#It feels like trying to fix bad players mistakes

[meat-kat-ultra]

I try not to be a doomer about big changes to Overwatch ever since 5v5 turned out to be not total ass like I thought it would be when it got first announced. But giving all roles passive healing is definitely a choice.

[myrtlebranch1019]

My Thoughts on Solas in *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* (DATV)

It’s been about a month since I played Dragon Age: The Veilguard and I finally feel ready to talk about Solas. Yes, *that* Solas—the one who’s sparked endless debates in the Dragon Age fandom for over a decade, inspiring some of the most fascinating character analyses I’ve ever read. Unfortunately, the Solas we get in DATV feels like a shadow of his former self. Instead of the nuanced and controversial figure we know, he’s been reduced to a one-dimensional scapegoat with inconsistent writing that just didn’t do him justice.

Solas has always been such a compelling character—complex, flawed, and full of contradictions. But in DATV, the trickster archetype, he represented, was so poorly handled that I sometimes wondered if the characters in the game and I were even getting the same information. Take the moments when we uncover Solas’ memories: the reactions from other characters came across as weirdly more venomous toward Solas than even Elgar’nan, who was a literal tyrant. It felt like (some of?) the writers were trying to strip away any sympathy for Solas, but if anything, it had the opposite effect, if we judge from the percentage of people who chose to redeem him. (Pro tip for game writers: players don’t like being told how to feel about a character!)

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not here to excuse Solas’ actions. He’s done some truly awful things. But reducing his complexity to make him easier to blame? That’s not it. What made Solas fascinating wasn’t just his lies, treachery or rebellion but his wisdom and the fact that he cared too much. Even when he convinced himself the people of modern Thedas weren’t “real,” he still supported acts of kindness and mourned unnecessary loss. That sentimentality made him sympathetic, even while he was pursuing some pretty despicable goals. It’s that balance—the caring, sentimental dreamer weighed down by his own ruthlessness —that made Solas the perfect trickster figure and harbinger of change.

That’s why some of the decisions in DATV just didn’t sit right with me. Solas has always been willing to sacrifice others for his ideals, but that includes himself—*especially* himself. Din’an Shiral, anyone? The reveal about Varric should have been this devastating, mind-blowing moment, but instead, it felt cheap. Solas manipulating Rook by hiding Varric’s death? Totally in character. But actively using blood magic to control their mind? That felt like a shortcut, and a boring one at that. Especially, after those heated debates he had with the Iron Bull in Inquisition about how important freedom of thought is for him.

This was such a missed opportunity to dive into heavier themes like the manifestation of regret and grief—both of which would’ve made Rook more tragic and relatable. What I wanted to see from Solas, was a tragic hero who’d fought for so long he ended up becoming the villain. Not unlike his mortal enemy Elgar’Nan. What I got instead was a caricature of the trickster archetype, stripped of all the depth we saw in Trespasser.

Another thing that bugged me was how DATV framed Solas’ rebellion. The in-game conversations by the Veilguard team seem to suggest that he started it out of spite toward Mythal and/or Elgar’nan, which just isn’t true. Solas rebelled because he believed—to be more precise convinced himself—that the Evanuris were waging war on the Titans in the name of freedom. And realising that this wasn’t the actual motive was his first attempt to “fix” his mistakes. In other words the part he played in the war, and at the same time protect his people from tyrany the worst of fates in his eyes. That’s such a crucial part of his story, and seeing it misinterpreted by the cast, felt like such a disservice to the complexity of the character.

That’s not to say everything about Solas in DATV was bad. The dialogue was exquisite and stood out as classic Solas, especially when it came to the contrast between his wisdom and cunning or the need to offer guidance vs the manipulation (props to Trick for really nailing those moments). The animations were incredible, too, and perfectly captured his aura. And, of course, Gareth David-Lloyd absolutely killed it as Solas. His performance brought so much life to the character, even when during the moments when the writing fell short.

Still, I can’t help but feel disappointed. Solas has always been my favorite DA character, and seeing him reduced like this was frustrating. He’s a character built on contradictions—sentimental but ruthless, idealistic but pragmatic, sympathetic yet maddening. DATV had the chance to explore all of that and take him to new depths, but instead, it just… didn’t. And as a fan who’s loved his journey for years, that’s hard to swallow. Needless to say I would still devour any novel or media about him, because I’m definitely left wanting more from his story.

[redstarwriting]

his girl | ii. envy me

earth 42!miles morales x fem!reader | miles morales x fem!reader

word count: 2.1k

genre: angst to fluff

warnings: language, insults, spoilers, probably bad spanish, 42 Miles and reader get into a little spat, stubborn 42 Miles, violent 42 Miles, Miles and Miles almost fight twice

a/n: teehee and so it begins 🤭 didn’t expect this to turn into a whole series but i’m not mad. i hope y’all enjoy the storyline i thought up and please, by all means, give me your input! thank you all for the support 🖤 enjoy :)

previous chapter: i. his girl

now reading: ii. envy me

next chapter: iii. all the riches

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Miles, in fact, did not run. He was too taken aback to do anything, even though his body was screaming at him too. And he was too focused on your confused face. You looked exactly like his (Y/n), and it made his heart ache. And that is how other Miles was able to knock him out so fast. And why he just woke up in his Uncle Aaron’s apartment, chained to the punching bag, just like he did to Peter after first meeting him. He hears his uncle's music blaring from his record player. He looks in the direction it’s coming from. His eyes widen as he sees his Uncle Aaron. He’s alive. “Uncle Aaron?”

“Not your tío,” 42 Miles says, and Miles glares at him. “I’m just tryna go home, bro. Why are you doing this? What are you getting from this?”

“You said you’re from a different dimension?”

“Yeah. And?” Miles asks, narrowing his eyes at him. “Why are you here?”

“I told you I was sent here by mistake! I just wanna get back to my world, man. Dad’ll die,” he says, exasperated, and Miles stares at him with a blank expression. “Your dad alive?”

“Yeah, of course, he is,” Miles says, and 42 Miles frowns slightly. “Oh.”

Miles normally would be able to piece together what the disappointment in his voice would mean. But he's a little preoccupied with multiple other thoughts currently to necessarily care to psychoanalyze his own behaviors. He also doesn’t have the chance to see Aaron’s face drop and see the sadness in his eyes. Or the way you immediately look at your Miles to make sure the news didn’t break him. “But he’s gonna die if you keep me here,” Miles explains, and 42 Miles nods. “Yeah. Well, you ain’t leaving.”

“…Please. You have to let me go,” Miles pleads. But 42 Miles just stares at him, unmoved. “Why would I do that?” he asks, placing his gauntlet next to Miles’ head. Miles frowns, placing his finger on the piece of metal linking the chains together, ready to electrocute it and make his escape. The other him stares at him with an unreadable expression, seemingly no emotion behind his eyes, and just as it feels like shit is about to go down, he hears your voice ring out. “Miles. Just let him go.” Both your Miles and 1610 Miles turn their heads to you. It’s the first time 1610 Miles noticed you were in here. “(Y/n)? Bro, why are you letting her around your business?” Miles asks, and 42 Miles shoots a venomous look at him. “She insisted on coming. This is her first time around this shit,” Miles hisses at him. 1610 Miles can’t help but feel a tightening in his chest. He wants nothing more than for you from his world to be here with him. Not even in a romantic way, at least that’s what he’s trying to convince himself. He just misses you. He chased you away, and now he doesn’t even know if he’ll be able to fix it. His thoughts are interrupted when you clear your throat. Both of the boys look back in your direction. You’re on Aaron’s couch, staring at your Miles with such intensity it makes even 1610 Miles lock up. He can only imagine what it’s like being the one on the receiving end of that look. He sees other Miles’ eyes soften in his peripheral vision as he removes his fist from beside Miles’ head. “Mi amor…”

“No. Let him go, there’s no point in keeping him here,” you say, and 42 Miles frowns. “Not one to let people go, (Y/n). You know that.”

“I don’t give a fuck, Morales.”

“Damn, ma! Not even callin’ me Miles now?” Miles asks, an edge to his voice. You frown. “No. Not right now. Let him go, and we’ll see.”

“Why you want me to let him go? Got a crush on him or something?” Miles asks, and you raise your eyebrow. You glance at Miles, then back to your Miles. “Technically, yeah. I do. Unless you’d prefer I break up with both of you right now,” you say back, your voice just as cold as your boyfriend’s. “You tellin’ me you’d rather have this guy? Sayin’ this guy is like me? Estás de broma…” he mutters, and Miles looks between the two of you. “Not to piss you off more, but this guy is still technically you,” Miles says, and 42 Miles glares at him. “Cállate. No one was talking to you.”

“Man, why do you hate me so much?! I’m you!” Miles says, exasperated. He just doesn’t understand why this version of him is so hostile to him. They’re basically the same! Except Miles is a superhero and other Miles is a supervillain, but they still both have super in the title so how different can they really be? “Is this a call for help or–”

Miles gets cut off but 42 Miles punching the punching bag, right by Miles’ head. Enough force is exuded that the sand from the bag flies out, starting to pour down the side of it. His eyes widen, and you gasp. Even Aaron reacts a bit to it. But maybe it’s just because someone who looks exactly like his nephew is on the receiving end of it this time. This time. “Miles!” you yell, standing up. “What?!”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“What I gotta do! You don’t get it, (Y/n)! This is the job!” Miles yells, and you roll your eyes. “Oh, please, Miles. This is the job? He’s you! Wouldn’t you be trying to get home if you knew you could save your dad?!” you yell, and he glares at you. “(Y/n). Don’t.”

“You know you would be,” you walk over to him, placing your hands on his cheeks. He subconsciously relaxes, but only slightly. You sigh. “You don’t have to be such a hardass all the time, amor,” you mumble, and he shakes his head. “No comprendes, amor… I have to be this way. Or else— “

“Miles, he’s not a part of the cartel. He’s not gonna tell anyone here that you let him go… he’s not even from here. It’s okay for you to think with your heart instead of your head just this once,” you say, and he huffs. “Nah. I stopped thinkin’ with my heart a long time ago,” he says, and a hurt expression crosses your face. “Then what am I? A calculated move for you to use as an adavantage when you need it?” you ask, venom in your words. “No, (Y/n), don’t be estúpida. You’re mi vida, but him? How I know he ain’t just some experiment they made? To get to me?” Miles asks, looking at you with a skeptical look. You sigh. “Dude! I don’t even know what you’re talking about! I have spider powers, is that a thing anyone else here has?!”

“No.”

“Exactly! Why would whoever you’re talking about make a carbon copy of you with enhanced biology just to use me for this?!” Miles asks, and you shrug. “He’s got a point, Miles,” you say, and 42 Miles looks at you again. “Thank you, (Y/n),” 1610 Miles says, and 42 Miles rolls his eyes. “(Y/n) you have to understand that I can’t take no chances. You know that the cartel will go after—”

“I know. I know, Miles, but I really don’t think that—”

“You don’t know that (Y/n). You don’t know them like I do,” Miles says, and you sigh. “Miles. Mi amor. Mi vida. Mi sol, listen to me. If he wanted you dead, he would have done it by now,” you try to get through to him. He glances back at Miles, and Miles can literally see the distrust and paranoia in his expression.

He must have been through so much shit. This is a world with no Spider-Man after all. And all this mention of a cartel? No wonder Miles turned to the Prowler. It’s similar to Aaron in his world, he thinks. He thought that he had nowhere else to turn, so he turned to crime. But deep down, he can’t be that bad. Right…?

“Amor, I need to be cautious. I just have to ask him some questions before… letting him go,” he mumbles, glancing at Aaron. Aaron nods. 1610 Miles gets the feeling they’re not planning on letting him go. You must get that feeling too, because you shake your head, pulling your hands away from Miles’ face. “I can’t believe you right now,” you say, and he frowns. “(Y/n), please just try to understand—”

“No, Miles! I’m done trying to understand you when you never try to understand me!” you yell, and he clenches his jaw. “What do you mean by that, huh?” he asks, and you scoff. “I just. I need to leave. Before I do something I regret.”

“Like what, huh? Break up with me? Fight with me? Actually understand where I’m coming from for once?” Aaron cringes at that. You’re probably the most understanding person in his life other than him. That wasn’t the right choice of words. And you let him know it. “FOR ONCE?! Miles! Oh my god! Are you serious right now?! How many times have you tried to understand me?! I lost people too, you know! And I’m not out here—”

“Do you think I want to do this, (Y/n)?! Be fuckin’ for rea! I do this for you!” he yells back, and you shake your head, frustrated to the point of tears. “I never asked you to do this!”

“You didn’t need to because I love you enough to want to without you asking me to! You need it, Mamá needs it, everyone needs it, and I can provide it for all of you!” You angrily wipe a tear away, trying desperately to keep the rest of them contained. Miles softens. “Amor, no necesitas llorar—”

“Stop, Miles. Just… just stop. I need some air, don’t follow me,” you turn, hurrying to Aaron’s door. Miles steps forward to go after you, but Aaron puts a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. “Nah, man. Give her some space. She’ll come around,” Aaron says, and Miles clenches his fists. As soon as he sees you slip out of the door, closing it behind you, he turns to Miles. “This is your fault,” he says, pointing at him. “Miles,” Aaron says, crossing his arms. While he is also weary of this new Miles, his Miles isn’t thinking rationally right now. Then again, he is only 15. That’s why Aaron is here, sometimes he needs some assistance. “Why you lookin’ at me like that?” Aaron asks the other Miles. Miles hadn’t even realized he’d been staring. He shakes his head. “Nothing… nothing. Just… good to see you. Haven’t in a while,” he mumbles, and Aaron raises his eyebrow. That could mean a few things. Best not to dwell on it, though. 

“Who are you, really?” 42 Miles asks, and 1610 Miles groans. “I’m you, dude! Why is that so hard to understand?! I’m not a part of a cartel or anything I just want to get home!” Miles is frustrated. Seeing the world they live in from Aaron’s window, he gets why Miles is so… paranoid. But honestly, how long can he keep this uncertainty up? “Explain how you got here. And don’t just say ‘by mistake,’ alright?” Miles says, showing the claws on his gauntlets. Miles rolls his eyes. “I’m Spider-Man, right? And there’s tons of different Spider-Mans… men? Not important, there’s other me’s! And Spider-Women, Spider-People in a bunch of different dimensions, one of them, Miguel, figured out how to travel dimensions and we all met each other… except I wasn’t supposed to meet them because the spider that made me Spider-Man actually came from this world so someone here was supposed to get bit and I wasn't supposed to exist like this, but—”

“Wait… you sayin’ my world ain’t supposed to be like this…?” Miles asks, and Miles nods. “Yes. The people at Alchemax on my world built a collider and had the spider come to my world and it got out and—”

“You’re the reason for this?” Miles looks at himself, who is not even angrier. “I… n-no, but yes, I—” Miles gets cut off by a gauntlet getting placed way too close to his head again. What he doesn’t know is 42 Miles just put together everything in his head. This Miles was Spider-Man. And his dad was still alive because of it. If that were the case for him, maybe his dad wouldn’t have died. Maybe he wouldn’t have been like this. 

He could have had everything that was taken from him. 

“That’s enough talking, cabr��n,” he growls, ready to escalate things yet again. Miles gets ready to break out of his restraints again, and Aaron gets ready to help Miles out. Then, over the music, they hear a scream.

A scream that undoubtedly belongs to you.

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『 tag list 』

@angeli-fucking-cat​ @dani111* @nightshxdex​ @snixx2088 @shoyofroyoyoyo @staravity​

*if you are italicized - i am unable to tag you for whatever reason, feel free to reach out and see if we can fix the issue

if you wish to be on the tag list, reach out and let me know! thank you to everyone for the support!🖤

[werywrenniethoughts]

Help Wanted 2: Lets Talk About Sun (Spoilers for Help Wanted 2!)

Okay,

I've had some time to digest Help Wanted 2. What a freaking roller coaster. I'm assuming you all have played/watched/seen Help Wanted 2, so be advised if you haven't seen everything we have access to so far, I'll be bringing it up.

One thing I'll say upfront is its nice to know Sun and Moon ARE older like I theorized. They're tied to the Fall Festival which took place in 1970 per one of the prize collector posters and the fact they deal with the carousel. I think Steel Wool also tried to point out and confirm Moon is patient zero for....I guess I should say Vanny's influence in the PizzaPlex. He's definitely the favorite to be pitted against us. I'm STILL losing my mind over the Princess Quest Ending.

So, the DCA fandom has been all across the board, ranging from "I love sassy Sun" to "Sun is SO mean. This ruins my headcannon." I don't think it really does. At least, it doesn't have to.

Our first encounter with Sun in front of us is Arts and Crafts. This minigame is located in the world we eventually learn is AR. We also are clearly a new FazBear hire. Sun is definitely sassy, and let's face it, VERY critical of what he defines as a mistake. BUT the flip side of that coin is he is still nice when you do the art correctly. He calls you friend, he wants to help you. If the player eats the crafts, he loses his mind. It's because he's worrying for the player due to the effects eating the crafts will have on them, ie: "That is how you get ulcers!". (By far, MY FAVORITE line of Sun's btw. Kellen stated that line and the indigestion line were both improved btw- genius.) He still doesn't want Moon to get you, he doesn't want to get in trouble. The one threat is after you've been hitting him several times and you've outright pissed him off. (I personally, think the "I should turn off the lights myself" was a drama king being a drama king.) Then we take the mask off. We see everything destroyed and Sun acts like the Sun we've always known. "I'm perfectly fine where I am. It's better this way. It's safer this way." "Keep the generator on. Without it I won't be able to help you." He's the same as he's always been. We've just seen a new layer.

What we ultimately have to come to terms with, is that Sun is a control freak and a perfectionist. He thinks he "has" to be. He doesn't want you to move from your craft table so he can watch you like a hawk. Do the job you are assigned. Get in, get out. Do the art HIS way, and follow HIS rules. If you don't, bad things can happen. Bad things HAVE happened. Another explanation could also be that maybe he isn't as free of the glitch trap virus as we thought? He can be sassy, he can be brutally honest, he can be concerned for us, for children, and his own darkness can rear its head, all at the same time.

Steel Wool could also be trying to slam into our faces that Sun is incomplete. He is one-half of a whole. He has good intentions, he means well at his core, but he cannot stop, regroup, and act rather than react. He gets stressed, and can't cope and adjust. Instead, he demands control back when he feels like he's about to lose it. Moon is calm, calculating, and logical. It's why they need to be whole and why Sun is so grateful to Cassie when she fixes them to become Eclipse. As Eclipse, they both find the parts of themselves they've so desperately needed.

[dr-spectre]

I watched this YouTube shorts video which has over 100k likes on it where it basically went "oh the Splatoon fandom is weirdddddd!!! It has weird porn in it guys!!! Isn't that crazy?!?! It's so toxic guys!!! They found ways to weaponise racism guys!! They are so vile about splatfests guys!!!! They are gooning to splatoon characters!!! They are kids!!"

I hate to break it to you dude but.... that's literally every fanbase in existence.

Every single fandom on planet earth has weird porn in it. Splatoon is no different. Is it fucking weird to goon over the player Inklings and Octolings as they are confirmed to be under 18? YES! VERY VERY WEIRD AND THAT BEHAVIOUR NEEDS TO GET CALLED OUT!!!!!! But a large majority of fans who engage in NSFW content are looking at the Idols and other adult characters, not the literal teenagers. Plus adult Inkling and Octoling ocs do exist, i should know BECAUSE I MADE MY OWN!!!!!

Also do not judge people's fetishes unless it's actively harming someone or it's illegal. That's wrong on so many levels. Stop making people feel guilty about what they are into man. If someone wants to make an NSFW art piece with Marie's feet then I'm not gonna judge them publicly for it. That's straight up rude and the guy in the video was basically doing that by showing some stolen fetishy art and adding an "eww" audio clip on it... Fuck off dude. Leave them alone.

He also got the release year of Splatoon wrong by saying 2013 instead of 2015.... Not the worst mistake but still... Kinda paints a picture on how much he truly cares about this franchise you know?

One of his points can be boiled down to "they are using splatfests as a way to weaponize racism." What the FUCK are you talking about? The last time i remember a Splatfest being toxic was in Splatoon 1 with CALLIE VS MARIE! THAT WAS REALLLLLLLL BAD! Other than that it's been friendly jokes and little jabs at the enemy teams. He fucking used this terrible video as a way to demonstrate his point too....

Every Splatoon fan on the planet doesn't like that video, It just comes off to me as so disingenuous.

Also fun fact! SPLATOON 1 TO 3 HAD UNDERLYING THEMES ABOUT RACISM WITH THE INKLINGS AND OCTOLINGS!!!!!! Splatoon 1 was about the introduction of that idea and it was very black and white with hints of grayness found in the sunken scrolls. Splatoon 2 was about making it more gray as Callie joined the Octarians and THE ENTIRETY OF OCTO EXPANSION!!!!!!!!!!! Splatoon 3 was the conclusion to that theme with DJ Octavio helping out the NSBS and Octolings co-existing with Inklings peacefully. But did he bring that up? NOPE!!!!!!!

Trying to paint the Splatoon fandom as some "toxic trojan horse" is just... fucking wrong. There are plenty of fandoms out there that are 100x worse than Splatoon's. The Splatoon community is extremely diverse and sure there are issues that need to fixed and yes there is racism. The Splatoon community is leagues above any other shooter game community by far. Play a bunch of quick play matches of Overwatch or TF2 to see what I'm saying. You're gonna be seeing the n word more times than a Quintin Tarantino movie.

Also he talked about peak character design in the Splatoon games, and the one character he mentioned was.... Big Man... The only male Idol and not anyone else. That just seems a bit.... suspicious to me...

[canirove]

Mason Mount Imagine | seven

Author's note: I hadn't written an imagine in ages, but yesterday after seeing these gifs of Mason at that charity event the other day I got inspired, and here we are 😁 Hopefully this will give me the last push I need to finish my next story, who also happens to be about Mason 👀 As always, I hope you like it, and thank you for reading! 💜 Little summary: Your dad works at a chairty auction and has asked you to be his plus one. You expect to bore yourself to death, but a cute guy with a dimple has other plans 👀 (Female reader/pov)

Masterlist

“Dad, do I really have to go?”

“Yes, honey. You must.”

“But it is going to be so boring…” I complain. “What am I going to do at an auction full of old people?”

“Thank you for the compliment” he chuckles. “But you will be supporting your father after months of hard work. And there will be young people too.”

“Sure” I snort.

“There will be. Now c'mon, I can't be late.”

“But…”

“Chop, chop, honey.”

“Ok, fine” I sigh. “Just promise me you won't call me honey in front of everyone.”

“I won't” he smiles, opening the door of our house. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you, dad. But I feel like I may rip this dress any moment now” I say as I walk past him, crossing all my fingers so it actually doesn't happen, and I end up making a fool of myself in front of all his work colleagues and some of the richest people in the city. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Ok, this is your seat, hon… Your seat” my dad smiles after I give him a murderous look. 

“Aren't you sitting down with me?”

“I still have to take care of a bunch of things.”

“Are you leaving me alone? And surrounded by strangers?”

“You'll be fine, honey” he chuckles. “I promise I'll come and have a drink with you. Now try to have some fun.”

“But dad…” I start, not being able to finish my complaint since he is already gone. "Great" I sigh.

“So, do you come here often?” someone says, taking the empty seat next to mine.

“I beg your pardon?” I say, turning around to face the owner of that voice. 

“That was bad, wasn't it?” he laughs.

“Worse” I say, my eyes fixed on him. On the cutest guy I have ever laid eyes on. 

He is wearing a classic black suit with a black tie, nothing too shocking. But paired with the smile on his face and the dimple on his left cheek… wow. Simply wow.

“What are you doing at an event like this, tho?” he asks me. “I wasn't expecting to meet anyone younger than 50” he chuckles, his dimple showing once again. Is it possible to fall in love with something like that? Because I think I just have.

“My dad convinced to come as his plus one and support him tonight.”

“Is he part of the auction?” 

“He is the guy running around like a headless chicken to make sure everything is ok” I laugh, looking at him when he suddenly shows up running up and down the stage.

“Martin?”

“Yep, that's him. Do you know him?”

“I do. He is a really nice guy.”

“I may be a bit biased here… But he is, yes” I smile. “He has put so much work and sleepless nights into today's auction… Like, I don't know how many coffees I made for him while he tried to convince this football player to be part of it.”

“A football player?”

“Yeah, a super famous one, I can't remember his name. He kept telling my dad that he was super busy with other commitments” I snort. “What commitments could have a guy who makes a living from kicking a ball? Spending lots of money in ugly clothes just because they have a certain logo, and buying huge cars?”

“Don't forget about the ugly haircuts and tattoos” he chuckles.

“That too.”

“Aren't you into football, then?”

“Nah, not my thing. What about you?” I ask him, finally daring to look him in the eyes. Which is a big mistake, because even in the kind of dark light of the room, I can see that he has the most beautiful brown eyes ever. Eyes that are currently giving me a mischievous look I can't understand. 

“Not my thing either. Footballers are a bunch of twats” he says, making me laugh. “Anyway... I know we just met, but I'm gonna need your help with something.”

“Mine?”

“Yours” he says with a smile that matches the look on his eyes. “I'm about to be auctioned.”

“You what?”

“It sounds bad if you say it like that, but people are basically going to bid money to have a personal experience with me.”

“That isn't making it sound any better.”

“Oh, you dirty mind” he smirks, making my cheeks start to burn. Thank God he can't notice with the low light. Or can he? “But some people here may be expecting that kind of experience. Earlier I overheard a couple of women talking about me and looking at me in a way that… Well. You can imagine.”

“I don't blame them, tho” I say, speaking before thinking.

“Thank you” he smiles, that dimple I'm definitely in love with showing in all its glory. “So, what I need you to do, is to win my auction.”

“What? With which money?”

“Mine.”

“What?” I say again. “Is that allowed?”

“I don't think so. But since it is for charity, I think your dad can look the other way and allow it. What do you say? Will you win this for me? I promise you you will have the best date ever.”

“A date?” I say, almost choking with my own words.

“Unless you have a partner and I'm making things weird.”

“No, no. There is no one” I quickly say, my cheeks burning once again, and especially when I notice how I've made him smile.

“Great” he says. “It'll be very easy. They will say a number and you…”

“I know how an auction works.”

“Yes, of course. Of course you do” he apologizes. “Will you do it, then? Pretty please?” he pouts, making me focus on his lips. Lips that look so kissable and so…

“Fine, I will” I sigh, giving up and focusing on a different part of his face. But even his hair looks attractive.

“Thank you” he smiles once again, kissing my cheek. “And that's my cue, I have to go. Don't worry about the amount of money, ok? I can pay whatever they offer.”

“Ok” I nod, my brain still thinking about the feeling of his lips on my cheek, on how my skin tingles.

“And you have number 19 on your bidding paddle, that's my lucky one. Everything will work out, you'll see.”

“Yes” I nod again. 

“See you in a bit” he winks before leaving our table and me trying to understand everything I'm feeling and that just happened.

“And now for our next bidding… Mr. Mason Mount, Manchester United player and football star!” a voice announces from the stage.

“What?” I say, snapping out of whatever is going on with me and focusing on the guy walking up the stage. “No way” I gasp.

It's him. The cute boy with the dimple who just convinced me to bid for him and win this auction… It's Mason freaking Mount. The football player my dad spent hours trying to convince to attend tonight. The one I basically called a twat to his face.

“Remember that the winner will get to enjoy a personal experience with Mr. Mount. Not that type of experience...” the auctioneer chuckles as some women start giggling. “Are we ready? We'll begin with £1,000.”

The moment he says that number, a bunch of bidding paddles are raised. 

“Ok, what about £2,000? Does anyone offer £2,000?”

More paddles around me. People definitely are eager to spend some time with him, with Mason. And once again, I don't blame them.

I've spent five minutes with him, and you could say they have been some of the best five minutes of my life. And not because of how handsome and cute he is or because I'm in love with his dimple. There is something about him, about the way he talks, looks and listens to you, that makes you feel… I don't know. Comfortable.

“What about… £5,000!”

Still the same amount of paddles. No one is giving up. And it keeps being like that as the number keeps going up and up until it makes it to…

“£50,000! Does anyone offer £50,000?” 

People start whispering among themselves, trying to decide if they should make an offer or not. And then, a blonde woman raises her bidding paddle. 

“We have an offer! Anyone else?” the auctioneer says.

That woman is going to win, and Mason doesn't seem to be too happy about it. The look he is giving me from the stage is saying it all, and also reminding me that I should be bidding for him too.

“And we have another offer!” the auctioneer says when I raise my paddle, Mason smiling from ear to ear while my dad looks at me as if I've grown another head.

“What the hell?” he mouths.

“Trust me” I say back.

“Ok, what about £51,000? Does anyone offer £51,000? Ladies?”

Once again, I can feel Mason's eyes fixed on me.

“And we have £51,000 from the lady in the back!” the auctioneer announces when I raise my paddle, everyone in the room looking my way. “£51,000 at one… £51,000 at two… £51,000 at three! We have a winner!” he says, hitting his little hammer so loud that I can feel it in my bones, Mason pointing in my direction with a smile that could make anyone's knees feel like jelly. Dear God, what did I just do? 

“Honey, what did you just do? Are you drunk?” my dad says, suddenly showing up next to me.

“I can explain everything, I swear.”

“Miss, could you please join us on stage?” the auctioneer says.

“You better. Now let's go, they are waiting for you.”

“But dad, wait. I can't. I can't go in there.”

“You won the auction, honey. You must go up there” he says, helping me get up.

“Dad, I can't. I…” And then, I hear it. The back of my dress ripping. “Dad!” But he isn't listening, already dragging me to the stage where Mason is waiting.

“Please let's give a round of applause for this young lady!” the auctioneer says.

“Thank you for… Hey, are you ok?” Mason says as he takes my hand and helps me up the stage.

“I'm pretty sure I just ripped the back of my dress” I say while everyone claps.

“Oh, shit” he says, looking at my back. “I'll help you, don't worry.”

“Do you have magical fingers?” I say with a nervous laugh. “Like fingers that can sew” I quickly add after seeing the smirk on his face.

“I do have magical fingers, and among other things, they can do this” Mason says, putting his hand on my back to make sure the dress doesn't open, the feeling making me gasp. 

“Thank you very much for your generosity, Miss” the auctioneer says, unaware of everything that is going on. “We hope you enjoy your time with Mr. Mount.”

“Thank you” I manage to say, my brain only being able to focus on Mason's hand on my back, on one of his fingers touching my skin. I'm pretty sure he can feel it burning.

“Now, onto our next bid!” he announces as we leave the stage, my dad already waiting for us. 

“What have you done, honey? £51,000! We don't have that money!”

“But I do, Martin. I asked her to bid for me” Mason explains. “Here, put this on” he says, taking off his jacket and putting it around my shoulders. “This should help cover the back of your dress.”

“Thank you” I mutter, missing the feeling of his hand and especially that one finger on my back. Though it doesn't last long. He is so close to me while helping me with his jacket, that I can smell his perfume all around me, and it smells so good… 

“What do you mean you asked her to bid for you?” my dad asks, completely ignoring that I may be melting.

“I didn't want one of those women to win. I don't trust them, to be honest” he chuckles. “And this is for charity, isn't it? It should not matter if the money comes from me or them.”

“I guess, yes. But…”

“Martin? We need you” someone says behind my dad.

“Yes, of course” he tells them. “We'll continue this conversation later” he says, looking first at Mason and then at me. 

“That went well” he chuckles as we watch my dad walk away.

“Did it?”

“It did. They now have £51,000 they will definitely put to good use, I am free from that woman, and you just got yourself a personal experience with Mason Mount” he smiles.

“Hasn't all this been an experience already?”  

“It definitely has, yes” he chuckles. “But the one I'm offering you will be more enjoyable. We could go shopping for ugly and very expensive clothes” he says with a teasing smile.

“I could actually do with a new dress seeing that this one… Well. It has seen better days.” 

“You look beautiful, tho.”

“Thank you” I mutter, looking down and starting to play with one of the buttons on his jacket to hide that my face is about to burst into flames. “Sorry about what I said earlier, by the way.”

“About what?”

“About calling you a twat.”

“I called myself a twat, you didn't. And if someone has to apologize, that should be me for not telling you who I really was.”

“I guess...”

“I think this makes it a tie in the apologies department. Don't you agree… honey?”

“I beg your pardon?” I say, finally daring to look him in the face.

“Ok, ok. Forget that I said that” he laughs. “The look you just gave me is scary as hell.”

“You deserve it. That is my dad's nickname, and no one else can use it. Sometimes not even him.” Like tonight, for example.

“I'm sorry. I truly am” Mason says, getting serious. “I just thought it was really cute.”

“When you are a kid, maybe. But I'm not five anymore.”

“I'm sorry” he says again. “I guess I'll have to think of a good nickname for our date. Something that doesn't sound too childish and that…”

“Wait, wait, wait” I interrupt him. “Our date?”

“Or personal experience, call it what you want” he shrugs.

“Are we actually doing it?”

“Of course we are. You paid for it, didn't you?”

“You paid for it” I correct him.

“Small details” he replies. “But you and I are going on a date, and I promise you it is gonna be an experience you won't forget” Mason says, taking my hand on his and kissing it, the way he is looking at me when he does it, plus the smile on his face (dimple included) and the feeling of his lips on my skin, making me feel things I can't explain.

I'm going out on a date with Mason Mount. The Mason Mount. A freaking football star.

And oh... my God.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

Authors note: I know some of you may now be like, I need a part 2, I need to know what do they do on that date! 😅 But I've run out of ideas, so if you can think of something they could do or where they could go, let me know and I'll try to write something. Though I can't promise anything.

[skipper1331]

Penalty // Jessie Fleming

a/n: based off this and this request.

Anger was the only thing Jessie felt when she stormed off the pitch. How could that be fair?! A penalty, really?!

-

Chelsea was about to face Real Madrid in the Champions League group stages. Everybody was excited as it was the first CL match for the team this season. One simple instruction to follow: win.

Emma Hayes wanted to win. She chose her starting eleven very carefully as she had analyzed Madrid’s last games - it should be easy to win. She addressed every weakness of the opposing team and fixed her own on exploiting those exact weaknesses. She was determined to win.

Jessie was in her chosen starting lineup while you were on the bench. You felt so much pride, knowing that she was in it. The girl was so hardworking, ambitious and caring, she deserved her start. Gladly, Emma shared that opinion, for once.

Sadly, Emma’s plan didn’t go as she had hoped, Real Madrid already getting on the scoreboard in the 10th minute - Olga Carmona scoring from distance.

The equalizer didn‘t come until the 41‘ Niamh getting her name of the scoreboard. It was 1-1, Emma Hayes not pleased with the performance of her team.

Her halftime talk was harsh, pointing out each mistake they had made before she got more tactical for the new playing style which the team should play in the second half.

The second half started with chaos as the blues tried to find their rhythm with the new orders from their coach - no changes made yet. 10 minutes in, they found it, trying their best to get in the lead which they did in the 74‘

-

When Athenea del Castillo ran with the ball towards Chelsea’s box, Jess sprinted after her.

Unfortunately, the midfielder slide tackled her, the Madrid player deciding to let herself fall in the box - the ref blowing her whistle, immediately pointing to the penalty spot. All the subs jumped from their seats, yelling as the players on the field started to argue with the ref. No way, that was a penalty! Jess was shocked about the decision. She didn’t touch her! Let alone in the penalty area!

The ref‘s decision stood - penalty.

Steam was radiating off Jessie‘s body, she felt so mad. Where was var when you needed it? Her decision was ridiculous, every Blue agreed on that opinion yet Madrid happy with it.

The Canadian prayed that Olga would miss.

She didn‘t.

2-2.

Emma Hayes furios. No, she wasn‘t mad at Jessie but angry at the referee and the scoreline. Beating Real Madrid should‘ve been easy.

Despite the teams best efforts to make it 3-2, every attempt was stopped by the goalie or even earlier by the defence.

The final whistle blew, the score 2-2.

Jessie was angry, beyond angry. She was disappointed in herself, angry at the referee and sad about the result. What did she do to deserve this? For once, she was in the starting lineup and then something like that happens. Nobody was blaming her but the ref, yet that didn’t help to lift her bad mood.

Sweet girl Jessie was angry, a sight people rarely ever see. Of course, she shook every opponents hand - she wasn’t childish by any means.

But as soon as she did so, she left the pitch, storming off to the changing rooms.

Your eyes watched every movement, your mind debating if you should follow her. Your heart told you not to, not yet. She needed some minutes to calm down and you knew she could only process her feelings in silence. Respecting her boundaries, you gave her some time to cool off, the team going to the Chelsea fan side, saying their thank yous as they signed some jerseys and took some pictures.

After some time, you excused yourself from the team, walking towards the changing rooms.

You knocked at the door, not wanting to startle her as you entered the locker. The girl sat in her cubby, shin pads in front of her, no doubt that she had smacked them on the floor. She was still in her gear, her cheeks red and puffy - she had been crying. Wordlessly, she sat beside her, not caring whose cubby it was. All you cared was about Jessie. You didn‘t say anything and you wouldn‘t until she made a move. There was no pressure in your action, you were with her - she wasn‘t alone.

"Can… can you hold my hand?" she whispered, breaking the silence. Gently, you lifted her hand from her lap, intertwining your fingers before you settled your holding hands back down. Her head fell on your shoulder, hiding in the crook of your neck while she wanted to shut out the world. At least for as long as she could.

When the first few girls started to enter the changing room, Jessie left your touch completely. She didn‘t want to seem weak in front of her friends nor did she want any pitty from them.

She was a girl of privacy and even though the team knew the two of you were a couple, a very lovey-dovey one as well, there wasn‘t much pda.

Respecting her act, you stood up and went to your cubby, getting ready to leave. Every now and then you would glance towards the Canadian, only to find her eyes already on you. To be honest, you couldn’t read her eyes or facial expression - you could only imagine what she was feeling. Normally, you didn’t have a problem with reading Jessie‘s body language as you knew her like the back of your hand but this was different, this was something new.

-

On the way to the airport, the girl sat beside you - she hadn‘t said a word since her question in the locker. She stared out of the window, watching the streetlights disappear in the darkness of the night.

Every inch in her body was fighting against the urge of crying and falling in your arms. I am strong, she told herself. But the only thing she wanted, was to have your arms wrapped around her securely, your soothing voice whispering sweet nothings as you drew some patterns on her back, making her fall asleep in an instant.

The plane ride went the exact same; Jess didn’t say a word, caught up in her own world yet her hand holding yours tightly. She needed your touch.

Arriving in London felt like a relief for Jess, she could breathe again.

Late at night, early in the morning you arrived at home, "Do you want to talk about it?" you asked gently, placing your bags on the floor and guiding her to living room right after. You took a seat on the couch, pulling her on your lap. Her facade was gone. It was just the two of you. As you looked at her, she broke down, all emotions spilling at once. Tears ran down her cheeks as she started to sob in your chest. She held onto you for her dear life. Your hand rubbed her back, trying to calm her down as you held her just as tight. "It’s all my fault!" she cried, guilt eating her up alive. Because of her, the team had jeopardized their lead, the game ending in a draw because of her mistake.

"Baby, no it‘s not" you whispered, adding more sweet nothings which you knew she liked.

"It is!" she leaned back, eyes locking with yours as so much emotion was written in them, "that stupid tackle! I didn‘t even- it wasn‘t even- that shouldn‘t have been a penalty!"

Furiously, tears ran out of her eyes while it broke your heart to see the sweetest girl in so much pain. It wasn‘t her fault, "I know, my love, I know" you told her, thumb caressing the apple of her cheek.

The brunette let herself melt in your embrace, the only comfort that would help as she hid in your grasp. Your arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer before you laid down on the couch properly. Your head rested on one of the cushions, Jessie‘s on your shoulder, breath tickling your neck while her hands grasped your shirt. Your legs were tangled together, both of your arms around her waist as the one hand started to draw patterns on her back. "I love you so much" you whispered, kissing the top of her head as you continued whispering sweet nothings.

Her eyelids became heavy and body exhausted, your voice calming her down as your pattern drawing relaxed her. Slowly but surely, she drifted off to sleep. You carried on with your actions, wanting to bring her as much comfort as you could, not minding that she was asleep. You were glad that she was.

And even though the girl was fast asleep, she knew you‘re comforting her - you always were because you were her comfort.

[dynamite124]

Hello, I've just downloaded Taliesin and I must say that I am loving all his interactions thus far (...although I may be having issues with his horse and the naked line but hey, it's fine).

I have a few questions regarding Taliesin though, like, how old is he exactly (cough, not that I'm going to embarrass him or anything that is), and would he be partial to apple tea (or any kind of fruit tea as a way to treat his insomnia?)

And, if possible, may I know how he would react to Remiel (Self-Proclaimed Dwemechanic), Xelzaz (Argonian Telvanni), Val (the Pirate) and Auri (a fellow Mer, though a Bosmer)? I've always felt that he might possibly get along with Remiel (more like, Remiel will get along with everyone), have intellectual (?) discussions with Xelzaz and have a rather love to hate relationship with Val simply because both of them can be quite, flirty at times and might make it sort of a competition?

Thank you for reaching out. I'm sorry about Naomi being buggy but I'm not sure how to fix that - it kind of matches her personality though, wild and free, comes and goes as she pleases. And I'm working on the lines when the player is naked, takes time and lots of trial and error with an equally buggy Creation Kit. ^^;

In terms of how old Taliesin is, chronologically Taliesin is 150 years old, roughly he's around 35 years of age when compared to a human. He's yet to try tea or anything to remedy his insomnia, at night, he meditates and uses his magic to restore his energy. But I hope to add a small quest for the Dragonborn to help him get over that.

In terms of how he'd feel about Remiel, Xalzaz and Val...

With Remiel, he would appreciate having someone intelligent to talk with. I do feel him appreciating her would take some adjusting because Remiel does like to talk...a lot. Another thing he'd have to adjust to would be delving into Dwemer ruins. He doesn't like Dwemer Ruins, they're bad for his health!

I can see him on occasion just telling Remiel to stop talking once she gets started, there's only so much he can handle about a topic he's not invested in. But that's not to say he's going to find his own way to annoy her in turn.

Taliesin: What's that, Scrap? You like be better than Remiel? You want to be MY best friend instead?

Xelzaz I'm still trying to learn about. Taliesin doesn't know much about Dunmer culture, so Xelzaz introducing himself as the Lawman of the Telvanni isn't going to impress him upon first meeting. He may mistake Xelzaz as as officer of the law or thinking he's making up the title to sound important.

Taliesin: Lawman, right right...so you're good with detaining the unruly? Oh this should be fun then.

Now then...for Val Serano. Hands down, these two would NOT get along! Val is everything Taliesin hates; Liars, thieves and a pirate (water-thief basically). In his eyes, Val is a walking red flag and won't trust him.

I can see these two having petty fights or hurling insults like a vollyball game. Taliesin won't try to kill him, mind you, he knows that would upset the Dragonborn, so he'll be on his best behavior, but I can't see these two getting along.

[fuck-customers]

We have one awful co-worker. She's only been here a year, but from day one she came in acting like she knew it all. She either ignores instructions on how to do stuff, or she screams at us that she knows what she's doing, then goes and tells the boss that we shouted at her. The boss is aware of the real situation, and has spoken to her a number of times, but this co-worker will try and blame other colleagues when she is spoken to about things she's done. One example is she rearranged a section of our workplace without checking with anyone and when the boss called her out on it she said another person was involved. Their involvement was telling her not to do it without discussing it with the whole team first! She is constantly talking about her qualifications (which have nothing to do with our profession) and acting like she is better than the rest of us, and putting others down. She figures out peoples triggers and then deliberately tries to provoke them. Even with the customers she doesn't listen to them, like she knows better than them what they want. So with the customer complaints and fixing her mistakes, as well as tiptoeing around her so she won't target us, the last year has been very stressful.

At the beginning of the year I had a couple of weeks holiday, and I did hope she would screw up badly and be fired while I was away.

She was in a serious accident, hospital stay etc. And I feel bad for her, really, I never wanted her hurt. But it is so nice here without her. Two of the nicest people I work with have said to me how peaceful it is here now.

She is expected to make a full recovery and will eventually be back, which is good, I don't want her hurt. But I want her to either learn to be a better team player, or be fired for her behaviour.

Posted by admin Rodney.

[httpsdana]

𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬~𝐀 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐭 𝟓

summary: Barça players and talented footballers. Souls meet and sparks fly. But there's always a twist when it comes to love isn't there?

pairing: Ferran Torres x Gonzalez!Reader

warnings: cursing, slight age gap, angst

previous part -> next part

"make yourself at home. I'm just gonna change out of my dress" y/n said, in which Ferran smiled at her and nodded

He walked to the living room, walking around the cozy apartment. It was basic, yet so peaceful. It felt like y/n.

Meanwhile y/n was freaking out in her room, wondering if she did a mistake by inviting Ferran. She opened her phone and scrolled quickly to Fernando's number.

After two rings, he answered.

"hey how's your night going?" he asked

"shit but that's not the case. I kinda did something..." she trailed off

"what did you do?" he let out a sigh, making y/n clear her throat.

"I kinda invited Ferran over and he's now in my living room..." she said awkwardly

"you did what?!" he yelled, making y/n feel more bad about the situation

"i shouldn't have done it right? oh my god I knew this was a bad idea" y/n rambled before Fernando interrupted her

"no no that was a nice move, I just didn't expect you to do it honestly" he said in a calmer tone, making y/n groan.

"so what am I supposed to do now?" y/n said in a panicked voice

"don't overthink it hermana. just go over there and enjoy yourself with him" he said before hanging up, leaving her no chance to ask anything

y/n groaned and started to take off her dress. She grabbed a jersey that was laying on her desk and put on her shorts.

She fixed her hair in the mirror, taking a deep breath and walking back to the living room were Ferran was sat

"hey, what should we watch?" she asked, sitting on the couch next to him, but leaving some distance between them

Ferran looked at her with a smile, shrugging his shoulders

"anything you'd like i really don't mind" he said, still smiling at her

His smile was contagious, she couldn't hide her little smile. She noticed he was still in his trousers and black button-up shirt.

"would you like to change? I mean I could give you something from my closet if you want..." she said, playing with her fingers on her lap

Ferran's heart melted at her thoughtfulness, before he shook his head

"no need it's fine" he said.

For some reason y/n was a bit disappointed by his rejection.

"oh okay" she mumbled

Ferran immediately noticed her change of mood.

"you know what. I would like some other clothes, these trousers are getting uncomfortable" he said, y/n looked up at him. He was smiling at her with that soft look on his face. She nodded and got up, grabbing him one of her oversized shirts and sweatpants that Pedri had left at her house.

"you can change in the bathroom. I'll choose the movie and make us some popcorn" Ferran nodded and started looking for the bathroom. When he found it, he got in and got changed.

y/n now has opened Netflix and started searching for a movie. When she did, she went to the kitchen to make their popcorn.

She opened the cupboard to grab a pot, only to realize it was placed on the highest shelf. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach it with the tip of her fingers.

"need some help?" Ferran was stood, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over with an amused look on his face

He looked good wearing her shirt and the grey sweatpants.

Blood rushed into her cheeks as she felt exposed. She fixed her posture and cleared her throat

"uh yes please" she mumbled. Ferran walked over to her, trapping her between the counter and his body, reaching his arm above her head, while y/n swallowed the lump in her throat, at how close their bodies were to touching. Ferran grabbed the pot, looking down at y/n. She looked up at him, before he moved away and handed her the pot.

y/n looked away immediately, moving to start with the popcorn

"how are you feeling?" Ferran asked, sitting down on the countertop

"better. thank you for helping me out there" she said, not daring to look at him

"no need. I'm glad I was there" he said, watching her every move

They stayed silent, until the popcorn was done.

"come on" y/n told him, walking to the living room while he followed her.

They sat in comfortable silence, watching the movie.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"it's getting really late, i have to go" Ferran said, getting up from the couch.

y/n got up too, walking behind him to the door

"we should do this again" Ferran said, turning around to look at her. She nodded with a smile.

Ferran looked at y/n with a warm smile and walked closer. With a gentle and caring embrace, Ferran wrapped his arms around y/n, pulling her into a tight hug. It was a beautiful moment, filled with comfort and a sense of closeness.

y/n felt a rush of happiness and gratitude, cherishing that heartfelt hug from Ferran. It was a sweet and meaningful gesture.

"good night Ferran" she whispered into his neck.

"good night precosia" he whispered back

[akilahia]

Okay so far I’ve played Ted’s section 4 times, and I’d probably say that it is the easiest to complete out of all 5. I don’t want this to sound biased or anything since I’m a Ted fan and all. I just feel like there are very few mistakes that you can make and the size of the section makes it a lot easier to go through compared to some other characters.

Some things that can ruin Ted’s drama are,

- Forgetting/not knowing how to shut the door so the wolves don’t eat him.

- Summoning Surgat before trying to open the maid’s door earlier on. This makes it so the only option is to trade Ellen’s soul, but even if you do you can’t progress further in the story because you need to see inside that room(This only happened because I was rushing through my fouth replay.)

- Trapping the devil first, then showing Ellen the mirror 😭.

- Not memorizing the spell and turning into a frog.

Obviously there are still bad choices that you can make for him, but I think those four are the only things that halted his story for me. Despite these few things I think his story is easily one of the fastest to play through.

Now the hardest section is definitely hard to say for different reasons. In theory Benny’s should be one of the easier ones, but depending on the movement of the Elder, it can take significantly longer. I haven’t played Nimdok’s again since my first playthrough so I don’t remember how long it took or how hard it was, just that it was very easy to lock yourself out of being able to continue if you mess up with the eyes.

So I’d say it’s between Ellen and Gorrister. Both of their sections require you to walk around and backtrack a LOT. Gorrister’s is a bit more annoying to walk through, in my opinion, because there are a lot of different levels and doors and routes to go through. Whereas Ellen’s is big, but you follow one path back and forth for pretty much the whole story.

The hardest part for Ellen, is for me to remember to exhaust all possible options before continuing, such as

- Try picking up the yellow cloth again

- Talk to Anubis again after trying the key code, if you don’t and just go straight to reprogramming then you won’t have the dialogue option to discover the real code(Accidentally messed up here and turned my speedrun into a slowrun)

- Remember to interact with everything once you get out of the elevator before going to get the speaker, otherwise she obviously won’t take it because she doesn’t know what to use it for.

- When entering the secret passage you have to make such you are choosing the right interactive option otherwise she won’t enter

So I’d say Ellen’s can be difficult if you don’t follow the order of events properly. If you do though then it’s pretty straightforward.

Gorrister however is extremely tedious to work through, even if every step is taken correctly. There is so much back and forth, which wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t have to actually move around so much to do it. I’d say the challenging stuff I’ve noticed in the two playthroughs I’ve done for him are

- Making the rope from the bedsheet

- Specifically choosing to take the heart rather than use rope or anything

- Using the knife to get the rope back

- Taking the key from the engine room, I always forget

- Stalling the engine before trying to let the gas out to land the zeppelin, and only stab two!

- Get the gun from under the pillow.

- Take magnifying glass from urinal

- Pour the whiskey again after Harry answers three things

- Have the rope to tie Edna, don’t forget the key.

-Burry Glynis but make sure you click shovel and not dessert.

- GIVE THE JACKYL A BEEF HEART, then Gorrister will have his heart for the finale section.

I feel like compared to Ellen, messing up most of this stuff won’t soft lock you from progressing, however it will be annoying to fix because you’ll have to walk back and forth multiple times. I think the landing of the Zeppelin can be very tricky though, even for a repeat player. So I still really can’t decide if I think Ellen or Gorrister’s section is more difficult.

[ultimatelyre]

CAPRI brothers-centric ficrec/masterlist

PART III

but first, have some silly memes

💌 - fav $ - smut (minors DNI) !! - check tags

AUGUST centric

wrapped around his finger💌 - And just like that, Laurent made his way into their friendship, thanks to his pretty eyes and Damen’s too big heart

the gift 💌- Auguste’s world was as large as a baby’s crib and as big as those tiny eyes

chasing the light - the entire series is a delight to read

Five times august shut down damen 💌 - protective big bro august, need i say more?

Big bro breakdown - august is not homophobic (he insists)

Dont touch your brother's friends !! 💌 - i REALLY like the fucked up dynamics in this one.

Damianos' visit to Arles - everything by @mfingenius honestly

pets and princes - damen mistakes laurent to be auguste's pet and nik suffers as usual

the councils decision 💌- a minute of jokaste simping over auguste GIRL SAME

Like me !!💌- if you think you're ready for this level of angst, you arent. angst almost no comfort but hopeful ending so you've been warned. I really liked the writing and the execution of this, hurts your heart

tricks of the trade - smaurent and only FLUFF

my brother's lover !! - one in which august has an actual life out of damen and laurent (mostly i mean)

Caught 💌- laurent schemes, damen falls in love, Auguste watches & sighs

hockey players damen and auguste

fix-its! - a time of peace & counterclockwise & call for peace & heard it in a past life

Take a slice !! 💌 & its not bad - damen and august solidarity ;)

stained shirts and dance lessons - if you were wondering where the FRATboys!damen & auguste AU at, here it is

miles of distance series - things work out, they don't kill each other

i'd take every blow 💌- auguste finds out.

of soulmates books and spilled guac - soulmate AU slay tbr

and ask no leave of thee !! - fairy AU tbr

the white dove - a man who looks exactly like auguste appears after canon tbr

ive got soul - auguste wakes up ten years after marlas tbr

downsides of being an older brother & downsides of having a teenage baby brother - tbr

NICAISE centric

to be imperfect !!💌- the future shines a shade brighter because one boy learns to forgive himself, Laurent kisses the top of that curly head of hair. all of @peppermintfeather's works make you feel warm inside

and times are changing & for wisdom 💌- he grows to be the wise advisor to the kings (my favs out of this beautiful series)

To share your love 💌!! this post was not just an excuse to include this author's works lmao

the monster inside him 💌!!- contains mpreg but i was surprised into liking it

Hand in unlovable hand - nicaise is like "absolutely not" when these idiots break up and proceeds to be a king

marks of a life well lived - gotta say warrior nic is a good look

A night on the town - nicaise babysits for lamen (big bro nicaise aww)

memory - AUS in which august adopts nicaise>>, a fun read!

HR! im complaining about your boyfriend! - workplace AU

as good as - he told me i'd never be as good as you (aka f*** the regent #238)

put aside childish things - laurent letting nicaise be a child again is everything to me

safe up here with you💌 - nic gets his own love story (had be giggling and kicking my feet too fun to read)

home is where the heart is - laurent comforting nicaise aftermath

many doors and windows - damen convinces nicaise to train

red & when the bough breaks - nicaise killing the regent drabbles cause hey, merry christmas aye?

trees change in the fall - modern AU, they adopt nicaise

NIKANDROS centric

first impressions 💌- The first time he hears Laurent laugh, Nikandros thinks he has gone mad. the third time he cant help but join in

anything for you $ - fine, i'll TRY to not kill your best friend because you're my husband and ily...i guess

non, je ne regrette rien $ !!💌 - this has a poly rlnship pls give it a try its amazing<3

on friendship - he remembers seeing Laurent, and thinking quite clearly, Oh no

five times lamen caused an international incident - nik: deep sigh

this one or not at all - proposals proposals

wont thy be my neighbour 💌- "I’m in love" “........You just met him.”

safe travels !! - read tags, nikandros & laurent time

how nik came to love laurent of vere 💌

whoever gets closest - LMAO

the man drives a motorbike damen! - mother hen nik

naked, afraid and married - modern AU reality TV

MISC (some have aug/nik as main ship)

paramedic AU or would they go on aching still - nik changes his opinion of blond ppl keeping score -!! multichapter found fam vibes a call to motion - jealousy jealousyyy cultural differences cause miscommunication between lamen - short and funny

part I (popular ones) part II (workplace AU) part IV will be rarepairs so look fwd to that! :D and if you see your fic in this and want to be tagged lmk!

[barananduen]

Art Advice: How to Have a Positive Outlook

Welcome to the next Art Advice Article in the series! This time, we'll talk about tactics you can use to not feel discouraged when things don't turn out the way you want.

🌳It Happens to Everyone

If it gives you some consolation, know the fact that everyone screws up sometimes, even professionals. People just tend to not show their screw-ups, so it's easy to make the false assumption that everything they do is wonderful and they never mess up. Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Mistakes and work the artist doesn't like happen to everyone at all levels. It's completely normal!

🌳Changing Your Outlook about Mistakes

When we draw something that doesn't come out how we intended it, keeping these two things in mind will help you move forward. We'll introduce the ideas first and then expand on them below.

Mistakes are necessary for progress. Every time something doesn't come out "right," we get one step closer to getting to the point where it does come out just the way we want it (perhaps even better!). We just need to keep trying and not give up.

You can use humor to not let it get you down. Laugh at your own mistakes. You don't have to show them to others if you don't want to, but YOU can laugh at your own screw-ups. It will help you not feel bad about them.

🌱Expanding on #1: Mistakes are Necessary for Progress

Whenever something doesn't come out right, you will (should) work on fixing it, if not in that drawing, then in the next one(s). These are the stepping stones necessary for perfecting your craft. Think of it like defeating baddies in a video game: you can't level up without overcoming those obstacles.

I know people say it so much that it's almost become a cliche, but it's true: practicing is necessary to get to where you want to be. Art is like a sport: you're not going to become a goal-scoring machine without having first spent time standing in front of the goal shooting balls at it during training, and then doing it while moving and with other players in the way (add obstacles/change scenarios). When I used to go to conventions, I would see people sitting on the floor or wherever with their sketchbooks, drawing all the time; then the people in the artists' alley were always drawing while at their table.

🌱Expanding on #2: Using Humor

This is easier explained with a story, so I'll tell you of a time I wanted to learn how to draw panthers. I'd never drawn one before, so I drew a few.

One looked like Bart the bear, that big brown (Kodiak) bear that you used to get in all the movies.

So I LOLed at it and took a look at my bear cosplaying as a wannabe-panther and tried to figure out why it looked like a bear instead of a panther - aha! the lower jaw was too long. I made it shorter. Also, the eye was too round.

(Note: At the time, I didn't know I was going to use this for an article, so I didn't scan it before corrections; I've drawn over the scan to show what it originally looked like.)

I drew another, but it looked like a cute shiba-inu instead. I drew a bow on it and some blush; had another laugh. I looked at my shiba-inu cosplaying a hello-kitty panther and tried to find out what made it look like a shiba-inu instead of a panther. The jaw was STILL too long.

I left my shiba-inu/hello-kitty because it was funny and drew another one, this time with an even shorter lower jaw. Still not right. Made the lower jaw thicker from gum to chin.

Repeat, repeat, repeat drawing more panthers until I got one I liked. Then I drew it again. Then I drew it from another angle to make sure I'd gotten the hang of it.

🌳Closing

So, when you have something you don't like:

Remember that this happens to everyone.

Mistakes make progress.

Don't be harsh on yourself, laugh at it instead.

Look closely to see exactly what about it seems "off," then you can work on those bits.

Once you get it right, try again a couple more times to cement the knowledge.

Last, but very important: don't drown in your mistakes, always stop and appreciate what you did RIGHT! There is plenty of good stuff, but, in general, we, as humans, tend to overlook it and focus on the negative things. Don't. While it's important to learn from our mistakes, it's also important to recognize our successes so we can build on them. Do not neglect your strengths!

And remember to enjoy the process of what you're doing! 💖

Happy arting! ~B~

🌳More Art Advice Articles

You can find the index to all Art Advice Articles [here]

[goldenseresinretriever]

You Catch More Bees With Honey: Chapter 15

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Summary: Bradley Bradshaw, blindsided by a team he trusted like family has been traded to the San Diego Dogfighters. Across the country from the place he calls home, Bradley feels lost and betrayed. Not to mention the familiar faces and ghosts from his past that he now has to face every day at work. Bradley’s caught between wanting to show his former team the mistake they made in double-crossing him and wondering if it’s time to hang up his skates after one final season. You’re living your dream as the PR representative for the Dogfighters. When Coach Maverick made a bid to bring his godson to the team, you hadn’t batted an eye. Bradley was a good teammate, and a good player. Unfortunately, the Bradley that shows up in San Diego is nothing like your research suggested. He’s moody, irritable, aggressive, and angry, throwing a wrench in all your careful planning. What’s caused such a drastic change in him? And can you figure out how to help him before he makes a mistake you can’t fix?

Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, dead parents, drunkenness, alcohol consumption, violence, sports violence, blood probably, angst, fluff, eventual smut, age gap (28 and 38), enemies to lovers, suggestive language, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.

Word Count: 5.8k

A/N: This is a repost of my completed series, You Catch More Bees With Honey. It was originally posted in November-March 2023, and was lost when my blog was deleted.

Previous Chapter // Series Masterlist // Next Chapter

You try to shake off the bad feeling in your heart but you can’t help it. The atmosphere at the bench is tense, and you can tell even the players are catching on. There’s been uneasy vibes radiating from Maverick and Dare all day and you can’t help but feel it spiking your anxiety. They’d seemed fine at practice last night, but clearly, something’s changed. You want to ask Bradley if he knows something but if you were going to question it, the time has long since passed. The game was in full swing and you watch the Dogfighters and Flyers zipping along the eyes as you attempt to quell your anxiety. Both teams are fired up, and Bradley’s been playing well. The energy from the players is infectious and the fans are extra loud tonight. You’ve caught sight of more than a few Flyers fans wearing Bradley’s old jersey and you feel an ache in your chest at the idea of wearing your boyfriend’s number. On nights when Bugs is off duty, she’s usually dressed down at games in Jake’s jersey or some other outfit that sports his number somehow, proud to show off her love for her boyfriend. Josie Fitch, leader of the Dogfighter’s WAGs always seems to be stylishly repping her husband’s number alongside her two children and you catch yourself once again daydreaming of a future with Bradley before the refs’ whistle breaks you of your thoughts as the puck goes out of play.

You try to disguise your apprehension as you flip through your notes, triple-checking the interview lineup for the first intermission. Reporters were unsurprisingly requesting Bradley left and right as he faced his old team for the first time in the season. You’d made sure to remind him to be on his best behavior but that didn’t seem to be a problem. Bradley was in the best mood over the past two days that he’d been in all season and it warmed your heart. He’d missed his friends and they’d welcomed him back with open arms. You wish he could be like that all the time and your heart aches at the idea of him having to leave them behind all over again tomorrow. Regardless of the outcome of the game, the boys are all planning to go out again tonight, relishing the short time they have together before once again going months without being able to see each other. They’ll be coming to San Diego in February and you can already tell how excited Bradley is for that game.

You look up again as the line changes and you watch Bradley swing over the boards, flashing you a rogueish grin that has nerves erupting in your stomach for a completely different reason. He puckers his lips in a quick kissing motion before grabbing his bottle and squirting water into his mouth, mouth guard clenched between his teeth for safekeeping. You smile at him and you’re about to turn your attention back to the game when you feel another set of eyes on you. You turn and see a questioning set of green eyes watching you and you realize he’s caught yours and Bradley’s little exchange. He raises a blonde eyebrow at you and you shrug, a shy smile on your face. His eyes widen in surprise, looking between you and Bradley who’s not at all paying attention to your silent exchange with Jake who’s currently mouthing “OH. MY. GOD.”

Javy’s noticed what’s going on between the two of you and rolls his eyes, waggling his fingers at you and you wave back. Jake grabs his shoulder, still reeling from this new information as he leans over to whisper in Javy’s ear and while you can’t hear Javy’s response over the crowd you can clearly see his mouth form the words, “Well, DUH,” and Jake glances between the two of you with mock betrayal before shaking his head and turning back to the game. Javy rolls his eyes and grins at you which you return before he bumps Bradley’s shoulder and whispers something in his ear. Bradley turns to look at you and you shrug, still grinning as he smiles back and then glances in Jake’s direction but their captain is back in work mode.

***

Bradley’s first set of interviews goes well, yet you still can’t shake the apprehension gripping your heart. You’re trying not to fret as you wait in the hallway to go back to the bench. The locker room door swings open and Jake steps out, giving you a conspiratorial grin before he swings a smelly arm around your shoulder. “You little minx! How long have you and Bradshaw been dating?!” He hisses and you laugh.

“Since Denver, but we signed the paperwork when we got back from D.C.” Jake’s jaw drops.

“Denver?! That was like the first week of November, it’s December now! When were you going to tell me, tell us?” You shrug lightheartedly.

“We’re taking things slow,” you explain. “I wanted some time to figure out what we were doing before getting everyone else’s opinion.” Jake considers that and nods slowly.

“Fine. Who all knows then, because right now I’m really trying not to be offended that you told Javy before me.” You sigh before awkwardly admitting the truth.

“Javy, Mickey, Dragon, and Bob probably. Coach Dare knows too, and the information’s been in both our files for a month now so I wouldn’t be surprised if the other higher-ups know too.” Jake looks even more wounded.

“So everyone but me.” You wince.

“When you put it like that… yeah.” Jake groans and you look up at him, embarrassed. “Sorry Jake, I didn’t mean for it to happen like that.”

“It’s okay, I can’t stay mad at you, Zam. Not after everything you’ve done for me and Bugs. And for Bradley.” You raise an eyebrow and he clarifies. “He’s completely changed and I was wondering why but I have my answer now. You did that and I can’t thank you enough.” You smile at that and he gives you another squeeze before releasing you. The other guys start pouring out of the locker room then and head back up the tunnel, giving you high fives and fist bumps as they pass you by. Bradley’s hand lingers on yours momentarily as he high-fives you and you flash him another small smile as he walks past you.

***

About halfway through the second period, play stops for a TV time out and the jumbotrons flash as they cut to a closeup of Bradley on the Dogfighters’s bench and the crowd goes wild as he smiles and waves at the camera. The camera cuts to a series of highlights from Bradley’s career with the Flyers and you feel tears press against the backs of your eyes as you see a younger Bradley playing his first game, scoring his first goal, and side by side with a younger Lucas and eventually Alex and Wyatt. The crowd is on their feet, deafening as they cheer for Bradley as the video comes to a close with footage from what ended up being his last game as a Flyer last season. Bradley smiles for the camera but you know that it’s probably overwhelming for him to see his city showing him a rare and special kind of love that he doesn’t get back at home in San Diego.

The jumbotron flashes again and Wyatt’s face comes up, and he seems to be sitting in the Flyers’s locker room. He’s grinning at the camera as he starts to speak. “Bradley’s been such a big part of my life. I mean, I came to Philly this fresh-faced kid and I had no idea what I was doing. Sure, I could play hockey and the coaches here helped me become a good player, but Bradley made me a man. He raised me in a way, and it was so special, being able to live with him for seven years. That’s something I’m never going to forget or be able to repay him for.”

The video cuts to Lucas in the same spot. “Bradley is, well, he’s my best friend. We came to Philly together, met at the draft, and I’ll never forget standing in that green room with him afterward, wearing our brand-new jerseys and thinking about how lucky we were. And then I got the privilege of playing with him for twelve years and I remember every time our contracts were about to be up, I’d start feeling this bit of apprehension, because what if it was over? What if we got separated? Hockey became synonymous with Bradley over the years and I honestly didn’t know if I wanted to play if it wasn’t with him. So obviously, when I found out he was leaving, I didn’t really know what to do, and I’ll never forget what he said to me. He said as long as we were playing hockey, it didn’t matter where we were, or what jerseys we were wearing, we would be playing together because we’d still be playing the same game. He really is my brother in every way that matters and I’m so proud of him, the Dogfighters are lucky to have him.” Tears are running freely down your cheeks at this point and you can’t find it in you to try and stop them anymore.

“Bradley’s such a great teammate.” Alex is on the screen now. “I’ve played with so many d-men over the years, and there’s really no one that does it like him. He brings his A-game both on and off the ice. He’s a team player and he’s going to make you feel like family no matter what.” Your heart clenches at his sweet words. “I miss him, of course, but I know there’s nothing better that a brand new team like San Diego could ask for in a player. He’s going to be amazing there, just wait and see.” You swipe at your cheeks and you can barely make him out through your own watery eyes but you can tell Bradley’s doing the same.

***

Bradley scores a goal in the second period and the crowd still goes wild even if he’s on the opposing team and the reporters are buzzing about it during intermission. The score is currently tied 3-3 about halfway through the third period. Both teams are starting to really bear down in an attempt to keep the game from going into overtime. You chew your lip absently, the apprehension from earlier coming back. Your heart stops then as one of Philly’s defensemen shoves Jake into the boards roughly near the bench and Jake falls to the ice, eyes flashing. Before anyone can react, Bradley’s on the D-man, shoving him hard, gloves falling to the ice and your heart is in your throat as the other defenseman drops his as well as the two grown men tussle, fists flying. Your eyes flit to refs, hoping they’ll step in, but you know that this is a part of the game. Your heartbeat thunders in your ears as you watch the Philadelphia defenseman land a particularly hard hit and it unbalances Bradley and then he’s falling you hear his head hit the ice in a sound that stops your heart. You’re not sure if you scream but suddenly the refs are blowing a whistle and Dare is moving over the bench to the boards, shoving past players as play stops. Jake skates over immediately, his face a mask of concern but it’s nothing compared to Maverick. He’s frozen stiff as he stares at Bradley’s crumpled form on the ice, his face as white as a sheet and you wonder if he’s even seeing Bradley as he looks upon the scene or if he’s reliving a different day in a different arena. Then Bugs is on the ice, kneeling by Bradley and you can’t breathe because he’s not getting up. He’s not moving at all. You can’t breathe and you feel a hand grasp yours. You tear your eyes away from Bradley to see Dragon’s eyes on you. She’s concerned and you wonder why she’s so worried about you until you realize you’re shaking, your whole body unable to stop from trembling as you watch helplessly as Bradley comes to, and Bugs starts doing a preliminary check on him before Jake and Javy help him to his feet and down the tunnel. Bradley doesn’t turn to look at you and you can tell that the other two men are supporting most of his weight. You’re on your feet then but a firm hand on your shoulder stops you.

“Zam, you need to breathe.” Dragon’s voice is firm but you can hear the concern in it. The other players have returned to the bench and you hear Mickey’s voice calling for you as his hand comes to rest on your shoulder but you feel like you’re underwater. Your legs are jelly but you push past Dragon.

“No, no, I need to go with him. I need to be with him. I need to be with Bradley.” You’re at least half right you know that reporters are going to be swarming like flies for the first news on Bradley’s condition. That being said, you’re not in any mental state to face the press right now, you just want to be by your boyfriend’s side. At some point, Maverick followed down the tunnel and you know that leaving the bench devoid of staff is the last thing you should be doing right now but you push past the other guys and shove your way through the door to the tunnel where you take off in a sprint. You can’t see where they’ve gone and you feel yourself panic before you hear someone calling your name. It’s Javy.

“Zam? Zam, what are you doing here?”

“I need to see him, Javy. I need to go with him. I need to be with him. I need to be with Bradley.” You fist the front of his uniform and Javy swears as he takes in your condition.

“They called an ambulance, he’s going to the hospital.” Your heart lurches at the words.

“I have to go with him, I need to go.” You beg him.

“No.” Another voice cuts you off and you turn to see Jake’s grim expression as he comes down the hallway that Javy just came down.

“What?” Your voice is hoarse and shell-shocked as you try and process Jake’s words.

“No, you’re not going with him. They just left. Mav, Dare, and Bugs all went with him and we have a game to finish. We’re already down both coaches, we need you here right now.” You gape at him as you realize what he’s saying.

“A game to finish? Do you even hear yourself right now? I know you hate him but can’t you have a little compassion? What if he dies, Jake? You saw how long he was down for, and I saw you both practically carry him out of here, and you just want to keep playing a stupid game?!” Your voice is a screech as you scream at Jake, flinging yourself at him as tears stream down your cheeks and you slam your fists against his chest. Jake pulls you into his arms and you scream, thrashing against his grip but he only holds you tighter as you cry.

“I don’t hate him, Zam, I could never hate him. And believe me, the last thing I want to do right now is finish this game, but they’re not going to stop it. We just have to get through the rest of this period. I don’t even care if we win, we just have to finish. There’s nothing else we can do for Bradley right now, but we can try to get this win, and he needs both of us to be strong right now. I’ve got a team that needs me out there and so do you. There’s going to be press all over our guys at the end of this game and I know it sounds selfish because it is, but we need you here to hold down the fort until Mav or Dare come back. And maybe you feel like Bradley needs you, and I get that, believe me, I get that, but right now the best way to help him is to help us get through this game, can you do that for me?” You take a shuddering breath against his chest but you nod because he’s right. The Dogfighters need you here and when Jake finally lets you go, you straighten. Footsteps down the hallway alert you to Dragon’s presence.

“The refs are calling for things to start back up in five, you guys need to get back out there.” Her face is grim and you roll your shoulders back, straightening as you march past her, making a beeline for the bathroom.

“Alright boys, let’s go win this fucking game.”

***

After a brief moment in the bathroom to collect yourself and fix your makeup, you return to the arena. The refs are speaking with the Philadelphia coaches at the scorekeeper’s bench and you swing the door to the tiny area open and all eyes are on you.

“Where are your coaches?” One of the coaches asks, dubiously eyeing your pink suit.

“On their way to the hospital with Bradshaw, you’ll be working with me and Captain Seresin for the rest of the game.” The man’s eyebrows raise in surprise. You turn away from him, addressing the refs.

“Bradshaw’s out for the rest of the game, let’s get this show back on the road as soon as possible so we can get out of here.”

“You’re not a coach,” The Philly coach interjects and you fix him with a hard glare as the door to the box swings open again and Dragon holds up her badge so he can see.

“Well I am, and I would start listening to her unless you want things to get nasty.” He gawks at her but she simply fixes him with a similar glare. “Our manager has been informed of the situation and he’ll be on the first flight to Philly and you can discuss this with him when he gets here tomorrow. For now, time is ticking, so let’s finish this game. You’re holding up the broadcasting schedule for the rest of the night.” He knows she’s right and the refs arrange for the game to continue in five minutes. You and Dragon make your way back to the bench where Jake’s addressing the team with a furrowed brow. He looks at the two of you as you approach.

“Well?”

“The game resumes in five minutes, suit up.” You say and he nods firmly. Jake slides his helmet back on and you turn to the rest of the guys. “Let’s win this. For Bradley.” You say tightly and the guys nod their assent. You can tell they’re all worried for him. “They’re all yours, Captain,” you tell Jake and head back to your seat. Jake’s right. You’re needed here. Bradley needs time, space, and most of all privacy and you can buy that for him. You all can.

***

You’re exhausted. The game ended up going into overtime where Jake ended up scoring the winning goal, preventing the game from going into a shootout. You’d spent the rest of the third period checking your phone incessantly for updates regarding Bradley but once the game went into OT, you headed out of the rink to start organizing the post-game routine with Maria, leaving Dragon in charge on the bench. Muscle memory took over as you did your best to prepare for interviews. Not only were you going to have to facilitate the players’ interviews, but you suspected you would be called upon alongside Dragon to take the place of the absent coaches. When the game finished, you watch the guys file down the tunnel, hardly in the mood to celebrate. Jake sees you first and jogs over.

“Any updates?” He asks breathlessly and you shake your head, wringing your hands. “Hey, hey it’s gonna be okay, you hear me? He’s going to be fine.” Jake cups your cheeks in his hands meeting your eyes with his green ones and even though his voice is firm and sure you can see the uncertainty and fear swimming in their emerald depths. You feel your tears threatening to make a reappearance and you swallow painfully as you nod in Jake’s grip as you fight them back.

“Get changed,” you tell him, ignoring the way your voice shakes, “Let’s get out of here as soon as possible.” He lets you go, nodding firmly.

While the guys are getting changed, you mentally prepare yourself to deal with the press and when you get to the interview area, you’ve got your best neutral smile plastered on your face, ready to face the wolves.

“Zam! Are there any updates on Bradley Bradshaw’s condition?” You do your best to maintain your composure.

“I haven’t received any updates from the members of staff accompanying Mr. Bradshaw or the hospital itself, but no news is good news.” You fight to keep your smile in place. “Next question?”

“What’s your opinion on the Bradshaw family being cursed?” You blink, surprised by the strange question.

“Excuse me?” You stammer.

“Well, Nick Bradshaw died after an accident occurring in the Flyer’s old arena, and now his son’s-“

“Bradley’s not dead.” Your voice is firm and more aggressive than you intended as you cut off the reporter.

“Not yet, no, but even back then Nick Bradshaw was cleared of any medical issues before he died not even forty-eight hours later from a brain hemorrhage.” Your vision is swimming as you struggle to breathe when a sharp voice cuts through the air.

“Excuse me but what the fuck kind of question is that?” You’re jerked back to the presence as Dragon swears at the reporter, her eyes blazing in fury. “What kind of heartless person asks that kind of question? Bradley’s a person, one of our players, and you want us to bet on his survival like it’s some kind of game?” Her lip curls in disgust. “This interview is about the game that just occurred if you weren’t paying attention. Either you ask questions about the game or we can have security escort you out.” The reporter snorts, gazing between the two of you as a sneer curls over his face.

“You want to talk about professionalism? Where are the coaches? We can’t talk about the game without the actual coaching staff present.” Dragon is full-on seething now as you let your mind and body drift off into a sense of numbness.

“I’m a coach, thank you very much.” She snaps. “The goalie development coach and you can refer to me as Coach Simpson.” She enunciates her last name with a cool venom that makes the reporter’s eyes bug out as he realizes exactly who she is. “I’m sure my father will appreciate knowing that your news organization needs to be blacklisted from future press events for unprofessional and hostile behavior towards coaching and PR staff.” It’s at that moment that Jake appears, the first out of the locker room, dressed back in his pregame suit.

“What’s going on here, Coach?” He asks, eyes flitting between the reporter in Dragon’s sights, her tense form, and your barely-there presence.

“This reporter needs to be escorted out,” Dragon says coolly and the man begins to sputter as Jake nods, calling for security and they escort the reporter out of the press area. Jake and Dragon speak quietly for a moment before he places a gentle hand on your shoulder and you blink, coming back to yourself. You let him lead you down the hallway away from the eyes of the press.

“Hey Zam, let’s get you out of here. We’ll handle the rest of the interviews, just hold tight and then we can all go to the hospital together okay?” You nod numbly, not trusting your voice. “Hey?” You look up when Jake calls to you again and you see the concern in his eyes. “You did good, okay? You did so well. He’s going to be so proud of you.” You feel your heart squeeze at that and before you can move towards him, Jake pulls you into his arms. “I’m so proud of you, just hold tight for a little longer and we’ll go see him,” Jake promises before letting you go. Mickey’s heading towards the two of you and Jake nods to him. “Take care of her, I’m going to finish off these interviews and then we’re going straight to the hospital. Pack up Bradshaw’s stuff.” Mickey nods, moving to stand next to you as Jake heads back down the hall.

When he’s out of sight, Mickey turns to you, concern evident in his brown eyes and then you crumble with a heaving sob. He catches you and holds you tightly against his chest as the sobs overtake you.

“I can’t lose him!” You sob into his chest and Mickey’s arms tighten. “I can’t! I just got him, I can’t lose him!” You’re shaking uncomfortably at this point. “I can’t lose any more people, Mickey, I can’t! I still miss her, I can’t miss him too, it’ll kill me, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” You know you’re being loud and that there’s a chance that someone will hear your sobs but you can’t find it in yourself to care anymore. “I need him! I need Bradley!” You start begging to whom you’re not sure but Mickey steels himself before shifting to try and get you back on your feet.

“Okay, let’s go.” You blink, sobs caught in your throat at his words.

“W-what?”

“Let’s go,” he says again, his gaze hard yet full of love and concern. “Let’s go see Bradley.”

“B-but Jake said-“ Mickey shakes his head.

“I don’t care what Jake said, they can catch up after the press event is over. We’re going now.” Relief and thankfulness flood through you but you can’t form the words. Mickey’s features soften gently and he starts to pull you down another hallway. “Come on, let’s go Zam.” You follow after him, tripping over your feet to keep up. You’re not sure where he’s going but you’re too emotionally exhausted to ask. Suddenly a voice calls out behind you, and you stop, turning towards the voice.

“Zam!” Lucas is sprinting after you, dressed in his suit, hair sticking up waywardly from running his hands through it. His eyes widen when he sees your face and you’re sure you look like a wreck. “Is he…” his face is a mask of fear and you shake your head quickly.

“I don’t know, we haven’t heard anything. We're going to the hospital now.” He nods slowly, processing the news.

“How’re you getting to the hospital?” He asks, finally, and Mickey answers.

“I’m going to call an Uber.” Lucas looks at him like he’s insane.

“No, you’re not, I’m driving. Do you know which hospital?” You give him the name that Bugs had texted you, the only update she'd provided so far and then you and Mickey follow him.

***

When the three of you reach the hospital, you’re all on edge as you burst into the ER. You march up to the desk, “I’m looking for Bradley Bradshaw?” You ask, breathlessly and the nurse gives you a shrewd look.

“I’m afraid this is a hospital, not a zoo, we respect the privacy of all our patients regardless of their celebrity status.” You blink, surprised by her response as you realize that she thinks you’re from the press or even a fan. You shake your head.

“I’m on his staff.” You fumble for your badge and show it to her and she gives you another long look before her eyes drift to the boys and her eyes widen in recognition at the sight of Lucas.

“Ma’am, we really need to see Bradley,” he says and you can tell he’s fighting past his own hysteria right now. He fumbles for his wallet before flashing his ID. “Please.” She looks between him and his ID and then at you and Mickey before she straightens.

“This way,” and she leads the three of you through a set of doors and towards an elevator. The four of you ride up a few floors before the doors open onto a quiet hallway. She leads you past the nurses’ station where some of the staff stop and gawk at the sight of Lucas and Mickey as you follow the nurse. She leads you to a door and opens it.

Your heart jumps as you take in the sight of Bradley asleep in a hospital bed, a bandage around his head and his face swollen from the hits he took from the other defenseman. The steady beep of his heart monitor eases your mind with its steady rhythm. Next to the bed, slumped on an uncomfortable-looking couch is Bugs. She seems to be asleep too. Maverick and Dare are nowhere to be found. You go to his side instantly, your hand finding his, dodging the tubes attached to it to slide your fingers into them. You squeeze gently.

“Hey Bear, I’m here. I’m sorry it took me so long, but I’m here.” You whisper as tears stream down your cheeks in relief at seeing him alive. You reach your other hand to brush his curls off his forehead gently. You want nothing else than to climb into the bed beside him and curl up against his chest but you turn to address the nurse but she’s gone. Mickey is arranging Bugs so she can lie down and hopefully avoid a crick in the neck as Lucas approaches Bradley tentatively, clearly wanting to give you space. You smile at him and motion for him to come closer and he does.

“Hey brother,” he whispers and you feel your heart clench with love. “It’s me, I’m here.” He hesitates before adding. “You don’t have to worry about Zam, I’ll take care of her until you’re back up and running.” You gaze at him and he turns to you then. “I mean that. Whatever you need? All you have to do is ask. I know you’ve got other people. It looks like you have a good support system, but if you ever need anything. You can always call me.” You smile and hug Lucas and he pulls you close.

“Thank you.” You whisper. “For everything.” Lucas shakes his head against your back.

“He would do the same for me, more even. We’re family. Welcome to the fold.” You smile softly as he lets you go. Sound comes from where Mickey’s standing by Bugs, his phone pressed up to his ear and you can hear an angry voice on the other end as Mickey winces. He mouths Jake’s name at you before excusing himself out into the hallway.

At the sound of the door, Bugs shifts, stretching before she spots you and Lucas. “Zam!” She yelps as she attempts to stand up too quickly and almost falls over, grabbing the wall for support. You cross over to her and wrap her in a hug that she returns once she gets her bearings.

As you pull away you can’t hold the question in any longer. “How is he?” You whisper, almost afraid to ask.

She smiles at you and squeezes your shoulder gently. “He’s perfectly fine. He cut his head on part of his helmet when he fell since it loosened during the fight, but other than that and some minor cuts and bruises, he’s going to be just fine. He wasn’t even concussed. Don’t worry we double-checked. Mav insisted on brain scans just to be sure, so he’s being kept overnight for observation as well as those scans first thing in the morning, but the doctors say he’s going to make a full recovery. You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding and suddenly the exhaustion of the evening catches up to you. You sway and Bugs just manages to grab your arms as you start collapsing. Lucas moves quickly, gathering you into his arms and helping Bugs move you to the couch where she was just sleeping.

“Hey, hey, hey, easy there.” He says with wide eyes. “I’m going to find you some water.” He looks at Bugs, “You’ll stay with her?” Bugs is about to answer when Mickey sticks his head back in the room. His eyes brighten as he spots Bugs.

“Oh thank god, Bugs I’m going to need your help, Jake’s on the way and he’s PISSED.” Bugs sighs and looks back at you.

“Are you going to be okay?” She asks. “We’ll be right back, just sit tight.” You nod wearily and she and Lucas head after Mickey, Lucas pausing at the door to give you one last look.

You wave him off with a small smile and then you’re finally alone with Bradley. Despite your promise to stay put you push to your feet, kicking your heels off and padding across the cold floor to Bradley’s bed. You know better, you really do, but right now you just need to feel him, to convince yourself that he’s going to be fine and you need more than words and promises. Thankfully he’s already slightly to one side of the bed, even as a bigger guy, and you use the last of your dwindling strength to pull yourself onto the bed beside him, being careful of the various tubes and wires. You curl against his chest, resting your ear over his heart, letting the steady rhythm and rise and fall of his chest soothe you. In one final act of selfishness, you lift his arm and place it over you, reveling in the gentle weight, reminding you that he’s there. “I miss you, Bear.” You whisper then, as you trace odd shapes on his chest through the hospital gown. It smells sterile and chemical like the hospital but if you focus you can get a whiff of his normal scent under it all, the smell of sweat combined with his woodsy cologne. You feel your body starting to feel heavy with sleep as you finally speak the three words that have been dancing on your tongue for weeks, and trapped in your mouth all night because all you could think about is what if you never got to tell him? What if you never got the chance? “I love you, Bradley. And I need you, so you have to be okay. I want to go home. I need my home.” Tears stream down your cheek and wet the hospital gown. You feel like you’ve cried enough tonight to fill an ocean and somehow you’re still not cried out. “I love you, Bear.” You whisper, but he doesn’t respond and the exhaustion combined with the steady beat of his heart lulls you to sleep in his arms.

[polycrowtruther]

Several Sentence Sunday

In honor of @dreamtigress's own SSS post, I will share mine as well! I'm working on several different WIP's and they're all different genres so I figured I'd do a couple sentences from each to show the variety in what's to come!

(excerpt from the Spirit of Grief)

“We’re ready,” Matthias said, his voice hoarse. He squeezed Kaz’s shoulder to get his attention, “We’re going to start now, okay demjin?”

“Do your wors’,” Kaz’s lips wobbled but they found their way to a grin eventually, “S’not like ‘m going anywhere.”

Matthias choked on his response, dropping forward to rest his forehead on his forearm unable to speak. Lying prone over Kaz like that, the two of them looked like a statue. As if they had both been cast in marble. Grief poured down Inej’s throat as she tightened her grip on Kaz’s pants. Fuck, she loved these boys. She loved this life she had, and the person she owed the most to was fighting for his own life now. He had to pull through this. His place beside her was too invaluable to lose.  

“Nina’s gonna fix you right up,” Inej said, before correcting herself, “She’s guiding Jes, he’s gonna get that poison out of you.”

“I’m certainly going to try,” Jesper chimed in weakly. 

They waited only long enough to confirm Kaz could hear what they had said, but they were done hesitating. They’ve wasted too much time already, it was time to act now.

(excerpt from God I Want to Feel Again)

“Kaz is a fine boss - ,” Jesper fired back quickly. 

“ - That’s funny, because if I recall correctly Per Haskell was in charge of you. Does your allegiance lie elsewhere now? I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear that.” Iago lifted his paw up and sniffed it, “Not that I much care, that is. I’m sure you follow whomever you please, so long as their pockets are deep enough to keep up with your ‘extracurriculars’ right?”

“Fitting a leech like you’d assume we could be bought,” Clem growled, “But unlike all your boss’s lackeys, it takes more than just a flash of kruge to secure our follow.”

“And what about your discretion?” Iago cooed, “Because we are only here on behalf of a rumor that came directly from your mouth, after all. How much does it cost to keep you quiet, Clementine?”

Jesper flinched. The crew had already discovered this revelation, back when the Black Tips had struck as they left Ketterdam, and to be honest Wylan didn’t really blame Jesper - or Clementine, for that matter. It had been dangerous, and Inej had taken a major hit, but Wylan believed that was inevitable. There was no way they’d get to go on this heist without other players in the game taking notice. If it hadn’t been Clementine’s overeagerness, it could have been Wylan’s rambling. Or Matthias blunt honesty, or Shanti’s well-meaning fretting. Hell, Oomen himself could have stumbled on them in the street and put two and two together. No amount of discretion can prevent bad luck and simple mistakes. Jesper had a big mouth, and he could say things that left deep cuts, but Wylan would always place his bets on the sharpshooter to have his back when it mattered. Loyalty did crazy things to a guy, sometimes. 

(Excerpt from ambiguous and not yet named lingerie shopping trip fic)

“Have you found what you’re looking for?” A raspy voice asked from behind her. Speak of the devil, as they say. 

Nina turned, smiling brightly at her boy, “Yes, actually, I have. Be a dear and hold onto my choices for me.”

Without preamble she hefted her picks into Kaz’s arms, feeling her grin sharpen as he balked at the amount of clothing. Wordlessly, he looked at her, as if waiting for a more concise explanation. She hummed, pausing a moment to take a generous sip of her wine, before setting down her glass again. 

“We’re going to be here awhile,” She patted his cheek lightly. 

He furrowed his brow but did not lean away from her touch, “We have to try on everything? If one pair of smalls fit and the rest are the same size, they should all fit. If they don’t, that’s just bad tailoring.”

“You speak as if you’ve been privy to the process already,” She pouted, “What if I don’t like the color on you? Or what if it’s not the right feel? I want you both to look your best, and if we buy it we should make sure we look damn good in it, right?”

“Fair enough,” Kaz acquiesced with a shrug. He shifted the finery in his arms until they were no longer wrinkled in his hold. So far it seemed any fight he’d put up was, upon closer inspection, just his grumpy curiosity. Nina grinned. Kaz Brekker was a very good boy. 

softcore tagging @sissytobitch10seconds and @lunarthecorvus as well as anybody else who has been reading/writing SOC/SAB fics!

[strugglingatart]

Jr year ep 2

This is me live blogging bc I need to get thoughts out also would love fandom friends full spoilers bellow the cut just so no one accidentally reads anything they don't want to this will be long

No shenanigans at the begining way lowkey sad I love our intrepid heroes being dumb

Siobhan and Zac kick it off with SUCH good turns straight away we love (also emily's cutting words? delicious)

Them all discussing more stuff mid battle is so nice I love but also not Ally forgetting they could try to heal lol

"playing with you all at level 10 has never convinced me more that this game is unplayable at level 20. fucking unplayable" Brennan the man who I 100% have seen play att level 20. But we HAVE to stan the complaing I love them so much Murph especially I always laugh so much

Siobhan please we cannot be confident before rolls they go bad then

we were doing so well like seconds ago and now everything feels terrible

ARMOR OF AYDA omg my loves

Kristen and Riz are me when my friends are being to sexual but also Kristen please remember you and tracker?

NOT FABIAN FALLING AGAIN, and his idea was real good as well, but Ally yeeting the dice also a big mood

Lou's sass was so good I love im so much

only one person saving out of everyone is brutal why do dice currenntly hate them

Murph loosing it at Ally's saving throws being empty is so funny, and poor them gatting so defensive (also have they been doing it wrong this whole time then? has it never been written down? was is just a mistake on their season prep?)

Zac and Lou killed that look at me bit I'm sorry they are geniuses

I truly thought Brennan was gonna make this fight SO much easier and in many ways I get why he didn't but I'm not over it

Listen Murph is looking SO GOOD this season it legit distracted me for a few seconds I had to go back to understand what Brenan said about the van flipping I am a disaster queer through and through

this is so intense all of a sudden omgggg

Poor hangvan ily and know Gorgug will fix you tho

Oh no Kristen, but also the die deadass turned on them, sad vibes (also I miss good rolling Murph I know we had him for one ep but I loved him)

once again yeeting the dice is a mood and then the whole if i hit anyone bit, art tbh

AHHHHH that nat 1 followed by a nat 20 was magical, also Em is wearing the naddpod live shirt 😍 I was 110% with her tho I wanted Gorgug to get it so bad so that deception roll was EVERYTHING TO ME, Ayda claming Gorgug as the greatest wizard is legit one of my favorite things whenever they bring it up and support that theory my heart is so happy

Brenan just being like yes these npcs i made up for the media res are just for that they will die even if they don't

Zac has what healing thing? again not knowing enough about DnD makes me bad at knowing who can do what

shoutout to the two crew

listen this theme of exaustion specifically with school will end me like i cannot it hits too close

Moggy the doggy! we stan Adaine the little guys guy(gal?)

Did Cassandra text you? Nonstop

this flourish lacks flourish (me giving the finishing touches to art projects for university)

LISTEN Fig asking about first day of school outfit was literally Emily choosing violence omg I felt that deeply

I still have jump and i haven't used it so I'm just gonna... I love Zac

They all LOOSE IT at two more guys and I know it was mostly the players but honestly having an absolute laughing fit out of exaustion is another big mood and I felt both seen and called out (I have STROIES about this) and like it just fit the theme so well

there's two nat 1's, Lou's full discociated, Murph's loosing it, it's pure chaos for a bit but whoever did the closed captions? A+++ job

Kristen taking ths ice cream sandwich out and going to the hangman is gold (also I remember the pouch of ice cream sandwiches existing like I fully remeber Kristen usinf it before but i don't remeber when/where she gets it despite having just rewatched both freshman and sophomore years and it's bothering me)

I want the so tactical so late t-shirt

Fabian passed so I legit thought that was gonna work but you know what? it's funnier that it didn't

"I was a turncoat the whole time" is so funny for no reason, also Fabian babe, ily but like why do you wanna kiss a mirror it will not be enjoyable (also at this point Lou is either feeding into all the comp-het queer theories or is like the queer whisperer)

The father the son and the balthazar made me cackle

I have said this before in a post somewhere but while I get where Kristen is coming from so much like truly I'm right there with her but also I kinda hate how she's avoiding Cassandra but also I get it baby but also pls do better (or at least change tactics in odrer to to it lowkey unhealthily)

Fabian I promise you you can do better LMAO Riz, you are correct

Again to me Fig's hypothetical is like fighting words I'd be pissed and depressed

But also high school me would have loved a dance camp tbh (also to be able to dance in general rip my dancing dreams, taken away by a chronic issue and over protective parents)

"I think I do a really half hearted prayer of healling just because I don't.. trust you" I love Ally so much

ah yes the silliness is back but they are so tired

wanna stay at our place? we have so many beds

The entire ecaf bit was so good i cannot deal

Hallariel is saying Fabian's name more like the elves or am I tripping?

Gillear is slightly less pathetic! he won a cruise! oh and they are engaged, full step sibblings Fig and Fabian

also poor Fabian like he needs his parental figures here... Cathilda better stay or I'm personally gonna have words with Brennan, stop making them suffer they fuck up things alone

ALSOOO there is no way Gillear would not want to talk to Fig omg I'm fighting brennan again

Gillear luck... did Fig uncurse him by taking that deal and is she about to get his bad luck?

SKLONDA we stan

Brennan I swear to god this tiny goblin has saved the world three times what do you mean he cannot go to college I will fight you, this scene hit me so hard omg we were promised silliness not heart wrenching reality in my fantasy

I think Zac legitimately forgot the mirror didn't run away for like a second which makes it funnier but Fig IS just that good. 32 decepetion fool the character and the player

BRENAN what do you mean Zelda gave back his stuff this is DURING the seven where they are still TOGETHER I swear I will riot

Frosty fair mentioned twice it's connected to or the big thing this season

The Thistlespring are SO PRECIOUS

Jawbone and Sandra Lynn made a cake I can't deal, and it's belated birthdays omg the way I would cry

THE RAGH AND LYDIA ART IS SO GOOD

the justaposition of Emily's cackle and Ally's face to the dangers Fig and Kristen are dangerously and/or wildly close to being expell is so good

Lou choking on water at "we're allowed to fail a certain number of classes each semester" also real good treiler editing bc I thought that was 10000% connected to the you let your god die line that comes right before it on there

Fig's been multiclass since start of sophmore year, does she do warlock classes sometimes I wonder

I like that Jawbone is not judging here he's just like facts: you are failing and this is why, now we can see what we do about it

ouch that whole im swimming my head is liquid kristen thing felt dangerously close to me... I usually relate to gorgug and riz like i adore kristen but she's never me what is happening (this is not bad just me having like my 10th identity mini crisis this year)

THE AYDA ART she looks so bummed but so pretty.. but also Brenan I feel like I said I'll fight you a couple of times here but if we get no ayda I will fly to LA and fight you

I reached text limit will do a part two