#Confidential Coaching

[saipushpalearner]

Behavior change 

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[georgiasedify]

Freedom

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[heritageposts]

The Grayzone has obtained slides from a confidential Israel lobby presentation based on data from Republican pollster Frank Luntz. They contain talking points for politicians and public figures seeking to justify Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip. Two prominent pro-Israel lobby groups are holding private briefings in New York City to coach elected officials and well-known figures on how to influence public opinion in favor of the Israeli military’s rampage in Gaza, The Grayzone can reveal. These PR sessions, convened by the UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council, rely on data collected by Frank Luntz, a veteran Republican pollster and pundit. [...] The Luntz-tested presentations on the war in Gaza urge politicians to avoid trumpeting America’s supposedly shared democratic values with Israel, and focus instead on deploying “The Language of War with Hamas.” According to this framing, they must deploy incendiary language painting Hamas as a “brutal and savage…organization of hate” which has “raped women,” while insisting Israel is engaged in “a war for humanity.” [...] Luntz’s Gaza war presentation puts his poll-tested tactics back in the Israel lobby’s hands, urging pro-Israel public figures to stay on the attack with incendiary language and shocking allegations against their enemies. In one focus group, Luntz asked participants to state which alleged act by Hamas on October 7 “bothers you more.” After being presented with a laundry list of alleged atrocities, a majority declared that they were most upset by the claim that Hamas “raped civilians” – 19 percent more than those who expressed outrage that Hamas supposedly “exterminated civilians.” Data like this apparently influenced the Israeli government to launch an obsessive but still unsuccessful campaign to prove that Hamas carried out sexual assault on a systematic basis on October 7. Initiated at Israel’s United Nations mission in December 2023 with speeches by neoliberal tech oligarch Sheryl Sandberg and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and speaking fees from Israel lobby organizations, Tel Aviv’s propaganda blitz has yet to produce a single self-identified victim of sexual assault by Hamas. A March 5 report by UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence Pramila Patten did not contain one direct testimony of sexual assault on October 7. What’s more, Patten’s team said they found “no digital evidence specifically depicting acts of sexual violence.”

They also advice to use different language for Democrat and Republican voters, which inadvertently provides one of the most succinct explanation of the difference between the two genocidal parties that I've ever come across:

To make their arguments stick, Luntz recommends pro-Israel forces avoid the exterminationist language favored by Israeli officials who have called, for example, to “erase” the population of Gaza, and to instead advocate for “an efficient, effective approach” to eliminating Hamas. At the same time, veteran pollster acknowledges that Republican voters prefer phrases which imply maximalist violence, like “eradicate” and “obliterate,” while sanitized terms like “neutralize” appeal more to Democrats. Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Donald Trump have showcased similar focus-grouped rhetoric with their calls to “finish them” and “finish the problem” in Gaza.

One of the slides, illustrating what language to use:

There are several more slides in the article. I recommend reading the whole thing, start to finish. One more thing I'd like to highlight though:

Luntz acknowledges Israel’s mounting PR problems in a slide identifying the most powerful tactics employed by Palestine solidarity activists. “Israelis attacking Israel is the second most potent weapon against Israel,” the visual display reads beside a photo of a protest by Jewish Voices for Peace, a US-based Jewish organization dedicated to ending Israel’s occupation of Palestine. “The most potent” tactic in mobilizing opposition to Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to Luntz, “is the visual destruction of Gaza and the human toll.” The slide inadvertently acknowledges the cruelty of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, displaying a bombed out apartment building with clearly anguished women and children fleeing in the foreground. But Luntz assures his audience, “It ‘looks like a genocide’ even though the damage has nothing to do with the definition.” According to this logic, the American public can become more tolerant of copiously documented crimes against humanity if they are simply told not to believe their lying eyes.

. . . full article on GZ (6 Mar 2024)

[gguk-n]

Chapter 3- Caught in the Act

A+ in Pretend Love (Lando Norris x Reader)

Series Masterlist

Summary- If you asked Zak Brown, he would advice never to store confidential contracts on the cloud. If you asked Lando, he would tell you to not fall in love with your fake fiance. If you asked Y/N, she would tell you to never date a famous person even if it's not real.

While Lando was being coached by his best friend to confess his love to his fake fiance; Zak's cloud was being hacked in hopes of finding some dirt on McLaren or their CEO to black mail but they didn't expect to hit the jackpot. Their contract was valid for 3-4 more months and the plan was to slowly ease Y/N out of Lando's life and say that things didn't work out because of their busy schedule.

What no one anticipated was they would wake up on Saturday morning to both their face plastered all over the news with the contract they had signed. The media was calling them all sorts of things from trying to fool them to trying to fool an entire country. There were people who had tracked her down and were now waiting outside Y/N's house in hopes of talking to her or at her work. She had to take leave from work since her professors were speaking ill of her. She couldn't imagine having to go back for her PHD programme. The worst were the fans; the name calling, the hate; it was all directed towards her as if McLaren were saint's in all of this. Lando also bore the brunt of a major chunk of the hate.

Zak just texted them telling them not to talk to anyone and to stay hidden till it all died out. Y/N wouldn't even talk to Lando at this point because she was so angry and hurt and didn't want to direct her anger towards him when it wasn't even his fault. She was sat bawling her eyes out at all the mean things the people were saying about her. It made her life extremely difficult, something she hadn't imagined happening.

Lando was a mess; McLaren told the media that Lando wouldn't be answering any question other than the race and if they asked any personal questions, he just walked away; adding fuel to the fire. The drivers were also gossiping among themselves. "No wonder she suddenly showed up. It was all a rouse" George whispered. "I mean I get why McLaren would do that, with Lando's antics" Alex reasoned. But as soon as they would spot Lando, they would stop whispering. "If you guys are gonna talk about my relationship" he said in animated quotation marks, "do it in front of me. I'll answer all your questions" he huffed and walked away, clearly hurt by his friends. Racing while it felt like his world was falling apart was proving to be very difficult. All his calls and messages to Y/N would fall on deaf ears and it was messing with him even more. He just needed to know that she was okay. He didn't give a rat's ass about how he was.

"Lando, I think, soon the media will get something else to talk about. You should just focus on your racing" Zak reasoned with Lando who wanted to put out a statement saying it was all their idea. "None of this would've happened had you not saved the damn contract on your cloud" Lando sighed angrily. "I don't understand how could you let something like that happen" he shouted walking away. The environment in the McLaren garage was tense to say the least.

Lando had hoped that things would quite down by now. The original timeline for his contract was also up but there was no shutting up about the fake relationship. Lando won his maiden win and yet the only thing they could talk about was Y/N. Part of Lando missed her, he had really hope to be able to share this moment with her. When he got out of the car, a big part of him wished she was there so he could run to her, hold her and maybe celebrate this win with her.

So, later that night, he did call her and she answered, her voice hoarse. "Congratulations Lando" she crocked. "Were you crying?" Lando asked worried. "Yeah, I'm just so happy you won" she said clearing her throat. Lando found himself smiling for the first time in a long time. "How have you been?" he asked her softly. "Same old same old. I thought things would quite down by now but they haven't." Y/N mumbled. "I'm sorry" Lando apologised. "It's a good thing I'm busy with research for my PHD. I have no clue how I would deal with people in my class" she sighed. "I'm so sorry Y/N. It's all my fault" Lando began before Y/N cut him off. "It's no one's fault. Things like this happen. I'm just glad they didn't rebuke my visa for this" she laughed trying to lighten the mood. 'I miss you' was stuck in both their throats as they continued to talk for a couple more minutes. "I think we should cut the call" Y/N suggested. "Oh" Lando replied. "I think it would be easier for the both of us if we stopped contacting each other. It was a hassle explaining the whole thing to my parents and my relatives. I just don't have it in me honestly" Y/N breathed out shakily. "I'll fix this" Lando tried to reason. "Don't Lando. I think this was it for us. I wish you the best. Take care" Y/N said it like it was their last time talking. "Please" Lando begged but Y/N cut the call; "But I love you" Lando whispered into his phone.

As the time went on and as the championship picked up, Lando's heart was in unrest. He felt like he had wronged the person who he loved and he couldn't live knowing that. So, he decided to sit down one day and film a video. He had seen the stuff people were saying about him and Y/N and he felt like it had been months; people should've moved on by now but if they couldn't he would make sure that they wouldn't be able to say shit about Y/N anymore.

The video began with Lando in his Monaco apartment; "Hi guys. Lando here" he began. He took a deep breath before speaking; "I would like to address my whole relationship with Y/N in his video. Part of me had hoped that it wouldn't come to his but here we are. Y/N and I did begin this relationship in a contract but it was the team's and my decision to do so. She was just a random person we ran into who ended up helping us. So, the whole gold digger narrative you all are spinning is a load of bull. I know I shouldn't've done that but I had no other option to clear up my image because that's what the team and sponsors wanted. Part of me had hoped that after the championship had started picking up steam you guys would have something better to talk about but hating on us for the decisions we made is too much. If you would like to hate on me or send me a ton of hate, be my guest but please leave Y/N out of this. She is innocent and doesn't deserve this. I would appreciate it if you would stop sending hate to the woman I actually loved. And to Y/N, if you're even watching, had we met in a different situation, I would've actually married you since I really do love you" Lando finished the video and after he was happy with it he uploaded it to his channel. He knew his PR team would give him shit but he didn't give a fuck. He just wanted Y/N to be safe.

The internet was in an uproar after Lando's public declaration of love. Some were calling it cliche and the others were swooning over Lando for taking a stand. People weren't very happy with McLaren and how they had handled the whole situation. Lando was being bombarded by calls from McLaren and they were angry at him for what he did. "Lando are you crazy? The sponsors won't stop calling. Why would you say that?" Zak shouted. "Because lying was what got us here. So, I cleared the air" Lando stated. "You are unbelievable and so difficult. I don't know why I tried so hard to keep you" Zak mumbled which Lando heard and it stung.

Y/N was on vacation with Becky who had taken her away since all she did was stay coup-ed up at home since the whole incident. Y/N woke up to a text from her mum; 'you'll want to see this. It's Lando' it read. Y/N quickly loaded the video and before she knew it, she was crying. She couldn't believe that Lando loved her. The craziest part of the video was the love confession honestly. She quickly called him and a groggy voice answered. "Y/N, is everything okay?" Lando asked worried. "Yes. Do you mean it?" she asked. "Mean what?" Lando asked confused. "What you said in the video about being in love with me?" she pleaded. "Yes. Every word. I've been in love with you for months and I couldn't tell you and it was killing me. It's fine if you don't feel the same. I just needed to let it out" Lando rambled. "I love you too you muppet" she laughed as tears were rolling down her face. "You mean it?" Lando asked pinching himself. "Yes. I love you so much Lando Norris" she said, by now Becky was also up due to all the commotion. "Are you free tonight?" Lando asked. "Ahh, I'm on vacation right now" she said slowly. "Let me know when you're back, I'll pick you up at the airport" Lando said, "I love you Y/N Y/L/N" Lando stated. "I love you too" Y/N replied before ending the call to explain everything to Becky.

True to his words Lando had come to the airport to pick her up, As soon as he spotted her, he ran to her at full speed almost knocking her down as he wrapped his arms around her waist raising her in the process to spin around for a while. "I missed you" he whispered putting her down with his head nuzzled in her neck. "I missed you too" she whispered running a hand through the back of his hair. "You made me dizzy" she whined as he pulled away to look at her. "Sorry" Lando smiled sheepishly. "About that date?" he asked. "Give me some time to shower and than I'm all yours" she beamed.

The two of them headed home. They went on that much needed date; at home with pizza and shitty rom-coms. They giggled as the pair on the screen kissed. When Lando turned to look at her and held her face like it was the most precious thing. "Can I kiss you?" he mumbled, eyes flickering to her lips. She nodded and Lando closed the distance between them, the kiss was sweet and needy; they had so many emotions running through them and some how this kiss was exactly what they needed.

"What about McLaren?" she asked a couple days later. "I'll tell them we're really dating but now I really wanna just protect you. I won't let anything happen to you." he stated. "I know" she hummed in agreement kissing his lips.

After spending the whole of summer break together, Lando came out to announce that he was actually dating Y/N. The team took it as well as you expect them to. The fans were going wild since this was truly out of a book. The other drivers were quite supportive and even apologised for their previous discretion.

With Y/N on his side, Lando felt like he could take on the world; good or bad. And Y/N was happy she agreed to fake date Lando since she got a real boyfriend out of this.

Tag list- @gamesetmatch-me @seonghwaexile @yootvi @hadesnumber1daughter @khaylin27 @abq654 @plotpal @charlesgirl16 @inarabee @a-beaverhausen @hwalllllllelujah

[cherryswisherz]

SECRETS AND FAILED PLANS

♱ CONTAINS: fluff sexual innuendo

♱ NIYAHSPEAKS: based on this req

"you're my little secret, and thats how we should keep it. we should never let them know, never let it show. if you know, like i know, we should never let it go"

your my little secret (xscape, 1998)

♱♱♱♱

if you asked azzi fudd about her relationship with paige bueckers, she would tell you that they'd known each other since high school. that they'd started as rivals and became frenemies and later, in college, best friends. she'd say that she loves playing basketball with paige because she knows her game like the back of her hand. azzi would tell you that paige is her oldest and closest friend. 

if you asked paige bueckers about her relationship with azzi fudd, she wouldn't tell you that they'd known each other in the most biblical of terms. that a simple game of 2 truths and a lie had changed the trajectory of their lives. she wouldn't say that she sleeps the best in  azzi's arms. paige wouldn't tell you that azzi is her girlfriend and had been for seven years. 

paige and azzi were basketballs best kept secret. 

they didn't have the novelty of soft or hard launches. instead, they kept the photographic evidence of their love safe in the confines of their 'my eyes only' folder. 

they didn't get to make possessive gestures, like necklaces with eachother intials, or hidden tattoos. instead they wore rings that the other had gotten them, and when asked about it, they simply said 'i forgot where i got this from.' 

they didn't own the privilege of PDA. for them, there was no making out in bars, or holding hands as they walked down the street. instead, they made do with a subtle lean in the others direction or the occasional risky level of eye contact. 

was this an ideal situation for two young women in love? of course not. paige and azzi would love to suck face in front of the world, or tattoo each others initials on their ribcage, or something equally cheesy and romantic and vile to single people. 

but it was just too complicated and messy. the questions and politics that came with dating another college basketball player, let alone you teammate, wasn't something that the couple was willing to go through. they realized this as soon as paige had graduated high school and had a surprisingly mature conversation about the terms of their relationship. they knew they wanted to be together, but they didn't want the sanctity of their bond to be tarnished by the media.

so they made a deal. keep it a secret until azzi graduated college and when they'd both gotten drafted, they would announce their relationship and get engaged and live happily ever after. 

that was the plan. 

and they'd done a damn good job at following the plan if you asked me. no one knew about them, except their immediate families. no teammates, no coaches, no friends, no media team members, no anything. everyone thought the pair were merely close friends.

of course this wasn't an easy thing to facade to keep up with. there were plenty of incidents where the true nature of their relationship was revealed. 

aubrey griffin had once heard them through the wall separating her and paige's bedrooms and then next day, when she inquired about the moans and groans she'd heard coming from her teammates room, paige only shrugged and said she couldn't remember her one night stands name. 

one night, nika muhl, being the observant woman she is, notice paige's earrings in ahotel room that she and azzi shared and when she'd asked azzi about it, azzi lied through her teeth and explained that paige had let her borrow the earrings the night prior. 

through all of the trials and tribulations of maintaining the confidentiality of their relationship, paige and azzi had always maintained true to each other. they never got frustrated with each other when a slip up occurred, never placed blame or made the other feel bad. they simply focused on damage control and went about their lives. 

with all this being said, even the most careful people can't hide forever. 

as the twosome stared in paiges bathroom mirror, a pit formed in both of their stomachs. splayed across paige's collarbone was a bruise. 

well... 

not so much a bruise as it was a hickey. 

you see, the night before was the couples anniversary and apparently, ms. fudd had gotten carried away while expressing her undying affection for her lover. 

paige and azzi spent the next 30 minutes perfecting the color correcting/concealer routine needed to hide the mark. they'd done well, except they hadn't thought of the technicalities. 

today was uconn women's basketball teams exhibition game against fort hays, and of course the face of uconn wbb bound to play at 150%. leaving her sweaty and gross. 

in all honesty, paige thought nothing of it when she threw the towel around her neck and began aimlessly wiping her chest in an attempt to rid herself of that swampy feeling. no one really did. they knew this was routine for players after leaving their souls on the floor. 

it wasn't until after the team had returned to the locker room and celebrated their win that a certain curious sophomore noticed the blemish on paiges pale skin. 

"oooouuu p boogers, who's been freakin on you?" kamorea teased, smacking the blonde with her towel. all eyes were now on #5

paiges willed her eyes to refrain from finding azzis, knowing that would be a dead giveaway. 

"man kk, chill!" she'd tried to laugh it off, play into the teams preconceived notion that paige was a player. "you know i don't kiss and tell." 

it was no use though, because kamorea was going to keep up her antics until she'd gotten the truth. 

but paige and azzi had worked to hard to protect their secret and paige wasn't about to let seven years go down the drain so easily. 

so she answered all of her younger teammates questions as vaguely as possible. simple yes/no replies and whatnot. 

finally, kamorea had gotten tired of paige's games and went to her next best source:

paiges oldest and closest friend.

"azzi poo! you have to tell me who was sucking on paige last night." in the process of asking her question, kamorea grabbed azzis bicep, eliciting a wince. 

of course, young kamorea noticed the reaction and looked down, only to see azzi had aqquired a few bruises of her own. two angry purple marks had formed on the girls bicep and shoulder. 

azzi didn't play in the game, so she couldn't have been fouled.... azzi and paige slept in the same room...

the gears began turning in kamoreas head and as the newfound detective put two and two together, paige's eyes had finally met azzis, knowing that they'd been found out. 

"OH MY GOSHHHH" kamorea began jumping around like a lunatic. "PAZZI IS REAL!" 

and just like that, five years of careful sneaking around had been undone by a nosy nineteen year old. 

the locker room erupted into cheers and the couple was swarmed with questions about how long this had been going on, why didn't they say anything, and so on, so forth. azzi followed paiges lead on being honest about the whole thing, but still being as vague as possible. 

after the chaos had settled, paige explained to her team that they had to keep it under wraps for the sake of their relationship. she broke down the plan they'd formed so many years ago and begged for their understanding, which of course, she received without the blink of an eye.

and at the end of that day, azzi and paige fell asleep in each others arms, like they'd done so many times. only this time, they were on the couch of the home they shared with their teammates. 

this time, they weren't worried about who would see what, they weren't worried about pictures being posted in an attempt to embarrass them. 

this time, they knew they were safe, and not alone in each others company. 

♱TAGLIST: @patscorner @riyahtheballer @mattslolita @thaatdigitaldiary @janaelalfysblunt

@mrsengstler @kmoneymartini @sageworld @darkskinchristiandiorpostergirl @justliketoreadsowhat @authentic-girl03 @pb524830

[writeyouin]

Lucifer (Hazbin Hotel) X Fem-Reader - Sinless Sinners - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Hell's Assumptions

A/N – Okay, I think that’s everyone on the tagging list. So, here’s to Chapter 4. Raise a glass.

Warnings – None.

Rating – T

MALE VERSION HERE

GN VERSION HERE

Tag-List: @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx@sseleniaa@randomgurl2326@22carolina08@astrxwitch@yu-87 @clover-1767 @lil-bexie @thesimpybitch @reverse-soe

People were staring.

The worst part was, you weren’t sure who they were staring at, you or Lucifer. It could have easily been him since he was the King of Hell, and even those who didn’t immediately recognise him could sense the power he exuded. However, it was just as likely that they were looking at you and wondering who you were, and how you had managed to get their ruler to walk with you, especially since he wasn’t known for going out much.

Fortunately, when people saw Lucifer coming, they moved to the other side of the street, staring, whispering, taking pictures, but keeping a safe distance.

Lucifer was used to this kind of thing. He walked confidently, held a charming smile, and was generally non-plussed by the attention. You, on the other hand, felt awkward.

‘This was my idea,’ You mentally reminded yourself.

You tried to hold onto that thought as you attempted to strike up a conversation.

“So… What’s it like in the Embassy building?” You asked, quickly realising that it was a terrible topic as Lucifer’s smile became a glower.

You shouldn’t have reminded him where he was going. It was obvious he hated Heaven for their treatment of him, yet yearned for it and the life he had lost within its pearly gates where nothing went wrong for anyone.

“Sorry,” You said hurriedly. “I didn’t think- uh, nice weather we’re having?”

Lucifer smiled and shook his head. He couldn’t believe you. Only the night before, you had told him to grow up, with such confidence, and now here you were struggling for words. He bypassed the awkward situation with ease by asking, “Will you be visiting the Hotel today?”

“Oh, uh… Maybe. I would like to see everyone again. Check that Nifty hasn’t set anything on fire. Make sure that everything’s okay, and-”

You had been about to mention Angel Dust. Today was one of his work days. You would like to check that he was okay. You didn’t mention him however, with something like a confidentiality clause stopping you, though you weren’t his doctor, nor was he your patient. You didn’t want to talk about his suffering; he was more than his trauma.

Instead, you said, “I would like to check in, but maybe not today. Besides, you’ll be there tonight, won’t you?”

“Yes. I’d like to deliver the news to Charlie personally, and perhaps coach her on some of Heaven’s stricter rules.”

“Then, I think I’ll stay at the manor. I wouldn’t want to step on your toes. You and Charlie- I think you need to catch up a bit, without any interruptions. She missed you, you know.”

Lucifer ruminated on this for a minute. Whatever your motivations, he was glad that you were giving him and his daughter some space. Granted, the Hotel was large enough to house many conversations in separate areas but by making the offer of keeping your distance, you were giving Lucifer some breathing room; that was good.

Had you not made that offer, Lucifer might have brought up the topic of moving you back into the Hotel to Charlie, but in respecting his boundaries, Lucifer was starting to think that you weren’t so bad… for a Sinner.

“I missed her too.”

“Can I ask,” You said hesitantly, “What kept you away so long? You clearly think the world of her.”

Lucifer sighed, and stopped in the middle of the street, “I-”

He didn’t get to explain his absence.

Instead, he became annoyed as two Sinners, one who looked like a nine-year-old boy’s dream with bazooka arms and rocket-infused shoulders, and the other a winged bear-woman wielding a machine gun burst through the building on the opposite side of the road, waging war upon one another.

“SHIT!” You cursed, seeing the debris that threatened to crush a lone imp who hadn’t reacted quickly enough, his leg trapped under the first brick segment that fell.

Reacting quickly, you threw out your arms. A light green barrier shielded the imp from further harm, but you struggled under the weight of so much wreckage.

“MOXXIE!” A female imp yelled, running to him.

You thought she might struggle to lift the wreckage off him and were about to ask for Lucifer’s help before your barrier would inevitably crumble. Yet, the female imp was stronger than she appeared and she threw it off Moxxie. She then lifted him bridal style, and ran from the danger, shooting you a grateful look from across the street.

You gasped and shuddered as you let your arms fall, your barrier fading from existence.

“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Lucifer said as you straightened up.

“What?” You breathed heavily, recovering from the exertion; one of the weakest Demons in Hell, with your limited abilities.

“It was a nice thing to do, but what’s the point? Look around,” Lucifer threw his arms up dramatically. “Someone built something nice, and now it’s gone, all because two Sinners couldn’t take their petty power struggle somewhere else. Nobody benefits from this.”

You opened your mouth to argue but were interrupted by the same two imps you had just saved, “Hey there, I’m pretty sure my husband is delirious right now, but he wanted to come over here.”

“I’m not delirious, Millie,” Moxxie said pointedly, clinging onto her shoulder to support his weight; his leg was in all likeliness broken, but being an imp of Hell, it would heal quickly enough.

Millie looked at him sympathetically, likely thinking something along the lines of, ‘Baby, we’re the only ones on the same side of the street as His Majesty, but do what you gotta do!’

“I must thank you most humbly for your remarkable rescue in my name, good Lady,” Moxxie exclaimed pompously, probably presuming that since you were accompanied by Lucifer you were of a much higher station than you were. “Without you, I would certainly have perished, so I find it an appropriate time to extend my gratitude.”

“He means thank you,” Millie affectionately translated.

“You’re welcome,” You smiled. Then, with a small flourish of your fingers, Moxxie leg was bandaged and he was provided with a crutch to hold onto. You were no healer, but that would help the bone set correctly.

Moxxie and Millie thanked you both again, presuming that Lucifer had been part of the rescue (and in a way he was, for when the warring Demons saw him, they took their battle elsewhere), then they were gone, one limping down the street on his new crutch, and his wife offering to carry him.

“You’re wrong,” You said, once the pair were out of sight. “They benefitted.”

Lucifer didn’t know what to say about that. They were only imps. Why did you think they mattered? Yet, after watching the loving couple thank you for their rescue, Lucifer wasn’t certain that he trusted his assessment of the situation. Charlie wanted to redeem Sinners, you had just saved the lowest of all Hell’s beings and he…? He needed to reassess how he thought about things.

The two of you didn’t speak after that and Lucifer assumed that you were mad at him until you reached Heaven’s Embassy. Lucifer stared at the building, broken and hopeless, thinking about how he would have to fight for Charlie.

He was about to take the first step towards it when you rested your hand on his shoulder.

He stared at you, surprised.

“Good luck,” You proffered sympathetically. Then you walked away, and Lucifer was left staring after you. So, you weren’t mad at him after all. What a curious person you were.

He looked back to the building before him, the one place in Hell that was perfectly pristine, and unable to be harmed by anyone. After a deep breath, he headed inside.

When Lucifer returned home, he was exhausted. The meeting had been lengthy and derogatory. He had been treated with barely disguised disdain and talked in circles, but finally, Heaven had agreed to allow his daughter passage to Heaven.

It was never an option really. As the ruler of a powerful realm, Lucifer had to be treated respectfully, even if all of Heaven hated him. Yet, just because they had to acquiesce to his request didn’t mean they hadn’t tried to talk him out of it. The only good news was that it had been Sera and a few of her assistants who hosted the meeting, not that ignorant prick Adam; Lucifer hated that guy… though his taste in women had always been spectacular.

Still, it had all been worth it when he got to the hotel and Charlie thanked him and invited him to stay for a while. They had caught up over tea, and he had gotten to know a little bit more about her and her relationship with Vaggie. Lucifer likely would have stayed longer seeing as he’d also been invited to games night, but then that red-headed bastard was there, grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and Lucifer had made his reasons to leave.

Now, all he wanted was to recover in peace.

On his way upstairs, he heard the long-neglected TV blaring in one of the living rooms. Feeling somewhat guilty about his unsupportive attitude towards you earlier, he decided it would probably be good for him to make amends and apologise. So, before isolating himself for the evening, he sought you out.  

You were hunched on the sofa, watching 666 News, and grimacing at the new headline, King of Hell’s New Fuckbuddy.

Lucifer stood quietly behind you, watching as Katie Killjoy reported, “While Hell will be royally fucked by the impending extermination it seems that King of Hell Lucifer is being royally fucked by his new bimbo bitch, seen walking with him today on the streets of Pentagram City.”

Security camera footage of you and Lucifer from earlier filled the screen for a minute before returning to the hosts.

“Who is this Sinner? Does Lucifer get off on Angelic clothing? We hope to find out more soon. Over to you, Tom.”

Tom Trench continued the report, much less assuredly than his co-anchor, “Nobody can say for certain they’re together. Some speculate the Demon to be his highness’ new assistant or-”

Katie clutched Tom’s neck in one hand, never looking away from the camera as she cut off his air supply, “Nobody gives a shit about your limp-dick opinion Tom. We’re all here to speculate about who’s raw-dogging who. Now, onto our cooking segment, It’s Dahm Good, with host Jeffrey who is making a delicious spleen soufflé. Jeffrey-”

“HA!” Lucifer laughed, pointing at the TV.

“Shit!” You yelped, lurching forward, having not known he’d returned home. You turned the TV off and stood to face Lucifer.

He was doubled over and wheezing at the idea that you and he would ever be together.

“Well, at least you’re not upset about this,” You grinned, finding his good mood contagious.

“What morons. They’re always just there, assuming the weirdest shit whenever I go out,” He laughed.  

“Yeah? So, it’s okay people know we’re friends?”

Lucifer straightened up with a smile. So, you classed him as a friend? He didn’t confirm or deny your assumption of friendship. He waved his hand, unbothered, “Let them think what they want to think. It’s Hell, nothing matters. Besides, 666 News is trash.”

“Yeah, you’re right. So, how did the meeting with Heaven go? Did they agree to meet with Charlie?”

Lucifer sobered up slightly, though he didn’t seem as upset as he was earlier when Heaven was mentioned, “Yes. The meeting’s in a week. Charlie is- She’s optimistic.”

“And you?”

“I- My girl can handle it.”

“Yeah, she can.”

And so it was that you and Lucifer started to find some common ground, that slowly built the gap from two people who barely knew one another, towards friends.

[astrologydray]

Scorpio Mc in the each of the degrees

If you have a Scorpio Midheaven (MC), your career and public image are influenced by Scorpio’s themes of transformation, power, intensity, investigation, and depth. You are likely drawn to roles where you can work behind the scenes, deal with powerful emotions, or engage in deep, transformative processes. Scorpio MC individuals often thrive in careers such as psychology, research, investigation, finance, healing, or crisis management.

• 0° Scorpio (Aries Point) – A powerful public image, likely to achieve prominence through transformational or investigative work, such as psychology, research, or crises management.

• 1° Scorpio – Intense, focused, and determined; may thrive in investigation, forensic science, or any field requiring deep analysis.

• 2° Scorpio – Likely to excel in research, science, or strategic roles that require uncovering hidden truths.

• 3° Scorpio – A natural in psychology, counseling, or crisis management, using your ability to deal with profound emotional situations.

• 4° Scorpio – Strong sense of privacy and control. Could excel in corporate leadership, finance, or law enforcement, where power dynamics are key.

• 5° Scorpio – Creative yet intense; could thrive in fields such as writing, investigative journalism, or roles where uncovering secrets is crucial.

• 6° Scorpio – Strong emotional intelligence; could work in healing professions, psychotherapy, or holistic health.

• 7° Scorpio – Focused on personal transformation through relationships. Likely to work in partnerships, counseling, or mediation, helping others navigate difficult transformations.

• 8° Scorpio – Attracted to careers involving transformation, healing, or working with life/death situations. Could excel in medicine, surgery, or toxicology.

• 9° Scorpio – Deep and insightful, likely to work in research, science, or roles that deal with the hidden or taboo.

• 10° Scorpio – Powerful presence in the workplace. Likely to succeed in leadership, government, or transformational roles.

• 11° Scorpio – Drawn to intense and transformative careers in fields like crisis management, psychological research, or financial analysis.

• 12° Scorpio – Naturally private but magnetic; could excel in research, data analysis, or confidential consulting.

• 13° Scorpio – Strong sense of duty to uncover the truth. Could work in investigation, legal fields, or security.

• 14° Scorpio – Intense and passionate. Likely to succeed in law enforcement, surgery, or any career that involves high stakes or deep emotional work.

• 15° Scorpio – Skilled at understanding power dynamics and human psychology. Likely to thrive in finance, real estate, or therapy.

• 16° Scorpio – Willing to tackle dark or difficult topics. Could excel in criminology, research, or working with addiction or trauma.

• 17° Scorpio – Drawn to healing, counseling, or any career that involves personal growth, particularly in the face of adversity.

• 18° Scorpio – Powerful communicator in hidden or taboo subjects. Likely to succeed in journalism, investigative reporting, or political activism.

• 19° Scorpio – Focused on deep, emotional transformation. Could excel in fields like psychotherapy, life coaching, or end-of-life care.

• 20° Scorpio – A natural in roles requiring emotional depth, such as crisis management, mediation, or psychiatry.

• 21° Scorpio – A transformative figure. Likely to be drawn to careers that change society, such as activism, research, or government roles.

• 22° Scorpio – Interested in dealing with the shadow side of life. Could thrive in criminology, investigative work, or financial sectors dealing with risks.

• 23° Scorpio – Fascinated by mysteries, forensics, or the unseen world. Likely to find success in research, astrology, or spiritual counseling.

• 24° Scorpio – A true transformer. Likely to be drawn to careers that involve depth, healing, or powerful change such as management, finance, or spiritual guidance.

• 25° Scorpio – Powerful and intense; likely to work in corporate leadership, strategy, or financial markets.

• 26° Scorpio – Magnetic and persuasive; could excel in negotiations, law, or roles requiring the ability to persuade and influence.

• 27° Scorpio – Strong focus on transformation; could work in psychology, the occult, or recovery-based careers.

• 28° Scorpio – Intense and strategic; may work in intelligence, politics, or investment management.

• 29° Scorpio (Anaretic Degree) – A fated degree of transformation. Likely to experience profound career changes, or public recognition in roles that involve power, control, or deep psychological insight. This degree may bring sudden or intense changes to your professional life but can ultimately lead to mastery in investigation, crisis management, or healing.

[dizzyduck44]

In honour of his home Grand Prix this weekend, here is an extract from the book I’m reading. Rupert (his former performance coach) describing how Carlos and he met.

“We met at Carluccio's on Fulham Road, he says with a smile of the first time he encountered the man who was to come with fondness to call him 'Ruperto. 'Carlos had a flat round the corner and it was clear he was a lovely guy. We got on very well. We were both juniors' - he is Carlos Sainz Jr, I am Rupert Manwaring Jr. Both our fathers had been in motorsport and we had both grown up with it so we had similarities and got on very well.

He was a really, really nice guy, very thoughtful, very considerate and also very enthusiastic, passionate about motorsport and you could see he had a deep desire to succeed.

When we met over coffee, you could see the desire, but until I started working with him closely I didn't know quite how competitive he was.'

Manwaring acknowledges he too is highly competitive and was then most impressed when they left coffee in Fulham behind and got to work, witnessing a driver he felt would leave no stone unturned in his determination to pursue his ambition of becoming a world champion.

I know every driver says they want to be world champion but it was how he said it, so convincingly; it was like something had switched in his head; it was like the cool, calm, chatty, fun-loving guy switched off, he says. 'His desire, his work ethic was there to back up what he wanted to achieve. I saw it at the first race, seeing how he prepares, seeing how focused he is just before he jumps in the car, and how everything else is locked out. We had gone from that nice, friendly coffee to seeing just how something in him switched and he was a difierent beast altogether and that's when I understood how much of a fighter, how much of a competitive beast he is.”

Source: F1 Racing Confidential by Giles Richards Chapter 8, pg 127

[starguardianniom]

Von Lycaon, Hugo Vlad and Bangboo Butler

Ok so I finished the bangboos vs ethereals events completed everything and yes we do see Nicole and Lycaon dropping their respective bangboos Amillion and Butler to take the exams, and at the end of the very last exam when there's nothing else left, guess what interesting conversation I get with the coach?

You mean that hot vampire guy who was Lycaon's best friend *cough*boyfriend in my head*cough* and is now his enemy, that guy? His name is really Hugo then it's now confirmed in game, yes!

OMG DOES THAT MEANS HE'S COMING SOON CAN WE PLAY HIM I HAVE WANTED HIM SINCE SEEING HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN LYCAON'S AGENT STORY I AM SO INTERESTED IN HIM I SWEAR HE, HARUMASA AND BILLY ARE MY HOLY TRINITY!!!!

Guess we might not have to wait too long before he appears and hopefully we can play him later on~ He's so handsome, Hoyo knows my type very well~

The Mayflowers' heirloom? T.O.P.S confidential files? Seems like Hugo is busy.

You're talking about Butler Bangboo right? Wait does that mean Butler used to belong to both Hugo and Lycaon and when they parted ways Lycaon took Butler with him? And it says Hugo is it's parent? It almost sounds like child's custody over a bad divorce to me when put like that in context. XD Hugo and Lycaon are the Butler bangboo's parents now omg!! It sounds proud of itself and it's parent for being phantom thieves, guess Butler is still a criminal at heart unlike Lycaon, I wonder if it will try to meditate between the 2 if they meet up again.

Hugo being a bangboo coach and boy does his list of jobs keeps getting longer, bangboo coach, phantom thief, Mockingbird, Butler's parent, old friend of Lycaon, foe of Lycaon... my future third husband in this game after Billy and Harumasa I will have them as my harem.

So it looks like Butler still doesn't mind that Hugo is a phantom thief and not around, and still seems to like him funnily enough, but probably keeps it a secret from Lycaon?

Already happened buddy.

Ok so yeah this event seems to hint that we'll see Hugo soon possibly, if we're lucky it might be in chapter 7 or before... Anyway it seems to tease Hugo's arrival, I doubt they just said his name here just to never mention him again, they did link lots of past bad guys to the main plot, like the hacker at the beginning, the sacrifice, Lucius, Null_Face, maybe Hugo will be connected too. I wouldn't be surprised if Harumasa is also connected, the drug in his agent story was probably to make sacrifices and he probably almost became one since Kirishima did say he was supposed to die but his master didn't have the heart to kill him so who knows.

I'm so excited, can't wait to see Hugo in the flesh~

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Types of Relationships To Help You Thrive In Life

Table of Contents:

Healthy Relationship With Yourself

Peer-To-Peer Relationship

Mentorship Relationship

Goal-Oriented/Accountability-Focused Relationship

Emotionally-Intimate Relationship

Physical/Sexually-Intimate Relationship

Acquaintance Relationships

Second-Degree Relationships

Types of Relationships:

Healthy Relationship With Yourself: Internalize and act with the knowledge that you're worthy of love, care, and nourishment, and have unconditional permission to work towards your goals & dream life. Eat healthfully, drink plenty of water, remain well-rested, move your body daily, maintain proper hygiene/a clean home, invest in your appearance to feel your best, live as a life-long learner, establish healthy habits/routines, get your finances in order, establish and maintain boundaries, make positive self-talk a priority.

Peer-To-Peer Relationship: Aka friendships, which are intended to offer mutual support and joy in life. These friendships thrive on having similar values and interests, which makes these individuals your greatest cheerleaders, advice givers/receivers, and partners in crime to have fun or offer platonic love/emotional support during traditional or difficult seasons in your life. Peer-to-peer relationships should add mutual excitement, encouragement, and emotional nourishment, and provide a soundboard for confidential information exchange, ears to listen without unnecessary or superficial judgment, and solicited advice from someone who has your best interest in mind.

Mentorship Relationship: This could be a boss, teacher, professor, aunt, uncle, or another trusted adult(s) who can guide you based on their more extensive life experience/wisdom. You can have one or several mentors at any life stage and for different purposes. These people should be trustworthy (keep your information confidential unless you state otherwise) and express their advice through the lens of your best interest rather than their own personal desires or biases (at least those left unchecked). Ensure you feel safe around these people, and their presence in your life is a mutually-nourishing relationship that allows you to grow personally, professionally, and relationally.

Goal-Oriented/Accountability-Focused Relationship: A coach, mentorship, or friendship based on the achievement of a particular goal or practice. This type of relationship can manifest as an accountability partner or support group. A therapist can also fulfill this role in your life (but like, a coach, this relationship is a one-way street to offer you emotional support/tools & resources). Some reasons for an accountability-oriented relationship include helping you achieve a certain health/fitness goal, establish better routines, advance in your career, let go of unhealthy habits, patterns, or addictions, better manage your finances, or help you get your other relationships (family, partner, friends, self-talk, boss, co-workers, etc.) in order.

Emotionally-Intimate Relationship: Someone with whom you feel an unwavering emotional closeness and connection. This person can be a partner you're involved with sexually/physically intimate with or not. Asexuality exists, of course. And emotional intimacy can definitely exist in close platonic relationships (like your best friendships) without any romantic or sexual feelings. These relationships are important because they allow you to let your emotional walls down and be your vulnerable, authentic self.

Physical/Sexually-Intimate Relationship: This relationship could be with a romantic partner, FWB, with multiple partners, purely with yourself, or somewhere in between. If you have sexual needs, it's important to find pleasurable ways to satisfy these desires in a way that makes you feel most fulfilled and respected. Let go of any shame you experience when exploring this side of yourself. Experiment and learn what you like/dislike/fantasize about. Use this information to elevate your practice and communication with any partner(s) for a heightened, more enjoyable, and potentially closer emotionally-bonding experience.

Hobby/Interest-Centric Relationship: These relationships can extend from co-workers to your friends in a certain class/the one friend you go on weekly walks with, follow a particular TV show with, exchange beauty tips with, "going out" friends, etc. While these connections aren't vulnerable to the degree of a close friendship/relationship, it is important to have some relationships that are purely based on fun, light-hearted conversations, and mutual hobbies/interests/lifestyles. Having someone to share these mutual experiences with helps you feel more connected to your environment/communities, not feel isolated/lonely when your friends, family, or intimate partner has different hobbies, career aspirations, or daily routines/lifestyle compared to you, and provides a mutual soundboard on issues, insights, and exciting moments in this particular area of your life.

Acquaintance Relationships: Everyone needs those friends, co-workers, or classmates they can just chat with when at a party, a group meeting, dinner, a special occasion, to grab a quick lunch or coffee, etc. These people are fun to be around and allow you to indulge in light, easy conversations to offer temporary social support/fulfillment. These relationships also expand your network for professional opportunities, making new friends, finding dates/a potential partner, interest groups/new hobbies, referral services/classes/spaces, and other contacts that can enrich your life.

Second-Degree Relationships: These are friend-of-a-friend type connections who can be/become your future business partners, romantic/sexual partners, co-workers, investors, hairdressers, realtors, stylists, finance managers, etc. Be ready to reciprocate these offers and be this person in others' lives, too. As your network gets broader and more dynamic, better chances and potential there is to connect with the right people to help you achieve your goals, desires, and overall life satisfaction. Success and efficiency rarely – if ever – exist in isolation.

[jazda-iga]

Summary about Stefano Vukov‘s Code of Conduct Investigation, including new detail of Rybakina’s 2024 US Swing troubles 🗣️

Told by a member of Rybakina’s team that he had been dismissed as her coach and to leave her alone, Vukov instead walked the lobby and hallways of her Manhattan hotel. He flooded her phone with text messages and more than 100 calls — according to sources with personal and professional relationships with Rybakina who were present at the hotel — as he sought another chance to convince Rybakina that her tennis career could not thrive without him.

Vukov’s actions in New York pushed several members of Rybakina’s inner circle to tell WTA Tour officials that they feared for the safety of the 2022 Wimbledon champion, those sources say. The governing body of women’s tennis, which had already received multiple complaints from observers about Vukov’s behavior as a coach, opened an independent investigation into him. It provisionally suspended Vukov from coaching and from obtaining WTA credentials to tennis events. It also imposed a no-contact directive between him and Rybakina while the investigation unfolded.

On Jan. 31, WTA chief executive Portia Archer informed Vukov and Rybakina of the investigation’s conclusions. Having violated the WTA Tour’s code of conduct, Vukov would be banned from coaching for one year, and would have to take classes in appropriate coaching behavior.

In a confidential three-page summary of the investigation sent to Vukov and Rybakina and reviewed by The Athletic, Archer outlined Vukov’s violations of the code of conduct as:

“Engaging in abuse of authority and abusive conduct towards the WTA Player, including compromising or attempting to compromise the psychological, physical or emotional well-being of the Player; engaging in physical and verbal abuse of the Player; and, exploiting your relationship with the Player for further personal and/or business interests at the expense of the best interest of the Player.”

Archer concluded that Vukov had harassed Rybakina in New York, “despite her request to give her space.” Her letter said that Vukov had ridiculed and abused Rybakina during coaching, calling her “stupid” and ”retarded” as well as “throwing balls and yelling at her,” and saying that she would still be in Russia “picking potatoes” without him.

It specified that Vukov’s “mental abuse” and his pushing Rybakina “to or beyond her limits” had manifested as “a physical illness or other symptoms”; Rybakina missed or withdrew from several events in 2024 with illness and injury. Vukov, Archer’s letter said, also received an email from Rybakina’s mother requesting that he not make her daughter cry, and refused to coach her at one event as a result. The investigation also concluded that Vukov had violated the WTA’s no-contact directive, with Archer writing that he continued to “brazenly defy it even as this letter is penned.”

“We need a safe environment for everyone,” Archer wrote, describing Vukov’s behavior as a “contradiction” of that.

Vukov, 37, has denied any wrongdoing and is considering an appeal, which he must submit by Feb. 21, according to Archer’s letter.

Rybakina, 25 and a native of Russia who represents Kazakhstan, reversed her decision to part ways with Vukov in autumn 2024 and has since defended his treatment of her. As the WTA was investigating Vukov, Rybakina told multiple sources in attendance at her recent events that her relationship with him had become personal and romantic.

Archer’s letter also noted the shift in their relationship. It said there was evidence that they stayed in the same hotel room in Melbourne for the Australian Open and that “there is increasing evidence that you are now involved in a romantic relationship.”

“It’s clear to me that the relationship you have created with the Player is unhealthy,” Archer wrote, adding that witnesses described Vukov and Rybakina’s relationship as “toxic.”

Vukov did not respond to numerous messages seeking comment about the incident in New York and the WTA’s investigation. In a text message sent to The Athletic in January he wrote, “Definitely never abused anyone.”

Rybakina also did not respond to several requests for comment made through her representatives.

— External Complaints from Coaches

By January 2025, when Vukov had been provisionally suspended for several months, tour officials had been receiving complaints about his behavior toward Rybakina from other coaches and players for at least three years, according to sources briefed on the investigation, as well as others with knowledge of Rybakina and Vukov’s coaching relationship.

At the 2022 Miami Open, a coach for another WTA player witnessed what he described as a nasty confrontation between Vukov and Rybakina. It was on the turf of the Hard Rock Stadium, in the warm-up area outside the main court. The coach says he saw Rybakina doing a footwork drill, under Vukov’s supervision.

Vukov, the coach said, repeatedly questioned her intelligence, calling her stupid and asking how she could not understand simple instruction. The coach said he would not want anyone speaking to him or his daughter that way and felt compelled to file a complaint.

He says he walked over to the tournament office and told an official about the incident. The official, he says, gave him the email of Steve Simon, the now chairman of the WTA Tour who was then its chief executive.

In an email that the coach sent to Simon that day, March 23, 2022, which he read to The Athletic, he described Vukov as angry and speaking close to Rybakina while pointing a finger at her face.

He wrote that he heard Vukov say, ”You’re not very smart,” and “it would take you 50 times to do it right.”

Simon responded 15 minutes later, the coach said, stating the issue was important and promising to follow up. He later asked the coach if he wanted to receive updates on the matter or remain confidential. The coach said he chose to remain confidential. Simon did not respond to a request for comment made via a WTA spokesperson.

Statements from other WTA Players

He had previously worked at the Pro-World Academy in Delray Beach, Fla., coaching WTA players, including Sachia Vickery, Renata Zarazua and Anhelina Kalinina. The Athletic attempted to contact all three players; Zarazua, the world No. 69 from Mexico, said in an interview via Zoom that Vukov was always respectful towards her.

“Sometimes I think when you are with a coach they become like your brother almost, you spend so much time with them,” she said. “It’s honestly so sad to hear what has happened.”She added that they had lost touch.

Kalinina did not respond to a message on social media; reached by text message, Vickery did not respond to a request to discuss her time working with Vukov in time for inclusion in this story.

2024 Struggles

For the next year and a half, Rybakina struggled with injury and illness and withdrew from a number of tournaments, including the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif., the Italian Open in Rome and the Paris Olympics. At the French Open last May, Rybakina gave a terse news conference in which she dismissed reporters’ “simple questions,” later revealing that she had been struggling with insomnia. Archer’s letter specified that Vukov’s “throwing balls and yelling” happened during a practice at Wimbledon in the same year.

Results elsewhere, like winning the Stuttgart Open in Germany, had been good enough to keep Rybakina’s ranking at No. 4.

“She’s just in her hotel room, quite solitary,” said one WTA executive in contact with Rybakina around the time she split with Vukov. “It’s quite sad really, she didn’t used to be like that.”

2024 Cincinnati

People with her at the Western & Southern Open, held in Cincinnati in mid-August, said that Rybakina had been struggling with sleep prior to that tournament, and few in her inner circle expected her to play the main tuneup before the U.S. Open. But days before the start of the tournament, Vukov let the rest of the team know that she would play, those sources said.

Vukov did not attend that tournament. Rybakina played under the guidance of Lovro Zovko, a Croatian who has worked closely with the tennis federation of Kazakhstan, which has funded Rybakina’s development since she was 18. In exchange, Rybakina agreed to represent Kazakhstan. She now lives in Dubai, as does Vukov.

Rybakina's insomnia worsened in Cincinnati, according to sources who were present at the event. During her second-round match, a loss against Leylah Fernandez of Canada, they said she struggled to keep track of what was going on and Zovko repeatedly had to tell her the score and where to serve

2024 USO Arrival & Subsequent Withdrawal

Rybakina arrived in New York for the U.S. Open having not slept in several days, sources said, adding that people around her had expressed concerns about her appearance and demeanor. Archer’s letter informing Vukov of the WTA’s decision cited an email from Rybakina’s mother to Vukov in which, Archer writes, she asked her daughter’s coach not to make her cry again. Archer’s letter also specified a connection between what the investigation found to be Vukov’s “mental abuse” of Rybakina and her physical fitness, saying that the abuse “would sometimes manifest in the Player as a physical illness.”

For months, her friends and family had been concerned about her relationship with Vukov, according to multiple sources around Rybakina during that time. After conversations at her New York hotel, they appeared to have convinced her that she should break with him as a coach, they said. Rybakina informed her representatives that she was ready to make a change and asked them to do whatever was necessary to keep Vukov away -canceling his hotel room and his credential for the tournament, according to the sources.

Vukov had just arrived in New York. He was at the hotel, roaming the lobby trying to find a way to speak with her. Rybakina had dismissed him and informed the rest of her team that he was no longer her coach several times before, the sources said. Then, they said, Vukov would find her, speak with her and convince her to take him back.

In New York, members of her team worked to prevent that cycle from happening again. Vukov refused to leave the hotel without speaking with Rybakina. He called her phone over 100 times and sent her numerous text messages, according to a person present who saw them as well as the WTA letter summarizing its investigation.

Then one of her representatives confronted Vukov, telling him he had been asked by Rybakina to procure security to remove him from the hotel and keep him away from Rybakina. Shortly after, Vukov left, according to the people present.

On Aug. 23, three days before the start of the U.S. Open, Rybakina announced on social media that Vukov would no longer be coaching her.

“Hello everyone, After 5 years, Stefano and I are no longer working together,” she wrote in an Instagram Story.

“I thank him for his work on-court and wish him all the best for the future. Thank you for all your support.”

At the time, several members of her team expected her to pull out of the tournament. The next day, though, she said she wanted to try to practice. On the court, she felt good enough to try competing. She won her first-round match over Destanee Aiava of Australia in straight sets. Two days later, exhausted and still struggling with sleep, she defaulted her second-round match against Jessika Ponchet before it started.

“Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from my match today due to my injuries,” Rybakina said in a statement via the WTA.

By then, officials on site at the tournament had been informed of what had occurred with Vukov at Rybakina’s hotel. Rybakina has publicly maintained that she has not filed a formal complaint with WTA officials about Vukov, but the information the organization received was enough for the organization to open an investigation and provisionally suspend him.

Within weeks, however, Vukov and Rybakina were in contact once more

Allegations of Coercion & Influence

It also is not clear that tennis officials have the power to enforce their directives away from their venues. Under the provisional suspension Vukov received in September, he was not supposed to be in contact with Rybakina, but as the investigation progressed, Rybakina made numerous complaints to tour officials that they were preventing her from having the coach of her choosing. She considered actions as drastic as boycotting tournaments or the entire tour, according to people with personal and professional relationships with her.

“The documented evidence of your increased contact likely impacted the independence of the investigation and your interference could be considered coercion of the Player,” Archer’s letter says.

“There is no doubt that you influenced, and continue to influence, the Player’s feelings around this investigation and its outcome.”Sources in attendance at Rybakina’s most recent events and briefed on the ongoing investigation said that Rybakina and Vukov speak regularly about her matches, and did so during events she played during his provisional suspension, even though he is not formally allowed to coach her.

Two sources briefed on their working arrangement suggested that Vukov could also take over Rybakina’s representation and management while under suspension. He would become everything but her formal coach, assuming a wider-reaching role than before

Suspension Details

Then, five days after the Australian Open, the WTA sent Vukov the three-page letter that remains the only window into the full investigation that anyone outside the organization and its independent authority has seen.

Under the terms of his 12-month suspension,

Vukov is ineligible to register for the WTA Coaching Program.

If he fails to comply with the terms, there is the option of “permanent ineligibility from obtaining a credential to any WTA tournaments,”

He is barred from staying in player hotels and player hotel rooms for the duration of that suspension.

Vukov has arranged for Davide Sanguinetti to serve as Rybakina’s stand-in coach during tournaments for the duration of the suspension; he continues to work with her away from events. “Stefano and I talk a lot, we are on the same wavelength,” Sanguinetti said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport at the start of February. The WTA’s ban does not prevent Rybakina from using Vukov as her agent, manager or anything other than a formal coach.

[awildtei]

The way I see it, Andrew was like a garden stake for Neil and Kevin: he couldn't do their growing for them, but he could be the solid, unbending support rod that they could use to grow toward the sky without having to worry about falling to the ground when they were not ready to hold themselves up ("the main function of a garden stake is to ensure that a young or weak plant can hold itself up against the elements").

And I think that's what Kevin and Neil are trying to be for Jean now. They are finally steady enough on their own that they're able to support someone else, and Jean needs them.

Kevin provides guidelines that make sense within Jean's worldview (you have a new master, obey him by going to LA and building a new life for yourself / you made me a promise so you can't kill yourself), he asks Betsy to break his own patient confidentiality as much as she needs to show Jean that Kevin trusts her and he can too, he coaches Jeremy on how to best support Jean (if you tell him to submit, he will / he will need someone to go to class with him / he will fall apart without a buddy system).

Neil encourages Jean to make meaningful connections with people because it will help keep him safe, he anchors Jean when dealing with the FBI, he actively removes a threat to Jean's safety so it won't hinder his slow growth, he uses a lil bit of emotional manipulation to drive the message home that Jean is worth saving, he makes himself someone Jean can talk to about the things only the two of them understand.

Jeremy, Cat, Laila, Rhemann, the Trojans, they are all vital for Jean's healing, the soil in which he'll put down roots; but it's Kevin and Neil who have been in his position before and know exactly what they needed to survive and thrive in a new environment. They needed Andrew to prop them up, and now they'll do that for Jean.

[fearfulfertility]

CONFIDENTIAL BLACK OPS REPORT

Black Ops Command, Covert Acquisition Unit

Date: [REDACTED]

To: Director [REDACTED]

From: Assistant Director [REDACTED]

Subject: Conscription of Olympic Wrestling Team

Executive Summary

The DRC Intelligence Division has successfully executed the interception and conscription of the Olympic Wrestling Team—comprising 10 wrestlers and 3 coaches—on their way to the Olympic Games in [REDACTED].

The athletes, identified as high-fertility candidates, were covertly redirected mid-flight and transported to a high-security DRC facility. The three coaches, deemed unsuitable for surrogacy due to age, have been detained indefinitely at Site [REDACTED]. This strategic acquisition secured a robust group of surrogate candidates and conveniently diverted public focus from recent corruption allegations within the [REDACTED] Field Office.

Operation Details

Target Identification and Surveillance: The Olympic Wrestling Team was identified through pre-Olympic health screenings, where elevated fertility markers and physical attributes indicated high suitability for surrogacy. These individuals’ genetic and physical profiles positioned them as prime candidates for high-yield multiple pregnancies.

Interception and Redirection: DRC operatives chartered a plane via a holding company that sponsored the team, with flight-trained DRC employees flying the jet. En route to [REDACTED], the aircraft experienced a controlled redirection under the guise of a mechanical emergency. The flight was safely diverted to a classified DRC airfield, where all 13 passengers were sedated and transported without incident.

Public Misdirection: Media coverage framed the incident as a tragic mechanical failure over the [REDACTED] Ocean, followed by the presumed loss of all passengers over international waters. DRC-controlled media rapidly steered public attention away from the [REDACTED] incident at the [REDACTED] Field Office, ensuring the search and rescue operations to bury the story.

Conscription Process: Once secured at the facility, the 10 wrestlers were subjected to standard DRC intake protocols, including physiological and hormonal optimization procedures. Their primed physiques allowed for high-volume gestations. Coaches, however, were found to be past optimal reproductive age. These individuals are being held indefinitely at Site [REDACTED] to prevent potential information breaches.

Surrogate Status

Following their insemination at Paternity Compound [REDACTED], each athlete was placed in a specially isolated ward, with access restricted to only DRC personnel with the highest security clearance.

Below is an overview of each athlete, including initial interviews and current status updates. Insemination counts range from 12 to 20 fetuses, tailored to each individual’s physiological resilience and compliance potential.

Case File Template

Surrogate ID #

Insemination Count

Starting Weight / Current Weight / Total Weight Gain

Current Status

----------------

1. Surrogate ID #S???-2211-R

Insemination Count: Octodecuplets (18)

125 lbs / 305 lbs / +180 lbs

Current Status: Rapid weight gain and abdominal expansion. Displays high endurance but significant respiratory strain. Monitored 24/7 due to increased risk from high embryo count.

“Nothing could’ve prepared me for this. My whole body feels hijacked. Every day feels like I’m carrying twice the weight in my stomach alone. Every inch of me feels stretched out, like a worn-out and over-inflated tire.”

2. Surrogate ID #S???-2212-L

Insemination Count: Dodecuplets (12)

143 lbs / 263 lbs / +120 lbs

Current Status: Relatively stable, though psychological distress is noted. Adaptation to weight gain is within acceptable parameters, but abdominal pressure is causing mild physical distress.

“Every inch of me feels like it’s bloated and stretched. I’m trapped in this body that doesn’t even feel like mine anymore. I used to push my limits, but this… this is beyond anything I ever thought possible, and it’s terrifying to think I’m only days away from giving birth.”

3. Surrogate ID #S???-2213-P

Insemination Count: Sexdecuplets (16)

165 lbs / 325 lbs / +160 lbs

Current Status: Subject is experiencing above-average abdominal growth, with particular strain on the linea alba and umbilicus. Increased feeding regimen has been implemented to support fetal development.

“Every day, it feels like I’m losing a part of who I am. My muscles ache, my belly’s taking over my whole body… it’s unreal. I can’t escape it, and I’m not sure how much more my body can handle before it just… gives out.”

4. Surrogate ID #S???-2214-T

Insemination Count: Vigintuplets (20)

155 lbs / 355 lbs / +200 lbs

Current Status: Severe abdominal distension; subject requires frequent oxygen support and specialized bed rest to reduce physical strain. Displays high discomfort, with frequent complaints of extreme pressure and difficulty moving.

“They… they put twenty inside me?! This can’t be possible. Every breath is a struggle, and even lying down feels like I’m suffocating under the weight. I used to be team captain, but now I’m just… this. I can’t even look at myself in the mirror without feeling like a blimp.”

5. Surrogate ID #S???-2215-N

Insemination Count: Quattuordecuplets (14)

160 lbs / 300 lbs / +140 lbs

Current Status: Moderate physical distress noted, but subject is adapting within expected limits. Requires assistance for basic mobility due to abdominal girth and weight.

“I was a three-time Olympic champion, and now I’m just… swelling up with babies. Every breath feels like a struggle. My body isn’t my own anymore. It’s hard to even remember life before this constant weight, this… pressure that never lets up”

6. Surrogate ID #S???-2216-0

Insemination Count: Quindecuplets (15)

175 lbs / 325 lbs / +150 lbs

Current Status: Notable for rapid abdominal growth and fatigue. Psychological distress was observed but manageable. Nutritional supplements have been increased to support fetal health.

“Everything is huge, heavy. It’s like every time I close my eyes, I wake up bigger and fatter. I was supposed to be out there competing, winning medals, but now… now I’m just an incubator they keep feeding, keep filling, and it’s exhausting.”

7. Surrogate ID #S???-2217-L

Insemination Count: Dodecuplets (12)

190 lbs / 310 lbs / +120 lbs

Current Status: Moderate tolerance to physical strain, with regular complaints of pressure and discomfort. Adaptation to feeding schedule is satisfactory, and fetal development remains within target parameters.

“It’s like my body’s being pushed to the absolute limit. How am I supposed to carry all of this? My back feels like it’s breaking every time I try to stand. I’m exhausted just from breathing. I wonder if this is finally the day I can’t take another step.”

8. Surrogate ID #S???-2218-R

Insemination Count: Octodecuplets (18)

202 lbs / 382 lbs / +180 lbs

Current Status: High discomfort with significant abdominal girth. Subject experiences fatigue and requires intensive care to manage high fetal load. Assistance with breathing provided due to compression of the diaphragm.

"Every day, I wake up heavier, rounded, and it’s… terrifying. My entire body feels like it’s being swallowed up by my womb. There’s this constant pressure, and sometimes I can’t even get a full breath.”

9. Surrogate ID #S???-2219-M

Insemination Count: Tridecuplets (13)

205 lbs / 335 lbs / +130 lbs

Current Status: Stable physical adaptation, though significant mental strain observed. Consistently expresses dissatisfaction with physical limitations and discomfort due to abdominal weight.

“I keep wondering if it’s a nightmare, but I wake up, and it’s real. My body is… unrecognizable. Everything hurts. I feel like a prisoner in my own skin, weighed down by something I never asked for. This isn’t what I was supposed to be.”

10. Surrogate ID #S???-2220-Q

Insemination Count: Septendecuplets (17)

211 lbs / 381 lbs / +170 lbs

Current Status: High physical strain; subject requires frequent rest and support due to extreme abdominal distension. Respiratory and cardiological support was provided to alleviate compression issues.

“They say I’m still strong, but every step is exhausting, every breath harder. I miss the life I used to have. I used to be in control, but now I’m just… filled and stretched beyond anything I thought my body could handle.”

Distraction: [REDACTED] Field Office Corruption Report

The sudden disappearance of this high-profile group has effectively overshadowed ongoing corruption allegations in the [REDACTED] Field Office. Investigations into mismanaged funds, unauthorized conscription tactics, and ethical violations have attracted unwanted public scrutiny. However, with national attention redirected to the mystery surrounding the team’s disappearance, interest in the field office investigation has markedly declined, providing a temporary reprieve for DRC to enact internal corrective actions and evidence suppression activities.

Concluding Notes

The ten surrogates have successfully completed their gestations and deliveries, culminating in a total birth count of 155 viable infants. Despite the intense strain placed upon each surrogate, the program has achieved a landmark output, meeting DRC objectives for high-volume multiparity births. Each surrogate expired post-delivery, as anticipated, given the high embryo counts and extreme physical demands.

Summary of Outcomes:

Total Surrogates: 10

Total Babies Delivered: 155

Average Fetal Count per Surrogate: ~15.5

Range of Fetal Counts: 12–20

Detailed Birth Summary: Each surrogate endured an exhaustive labor process spanning approximately 34-46 hours. Specialized birthing teams were stationed to handle each surrogate's unique requirements, ensuring maximal survival rates for the newborns.

Despite the anticipated high mortality rates for the surrogates, medical personnel provided continuous monitoring and medical support throughout labor to maintain the stability of both surrogates and infants. Each surrogate remained conscious despite the physical strain approaching critical levels during the final delivery stages.

Final Notes from Medical Team: While the outcome represents a considerable achievement in terms of national birth quotas, each surrogate’s body was ultimately unable to sustain life post-delivery due to compounded respiratory, [REDACTED], and [REDACTED] failure, despite extensive intervention efforts.

The sacrifices made by these surrogates will have a lasting impact on the DRC’s overall population goals. Their contributions have enabled a critical surge in birth numbers for this quarter, particularly valuable for low-compliance zones.

Quotes from Medical Personnel:

“This operation has been one of our most intense and demanding undertakings. The physical capacity of these men was tested to the utmost. While the outcome was foreseen, their physical caliber allowed us to achieve unparalleled results.” - Dr. [REDACTED], Senior Obstetric Specialist

“These infants are the legacy of the high-multiparity model. Each newborn carries the genetic strength and vitality intended for the next generation. We are proud of what has been achieved here.” - Dr. [REDACTED], Chief Neonatologist

Concluding Statement: This operation has been officially closed, with all objectives met. All infants are now under continuous care, with strict protocols in place to ensure optimal development. The surrogates' service is acknowledged with the utmost respect, and their legacy is solidified within DRC records as a critical success in meeting national reproductive targets.

----------------

Sending...

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----------------

To: Assistant Director [REDACTED]

From: Director [REDACTED]

Subject: RE: Conscription of Olympic Wrestling Team

To: Director [REDACTED]

I extend my deepest congratulations to all involved in the recent operation of successfully executing this complex and high-stakes project. The birth of 155 viable infants represents an extraordinary achievement in our ongoing efforts to meet and exceed national reproductive quotas.

Each of you played an essential role in ensuring the success of this endeavor.

While we acknowledge the impressive results achieved through the conscription of elite athletes, I must note that such an operation like this is unlikely to be feasible in the immediate future. Too many athletes start disappearing, and the conspiracy theories will become common public knowledge.

That said, I am not opposed to exploring alternative high-profile groups in the future to assess their potential viability as surrogates.

In the interim, I trust that you will apply the learnings from this project to optimize future operations.

Once again, congratulations on this milestone achievement.

With appreciation,

Director [REDACTED]

----------------

Click Here to return to DRC Report Archives

[mariacallous]

“Ketamine is helpful for getting one out of the negative frame of mind,” Elon Musk told an interviewer last year. The unelected man currently gutting US federal programs isn’t the only one who thinks so. Ketamine, approved decades ago as a surgical anesthetic and long used as a party drug, is the off-label mental-health treatment of the moment. It induces a “trancelike” state of “sensory isolation,” researchers say, and may temporarily boost the brain’s neuroplasticity—which, in theory, makes mental ruts easier to escape. At the same time, ketamine abuse can be deadly, and the drug remains illegal to use without a prescription. (Musk says he has one from “an actual, real doctor.”)

WIRED spoke to the cofounders of an organization that offers ketamine-assisted leadership coaching in the San Francisco Bay Area. The two speakers are identified by pseudonyms, which they selected for themselves. Aria Stone has a doctorate in psychology. Shuang Shuang is a spiritual coach. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Shuang Shuang: We fast-track coaching by really locking it in with the psychedelics. We deliver it to you on a cellular level.

Aria Stone: With ketamine, there’s a 24- to 48-hour window of optimization, when people’s brains are literally more neuroplastic, which is why this is a multiday experience.

SS: We call it an off-site, not a retreat, because we’re not retreating from anything. We don’t do them big—nine or 10 clients—partially due to the importance of confidentiality. Our clientele is primarily CEOs of Fortune 100 companies, CFOs, C-level founders of startups. All of them are in a pressure cooker.

AS: Those are the kind of leaders that come—people who have achieved so much in their life, and they’re like, “OK, what’s the next horizon? Because I’ve checked pretty much every box.”

SS:  Here are all the loneliest people. They have to lead and go through so many things by themselves. They can come and see that they’re not alone, and let go of the burden of being so protected all the time. They just want to be people.

To screen clients, we ask about their medical and psychological background, whether they currently work with a therapist, and whether they’ve participated in a group program before. We would slow down around accepting someone with a significant trauma history, someone who is actively suicidal or has a history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the latter of which can be contraindicated with ketamine.

AS: And since ketamine can certainly be misused, a history of substance abuse would also give us pause.

SS: Our off-site costs $2,600 for three days, plus a $350 fee for a medical assessment and ketamine prescription. Meals are included, but transportation and lodging are not.

AS: Over the course of a three-day off-site in the Mission, in a beautiful, open space with a tall ceiling, clients have two ketamine experiences. When you walk in, all of these BackJack floor chairs are in a circle. In the center are candles. We put a rose on every seat, and information about what to expect.

SS: The vibes are witchy.

The first day is about settling into that radical acceptance, welcoming what’s coming to us on ketamine. Our opening ceremony could include movement, dancing, getting into the body, or we might just talk to each other about what’s alive for us. We have an intention-setting session.

We check with everybody to see if we have their consent, from every part of their body, to receive medicine. Then our medical doctor and registered nurse distribute the medicine through a shot—it’s all intramuscular.

If it’s your first time using ketamine and you’re nervous about it, thank God! That’s the way it should be. But there’s also the option to not do ketamine at all: You thought you wanted to do it, and then when push comes to shove, you’re on your journey mat and you’re just like, “I really don’t want to do it.”

Ketamine and psychedelics are not a panacea. We know that it’s not for everyone. You don’t have to push yourself to do this new, innovative, cutting-edge type of therapy. Yes, there is great promise, and the data over and over again makes this area very frothy and enthusiastic. But it’s perfectly OK if you’re scared and anxious. Just listen to your body and heart.

AS: When we transition into the journey, we pull the BackJacks out.

SS: It’s pretty sweet. They have little nests, little beds. They’re all tucked in. They have blankets and pillows, and earplugs if the ambient music playing on the speakers gets too loud. They’re wearing eye masks, because ketamine is more of a dissociative medicine—there is this sense of naturally going inward and being quiet. There are a bunch of stuffed animals there that some people take for their journey.

AS: There’s this huge teddy bear holding a cup of the intramuscular ketamine.

We encourage clients to bring things that are meaningful for them—like a journal, photos of loved ones, loved ones that have passed, rocks. It’s just really loving, grounding, and open.

SS:  It’s like an executive-coaching psychedelic slumber party.

On the first day we do a psycholytic dose of ketamine. It’s not exactly a psychedelic dose, but it lets you kind of just teeter onto the realms. The next day is a mid-dose. That day is all about medicine and integration, and there’s coaching around it.

AS: Four of us facilitate the off-sites. While people are on their ketamine journey, we’re all very attentive. We’re in silent communication with each other. Collectively, we’re really holding this space, seeing what emerges. I mean, we’ve seen over 100 ketamine journeys at this point.

SS: In a supportive clinical setting, the chance of having a bad trip is severely diminished. Also, I hold the faith that there’s no such thing as a bad trip. Rather, there are challenging or uncomfortable journeys.

Let’s say someone’s trauma comes through. One way that could show up is you are screaming, or a lot of energy is just ripping through your body. You’ll get off your mat and you’ll just want to run. You’ll think you’re in a dangerous situation. The first thing we do is make sure you’re in a safe hold so that you feel cared for. We’ll let you take your eye mask off. Some people need a handhold or would like to be walked around the room. All these things help bring you back to now.

The third day is all integration and coaching: “What does this mean for me? How did I feel? And how do I bring something positive from that journey into my everyday life?”

AS: And about a week and a half after, we have a follow-up virtual integration session, focused on the application of what they’ve learned to their leadership.

SS:  One person came in not being able to feel their body. “I’m just a head, and this is my meat sack,” basically is what they said. After the off-site, they were able to pinpoint, “Actually, I feel like I can feel my chest. I can go to other places inside my body and be connected to it.”

AS: People are floating away at the end. They’re like, “I don’t want this to end. Can I integrate this way of being into my life?”

[queenjunothegreat]

Okay!!!! After a couple days off, I'm back!! This time with more angst, and I'm not even gonna give you any fluff to counteract it! Writing this made me miserable! Yay! Also, the only relationship in this fic is Piper and Tristan, so I'm gonna need you all to help me because that tag does NOT get a lot of traffic, rip.

Anywho, may I present Ao3 Collection Day Ten: He Can't Remember Why

Tristan doesn’t really like the fact that he can’t remember things, but life goes on. His daughter is at school (or was it a camp? He can’t remember) and Hedge leaves, but Mellie stays. He’s starting to forget more now, things from before that shouldn’t have anything to do with that retreat he took. He knows there was a woman, and he loved her, but he doesn’t remember her name. He tells Mellie, and she won’t meet his eye, but she says that sometimes the human brain forgets hurtful things when it’s ready to heal. She says that him forgetting this woman is a good thing because it means he’s finally letting go. He agrees with her and pretends to not notice when she cancels his appointment to see a neurologist. What he doesn’t tell Mellie is that he’s not healing. He hasn’t let go. He’s always clung to those memories of that woman, and to lose them is like losing a limb. He may not remember her face, but he knows the shape of the hole her memories had filled in his heart. *** Tristan McLean is having memory problems. It's not a problem until it is. He tries to ignore it but he can't Ao3 Anniversary Collection Day Ten: Amnesia

Tristan McLean is having trouble remembering things. He doesn’t think he’s always had memory problems, and he’s not sure when these started. Well, that’s actually not entirely true. There’s a week that he can’t remember, and not the same kind of ‘can’t remember’ where he struggles to grasp at fuzzy details, this one is just an entire week of his life that has been completely blacked out. He’s reminded of those times where he was given confidential scripts to read over that had pages and pages of censored lines. He knows that something is supposed to be there, and he knows that it’s important, but he can’t see what it is. His life coach tells him that he just went on a retreat that didn’t agree with him, and that the memory loss is unfortunate, but not unexpected. He doesn’t remember hiring a life coach or why he needs one, but Hedge is nice and he gets along really well with his assistant Mellie. He doesn’t remember hiring Mellie, either, but he supposes that is ‘unfortunate, but not unexpected,’ too.

What he doesn’t tell Hedge is that he does remember one thing. He remembers his daughter cradling him to her chest while his body was wracked with sobs. He doesn’t remember why he needed her comfort but he knows that he did need it. Desperately.

Tristan doesn’t really like the fact that he can’t remember things, but life goes on. His daughter is at school (or was it a camp? He can’t remember) and Hedge leaves, but Mellie stays. He’s starting to forget more now, things from before that shouldn’t have anything to do with that retreat he took. He knows there was a woman, and he loved her, but he doesn’t remember her name. He tells Mellie, and she won’t meet his eye, but she says that sometimes the human brain forgets hurtful things when it’s ready to heal. She says that him forgetting this woman is a good thing because it means he’s finally letting go. He agrees with her and pretends to not notice when she cancels his appointment to see a neurologist. 

What he doesn’t tell Mellie is that he’s not healing. He hasn’t let go. He’s always clung to those memories of that woman, and to lose them is like losing a limb. He may not remember her face, but he knows the shape of the hole her memories had filled in his heart. 

Then, things go very, very wrong. His daughter comes home, and she brings her boyfriend. They claim to love each other, but there is a tension between them. A sadness. Tristan tries to ask them about it, but he’s only ever met with tight smiles and placating words. To make matters worse, his memory is getting spottier. He used to have an assistant, he knows he did because he walks past her desk, but he can’t remember her name or what she looked like. He books an appointment with a neurologist again and ignores the feeling of déjà vu. The doctor can’t find anything wrong with him; his MRI and CT scans come back clear and he passes the cognitive tests with flying colors. The doctor tells him that sometimes people start to lose their memory as they age. He’s far too young for that, but every case is unique. The doctor suggests he see a therapist. The therapist looks at him with kind, sad eyes and suggests he start journaling. 

He doesn’t tell the therapist about his relationship with his daughter. He doesn’t tell her about their strained conversations or the fact that he brought home chicken fajitas for dinner the night before. He doesn’t tell her about the fact that he hardly knows anything about his own daughter. He doesn’t tell her because he forgets that he can’t remember.

Things only ever get worse. He loses roles left, right, and center, he’s millions of dollars in debt over taxes he didn’t know he owed, and he finds his daughter sobbing hysterically on the beach clutching the dead body of a boy he thinks he’s supposed to know. He leaves LA after that. It’s too expensive and there’s too much noise and pressure. He just can’t take it anymore. He’s glad that he never sold his father’s house. It’s small and run-down and houses its own fair share of ghosts, but it’s just what he needs. 

He doesn’t listen when he tries to tell himself there’s something he’s forgetting. He doesn’t listen to the half-memory of a little girl’s voice asking him if he’s really going to sell her grandpa’s house. He’s tired of not remembering things. He just wants to cling to what’s left of his life that he can still call his own.

It’s in Oklahoma where he meets Shel. She’s bright and cheerful, even if her fashion says otherwise, and she’s quick as a whip and twice as sharp. He’s not sure why, but he loves her. Her big brown eyes and easy smile fill a hole in his heart that he never realized was there before, and he’s glad to have her in his life, even if he’s not really sure why she’s there. She visits his little two-room house frequently, but never for long and she always seems like she’s waiting one something, so he doesn’t think she’s there for him, but he can’t imagine what else she’d be there for. Still, she’s always kind to him and he’s always happy to welcome her in and he’s sad to see her go. 

She’s there again one Saturday afternoon, teeth bared in a playful grin when he opens the door. “Hi, Mr. McLean.”

“Hi, Shel. Call me Tristan,” he reminds her, just like he always does. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Naw, I don’t plan on being here too long. Thanks, though!”

“Stay as long as you like,” he says. It’s a shame that she won’t be here long, but he’s glad to have her for as long as he can. “Have you been up to anything interesting?”

“I went hiking yesterday,” she said eagerly. “Do you wanna see some of the pictures I took?”

He says yes, of course, and they sit together on the old couch while Shel flips through the photo album on her phone. She’s a remarkably good photographer, and she has a knack for finding the most picturesque locations Tristan has ever seen when she goes on her hikes, so it’s always a pleasure to look through her albums. There’s one photo at the end that catches his attention, and he feels his heart freeze for some reason. “Wait, can– can you go back one? Please?”

Shel hesitates. She’d deliberately flipped past it as quickly as she could the first time, and she seems unwilling to go back to it, but eventually she pulls it up again. 

The photo is of a girl. At first glance, Tristan had thought it was Shel, but it was obviously someone different now that he was properly looking at her. She’s laughing in the picture, her head tipped back and her hand clutching at her chest as if to keep her heart in its cage. He doesn’t know her, but she’s familiar somehow, until he realizes that he’s seen some of her features in his own bathroom mirror. He feels sad, but he can’t remember why.

“Did you take someone hiking with you?” he asks, trying to keep his voice light and free of sorrow. “She seems nice.”

Shel squeezes her eyes shut and takes a deep breath before she smiles at him. “Yeah, that’s my girlfriend. I-I think you’d really like her.”

Tristan smiles at her. He remembers being young and in love. “You should bring her around sometime. What’s her name?”

Shel presses her lips tight together and she takes another deep breath and blinks hard a few times. “Piper. Her name’s Piper.”

Piper.

Piper.

Piper.

Tristan smiles at her. “A lovely name for a lovely girl.”

He feels sad, but he can’t remember why.

[writeyouin]

Lucifer (Hazbin Hotel) X Male-Reader - Sinless Sinners - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Hell's Assumptions

A/N – Okay, I think that’s everyone on the tagging list. So, here’s to Chapter 4. Raise a glass.

Warnings – None.

Rating – T

FEMALE VERSION HERE

GN VERSION HERE

TAG LIST: @lxkeeeee @moonieper

People were staring.

The worst part was, you weren’t sure who they were staring at, you or Lucifer. It could have easily been him since he was the King of Hell, and even those who didn’t immediately recognise him could sense the power he exuded. However, it was just as likely that they were looking at you and wondering who you were, and how you had managed to get their ruler to walk with you, especially since he wasn’t known for going out much.

Fortunately, when people saw Lucifer coming, they moved to the other side of the street, staring, whispering, taking pictures, but keeping a safe distance.

Lucifer was used to this kind of thing. He walked confidently, held a charming smile, and was generally non-plussed by the attention. You, on the other hand, felt awkward.

‘This was my idea,’ You mentally reminded yourself.

You tried to hold onto that thought as you attempted to strike up a conversation.

“So… What’s it like in the Embassy building?” You asked, quickly realising that it was a terrible topic as Lucifer’s smile became a glower.

You shouldn’t have reminded him where he was going. It was obvious he hated Heaven for their treatment of him, yet yearned for it and the life he had lost within its pearly gates where nothing went wrong for anyone.

“Sorry,” You said hurriedly. “I didn’t think- uh, nice weather we’re having?”

Lucifer smiled and shook his head. He couldn’t believe you. Only the night before, you had told him to grow up, with such confidence, and now here you were struggling for words. He bypassed the awkward situation with ease by asking, “Will you be visiting the Hotel today?”

“Oh, uh… Maybe. I would like to see everyone again. Check that Nifty hasn’t set anything on fire. Make sure that everything’s okay, and-”

You had been about to mention Angel Dust. Today was one of his work days. You would like to check that he was okay. You didn’t mention him however, with something like a confidentiality clause stopping you, though you weren’t his doctor, nor was he your patient. You didn’t want to talk about his suffering; he was more than his trauma.

Instead, you said, “I would like to check in, but maybe not today. Besides, you’ll be there tonight, won’t you?”

“Yes. I’d like to deliver the news to Charlie personally, and perhaps coach her on some of Heaven’s stricter rules.”

“Then, I think I’ll stay at the manor. I wouldn’t want to step on your toes. You and Charlie- I think you need to catch up a bit, without any interruptions. She missed you, you know.”

Lucifer ruminated on this for a minute. Whatever your motivations, he was glad that you were giving him and his daughter some space. Granted, the Hotel was large enough to house many conversations in separate areas but by making the offer of keeping your distance, you were giving Lucifer some breathing room; that was good.

Had you not made that offer, Lucifer might have brought up the topic of moving you back into the Hotel to Charlie, but in respecting his boundaries, Lucifer was starting to think that you weren’t so bad… for a Sinner.

“I missed her too.”

“Can I ask,” You said hesitantly, “What kept you away so long? You clearly think the world of her.”

Lucifer sighed, and stopped in the middle of the street, “I-”

He didn’t get to explain his absence.

Instead, he became annoyed as two Sinners, one who looked like a nine-year-old boy’s dream with bazooka arms and rocket-infused shoulders, and the other a winged bear-woman wielding a machine gun burst through the building on the opposite side of the road, waging war upon one another.

“SHIT!” You cursed, seeing the debris that threatened to crush a lone imp who hadn’t reacted quickly enough, his leg trapped under the first brick segment that fell.

Reacting quickly, you threw out your arms. A light green barrier shielded the imp from further harm, but you struggled under the weight of so much wreckage.

“MOXXIE!” A female imp yelled, running to him.

You thought she might struggle to lift the wreckage off him and were about to ask for Lucifer’s help before your barrier would inevitably crumble. Yet, the female imp was stronger than she appeared and she threw it off Moxxie. She then lifted him bridal style, and ran from the danger, shooting you a grateful look from across the street.

You gasped and shuddered as you let your arms fall, your barrier fading from existence.

“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Lucifer said as you straightened up.

“What?” You breathed heavily, recovering from the exertion; one of the weakest Demons in Hell, with your limited abilities.

“It was a nice thing to do, but what’s the point? Look around,” Lucifer threw his arms up dramatically. “Someone built something nice, and now it’s gone, all because two Sinners couldn’t take their petty power struggle somewhere else. Nobody benefits from this.”

You opened your mouth to argue but were interrupted by the same two imps you had just saved, “Hey there, I’m pretty sure my husband is delirious right now, but he wanted to come over here.”

“I’m not delirious, Millie,” Moxxie said pointedly, clinging onto her shoulder to support his weight; his leg was in all likeliness broken, but being an imp of Hell, it would heal quickly enough.

Millie looked at him sympathetically, likely thinking something along the lines of, ‘Baby, we’re the only ones on the same side of the street as His Majesty, but do what you gotta do!’

“I must thank you most humbly for your remarkable rescue in my name, good fellow,” Moxxie exclaimed pompously, probably presuming that since you were accompanied by Lucifer you were of a much higher station than you were. “Without you, I would certainly have perished, so I find it an appropriate time to extend my gratitude.”

“He means thank you,” Millie affectionately translated.

“You’re welcome,” You smiled. Then, with a small flourish of your fingers, Moxxie leg was bandaged and he was provided with a crutch to hold onto. You were no healer, but that would help the bone set correctly.

Moxxie and Millie thanked you both again, presuming that Lucifer had been part of the rescue (and in a way he was, for when the warring Demons saw him, they took their battle elsewhere), then they were gone, one limping down the street on his new crutch, and his wife offering to carry him.

“You’re wrong,” You said, once the pair were out of sight. “They benefitted.”

Lucifer didn’t know what to say about that. They were only imps. Why did you think they mattered? Yet, after watching the loving couple thank you for their rescue, Lucifer wasn’t certain that he trusted his assessment of the situation. Charlie wanted to redeem Sinners, you had just saved the lowest of all Hell’s beings and he…? He needed to reassess how he thought about things.

The two of you didn’t speak after that and Lucifer assumed that you were mad at him until you reached Heaven’s Embassy. Lucifer stared at the building, broken and hopeless, thinking about how he would have to fight for Charlie.

He was about to take the first step towards it when you rested your hand on his shoulder.

He stared at you, surprised.

“Good luck,” You proffered sympathetically. Then you walked away, and Lucifer was left staring after you. So, you weren’t mad at him after all. What a curious person you were.

He looked back to the building before him, the one place in Hell that was perfectly pristine, and unable to be harmed by anyone. After a deep breath, he headed inside.

When Lucifer returned home, he was exhausted. The meeting had been lengthy and derogatory. He had been treated with barely disguised disdain and talked in circles, but finally, Heaven had agreed to allow his daughter passage to Heaven.

It was never an option really. As the ruler of a powerful realm, Lucifer had to be treated respectfully, even if all of Heaven hated him. Yet, just because they had to acquiesce to his request didn’t mean they hadn’t tried to talk him out of it. The only good news was that it had been Sera and a few of her assistants who hosted the meeting, not that ignorant prick Adam; Lucifer hated that guy… though his taste in women had always been spectacular.

Still, it had all been worth it when he got to the hotel and Charlie thanked him and invited him to stay for a while. They had caught up over tea, and he had gotten to know a little bit more about her and her relationship with Vaggie. Lucifer likely would have stayed longer seeing as he’d also been invited to games night, but then that red-headed bastard was there, grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and Lucifer had made his reasons to leave.

Now, all he wanted was to recover in peace.

On his way upstairs, he heard the long-neglected TV blaring in one of the living rooms. Feeling somewhat guilty about his unsupportive attitude towards you earlier, he decided it would probably be good for him to make amends and apologise. So, before isolating himself for the evening, he sought you out.  

You were hunched on the sofa, watching 666 News, and grimacing at the new headline, King of Hell’s New Fuckbuddy.

Lucifer stood quietly behind you, watching as Katie Killjoy reported, “While Hell will be royally fucked by the impending extermination it seems that King of Hell Lucifer is being royally fucked by his new bimbo bitch, seen walking with him today on the streets of Pentagram City.”

Security camera footage of you and Lucifer from earlier filled the screen for a minute before returning to the hosts.

“Who is this Sinner? Does Lucifer get off on Angelic clothing? We hope to find out more soon. Over to you, Tom.”

Tom Trench continued the report, much less assuredly than his co-anchor, “Nobody can say for certain they’re together. Some speculate the Demon to be his highness’ new assistant or-”

Katie clutched Tom’s neck in one hand, never looking away from the camera as she cut off his air supply, “Nobody gives a shit about your limp-dick opinion Tom. We’re all here to speculate about who’s raw-dogging who. Now, onto our cooking segment, It’s Dahm Good, with host Jeffrey who is making a delicious spleen soufflé. Jeffrey-”

“HA!” Lucifer laughed, pointing at the TV.

“Shit!” You yelped, lurching forward, having not known he’d returned home. You turned the TV off and stood to face Lucifer.

He was doubled over and wheezing at the idea that you and he would ever be together.

“Well, at least you’re not upset about this,” You grinned, finding his good mood contagious.

“What morons. They’re always just there, assuming the weirdest shit whenever I go out,” He laughed.  

“Yeah? So, it’s okay people know we’re friends?”

Lucifer straightened up with a smile. So, you classed him as a friend? He didn’t confirm or deny your assumption of friendship. He waved his hand, unbothered, “Let them think what they want to think. It’s Hell, nothing matters. Besides, 666 News is trash.”

“Yeah, you’re right. So, how did the meeting with Heaven go? Did they agree to meet with Charlie?”

Lucifer sobered up slightly, though he didn’t seem as upset as he was earlier when Heaven was mentioned, “Yes. The meeting’s in a week. Charlie is- She’s optimistic.”

“And you?”

“I- My girl can handle it.”

“Yeah, she can.”

And so it was that you and Lucifer started to find some common ground, that slowly built the gap from two people who barely knew one another, towards friends.