#I knew from the get-go that this book would give me a hangover

[earnestlyeccentric]

The Winners (Beartown #3)

The Winners (Beartown #3)

Author: Fredrik Backman Translated by: Neil Smith Rating: 5/5 It’s been two years since the incident, the incident people of Beartown still feel uncomfortable acknowledging. Now, Beartown and Hed see the worst storm yet where changes are being orchestrated and truths dug out right beneath everyone’s noses. Spoilers ahead. (more…)

[sweetbans29]

Teach Me: The Tragedy of Conflict (vi) - PB

Pairing: Paige Bueackers x Reader

Previous Part & Next Part

Summary: You and Paige have been best friends for the last 6 years. You trust her completely. And it is because of that trust that you ask her a rather forward question. AKA - You ask Paige to teach you.

Warnings: suggestive, tiny pains, bigger pains

Word Count: 4.1k

Sweetbans Masterlist & Teach Me Masterlist

AN: You knew it was coming soon.

Over the next few weeks, Paige's internal battle continues to grow. If she thought she was struggling before, each growing day continues to add even more thoughts and doubts that she has when it comes to you. But that isn't the only thing growing, her craving for you has exponentially increased since the last lesson.

Paige thinks about how intimate the two of you were at the most inconvenient times. She pictures you lying on her bed, half naked when she is studying. Her mind replays the sounds you made when her lips were on your neck while she was conditioning in practice. She closes her eyes in class and sees your back arching and hears you saying her name over and over again and all she wants is more.

But the last few weeks have been dry. No lessons, no 'practicing' as you would like to call it, just Paige longing for any touch she could get from you. Even those felt scarce.

Paige is studying with Azzi when she feels like she is going to combust.

"I need something, anything. I have been itching for weeks now," Paige says. The same book has been turned to the same page for the entirety of their study session. Azzi on the other hand was making good progress on her paper.

"Paige. I have been telling you for weeks to tell her how you feel. You are the one who has chosen to ignore any and all of my advice." Azzi says.

"It is not that simple - we freaking live together. What if she doesn't feel the same? That is how many years of friendship thrown away?" Paige says in frustration. She is getting heated.

Azzi laughs.

"What could possibly be funny about this?" Paige says pushing Azzi's computer.

"It is that simple. Just tell the girl you love her and I am sure it will all work out." Azzi doesn't know how much more blunt she can be without flat-out saying that you love Paige. Azzi's suspicions were confirmed that night you walked out of the bar with tears rolling down your face.

"F-that, I will not be the one to talk first," Paige says fed up with the conversation she initiated. She begins packing up her things.

"Where are you going? You haven't even started your assignment." Azzi says as she watches her frantic friend.

"I am going home to change and then WE are going out," Paige says.

"Paige, I don't want to go out tonight," she says.

"Come on, drinks on me," Paige says trying to bribe her to come.

"Fine, drinks AND food on you," Azzi says as she saves her paper and starts to get ready.

The two of them go to Paige's favorite local spot and meet up with some other teammates. They are all having a blast - drinking a little (or a lot) more than they should be for a Tuesday night but no one cared. Practice the next day wasn't until the afternoon so they could sleep in and nurse their hangovers all morning.

It is just after midnight when Paige gets a call from you.

"Hey B, where-are you at a bar?" You say when you hear Paige pick up the phone with a lingering 'hello'.

"Indeed I am!" She yells. "You are the smartest," Paige says with a giggle.

"I am coming to get you," you say as you rummage around your room to find something to throw over your PJs.

"Okay, I will sit right here until you get here," Paige says as she sits on the stool of someone else's table. The people give her a questioning look. "Oops, maybe not there," Paige says moving. "I will sit right here until you get here," Paige says as she is sitting one seat over but still at the same table.

"Did you get that? I moved." Paige says making sure you know where she is at. It doesn't matter as none of what she is saying is adding up since you can't see her at all.

"Okay B, don't move," you tell her.

"Imma be a statue," Paige says as she thinks she is staying still as a pole but is actually swaying to the music.

You let out a little laugh, "I'll see you soon."

You hang up and find Paige's location on your Find My app. You head to the bar, parking right out front and leaving your hazards on. Walking in, you immediately regret the decision to throw on just an oversized sweatshirt of Paige's and wish you would have opted for some sweats as well.

As you make your way through the crowd - which is surprising for a Tuesday night, and find Azzi and Evina first.

"Have you guys seen Paige?" You ask looking around.

Evina shakes her head no. Azzi nods her head over to the little stage in the corner as Paige steps up to sing karaoke. You are also now shaking your head as you watch your best friend make a fool of herself. The more you think about it in the seconds before the song starts, you think it is better to have her upset with you rather than videos of her singing karaoke drunk in a bar circulating the internet.

You weave your way to the stage and grab her arm, removing the mic from her hand. She yells your name in excitement until she sees you are taking her away from the spotlight.

"Let's get you home B," you say as try to get her off the stage.

"No, I wanna singggg," Paige whines.

"You can sing in the car, let's go." You pull her off the stage then wrap an arm around her waist to steady her. "Trust me, you will thank me later."

Paige lets you guide her out of the crowd, her arm now around your shoulder as she waves to her other teammates. You just shake your head and laugh as the girls follow the two of you.

Once you get back to your car, three girls pile in the back as you stick Paige in the passenger seat. You drive them back to your apartment building and begin to part ways.

"Thank you for coming to get us," Evina says with a hiccup.

"Always," you say as you wave goodbye to them.

Paige is asleep and you know once drunk Paige is asleep, she is not the easiest to get to do things.

"B, wake up. We need to go inside," you say shaking her arm. She brushes you off and turns the other way.

"B. I want to go to bed, can you please get moving." You beg the girl who makes no movement to move from your car.

Finally, you get tired enough to grab her arm and pull her out of the car. Her eyes only open a little as she now has to hold her own weight Her arms come to wrap around you, hugging you and nestling her head into the crook of your neck.

"Hi B," you say as you rub her back with one hand and close the door with the other, making sure to lock your car in the process.

"Smell like heaven, favorite smell," she says as her breath tickles your neck.

"Thanks B," you chuckle as you try to shift her to one side of you so you can walk the two of you up to your apartment. Her head stays hidden in your neck as she is now sidestepping with you as you lead her home.

Once the two of you are in your apartment you take her to her room.

"No," she says like a little kid.

"B, you are the one who was just about to sleep in my car." You say.

"Want yours," she says with a pout.

You roll your eyes. At this point you let her go and she puts her hand out to steady herself on the wall. You walk away from her and remove her sweatshirt. When you do, your shirt rides up giving Paige the perfect view of your bare back before you pull it down and walk into your room.

Paige instantly follows you into your room and plops down on your bed - her mind tells her she wants you but her body is exhausted.

She rolls over as you come to her. You start by taking her shoes off and placing them on the ground. She then lifts her arms.

"Flip over," you tell her as she rolls back over so she is lying face down on your bed. You pull at the sleeves of her jacket and remove it. She is left in her pants and tank top. Good enough, you tell yourself as you go to turn the light off.

When you finally lay down you feel Paige shift over to you. Her arm comes to hang around your waist.

You sigh.

Paige's head comes to find the crook of your neck again, her lips painfully close to the sweet spot on your neck.

Little to Paige's knowledge, she has been on your mind as much as you have been on hers.

You lean in just enough to have her lips meet your skin and you release the softest moan. Paige's hand grips your waist as she brings you closer to her, lips starting to move on your neck.

You savor her movements as she begins to pepper kisses up towards your lips.

Before her lips meet yours, you snap back into reality and remember she is not in her right mind.

"We shouldn't do this," you whisper. Paige's movements continue - not hearing what you said.

You place your hand on her cheek and bring her face up to yours. She leans in wanting to feel your lips on hers.

"You're drunk, B," you say. "You should go to sleep."

She looks into your eyes with what you believe to be love but tell yourself it is the alcohol.

She holds your gaze then kisses your nose and curls back up into your side.

The next day at practice Paige struggles and Geno is not having any of it. By the end of it, Paige looks like she has taken a beating. Everyone goes into the locker room to shower and head out but Paige stays back to go through more reps.

"B, you need rest." You say as you walk back out to see her working on her midrange jumper.

You know she isn't going to stop until she is content with her shot so you stand there watching her shot.

After about 10 minutes she finally takes a break.

"Adjust your thumb, it is going to lax when you release." You tell her.

She goes up for another shot, making the change you recommended. It goes beautifully into the basket. She shakes her head.

"I still don't know how you do it," she says a smile finally dawning her lips. "And why didn't you say that when Geno was drilling into me, huh?"

You laugh. "Because then you wouldn't learn to not drink in the middle of the week."

She looks at you with disbelief. She throws the ball at you and you catch it, dribbling it then shooting it.

Paige watches you in awe.

"Do it again," she says. You shake your head no, not really sure why you put it up in the first place.

"Please," she says as she brings you another ball, stands right in front of you, and places it in your hands. "Please."

You close your eyes and proceed to do a shootaround, Paige feeding you the ball. She watches you, eyes never leaving you. When you are finished you are slightly out of breath. You didn't miss a single one which even you found impressive.

Paige walks over to you.

"That was incredible - why did you ever stop?" She asks, not realizing what she is asking.

You sigh and sit on the ground. Patting the spot next to you. She sits across from you, wanting to see you.

"Before we met, I was set on going to UConn to play ball - there was no doubt in anyone who saw me play. They all knew I was going to play for the best," you say referring to Geno.

Paige bites back the joke she wants to make about how much you are hyping yourself up right now - she doesn't want to jeopardize your comfort in this moment.

"And no, I am not just bragging about myself - you can ask Coach yourself. He came to watch me play when I was in 7th grade, already counting down the days until I made my debut here." You say.

"That all changed when my mom left us on my 13th birthday. I woke up that morning excited for the day only to walk downstairs to see a single piece of luggage and my parents fighting. They kept yelling about me and what was going to be my future. She said she was tired of losing her daughter and that I cared more about basketball than I did about her. It was ironic because it was her and dad that taught me how to play. She was my mother and she believed I didn't love her and chose the sport over her. To be fair, I loved the sport more than I loved a lot of things, but never her. She cursed out my dad for ruining my life, saying things about how he was going to break me and I would never make it under his pressure. She didn't understand the relationship my dad and I have. I destroyed my parent's marriage and was the reason she left." You say and quickly wipe away the tears. Paige has scooted her way to you and has taken hold of one of your hands.

"I watched her walk out that day - what was meant to be the best birthday turned into the worst. I was sitting on the stairs as she walked out. She turned to look at me but didn't say a thing. She had said all she had to say. And she walked out."

"My game changed after that - had me in my head. I quit shortly after that. Quit playing that is, started learning the why behind all of it. Behind every play, every move, as many players as I could. I thought understanding the why behind the game would help me understand why my mom left. It didn't of course, but I was still just a kid you know? I didn't understand it fully - I still don't understand it fully."

"My dad saw me deep dive into learning the game from a different perspective and saw how I was excelling in learning the game faster than I learned how to play it. We both sort of just threw ourselves into it - neither of us knowing how to cope. It is how we connect with one another."

"I have started shooting again - but it still hurts. I don't know if there will ever be a time when I am shooting that I don't think back to that day. It is like a blessing and a curse. I feel free when I have a ball in my hand but am reminded of the cost. It clears my head but also opens old wounds."

Paige sits there and listens to every word you say. Out of the 5+ years of friendship, you have only ever mentioned your mom once. Paige remembers when you told her about your mom in the park but you never mentioned this. She feels tears well up in her own eyes.

Her hands come up to hold your face. You can't look her in the eyes so you just close them. She pulls you in and holds you.

She doesn't say anything - not that she would know what to say. All she knows how to do is hold you.

Once the sun begins to set and the gym begins to darken, the two of you head back home.

The team decided to hit the town that weekend after the game. You tag along, knowing you could use some fun. You stick to your classic while the team does a whole variety of different shots and drinks.

"Take a shot with us!" Evina yells as she orders another round.

"You know she doesn't, she likes her classic," Paige answers for you. You push past her, already feeling the effects of your first drink.

"No, I'll take one," you say, already shooting it back before Paige can stop you. She just watches you in surprise. You grab hers and throw it back.

"Ok, I think someone needs to slow down," Paige says and tries to grab your drink. You just box her out and tell her no.

"Let me have some fun B," you say. "I need a little fun."

Paige puts her hands up and lets you do what you want.

You make your way to the dance floor and start dancing with anyone and everyone. Paige watches you from a distance.

"Go dance with her," Azzi says as she comes up to Paige.

"Nah, she can have her fun," Paige responds and takes another sip.

Paige hates seeing others hands on your body but she isn't going to do anything to stop them. Rather she is going to find her own distraction.

By the early hours of the morning, Azzi can't find Paige anywhere and takes it upon herself to make sure you get home safely. When she takes you to your apartment, she realizes you don't have your key and is forced to take you to hers. You sleep on her couch.

You wake up to a major hangover, wanting nothing more than to be in your own bed. As you make your way out of your friend's apartment and stumble to your own, you come across the same realization that she had last night. You are keyless.

You knock hoping Paige is home. You are about to give up when you hear the ruffling of the lock.

When the door opens you are not met with your best friend, but some girl you believe is on the cheer squad.

You look at her with confusion and walk right past her. Even in your hungover state you know the first rule you and Paige had about the apartment was to not bring anyone back after a night out. All flings were to be done anywhere but there. You are quickly sobered up as you walk into Paige's room expecting to find her asleep in her bed but she is not. You walk back out into the living room - she's not on the couch.

"She's in her room," the girl says as she wraps herself in one of your sweatshirts. She probably thinks it's Paiges. Your heart drops to the pit of your stomach. She points to your room.

You push the door open slightly to reveal a sleeping Paige, naked in your bed. Clothes scattered throughout the room.

You grab a few of your things, desperately trying not to look at her.

"I don't think she will want you to take her stuff," the girl says as sees you packing some things into a bag.

You ignore her and finish grabbing what you need.

"Hey! I was talking to you!" The girl says loud enough to cause Paige to stir.

"Babe, why are you yelling?" Paige's sleepy voice cuts through the air., as she turns in time to catch her eyes meet yours before walking out.

Paige begins to scramble to her feet, forgetting the fact that she is butt naked, and attempts to go after you but you slam the door and are long gone.

"Paigey, come back to bed," the girl says, already lying in your bed. She's ready for another round.

Paige tunes her out, as all she can think about is how royally she messed up.

Paige is pacing the apartment trying to figure out what happened the night before. She swore she and the cheerleader were heading back to her place. The thing is, Paige doesn't remember being that drunk. She can pretty much remember everything.

Paige sent the girl away after you had left, making sure to get your sweatshirt back from her before she did.

Paige knows she messed up - you guys really only had the one rule and she had broken that. Not only that but she has brought another girl back to your room. What the hell was she thinking?

She tried calling you multiple times but it went straight to voicemail. She then tries calling all of her teammates to see if you went to any of them - only two of them answered.

"Don't worry P, she's probably just sleeping off the hangover from last night - she was super wasted." That was the only real response she got.

Paige decides to go to Azzi's to see if she has seen you. Azzi peaks her head through the door. Once she sees it's Paige, she steps outside and closes the door.

"Azzi - I know she is in there, let me see her," Paige says.

"Paige, I don't think that is the best idea," Azzi's voice is soft.

She tries to go by her but Azzi grabs her arms and looks in her eyes.

"Just give her some time, okay?"

"I don't know what happened," Paige says in defeat.

"I know P, I've got her. Just go get some rest okay?" Azzi says.

You don't go to the apartment for the next few days. You avoid going to any place Paige might be - that includes staying away from the team. The first time you see her is at practice on Tuesday, seeing that you weren't there on Monday.

The team is in the gym and Paige is anxiously waiting to see if you will be there. When you walk in alongside Geno and the other assistant coaches she is relieved but also now extremely nervous.

You don't give her any attention throughout practice. Paige even tries altering her shot to get you to come over to tell her how to fix it but you never do. All she gets is Geno yelling at her to focus or he will make her do suicides.

At the end of practice, you slip out before the girls leave the locker. Little to your knowledge, Paige never went in and was waiting in the parking lot for you.

She calls your name. You hesitate but keep walking. She runs to you and grabs your arm.

"Don't touch me," you say pulling it away.

Paige is taken aback, losing her words.

You look at her waiting for her to say something, anything really. When she doesn't, you speak.

"Okay if you won't talk, I will. I told you the darkest part of me - a part of me that less than a handful of people know. I opened up to you because I love you. I love you, Paige. I thought you felt the same, I thought I saw it in your eyes but then coming home the other day and seeing you brought another girl home. There was a fire that burned within my veins that fizzled out leaving nothing but disappointment. It wasn't that you slept with another girl because that wasn't the issue. The issue was that we have one rule. One rule. Not relating to our lessons but to our home. Our one rule, thrown out the window. See it might have been different if I walked in and you weren't in MY bed. But that is the only thing I can see in my head Paige - what the two of you were doing in my safe space."

Paige wants to say something but nothing comes out.

You sigh. You feel defeated.

"I don't know what to say B, I don't have the energy to fight with you." You look at her for the first time in days - your eyes are tired. "I forgive you. But I need to make myself clear when I say I need space."

Paige wants to argue, tell you how big of a mistake she has made and how much she regrets it. She wants to tell you she loves you and has for years now. She wants to tell you she isn't going to leave you. That the girl meant nothing and all the girls over the years have been a distraction for her - a distraction to get you off her mind. But none of that comes out.

You nod and get in your car and drive away.

Paige watches you leave. She doesn't know what to feel more, the peace of knowing you love her or the pain in knowing you are so much better than she is. She doesn't deserve you - that is the thought that clings to her.

She doesn't deserve you but needs you to survive.

AN: It almost feels worse when forgiveness is given instead of asked for. Let me know what you think. And as always, thank you for all your love and support 💙

[loulovingho]

Prompt: Tommy's first birthday with Evan and he's turning 40

I'm sorry this took so long I think about things too much!

Buck had asked when Tommy's birthday was when they first started dating, kept it held tight in his memory bank until he could write it in his calendar, and began planning before they'd even gone on more than four dates. His birthday was still months away at that point, but somehow Buck knew he was in it for the long haul.

Over those few months, as their relationship turned more into a partnership, Buck learned that Tommy never really had birthday parties growing up. His mom would buy him a donut that morning and put a candle in it, sing to him quietly in the kitchen while his dad was nursing a hangover in the living room, and then he'd unwrap a comic book that his mom would save up to buy.

Every birthday after seventeen was spent alone, or at work, and he never mentioned it to anyone.

That meant that his 40th birthday had to be perfect. Absolutely perfect from start to finish.

Tommy had told him he didn't expect or even want anything, but Buck had made him promise he'd request the day off.

Tommy rarely said no to anything Buck asked.

Buck made sure Bobby scheduled everyone off for that day as well.

What he didn't expect was that Jee would get sick, and give whatever flu bug she had to Maddie and Chimney.

Or that Denny would break his leg playing soccer and Hen would be spending the night in the hospital.

Or that Christopher would call Eddie and ask him to fly to El Paso and bring him home.

Bobby had to cancel too. A pipe burst in May's apartment and they had to go move her into a new place.

A couple of Tommy's friends had last minute things come up too, leaving Buck to cancel on the remaining few that could make it. It would have been really lame to do all he had planned with only four or five people present.

On the morning of Tommy's birthday, Buck rolled over to see Tommy sleeping soundly beside him. His hair was all ruffled up, mouth hanging slightly open. His chest rose and fell peacefully.

So damn cute, Buck thought.

He'd broken the news to him yesterday afternoon. All the surprises he had planned had to be cancelled on the count of him having the worst luck in the world. Tommy had laughed, his face scrunched in that adorable smile that Buck could never resist. He brought Buck close to him, promised him, “Evan, I don't need anything or anyone but you.”

Still, Buck knew he could make the day just as special without anyone else. He started by quietly slipping out of bed, pulling on his boxers before heading to the kitchen.

When Tommy woke up twenty minutes later, it was to the smell of pancakes and bacon, his favorite breakfast.

“What's all this?” Tommy asked, a smile on his face. His hair was still a mess, he had on basketball shorts that he had tossed off the night before, and a very tight white shirt on that was most definitely Buck's. Buck loved getting to see him like this. Loved that he wasn't always so put together like everyone else thought he was.

“It's birthday breakfast,” Buck answered, bringing a plate of pancakes to the table before walking over to Tommy and wrapping him in his arms. He pressed a kiss to his lips, tasting the minty mouthwash Tommy had just used. “Happy birthday, babe,” he whispered once they parted.

Another kiss, Tommy moaning a little “Mm” into it this time, the way he always did when he felt overwhelmed by Buck's love. “Thank you.”

Reluctantly, he let Buck go so he could go get the bacon. Coffee was already on the table, steam still rising from the cup. Tommy sat down a took a sip.

Just the way he liked it.

“You didn't have to do this for me, Evan,” he said once the bacon was at the table and Buck was seated beside him.

“I wanted to. Now, eat up. Busy day ahead.”

After breakfast they both went to get dressed, but ended up a bit distracted. Usually Buck would be beside himself being thirty minutes behind schedule. Especially when he had spent the entire previous day planning every moment on a clipboard he had found mysteriously hidden behind the couch.

Turns out, Tommy was very excited about his breakfast pancakes and Buck couldn't find it in him to care that they weren't going to be on time.

Once they finally got dressed and out the door, they headed to the zoo. Tommy had mentioned before that he'd never been, and Buck had been determined since that day to make sure he got in a visit.

After the zoo was The Getty. It was a bit of a drive, but that didn't matter. Buck had learned two months into their relationship that Tommy was an incredible artist. He didn't make much time for it, but when he did, he put his all into it. Even when Buck didn't quite understand what Tommy had painted, he loved it. It was beautiful, because it meant something to Tommy, and that's all that mattered.

There was a late lunch after that, at one of their favorite cafe's. They sat outside and enjoyed the breeze while they sipped on lemonade and shared sandwiches.

Last was a hike. Nothing strenuous. It was more of an excuse to walk side by side, holding hands and chatting. Buck loved doing that. Loved that Tommy didn't shy away from affection. Loved how their hands fit together just perfectly, swinging between them with each step.

After that, they headed home for a movie night. Love, Actually was first, with whatever else Tommy wanted after that.

“Evan,” Tommy stopped him as they entered their house.

“Yeah?” Buck asked, turning to him.

Tommy lifted a hand to Buck's face, his thumb stroking his cheek gently. “Today was incredible.”

“You sure? I know it wasn't-”

“Ev. Incredible,” Tommy repeated.

Buck smiled, relief washing over his face. “It was, wasn't it?”

Tommy pulled him in for a kiss, stepping back until Buck was pressed up against the door.

Before it could get too heated, Buck patted his chest and Tommy reluctantly pulled away.

“There's something else for you,” he said, sliding away from Tommy and heading into the kitchen.

“Hun, I don't need anything else. You already did too much.”

“Just one more thing.” Buck got a rectangular, white box out of the fridge. Tommy wasn't sure how he'd hid it, but it was the first he'd seen of it. He walked closer, standing across the counter from Buck as he set the cake box down.

“You got me a cake, too?!” Tommy asked, his voice filled with something Buck could only describe as child-like glee.

“Of course I did.” He lifted the lid to show Tommy a beautifully decorated chocolate and vanilla marble cake, with 'Happy 40th Birthday, Tommy' written on it. “It was too late to cancel and order a smaller one,” he said as Tommy stared down at it in wonder, “so it feeds thirty people, but we can freeze it.”

“It's perfect,” Tommy said softly. He looked up at Buck, eyes wide and wet, “This whole day... perfect."

Evan walked around the counter and pulled Tommy close, resting his head in the crook of Tommy's neck, pressing a kiss there. “I love you, Tommy.”

Tommy ran his hands up and down Buck's back, a happy sigh escaping him. “I love you, Evan.”

*****

They were both very pleasantly surprised one week later when, thinking they were going to Bobby and Athena's for a simple dinner, they opened the door to be greeted with a beautifully decorated house. Tons of balloons and streamers all around. All their friends and family there, shouting surprise as they stood under a huge 'HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TOMMY' sign. A cake was rolled out with forty candles, and written on it was 'Someone call a firefighter!'

Tommy had to fight back the tears in his eyes. In one week he'd gone from never having a birthday cake in his life, to having two.

[bouncybongfairy]

Woodstock 1999

Rick Sanchez x Fem Reader

Summary: After attending a house party, thrown by your friend Summer, you end up meeting Rick. While making small talk, you tell him about the Woodstock 99' documentary that you had just seen and that you wish you could have seen Korn from that festival. Rick is confident that you wouldn’t be able to handle yourself in a crowd like that. When you disagree, Rick tries to call your bluff. By taking you to an alternative reality where Woodstock 99 is taking place.

Word Count: 3k+

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

You were sweeping the floors, finishing up your shift at the grocery store you worked at. It was Thursday and the store had been relatively quiet for most of the night. Only a couple more customers were wandering the isles, picking up last-minute items.. You were pretty tired, this started as a summer job but you ended up keeping it throughout the school year. It was nice to have extra money for clothes and outings with your friends, it almost made up for how depleting work was. You heard the assistance bell ring from the register, which prompts you to run over. You were pleasantly surprised to see Summer and her mom, you share most of your classes with the redhead. She has actually spent the night at your house a couple of times and vice-versa. You give her a quick mom and start scanning her items. Her mom was going on and on about how all the bottles of wine were for a family event, you looked over at Summer who was rolling her eyes. You held back a chuckle and continued to make polite conversation with Beth. After you bagged their groceries, Beth walked back to the car but Summer stayed back to talk. 

“So obviously the family event thing was a lie but I am throwing a party tomorrow while my parents are doing this couple retreat thing. You should totally come,” Summer said. 

“Yeah that sounds really fun, did you already invite half the school?” you joked while wiping down the counter. 

“A lot of people are coming, yeah, but it’ll still be fun,” she said. 

“Yeah for sure, do you want me to bring anything?” you asked. 

“Just your hot ass and maybe a bottle would be cool. My mom is calling. I got to go but I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said while walking away. 

Normally a house party isn’t really your scene but you were feeling kinda excited. For the past two months, you’ve been in a bit of a funk. Only going to school and work, not feeling up to doing your make-up most days, and dressing pretty bummy. You felt like a good party would break you out of that. Summer and you had a lot of mutual friends so you knew you would have company no matter what. You checked out the last customer and locked the door behind them. You grabbed some stuff for your lunch tomorrow and two bottles of Red Berry Ciroc. The store was owned by an older gentleman who sadly had dementia, his 29-year-old son now runs the store. As long as you gave him an extra ten for each bottle you bought he would look the other way when it came to age. You took an Uber home and immediately got in the shower. Scrubbing all the sweat off your body and lathering your hair in shampoo as Molly Kate Kestne’s Prom Queen blasted through a speaker. You stayed in the hot water until you felt at risk of passing out. You give your mom a kiss on the cheek, wishing her a good night before going to your bedroom. After turning on Jersey Shore as background noise, you fall asleep in your towel; completely worn out by your school and work week. 

When you woke up, you were surprised that you slept through the night considering you didn’t get too comfortable before falling asleep. You were feeling extremely well-rested, it wasn’t until you were halfway done with your hair that you remembered about Summer’s party. You were super excited, you had this Saturday off which meant you didn’t have to worry about having a hangover. You throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and start gathering things into your book bag. Once you got to school, you couldn’t stop counting down the hours until you could leave. It felt like years had gone by once it was finally time for lunch. You were sitting with a group of friends who were all talking about Summer’s party. Maybe it’s because you have a job but your friends seem a lot less mature over these past couple of months. It seemed like if it wasn’t posted or extremely extra then it didn’t happen. I don’t know, it just felt like they did everything for shock value or clout. You thought it was weird how upset they would get if they didn’t look good in a video of them taking a shot or not taking a picture with the blunt before it was smoked. Sometimes you wish you could record how they act during those times and show them later. You pick at your salad, tuning out of their conversation until the bell rings. 

Once the last period ended you bolted out of the front doors and made your way home. You flat ironed your hair and started applying a bit of makeup. Rummaging through your closet, you ended up wearing a tube top and a pair of baggy cargo jeans. You grabbed one of the biggest purses you could find grabbed a tee-shirt and wrapped the two vodka bottles in a way that avoids any clanking sound. Your pen, make-up bag, charger, and a couple of other items. You end up walking to Summer’s house seeing that it’s only a 20-minute walk. When you got there, the sun was just barely setting and teenagers were flocking to the house. The house was practically shaking due to how loud the music was. When you walked in you practically had to wave a cloud out of your face. Summer immediately noticed you when you walked in and came over to greet you. 

“Hey! Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you came!” Summer said. 

“Yeah me too, I needed this really bad. Also.. here are those bottles,” you said, taking the vodka out of your purse. 

“Wow, I didn’t think you were gonna bring anything. I’m gonna chill these,” she said, grabbing the bottles and leading you into the kitchen. When you walked in Rick was leaning against the countertop. She shoved the bottles deep into the freezer, in hopes of speeding up the process.

“If you can’t drink -burp- the liquor at room temperature you’re probably not mature enough to be drinking at all,” Rick said, taking a swig from his flask. 

“What if we just prefer it chilled? Just because you can doesn’t mean you shouldn’t” you point out. 

“Yeah, Grandpa and after I smoke I don’t like the way hot ass liquor feels on my throat,” Summer said, closing the fridge door. 

“Doesn’t matter whether your liquor is cold or hot, your party is gonna suck since you put a ban on any of my friends coming. Seems a little like bigotry in my opinion,” Rick said. 

Summer ignored him and led you to her bedroom where a girl from your school Tricia Lange was packing a bowl. You asked Summer if it was okay to leave the party unattended. She joked ‘That’s what Morty is for’ which made you and Tricia laugh. She offered you greens which flattered you, after cornering the bowl you handed it to Summer. Coming off a two-week tolerance break, the weed was hitting you fast and hard. You tilted your head up and blew the smoke up into the air. Tricia complimented you on how pretty you looked which made you blush because.. hello its Tricia Lange, one of the hottest girls in your grade. You guys were making small talk when Summer pulled out a pink crystal and started crushing it into a fine powder. 

“What is that?” you asked. 

“It’s a Kalaxian crystal, it’s pretty mild like snorting molly kinda,” Summer said, lining up the power. 

“I.. don’t know about that,” you said looking at the powder suspiciously. 

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about it showing up on a drug test or anything. It’s not detectable with Earth’s drug tests,” Tricia said, setting her hand on your shoulder. 

“No, well that’s good to know actually but imma need to see you take a bump before I do,” you said. 

“You humor me,” Summer said, using a hundred-dollar bill to snort the powder, her eyes turning a baby blue.

Summer passed the tray to Tricia who mimicked her action. Your heart was racing as her manicured hands passed the tray over to you. Not wanting to come off as a prude, you took the rolled-up bill into your hand and brought it up to your nose. You sniffed the powder into your nose and coughed a little because the taste was so foreign. The two girls lead you downstairs where the party is now packed and a bit unhinged. Couples making out against any available wall space they could find, groups of people who were surrounding a person smoking out of a gravity bong. Drugs by Lil Aaron was blaring out of several speakers, drowning out almost every other sound. The three of you were dancing together in the living room with several of your peers. You were feeling so euphoric and magical; like you could float off the ground if you really tried. It was then that Summer reminded you of the Ciroc bottles that were in the freezer. All three of you took a shot and cringed as it went down. Summer and Tricia left to go to the bathroom leaving you in the kitchen. You were pretty intoxicated at this point and started to wander. You end up in the garage, where Rick is sitting at his workstation. 

“Out!” he barked which caused you to jump and gasp due to how loud and aggressive he sounded, he didn’t even look up. 

“S-sorry I -which way..” you started but Rick got up and walked over to you. He grabbed your chin and tilted your head up. 

“I told Summer to stop giving K-Crystals to her little friends,” he said, seeing the effects from your eyes. You looked over a noticed he had a Woodstock 99’ ticket pinned onto his wall. 

“You -hiccup- went to Woodstock 99? You- you’re so lucky you got to see Korn from that crowd,” you slurred without breaking eye contact. He laughed and let go of your chin and walked back to his workstation. 

“Did you actually go?” you asked, walking over to him. 

“I thought I said to get out earlier,” he said. 

“I have selective hearing,” you said, picking up a screwdriver. 

“I’m lost, is that supposed to be my problem?” he said. 

“Well it -burp- if you really wanted it to be,” you giggled.

“Yeah as much of a catch as you are, I think I’ll pass,” he laughed.

“Oh please I bet I’d be the best pussy you’ve had in months,” you laugh but quickly change expressions as Rick stands up and towers over you. 

“Do you really think that you would be an unachievable fantasy to me? Like I’m some sad old stockbroker who has to rely on naivety to get laid? Don’t insult me,” Rick said, taking a sip of his flask without stepping away. 

“Your shirt -hiccup- looks so soft, imagine if we could have gone to Woodstock together. You’re so tall that I wouldn’t have to worry about guys reaching up and groping me and I would have the most amazing view of some of the coolest bands of all time,” you said, feeling your high slowly start to come down. He smirked at you before turning around locking the garage door and opening a portal, dragging you through it. 

“What- where are we going?” you asked confused, adjusting your eyes to the suddenly sunny skies. 

“To call your bluff. There’s no way you could last here, it was kinda a shit show if you didn’t know,” he said. 

“I know, I watched the documentary on Netflix,” you said very matter-of-factly. 

It took your eye a couple of minutes for them to adjust but once they did, you couldn’t deny you were a little taken back. There really was a lot of nudity and white-boy aggression. You hoped Rick didn’t notice, but every once in a while, you would look behind you to make sure he was nearby. The first thing you wanted to do was get to the airbrush body paint station. You wanted Korn written across your chest in black and pink. At this point, the high of the K-Crystals was completely worn off and all you wanted was a hit of something. It was then you realized you still had your purse, you blindly reached your hand in until you felt your hand hit the cold metal of the battery. Your mouth begins salivating as bring the cart to your lips and take a long drag, blowing it up in the air. You take a couple more drags and notice that the artist has stopped. When you looked down he was just looking up at you. He was probably in his early 30s and had a 90s haircut that was short and spiked with blonde tips.  Without breaking contact take another drag and exhale as you speak. 

“Sorry, did you want a hit?” you asked playfully, looking over at Rick who was smirking with his arms crossed, evaluating the situation. The guy airbrushing you looked up at Rick who started to speak. 

“You know you didn’t come across to me as one of those girls who have nipple piercings,” Rick said. 

“Yeah I know, they’re hot right?” you asked to adjust the one that didn’t have any paint on it yet; they were bars with a chain that supported a pink bedazzled saturn charm. 

“So uh, Maria is gonna finish up our piece cool?” he said, getting up before either of you could respond which caused both of you to chuckle. 

After you were finished up with the body painting tent you made your way to the main stage. Hundreds of teens and young adults were making their way to the exact same location. It was weird because even though you knew what was going to happen, you were still bubbling with anticipation. Rick laughed and mocked you because he knew you had seen exactly what happened and still bubbled with suspense and excitement. When you asked Rick if you could actually sit on his shoulders he didn’t say anything, only nodding in agreement. You were trying to pry about the first time he ever experienced this but he would always give you a bullshit excuse like he was too wasted to remember. As you walked, guys kept approaching you, trying hard to keep conversation. You tried to be polite and at least slow down as you respectfully deny their advance. You even stopped a couple of times but Rick would gently bump into you with his body from behind to keep you walking. Once you got into the crowd, Rick took the arm and pressed his body to your back. He started guiding and shaving his way through the front of the sea of people while having his arms raised, protecting you from the crowd. 

Normally if someone was being more polite it would have taken forever to make their way to the front. Rick however wasn’t sparing any feelings as he pushed and shoved. As you people watched, you couldn’t help but take in how different people were in the 90s. One of the biggest things that tripped you out was seeing how different the hair and make-up were of the girls around you. Super thin eyebrows, a thick eyeliner waterline with clumpy mascara. Your lashes were huge and your nails were so long, it felt like everyone was staring at you.  Most of the hair extensions were god-awful but you gave them a pass considering this was a festival. The cameras were so retro-looking and looked bulky on the crew’s shoulders. Rick pulled a plastic baggie of pink powder from his lab coat. You assumed these were the same crystals you smoked earlier so didn’t think twice when snorting your fair share. Only later to find out that it was actually Molly, normally you’d be freaking out but I mean… You were in an entirely different dimension. Seemed kinda late for that. Once the intro started, Rick bent down slightly allowing you to sit on his shoulders. You could feel the energy of the crowd growing. It was almost like your heartbeat was getting more intense as the music’s rhythm began picking up. 

A camera was coming closer to you, you blew it a kiss and then took a drag of your pen. It could have been because of the drugs but you felt like you were so high in the air, you could see the top of everyone’s head.; like you were a skyscraper. You were truly having the time of your life, it was nice being able to be carefree. Being able to get as wasted or naked as you wanted knowing you had someone to take care of you. You were gently running your fingers through his hair, tugging on it a little bit. You leaned down and whispered into the top of his head, 

“Thank you for taking me here, this is amazing,” you said. 

He didn’t reply, just ran his hands up and down your leg, starting at your knees and ending at your ankles. You were feeling accomplished that he didn’t get the chance to call your bluff as he put it. When Korn wasn’t playing you could barely hear yourself think over how loud the crowd was. You couldn’t tell if Rick was mad or just concentrating. After a while, you were getting overstimulated by everything going on around you. You asked Rick if you guys could head home, and he opens a portal directly underneath you guys, dropping the both of you back into a garage. You grab the extra tee shirt from your bag and throw it over your body. 

“Thanks, we should do it again sometime,” you said before exiting the garage to find summer.

[f1bordeaux]

Landslide | cs55

"Even children get older, And I'm getting older too" Life moves on, pretty quickly at that. Your last night with Carlos is one that you'll both remember forever. Even years later when he fulfills his biggest wishes. Warnings: Suggestive content, heated make out sesh lol, sadness, happy/unhappy ending? Mostly unhappy Pairings: Carlos Sainz x Reader(y/n) Word Count: 4.2k Poetry style | Story style A/n: I LOVEEEEEE Landslide by fleetwood mac and the way this song hits you when you're about to move out-UGGHHHHHH I wrote the first half of this then went out, got drunk as fuck, woke up and wrote the rest of it with a hangover, so forgive me if there are any errors. Anyways, enjoy this internal dread i'm feeling turned into a FanFic. Growing up is so weird, isn't it?

I took my love, I took it down I climbed a mountain and I turned around And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills 'Til the landslide brought me down

2012.

“¡Sainz joder!” He turned around to look, a smile splitting his lips. Antonio had a frying pan in his hand as the two of you ran through his kitchen. Carlos’ hand squeezed yours with so much force that you wondered if it would bruise. It didn’t hurt, though. In that moment, nothing mattered but that damn smile that Carlos carried. “¡Anda, anda!”

Finally, you reached the back door of the kitchen. Carlos used his whole body to push it open, hoping that nobody would be on the other side. Luckily, the alleyway was empty, save for an employee sitting on a bucket smoking a cigarette. Carlos kept running and you had no choice but to keep up-your hands were still intertwined after all.

Antonio ran out the door, stopping as he watched you two make your grand get away. “Bastard! I ought to tell your father! And your father too, young lady!”

It was the same threat he used every time you and Carlos cut through his kitchen. I’m going to tell your fathers that you two are devious children! He’d say. He never did, though. Antonio was a friend to both yours and Carlos’ parents. He could if he wanted to, but he didn’t. For over ten years, you and Carlos would walk into his restaurant-situated on a busy Madrid street-and slowly sneak your way into the kitchen. Sometimes, when he wasn’t there, the waiters and cooks would just let you freely pass. But, more often than not, he was there and it suddenly became an obstacle course of running past cooks, dodging frying pans and slipping between shelves. It was worth it, however. A small, secret alleyway that was blocked off by a fence from the main road laid on the other side of the restaurant.

On the left-the building that Antonio’s restaurant was in-was a fire escape. It spanned up ten stories to an abandoned rooftop bar. Over the years, Carlos would bring small objects up there. Pillows, blankets, a small folding table, a few boxes to keep the stuff safe. He had the place designed to his liking-like it was his house or something. He’d put string lights up there too, giving the space a dreamy, photogenic atmosphere. So many nights were spent underneath the abandoned bar. You’d slept there a handful of times. You’d gotten drunk for the first time there, too. That space was yours and his. It was Carlos and y/n’s spot; everyone knew it.

So, as you and Carlos climbed the fire escape, it was hard to believe this was the last time the two of you would be spending the night up there together. It made you nauseous to think about.

“Try not to look so down.” Carlos chuckled as the two of you kept climbing the stairs. He could read you like a book, obviously he saw how upset you were. “Let's enjoy tonight.”

“Easier said than done, Carlos.” He stopped suddenly, your chest running into his backpack. His hands grabbed your shoulders and he-shook you? “Carlos stop it!”

“Sorry I was just trying to get the idea that I’m leaving you out of your brain.” He said, dropping his hands.

“But you are.” You said, evoking a sigh from him. Before he could apologize-which you knew he was about to do-you shook your head. “Listen, I’m so excited for you, Carlos, but-I don’t know. Life is going to be so different without you in it.”

“I’ll still be in it, mi novia. It’s not like I’m dying.”

“But Carlos, you’d always come home to Madrid after a race. You’d always be back to see me. We would work on school work together. I’d come to your races sometimes.” You sighed, looking at the metal ground beneath you. “But I’ll be in college and you’ll be in the British Formula 3 now. That's a massive step up. And when you do come back to Madrid, I won't be here.”

He didn’t speak, not for a while. The two of you just stood there, in the Spanish heat, looking at the ground. Life would never be the same. He couldn’t say anything to deny that. Tomorrow night, he would be catching a flight to London, and at the same time, you would be catching a flight to the United States. You’d both leave behind Madrid and only ever return as guests to your hometown. Maybe your rooftop hideaway would go untouched. Maybe some new children would find it and claim it as their own. They’d find the boxes that said, Carlito&Muneca, in sharpie and wonder what those names meant. Maybe they’d sort through your things, maybe they’d turn on the string lights and gasp at how beautiful the place looked.

Being eighteen was weird. You didn’t like it too much.

“Let's go, y/n.” Carlos grabbed your hand once again, pulling you up the fire escape. Three more flights awaited you. The sunset had just begun, but the primary color in the sky was still blue. You could still hear car horns from nearby streets. The air was still warm. The two of you were still young. At least for tonight you were.

Once you reached the top Carlos stepped aside, allowing you to take in the scene.

Oh, mirror in the sky What is love?

The spot on the stage where Carlos and you normally sang and danced to his iPod Nano was now completely redecorated. There was a plush blanket, pillows, a pizza box, and those damn string lights you loved were hanging from the roof. A small card was on one of the pillows. It was, of course, addressed to you in Carlos’ fanciest writing.

Anyone would think that this was a romantic gesture. But you two were best friends. Since birth, really. Not a day went by without conversation between the two of you. Carlos was your soulmate. Of course you had crushes on him here and there-he was hot, funny, caring, charming; you could go on and on. But you never acted on it. Keeping him around was better than losing him.

“Carlos,” You cupped your mouth with your hands. It was beautiful. “When did you-Is that pizza from Antonio’s?”

Carlos laughed, amused that the first thing you pointed out was the food. “Yeah,” He said. “He’s pretty sad that he won't see us around town anymore, either.”

Your heart sank. Right. That's why this was all set up-as a final goodbye. In the few moments of excitement and shock that filled your body upon seeing all this, you had forgotten that tonight was it. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Vamos, let's eat.”

That you did. Carlos and you sat at the bar and ate, watching as the sun sank lower and lower over the city skyline. Somewhere along the way, he pulled some liquor out of his backpack. You two drank and talked, reminiscing over everything the last eighteen years had brought. That one time you spent the night at his house and started a small fire in the kitchen-from then on sleepovers were at your house. That one time you two took a day trip to the beach and Carlos’ foot brushed a stingray's back. That one time you were at one of his races and a driver started hitting on you, so Carlos punched him in the jaw and got suspended for three races. That one time a wild hare was in your guest bathroom and your parents weren’t home so you called him over to help and you trapped it in your mother’s favorite cooking pot. That one time he lost a bet and went streaking through his neighborhood in the middle of winter.

The two of you were hunched over in laughter, your abdomens cramping from how hard you were laughing. Carlos wiped a tear away from his eye. “And remember Mrs. Nunez? She saw me that night and sprayed me with her garden hose!”

You sniffled. “Like why was she awake at five am? And why was she gardening?”

“Literally! I was fucking freezing. The scream that came from my mouth after that-”

You both mocked his scream at the same time, laughing even harder as you remembered the old lady’s shocked face from that night. Slowly, you both started calming down, giggling as you remembered the streaking ordeal. Carlos took a sip from his beer. You drank from your rum and Coke. It was darker now, still not pitch black, but darker. You looked up into the sky, watching as clouds rolled by.

“What am I going to do without you?” Carlos asked. You looked back down. He was staring right at you, bringing the beer bottle back up to his plush lips. “Can’t you just quit college and travel with me?”

You scoffed. “And be what? Your trophy bestfriend?”

“Trophy wife?”

You swore that your heart stopped beating. Wife? As in marriage? Obviously he wasn’t being serious, right? Carlos was a playboy. He’d had plenty of girlfriends in his lifetime. From your past observations, you weren’t his type at all. He preferred dolled up girls, ones with fake blonde hair and exquisite makeup. He preferred high heels and short, skin tight dresses. He preferred long nails and longer lashes. Synthetic beauty. You were far from that. When you put on makeup, it was simple. You dolled yourself up, yes, but everything about you was natural. From your hair color to your nail length. You were a natural beauty-something Carlos had never indulged in.

“Very funny,” You smiled as you took another drink.

“What?”

You blinked very slowly at him. “Us getting married? Sure.”

He shrugged. “Why not? You don’t love me?”

“Of course I love you, Carlito.” You tried using his nickname to deescalate the situation. “But you would never marry me.”

“Bold assumption.”

Was he drunk? Or, was he shooting his shot because tonight was it? This was quite possibly his last chance, was he taking it? Was he working you up so you’d miss him more? God, this was confusing. “Carlos-”

Before you could even say another word, he was leaning forward to kiss you. His lips were warm on yours, a side effect of the alcohol you were sure. His lips were so soft, so large, so perfect. They pulled yours in with such ease, such delicacy-almost like you were fine China. His free hand came to your jaw, thumb resting on your cheek.

He pulled away first, much to your surprise. There was about half a beer left in his bottle. He downed it before speaking again. “I’m sorry, y/n. I don’t know why I thought that was ok.”

Your teeth pulled your bottom lip in. You’d just kissed Carlos, something you only ever dreamed about.

Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?

You reached out, both palms resting on his cheeks this time, pulling him in for another kiss. Fuck it, you thought. This was a new dynamic between the two of you, but it was one that younger you would be ecstatic about.

This time, there was more hunger behind the kiss. Carlos understood this was something you wanted, and you now understood this was something he wanted. His tongue slipped between your lips, finding a home in your mouth. His hands wrapped around your neck, not applying any pressure, just applying warmth. You felt so warm, so satisfied. This was finally happening. Why couldn’t it have happened two years ago?

Carlos pulled away again, gasping for air while resting his forehead on yours. “Come here, hermosa.”

You got off your barstool and sat on his lap, your chest flush to his. The two of you resumed your makeout session, his hands roaming your back, your hands draped around his neck. You moaned into the kiss once his large fingers snuck beneath the fabric of your shirt and touched your hot skin. It was electrifying, it was new, it was so good.

You could feel the bulge in his lap pressed against your thigh. His kisses turned sloppy, his hands moved quicker, his breath grew shorter. It was obvious he was growing impatient with you sitting right there. He was hungry for you. He only wanted you.

His lips attacked your collarbone, leaving little bitemarks and wet spots across your skin. You ran your hands across his broad shoulders, leaning your head back as he created a constellation across your chest. The night air was cold, the sky was now completely dark. The string lights were off, but the glow from the city provided enough light for you to see Carlos at work. He looked so good, so handsome, so perfect.

He chuckled into your skin, the vibrations causing you to shiver. He involuntarily thrusted his hips up, grunting as he did so. You hung your head on his shoulder as he composed himself. “Wrap your legs around me when I stand up, ok?”

You could only nod, feeling gravity shift as he rose to his feet. You did as you were instructed, his arm coming to your lower back for support. Your chest was pressed so deep into his that you wondered if two humans could possibly get closer than this. You really wished your shirts were off so you could feel his skin on yours.

Softly, Carlos laid you down on the makeshift bed. It was more comfortable than you imagined it would be, but maybe your mind was too clouded with lust to be rational. You were focused on Carlos and only Carlos.

A gasp pushed past your lips, not because of anything Carlos did, but because of a loud and sudden explosion. The sky lights up in colors of reds and yellows, blues and purples, greens and oranges. Sparks quite literally fly as fireworks rip through the once still air. Carlos is beside you now, watching the sky with such intensity you wonder if he has ever seen a firework before.

“It’s Saint James Day.” He says to himself.

You’re pulling the covers up to your chest as you catch the small, toothy smile that he holds. He pulls his knees up and rests his elbows on them. You’re amazed at how quickly his attention changed from you to the fireworks.

“You had no idea?” You ask. “I knew there would be fireworks but I didn’t know they’d be close enough for us to see.”

Carlos shook his head. “I didn’t know, no.” He looked back over to you, that smile still on his lips. “What a way to spend our last night in Spain.”

Your heart stops beating. It’s like he was hellbent on reminding you that this was it.

Slowly, he reached for your jaw once again, bringing you in for a kiss. It was soft, it was gentle. It was reminiscent of the first kiss the two of you shared only a few minutes ago. Never, you thought, do I want this to end. It did, however. Everything has a beginning and an end. The circle begins when you place your pen on the page and it stops when you’ve finished drawing it. The story begins at birth and appears like it ends on a rooftop in Madrid-semi naked with fireworks in the background.

The fireworks carry on for a few more minutes. They seem to illustrate photos in the sky. Carlos sees it, too. He pulls out his phone to snap a quick photo before turning it to you. This goes unnoticed, you’re too preoccupied in watching the show before you. He snaps a candid photo of your side profile. It was one he would cherish for the rest of his life, even if it was low quality and dark.

When the sky falls dark once more, the sound of cars below once again filling your ears, Carlos turns his whole body to you. “I love you, y/n.”

Can I handle the seasons of my life? Well, I've been afraid of changin' 'Cause I've built my life around you But time makes you bolder Even children get older

And this time, it feels different. It feels like there is a non-platonic meaning to the sentence he says everyday. Carlos has been telling you he loved you since the two of you could speak. Everytime you two say goodbye his last words are, “I love you.” Every time he’s overjoyed with you he says, “I love you.” Every gift you’ve ever given him has been opened as he says, “I love you.” Every time you run into his garage after a good or bad race he greets you with, “I love you.” You begin to wonder if you’ve missed some signs along the way-if you were too immersed in the thought that, he would never date you, to realize he’s been fighting for you all along.

He answers your question when he speaks again. “All I've ever wanted in life was you. I knew that at the end of the day, I’d be alright as long as you were there, y/n. After a bad race, you were standing there waiting for me and I realized that it isn’t the end of the world. After a bad breakup, you were there to tell me that I’m not a douchebag and I’m actually a good person. After people told me I could never make it big in racing, you stood proud as my number one fan and forced me to carry on with my head held high.”

Your throat begins to burn. This was goodbye. This was Carlos’ confession.

“I have loved you for such a long time, y/n. It’s always been you. I have always wanted you.” No. “I have never clicked so well with someone. I have never thought someone was so beautiful as you. You don’t even have to try, either! You’re just so,”

He trails off, looking straight ahead at the city. His eyes glisten. You wonder if he’s about to cry. You know you’re one more word away from crying.

“I don’t know how I'm supposed to be ok after a bad day without you there to hold me.”

That does it. You hold a hand over your mouth as tears pour down your cheeks. They’re hot, but they aren't the same warmth that Carlos radiates. They’re painfully hot, his touch was pleasantly hot. You’ll have to learn to live with one and not the other, however.

“Carlos,” You choke out. He doesn’t turn to look at you, just staring straight ahead as tears of his own trickle down his cheeks. “Oh, Carlos.”

“This sucks.” He says.

“This sucks.” You repeat.

It sucks. Saying goodbye sucks. Leaving your hometown that you love so dearly sucks. Leaving your best friend sucks. What will become of the two of you? Will Carlos still love you? Will he return to Madrid and visit with your parents? Will he be saddened to see your empty room? Will he turn to look at every girl who resembles you and hope that somehow, someway, you found him? Will you do that to every man who looks like Carlos?

He leans back, laying flat on the bed. You rest your head on his chest, his fingers coming to play with your hair. “I believe with every bone in my body that you will do amazing things, Carlos. You’ll be a world champion one day. And guess what? You’re going to do it because you are strong. It’s not going to be because I’m holding your hand, it’s going to be because of your dedication, your talent, your strength, your skill. You’ve worked for this, Carlos. And you are going to do it.”

He sniffles, placing a kiss to the top of your head. “I love you, Carlos.” You say. And maybe things will be ok, maybe they won't. But you know that Carlos will go on to do great things. You know that he's the type of boy-no-he's the type of man to accomplish whatever he puts his mind to. He’ll fight for his life in that damn race car and then step out of it and make the whole room laugh and smile. He’ll make amazing friends, ones that will occupy the space you have always resided in. He’ll be happy and feel whole. He’ll think of you from time to time. Maybe you’ll visit one another when you both are in Madrid at the same time.

“I love you, y/n.”

And I'm getting older too

2026

You haven't run this fast since high school. Somewhere in the crowd, you’ve lost your husband, but you don't care. You have a mission to accomplish, a friend to see.

“Carlos!” You shout, waving your hands like a maniac. “¡Mi hijo! Carlos!”

A hand grabs you by the bicep. “You can’t be in here!” The strange man shouts. Did you run past some barriers? Yes. Did you push some young fans? Yes. Is security worried about your intentions? Yes. But there, only a few feet away, if the new World Champion.

“Let me go! I know Carlos!” You fight the man causing another to join in on the situation. Both of your arms are restrained and they’re practically carrying you out.

“Everyone says that.” One of them says.

“Please!” You beg. It’s been over three years since Carlos and you have seen each other in person. Life dragged you two apart. You thrived in college, becoming the girl that everyone loved. You made friends quickly and made memories even quicker. Carlos thrived in racing, too. He moved his way up pretty quickly, his Formula One debut coming just three years after he left. You’d seen the Youtube videos of him and his friends, you’d heard the inside jokes, read about Carlando-you knew he was happy. But, you two weren’t as close anymore. You’d text frequently, reaching out before a big race or after a difficult one. You’d facetime, too. You both had one another on social media, and sometimes he would comment on your post or respond to a story you had up. Life was different now, however. You and him were married. He couldn’t come to your wedding, it fell on a race weekend. You couldn’t go to his. You said you had work but watching him marry another girl would stir up some pain, even if you were in a happy relationship. You didn’t frequent Madrid all too much, choosing to vacation elsewhere when the time arises. But, vacations were rare now that you were a mother. This was the first time you’d been out of town since giving birth three years ago. It was worth it.

“Carlos!” You cried out once more. He knew you were at the race-he was the one that bought you the tickets-but you wanted to see him now, not later.

The commotion caught his attention. He stared for a second, trying to understand why two men were carrying out a girl, but then he saw who it was. “Y/n!”

He dropped the conversation he was having to run over to you. The hands of strange men were replaced by those of a familiar friend. You felt warm again. You felt whole.

He swept you up in a hug, spinning you around as you squealed. “You did it! You fucking did it Carlos!”

“I know! You were right muñeca! You were right!” The nickname alone was enough to make you cry. You hadn’t been called that in years. Since the two of you were in your teens.

He dropped you, hands sliding onto your cheeks. For a brief moment, you thought he would try to kiss you. He didn’t. But your mind wandered.

“I’m so happy you’re here.” He smiled softly. “None of this would have happened without you.”

“Me?”

Carlos nodded. “I carried your words with me every day. Nobody has ever believed in me as much as you have.”

“Carlos-”

“I love you, y/n.”

The tears were back, and they fell hard. “I love you, Carlos.”

He was pulled away to go do his podium celebration. The Championship had come down to the last race of the season. Carlos beat out his competitors, however, winning not only the race, but the World Championship. And as he stood on that podium, champagne spraying through the air, fireworks began to pop in the sky. It lights up in colors of reds and yellows, blues and purples, greens and oranges.

He looks down at you, a smile splitting his lips.

It seems like the highest award to achieve, but he hopes that in another life, one hopefully close by, that he can get the one thing he desires most.

You.

Maybe in another life, you followed him. Maybe in another life you two got married. Maybe in another life you reached out more. But in this life, Carlos is a World Champion. You wouldn’t trade his excitement, his pride and his joy for anything.

[girlwiththeobsessions]

love sick c.f.

this book has also been published on wattpad. same username as the one on here. i update faster on there.

you and conrad had a secret relationship two summers ago, when you were 15 and he was 16. you broke up with him because your younger sister, belly had liked him, and you were afraid of hurting her. now, flash forward, you were 17, and you thought you had gotten over him, but maybe you haven’t

iv. deb shopping

part 1 part 2 part 3

i had no clue what was going on with conrad, why he was acting so different this summer, making me wonder what happened to the same conrad who would go on and on about infinity.

i slept in that morning, because of the fact that i stayed up way too late at that bonfire, but i eventually got up since i had work today.

when i went downstairs, dressed in a white lifeguard tank top, and red shorts, laurel, steven, and jeremiah were downstairs.

conrad was on the couch, and jere was making a 'hangover smoothie' for him, while steven was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"do we really have to physically sit for our portraits?" jeremiah complained to laurel. "can't she just- look at a picture on her phone or something?"

"right?" i agreed with him.

jeremiah backed up a little from steven, having enough of him hovering over him. "okay, get out." jeremiah pointed at the door.

steven laughed. "what. why?"

"she needs to see you in the flash to capture you essence." laurel said, fixated on her laptop. "while you're still young, and full of hope."

"so poetic, mom." i joked, while steven and jeremiah laughed.

"her words." laurel rolled her eyes at us with a smile.

"well, conrad does not have hope, actually. he's hopeless." jeremiah insulted, causing me to laugh a little. "but! my hangover smoothie, it cures all."

"can you please just hurry up." conrad rushed him from the couch.

"just go back to bed. alright?" jeremiah shot back to him, and steven started looking over his shoulder again.

jeremiah put a hand on steven's chest. "alright, seriously, steven. get out. this is a delicate science."

"she hasn't painted you since you were little. i think it would be nice to have these portraits for when you're older." laurel added in.

"oh, no." steven joked. "when i'm older, they'd have like, holograms i can watch of myself, you know."

"or, this is why we have technology." i say. "where we have pictures? on our phones?"

jeremiah started the blender, causing conrad to jolt awake.

"just sit for your portraits." laurel told me and steven. "you don't see conrad complaining.

"he'll complain when he's actually conscious." i shot back at laurel.

jeremiah went to the couch and tapped conrad. "hey. here."

"come on, man. hurry your ass up, i can't be late to my first day of work." steven rushed jeremiah. "those little country club boomers are gonna tip me so hard they won't know what hit 'em!"

i made a disgusted look at steven. "ew. steven, i swear."

"come on, y/n." jeremiah laughed. "my boys gotta get that bread."

"stop." i shook my head at him.

i look over to see belly walking in the kitchen, and i give her a small smile.

"good morning." jeremiah says to her in an enthusiastic tone.

"belly, where have you been?" laurel asks her in a serious tone. "is that a bruise."

belly stands next to me and i run my fingers over the bruise. "mom, relax, she tripped when we were at the bonfire and landed on her face." i lied, i knew belly wouldn't wanna tell the actual story

"doesn't look that bad." conrad said from the couch, i look over at him, and made eye contact with him for a few seconds before returning my focus back to belly.

"uh, cereal?" jeremiah asked belly.

"yeah, hit me." belly softly responded.

"oh, my god!" susannah ran into the kitchen. "belly and y/n are going to be debutantes!" she hugged both of us.

belly laughed. "it's really not that big of a deal."

i'd forgotten all about the whole deb thing. it'd be hard trying to balance a summer job and being a deb, on top of that, i'd have to find a date.

"i'm sorry, like those two? my sisters, right there?" steven teased us.

"shut up, cretin!" i shot back.

"okay, this is going to be so much fun!" susannah fantasized. "just you wait. there's the tea, the auction, the- ball, of course.. i gotta write this down. we need to go shopping!"

"this sounds expensive." laurel said.

"oh, don't worry, laur, it's on me." susannah smiled. "it was my idea after all."

"y/n, are you sure you wanna do this?" laurel asked me. "it doesn't seem very you."

in truth, not really. but if it made susannah happy, it made me happy. i had to do it for her.

"it's not." conrad, once again, added his two cents from the couch.

i don't know how he went from how he used to act towards me to.. this.

"conrad, could you please be a little more supportive?" susannah told him. "now, which one of you are gonna be belly or y/n's escort to the ball."

"not me." conrad immediately responded.

"shocker." i say, in a sarcastic tone.

"i went last year." conrad finished his sentence.

"me neither. i swore off balls." jeremiah told us, causing steven to laugh. "the dances dude!" jeremiah said, laughing.

"wow, guys!" i say, sarcastically. "stop fighting over us."

"i'm not going with either of you." belly finally spoke up. "i am going to find my own date.

"it says debutantes require instruction, morals, and social etiquette." laurel read off her laptop.

"i'm going for a swim." conrad leaves through the back door, as i watched him go.

"yeah, y/n could use some etiquette." steven laughed.

"and you wonder why you don't have a girlfriend." i rolled my eyes.

all the sound drowned out as i watched conrad from the window, in his shorts, and no shirt on. i missed how things used to be.

i felt a hand on my shoulder. "you alright, y/n?" jeremiah asked me.

"yeah." i tried push aside anything feelings. "we should probably go soon."

"wait." susannah spoke up. "before you go, we have shopping to do!"

"seriously?" i asked. "i have work. i'm not going shopping."

but that wasn't true. susannah is a really convincing person, so before i knew it, i was shopping around stores with susannah, laurel, and belly, for the debutante thing.

i tried on different dresses, all colors, and different accessory's, hats, sunglasses, and bow, bags over my hands and arms.

then, i had to try on a debutante dress, i found a beautiful white long dress, i loved it, but maybe conrad and laurel were right. this whole thing was not my scene.

what have i done?

ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚

END OF CHAPTER

[emotionallyunstableduck]

Between the lines

genre: fluff, mutual pining, drunk confessions

pairing: Osamu Dazai x Coworker!reader

word count: 860 words

warnings: drinking, aimless writing

Part2

a/n: This is my first fic, and I don't know what i am doing, but i hope you guys enjoy it nevertheless :) Now that i realize it, it's quite short, but I'm still posting it regardless.

Ever since you started working at the agency, you were drawn to Dazai like a moth to a flame. Was it his childish facade? The intricate personality behind that mask? you never quite figured it out.

Today was a typical evening, and you were completing some paperwork while sitting in the cafe downstairs, but all you could concentrate on was dazai flirting with the waitress. You tell yourself that it doesn't bother you, but that would be a lie, so you do the next best thing and pack up your stuff and say good night to your coworkers and head up to your apartment.

That night you heard the bell as you were reading your book so you went to open the door and to your surprise there stood the guy you were over. Dazai looked clearly drunk. "hello Y/N it's great to see you but what are you doing in my house" you couldn't help but giggle at his ramblings "Dazai-san your room is opposite to mine" dazai was perplexed "you mean to say you are not in my room" "quite the opposite actually" dazai seemed a little bummed out as he began to search for his house keys only to realize he left it at his desk. Too lazy to go back to the agency building, dazai just sat on your doorstep "Y/N lemme just stay here for the night" he said proceeding to lay down as you interrupted him by pulling him up by his arm leading to your couch "you'll catch a cold if you lay there Dazai-san" while giving him a blanket "here you go. let me get you some water before you go to sleep" just as you were about to get up to get some water Dazai holds your hand and pulls you onto him and rests his hand on your face "I knew I loved those eyes of yours".

To say you were flustered would be an understatement "Da-Dazai san what are you going on about" Dazai just kept staring at you as though he was trying to speak with you telepathically "It's just that you always look so effortlessly captivating, the way you handle every situation, your wicked intelligence and the way you fill up all my thoughts. I adore you my dear Y/N" after hearing the most heartfelt confession ever, you look at the confessor only to find him passed out on your couch.

You went to sleep with all your blood rushing to your face.

The next morning you find dazai still asleep on the couch. it warmed your heart to watch him sleep "he looks so peaceful" you say to yourself and go to your kitchen and start on some breakfast.

Dazai wakes up with a heavy head and sunlight hitting his face as he tries to squint his eyes to make out his location. His eyes widen when he sees you whisk some eggs as you hum to yourself. To him this sight was something from his dreams. You notice movement and turn towards Dazai and walk towards him with water and some hangover medicine "Dazai-san good morning. I hope you had a good rest. Take this and oh Atsushi-kun dropped your house keys this morning so here you go" you give him his keys and try to avoid eye contact. As much as you wanted to sound normal, last night's scene kept replaying in our head and you couldn't act the same as usual. Dazai was quick to catch onto this "why are you acting weird? Did i do something while i was drunk?" he looks slightly concerned as he thought back to last night and was hit with everything. "its nothing I was a bit spaced out that's it" you say while folding up the blanket he used "if this is about my confession last night the you don't need to overthink it. I simple stated my mind and my feelings for you".

The nonchalant confession caught you off-guard "Y/N i meant when i said that i adore you. now i will not impose this on you" with that Dazai began walking towards your door "I really like you too Dazai-san" you shout a bit not able to handle the rush of emotions.

Dazai turned back and held your hands tightly "you mean that my dear? cause if that's true then i don't think i can hold myself back any longer" you simple nod and the very next moment you feel his lips upon your. The neediness and the complex feeling dissolving and filling the gap between you both as you kiss him back.

Dazai pulls out after a while and looks at you like you are the world to him "maybe i should drink more often" he says causing you to chuckle and rest your face on his chest "I didn't think I'll ever get to do this" he gently strokes your hair and you both hold each other close.

"So, now we go to the bedroom?" Dazai asks suggestively."I think we should have our breakfast and head to the agency so as to not have Kunikida-san shout at us".

a/n: contemplating over if I should do a part 2 with smut.

[cookiesupplier]

Every Rose Has It's Thorns - Part Five

pairing: Ricky Olson x ofc (Talia)

warnings/tropes: slow burn, soulmates, strangers to enemies to lovers, betrayal, angst, fluff, smut, language.

summary: In a world where soulmates inexplicably receive a tattoo that will match that of their soulmate the moment they turn eighteen years old, being famous and covered in very visible tattoos can make finding your true soulmate a questionable fate. Not that it is any easier for the soulmate in question. Thus is the fate for Ricky and Talia. Sooner or later, however, life is bound to collide, but what will happen when it does?

author’s note: Unbeta’d, so please readers beware.

tags: @tearfallpixie @cncohshit @jordynyingling0219 @faceless-mirror @nyxthedestroyerofworlds @wild-child-7747 @witchyweeb34 If you would like to be added feel free, please let me to know, whether to this list specifically or in general.

~~

Even though Talia already knew she had her appointments cleared, and nothing was scheduled for the day, she’d called into the shop just to check in on her books while Ava was driving the car to the hotel that Vinny had messaged her late last night while they were driving home. She could only guess that he’d sent her the message the moment he knew where they were staying when she’d gotten the message. Ava didn’t say anything about Talia calling in, and Talia didn’t either, but they both knew there was at least half a chance she was hoping that someone had called in hoping for a last minute appointment and she could get out of this trip somehow.

Not that Ava would have let her take the appointment as it was supposed to be her arranged day off, even if she didn’t have the planned hangover that she’d thought she would have. Either way, no such luck, her clients had all been told it was her day off, and they were all respecting the fact that she was going out for her birthday. Dammit. Couldn’t even one of them just complain?

Timing however was horrible when they pulled up outside of the hotel, and there was Grace. Grace with luggage, and it didn’t look like she was going in with all of her things, she was leaving. Talia swallowed, Ava nudged her, but while she knew Ava probably thought this should excite her, after that look Ricky had given her, that hated, and knowing she’d caused this, she was not excited.

Then there was the withering look Grace was giving her as the Uber driver was packing her luggage into his car,

“Remember, he wanted me first, freak, enjoy my left-overs.”

Once she was in the car and and they’d driven off, Ava just re-iterated,

“I said it last night and I’ll say it again, soulmate stealing hussy, and she isn’t worth it, let’s go.”

Talia just wished Ava would figure out soon that today wasn’t about her, at all, maybe as soon as she saw Vinny again, that excitement would take over, she hoped so, she really hoped so.

~~

Ricky didn’t want to be coming down for breakfast. He’d barely slept after last night. Considering Grace was with them at the moment, usually he’d be sharing a room with her, but with the development, naturally he’d requested to not. She had her room paid for one last time by the tour, and he paid for her transport home, just to get her gone. It might be a mistake, but she wasn’t wrong, they had been together for years, and stranding her away from home would just be heartless because he’d gotten her to come on tour because he’d had to genius idea to recreate the way they’d met in a silly cafe on an off day to propose to her. He felt like an idiot, and now Vin wants him to go and be social?

Honestly, he’d rather just order something in and eat it in their room considering Vin was dragging him down to meet with his soulmate, and, the other one. No Vin, there was no way in his mind she was his real soulmate. He refused to go down that path after all of this. It was insane, and he was tired of it. He was tired, and angry, and he was done. He would rather give up and refuse all the soulmate issues entirely than deal with one more soulmate tattoo ever again.

Yet, here he was, being dragged downstairs, by Vin, to meet with Ava, and what the hell was her name, oh, right, Talia. Okay, he didn’t want to know, he didn’t want to care, he was only going down because Vinny was making him. His hoodie pulled up over his head, he stepped out of the elevator into the lobby of the hotel, Vinny was so obviously excited, and he wanted to be happy for him, he did.. Watching for him, he was trying not to be bitter. He swore he was trying as he saw him grinning walking over to the one that he knew was his soulmate, Ava.

The other one, what-her-name, right, Talia, just off to the side. Ricky glanced at her. He didn’t even bother to say hello. Spiteful yes, but he didn’t care, last night his life imploded. He knew it wasn’t really her fault, it wasn’t like she forced Grace to fake a soulmate mark, but he didn’t believe for a second that this one had the real thing, not one second.

“So, since you two are locals, we’re guessing you guys might know where is good for breakfast right? Somewhere quiet hopefully?”

Vinny was asking, Rick just shrugged, and Ava grinned,

“Absolutely, my favourite place is this nice little dinner, they have the best chocolate chip pancakes, I’m sure you’ll love something there.”

Talia glanced between the pair and felt a prang in her chest at the way Ava giggled, actually giggled and clasped her hands in front of her, she never fucking giggled. This was a woman that would punch her in the arm so hard she’d bruise for a week just because she made a idiotic joke, and she was giggling like a schoolgirl, wow. Smirking a little, but then, she glanced at Rick, and seeing the dark look in his eyes directed at her, and it was like shards of ice shredding her veins. Tearing her eyes away from him, this was going to be such, fun.

~~

Settling in at the diner, ordering breakfast was simple enough, but as they waited for their food, coffees in front of them, that was when things really started to get awkward. Before Talia just tried to ignore Rick, focus on Ava and Vin, being all lovey, smiling at each other, nudging each other, yea, that was what they were doing, it was stupid. So stupid, and so nice that they seemed happy. At least someone was.

However, that was when Vinny brought up what she’d told him the night before about her soulmate tattoo,

“You need to tell him what you told us in the greenroom Talia, Ricky needs to hear it from you, not from me, or Ava, you.”

Talia looked out the window, the empty stare, no, not empty, she could feel the glare without even looking at him, the glare she was getting from Rick was.. He didn’t want to hear anything from her and she knew it. Looking across the table to Vinny she paused before looking over to Ricky.

“I was a fan of the band for a while already, the moody teenager phase according to my parents, so when I turned eighteen and I got my tattoo, I was shocked. It wasn’t just your rose, it was right there.”

Shrugged, she wasn’t going to give him the pity party about no one believing her, about being harassed and tormented about being a psychotic fan. About how even her own parents had thought she needed therapy for honestly believing she had a famous soulmate with no real proof. He didn’t care, and she didn’t want yet another person treating her like shit, he was doing that enough already, and it hurt worse than anyone else ever had, not that she would admit that, she’d built up a tough skin over the years, she had to.

“I went to every concert I could get to, I could afford to, both because I loved the music, and yes, hoping to meet you, there were some almost moments.. But the last one, it was right there. I was right there.. You were.. But you were with her, and you looked hap-”

Talia paused when he frowned,

“You seemed happy, and I thought, you were happy, and who was I to try and take that away from you. So I just let go. I moved on, just lived like my tattoo was a normal tattoo.”

Ricky scoffed, so he was supposed to believe she was some sort of saint putting his happiness before her own? Fuck that. No. If she was willing to go to all those concerts, why the fuck would she just back of?

“It is a normal tattoo, I’m not stupid, sob story, best friend soulmates? Yeah right. Ava I can buy, she’s got the unique mark, but you too? No. I might have been duped by Grace, but I’m not doing it again.”

He looked away when the waitress brought over their food, setting their plates down and they all took the moment to start getting tucked in. Vin took the chance to change the subject and seemed to start asking questions instead.

He was asked about them, about their friendship, how they became friends, when they met, and Ava happily launched into the tale. Pre-school. In the sandbox. Talia had been building a sandcastle, always the artist, and some idiot boys came over and smashed it, so Ava had come over and smashed them, literally pushed them over and made one of them eat the sand. She’d gotten in so much trouble for that, but Talia had made a friend for life.

Ricky rolled his eyes. Of course Ava was her defender, but at the same time, it was good that she could stand up to the trolls, she wouldn’t survive a relationship with Vin if she couldn’t handle trolls. Talia would be crushed with the slightest bully online if she couldn’t handle a couple of preschoolers.

“Okay, fast forward to now, what do you both do for work, it sounded like you both worked at the same place with how you talked leaving last night.. Something about clients?”

Ricky snorted, Talia glared at him, she could only imagine what was going through that head of his, probably the worst possible thoughts..

“I’m a tattoo artist, and Ava is a- what do you call it again?”

Ava grinned at her as she swallowed her bite of, yes, chocolate chip pancakes,

“Customer Service Representative.”

Talia smirked as she lifted up her coffee and glanced over to Vin,

“She would make an amazing personal assistant arranging things for you guys to make things easier on tour, even if it's just personal things. She does wonders for me at the parlour. My schedule would be a mess without her.”

Yes, she was talking her up, she wanted her to find a good place in Vin’s life, and Talia knew, Vin going off on tour all the time was going to kill Ava, it was, and as much as it would kill Talia if she started going off working with him on tour, then at least she’d be happy with him.

“Tattoos..”

Talia was glancing at Rick now, who was scrolling on his phone with a frown,

“This is your work, isn’t it?”

Turning his phone to her, he’d brought up a photo, a photo of a piece of work she’d done a couple of weeks back and posted to the shop's instagram. Nodding,

“Yes, Inkfinity Tattoos, that’s us.”

And yes, that was one of her tattoos, but he’d be able to look that up now, the shop website had bios of each of the artists, including their pictures, saying what they specialise, and hers was right there on the website.

It took her a moment to realise when Ricky pulled his phone away, that he hadn’t brought up the shop's instagram to show her the photo. No, he’d opened his photo app. Ricky had saved a photo of one of the tattoos she’d drawn and tattooed, before they’d ever met.

Her eyes flew up from staring at his phone with the realisation, meeting his, no idea what to say with that. Shit.

Swallowing, so why was he still glaring at her, from the way he was looking at her you’d think that the discovery was the worst thing in the world.

[luniellar]

Dain gets a bad rep, I get it. But, give him a chance?

I started writing a Dain's POV fanfic that is a retelling of the canon events from Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. We just made it to events from Iron Flame and some of my favorite scenes are coming up so I wanted to reach out to the Tumblr community to see if anyone might be interested! I haven't kept up with updates here, so I'm here to try to convince you!

SPOILER WARNING! Do not proceed if you have not read Fourth Wing or Iron Flame.

Things to know going into it:

I will not be pushing Dain X Violet because let's be real Xaden X Violet is end game (but I would be interested to see if you guys who you would pair Dain with....👀)

My own interpretations do not venture far from canon events! It follows the chapters from the books and I have chapter references for each chapter in case you wanted to follow along

If you hate Dain, this fanfic may bring you joy as he suffers from jealous syndrome and heartbreak (multiple times)

You get to see Dain's interaction with a sassy (but still caring) dragon personality, Cath

There are 7 chapters out already! (and you heard it here first, the infamous interrogation scene will be coming in 2 chapters!)

If you are suffering from FW/IF hangover, this will help!

Some excerpts:

A sudden lightning storm.

Then a lightning strike hits a window on the third-year floor.

And there was only one lightning wielder I knew. 

I clenched my jaws as my hands curled into tight fists. I tasted nothing but bitterness in my mouth as I tore my gaze from the window that was there just seconds ago. I needed to get back to my room. My legs pushed against the soft mud as I forced myself to walk into the same dormitory building filled with disgust. 

I found her, but I don’t think I have the guts to tell her tonight. Maybe someday, but not tonight.

And fuck, I’m petty.

Chapter 4

Mira stands back and looks around the room. “Who is in command?” She glanced at Quinn and added. “And let’s pretend that I don’t have three years of seniority on even the highest-ranked of you.”

I sat up straight, looking at Mira. “Then I’m in command.”

“Our wingleader is here,” Liam pointed at Riorson. “I would say that puts him in command.”

Gods, can Liam go suck Riorson’s dick anywhere else? 

“We can pretend I’m not here, just for the sake of the exercise.” Xaden lounged back, moving his arm across the back of Violet’s arm. I gritted my teeth as I glared back. “Give Aetos here the position we all know he craves.” 

Chapter 6

If I slightly convinced you, check out Defy on AO3 or Wattpad!

With that, I'm out! If you are following my Garrick X OC fanfiction Breathe Me, I am working on those updates too! Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[positivelybeastly]

Did you see Gillen and Brevoort said Beast (used to be/could have been) was the most romantic x man? Veeeeery interesting. Gillen seemingly wanted to redeem beast in SWORD through his love for Abigail but feels that’s been taken off the table at this point. If only there were some other person he held near and dear to his heart who might be able to give him both love and time to grow past this unfortunate moment

"I'm through with love hangovers,

It's best that I stay sober.

No rolling in the clover,

No Gretna Green trip over.

No honeymoon in Paris,

I only feel embarrassed for the,

Cool cats,

The charmed kittens,

Both smitten by the love songs

That he's written.

Caught in the sights of a,

Deadly sniper:

The magic piper of love.

The magic piper of love.

Of love, of love!"

Anon, you beat me to this - the instant I saw that thread on Reddit, I was just besides myself with jimmy legs because I wanted to get back home and post about it immediately.

SO. CONTEXT.

Over at AIPT Comics, they have this segment called X-Men Mondays, where they'll send out various themed questions to people at the X-office to answer, usually as just kind of a fun, fuckabout sort of thing.

Today's was Valentine's Day themed, because, well, it's the 12th of February, there's not a ton else to talk about.

The question naturally came up.

AIPT: Who, in your opinion, is the most romantic X-character? (And why?)

Everyone gets a look in, from Xavier to Wolverine to Havok to Mystique, but. Okay, so, like. Kieron Gillen answered four times in this thread, and most of it was just funny answers, but in response to THIS question, he said this in response:

Kieron Gillen: You know, Beast in the timeline where my S.W.O.R.D. got past issue 5 would have been good for this, but the timeline we ended up in had (er) somewhat less romance interested Beast. Perhaps someone could go back in time and try and do something about it. “We have to time travel to save Beast!” “Why? Is it all his genocides?” “No, he has to carry on devotedly making blueberry muffins.”

. . . . . . . .

Ladies, gentleman, non-binary individuals. S.W.O.R.D was cancelled 14 years ago. It died in 2009. But Kieron Gillen refuses to stop being salty about it, and you know what? You know what? Fucking good for him, because I'm fucking salty about it too!!!

But, like, this is such a wild answer to me! Just, unprompted, one of the premier comic book talents of the day just being like, hey, fuck you all, I really liked my little Beast-Brand OTP book. This man is one of my people, I know this. Well. I already knew this, to be fair, I got him to sign my trade paperback copy of that exact series, but that was over a decade ago, and he's STILL flying that flag???

HE REMEMBERS THE MUFFINS.

LOOK AT MY FUCKING OOC TAG.

IT'S OUTOFMUFFINS.

Then Brevoort, who, by the way, is the incoming editor for the X-Men books, said this:

Tom Brevoort: Back in the day, it was the Beast, before he threw over human needs and desires in favor of science. Nightcrawler also had some moves, but he doesn’t really use them as often anymore. So these days, Gambit is the clear winner. Angel wants to be, but he’s mostly all talk. But Gambit thinks about this stuff.

These are.

Interesting comments.

Beast literally could not be less relevant to the wider Krakoan story arc. X-Force exists in its own little bubble of black ops and body horror, and yet, unprompted, both one of the headline members of the talent (who has made sure to put Hank and Abigail in books for no real reason other than he likes them) and the incoming editor are both like, y'know, Hank was a real romantic back in the day. There's some affection there. It gives me hope. It makes me smile.

Now, I hasten to point out, this is not #WonderbeastConfirmed. We have no idea how these last two issues of X-Force are going to play out. But it is.

Interesting.

Oh, I also want to take a moment to call out Anthony Oliveira, who said this:

Anthony Oliveira: If you want the truth, you go to Emma. But nobody wants the truth. So they go to Jean, who can throw you a reality TV and ice cream pity party like you wouldn’t believe. She has those top-of-the-line flowy pajama pants that facilitate conversation, you know? Worst is Hank McCoy, who has been giving bad advice for decades before his war criminal era. One time he took Angelo Espinosa on a car trip that bummed me out so bad I’m still thinking about it 30 years later.

THAT bummed you out, bro?

Pssh, okay, dude.

Anyway.

Kieron Gillen remains my guy.

[rockitmans]

Blaine Anderson Vs Valentine's Day

Summary: Blaine drunk posts on his Instagram asking for a date for Valentine's Day. He gets one.

Notes: Written for the @klaineccfanficlibrary Valentine Challenge. I'm gonna write this daily so chapters will probably be short and sweet. Today's song is Lovely Day by Bill Withers.

Warnings: Drunken decision making, unsolicited dick pics

Read on AO3 or below

~~~~~~~~

The Instagram post is obviously a mistake. But in Blaine's defence he was:

very drunk

unwilling to give up a reservation at Di Fara, a booking he'd made nine months previously to guarantee a table for Valentine's Day, and 

clearly losing his mind because of very justifiable reasons and therefore found the whole thing hilarious. At the time. 

It probably would have been fine except Blaine has, at this point, gathered quite a respectable following with his reels of genre bending interpretations of popular songs. There reaches a point where one becomes an actual Influencer and posting dumb shit on the internet stops being a joke between friends and starts being an example of youth culture going off the rails. Or something. He's not even a youth. He's in his late twenties. 

He winces through his hangover as he looks at the post again. He'd gotten Sam, who is an enabler more than anything, to take it. He's shirtless, posing like a total fuck boy with his hair artfully tousled and giving the camera his best sultry expression. An expression that he would never willingly admit to practising in the mirror. It's so cringey he can barely breathe. 

Which is nothing compared to the caption. 

Wanted: Valentine's Day Date

I have reservations for two at Di Fara, but SEBASTIAN decided he was more interested in fucking some guy from the gym than eating the best Italian food in New York. I thought it was weird that he couldn't even pick me up with all the time he was spending at the gym. Your loss SEBASTIAN, I would hate to waste such an amazing dining experience on a rat face LIAR. 

Offering: This hot body. A fully paid meal comprised of aforementioned excellent Italian food. Salvation from a Valentine's Day evening spent Sad and Alone. 

Seeking: A man that is not Sebastian. 

The comment section is flooded of course. There's well over four hundred, a massive number for him, and probably includes some non followers. If he knew it was this easy to manufacture engagement on his posts, he would have done it a long time ago. A quick skim indicates a range of reactions. From sorrow for his break up with Sebastian - who was once a regular on his feed - to hilarity at the nature of the post, to quite sincere sales pitches as to why they should be the one to get the date. 

sebsational94 my name is sebastian but I am not THE sebastian. I would never play you like that boo. can I still qualify? 😇

boooomers Can't believe this is the way we get to see Blaine Anderson shirtless. I am UNWELL

wlfricbea brooo you really be callin out ur man like this omg. rip king seb u will be missed 

cherycool When you say you are offering your hot body, what are we talking here? 👀

tinbd @ cherycool Right? Is Blaine Anderson a Slut? 

sofee.bailey Alexa, play Lovely Day by Bill Withers. Because it's always a lovely day when people take out the TRASH

musicallymotivatedd … still waiting for this cough syrup cover you keep promising 🙄

Blaine's phone buzzes in his hand and he almost drops it out of pure fear. But it's just a message from Tina laughing at him. And then demanding to know why he didn't just ask her to a fancy dinner. Which is a valid point. Blaine has several single friends he could have a fun evening with. But he was drunk on Peach Schnapps, not making functional decisions. He really is a slutty drunk and he literally never learns.

After a moment to psych himself up, he flips to his DMs, which are much worse. He's not particularly stringent with his privacy settings and his inbox is full of chat requests and a LOT of dick pics. As if he's going to pick a date based on the shape of someone's dick. It's exhausting. 

He taps out a message to Tina. 

Blaine: I've never seen so many dicks in my life

Queen T: Sorry can't relate 

She's useless.

Blaine: This isn't funny. I'm in an ocean of dick

Queen T: A sea of penis. A sea-nis if you will

Blaine: I won't

Queen T: Aw Blainey Days. Are you traumatised? I can come and make you some breakfast 

Blaine: Yes please 🥺

Queen T: OMW

[cherryfairytwist]

RickFic Ch1. Falling In

(Tags: Alcohol / harassment / substance use / 18+ Minors DNI)

—- HELLO —-

—- INITIATING DOWNLOAD SEQUENCE MEMORY CLUSTER #1  —-

—-PULLING UP EARLIEST ASSISTED MEMORY RECORDS —-

—- NARRATION SIMULATING NOW —-

 Astrid walked down the sidewalk listening to “Every Day Is Exactly The Same” by Nine Inch Nails in their earbuds while nearing the entrance of the school. Waking up with a hangover was something no one at school could tell that Astrid was dealing with most mornings. They’d simply shape shift to look completely rejuvenated even if they felt dead inside. You’d never be able to physically tell, but for some reason Summer and Morty could always tell when something was off those days. They seemed to be nicer, as if they knew and were worried. She figured it was because they were familiar with what alcoholics were like in the Smith family. Their mother and grand dad being pretty hard core raging alcoholics themselves. She had heard all about it from the kids throughout the time she had known them. She had been there for them on the occasional times both the siblings were having some kind of mental breakdown during the school day due to alcoholic family issues. That morning Morty had picked up some books she had dropped during a lesson. He smiled kind of worried at her and whispered as he picked them up handing them away to a fellow classmate, 

“H-hey Astrid are you doing o-okay?” 

Astrid smiled back and tried to play it cool, 

“Yeah Morty I’m okay. Just a little tired this morning.” 

He didn’t seem convinced but tried to take a different approach,

“You-you know.. Su-Summer and I sometimes meet up before lunch a-at her locker if you’d like to come h-hang out..I-I mean like Rick will probably show up and pull us out of s-school around then so like no pressure.. haha.” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. 

“Okay Morty. Tell Summer I’ll give her back that eyeshadow she let me borrow a few days ago when I see you two.” Astrid replied casually knowing Morty’s nerves were getting the better of him. 

“Ha! O-okay cool!” He happily but awkwardly laughed and went to sit back down. 

The rest of class went on like normal, typical boring high school history class. On the way to the next class she popped an earbud in again and “Restless” by Unkle played. Suddenly they got stopped in the hall by one of the Seniors that was known for being quite the delinquent around school. His name was Harris Hailer. He wore black ripped skinny jeans with chains hanging from the belt and a black hoodie with random spray painted words on it. Harris was known for causing problems around school but never actually showed any signs of being a real threat, well… at least that’s how Astrid felt about him. He often would come around to bother her after class. 

“Well hey hey Astrid.” He looked down his nose at her from under his long black messy bangs. 

He looked to her side and spotted Morty slightly following behind her. 

“God this little kid is always following you around school like usual hu?” He grabbed Morty by the collar and held him slightly suspended an inch or two from the ground. 

“O-oh h-hey wait!” Morty squirmed and tried to pull away from him. 

“Weird to be talking about yourself in the third person today Harris, but whatever.” Astrid replied annoyed while snatching Morty effortlessly from Harris’s grip and setting him down. 

Morty awkwardly laughed at Astrid’s comment and quickly walked on ahead a few feet towards his class as to keep away from Harris but close enough to keep an eye on Astrid. 

“Wow holy shit- you’re strong Astrid… do you work out or something?” Harris replied trying to still lay it on thick while attempting to reach his hand out and play with her hair. 

 “I don’t have time for this Harris, go to class.” She quickly replied and brushed him away while walking towards Morty. 

“Oh come onnnnnnn Astrid! Don’t be like that, you’re so FINE though..” he mockingly moaned and quickly flipped up her skirt as he passed. 

 “H-hey quit it! L-leave her alone!” Morty whined from the other end of the hall. 

“Haha whatever loser. I’ll see YOU later.” Harris smirked and continued on to whatever class he had next. 

 Astrid and Morty continued on walking towards their classes. 

“I-I don’t know why y-you put up with him every day.” Morty said angrily. 

“I won’t let him get to me, he’s just an idiot anyway.” Astrid said through gritted teeth with a fake laugh. 

She knew she could have demolished Harris with the flick of her pinky if she wanted to but she needed to keep her cover on Earth. So she let it slide knowing he was just a meaningless pest in the grand scheme of things. 

 They parted ways as Astrid came to the classroom she needed to be in for that next class, 

“See ya later Morty. Have a good class.” she said as she entered through the room. 

 Morty thanked her and waved as he turned to go to a classroom a couple of doors down. 

 This history class was Summer’s. Every morning Summer would come up to the front of the room and make short talk with Astrid before class began. Summer always seemed happy to be around Astrid. She’d always updated her on the high school drama of the senior girls, their crushes and things they were up to that week during and after school. Astrid always found the info completely useless yet entertaining. She was just happy to humor Summer as she got ready for class and waited on the teacher. 

 “Heyyyy! Did Morty ask you to come hang out with us at my locker later?” She leaned on the front desk and arched her eyebrow. 

“ I mean, like it’s not just going to be me and Morty obviously. Like some of my other friends will be there too… if Morty is getting on your nerves lately or anything.” Summer quickly insisted before Astrid responded. 

“Oh no he’s sweet.” Astrid replied “I’ll definitely come hang out with you two later. Oh and here is your eyeshadow I borrowed.” She pulled the makeup out of her coat pocket and handed it to Summer. 

“Oh thanks! How’d you like it? Did you use it for a hot date?” She produced a cheeky grin while awaiting a response. 

“It’s pretty! But… I think it’s too warm a tone on me.” Astrid replied avoiding the subject of dating entirely. 

The main teacher walked into the classroom and announced class had started. 

 “Okay we’ll talk later!” Summer winked and returned to her desk. 

Astrid would never say it but she never really needed the makeup Summer lended her in the past. Being a shape shifter made those things unnecessary. But Summer was always so excited to share things with her or invite her to places. Astrid was starting to feel guilty for blowing her off so many times previously. Recalling all the times she spent at home alone trying on some kind of lipstick or eyeshadow Summer had lent her just to kill time. But who knows maybe it wouldn’t hurt to hang out with the Smith’s for real this time. Moping around until she got a new mission was getting old. She could try her hand at having normal healthy friendships… right? 

Ever since the incident it had become painfully obvious how different her life was compared to others around her. It was an isolating feeling. She didn’t know why she kept pushing them away but never having relationships outside of her working as an agent started to weigh on her mind. There had to be more to life than what she had been trained to do. But every passing day she could feel the ache of the co-dependency she developed for her Handler and the adrenaline rushes she had gotten from her many dangerous missions. 

Maybe this is why she gravitated towards the Smith siblings. They seemed to be more relatable than most the other humans on the planet. They had seen things. They had been THROUGH it. Hearing them talk about their grandpa reminded her of previous handlers she had in the past. This always caught her curiosity. Wondering if Rick Sanchez was anything like the rumors or what her Handler had said about him. But hearing about him from the kids gave her a new insight to the said grandiose reputation that followed their grandfather around. 

  Most of the school morning came and went in a blur. After the two classes with the Smith siblings she mostly went on auto pilot listening to one earbud hidden under her hair as the other classes dragged on. Soon the school bell rang out indicating it was time for lunch period. Astrid contemplated what she should do. Technically she had already returned the makeup to Summer… she could use that as an excuse to justify not meeting up with them. Like do they actually want to hang out with a teacher’s assistant? She didn’t even know what her real age was but she definitely looked and acted older than both of them. Still they actually seemed to still want to hang. Does that mean Summer saw her as like an older sister or something? She didn’t know but paced around the empty classroom now that everyone had left for Lunch. “Faceshopping” by SOPHIE blared through her ear bud. She wondered,

“What if we all end up getting close and then the Agency gives me a mission and I have to leave?” 

She paced.

“What if I end up getting the order to go after and assassinate Rick Sanchez? Their Grandfather….” 

She paced more. 

“What if the friendships end up getting weird or toxic like the ones I made at Cognito Inc.” 

She paced even more.

“What if something like the incident happens again….?” She shook her head and pressed her back against the wall and breathed. 

“Would they hate me if they found out who I really was? Would Rick try to eliminate me once he knew the proximity his grandkids had to me?”

She looked up at the ceiling. 

“They seem like tough kids though…. They’ve definitely been trained in some ways by their Grandfather right…?” She sighed.

“I mean I’m not actually hunting them… So I’m not technically hiding anything… if they ask I’ll tell them stuff… just not everything maybe.” 

She got up.

“I can at least try to be fucking normal.” 

She left the classroom and walked briskly down the hall towards the direction of Summer’s locker. 

 She had waisted a few minutes pacing so she picked up the pace. Turning the corner Astrid could see the siblings chatting at the locker as some of Summer’s friends turned and left towards the lunch room. 

“Hey guys, sorry I got caught up after class.” 

She called to them as the two turned to look at her with big smiles on their face. 

“H-hey Astrid-“ Morty cheerfully got cut off by his sister “Omg heeeeeeyyyyyy Astrid you actually showed!” 

“Sorry you guys I’m going to be better about that.” Astrid awkwardly laughed.

“No! I mean I’m joking like you don’t have to hang with us girl, I’m just glad you want to.” Summer said nonchalantly. “Let’s go grab lunch together.” 

“Haha- yeah! I’m starving” Morty said with a smile. 

Right as “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC played in Astrid’s ear, both the siblings turned and Summer grabbed Astrid’s arm to pull her along with them. Astrid looked down and noticed her shoe had come untied. 

“Hold on guys let me tie my shoe” she said as she crouched down. 

As she laced up, she heard a noise that she was able to identify as a type of portal. 

A voice loudly announced, “SUMMER. M-MORTY. N-NO *burp* TIME!! COME WITH ME!”

Astrid heard another portal noise and suddenly fell backwards through the floor. She looked up and saw her and the siblings were falling through a pastel purple sky of an unfamiliar planet onto hard dry orange soil. Seeing a portal hole close up above their heads made Astrid realize Summer’s hand was still on her arm. Astrid brushed herself off and looked up to see Rick Sanchez now on the ground standing with them. 

“Grandpa Rick you need to start waiting until after lunch before you try to pull us on one of your adventures!” Summer yelled back at him. 

While also brushing herself off, she looked down to see Astrid next to her on the ground. 

“Oh shit-“ she started to say before Morty also yelled out “Y-YEAH! RICK! I’m tired of this!! I’m Starving right now m-man!” 

“S-stop you’re bitching you fucking pansies! T-this is important- yuuuhhrrrgg*burp* you guys need to trust Grandpa! Y-you-your Grandpa will give you something better than lunch! I have countless inventions that can make you feel like you had WHOLE MEAL!! S-shrunk down FULL COURSE MEALS M-Morty!!” He raged on at them as the siblings stood up. 

 Astrid had only ever caught glimpses of Rick when he picked up the kids from school. She mostly ever just heard him yelling something of urgency before suddenly the Smith siblings were gone out of thin air. Or the occasional moment where she would happen to see him running through the school frantically with or looking for the kids while something insane chased after him. 

 “Fuck I��m so sorry Astrid!” Summer quickly said while Astrid helped her up. 

“I didn’t mean to actually drag you into this! This is so wack right..?” Her nervous rambling went on, “Are you going to freak out now and like hate us….? I know we are like on an alien planet and everything… we can take you back to school I promise-“ 

“W-who the FUCK is that?” Rick demandingly asked. 

Astrid looked Rick in the face as Morty asked if she was okay. She suddenly realized this was the first time she was meeting THE Rick Sanchez. Probably one of the most wanted men in the universe. Considered a terrorist amongst countless planets. Yet he stood here arguing with his two grandchildren in the dirt. 

 “I’m terribly sorry sir.” Astrid spoke and extended her hand towards Rick. “Nice to meet you. My name is Astrid I’m-“ 

Morty cut her off with “she-she’s our teacher’s assistant at school!” 

“Oh yes the-*uhrp* little fucking assistant friend you two never shut up about that keeps g-ghosting you.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes, 

“God will y-you two take a hint? She obviously doesn’t want to waist her time on you.” He said annoyed as he shot his portal gun off to the side in Astrid’s direction. 

His eyebrow raised as he noted she didn’t flinch the slightest bit in surprise of her surroundings.

“S-shut up Rick!” Morty yelled, “Astrid came to h-hang out with us! Maybe we wanted to bring her with us!” 

 “Wait yeah!” Summer agreed now also noticing Astrid wasn’t freaking out about the situation and seemed fine with it. 

“She’s really cool Grandpa. Give her a chance! We could all have fun on a mission together or something!” She said practically exploding with excitement to have a friend to share adventures with.

“Fuck no.” he barked abruptly. “I’m not d-dragging around another dumb fu-fucking little friend of yours. Think about the last couple of classmates you two g-*aahhhh*-gained the privilege of losing once they realized they couldn’t fucking HANDLE IT!”  He quickly took a swig from his flask and stomped over to Astrid. 

“N-nice meeting you but I’ll t-take it from here.” He shoved her backwards through the portal and back into the school hall. 

“See you later!!” Summer quickly said to Astrid as Morty whined in protest behind her. 

“Yeah see you later.” Rick sarcastically echoed as the portal snapped shut leaving her alone in the hallway. 

—- PART ONE COMPLETED —- 

—- SHUTTING DOWN —-

—- GOODBYE —- 

[solarishashernoseinabook]

Solaris reviews Bookshops & Bonedust, by Travis Baldree (2023) (prequel to Legends & Lattes)

*continued excited stimming*

Summary: Twenty years before the events of Legends & Lattes, Viv finds herself injured in battle and left in the sleepy backwater town of Murk to recover. While waiting for her band of adventurers to get back to her, Viv does work at a bookshop, has a sweet summer romance, and takes down a necromancer.

Content: This book has more of a mystery/adventure bent than Legends & Lattes did, but I think it struck a good balance between telling the cosy story of a down-on-her-luck bookseller and relating the take-down of a genuinely menacing necromancer. It was fun to read and revisit the world established in Legends & Lattes, and see a new take on Viv

Who I think would like it: Anyone who liked Legends & Lattes, or who wants a calm read in general

Things it does well: I liked the mystery aspect of it, and details of Viv's recovery. The characters were just as well done as they were in Legends & Lattes, and exposition handled well too. Something I noticed while reading this book, and which applies to Legends & Lattes as well, is that the world it writes is refreshingly full of women. Women shopkeepers, women adventurers, women bakers, women guards - and each is an individual, with her own flaws and strengths and personality. With the fantasy genre as a whole being so overwhelmingly dominated by male characters, seeing a book that casually includes women as casually as they're excluded in so many other books is delightful

Things that could be improved: Honestly not much. Some people might not like the greater focus on action this time, or might think it's odd that characters go from hearing news of a necromancer in one chapter to dealing with book sales in the next, but for me it was pretty good

My review: I knew I'd have a book hangover from To Shape a Dragon's Breath, so for my next book I decided to pick up something I knew I'd enjoy, rather than taking a chance on a book I wasn't sure about. This was a good choice: lighthearted and an easy read, perfect for when I was in the car or on my break at work. It's easy to follow and a nice light read, and the epilogue was very sweet

Does this book have…: ✅= yes ❓= not sure ⭕= possibly/mixed ❌= no Romance? ✅ Viv has a sweet summer romance that takes up a good portion of the book, with some entire chapters dedicated to her dates. Refreshingly, both characters know it's temporary, and while they feel a bit bad about leaving each other, it's never implied that one should give up the life they've built in favour of the other Sex? ✅ ⭕ References are made to books that include sex scenes, but it's not discussed in detail Racism? ❌ Legends & Lattes included some fantasy racism, but this book doesn't have any. Like its predecessor (follower?), it also avoids common stock fantasy racist stereotypes. Note that I am white. A person of colour reading this book might have picked up on something that I missed. All I can say is that the common pitfalls weren't there that I could see. Sexism? ❌ LGBTQIA-phobia? ❌ Ableism? ❌ Swearing? ✅ Lotsa F-bombs and similar swears Drug/Alcohol references? ✅ Our characters get drunk in one scene, and there's scattered references to characters drinking beer References to or actual violence or suicide? ✅ Viv is an adventurer, after all, which comes with a fair amount of fighting evil. The first chapter opens with her getting injured in battle References to or actual animal death or cruelty? ✅ Viv is an adventurer, after all, and does a simple "kill some monsters" quest for some spare money at one point

Recommended: Yes!

[faerie-goth]

Magic and Mayhem

Lys was having a study session on potions in an unused lecture room with Toa.  In walks Guy, who immediately starts harassing them both for no apparent reason aside from the fact that it’s Toa, and she’s there willingly.  With Toa, and not him.

In all her infinite wisdom (mostly Marvel movies and fantasy novels), Lys decides to attempt to teleport the two of them out of there. 

Problem 1: Teleportation magic is not something that is done in Saliglia.  Maybe eons ago with the use of runes, but not like this.

Problem 2: Guy was there to see her do this.  Yes, he already knew about her powers, but it gives him yet another reason to target her.

Somehow she and Toa safely make it to the music room, where she promptly passed out.  He’s absolutely flabbergasted as to what just happened, or how, but simply picks her up and carries her to his room so that he can tend to her away from prying eyes.

After about four hours she awakens, rather groggy and confused to her unfamiliar surroundings.  Her head was pounding and fuzzy, like she had a massive hangover, but the last thing she could remember was studying with Toa...who sat right next to her with a book for some reason?

Somehow he had picked up that Lys had regained consciousness before she even had the chance to struggle against the thick blankets to get up.  Which, the increasing of the pounding in her skull told her was a very bad idea right now.  The look he gave her spoke both of concern and a good deal of the typical ‘What the fuck did you just try this time’ she had come to expect from the man. 

Pinching the space between his eyes, he left the bed and came back with something. “Take these first, and then we’ll talk,” he said with a sigh.  He held out a glass of water and a few pills in a little dish. 

Toa waited for her to take both pills and drain half the glass before he began to speak.  “Magical exhaustion,” he said by means of an explanation.  “Most of us have experienced it at one point or another growing up, but you...” he motioned, not wanting to speak of her origin any more than necessary. 

Lys rubbed her head with the palm of her hand in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure she was feeling, then grimaced.  “Well, there’s a first time for everything, I suppose.”

He grabbed for her other hand and forced her to look him in the eye, needing her to understand the gravity of the situation.  “Lysandra, you could die if you use too much magic too quickly.  I was really....really worried about you for a moment.”

“I...Toa...”

“Promise me you won’t try that again...whatever that was.  Promise me.”

“Toa...”

“What was that, by the way?”

“Toa, you’re still holding my hand.”  She looked at him in half shock, half amusement.

“And the problem is?”  Still in his hand, he brought it to his lips for a kiss.  She blushed profusely at the unexpected gesture of affection, but did not pull away. 

“Lysandra, I care about you very, very much.  Please, do not put yourself in a position where not even I can save you.”  The blue haired prince rubbed her hand gently, needing to reassure himself that she was still there, still warm, still alive after that little scare.

She chose her words slowly, still not quite sure if she was imagining that Prince Toa, of all people, might actually harbor feelings for her.  “I...ah...well, I seem to have succeeded in teleporting the two of us...”

“I’m not sure that ‘succeeded’ is the right word, if it knocked you out cold for four hours,” Toa snarked back.

“Would you have preferred Guy as my tutor?”

Toa rolls his eyes with a snort. 

“I see we’re in agreement then.  Can you help me work on it?  We can start small, but it might come in handy some day.”

He pondered it for a moment, needing to think of what exercises might be best to work up to something that should not be remotely possible.  For anyone other than Lys, apparently. 

“Obviously I’m going to be helping you strengthen your abilities regardless, but what sort of trouble do you intend to get us into here?” His grin belies his true feelings on the matter.  He had loved her curious nature and zeal for learning new things, but she was always surprising him. And this particular surprise...well, it was impressive, but was it worth repeating?

“It’s not like I’m intentionally looking for trouble!”  She huffed.  “I just...don’t know the extend of my own abilities yet.  But I want to be able to help you Toa.  Please.”

His face immediately softened at her plea.  Although he struggled with accepting help from anybody, having someone who cared about him enough to recklessly endanger themself was... well, it was sweet, but still required a good deal of caution.  He would definitely need to keep an eye on her.

He sighed in defeat.  Whether this woman was going to be a good or a bad influence on him, only time would tell, but for now he could not bear to tell her no.

“We are going to start small.  Very small.  You are banned from pulling that little stunt again until we work up to it, unless you are in immediate danger.”  He paused for a moment once he realized that he had unintentionally reverted back to lecture mode. 

“Thank you, Toa!” Lys launched herself at him for a hug.

“Oof,” the blue haired prince heaved at the momentum, trying not to let the pair go careening backward and landing them in a rather awkward position that he definitely was not ready for.  He froze at the sudden contact, unused to such displays of affection (or any, really), but his arms eventually ended up where they were supposed to be.  “Well, at least you have enthusiasm.”

[firespirited]

My back rehab walks are in a oval shaped radius 1km (sideways from home) as I live on the side of a steep hill. Walking along the main road just above my building and the two below and above is not flat, but also not nearly as steep as any ventures up and down. The bins are spaced about 200m along each main road so I've been using them as incremental destinations long before I found out some of the neighbouring housing estates and hotels threw stuff out in them.

After 7 months of gradual strength building I can now do 1h30 or 2.5km - it takes all the energy for the day so 'chore days' have shorter walks.

I stick to these 'loops', walk before 7am and add a little more if I feel OK. June was the month I started adding some hill for the lower back now that my hips are a teensy bit stronger.

But Tuesday, I got the fanciful urge to visit the thrift store where my carer drops off 'rubbish' finds and restored non custom dolls. It wouldn't be open but that wasn't the point. It would be new!

Google maps said 20 mins on foot, I added another 10 to account for the steep hill and figured I could attempt this hour long adventure, screencapped the map, took supplies and Talia the dog (she's better behaved about roads).

I set out at day break and 50 minutes in, it hits that I'm not going to make it, turning back now will at least give me the chance to maybe get back without calling a taxi.

I'm on a quiet road with a few lorries and tractors, the vines are beautiful, there are rare orchids growing by the roadside. I'm scared though because if my body is actually communicating... It Is Bad bad.

The next hour is like one of those slapstick comedies where bits fall off the car except it's my body reacting to overdoing it in increasingly stupid ways.

I expected excessive sweating, tremors and hives, I wasn't surprised as my knee and ankles began to *really* hurt, then i must have jostled something in the shoulders or maybe stress caused it? But the neck pain is blinding and then cherry on top: endo cramps mean I'm dragging one leg from hip/sciatica. Thankfully Talia is unfazed by stops and starts and knows not to pull. I have the cord lead tied around my wrist because I've lost grip in my hands.

I got home and rested in full dark for the day but I'd done 4km (!!!) and quite a bit of hill so I knew today and maybe the next few would be payback time.

The 48h delay will have you thinking that your energy hangover won't be too bad. Yesterday I went about my day as usual and it wasn't until a few hours in that I could feel the small twinges that mean the energy debt *will* have to be paid.

So I have a light/sound sensitive migraine, fever, joint inflammation and very tight cramped shoulders. It could pass tonight, it could be a week or two. It is what it is.

Just 7 months ago I couldn't walk 200m. I can't complain even though it hurts, physical pain doesn't hold a candle to the agony of end of life exhaustion. Mine is currently lower and it feels incredible but also like it might not last.

—————

I finally have an appointment for a neck x-ray Thursday the 13th, I hope they find something but not too ugly you know? Lower back building has been excruciatingly slow with lots of set backs and I miss crafting so much. It's a long car drive away in the heat but worth it for answers.

Yesterday's find was a Beurer multifunction hair iron, curler and crimper - I found the manual online and it's 125C to 160C which won't do for safely handling nylon and saran, a hair dryer and books so I cleaned it all and put it in the donation bag.

Maybe some day I'll be able to visit the thrift store when it's actually open 😁 my next challenge is to try the bus. I've had serious neck pain from small car trips as your core braces for shocks but that's the next big thing to try, something that could radically expand that 1km bubble.

There is also a project I've wanted to do for a very long time: parcels. If laposte weren't a disaster i'd have done it so long ago. I think it's time to try again though. It'll take a while to find everything and put it together but yeah.

I'm writing this in defiance of the dread that comes with these headaches and pain, goals might not be realistic but there's still a chance. We'll see tomorrow and the day after that.

[noveltyreads]

Throwback by Maurene Goo Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Ever since I read I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Somewhere Only We Know I have loved Maurene Goo's books. When I got the review copy of Throwback I knew I was in for a treat. With a pitch like "Back to the Future meets the Joy Luck Club" how could you not get excited? I was saving this book knowing this would be my next bookish obsession and I was right! I feel a book hangover coming on.

 Throwback follows Samantha Kang, a seventeen year old girl who has a rocky relationship with her mother. Where Sam perceives her mom as cold, stoic and obsessed with presenting a good image, Samantha can't help but feel like they are worlds apart. When a fight leads to Sam taking a magical ride share all the way back to 1995, Sam realises that maybe her mom and her have more in common than first thought. She realises that by helping her mom win Homecoming Queen and preventing a fight afterwards between her and her grandmother she can return to her timeline and complete the mission she was brought back in time for.

Admittedly, this book took me a while to get into. I wanted it to be a little more fast paced because it did have a slow build up. The build up was necessary to develop the characters and their backstories but I was just waiting for a bit more action during the first two thirds of the book. 

Action aside though, the build up was necessary because it meant we wouldn't be able to connect with Priscilla and Sam otherwise. We were meant to side with Sam of the present and see Priscilla as unreasonable but in all honesty, both characters had their flaws and none of them could be framed as bad, just misunderstood. This was the case when Sam time traveled to when her mom was a teenager where she discovered the girl behind her mom's tough exterior. Sam started understanding her and her mom started understanding her back, discussing how even though they don't understand each other all the time, they still love one another and show this in ways the other may not always understand. 

It did take me a while to like Sam to be honest. She always saw her mom as unfair but in the process of showing her mom as such, she seemed that way herself. By the end though, I started to like her. I liked Priscilla, the 1995 throwback version, from the get-go. She seemed tough like her future self but I liked how the closer she and Sam got, the more those layers fell away and we got to see this girl who just wanted to fit in and live out her dreams. 

And the ending? The ending made the whole book all the more worth it. I loved every bit about the ending and found it so perfect. If you are a rom-com fan, this will definitely make you swoon and happy grin like I did reading on my iPad. I'm so happy about Priscilla's ending and Sam's ending. I'm giddy just writing about it.

All in all, if you want a feel good book with the kind of 90's vibe you felt like you've been missing, definitely give this book a read. If you're in the mood for a rom-com that's more than just the girl gets the guy with a few shenanigans thrown in the mix, that discusses big themes and has lots of heart, then this one is for you.

ACTUAL RATING: 3.9 STARS