#2019 dodge

[ladyluscinia]

Pondering whether or not Art would actually retire at the end of the season (especially if the US Open win eludes him again) if their throuple negotiation gives him his fire back for real 🤔

Like I could see it either way - "it's embarrassing to still be doing this shit when you're forty" is not actually a nail in the coffin for a guy that's 31 and still has a lot of 30s left for his 30s retirement. He does probably want to eat burgers and spend time with his family, but also you don't get 7 Grand Slam trophies if you don't historically want that too. Dude was in a depressed downswing. Seems a bit early to declare him terminal, even if he's weighing the option.

Though I suppose he gets a sabbatical whether he wants it or not 🤣

Deeply ironic that whatever the throuple decides to do - Art keeps playing another season, Art retires and Tashi coaches Patrick, Tashi coaches both, surprise late-career pivot to doubles - someone and probably multiple someones will be thinking "2020 is my year" and then. Well.

[coloredsnowo]

wait can you please explain the bizly stuff?

Okay this is gonna be the last time I talk abt this, as i dont like engaging in discourse the way I used to

When I was 14, around 2019, I was very active in the jrwi discord server. Id VC daily, and at that time bizly, condi, and jared (if you dont know who he is thats a whole nother thing) would be in VC with the members frequently.

The person who was there the most was Bizly (19 at the time), and we would VC several days a week because I was on summer vacation and had a lot of free time. We’d even play minecraft together, and at one point we even played a DnD session together.

One day I needed to send him a minecraft link but i couldnt because we werent friends on discord. This led to him sending me an invite and saying something along the lines of “i sent you a request, we’re friends- aren’t we?”

We remained ‘friends’ and he’d even tell me when he’d send my art into the jrwi gc

then in december when I was making christmas icons bizly dmd me

Once I finished the designs, he ghosted me. This was really intense for me because I was 14 and was led to believe i had some sort of friendship.

This isnt me canceling them, because they all have realized that they need to be careful about how they interact with their fans and are way more professional than they used to be. That being said, their previous behaviors still affected some older fans. Just as people are allowed to say theyve grown, the people affected are allowed to not forgive.

It is the reason I lost interest in jrwi- its honestly just personal beef with one of the creators.

Im putting it on tumblr one last time, mainly because i dont want rumors spread. I am not going to engage with anyone about this. Like i said I have left the fandom and do not want to interact with it anymore.

That being said, its what got me into dnd, i met some of my best friends through it; I dont expect people to not like it just because i have personal beef with one of the creators

[rabbitcruiser]

“The Blues Brothers” premiered in Chicago on June 16, 1980.    

[viper-motorsports]

Team Zakspeed begins the 2019 VLN season piloting their newly acquired N°13 Dodge Viper GT3-R through the Nürburgring DE in the 2019 ADAC Westfalenfahrt.

[bobbie-robron]

I’m just supersensitive to these things ever since I found out my brother had slept with my wife the night before our wedding day.

25-Jan-2019

[nervousenby]

Playing Blasphemous and I *still* haven’t gotten past Our Lady of The Charred Visage. It’s been like a week of me fighting this bitch, losing multiple times, having to take anti-rage-quit breaks, coming back the next day, AND LOSING AGAIN. AND AGAIN.

[xitty]

Even though they filmed these just for the wedding venue promo video in Ring.A.Bell story, they still chose something that'd fit/be important to them (see Keito being "I'm blunt and nag but I care about you" and Leo making comparisons to music/composing and so on). So, what do you think when you see Eichi's? Quite naturally, this scene when Wataru called his name.

[proudheron]

intrusive memory while working out (the gym overlooks the pool) of always being the very last in swimming lessons to finish my laps (even though i was 13 and the rest of the kids were 10 (because i could not learn the breaststroke for the life of me and repeated the same grade over and over))

and i really felt ashamed of being so weak and slow, and because i was 13 and forming my identity i came to understand myself as fundamentally weak

EXCEPT now that i am 31 i can view the situation in context, which is that i was eating like 200 calories at breakfast, 50 at lunch, and 500 at supper, and wasn't allowed to have seconds or eat outside of mealtimes. of course i'll be bad at swimming 20 laps if i'm starving, jesus christ. i wasted so many years thinking i was inherently less athletic than everyone around me. i was just HUNGRY

[thomasjosh230]

The 2019 Dodge Ram 2500 bumper from Bumper Only is a powerful and capable truck that is known for its impressive towing and hauling capabilities. Its bold and rugged looks make it stand out on the road, while its spacious and comfortable interior ensures a smooth ride for both the driver and passengers.When it comes to aftermarket upgrades, BumperOnly offers a wide range of front and rear bumpers for the 2019 Dodge Ram 2500. These bumpers are designed to enhance the truck's appearance and provide added protection on and off the road. Whether you're looking for a sleek and stylish bumper or a heavy-duty off-road bumper, BumperOnly has options to suit your needs.

[bamperonly]

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[echoesofdusk]

im so glad I didn't buy shin megami tensei v

[viper-motorsports]

The DMV Münsterlandpokal finale of the Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring (VLN) season heralded the return of Zakspeed’s N°13 Dodge SRT Viper GT3-R in the last race of 2019 on the Nordschleife DE.

[motorsportbarbie13]

What's A Soulmate? - Part 1

In which something magical begins.

Warnings: none, just a bit of mutual pining. but this will be an angsty one i think. Pairing: Lando Norris X SainzSister!Reader Words: 2.6k

Master List

(a/n: new series alert! friends to lovers featuring lando norris. this one will be several parts spanning from 2019 to present day. I've tried my hardest to make sure the timeline/race results are accurate but I may have adjusted something to make it work a bit better for the story line. this is a total work of fiction, purely for entertainment.)

February 2019 

Woking, Surry, England

“This is not going to be a year of partying and laziness, Chiquita.” Carlos throws you a sidelong glance as he pulls his new McLaren into a parking spot early one February morning. “You are here with me to work, not spend your gap year playing.” 

“If I’m here to work, then you can’t me ‘little girl’ while we’re here, Carlos.” You bite back, hauling your tote bag from the floor of the low slung sports car. 

Carlos chuckles, throwing his arm around your shoulder as you both begin the walk into his new workplace: the McLaren Technology Center. “Fair enough, Chiquita.” 

Last spring, you had graduated from high school and had spent one miserable semester at the University of Madrid in the fall before dropping out just a few months ago. 

Carlos dodges the swat that you aim at his bicep, taking a few quick steps ahead of you as you approach the front door of the large white building. The sprawling MTC is an intimidating building and you knew that if you hadn’t been here with Carlos, there was no way you’d be able to find your way. 

After spending a few listless months bouncing from Carlos’ couch in Monaco back to your parent’s estate in Spain, they had laid down the law. You needed to figure out what you were going to do for the foreseeable future if going back to University wasn’t in the cards for you at the moment. They were fine with you not going back to uni right away, in fact, they encouraged you to take a gap year but they expected you to do something productive with your life while you figured out what you wanted to do. 

And that had been when your older brother had entered the chat. He had finished third year as a Formula 1 driver a few months ago and would be changing teams come the new season in March. In December, he had parted ways with his long time assistant, who wanted to spend more time with her new husband and less time traveling. Carlos and you had always been the closest of the four Sainz siblings despite the six year age gap (his 25 years to your 19) so it had been the most natural thing in the world to have you be his assistant and social media manager for the 2019 F1 season. 

Up until today, Carlos had been attending pre-season meetings and putting time in at McLaren’s sim setup by himself but you had arrived at his flat five minutes from the MTC yesterday, suitcases in hand, ready to get started as your brother’s assistant. It had been ages since the two of you had spent this much time together and while you were mostly excited to spend the year traveling and reconnecting with your big brother, there was a bit of trepidation and anxiety sitting in your chest as you walked through those sliding glass doors this morning. 

You were barely 19 after all, little real world experience and you knew absolutely no one in this entire country beyond your brother. All of your friends were attending university in other countries, far away from the world you now found yourself in. Yes, you were excited but you were also insanely nervous. 

Carlos leads you down a long hallway, lined with trophy cases filled with motorsport winners trophies on one side and sleek F1 cars on the other. It was an entire shrine to McLaren history, of which there was a lot, and you were in awe as you followed after your brother. “Where are we going?” You ask as he turns down another quiet hallway, convinced you’d be utterly lost if Carlos asked you to show him how to get back to the front doors. 

“I have a little office tucked away back here next to Lando’s, I wanted to get you set up with the laptop and sync my calendar so you could get yourself ready.” 

You nod, ears perking up at the mention of your brother’s new teammate, Lando Norris. You knew a little about him from a few causal Google searches. He was 19 like you and this was his rookie season in Formula 1. From everything you read, he was a karting prodigy that had been signed by McLaren for a while and had been tapped to drive opposite of Carlos this year. Just knowing that there would be someone around the offices and on the road that was your age made the tight anxiety that sat in your chest ease just a touch, even if you two didn’t end up being more than acquaintances this year. 

Carlos hadn’t been lying about his ‘little’ office. It was barely more than a broom closet if you were being honest. Just enough room for a desk, a pair of chairs, and a bookshelf, but there was a large window that faced south so at least there’d always be sun spilling into the small space making it feel a little airier. 

You pull your MacBook out of the Dior tote Carlos had gotten you for your birthday last year as Carlos chatters away about schedules, press duties, and what he expected out of you. You listened carefully, taking notes in a little spiral bound notebook as you waited for your laptop to boot up. 

“Are you in here talking to yourself again, Carlitos?” 

Your head snaps up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and you find yourself smiling at the boy standing in the doorway. He’s a few inches taller than you, with short brown hair, and bright green eyes surrounded by thick black eyelashes. The deep tan of his skin surprises you a bit, considering its February in England and you hadn’t seen the sun since you left Spain yesterday. 

The boy’s face instantly sobers when he sees that your brother isn’t alone. “Oh, I’m sorry.” He blushes, hand coming to cup the back of his neck. “I didn’t realize you had a guest.” 

Carlos laughs, “This isn’t a guest. This is my sister, the one I was telling you about Friday. She’s going to be my assistant this year.” 

“Of course, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Lando.” 

You stand, crossing the small office in just 2 quick strides to shake Lando’s outstretched hand, “Nice to meet you too, Lando.” You say, polite smile playing on your lips. 

Lando turned around then, not wanting to intrude on the sibling time but also needing a moment to collect himself. He had known that you would be spending the season with your bother and that you two were around the same age but what he hadn’t prepared himself for was for how pretty you were. Your hair was even darker than your brother’s and it tumbled over your shoulders in layered waves that shined in a way that made Lando’s mouth go a little dry. Those dark eyes, round and doe eyed, threatened to swallow Lando whole and he’d barely spent more than a handful of seconds in your orbit.

He leaned against the door frame leading into his office, the sound of your laughter drifting through the walls. He had been used to the constant travel that was required of drivers of his caliber, having spent most of his teenage years on the road but all that time, he always had someone with him. His father, mother, manager. Someone that was ‘in charge’ of him and his schedule.

Now though? Now everything is different. He’s of age, a driver in the pinnacle league of his chosen sport, and totally alone. His friends are either jealous of his success or away at school and Lando often finds himself spending the entire weekend alone in his little flat down the road from the MTC. He was happy, of course, ecstatic that he had been given this chance by McLaren but the truth of the matter was, Lando Norris was quite lonely. 

As the image of your face flickered through his mind, Lando felt the tight grip of anxiety ease just a little bit. There was something so open about the way you had greeted him, something about how easy your laugh seemed to come, that told Lando that you were a good person, someone that would somehow be very important to him this year. 

“That is your teammates sister, mate.” Lando mutters to himself as he pushes off the door frame, making a beeline for the sim rig that was on the other side of the MTC, hoping that the time spent focused on racing would be enough to get your image out of his brain. 

April 2019 

Baku City Circuit 

“Lando, I swear to God if you’ve slept in again I’m ordering fish whenever I eat with you for the rest of my life.” 

Somewhere between Australia and China, you had morphed into not only Carlos’ personal assistant but also the assistant and babysitter of sorts to his stupid, idiotic, hilarious teammate. You adored the boy but most of the time he drove you to the brink of absolute madness. 

“I didn’t sleep in! My alarm didn’t go off!” Lando groans, breathless on the other end of the phone. 

“That is literally the same thing. I have one simple job here, Norris: get you and my brother to where they belong during race weekends and right now? You’re making me look like an amateur.” 

“I just got into the paddock, relax darling, no one is even remotely close to being fined by the FIA. I’ll be on the fan stage in five minutes, meet me there?” 

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you desperately try to will away the Landache, the term you’ve come up with when you get a headache caused by the Brit. “Fine.” You breathe. 

It’s your fourth race of the season and while Lando and your brother were seemingly hell bent on driving you to an early retirement, you had never been happier. Managing the busy schedule and life of now two Formula 1 drivers had come naturally to you. Engineers and mechanics in the garage were always a little in awe of your ability to keep the two drivers in line and where they needed to be when. The communications team at McLaren loved you because sometimes, you were the only one who would be able to get the Carlando, as the duo was coming to be known as, to behave. 

It was total chaos pretty much all of the time but you were thriving. You and Carlos were closer than ever, working tighter like a well oiled machine. But Lando and you? You two were the textbook definition of Partners In Crime. While you were the picture of professionalism on the track and during business hours, you were the other half of the chaos gremlin duo that terrorized half the grid. 

Right now though? Now the chaos gremlin was the perfect paddock princess that had to make sure her best friend and brother got to the right places on time. You round the corner of the back stage area, desperately searching for the mop of wavy brown hair covered by a papaya colored hat. 

“Lando!” You call, relieved when your dark eyes catch with a familiar pair light colored eyes. Today, they were an icy blue thanks to the bright desert sun of Baku. “I didn’t think I had to add ‘alarm’ to my list of race weekend duties.” You grouse, brushing at the dust on his team polo. 

Lando shakes his head, easy smile spreading across his face. “Am I late though?” 

You glare at him, “No.” You huff. 

“I would never make you look bad, pretty girl.” He winks and your stupid stomach does its traitorous little flip that it’s been doing lately. It’s disgusting. 

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Norris.” 

“And please welcome to the stage, McLaren drivers Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris!” The presenter calls from behind Lando’s shoulder, interrupting your sparring match. 

Lando gives you a wink before spinning around following your brother up the stairs of the stage. 

July, 2019

Germany 

“That was my fifth DNF this year.” The pain in Lando’s voice sends your stomach twisting. You follow behind him, hands wringing together, as he stalks down the hallway of the hotel in Germany. The race had finished up hours ago but Lando had just been released from media duties a bit ago. Carlos had been caught up in some post-race meetings so you had hitched a ride back to the hotel with Lando instead but now, as you followed his stiff frame stalk down the hall, you wondered if that had been a good idea. 

“Lando, it wasn’t your fault. Your car lost power, it’s not like you binned it into the wall or anything.” 

Reaching his room, Lando stops and pulls out the key before letting himself in. He leaves the door open though, indicating he wanted you to follow him. “I know that.” He groans, scrubbing his hands over his face. The hotel room is pretty normal where hotels are concerned, 2 queen sized beds dominate the space with a large flat screen tv on the opposite side. Lando flops down on the farthest bed, his eyes closed. 

“I’ve barely finished in the points yet this season. Haven’t had a sniffing chance at a podium. I feel like such a fucking fraud.” 

You had stopped just inside the door, wanting to give Lando some space as he had his tantrum but now, seeing how truly upset he is, you cross the carpeted floor and sit down next to your best friend. “Lan.” You coo, running your fingers through his hair, knowing how the scratches from your nails relaxes him. “Lan, it’s okay. You knew coming in, just like Carlos, that McLaren is in a bit of a rebuilding stage. This isn’t unexpected.” 

The problem with Lando is that he is utterly too hard on himself. You had clocked the fact quickly, by the time you had been landing in Australia for the first race of the season, you knew he needed to work on his confidence. 

“I know. I mean, I don’t know but I know that you know and I trust you enough to know that you know what you know is right.” 

Your head spins. “Pardon me?” 

Laughter spilling from your lips pops the bubble of tension in the room, Lando unable to keep the smile off his face either.

“You heard me.” He gripes, sitting up. “And I know -” He stops, glaring at you when you double over with laughter once again. “I know you understood me, you cheeky monkey.” 

“I’m sorry but I’m just so terrified by the fact that I did understand that whirlwind of a sentence and can’t decide how to process it.” You say, chest heaving from laughing so hard. “We’ve been spending too much time together.” 

Lando grabs the remote from your hand before turning on the movie you had both fallen asleep to last night before the race. “Are you going to be mean to me all night, or are we going to finish this movie?” 

You roll your eyes, but toe off your shoes before settling against the headboard of the bed, shoulder bumping with Lando’s as he joins you. “Pizza or sushi for dinner?” You ask, grinning because you already know the answer. 

“You’re an idiot.” 

“Love you too, Lan.” You counter, pulling out your phone to order some pizza. 

Tag List: @anilovessadbooks, @shelbyteller, @formulaal, @martygraciesversion381, @longhairkoo, @samantha-chicago, @stelena-klayley @dark-night-sky-99 @luckylampzonkland, @chlmtfilms , @inarabee @aykxz98 @forensicheart @cheer-bear-go-vroom @charlesgirl16

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[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

The Washington Post reported that administration officials informed Congress of the 100 foreign military sales to Israel in a classified briefing. Few details are known of the sales, because keeping each one small meant their contents remained secret, but they are reported to have included precision-guided munitions, small diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms and other lethal aid. The Arms Export Control Act makes significant exceptions for arms sales to close allies – a limit of $25m for ‘major defense equipment’, defined as big-ticket items that require a lot of research and development, but the limit rises to $100m for other “defense articles” like bombs. “This doesn’t just seem like an attempt to avoid technical compliance with US arms export law, it’s an extremely troubling way to avoid transparency and accountability on a high-profile issue,” Ari Tolany, director of the security assistance monitor at the Centre for International Policy thinktank, said. She added that, in exploiting the loophole, the Biden administration was following the steps of its predecessor. “They’re very much borrowing from the Trump playbook to dodge congressional oversight,” Tolany said. The state department office of the inspector general found that between 2017 and 2019, the Trump administration had made 4,221 below-threshold arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, worth an estimated total of $11.2bn.

[inkspiredwriting]

Flirt and Fight at the Sparrow Academy

Five Hargreeves x Fem!reader

Warnings: none

Five Hargreeves stood in front of the imposing Sparrow Academy mansion, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar facade. This was supposed to be their home, the Umbrella Academy, but instead, they had landed in the wrong timeline—one where the Sparrow Academy existed instead of their own.

"Ready?" Luther asked, his voice tense.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Five replied, leading the way into the house.

They barely made it through the door when they were met by the Sparrow Academy members, each one poised for a fight. The leader, Marcus, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"We're the Umbrella Academy," Luther said, standing his ground.

Before they could explain further, the Sparrows attacked. Five found himself facing off against a woman with sharp eyes and a confident smirk. Y/n, he heard someone call her. She moved with precision, her strikes quick and calculated.

Five blocked her attacks, but couldn't help but notice the way her eyes sparkled with challenge. "Nice moves," he said, dodging a particularly fast punch.

"Thanks," she replied, a grin tugging at her lips. "You're not too bad yourself."

Their fight was intense, but there was an undeniable chemistry between them. Every punch and kick was matched with a flirtatious comment, a sly smile.

"You always this charming in a fight?" Y/n asked, blocking one of his kicks.

"Only when I'm trying to impress someone," Five shot back, grinning.

Y/n's laugh was short but genuine. "Well, consider me impressed."

The battle raged on around them, but Five found himself almost enjoying the sparring with y/n. She was skilled, confident, and there was something about her that drew him in.

Eventually, the Hargreeves managed to escape the Sparrow Academy, regrouping outside. As they caught their breath, Diego noticed the distracted look on Five's face.

"What's up with you?" Diego asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

Five shook his head, trying to focus. "Nothing. Just... thinking."

"About that Sparrow chick?" Klaus chimed in, a teasing grin on his face. "I saw the way you two were flirting."

Five rolled his eyes. "We were fighting, Klaus. It's not the same thing."

"Sure didn't look that way to me," Allison added, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Can we focus, please?" Luther said, trying to bring the conversation back to their current predicament. "We need to figure out how to get back to our timeline."

But Five's thoughts kept drifting back to y/n. There was something about her that he couldn't shake, and it annoyed him how easily she had gotten under his skin.

"Come on, Five," Viktor said, nudging him. "We've got work to do."

"Right," Five muttered, trying to push thoughts of y/n out of his mind. But even as they walked away from the Sparrow Academy, he couldn't help but glance back, wondering when—or if—he'd see her again.

As they continued down the street, Klaus threw an arm around Five's shoulders, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, if this whole saving the world thing doesn't work out, at least you've got a new crush to think about."

Five shoved Klaus off, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. "Shut up, Klaus."

The journey back to their timeline would be fraught with challenges, but somewhere in the back of his mind, Five knew that y/n, the intriguing fighter from the wrong 2019, would be a thought he couldn't quite let go of.

[gotta-winwin]

2019 debut year <> cheers and accolades

word count: 2.8k TW: anxiety, hate italics are in english, bolded words are in mandarin -> formatting might be wonky on phone

It was the very moment when they finished performing and she stopped to catch her breath where she realized everything had been worth it. She could hear the crowd through her earpieces, their cheers sending a thrum of energy across the stage towards her. She reached over to where Joshua stood and clutched his hand tightly.

"Oh my god." She mumbled, mouth open at the sheer size of it all. If this was only for tv broadcast, she couldn't even imagine what a concert might feel like. She could feel her legs shaking from the rush of adrenaline. "Is this real?" She whispered, half to herself but more to Joshua.

Joshua let out a breathy laugh. "It's all real." He joined her as they both stared out into the vast sea of shining light sticks. "Take it in." He removed her left earpiece to say it into her ear, the crowd's roar making it hard to hear anything but. "It's all for you, nana."

She shook her head, although her eyes had welled up with tears. "They're here for all of us." She corrected him softly.

Looking out at the sea of people felt to her like looking at a checkpoint. She knew this wasn't the finish line, not even close, but the fact that she was on this stage proved she had what it took to get there. She wordlessly thanked past Cyana for all the suffering she'd gone through to get them here today. She spun around when she felt arms wrap around her waist, a sturdy chest coming to meet her back.

"They're loud, aren't they?" DK yelled into her ear, swaying from side to side.

Cyana let out a tiny laugh, jolting from the sudden proximity. "Yes." She breathed out, pushing DK's face away from her head. "You're loud."

She heard Joshua laughing from next to him. He had moved slightly away upon DK's arrival, giving the two of them some space.

DK released her, sending a frown. "You've gotten mean." He pouted, although his lips trembled to hide a growing smile.

"She's gotten comfortable." Joshua drawled, correcting the younger boy and throwing an arm lazily around Cyana. "It's a good thing."

DK nodded, a large smile overtaking his face and his arms began to open, signifying his urge for a hug. Having already predicted it, Cyana dodged quite gracefully out of the way as he came towards her. "Go hug Shua." She grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him towards Joshua. "Yes. That's good." She giggled when DK pulled Joshua roughly into his arms, much to his dismay. "Yes, hug each other." She was quite proud at her quick thinking.

"WAhhhh~"

A heavy weight landed against her chest, catching her off-guard. Hoshi had moved so fast she hadn't even seen him run towards her. He threw himself into her arms.

Letting out a deep sigh, she resigned to the affection begrudgingly, accepting defeat. "Soonyoung." She narrowed her eyes at the boy, who was adjusting his mic to not hit her neck. "Your back is going to hurt from the way you're bending."

"Worth it." He muttered into the crook of her neck. "You never let me hug you."

She patted his back awkwardly, feeling sort of bad. "Sorry, Soonie." She muttered back. "I suppose today can be an exception."

She felt him nod against her. "It's your debut day, of course it's an exception."

He hadn't said it very loudly but the comment seemed to have caught everyone's attention. Pulling themselves away from the edge of the stage where they had been interacting with fans, the rest of the boys crowded around where Cyana and Hoshi stood.

"Did I hear what I think I heard?” Jeonghan had a wicked smirk as he looked at Cyana, fully ready to take advantage of the current exception.

“YES!!” Hoshi yelled, nearly deafening the girl, who he was still latched onto.

Cyana’s eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. It happened within the second, as Cyana’s vision turned into one of limbs, shirts and fluffs of multicolored hair. She could imagine how silly they must’ve looked to the crowd, a pile of people clumped together in a poorly executed hug.

“Watch her bones, bro.” Jun called into the throng. “Don’t break her.”

"Ow- Mingyu, move your butt away from me!"

Cyana couldn’t help but giggle at the mess. She held onto what she assumed as Seungcheol’s arm and DK’s shoulder, trying to steady herself as she braced for inevitable impact.

“Oh, we’re going down.” Vernon muttered, his voice showing zero concern as they toppled towards the ground.

Cyana was grateful they’d all managed to roll away, landing a few steps away from her instead of on top of her. She got up and adjusted her skirt, her face red but smiling wide. Turning towards the crowd, she flushed, embarrassed as she waved and bowed, wordlessly thanking them for their support. Their stage time was up, and the organizers were calling them to leave the stage from their earpieces.

As they left, she could see from the corner of her eye a distressed and red-faced Wonwoo, making her frown. She had thought the moment was pretty endearing, no? What was his problem?

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"Cheers to Cyana's debut!"

The restaurant Seungcheol had reserved was in the heart of Seoul. Cyana had enjoyed the car ride over, as she stared out the window and enjoyed the peaceful silence tired boys resulted in - an energy that seemed to disappear the moment food arrived on the table.

"Cheers!"

She sat squished between Jun and DK, carefully watching the others as they all interacted. She was hyperaware of the fact that both Jun and DK had been sliding meat onto her plate whenever they thought she wasn't looking.

"Eat." Jun nudged her shoulder. "Grow tall."

She frowned down at the mountain of meat piled on top of her plate. "I've already finished growing."

Jun blinked, his expression showing plainly that he was making fun of her. "aw. that's too bad." He shot her a grin. "Eat. Maybe you'll start growing again!"

"If I keep eating everything you guys give me I'll be incapacitated by the time we go on tour, Huihui." Even as she complained she was still picking up a piece with her chopsticks, sniffing it before placing it in her mouth.

Jun laughed, refilling her drink. "I haven't poisoned the thing."

Cyana stuck her tongue out, earning another loud laugh from Jun.

She liked the atmosphere that circled around them, filling the room with warmth and overflowing happiness. She looked at her members around her and thought she could almost see a golden glow emitting from their grins, although it was probably just the yellow lighting the room had.

"Are you having fun?" DK asked suddenly, having been deep in conversation with his neighbours: Minghao, Vernon and Mingyu.

Cyana nodded, lightly clinking her glass with his. "So much fun." She admitted.

He seemed to nod in approval. "Good." He leaned his head down and bumped into gently with hers, as if in greeting. "You deserve it."

They'd (save for Wonwoo and Woozi) all been saying that to her recently. You deserve it. They'd say it about even the littlest things. It made her suspect Jeonghan had told them about their talk. She found she didn't really mind, being laid out and vulnerable in front of her members. It both pleased her and scared her.

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Seungcheol was on his way out the door when Cyana stopped him. Having just helped deposit a very drunk Hoshi and DK back to their respective rooms, the leader looked ready to head home and check out.

"Oppa." She reached out a hand to stop him before he could exit.

He turned around, tired eyes worried. "What's wrong?"

She blinked. "Nothing's wrong. I was just wondering if I could get my phone?" He had taken it from her since she had joined, wanting to protect her from the media's response at her joining Seventeen. He had yet to give it back.

He frowned. "Are you sure? I can keep it for longer."

"I'm sure." She shook her head. "I can handle it. Whatever it is."

He gave her a look over before sighing. "It's at my place."

"Oh." A part of her was disappointed. She had wanted to do some mindless scrolling tonight. She hadn't had time to even miss social media until now.

He must've sensed her sadness because he stepped aside, motioning her to put her shoes on. "Let's go get it. You can just stay over tonight."

"You're the best." She stooped to slide her shoes on, pausing when she felt Seungcheol place a jacket over her shoulders.

"Let's go." He moved quickly, leaving before she could even thank him. Blinking, she followed him out the apartment, locking the door before heading to his car.

"Can you drive?" She wondered aloud. He had been drinking with the others just an hour ago.

He nodded. "I knew I was driving home so I didn't drink as much." He unlocked the door. "Get in."

Seungcheol's place was clean. Cyana didn't really know what else she was expecting. A large aquarium fish tank perhaps, Seungcheol looked like he'd own one of those. Instead, his place was minimal and made it feel much larger than it probably was. She followed him wordlessly to his bedroom, watching as he opened a drawer and took out her phone.

"Here." He paused before handing it to her. "Are you sure?" He asked again, still not quite convinced. "The internet- it can be very cruel sometimes."

She nodded, taking it from him. She wanted to tell him she was no stranger to cruelty but felt like it would only bring another lecture and probably worry him more. "I'm fine, Cheol. Promise."

He gave her a resigned nod. "The guest bedroom's on the right, down the hall. Everything should be ready for you. Towels and toothbrush are all new." He moved to his closet and took out a tshirt and sweats, handing them to her. "Here. I assume you wouldn't want to sleep in the clothes you have on right now." He was right, her hoodie still smelled distinctly of Korean barbecue. "I doubt the pants will fit you but there's a drawstring." His ears had turned a shade of pink.

She thanked him, leaving before things could get too awkward. Showering and changing, she decided to just ditch the pants - the legs were too long and she didn't enjoy tripping wherever she went - his tshirt covered up to her knees anyways. Getting into bed, she turned on her phone and opened Instagram, scrolling to her debut announcement post and clicking the comment section.

numberonecarat wtf is pledis on?? we were kinda doing just fine?? melanie_joshuji wait...i lowkey like this idea tho scoupsthighs ain't no way they're sticking this poor girl into the midst of 13 boys ⭒ godofmusic no cuz you're so right she's gonna get ripped to shreds loviehannie not my boys wtf 😭 atiny4life kpop is insane nowadays omg yukilovesdino guys she's so pretty let's be kind! huihui&me isn't she from disney?

Cyana kept scrolling.

borahaeu not even a carat but i'd hate if this to happened to my ults lunawonders so clearly scoups fought the company and lost cuz my guys would never stand for this dinoisme the thought of baby dino even touching this girl is making me ill ⭒ kpopstan1 ok buddy. parasocial much? haoswife is it just me or is she so ugly im so sorry

Making a face, she swiped out, moving on to search up their debut stage. It had been broadcasted and then posted onto youtube. The comments weren't much better.

anonymouscarat girl thought she ate markeuwife don't even stan this group but they're talent is being wasted performing with her svteveryday pleasantly surprised, the boys did really well! nanapookie considering changing my acc name - it's for jaemin but i'd hate to be mistaken as a cyana supporter eatacookie stick to acting. taetaefm guys...she lowkey did rlly well tho? dollynon i had to pause and take a breath after their encore stage cause wtf was that dksbelly the group hug was so cute! ⭒ thisistherealme nah she needs to stop being such a pick me ⭒ dinosgamingskills fr like get away from hoshi!! 😠 ⭒ wonwooai we literally could've gotten jun to sing her part and it would've slapped cyanagotu don't listen to the haters girl! i got u ⭒ anonymouscarat you won't be saying that when she starts getting into dating scandals and ruining svt

Cyana closed the tab and shut off her phone, throwing it somewhere next to her on the bed. Perhaps Seungcheol had been right. Perhaps the phone would've been better staying in his possession for a little while longer. Getting up, she blinked the tears that had been beginning to form away.

"Cheol?" She padded across the hallway and knocked lightly on his door.

He opened it not a second later. "Cyana?" His voice was rough and concerned. He pushed open the door wider, moving back to let her step in. "What's going on?"

She held out her phone. "I think maybe you were right." She whispered. "I can't handle it."

He sighed, taking it back and moving to put it away again. "I'm sorry." His shoulders sagged as he sat down on the corner of his bed. "I wished it wasn't like this."

She shrugged, now more worried about him then herself. She was able to look at him properly now, noticing for the first time the harsh worry lines and bloodshot eyes. His hands were trembling slightly and he shivered occasionally despite the warmth. "Are you sick?" She asked, reaching out a hand to touch his forehead.

He drew his head back before she could make contact. "I'm fine."

"You're not."

The two stared at each other in a standstill, neither budging.

"You're not fine." Cyana insisted, strongly this time. It was so obvious he wasn't.

He let out a loud sigh, getting up to usher her out his room. "I'm fine, Cyana. Don't be so stubborn." He gently pushed her towards the hallway.

She frowned at how cold his hands were when he touched her back, trying to push her out. "Seungcheol." She glared up at him, standing her ground.

"God, Cyana." He threw his head back, annoyed. "Just go to bed. I'm fine. Just tired from today."

Turns out their leader was just as stubborn as she was, Cyana realized, much to her dismay. Grumbling nonsensical complaints towards Seungcheol, Cyana pushed past him back into his room, sitting down on the side of his bed. Turning to him with her arms crossed, she watched as he stared at her, confused. "Well, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight not knowing if you're okay." She said angrily, although she was just trying to play off how worried and scared she was. "So I'll stay here." She moved to the tiny couch that stood in front of the bed. "Make sure you don't die in your sleep."

Seungcheol frowned, but closed the door behind him. "You just don't want to sleep alone after reading the comments online."

She hated how easily he seemed to read her. "Shut up."

She half expected him to scold her for not being respectful to her elders - or chide her about not reading things online. She was surprised when he wordlessly slipped into bed, turning off the lights.

"Get in." His voice sounded from the darkness. "Don't kick me in your sleep." It was his last attempt at keeping the lightness to the conversation.

Cyana hesitated for a moment before deciding she wasn't really down to hurt her back sleeping on the couch. Slipping quietly into bed, she was grateful for how wide the bed was. It was like Seungcheol wasn't even there, although she could hear his heavy breathing. She closed her eyes, trying desperately to forget everything she had read online. The words burned against her eyelids, leaving her helpless as a wave of ache and pain washed against her.

Unbeknownst to her, Seungcheol was feeling the same thing laying next to her. The same foreboding waters crashed against his mind as he angrily tried to control it. He didn't like admitting he was scared - of the future, of Seventeen's fate, of his own responsibilities and of Cyana's wellbeing. He could hear her irregular breathing as he tried to calm his own. He knew she was scared too. He knew he could tell her how he was feeling and that she'd understand. He knew all of this and yet the words seemed to escape him whenever he opened his mouth to try. He was supposed to be strong, after all. Unbendable and independent. A role model for the others. A role model wasn't supposed to suffer from harsh waves of anxiety like he did. And so he said nothing, letting himself rot to sleep listening to her quiet breathing.

author's note: didn't mean to make this chapter as sad as it was - two angsty updates back to back - whoops (╥‸╥) 2019 irl was a tough year for sebongs and we're about to head into that - ex. hit the road trauma (¬_¬")