiss. It seemed like it was on a mission, running through the grass and mud till it finally reached its destination.

The wolf turned from animal to man and dressed itself before opening its door to his home.

“Dad I’m back!”, the man shouted. As he closed his door and made his way to the kitchen, his father waited for him. He joined the table and finally asked him.

“ Why did you want me to check on them, dad?”, Jacob said as he looked at his dad.

Billy looked at his mug for what felt like minutes until he looked at Jacob.

“ I don’t know son. Something about them just felt off. It felt like they presence held a lot of power”

“ Well they didn’t seem dangerous or different” Jacob said before laughing to himself.

“ Didn’t know there was more children of Alan and Lisa”

His smile wore off a bit seeing the serious expression on his father. “Dad, maybe you thought wrong. They didn’t seemed threatening like the Cullens”.

“ I know son, but something tells me they are going to be part of something big.”, Billy said as he looked at Jake.

“If it makes you feel better, I can bring some of the the guys on the next fishing trip and be on alert if anything happens.” Jacob said as he stood up a put his hand on his father’s shoulder.

Billy thought about it before nodding. His son’s reassurance still didn’t get the feeling that something was off about the children.

______________________________________________

“Te extrañe”- I missed you

“Mis hijos” - My kids

¿“Quien so ellos?”- who are they

“Son unos amigos” - they’re friends

“Mi niña, ya regrésate. ¿Como te sientes? ¿Dónde han estado?” - my girl, you came back. How do you feel? Where have ya‘ll been?

“A comer”- let’s eat

[summercreolefanfictioner]

006.   a funhouse’s room of mirrors .

For Reiji or perhaps Laito?

A/N: well, I know you're a Reiji stan but let's give the spotlight to Laito in the meantime lol

mirror, mirror on the wall, who am I facing, after all? || laito (feat. ayato and kanato)

You never thought there was something weird in this room. After all, it was just a room filled with mirrors that provide distorted reflections—some making you smaller than you appear to be while there are others that emphasized one of your body parts.

But when you had your fill of fun with your distorted reflection, one of them suddenly smiled—no. It wasn't a smile. A smile is supposed to be genuine and with no hint of malice. This one had every evil intention that you've perfectly crafted on your prey. A smile that says, "Oh, darling, you are so going to get what you paid for."

You decided not to mind the reflection and let it get to you. This was another one of the funhouse's magic tricks of getting into your brain and ensuring you would be left confused and questioning how the hell this all happened.

But before you could walk far, the reflection said, "How boring. To think a fake pervert like you could give us some entertainment."

Now that made you stop. For all intelligence you have, your pride tops stronger than that. To hell with knowledge and indifference. No one gets to tell you you're a fake pervert.

Even if it's yourself.

"Excuse me?" you emphasized in a mocking tone. "You're the ones who are fake."

"That isn't true," chided the other reflection, the one with a bigger stomach but small thin legs, "You think that little erotic charade of yours will protect you."

The tiny reflection, the one with a small body cackled, "What? This fucker thought it will protect him? Is he sick or something?"

And soon, all reflections started to laugh at you. It was as if you were the darkest comedy they have seen. As if you were a laughable sorry ass of a vampire.

You frowned at that, your brow raising in a challenging manner.

"I. Am. Not. A. Fake. One," you defended (well, it wasn't your first time doing this so who are you kidding, Sakamaki Laito?)

But they only laughed at you. Oh, you poor, poor thing. You think they would be fazed because you're a vampire prince and can take down an enemy by breaking down their emotional defenses? Sakamaki Laito, don't make these reflections laugh. They have no feelings.

Just like you.

Yes. Just like you.

"Is it true you tried to kill me?" the familiar voice of young Ayato sounded in the room, making you turn around to see a kid version of your older brother stare at you in disbelief and disappointment.

You only smiled. "Now, why would I do that, Ayato-ku—"

"Is my singing voice not to your liking?" another familiar voice of young Kanato asked, his presence in the mirror beside Ayato making him known.

You were confused. First, your reflections. Now, you're seeing your brothers' younger selves. "I—"

"What's the matter, Sakamaki Laito? Cat got your tongue?" your reflections collectively asked you, their voices ranging from low to high pitch and distorted. "You're a man of many words. You should put them to good use."

"Why do you hate me?!" Ayato half-yelled at you, stomping his feet as if to get your attention. "What did I do to you?"

"You weren't there, Laito," Kanato reminded, purple eyes hollow and empty. "I had to watch them all, and you two... you left me to fend on my own."

"Then what exactly do you want me to do?!" you asked, frustrated that they would put the blame on you. "You two didn't know what it's like..." memories come rushing in, that vile person touching you in ways you couldn't even fathom, (oh, fuck, you can even puke right now in disgust) "you two didn't even get to taste how it felt—"

The Ayato in the mirror jumped out, lunging straight at you to choke your neck. His looks could kill you. He'll probably snap your neck right now.

"Are you telling me your suffering is greater than ours?"

Kanato also jumped out from the mirror, his face donning an expression that says: "So, this is what's been on your mind all along."

"I had to suffer those nightmares, Ayato-kun!" you defended, gripping his hands around your neck so you could breathe, only for him to hold them tighter. "You and Kanato had the advantage! You two have everything. Especially you! You and your pure heart and kindness."

Ayato stopped at that, the reflections on the mirror awaiting his next response. The next thing, Kanato punched you in the face, and all the distorted reflections started coming onto you, surrounding you as if you were facing the ultimate judgment in this funhouse.

They will be the end of you.

Your madness and envy will kill the last fucking shit out of you.

Afterward, they turned into shadows, mouths wide open as they cackle at the poor excuse of a fake pervert like you. How dare you? You have no right. All of them, and this room, and you—all of them will disappear and no one will know.

Fascinating, isn't it—

"Oi Laito!" Ayato called his attention, confused as to why Laito had been standing in front of a distorted reflection for a long time. "Earth to Laito!"

Laito was startled, blinking twice to check if he was seeing things right. So he was just in this mirror room... like nothing happened to him. No one was choking him to death or laughing at him.

It was just his imagination.

"Laito, hurry up or we're going to leave you," Kanato called his attention, hugging Teddy to his chest as he stuffs his face on it.

"Yeah!" Ayato agreed. "I saw a takoyaki stall near here. We should stop by there."

Kanato made a wrenching face in disgust. "Ayato, we've been having takoyaki since earlier."

The redhead clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Oh, shut up! I am not going to that pinky swirly sweet wonderland of yours."

"Hey—"

Laito clapped his hands to stop the two from arguing. "Enough of that, you two! We should just eat takoyaki first, then we could stop by a nearby desserts shop to buy some sweets on our way."

Seeing as the two seemingly had a silent truce, the triplets started to walk out of the mirror room, with Laito having an expression of relief.

It was just his imagination, right?

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Right.

[stiltonbasket]

Omg idk if ur still taking asks for the soulmate au where u know when ur soulmate laughs, but I would love some Wangxian figuring out that their soulmates and laughing at how stupid they are!! I don’t think it has been done before, but if it has maybe just some Wangxian fluff after they figure out they’re soulmates? Thanks xx

"No wonder I couldn't look away from you at the Cloud Recesses," Wei Wuxian sniffles, wiping his eyes on Lan Zhan's shoulder. "I've been missing you all my life."

Lan Zhan hugs him even tighter, as if he were trying to squash their two bodies into one to keep them from ever being parted again, and kisses the top of Wei Wuxian's forehead. "The fault was mine, beloved. I felt every moment of your joy from the day you were born, and I knew my zhiyin was my match in strength and almost exactly my age. Who else could it have been but you?”

Wei Wuxian blinks. “You knew how old I was?” he asks wetly. “How, Lan Zhan?”

“When I was a baby, Shufu was able to tell the difference between my own laughter and the kind that mirrored yours. He noticed me mirroring your laughter shortly after my first birthday, so he guessed that my soulmate must have been only a little younger than I was.”

“So far back as that!” Wei Wuxian wails. “Lan Zhan, my love—!”

“I was heartbroken when I met you, and saw you with that mourning sash around your waist,” Lan Zhan breathes, taking Wei Wuxian’s face between his hands and staring so deeply into his eyes that he feels as if he might faint. “Heartbroken for you, and more so for myself. I wanted you to be mine.”

“Oh!”

Wei Wuxian is crying now, sobbing onto Lan Zhan’s neck like a child. “I stopped mourning when you came to me, sweetheart. I spent almost ten years in mourning, and that night we first crossed swords in the Cloud Recesses, it felt as if my heart had woken up again. Did you know that, my darling?”

“Yes. Yes!” whispers Lan Zhan. “I would have forsaken my fated one for you, if we were not bonded. If I met my mingding zhiren, and we recognized one another, I would have begged forgiveness on my knees, but I could never have sworn myself to them. Never!”

He chokes and bursts into laughter, and Wei Wuxian feels the ring of it low in his belly, burning like a little white star against Mo Xuanyu’s golden core.

“I was a fool, qinai. How much I made you suffer! I should have known!”

Wei Wuxian nuzzles his cheek, smiling through his tears. “Me, too! Aiyah, fujun, if you had laughed in front of me just once before my jindan went, then perhaps...”

At that, Lan Zhan leans down and kisses him full on the mouth, leaving Wei Wuxian’s poor singed legs too weak to support him. “Call me fujun again, Wei Ying,” he murmurs, “and I will not be made responsible for whatever I do next.”

Wei Wuxian pouts, batting half-heartedly at Lan Zhan’s arm even as his lips tilt upward, seeking his beloved’s soft face all over again. “You won’t take responsibility for your niang zi?” he teases, running a sweat-damp finger down his zhiji’s cheek. “You lived with me for a year without the benefit of marriage, took such liberties with me in the middle of a dusty road where anyone could find us, and you even—”

“A-Yuan lived with us back then,” Lan Zhan reminds him, “and I would never have dared cross lines with you before we took our bows. But regarding the present, what liberties have I taken? Did you not wish to be kissed?”

“Well, maybe I didn’t! You didn’t ask me, so how could you know?”

“En, you are right. I wouldn’t.”

His eyes darken further still, ripping a shallow, gasping breath from Wei Wuxian’s lungs as he presses them back against a sturdy tree, securing Wei Wuxian’s quivering body between the trunk and his own warm chest.

“Wei Ying?” he hums, setting Wei Wuxian’s ears aflame. “May I kiss you?”

“Oh, you impossible man! Yes!” Wei Wuxian shouts; but the shout is a shout of laughter, vibrating between them like a sunbeam dancing endlessly between a pair of mirrors until Wei Wuxian starts crying again.

“Where to now?” he asks at last, after Lan Zhan mops the tears away with his own silver-trimmed sleeves. “What about Zewu-jun and Jingyi? And our A-Yuan?”

“A-Yuan will be safe with Wen Ning, and Brother and A-Yi have one another to confide in. Nie Huaisang will look after them both until we see them again.”

“Then what about us?”

“We can go wherever you like, my love. I would follow you to the ends of the earth, if you ever wanted to see them.”

So they go, spending the next few days and nights making up for a week’s worth of lost sleep, and leaving Yunping for the wild lands between Yunmeng and Baling when they feel rested enough to travel again.

It is as blissful a honeymoon as the one Wei Wuxian used to dream of before his death, for Lan Zhan took him to husband at the first roadside temple they found, where they made their bows to heaven and earth with a wizened old monk as witness; and then, after five honey-sweet fortnights spent in near-total seclusion, Wei Wuxian packs up his meager belongings and follows his new husband back to the Cloud Recesses.

Zewu-jun greets them at the top of the great stair leading into the compound, looking much healthier than he was when they parted in Yunping. He embraces Wei Wuxian before he can try to bow, calling him difu and A-Xian and Xian-didi until Lan Zhan blushes and pulls Wei Wuxian out of the Lanshi, which is when Lan Qiren appears to offer his congratulations.

“Three bows in a temple do not a marriage make,” he scolds, after Wei Wuxian assured him that Lan Zhan had refused to break the sect precept about promiscuity, not even daring to speak of love-making until they were well and truly wed. “It is some comfort that you took the bows, but there must be a wedding banquet and a proper ceremony here in the bridegroom’s household before the sect will consider you husband and wife.”

He glares at Wei Wuxian from the corner of his eye, reminding him so much of a little Lan Zhan that he smothers a grin in his collar. “I don’t suppose you two would agree to live apart until the wedding day? This month is an auspicious one, so Xichen and I can have it arranged in the next three weeks.”

“I would rather not, Shufu,” Lan Zhan says. “We will honor any wedding arrangements you and Xiongzhang choose, but I have married my beloved sixteen years later than I hoped to, and now all I desire is a peaceful home and a shared hearth with Wei Ying at my side.”

Lan-xiansheng clears his throat. “Well, I can’t argue with that,” he says gruffly. “Go on then, A-Zhan. Don’t let this old uncle keep you.”

And with that, he turns on his heel and flaps back into the Lanshi, ringing the bell for afternoon classes until a gaggle of infant disciples comes toddling up the path.

Wei Wuxian’s eyes grow damp at the sight of them, for it seems like only yesterday that A-Yuan was this small, clinging to his hands and refusing to walk when Lan Zhan brought him down to the market in Yiling; but then he remembers that Lan Zhan is beside him, his partner in all things, and that Lan Zhan wants to raise another little one as badly as Wei Wuxian does.

“Someday,” Lan Zhan vows, kissing the back of his hand. “I promised you, Wei Ying.”

Someday is not so far away, for the Jingshi will be home to a pepper-loving whirlwind of a baby within the next two years, and Wei Wuxian, once called only Wei Ying, and A-Die, will soon become A-Niang. But for now, the house is quiet and still, and Wei Wuxian and his dear Lan Zhan are the only ones in it.

There is water boiling on the stove for tea, and white rice simmering in a cauldron for porridge. Someone even filled the cottage with fresh flowers before they arrived, in anticipation of Hanguang-jun’s imminent return: and best of all, there are two pairs of quilted slippers set beside the bed, which has been freshly made up with clean sheets and blankets. 

“Well!” Wei Wuxian whispers, leaning over to brush his lips over Lan Zhan’s forehead.

“I can hardly believe it, sweetheart. We’re home!”

[apoemaday]

I Sing the Body Electric; Especially When My Power Is Out

by Andrea Gibson

This is my body I have weather veins They’re especially sensitive to dust storms and hurricanes When I’m nervous my teeth chatter like a wheelbarrow collecting rain I am rusty when I talk--it is the storm in me

The doctor said some day I might not be able to walk It’s in my blood like the iron My mother is as tough as nails, she held herself together The day she could no longer hold my niece she said “Our kneecaps are our prayer beds Everyone can walk farther on their kneecaps than they can on their feet”

This is my heartbeat Like yours, it is a hatchet It can build a house, or tear one down My mouth is a fire escape The words coming out don’t care that they are naked There is something burning in here When it burns, I hold my own shell to my ear Listen for the parade when I was seven The man who played the bagpipes wore a skirt He was from Scotland--I wanted to move there Wanted my spine to be the spine of an unpublished book My fate, the first and last page

The day my ribcage became monkey bars For a girl hanging on my every word They said “you are not allowed to love her” Tried to take me by the throat And teach me I was not a boy I had to unlearn their prison speak Refuse to make wishes on the star on the sheriff’s chest I started wishes on the stars in the sky instead

I said to the the sun “Tell me about the big bang” The sun said “it hurts to become”

I carry that hurt on the tip of my tongue And whisper bless your heart every chance I get So my family tree can be sure I have not left You do not have to leave to arrive I am learning this slowly

So sometimes when I look in the mirror My eyes look like the holes in the shoe of the shoe shine man My hands are busy on the wrong things Some days, I call my arms wings While my head is in the clouds

It will take me a few more years to learn Flying is not pushing away the ground Safety is not always safe You can find one on every gun I am aiming to do better

This is my body My exhaustion pipe will never pass inspection And still my lungs know how to breathe Like a burning map Every time I get lost behind the curtain of her hair You can find me by the window Following my past to a trail of blood In the snow

The night I opened my veins The doctor who stitched me up asked me if I did it for attention For the record, if you have ever done anything for attention, This poem is attention Title it with your name It will scour the city bridge every night You stand kicking at your shadow Staring at the river It does not want to find your body Doing anything but loving what it loves So love what you love

Say this is my body It is no ones but mine This is my nervous system My wanting blood My half tamed addictions My tongue, tied up like a ball of Christmas lights If you put a star on the top of my tree, Make sure it’s a star that fell Make sure it hit bottom like a tambourine Cause all these words are stories

For the staircase to the top of my lungs Where I sing what hurts And the echo comes back Bless your heart Bless your body Bless your holy kneecaps They are so smart You are so full of rain There is so much growing Hallelujah to your weather veins Hallelujah to the ache To the pull To the fall To the pain Hallelujah To the grace And the body and every cell of us all