#Pre- and Post-Training Assessments

[hiremeeltd]

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[mrspiastri]

✩ geekazoid 🤓

pairing: oscar piastri x reader

cw: fluff

wc: 2.2k words

an: based on this anon! so sorry i forgot about this but like hey!! better late than never :) also this is an apology for me being MIA, i have my boards rn so pleek bear with me :p

After a tiring day of assessments and pre season training, Oscar wanted nothing more than to collapse onto his bed and pass out. He let out a deep sigh as he dropped his bag by the door, kicking off his shoes without a second thought.

His entire body ached from the long day of assessments in the morning, hours of pre-season training under the blistering sun, and then endless meetings with engineers fine-tuning the car’s setup. He was drained. All he wanted was food, a hot shower, and to crawl into bed with her.

But as he stepped further into their apartment, the familiar warmth of home settled over him. The air was filled with the scent of something rich and comforting, sizzling in a pan. Their cat, Sylvia, lifted her head from the couch, giving him a slow blink before lazily curling back into herself.

And then, there she was; his girlfriend, standing in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove, dressed in one of his t-shirts that practically swallowed her whole.

Oscar smiled, exhaustion melting into something softer. This. This was exactly what he needed.

“Hey, love,” he murmured, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. She hummed in acknowledgment, leaning into his touch.

“You’re home,” she said, stirring the pan. “I made dinner.”

“You’re the best,” he sighed, pressing a lazy kiss to her skin.

She chuckled. “I know.”

Oscar swayed with her for a moment before pulling away just enough to peek over her shoulder. “What’re you making?”

“Penne bolognese. Your favorite.”

🪻🪻🪻

By the time dinner was ready, Oscar had finally dragged himself to the couch, looking like a man who had been through war. His exhaustion was evident in the way he slumped forward, elbows on the coffee table, fork lazily twirling the pasta on his plate. But despite his drained state, the moment he took his first bite, a satisfied groan left his lips.

“You’re a godsend,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food.

His girlfriend chuckled, taking her own seat next to him. “I know.”

They ate in comfortable silence, the occasional clink of cutlery against plates the only sound in their cozy apartment. Sylvia, had perched herself on the armrest, lazily watching them eat as if contemplating whether or not she deserved a share.

Dinner had been warm, comforting, and exactly what Oscar needed after the exhausting day he’d had. Now, with their plates pushed aside and the dim glow of the kitchen lights making their apartment feel even cozier, he felt himself finally unwind.

She stood to clear the dishes, but before she could take more than a step, Oscar reached for her wrist, tugging her back toward him.

“Uh-uh,” he murmured, voice low with exhaustion. “Not so fast.”

She raised an eyebrow. “The dishes?”

“Can wait.” His grip was firm but gentle as he pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her securely. His t-shirt, which she’d stolen earlier, was way too big on her, making her feel even smaller against him. It made him want to hold her even closer.

She sighed dramatically, but he could feel her melt into him. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re warm,” he murmured, pressing his face into the crook of her neck.

She ran a hand through his hair, threading her fingers through the slightly damp curls from his post-training shower. “Alright, clingy boy, tell me; how was your day?”

Oscar let out a deep groan, tightening his arms around her waist. “Long,” he mumbled against her skin. “Training was brutal, and the meetings after? Even worse. Do you know how many times I heard the words tyre degradation today? Like, I get it. The tyres degrade. It’s their whole thing.”

She giggled, massaging his scalp with her fingers. “Poor baby.”

“Mhm.” He sighed dramatically, pulling her even closer until she was practically tucked under his chin. His hands wandered lazily, tracing slow, mindless patterns over her thighs, her back, slipping under the hoodie to graze her bare waist. “But it’s okay. You made me dinner, and now I have my favorite little heater on my lap.”

She rolled her eyes, but her fingers continued stroking through his hair. “You’re impossible.”

“You love it.”

She let out a small hum, resting against him. “Mmm… maybe.”

🪻🪻🪻

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, his hands roaming idly as he basked in the feeling of her weight against him. And then, as if a switch flipped in his brain, Oscar suddenly perked up.

“Oh! That reminds me, did you see what happened to Australia today?”

She frowned slightly, caught off guard by the shift. “What?”

“The Champions Trophy match,” he said, as if it were obvious. His voice was suddenly way more animated than it had been all evening. “We lost to India.”

She smirked, already sensing where this was going. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes.” He groaned, hands squeezing at her waist in frustration. “It was painful. Like, so painful. The batting order collapsed completely. Smith? Marsh? Labuschagne? Gone. Just gone. I swear, it was like watching a car crash in slow motion.”

Her giggle only encouraged him further. His fingers absentmindedly traced circles on her waist, his legs bouncing slightly under her as he continued his rant.

“And then the bowling,” he exhaled sharply, “Hazlewood and Starc tried, but India’s top order made them look like bloody amateurs. And Cummins—I love the guy, but his captaincy today? What was that? The field placements? The bowling changes? It was like we wanted to lose.”

She bit her lip, trying not to laugh as she leaned back slightly to look at him. “You are so upset over this.”

Oscar groaned dramatically, tipping his head back against the couch. “Of course I am. We’re Australia. We’re supposed to be good at this.”

“You sound like a dad yelling at the TV.”

“I feel like a dad yelling at the TV,” he admitted, running a hand down his face before bringing it back to rest on her thigh. “It’s just frustrating. We literally beat them in the World Cup, and now we get steamrolled?”

She ran her fingers through his hair again, her touch immediately soothing. “You need to relax, Osc.”

“I need Australia to get their act together,” he muttered, but his grip on her tightened as he nuzzled back into her shoulder. His lips brushed lazily over her skin, his fingers slipping under the shirt again to rest at her lower back.

She shivered slightly, but he was too busy sulking to notice.

His fingers kept tracing slow, absentminded circles on her back, completely lost in his post-match frustrations.

“I just don’t get it,” he muttered, shaking his head. “We literally won the World Cup. How do we go from that to this? It’s like they forgot how to handle pressure. And Marsh—he was way too passive today. We should’ve attacked early, built pressure, not just—”

“Oscar,” she cut in, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face toward hers. “You are so cute when you get all worked up about cricket.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You’re saying that just to shut me up.”

She grinned. “Is it working?”

He huffed, his lips twitching like he was trying very hard not to smile. “No.”

She let out an exaggerated sigh, running her fingers through his curls in a way she knew he loved. “Even Sylvia thinks you’re being dramatic.”

At the sound of her name, their cat, perched lazily on the couch, let out a slow blink before curling into herself.

Oscar scoffed. “Sylvia is a cat. She doesn’t care about cricket.”

Y/N smirked. “Exactly. And neither do I.”

Oscar gasped, hand flying to his chest in mock betrayal. “That hurts.”

She laughed, pinching his cheek. “You’ll survive.”

He grumbled under his breath but tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer. His lips brushed against her shoulder, and his fingers slipped beneath the hem of the hoodie she’d stolen from him, resting against her warm skin.

“I could just keep talking,” he mused, voice low against her skin. “Trap you in my lap and force you to listen to my cricket analysis forever.”

She gasped dramatically. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He grinned, pressing a teasing kiss just below her jaw. “Try me, sweetheart.”

She groaned, playfully tugging at his curls. “I regret telling you I like that nickname.”

“Too late,” he said smugly. “I love it. And I love you.”

She rolled her eyes but melted further into him.

🪻🪻🪻

Oscar sighed dramatically, shifting beneath her as he nuzzled further into the crook of her neck. His arms, already snug around her waist, tightened just a little more, as if trying to mold her against him completely.

His hands wandered idly, fingers tracing along the curve of her hips, slipping beneath the hoodie she had stolen from him. The warmth of his palm against her bare skin sent a pleasant shiver up her spine, but she stubbornly ignored it.

He, of course, noticed.

“Cold?” he murmured, lips brushing against her skin with every word.

“No,” she muttered, shifting slightly in his lap.

Oscar smirked against her shoulder, his fingers resuming their slow, lazy path along her waist, brushing feather-light touches that sent another shiver coursing through her.

“Really?” he hummed, his voice laced with amusement. “Because you just—” His fingers ghosted up her spine, making her arch slightly into him. “—did that.”

She huffed, playfully flicking his forehead. “Shut up.”

Oscar chuckled, leaning back slightly to look at her properly. His eyes were bright despite the tiredness lingering in them, and the smug little smirk tugging at his lips was pure trouble.

“You love this,” he teased, hands settling on her thighs now, thumbs stroking absentminded circles against her skin. “Admit it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I tolerate it.”

He gasped dramatically, as if she had just shattered his entire world. “Tolerate? Tolerate?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “I give you so much affection, and you tolerate me?”

She barely had time to react before he suddenly flipped them both, knocking her onto the couch and caging her beneath him. She let out a squeal of protest, but Oscar only grinned, propping himself up on his elbows so he wouldn’t crush her.

“Take it back,” he demanded, eyes twinkling with mischief.

She crossed her arms stubbornly. “Make me.”

His grin widened. “Gladly.”

Without warning, he buried his face in her neck, lips ghosting along her skin, hands now sneaking under the hoodie again. His fingers danced over her sides, trailing warmth wherever they touched, and she immediately squirmed.

“Oscar!” she shrieked, trying to wiggle away.

“You brought this upon yourself, sweetheart,” he muttered against her shoulder, his hands shamelessly tracing along her waist, her stomach, her ribs. “Now suffer.”

She let out a mix of giggles and groans, hands pushing weakly at his chest. “I hate you.”

“Liar,” he whispered, pressing a lingering kiss just below her ear.

She swallowed, feeling her heartbeat stutter at the sensation. His lips, slow and deliberate, left a burning trail along her jawline, up to her cheek, before finally reaching the tip of her nose.

She scrunched her face. “That was disgustingly sweet.”

Oscar only smirked. “So? Did it work?”

She tried to glare at him, but the warmth in his gaze made it impossible. “…Maybe.”

He grinned triumphantly, his hands shifting once more, running along the sides of her legs before settling comfortably against her thighs. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, soft and teasing. “I knew it.”

She let out a huff but didn’t pull away, letting her fingers card through his curls instead. He sighed happily, nuzzling into her touch like a content cat.

Speaking of cats—

Sylvia, who had been watching the entire scene unfold from her perch on the couch, chose that exact moment to let out a loud mrrp, her tail flicking in what could only be described as judgment.

Oscar groaned, finally lifting his head to glance at their feline companion. “Are you serious?”

Sylvia blinked. Slowly. Unimpressed.

Y/N burst out laughing, reaching out to scratch the cat behind her ears. “She thinks you’re being annoying.”

Oscar gasped, turning his dramatic expression toward the cat. “You too?”

Sylvia flicked her tail again and turned away, clearly done with his nonsense.

He flopped onto Y/N with an exaggerated groan. “Even my own cat is against me. Unbelievable.”

She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck, fingers playing with the short hair strands on his nape. “Maybe you’re just a hopeless little nerd.”

Oscar hummed, his lips grazing the corner of her mouth. “Yeah… but I’m your hopeless little nerd.”

She sighed, rolling her eyes fondly. “Unfortunately.”

He pulled back just enough to give her a look. “Say that again.”

She smirked. “Unfortunately.”

Oscar narrowed his eyes, hands tightening at her waist. “Okay, that’s it.”

Before she could react, he scooped her up in one fluid motion, throwing her over his shoulder effortlessly.

“Oscar!” she shrieked, flailing in protest.

He ignored her, striding toward their bedroom with a wicked grin. “You brought this upon yourself, Y/N. Now, you must suffer through the worst rant of your life.”

She groaned against his back, already resigning herself to her fate. “You are so annoying.”

“You love it,” he singsonged.

She sighed dramatically, but her fingers clung onto him just a little tighter.

Yeah. She really did.

so sorry for the lack of posting, also i’ll update “jab we met” after the 20th of march which is when my exams end!! sorry for the delay but i really don’t want to scrape on the quality :D

[videolari]

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[hanginginthevoid]

Idk If you're taking request BUT I really need

Bucky Barnes platonic love him

What if reader is like bucks adopted daughter or sum she got powers lowkey I feel like she could be really into bob (what if Bucky and reader and drifting apart and it seriously makes reader sad cause she really loves her dad)

pairing: father!Bucky x daughter!Reader

summary: Bucky took you under his wing pre-blip, but after he got dusted and you didn’t, he just couldn’t accept the fact that you’ve grown. His refusal to adapt eventually pushed you away. 

a/n: I’ve never written for bucky before so please dont scorch me :’) I am very pleased w this tho. Also!! I didn’t include reader being into bob, i hope thats okay anon!! (ps. I jumped for joy seeing a request) ty sosososo much for the love on my bob post

warnings: probably ooc bucky, mention of a gun, very possible disappointment ahead

word count: 2k

--

James Buchanan Barnes, better known as Bucky, had many, many regrets. Most people would say it wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t in control of himself, so he should logically be able to move on. He didn’t agree though. He took so many lives, most times with a weapon, but sometimes with his own hands. 

Still, those very same hands were the ones to cradle you as Bucky took you back to Wakanda on one of his missions as the White Wolf. The Wakandan’s sent Bucky to assess if someone had somehow taken Wakandan technology without permission. See your powers happened to be the organic version of King T’challa’s new suit, allowing you to absorb and redisperse any damage dealt to you. 

After you awakened, you explained in as little detail as allowed, about how you were being experimented on after a kid hit you and he flew back into a wall. You swore over and over again that you didn’t mean it, and had no idea what was happening to you, fearful that they would start to experiment on you too.

That was the moment that Bucky decided to take you in. You’ve got so much trauma built up already and you’re barely able to drive. He knows the feeling, and even though the Wakandan’s helped him fix a lot of his problems, he still has enough to deal with on his own that he’s sure he can aid you in your recovery.

He trained you, teaching you hand to hand combat, how to dodge properly, and even how to block a hit so that it has no impact on you at all. How to use a gun was a brief lesson, Bucky didn’t want you using one but he more so hated the thought of you being at a disadvantage if you didn’t know what to do with it.

When Bucky wasn’t with you, it was Shuri and or T’Challa if they were available, helping you to hone in on your powers and the best way to manipulate them to benefit yourself. Shuri made you a suit that would protect you from injury since your powers didn’t stop bullets or shrapnel from piercing your skin.

Your world collapsed when the closest thing you’ve had to a father figure was snapped away. You weren’t there to see it happen, Bucky forbid you from going on the actual battlefield so you guarded Shuri as she worked on removing the Mind Stone from Vision. Even after it seemed like everything went to shit, you still held faith. The Avengers hadn’t seen anyone they couldn’t handle yet, and today would not be the day.

But then people started turning to dust. And maybe today was the day because when you got down to the scene of the final fight Bucky was nowhere to be found. You find Steve Rogers, after all the stories you’ve heard about him you know he’ll know where Bucky is. 

Steve grabs you into a hug before breaking the news, “He’s gone kid.” And the tears start welling in your eyes. But you don’t believe him.

“What do you mean he's ‘gone’?” You’re pushing at him, trying to get out of his grip, but he’s a super soldier and you’re just a girl. 

“Thanos. He - he got him. With the snap.” He’s cradling your head, trying to be as comforting as he can even though he too, needs comfort.

Time passes slowly after that.

–

When you notice people starting to form from nothing all around you, you know where you have to go. Your dad, that you’ve spent 1 thousand, 8 hundred, and 26 days mourning, has finally come back to you.

The first thing he notices is how you’ve grown. Five years is a long time for the average person, you’re a little taller, grew more muscle, and even hold yourself differently. After the initial shock wears off though, he still sees you as the teenager that he pulled out of the rubble.

Funnily enough, that’s why you don’t talk to your dad anymore.

He couldn’t get past the fact that you willingly are putting yourself in danger. Sure he allowed it when he, Sam, and Joaquin were taking down the flag smashers. But there were three sets of eyes to make sure nothing happened to you! Now you wanted to go off on your own? Where did you even get your intel from? How could he be sure it wasn’t just somebody setting you up?

You distanced yourself when you realized Bucky would never trust you.You get it, really you do. He taught you so many things and helped shape the person that you wanted to be. But it’s not your fault that he disappeared and you didn’t. Maybe it would have been better that way. If you both got blipped then maybe, just maybe, he could really understand that you aren’t a useless child anymore. 

You’ve kept contact with Sam and Joaquin funny enough. When they need someone to snoop where Captain America can’t be seen, they ask you. In turn, when you need intel on something just beyond your reach, you ask them. It's a mutual relationship, a solid, stable one that you’re appreciative of.

They used to try to get you to speak with your dad. He nagged them, which is uncharacteristic for him, the man barely responds to his texts. He made it a point to ask about you in every message, it didn’t matter if he was reaching out just to touch base, asking about a mission, or telling Sam that he was going over to Sarahs for dinner. And while Sam and Joaquin didn’t want to get involved, it was hard not to feel for the guy.

You, however, shut down at any mention of Bucky. At first you’d only go off the map for a couple of days. Then it was a week. Then it was two whole months. After that they decided that it was better not to bring it up. Being able to secretively update Bucky about your whereabouts was a much better option than finding you in an abandoned building someday because of some shitty intel. 

You loved Bucky, in the way that only a child could love a parent. If you hadn’t been prepared from the rejection of your biological parents, you probably would have folded by now. But dealing with them helped you to focus on putting yourself first. If he can’t accept, and love, you for who you are now, then so be it. 

–

It’s a shock when you see your father on the news with the headline reading How will New York welcome the New Avengers? The last you heard was that Sam was putting together a team, and he would be the one taking over the Avengers title. 

Naturally, you call Joaquin. He could give you all the details, without any anger that Sam may or may not have. 

He told you that Sam was unbelievably disappointed in Bucky specifically. How could he, of all people, join a government mandated team? Him, Bucky and Steve, among many others, did not fight the Sokovia Accords, just for Bucky to flip sides. 

Supposedly your dad had called Sam to talk it over, but Sam just retaliated by informing him that he would be copyrighting the Avengers name. Who would have guessed Sam could be that petty. But more importantly, why would your dad rather join a team of ragtag, mismatched, hooligans, instead of Sam’s Avengers? 

Maybe it's time to face the music and get some answers yourself. After booking a flight, and hotel, you pack a small bag and head out. 

After getting to the hotel and freshening up a little bit, you shoot off a text to your dad.

y/n: stopping by

You don’t even make it to the elevator before your phone dings.

Dad: where?

Dad: the tower?

Still a bit salty, you don’t grace him with a response. Maybe you should have though. In your haste, you forgot about the hooligans who also resided in the tower.

“Uh - Is Bucky here?”

“And who are you supposed to be?” Ghost, or Ava you guess since she's not on a mission, is eying you warily.

Instead of backing down you walk more into the common space. Taking it upon yourself to lightly scour the area by moving your head from the right side of the room to the left, almost akin to a lifeguard. “He should be waiting for me.”

Then you spot him, hands around a mug, immersed in his phone. So you start walking in that direction, shouts from behind you about how you ‘can’t be in here,’ and you ‘don’t know how much trouble you’re gonna be in,’. It doesn’t deter you from resting a hand on your fathers non-vibranium arm, and giving it a light squeeze. 

His head whips around, the look of shock adorning his face is new to you. His voice almost seems different when he speaks too, “You - you’re actually here.”

Nodding, you respond, “I am.”

“Can I give you a hug? Would that be alright?”

Bucky sounds nervous. Fearful that you’d reject him. Even if you’re confused by his actions, he’s still your dad. It’s almost non-negotiable that you’d fall into him. He’s cradling your head while embracing you as tight as possible without cutting your airflow or breaking bone, much like Steve did when he originally broke the news that Bucky was gone. The motion makes you tear up again. 

“I’m sorry kid. I know you’re grown now, and there's nothing I can do to change that. It was just hard, y’know?” Bucky’s making you cry for real now, it's a slow stream and instead of stopping and giving you time to collect yourself he keeps going, “We spent everyday together in Wakanda, and I got to see you grow into a different person in real time. After Thanos, it felt like I got put into the wrong universe. There you were, grown, a whole different person. And sure, your fundamentals were the same, but you didn’t need me to protect you anymore and I didn’t know what to do with that.” 

“It wasn’t like that. I still needed, still need, you. I just need you to understand that I won’t sit on the sidelines anymore.” It's unsteady, but you want to make your point, you quiet as you near the end, “If I hadn’t maybe I wouldn’t have lost you.”

Bucky pulls you away then, both to look into your eyes and wipe your tears. “It wasn’t your fault. Don’t ever, even for a second, think that it was.” You’ve got a pout and you nod, trying to accept his statement. Really brand it into your brain, so that you’ll never forget it. 

The problem with Sam can wait. It’s important, and pressing, but for the first time in years you’ve got your dad. You think you’ll extend your hotel stay, really take some time to get to re-know your dad. You’ve both missed a lot, hell he became a congressman since the last time you’ve talked. 

On the other side of the embrace, Bucky couldn’t care less about the team being privy to this situation. He’s a private man, but he’s been waiting years for this moment and he would be damned to the depths of hell before he gave it up. He would explain everything to you, how he was working against Valentina, trying to get her impeached, then he rounded these guys up to testify, but they kept talking about some ‘Bob’ guy, and the ‘Bob’ guy was sweet but he housed a huge problem, and then Valentina made sure to save face by placing them as the New Avengers. 

He would wait though. Anything that happened in your life would be leagues more important than his. Even if it’s just a new coffee order, or that you found out you actually don’t hate string cheese. Suddenly the world was a whole lot brighter, all his stresses were lighter too, just because he finally had his baby back.

Likes/Comments/Reblogs make me giggle and kick my feet fr

[victorian-writez]

Peaky Princess 1

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Mafia Princess!Reader Setting: 1900s | Post-Grace’s death | Pre-Michael Gray Name: Chiara Mikaelson-Corleone [Peaky Princess M.S]

The Garrison thrummed with noise—voices, laughter, clinking glassware. Chiara leaned against the bar, a third whiskey burning down her throat. Her stormy blue-gray eyes swept the crowd and locked onto him.

Tommy Shelby. Dark hair slicked back, tailored suit like sin. He was nursing a drink, but his gaze was already on her—sharp, assessing. There was a spark. A challenge.

He pushed off the wall and crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps. “You look like trouble,” he said, voice a low rumble.

Chiara smirked, switching to English with effortless charm. “And you look like you can handle it.”

He took the stool beside her, his knee brushing hers—a flicker of heat. She ordered another drink; the liquor scorched her throat. His hand landed on her thigh, heavy, possessive. She didn’t move away. Instead, she leaned in, her lips brushing his ear.

“Want to fuck?”

Tommy’s eyes darkened. A slow, dangerous smile curled his mouth. “Lead the way, darling.”

They stumbled into a nearby hotel, indifferent to the peeling wallpaper and sagging mattress.

Chiara spun to face him, back against the door. Tommy’s mouth crashed onto hers—hungry, demanding. She tangled her fingers in his hair and dragged him closer, her tongue fierce against his. His hands roamed her body, rough and urgent. He grabbed her ass, lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He broke the kiss, lips trailing down her throat, sucking hard enough to bruise. She moaned, her head tilting back. He ground against her, cock hard against her center. She reached for his belt, undid it, and freed him. Her hand wrapped around him, stroking with intent.

Then she pushed him back onto the bed and dropped to her knees. She took him into her mouth—slow, deep, unrelenting. Her tongue teased the tip, her hand working his base. He groaned, fingers tangling in her hair.

She pulled back, met his eyes. “You like that, don’t you?” Before he could answer, she took him in again—deeper, faster. He bucked into her mouth, his hips meeting her rhythm. She gagged once but didn’t stop. Her lips were slick and tight around him, her eyes watering.

He yanked her off him, panting. “Fuck, you’re good at that,” he muttered.

Then he flipped her onto her stomach.

He hiked up her dress, slid her thong aside. Two fingers slipped in, then a third. She gasped, pushing back against him, aching. He teased her clit, circled it with his thumb.

“I don’t do slow,” she warned, voice ragged.

“Not tonight,” he growled.

He slammed into her, a sharp cry ripping from her throat. He was big, stretching her open. She buried her face in the sheets, nails digging in as he fucked her—hard, relentless. He leaned over, chest against her back, biting her shoulder, her neck, marking her.

She met every thrust, her body slick with sweat. He grabbed her hair, yanked her head back, exposing her throat. He bit down again. She moaned, shuddering, her body flushed and tight.

He slowed, pulling almost all the way out before slamming back into her. She whimpered.

“You’re gonna make me come,” she warned, frustration laced with pleasure.

“Good,” he said roughly.

His hand slipped around her, thumb on her clit. She came hard, back arched, body spasming. He followed, groaning low as he spilled inside her.

They collapsed in silence. Chiara lay on the bed, slick with sweat. Tommy leaned against the wall, chest heaving. Their eyes met.

“That was... fun,” she said flatly.

Tommy just nodded, already pulling his shirt back on. “Yeah. It was.”

He didn’t know it yet, but this night would come back to haunt them both.

In the morning, Chiara was gone. No note. No goodbye. She didn’t look back as she walked toward her train, her thoughts already on Italy. She never told her siblings what happened. That night stayed locked away, just hers.

Two years later — Birmingham.

The air buzzed with tension. The Peaky Blinders expected the Corleones.

They didn’t expect Chiara.

She entered like a storm in heels: sober, suited, and furious. Between her three brothers and two sisters, she looked like war wrapped in silk and steel.

Behind his desk, Tommy stood still—expression unreadable. Until he saw her. Her.

The woman who swore like the devil and fucked like a storm.

Chiara didn’t flinch.

Niccolo stepped forward, calm and cutting. “We’ve reviewed your operation. Efficient. Brutal. Catholic enough for Mother not to scream at us. My proposal is simple, Mr. Shelby. We seal this alliance with marriage.”

Chiara blinked. “What?”

Vincent sipped his espresso, unbothered. “To you. Obviously.”

“To who?” Chiara’s voice cracked like a whip.

James, beside her, winced. “Chiara, we were gonna tell you—”

She turned, smile sweet as arsenic. “You fuckers arranged a marriage without telling me?!”

Nebula whispered something to Vedette. Both sisters shifted, suddenly fascinated with the floor. Tommy remained frozen, cigarette burning between his fingers.

Chiara grabbed a whiskey from the table—and hurled it. The glass exploded against the wall inches from Tommy’s head.

“That’s my answer,” she snarled. “You motherfuckers.”

[captainventi]

Stars On Ice

The new season of Stars on Ice, a hit reality show where celebrities learn to skate alongside professional figure skaters, kicks off! Fateful encounters, first steps on the ice, grueling training sessions, and dazzling performances await the star-studded participants. And, of course, their main goal is to make an unforgettable first impression.

Episode 1. bad guy (Billie Eilish)

Pairings: celebrity!Sylus x figure skater!MC

Synopsis: An Olympic medalist and the owner of a popular IT startup are paired together on an ice show, and it seems like this duo was made in hell. Although, maybe it’s not all that bad after all.

CW: figure skating!au, mild peril (due to the high lift, slight enemies to friends dynamic, grumpy banter, author's mediocre humour

Notes: this is the first episode of the planned oneshot series that I hope I eventually finish. Post with all episodes (as soon as I write them) here. Sylus header by @/chibichibi-mia, dividers by @/thecutestgrotto

"What was your first impression of your partner? When you first saw Sylus on the rink, what did you think?" the host asks, still curious and lively, despite the tenth pre-match interview in a row. Without hesitation, I answer:

"That I want to smash a brick over his head."

The subject of our discussion is right there, casually putting his arm around my waist (since when did I start allowing him to do that — that's a question worth pondering), and in response to my blunt statement, he only smirks and, leaning in, purrs somewhere above my head, if the sounds of the tectonic shifts that he makes can even be described as purring:

"What stops you, kitten?"

I turn to look at him, assessing the distance to his white-blond head, which is as far away as the North Star, and sigh with genuine regret:

"I can't reach."

As for the brick, I’m really not exaggerating. From our very first meeting, Sylus gave me the impression of someone who had elevated his own persona to such a high pedestal that, with my poor little Olympic medal, I was left digging around in the kids' sandbox. And, of course, I should be suffering from how far I was from the mythical world of grown-ups and serious business from which this creature descends to me. Because that's exactly what his lazy, patronizing tone is supposed to evoke, right? Multi-million-dollar IT startup, sure! Lex Luthor, damn it. Who even paired me with him? Did the showrunners forget it wasn’t April Fool’s Day?

It became clear that this was going to end in nothing but catastrophe after our first lift, which happened unexpectedly for me — he simply scooped me up into his arms, not even letting me finish explaining the technique, and placed me on his shoulder like Shrek did with Princess Fiona. The shoulder, to be fair, was damn reliable, but I still screamed and beat my fists on his broad back — either from the surprise, or from outrage, or from realizing how high up I could potentially fall.

"I suggest we add this lift to the routine. Try kicking your legs harder, it’ll be even more impressive," he said, carefully setting me back down, and I couldn't even come up with anything witty in return, just snorted aggressively.

By the way, we did add the lift — when we finally came to a consensus about which music to skate to. That moment was etched in my memory as well: we were standing in the warm-up area, sipping isotonic drinks, and casually exchanging sharp remarks about each other, when it hit us both at the same time that, actually, we still didn’t have a concept for our first routine.

"Yeah, we could’ve used the time a little more efficiently," he said in a mock lecturing tone, and I rolled my eyes in response. "By the way, I have an idea."

"Let me guess. Tupac?" I grumbled. His appearance, like that of a typical boss from bad parodies of “Peaky Blinders,” only brought songs with the word "gangsta" in the title to my mind.

"Poulenc's Organ Concerto."

Oh wow.

"Not bad," I said, with involuntary respect. "Though, to be honest, skating to Tupac would be easier."

He laughed, and suddenly, struck by an instant thought, looked straight in my eyes. And — magic, no less — the exact same thought appeared in my head. I have no idea how it happened, but out of millions, billions of compositions ever written by humanity, we both simultaneously thought of the same one.

And here we are, on the competition ice, with me in that yellow sweatshirt, looking like a teenage girl trying to tease and provoke the slow-moving (after all, it’s hard to learn to glide on ice with his corpulence, especially in just three weeks), yet self-satisfied adult man. Especially when I naturally start kicking my legs and pulling away from the impressive lift — after all, if your partner picks you up like a feather, why not take advantage of it?

The trick goes off without a hitch, and Sylus confidently sets me down on the ice with the pleased look of a well-groomed cat who’s just eaten some cream. As for me, my legs are still shaking — I’m just not used to that kind of height. If I weren't a singles skater, maybe it would have been easier. Or maybe the reason isn’t the height at all, but something else?

The performance ends, and while we stand in the final pose, listening to the applause, a criminal thought suddenly crosses my mind: maybe this Stars on Ice season won’t be such a disaster for me after all. Or, at least, it’ll be fun.

[world-of-fantasies]

"Hold Me Forever" : Chapter 1

Words: 3670 (I know it's long!)

Pairing: Finnick Odair x FemReader

Time: 75th Hunger Games (Catching Fire)

Warnings: weapons, kisses, basically any Hunger Games talk, you know.

Summary: You won the 68th Hunger Games at age 15. Now, seven years later, you are being thrown back in, this time with your boyfriend, Finnick Odair. How will you two balance your relationship with the trials of the Games?

Note: I've had this draft of Finnick x Reader for a while now, and as I get more confident in sharing my writing, I decided I would finally start posting it. I know this first chapter is quite long, but it's all the set up for the readers games, so if you want, stick with it! Eventually, I'll probably, hopefully continue to release the rest of the story, so bear with me! Hope you enjoy!

*Also, I don't own most of these characters! Some I created, but mostly they are from the good old Hunger Games series.

Series Masterlist...

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Pre-Games: District 4 

My hair softly blew in the wind, my lips tasted salty from the sea air, and soft sand sifted through my toes. I took a deep breath and smiled at the scene before my eyes softly closed, and my mind shifted to the Games. 

*** 

68th Games Flashback 

My breath slightly caught in my throat as I looked over the sea of people before the stage. My name had just been chosen out of all the other females in District 4 to represent the District in the 68th Hunger Games. I was 15. Although I wanted to begin crying on the spot, I knew that the tributes from here were part of the Career group, and therefore, I needed to act strong and excited for this opportunity. Swallowing my sob, I flit my eyes up from the ground and put on a mischievous smile. 

“Our District 4 tributes for this year’s 68th Hunger Games!” our escort, Mariana, cheerfully exclaimed, and as my District partner, also my best friend, Corey, and I held hands and raised them into the air, the crowd cheered loudly and with passion for us.

We smiled and dropped our hands before heading back to meet our family and friends. I stayed as strong as I could while saying goodbye to them, but as soon as they left, I let out a big breath, and a tear was wiped from my cheek. Eventually, we found ourselves on the train with our mentors, Finnick Odair and Mags Flanagan. They were to co-mentor us, as Mags didn’t talk, and it gave Finnick the chance to continue his new mentoring skills. It was impossible for me not to think him attractive, but as he was a couple of years older, all I could do was sneak glances occasionally. 

Training had gone as expected, Corey and I learning alongside the other Careers, mastering the weapons scattered around the training center. Unlike the other Careers, though, we had been told by our mentors not to overlook the survival stations as they would come in handy more often than a weapon. Occasionally, a scoff was released from another in the group, but we ignored it and went on our way. As far as weapons, Corey ended very skilled with a sword and as usual a trident, though not quite at Finnick’s level, while I improved at all types of knives plus improving at a bow and spear. 

The Career group that year was a good one for sure. District 1 had Sly (M) and Jewel (F), the former scoring a 10 in his assessment while Jewel scored an 8, much to her disappointment. District 2 consisted of Blaze (M) and Artemis (F), Blaze scoring a 10 as well and Artemis a 9. Then there was Corey and I who both scored respectable 9’s. Jewel was a bit of a drama queen and annoying, but there was always one like that. 

When we rose into the arena, I was met with a welcome surprise. The Cornucopia was centered in the circle of tributes as per usual, but surrounding the podiums was a body of water, far enough across that we’d have to swim a bit and couldn’t just jump over. When the gong sounded, most ran towards the sculpture, some running away, and we Careers got to work. Being more sensible than most other Careers, I tried to stay away from killing as much as I could but had to stab someone when they came at me with their knife pointed at my head. 

For the most part, we Careers went about the Games the same as every year. We traveled around hunting down the other tributes and defending our camp and each other when attacked. After a while, though, Corey and I worried that the rest of the group would begin to turn on us as District 4 seemed to be the odd ones out, and one night we snuck off on our own. It appeared our decision had been a good one, as the group had begun to fight each other just the next day, Jewel and Blaze the only ones left alive. 

Corey and my plan had gone well until one day we were attacked by Bran, the male tribute from 9, and Ivy, the female from 7. It was a rough fight, as Ivy and I went back and forth in who had the advantage before, eventually I knocked Ivy’s axe out of her hand, kicked her to the ground, and pierced my spear through her stomach. Her cannon sounded, but I was met with a scream from behind me. Whipping my head around, I was met with Brian on top of Corey, a knife to my partner's throat, and without thinking, I ran at the boy. 

Bam! I slammed myself into the other attacker, knocking him off Corey. He looked shocked momentarily before I yelled, “Get your trident!” while I grabbed my spear. 

Corey quickly scrambled to his feet while Bran did the same, and once they were both up, Bran stood facing us, knife at the ready. 

“I’m not leaving till at least one of you is dead,” he growled lunging a bit. 

“Gonna be difficult if you’re the dead one,” Corey smirked. 

Then the fighting resumed, us two against the one, and held our advantage for a bit. Suddenly, Bran brought his elbow up and knocked it into my head so hard that I felt dizzy and stumbled over. My vision blurred from the impact, and I couldn’t get up, but it was good enough to make out Bran sending his knife through Corey’s stomach, the latter gasping and crumpling to the ground. 

“No!” I screamed and my anger brought me to my feet, my body lunging at Bran and sending my spear through his head, killing him instantly. 

The next few moments consisted of me holding Corey in my arms and lap with him motivating me to keep pushing and trying to get home, for him, for our families, for our mentors, for the District, and myself. I nodded, tears falling down my face and before I knew it, another cannon sounded. I spent the rest of that night grieving, but the next day I held my head up high and continued to try. I would try and win. 

After a few days had passed, I heard a cannon, and it immediately appeared in the sky. That meant there were only two left, and those two were me and Blaze. It felt like I had been punched in the stomach. Blaze was one of the best in the arena, and certainly better than I. I had to try, though. 

“Attention to the remaining tributes! Congratulations! You are the final two!” Claudius Templesmith announced, his voice echoing throughout the arena. “Now, if you look down at your right forearm, you’ll notice a small blue light.” 

I dropped my gaze to my right arm and, sure enough, a light glowed from inside the appendage. 

“That is your tracker. If you don’t make it back to the Cornucopia in five minutes, it will self-destruct. I wish you all the luck in the world and may the odds be ever in your favor.” 

A loud boom sounded, and I knew that the five minutes had started. My legs took off, running as fast as I possibly could. They burned, but I didn’t care, I’d rather that than a blown-up arm. 

“Two minutes,” Claudius said. 

I continued to run and eventually, I could see the large structure ahead of me. Suddenly, Claudius began to count down from 10. I panicked, and seeing the ring of water approaching, I pushed harder and dove into it. When I was back up on land, I ran a bit more to be safe as the countdown ended. 

“Ahh!!” 

It sounded like Blaze hadn’t made it in time and his tracker self-destructed, but he wasn’t dead as there was no cannon. Instead, he stumbled into the other end of the clearing and made it across the water, right forearm blown off and dripping blood while he limped towards me. 

“So, down to you and me. The District 4 girl, to me, the best,” Blaze smirked at me. “Did you manage to kill Corey? How’d you buck up the courage to do that to your little boyfriend, huh?” 

Anger boiled inside me. How dare he think I killed my best friend, and he wasn’t my boyfriend by any means. 

“What’s wrong? You couldn’t handle seeing his bloodied body after you killed him? Hm?” 

It all got too much, and I charged. He seemed surprised at first as this didn’t seem like me, but his taunting about Corey drew the line. 

“Don’t you dare say anything about Corey! He was my best friend! I would’ve killed myself if I killed him and he’s the only reason I’m still here! I’m still fighting to avenge him!” I yelled as we fought. 

Unfortunately, for the District 2 boy, he couldn’t fight as well with his stub of an arm but he still somehow managed to wrap it around my neck when I tried to punch him. He squeezed it and I felt the movement of air stop. I gasped and tried to take a deep breath but to no avail. 

“This is the end, (y/n),” he growled, holding a knife dangerously close to my stomach. 

“No,” I whispered. 

“What?” he questioned. 

“No, this is the end, for you,” I choked out, secretly grabbing a knife from my belt and stabbing him from behind. 

“Why,” he gasped as he fell to the ground. 

“I’m sorry, I really am,” I gasped kneeling next to him tears beginning to fall. “I did it for Corey. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s the Hunger Games. Someone had to win, and that’s not me,” he whispered before a loud boom was heard. 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Claudius’ voice sounded. “I am pleased to present the victor of the 68th Hunger Games, (y/n) (y/l/n)!” 

I let out a sigh of relief before my face dropped, realizing what I had done to achieve this title. The bloodied bodies of all the former tributes were then surrounding me. Blaze, Corey, Ivy, Bran, the boy I had killed in the beginning, and all we had killed in the Career group. 

“You’re alive because we’re dead. You killed us,” they all chanted except for Corey. 

“I should’ve lived a nice life back in 4, (y/n). Not you. But now I’m dead, all because of you,” Corey growled. 

“No!” I screamed and sank to the ground, knees to my chest, sobbing. 

I continued to sob not even realizing when the hovercraft lifted me and brought me back to the Capitol. Aboard the hovercraft, I was placed in a makeshift hospital room and was given some drugs that put me to sleep. When I woke up back in the Capitol hospital, Mags was sitting in my room and immediately came over to the bedside when she saw my eyes open, gesturing a nurse away from the room, probably to tell people I was awake. 

“Mags,” I softly cried burying my head in her chest as she held me close and hugged me. 

After a few moments, we heard the door open, and instead of a nurse standing there, it was Finnick looking a bit hurried and worried. When he saw that I was indeed awake, a look of relief crossed his face, and he came over to my bed, replacing Mags’s place, wrapping his muscular arms around me comfortably. 

“Good job,” he whispered in my ear. 

Before I could say anything about how I only won because everyone else had died he cut me off. 

“I know it hurts. Everyone else dying just so you can live. Listen to me, though, the Capitol loved it. Completely ate it up. To keep yourself and those you love safe, you need to act strong. It’s going to be difficult, but please, you need to try.” 

We pulled apart, and I looked into his sea-green eyes. They were completely serious and full of worry again. I nodded and wiped the tears from my face. In my Victor interview, I did exactly what Finnick had explained, putting on a brave, sassy, and happy face with a fake smile. I responded with jokes and the audience loved me before they cheered even louder while the crown was placed upon my head. As soon as I left the stage, I slammed backward into a wall and covered my ears as all the voices of the other tributes flooded my senses. Finnick showed up and hid me away from the view of any cameras or Capitol citizens, comforting me in a way no one had done before. 

Eventually, I was forced to go on the victory tour, something I was very reluctant to do, but in the end, it wasn’t a negotiation. I was dressed up head to toe in expensive clothing, pushed onto a stage in every District with notecards to spew words about how grateful I was to the Capitol for my experiences after the Games and the rest of my life. I wanted to vomit hearing the words come out of my mouth. 

By the very last one before the Capitol itself, I had crumpled to the floor as soon as the big doors closed behind me. Again, Finnick hid me away and comforted me. Unfortunately, he also told me some upsetting information about what would probably happen in the Capitol after the party. He told me all about how his body was sold to Capitol citizens to continue his work for the President. I couldn’t say anything and just threw myself into his arms both in sympathy for what he had gone through and in fear of it happening to me. 

Just as we had predicted, at the end of the party, some of Snow’s guards had pulled me away from everyone else and placed me in a room with just the President himself. Not wanting anything to happen to my family I accepted with a forced smile and went on my way. I told Finnick that night resulting in another hug, this time in sympathy for me. Luckily for me, through the years, I was not put through nearly as much as some other tributes. 

Over the next couple of years, Finnick and my relationship began to change. I slowly formed major feelings for him, his beach hair, green eyes, and charming smile. I loved it all. It was during the 71st Games, when Johanna won, that our relationship changed for the better. We had taken on the mentoring together that year, with him mostly helping the male out more while I helped the female. When both of them died very early, I lost it and blamed their deaths heavily on myself. As usual, he calmed me down, but in a very different way from the usual. As I bawled and went on and on about how it was all my fault, he took my face in his hands and pressed his lips on mine. 

To say I was shocked was an understatement. I stopped breathing for a moment before my lips matched his rhythm, and I kissed back. We pulled apart and laughed a little at our previous action before he calmed me down in his usual way and explained how he had liked me the past few years, only now building up the courage to kiss me while I was spiraling. From then on, our relationship was one of the best, and he always made me happy. 

*** 

End of Flashback 

My eyes fluttered open as I felt a pair of lips place down on the top of my head and a body sit down next to mine. I turned my head and was met with my boyfriend’s face. 

“Hey,” he smiled. 

“Hey,” I smiled back, and we pecked each other on the lips before pulling apart and I shifted so I was lying in his lap. 

“Were you thinking about your Games again, Angel?” he asked playing with a piece of my hair, using my nickname, and always knowing what I was thinking. 

“Unfortunately. I can’t help it with the Quell coming up,” I responded, tracing little circles on his knee. 

“I know, I get it. I’ve been thinking about mine too. But it’s okay, we’re here right now. Together. No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you.” 

“Thanks, I’ll be there for you too,” I smiled softly. 

For a while more, we sat there, in the presence of each other and completely in love. Eventually, we made our way back to our houses that stood directly across from each other. 

“Do you want to stay over to watch the Quell announcement?” Finnick asked me as we stood between our two houses. 

“I would love to, but I think I should be there with the family,” I smiled, pushing away some hair that had fallen across his eyes. 

“Sounds good,” he smiled and kissed me on the forehead once before moving down to my lips. 

We both smiled into the kiss and held onto the other’s hand as long as we could as we parted towards our respective abodes. 

That night, my mother, older brother, and I gathered in the living room after dinner to watch President Snow announce what the 75th Hunger Games and the 3rd Quarter Quell would be this year, and what catch it would be. We all sat on our couch, the nerves felt through all of us. Suddenly, the screen flickered to life, and Snow was standing at a podium, microphone in front of his face. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 75th year of the Hunger Games. It was written in the charter of the Games that every 25 years, there would be a Quarter Quell, to keep fresh for each new generation, the memory of those who died in the uprising against the Capitol. Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by Games of a special significance.  

On the 25th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every District was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it. On the 50th anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every District was required to send twice as many tributes. 

Now, on the 75th anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the third Quarter Quell as a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, on this, the third Quarter Quell Games, the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors in each District.” 

My heart sank. The man continued to talk, but I couldn’t hear any of it. All I could hear was the thumping of blood in my ears, my mom wailed out, and my brother choked back a sob. The only female tributes in District 4 were me, Annie, and Mags. There was no way that I could let either of them go in. Annie was still so broken, though I probably was as well, more than I thought, and although she was a year older, she seemed like a small girl at the same time. She was my best friend. And Mags, absolutely not. She didn’t deserve to go back in, no one did, but especially her. She was like a grandmother to me. Thinking on the other side, Finnick was one of four male tributes still alive. I could only hope he wasn’t chosen or volunteered. 

Oh, Finnick. I had to go to him. I quickly got up and mumbled out that I was sorry and had to go find Finnick to my mom and brother before running out of the house and closing the door. When I turned around, I saw Finnick doing the same across the way, and after we locked eyes, both filled with tears, we ran to each other. We met in the middle of Victor’s Village and wrapped our arms around each other, crying, and in absolute fear.  

Eventually, we were able to pull apart from each other to look each other in the face. 

“Finn, you know I can’t let Annie or Mags go in. You know I would never forgive myself,” I quickly said before he could stop it. 

“(y/n)…” he started before I cut him off with a kiss. 

When we pulled apart, he looked me in the eyes and realized how serious I was. If I wasn’t chosen, I would most certainly be volunteering for either the red-haired girl or my grandmother figure. 

“I understand, I feel like I’m obliged to go in over the others too,” he explained. 

“Finn, no, please no.” 

“(y/n), I have to. Plus, if you go in, I don’t trust any of them to look after you,” he joked, trying to make the situation a bit lighter. 

I took a deep breath, taking in the information before complying and said, “Okay. If that’s how it needs to be. You and me.” 

“You and me,” he replied. 

By the time I walked back to my house, I had accepted my fate just a bit, though I was still very scared and shocked. As soon as I stepped into the house and closed the door behind me, my mom and brother were walking towards me. 

“Don’t you dare do it, (y/n),” my brother cried. “You can’t go in there.” 

“Come on, Sean,” I begged. “I can’t let Annie or Mags go in there. If you were in my situation, I know you’d do the same thing.” 

Instead of arguing more, he gave a very slight nod and hugged me. My mom joined the hug, teary-eyed, and we stood there for what seemed like forever. I probably wouldn’t get this ever again, or at least for a very long time. I would be going back into the games. 

************************************************************************

Next...

[overtrred28]

Joining the club | Jen Beattie x reader

Summary; 2023 and the start of 2024 seem to have something in common already; everyone in the WOSO community seems to be getting engaged. And when you bring this up to your long term partner Jen, it seems she has nothing to say, or does she….

Pairings; Jen Beattie x famous!reader

Words; 2.5k

Warnings; pure fluff, swearing

A/N; It seems to be the season of getting engaged and even though I am way off getting engaged and very very single, I thought I would pretend and imagine that I was getting engaged to the one and only Jen Beattie. There is also a lack of Jen fics on here and I feel the need to write one for her. Enjoy!

First it was Steph and Dean all the way back in January. Lynn and Marley finally did it back in May. Then in June it was Emily and Kat, and Katrina and Clara just a few days after. Kristie and Sam finally revealed theirs from September after months of teasing. Chloe Kelly and Millie Bright got it within the same week, sharing photos with their partners around christmas. And finally a surprise from Ellie and Daan on the first day of a new year. 

It seemed 2023 and now 2024 was the time for engagements in the world of women’s football and you were quite caught up in all the news. 

“Oh my god babe, another one!” You let out a gasp as the post from Ellie and Daan popped up on your instagram feed, stopping your pre-dinner scrolling as you paused and assessed the picture. It was from a few days ago, and you were seeing it now because you had been away with Jen and her family, avoiding social media to spend time with them and only now catching up. 

“What?” Jen’s voice called from the kitchen, you jumping up from the couch with your phone and running quickly into the kitchen. 

“Look.” You aggressively shoved your phone into her face and she adjusted to the bright light as she tried to look at the photo. 

“Oh wow, congrats to them.” Jen smiled quickly before turning away and back to the food on the stove. You frowned at her quick response and disinterest at the post.

“Do you not think it’s funny?” You asked with a small laugh from beside her. 

“What is?” She asked whilst moving around the kitchen to find the rest of the ingredients for your dinner. 

“That everyone in the footballing world seems to be getting engaged at the moment?” You asked again and she didn’t respond with any excitement, again.

“Oh, guess I didn’t notice.” She shrugged and continued to stir the pot. You opened your mouth to talk again but she got there before you. “Could you grab me some bowls, love?” She asked while keeping her eyes on the pan. You paused for a second before grabbing two clean ones from the dishwasher and placing them next to her. “Thank you.” She smiled at you briefly before beginning to dish up the pasta that was now done. 

“You’re welcome.” You snapped out of your trance and silently moved to grab some glasses and the wine from the fridge. She waited for you to finish pouring your drinks before she grabbed both bowls and headed for the couch, you following close behind her. 

“What are we watching tonight, love?” Jen asked as she sat beside you on the couch, now both holding your dinner and the wine glasses on the coffee table. 

“I don’t mind, you pick.” You shrugged before taking a bite of your food and now it was her turn to frown at you, normally you always took control over what to watch together. 

“You okay?” Jen asked simply and you nodded silently while eating and staring at the screen in front of you. “ Okay, how about Bridgerton? We still haven’t finished season two.” She suggested and once again you nodded silently from beside her. 

You weren’t sure why you were feeling slightly off after Jen’s reaction to the post and your comments, but you still snuggled into her on the couch after finishing your pasta and wine.

The episode finished and you could feel the both of you drifting off after a long day. Jen had been back at training after winter break and your schedule had been hectic since returning from time off. You were an actress and your new movie was about to come out so all the promo shoots and interviews were now in full swing, though you were grateful it began in London so you could still go home to Jen every night.  

You met Jen a few years back at an event in London you had both been invited to, catching her eyes from the other side of the room and instantly knowing you had to go talk to her. You knew who each other were, an actress making her name in the world and a famous sports star who silently followed each other in their respective lines of work. One conversation and you knew there was something there, and so did she. You both knew it would be hard with your professions and the distance you would have at certain times, but you wanted to make it work, somehow keeping it from the public eye for two years before hard launching it on your anniversary and sending both sets of fans into a frenzy. 

“Ready for bed love?” Jen spoke softly into the dark living room, smoothing your hair softly. 

“Definitely.” You yawned and sat up, rubbing your tired eyes as Jen stood up and held a hand out for you. You smiled at the gesture and met your hand in hers, pulling yourself up and making your way to your bedroom together. You both had already showered when you got home earlier so all that was left to do was to brush your teeth together. 

Your night routine was almost the same every night, no matter what was going on in your separate lives, you always spent those last few minutes together before crawling into bed. So once you both finished in the bathroom, you hopped into bed on your chosen sides but made your way closer to the middle and each other, Jen opening her arms to you as you laid your head on her chest.

“Sorry I’ve been quiet, tired.” You mumbled into the darkness against Jen as she drew small circles against your back. 

“It’s okay, me too.” Jen looked down at you to meet your soft eyes. 

“I love you.” You smiled and snuggled into her chest once more, eyes drifting closed. 

“I love you too.” Jen placed a kiss against your head before closing her own eyes and drifting asleep. 

The topic of last night's conversation was mostly forgotten in the morning, or at least it wasn’t brought up again between you too. That didn’t mean it wasn’t brought up with different people. Jen arrived at training and as both Steph and Beth walked up to her, they could tell something was on her mind. 

“You alright there Jenny?” Steph bumped her shoulder as herself and Beth joined her sides. 

“Hmm? Oh yeah.” Jen nodded at them but went silent straight after. 

“You sure?” Beth dragged out her words and brought her face as she could to Jen’s, their height difference proving to be a little difficult.

“Yeah, just thinking.” Jen tried to brush them off again but these two were persistent and she knew she wasn’t going to get very far if she didn’t tell them. She stopped her walking and sighed before speaking. “Last night, Y/N brought up how it seems like everyone’s getting engaged at the moment, and I didn’t really say anything back. And then she seemed upset for the rest of the night, but she said she was just tired, which I know she has been, but I also think I might have upset her in some way.” She let out in almost one breath as Steph and Beth tried to process her words. 

“Well she’s not wrong, especially in the last few weeks.” Beth added with a shrug. 

“Do you think she’s ready?” Steph ignored Beth’s comment and looked at Jen.

“Well, I wasn’t sure before, but after last night I think she is.” Jen looked between the two of them. “Just the way she was talking about it and then when I didn’t really say anything…” She trailed off and looked down. 

“I think she’s ready.” Steph spoke with a smile. She had watched from the beginning of your relationship with Jen just how happy you were with one another, and how easy the relationship seemed even when spending time apart due to work. 

“Are you?” Beth asked sincerely, her and Steph awaiting Jen’s reply. Jen was silent for a few seconds, bringing her eyes back up to look at her best friends. 

“I bought the ring like 2 months ago.” She mumbled but they still heard it and instantly started beaming at the Scottish woman. 

“You sly little bastard.” Beth punched Jen’s arm softly as they began to walk again so that they wouldn’t be late for training. 

Throughout the whole day the three of them, mostly Steph and Beth, were coming up with ideas on how she should propose but Jen kept shooting them down. She wanted it to be private, special and a surprise, so anything that involved taking you out somewhere would instantly make you suspicious. 

While Jen had been conversing her thoughts and plans with her best friends at training, you were in your head all day thinking about last night. Which wasn’t really helping especially when you were trying to film press interviews all day and talk about your movie. 

You could have talked to your co-stars about it, after all they had become close friends while shooting and now being with each other everyday for promo, but the only person you really wanted to talk to was Jen; it was always Jen. 

Jen got home long before you, taking her time to deep clean the flat and cook dinner for you once again, knowing you would be exhausted from your long day of work. 

She didn’t hear you opening the door and making your way through the flat, she had been vacuuming with her headphones on and dancing around your bedroom. You stood in the doorway for a few minutes after spotting her, admiring her and waiting for her to see you. And when she did, boy did she get a fright. 

“Ah fuck!” Jen almost jumped out of her skin when she finally turned around and spotted you lurking in the doorway, using one hand to remove her headphones and the other to turn the vacuum off. “How long have you been standing there?” She dropped the vacuum and began to walk over to you. 

“A few minutes. I was admiring your hidden dance skills.” You smiled and stood up straighter, welcoming her into a hug like you do every day. “Hi.” You mumbled into her shoulder. 

“Hi love.” She pulled back and leaned in for a soft kiss. No matter how many times you kiss Jen, it feels like the very first time all over again, even after 4 years. “Busy day?” She asked as you parted, taking in your tired expression. 

“Busy day.” You nodded and smiled at her. “How was training?” You asked as you walked hand and hand to the kitchen. 

“Good, good to be back with the girls.” Jen smiled at you before letting go to retrieve dinner from the oven. You stood at the counter, simply watching her as she moved about wrapping up dinner. “Go put something on, I’ve got it.” Jen smiled and placed a kiss on your temple before ushering you to the lounge room.

“Okay bossy.” You laughed before making your way to the couch and switching the TV over to Netflix to finish the final episode of Bridgerton. You wait patiently for her on the couch, looking over your shoulder every few seconds to see if she is coming around the corner. 

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jen is trying to hide her anxiety and nervousness as she plates up dinner and feels her pocket one more time. With two champagne glasses now full and a tray full of food she finally makes her way to you, letting out a final breath before entering the living room. 

“Dinner is served.” She places the tray down on the table and bows which makes you laugh. Your eyes fall on the glasses and you’re instantly confused. 

“What’s with the champagne? Decide the wine wasn’t good enough?” You joked and she let out a small laugh shaking her head. 

“Some nights are a little more special than the others.” She cryptically says and has you even more confused but you leave the comment alone and hit play on the remote. 

You eat dinner together while watching the episode, silently watching with a bit of commentary along the way before cuddling up after eating. The episode finishes and you can feel Jen’s heart beating particularly fast, her fingers are nervously playing with one another and she hasn’t spoken in a few minutes. You sit up silently and look at her, she doesn’t look at you. You’re about to fill the silence when she beats you to it. 

“You know how much I love you, right?.” Jen rushes out and leaves you slightly bewildered. 

“I know. I love you just as much.” You reply. “What’s wrong?” You bring your hand up to brush her hair back into her low bun. 

“I’m about to do something and I hope you don’t think it’s random and forced because it’s not and I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I didn’t want to make a massive deal about it because it’s just you and me and that’s all that matters.” Jen speaks in one long breath and you need a second for your brain to catch up but before it can she’s pulling you up off the couch with her and standing in front of you. She holds your hands in hers and looks directly at you. 

“Wha-” Before you could even think about finishing your sentence, a giant gasp leaves your mouth at her next action. She drops down to one knee whilst still holding holding your hands, smiling up at you as tears well in your eyes. 

“My love, I could go on and on about how much I love you but you already know. There is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with, no matter where it shall take us. So,” She let go of your hands, you bringing them up to your face and hers reaching down into her pocket. She fishes the small, black box out, opening it to reveal a sparkling ring and looks back up at you. “Y/N Y/L/N, will you-” 

“YES!” You interrupt her before she gets to finish causing her to laugh and shake her head. 

You just stand there admiring her as she gets up and removes the ring from the box. She brings your shaking left hand from your face and slides the ring on. Your jaw drops at the ring before you jump into her arms, causing her to react quickly and grab hold of your legs. “I love you so much Jen.” You cry into her shoulder as she holds you before you lift your head up, meeting your eyes with hers before pulling in for a kiss. 

The rest of the night is spent in one another's arms just admiring each other and talking softly with each other about the rest of your lives while wrapped up in your sheets.

yourinstagram and jbeattie91

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stephcatley so happy for you! welcome to the club 😉

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THE END!

[zeldadiarist]

Golden Chain AU: Worldbuilding

Hello! It's time I already shared these notes that have been sitting in my drive for ages - I wrote them in 2019!

Since I decided to gather everything in one post, it's going to be long, so read under the cut!

1. The basics

Name of the country: Great Kingdom of Hyrule

Regions: Central Hyrule, Hebra, Akkala, Eldin, Necluda, Lanayru, Faron, Gerudo.

Capital: Castletown.

Insular territories: Eventide Island, Tenoko Island, Wintre Island, Lanayru Sea Archipelago (Tingel, Ankel, Knuckel and Davide islands), Lomei Island.

Official Language: Hylian.

Measuring system: metric, established by Queen Zelda V (Botw) during Hyrule Restoration/Renaissance.

Approximate size: Hyrule is a small continent in itself. Every region has around 60-100k km2.

Population: around 30 million people. The population growth was really slow after the calamity (population was barely on the thousands)

Neighbors: Termina to the north (Frontier checkpoint is North Lomei/Deplian Badlands lol), Calatia to the Southwest (Checkpoint: Tanagar Canyon/Hemaars Descent). Both countries are considerably smaller, but developed and have active trade with Hyrule.

Time usage: 24-hour, sexagesimal system.

Seven day weeks. Naming convention:

Monday-Nayday

Tuesday- Twiliday

Wednesday- Wingsday

Thursday- Faesday

Friday- Faronday

Saturday- Timeday

Sunday- Dinsday

13 months of 28 days (lunar calendar), the remaining day is New Year’s.

National flower: Silent Princess

National motto: Post Tenebras Lux (After Darkness, Light comes)

Flag: Hylian crest in gold over three bands (green, blue, red)

Anthem: none, but Zelda's lullaby is the only tune associated to the kingdom.

Demonym: Hyrulean for them all, but also are used the ones describing regions/races: Hebran, Rito, Akkalan, Goron, Eldinian, Faroner, Hatenite, Necludan, Kakaricon, Fielder (central Hyrule), Towners (Castletown).

2. Historical structure

The kingdom of Hyrule counts years since its foundation, everything previous (pre and skyward sword) is prehistory, since there were no written records. Year zero is the crowning of the first king of Hyrule - the grandson of Sksw Link and Zelda. The establishment of the monarchy leads to a dynasty that is interrupted by the Calamity.

The modern history of Hyrule begins when the Hero of the Wild saves the kingdom, and the monarchy is re-established under agreement of the remaining settlements, tribes and kingdoms, bringing another Golden Age that ended with the reign of king Rhoam II, father of the “Bastard Queen” - Zelda’s grandmother Zelda (born Viridiana).

3. Political and internal organization

The Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and the regent is active in politics, as head of the state/executive power. The King/Queen is also the Commander in Chief of Hyrule's Self-Defense Forces (HSDF), comprised by:

Knights of Hyrule

Gerudo Guard

Royal Guard

Zora Guard

Goron Fighters (army and spec ops such as rescue and first response stuff)

Coast guard (Navy)

Air Rangers (Air Force, led mostly exclusively by Rito Warriors)

Civil Guard (police, firefighters, lifeguards)

Each one of the branches of the HSDF has a leader, commanded by the ruler in power.

People who want to join the HSDF enter Hyrule's knight academy, and undergo training for four years (two years basic training, two years specialization), and rotate through the regiments.

Hyrule's intelligence is the Sheikah. They sort of separated the Sheikah as institution from the warrior clan, but it's still comprised mostly by them. They also develop a lot of technology for civilian and industrial/defense purposes.

The legislative power lies on the 150 representatives of the High Council, elected every five years, with only one re-election term. They have a president, elected to represent them all during official acts. Name of current president: Rhett Groose.

The King/Queen besides the council has a set of ministers to assess them more directly, chosen after receiving nameless dossiers (blind selection). They stay in their positions until the ruler deems necessary. Longest length of ministries have been under Zelda VI’s reign: her initial cabinet stayed with her for over fifteen years.

Each region has a governor, Except for Lanayru, Eldin, Gerudo, in which the Chief/Regent of the tribe is the highest political authority.

The King/Queen is the highest ranking civil servant of the country. The house of Hyrule has ruled more or less steadily for 500 years after the Calamity.

The crown has a matriarchal rule.

The firstborn by birthright inherits the crown, but if at any point before the current ruler passes away or abdicts, the title goes to the next of kin - preferentially a daughter of the house.

Upon coronation, the ruler names a cabinet of ministers, and designs a knight to be their champion.

Five years after coronation, the citizens evaluate the ruler through a binding referendum. If the ruler is disapproved (over 60% reprobation), they are forced to terminate their rule and the next of kin takes the crown (every prince and princess receives the same education to be fit to rule). This measure can be invoked anytime again during the reign, through the people themselves, who have to bring the request through the high council. Queen Zelda V put this measure to avoid abuse of power and tyranny from the crown.

3.Towns and Cities

The cities are mostly the same settlements after the Calamity, and some others were recovered, turning into boroughs of larger cities, or small towns. Several new towns match the former stables they were once.

Hebra: Snowfield, Rito Village, Pondo’s Lodge

Eldin: Goron City, Foothill Town, Shadow Hamlet

Akkala: Tarrey Town, East Town, South Town

Lanayru: Zora’s Domain

Necluda: Kakariko Village, Hateno Town, Dueling Peaks Town

Faron: Lurelin Town, Lakeside Town, Highland Town

Gerudo: Gerudo Town, Canyon Town.

Central Hyrule: Outskirt Town, Riverside Town, Gatepost Town, Outpost Town, East Post Town, Deya Village, Rauru Town, Serenne Town, Castletown.

Great Plateau: Eastern Abbey Village

The capital of the Kingdom grew massive after the restoration period ended, and has several boroughs: The Quarry, Mabe, LonLon, Civic Center (formerly Castletown jail), Downtown (divided in Upper-Lower West/Upper-Lower East side).

4. National Parks and protected areas

Hyrule takes extreme care of its environment, not only because of ecology, but also because nature is sacred for being one of Farore’s gifts. Zelda VI (Viridiana) had to undo several older laws regarding industrialization, because they weren't sustainable and would destroy nature and the balance long term.

Main parks:

Hebra Mountains

Hyrule Great Forest (Deku Tree, sacred site)

Eldin Canyon/Death Mountain

Deep Akkala (Spring of Power)

Mount Lanayru (Spring of Wisdom)

Farone great forest & lake Floria (the green lung of Hyrule)

Gerudo desert (specifically some archaeological sites)

Pillars of Levia

Tanagar Canyon

Oseira plains

5. Economy

Hyrule’s currency is still the Rupee, abbreviated Rp. It’s still used in the same physical form, and fifty years from the start of the story in digital form, for electronic transactions and such.

Since for a long time the country lived barely there during the Calamity, people worked strongly to have self-sustainable communities, and this remained as a trait of the economy, which is circular: there is a strong repair - reuse - recycle culture. Zelda does a lot of thrift shopping, not only because she’s a cheapskate, but because it’s most common for the average citizen. Link has mostly new clothes because he uses tech gear (and due to his size he needs to get things custom made).

Communities generate their own energy, having a clean energy plant in their regions, all connected for a general supply if needed (Hebra has windmills, Gerudo solar panels and so on).

Hebra produces wood for construction, paper and others, central Hyrule, cattle and dairy, faron does agriculture, and fishing, lanayru manages water and electricity (hydroelectric plant in upland Zorana), Eldin does all mining and manufacture, Akkala and Necluda do Farming and agriculture besides industrial activity (Sheikah tech). Gerudo produces fabrics, glassware, tapestry, and luxury items, such as jewelry, high fashion clothes, etc.

Tourism is another of Hyrule's forte. People travel a lot, whether nationals or foreigners. The crown has always incentivated tourism (although they do not travel for leisure often, specially Zelda, who only knows Gerudo Town and Kakariko).

Monopolies are illegal, and the law establishes limits to the riches people can gain to avoid inequality gaps.

Taxes are according to income, and the return is very low, since they finance social insurance, health and education,and basic housing, which is free and universal.

Private property is allowed, and the trade is free but overseen by the state. Excess accumulation of riches is frowned upon - and researched by the Internal Revenue Service of Hyrule’s Treasury.

The minimum wage is for minimum work, but still a livable wage.

6.Spirituality

Hyrule as a secular state has no official religion. The church of Hylia is the most important one though, for Hylia is the guardian Goddess of the land, besides the Golden Three, the mother Goddesses.

The cult is very lax and open, pretty much like Shinto, with small shrines scattered across the land, taken care of by a Sheikah monk, or a priest or priestess of Hylia. The priests/ess hold no particular vow. They train for their duty at the great plateau complex. Zelda is a priestess of Hylia due to her powers, but she only partakes in certain rites, like funerals, weddings, and naming ceremonies.

People worship certain things/values associated with the Goddesses: Nature is revered for it is Farore's gift, same with education for Nayru, and martial discipline for Din (sorta like Greek areté/Roman Virtus). Hylia's attribute is spiritual enlightenment.

The Sage head of the great plateau complex is the highest spiritual authority in Hyrule along the high priestess of Hylia (role fulfilled by the ordained daughters of the royal line.)

7.Magic

By definition is the ability to use the energy that surrounds us in order to defend oneself or others. Most of the time invoking natural forces, like in the case of Din’s Fire, or akin to it.

Magic generated with the purpose of malicious harm, torture, cursing is considered dark magic and deemed forbidden. Exception: Zelda’s Phantom.

Magic has a set of rules:

use it for self preservation or to protect others, never for harm.

actions have consequences of equal dimension.

clear and pure intention must always be behind it, you cannot use it for evil purposes or illegal gain.

You cannot revive the dead. Necromancy is taboo.

The golden rule: what magic gives, magic takes, aka Equivalent Exchange. For a magic user to grow or earn power (such as unlocking sealing magic/the Triforce) they must let go of something as a sort of tribute.

Glamour spells are used as camouflage in certain occasions (like undercover missions), mostly by Sheikah agents.

There are incredibly few magic users nowadays in Hyrule: some Sheikah (less than ten, and mostly on glamour spells. Impa is one of them), Sage Rauru, and Princess Rutela of the Zora, a renowned healer (skilled, but not to the level of her aunt Mipha, who could almost bring people from the verge of death).

8. Culture

Common customs:

Every baby has a naming ceremony, ten days after their birth.

When children turn 10, there’s a small celebration about cherishing childhood, related to the hero of time. Kids (no matter the gender) wear green.

Coming of age is at 17. It is celebrated in a formal fashion, with a sort of party that is halfway between a graduation and a debutante ball. Zelda hated it because she felt like she was a walking meringue pie with her formal dress.

Gerudo

The structure of their society is matriarchal. Men generally have the role of caretakers, and do housework. Before the Calamity they were kept out of town, but after it, they were welcomed, incorporating to their society, participating in a more domestic fashion.

Since men were scarce or away, lesbian/pan relationships are completely normal. Women would take a concubine to procreate, or adopt. Now it's IVF and/or adoption.

Clothing is genderless for them, there’s no "feminine" or " masculine" style. The basic garments are linen caftans and pants, very colorful, and use lots of jewels. They are considered the most stylish and fashionable amongst the peoples of Hyrule.

They are extremely polite and well-mannered. You’ll never see a Gerudo cursing, lest in public. For the same reason, they are the best diplomats and speakers. Gorons are always thankful of how easy to understand they are.

They tend to be politely distant with strangers, but once they warm up to them, they are ride or die, brethren for life.

They were the first to recognize a third gender, and call them “vae” (portmanteau of vai+voe). The word permeated throughout the land. Vae covers all non-conforming gender expressions.

They are the masters of women’s studies, health, pregnancy and childrearing. If you have fertility issues, no matter the race, you go to see a Gerudo Ob-gyn, they’re the best.

Sand seals are still the region’s mascot.

Their cuisine is always flavorful, spicy, and fragrant - they will silently judge you if you don't season your food properly.

Youngsters at seventeen - last year of hs- go into a compulsory exchange program, equivalent to when the tribe women left the town to see the world.

Gerudo weddings have a very romantic ritual: couples meet under the full moon on Lover's Pond and eat a pomegranate together before the wedding. On the wedding day, after taking their vows (written on their own), one of their spouses takes the other on a ride around the town.

Funerals last a week: after a day of wake, the ceremony is held, then the body is cremated. At the seventh day, the ashes are thrown to the desert. After that, relatives stop wearing mourning clothes. They keep a small shrine at home with a picture and burning incense.

Live the same as humans, with an average of 85 years.

Rito

Very art-focused, they excel in music, but are into all arts and crafts as well. Every Rito knows to sing and play at least one instrument.

They used to be a very formal society regarding gender roles (women were discouraged into participating in martial arts and combat), but they slowly changed.

The Rito still have the tradition of a Village Bard. The current bearer of the position is Sagi Blackwing, father of Taka, Marshall of the Air Rangers.

Rito elect their chief democratically, and they have indefinite reelection terms.

They are very blunt and straightforward in nature, despite their graceful forms and manners. Gorons like that.

They are pescetarians. Fowl is kinda taboo, but will eat game or beef if necessary.

Rito families are very large. When a Rito sees another one somewhere, they say “I’m from the [insert family name] of [insert place]”, similarly to Scottish clans.

Weddings are lavish and have a very colorful party with lots of music and dancing.

Births have a very domestic celebration, but they go all over when their little ones learn to fly.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body, and throw the ashes to the wind, as the bard plays a beautiful requiem.

They live around 60-80 years.

Zora

Due to their status as the most long-lasting of the Hyrulean species, they are the keepers of the history of Hyrule, in charge of records and archives outside the castle.

Said records are kept in stone, like they have done for ages. But they use digital copies too nowadays.

They still pretty much have the same structure they had before and after the Calamity.

They have a strong sense of collectivity and equality. The ruler never takes political actions without the agreement of their subdits.

They excel in arts, history, and traditional martial arts.

Mostly pescetarian. They tolerate chicken, but don't eat red meat.

Masters of water sports and swimming. King Sidon is still the diving and swimming champ of the Domain - he still teaches the little ones to swim, “just like my sister taught me”.

King Sidon is the longest living individual being in the land with 605 years of age, he has the honorary title of “Venerable Sage”. He says he probably is going to be ready to pass onto the Sacred Realm when he sees “another Link being a Hylian Champion”.

They love being verbose. The Gorons have difficulty to understand them sometimes.

They are not so favorable of interspecies relationships, because of their longevity/ past history of tragic relationships.

Births are warmly celebrated. When Princess Rutela was born, the celebration lasted a month.

The funeral of a Zora is epic: they go Viking, and after a wake and a ceremony, they burn the body on a raft on the Lanayru sea. After that, the family hosts a feast to celebrate the departed.

Goron

You don’t have a family? 100% chance you’re getting adopted by them. Say hi to your 94976937832 new brothers.

Prepare to eat rocks, literally.

They don’t get puns unless they are rocky. Nor double entendres, so communication always has to be very clear and literal with them. They get along wonderfully with the Gerudo/Rito because of this, not so much with the Zora. Hylians/humans and Sheikah have to explain always things twice.

They reproduce asexually. They all come from the “mother rock”, a sort of nursery cave near the caldera of Death Mountain (a la Kindergarten from Steven Universe). They are all aces.

They use “goro goro” as pet word.

They have an almost childlike sense of wonder; they are super warm, open and welcoming to everyone.

They practice tough love, in the sense a goron hug is really tight. Like, you’ll be kinda dizzy for a solid 15 minutes.

They choose their chief through a trial of strength.

Goron sumo is the national sport, followed closely by goron golf.

They still don’t understand why all other races use those shiny rocks that are inedible (i.e. rubies, sapphires, diamonds, etc.). They say “why do you like to wear rubbish?” - I guess someone’s garbage is someone else’s treasure, bro.

Never interrupt an argument between two Gorons. It's RUDE.

They live around a hundred years. When they are about to die, they go back to the mother rock, to the same book they came from,and they fuse with it, giving way to the formation of another goron. They don't make a big deal over it, since they say 'brother went back to our mother'.

Hylian/Human

The only difference between a Hylian and a human is the ears. Who proved that? Science. It's a mutation. Deal with it. Thus, they have gotten over this complex of “race blessed by the goddesses” that existed until before the Calamity - except for a handful of twits.

Humans were scarce during the Calamity, but they slowly reappeared. The current rate is 55% Hylian, 45% human. They are more an ethnicity than a race.

Hospitality is very important for everyone, ever since the Calamity. There is always a spare room or couch to crash in, and there is always a seat at the table for anyone who needs it.

Every family acquaintance is dubbed "aunt/uncle/entle (nb term)".

Learned a lesson from the Gerudo and the Sheikah, and broke gender barriers to the point sports are not divided by gender.

Hylians are specialists in bakery and pastries. During the Restoration, hylians took to heart to recover the culinary traditions of central Hyrule.

Because of their love of carbs, they don't mind a bit of roundness around the edges (a chubby girl is dubbed 'a tiny Goddess', after the goddess statues)

Weddings are simple, mostly held at the house of a relative doing written vows, or a city hall one, to be later crowned with a feast with plenty of food, and a huge wedding cake.

Funerals are short, one day of wake, one day of funeral. The body is cremated, and the ashes put in a box that goes to a small grave relatives visit oftentimes.

The life span is in average 85-90 years.

Sheikah

"Pure" Sheikah do not exist. They can be mostly Sheikah, but they are mixed. Despite that, their genetic features (white hair, reddish brown eyes) are strong, and tend to be passed down.

Matriarchal society. The chief is almost always a woman, although male chiefs have existed, such as Lord Shigure, father of Impaz, current chief.

They still use their traditional clothes most of the time, and/or mix them with modern ones.

They still prefer traditional housing over modern buildings, at least at a residential/suburban level. The manor of the chief is built in traditional style too, and it's located at the center of the city. It's the oldest building in Necluda, and one of the oldest in modern Hyrule.

They cultivate traditional martial arts and other combat techniques, besides science (Akkala and Hateno labs are the tech centers).

Prepare to eat pumpkins in everything. And rice. And apple pie.

Extremely respectful of other people in general. They are amazing hosts. Their parties are incredible.

Weddings are very symbolic and full of rituals. The Sheikah chief offices it. Bride and groom meet each other at the gates of a shrine along their families, and the chief "merges" them by tying the bride and groom's hands with a red ribbon. Then both drink rice wine from the same cup, and then received the blessings of the Goddesses and the spirits of the land. Once married, they parade around the shrine along the whole family. At the gate the receive another blessing, as their families are now one.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body and bury the ashes at the cemetery, placing a jizo/goddess statue on top of it. Kakariko cemetery is the largest and most ancient of the country. Even the Royal family used to be buried there.

Their life span is the longest among humanoid species: 150 years.

9. Holidays

Hyrule has 6 big holidays:

“Day without time”: New Year, coincides with Spring Equinox, because of association with rebirth. People gather at home and feast on a big family dinner. One hour before midnight, all lights are out everywhere, and stay like that until midnight, where the royal family rings the bell of the castle at the same time as the new Temple of Time and light a torch that is used to light paper lamps, and get released to the sky. Everyone does the same at home with candles, and welcome the new year going to shrines/temple (if they are believers) or spend the day with their families - making resolutions you generally never accomplish or wishes at the temple is a funny tradition for everyone. Flower arrangements are the key decoration for the event, and goddess statues all over wear wildflower garlands, generally made by children. Zelda and Link love this holiday because they get to eat to their heart’s content. She also enjoys touring kids over the royal gardens - the great plateau temples and the Castle are fully open for visitors, King Daphnes and Queen Amaya welcoming them personally along Zelda, an activity that reinforces their image of “down to earth” royalty. Celebration lasts 5 days (it’s the two previous days, new year’s, the two following days to recover lol).

Summer Solstice/ Midsummer: Everybody loves this holiday because it’s all about having fun in the sun: people go on picnics, to the parks, or to the beach/lakes. Maypoles are placed everywhere, and a huge one is set in Hyrule Castle. Zelda hates the festivity because she sweats like a pig in a suit - it’s one of her official outings and has to dress formally, then change into an elaborate gown with floral motifs and a flower crown. Link loves it because he likes outdoor activities (and Zelda looking like a forest goddess). Similar to Japanese Obon (almost nobody works in the entire week). Goddess Statues are decorated with braided ribbons (blue,red,green).

Autumn Equinox/Harvest Festivities: Fall celebration is focused on thanking Farore for a good harvest, so the theme is gratitude… and food. Cornucopias are everywhere - so is anything pumpkin (Kakariko made a good campaign some decades ago to market their most beloved fall crop), and apple cider. Goddess Statues are decorated with offerings of apples and warm colored Akkala maple branches. The ugly sweater season begins - Link LOVES THEM.

Winter solstice/ The Longest Night: This is a celebration focused on the “light in the dark”: in the daytime, people go to cemeteries to pay respects to their dead, and after 6 pm people gather around to have nice evenings with friends and family, dining, baking treats, and drinking eggnog. People light bonfires on parks and gather around in the evening, singing folk songs, and houses are decorated with fairy lights, and paper lamps they buy for the occasion and keep one of them lit through winter until day of remembrance. Horrid thematic sweaters are almost mandatory, stars and snowfolk being the most common thematic (Link loves them; ironically for a desert child, he likes snow). Celebration lasts over the weekend.

Day of remembrance: third day of the third moon. A very solemn celebration regarding all the people that died during the Calamity, and the survival of all the races. It's tied with the Winter solstice and new year rites. People leave the now unlit paper lamps used through winter solstice, and garlands of silent princesses (they bloom all year round) as offerings at the memorial in Castletown square, fort Hateno, Akkala Citadel, Zora's domain, and the Temple of Time. Those lamps then are gathered and used in the new year.

Day of victory: celebration of the end of the calamity and the establishment of the new kingdom. Castle opens gates and all people dress up in historical costumes of the time. Zelda lives for this shit. Happens during the second week of the eighth month.

There are other regional celebrations, but they are not as relevant as those.

Music day (Rito): 22nd day of the eleventh moon

Goron Bowl (Goron sumo tournament finale, not a holiday in itself, but they go big about it): 28th of the second moon.

Guardian Mothers' day (Gerudo): 7th of the fifth moon

Champion festival (Zora): 14th of the sixth moon.

Other, more general celebrations exist (Teachers’ day, science day, arts day, etc), but they are not holidays.

On the legend of the hero

The relevance of the legends is very important, but has reached a status of pop culture staple, like the Greek gods. Reversions and reinterpretations of the legends are commonplace in media.

The childhood ceremony revolves around the legend of the child heroes, who wore bright green.

---

That's all, sorry not sorry for the wall of text, I hope you find this interesting and complements your reading!

Tagging @expanding-hyrule because it's fitting!

[my-rewrite-academia]

Masterlist

Introductory Post

Pre-Entrance Exam

Entrance Exam: Information, Mini-Arc, Points

About U.A.: General, Accomodations, Time Tables, Uniforms, Dorm Layout, Clubs,

Quirk Assessment Test: 1

Daily Life Arc: Day 2, Day 3 & 4, Voting Results, Day 5, Day 6, 7 & 8, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6

USJ Arc (Week 7): Part 1, Part 2

Post-USJ Arc: Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, 11 & 12, Midterms Results

Sports Festival Arc (Week 13): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Internships Arc: Week 14 - Part 1, Week 15 - Part 2, Week 15 - Part 3

Summer Break: Week 16-21

Final Exams Arc: Week 22, Week 23 - Part 1, Week 24 - Part 2

Training Camp Arc: Week 25 - Part 1, Week 25 - Part 2,

-

Quirk Laws

Quirk Analysis: Mina, Eijirou & Tooru, Denki, Ochako & Momo

Student Council Members (#1)

Holy Trinity Members (#1)

Types of Heroes

1-A Parent Names

-

(Updates to come)

[shitpostingperidot]

How old is Carol Danvers???

(Inspired by a post by @blindluck which was in turn inspired by a post by me and @marvelsassbutts )

So I just found out the official Captain Marvel wiki places Carol Danvers’s birth date in 1965. At first I thought “that’s ridiculous” for reasons that will become clear through this long ass post. But then I saw they cited drawings by the assistant art director on Captain Marvel, found on her portfolio! That’s pretty official!

Wait what’s that at the bottom…

1984???? For Carol’s USAFA basic training???? This is impossible, the movie is wrong, and here’s why.

(Excerpt from my future video essay incoming)

There are no dates in Higher, Further, Faster; the marketing text on Amazon, Liza Palmer’s website, etc just says “80s.” So, we need to do some detective work.

We know that the 2019 film Captain Marvel takes place in 1995. Since it takes place in Southern California and Louisiana, the warm weather doesn’t tell us much about the time of year. Personally, I believe it takes place on March 8, 1995, because that’s the exact day I was born, and my birthday is the day the movie was released on to coincide with International Women’s Day. Regardless, Monica Rambeau is eleven years old in the film, putting her birth in 1983 or 1984. So, Maria’s pregnancy must have begun in 1982 or 1983.

Here’s a “fun” fact about US military academies: until less than one year ago (summer 2023, a full three years after Captain Marvel came out), cadets at USAFA who became pregnant were required to either drop out, have an abortion, or relinquish their parental rights to their child.

Dropping out also means reimbursing the government for your tuition for all classes you’ve taken up to this point, and giving up your ability to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation. Definitely not an option someone as driven as Maria wants to consider. In fact, we know this isn’t what happened, because this news article Carol hung up in her spaceship in The Marvels says that Maria Rambeau is a USAFA graduate.

We also know that Maria didn’t have an abortion, because, well, Monica Rambeau herself is tangible evidence. Theoretically, it is possible for Maria to have given up parental rights and adopted back her own child after graduation. Before the policy change in 2023 that allowed cadets to be parents, many found this to be their best option (see the article I screenshotted above). However, this process is really expensive and takes a lot of work with a lawyer over a period of months or years. From the little we know of Carol and Maria’s life pre-crash, (it was busy, they lived in an expensive area, and Maria only had Carol for support), I think we can assume that it’s less likely that Maria was forced to adopt her own daughter than that Maria graduated USAFA before becoming pregnant in 1982 or 83.

That still doesn’t answer the question of when this book takes place, though. The exact year is important, as the military had some major differences under the Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan administrations of the 70s and 80s, and one of the things I want to assess this book on is accuracy.

Oh wait, what’s that? Another discriminatory policy that helps us date this book? That’s right, USAFA didn’t enroll women as cadets until Public Law 94-106 went into effect in 1976.

What’s more, Carol and Maria cannot have been part of this first group of women cadets, because in the book, there is an upperclassman character who is a woman. Officer Cadet Chen is one of the leaders of Basic Training for Carol and Maria’s flight, a position cadets aren’t allowed to hold until their third or fourth year at the Academy.

So, Carol and Maria must enter USAFA no earlier than 1978 to be two or more years younger than Chen, and must graduate no later than 1983 for Monica to exist. To comply with the marketing blurb’s declaration that this book takes place “in the 80s”, let’s say that Carol and Maria’s first year is the 1979-1980 school year.

(End excerpt)

In conclusion, Maria and Carol were born in 1960 or 1961 (with pretty equal likelihood of which birthday makes them 18 at the start of the book, since USAFA basic happens the summer before the school year), not 1965. It would be impossible for them to have done basic training in 1984 as in the production drawing, because they would have to have already graduated and be well on their way to test pilot school which is a whole other policy can of worms before Monica’s birth in 1983 or 1984.

In conclusion conclusion, Carol is ~34 in Captain Marvel and ~64 in The Marvels, and the MCU should hire fans to fact check for them.

[hiremeeltd]

Online Assessment for Recruitment

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[keepmeinmind-01]

snippet from a WIP

Newt looked up from the desk. "Are you angry? About what Lally said?"

Theseus huffed air through his nose. With a wince, he dropped his chin to his chest, avoiding eye contact. It meant nothing Newt said from now on would make much sense. He could suffer that. Nothing about any of this made much sense. "I'm not angry. She's entitled to her observations. I just thought it was irrelevant to the discussion at hand."

"Mmh." Newt went back to writing, pencil scratching against the paper. "I understand."

"Do you?"

Newt's eyes flicked up to look at one of the cracks in the plaster Theseus had catalogued during his sleepless nights in this room; visibly, his younger brother braced for impact.

"I'm not an idiot," Newt mumbled. "I understood what she meant."

"And?" Theseus pressed. There was a headache building behind his eyes, an edge to his voice. He pinched the bridge of his nose, hard, willing it to leave so he could think properly. "Or was I meant to take your silence as agreement?"

"That's not fair. How many times did you say nothing, when other people talked about me?"

"Not many at all, actually!"

"You see, Theseus, it's not that I mind very much, but I'd say—I'd say you never do when it counts. When it might, um, really help me.”

Theseus dropped his hand to his lap, curling his shaking fingers into a loose fist. "Yes." He exhaled shakily. "Yes, Newt, I know. And I know she's right; that I'm not…managing it. Being…well. At the moment."

"No," said Newt. "These—these things happen. Different environments affect everyone differently, and, um—"

"So you want me to go back?" Not back to the empty Knightsbridge flat. Back to who he was meant to be.

The moment he said it, he knew it was true. Newt was able to assess Theseus when he acted more human better than most: he understood it, too, with the skill of someone who regularly sought to analyse strange beings. Certainly, they could recognise one another's flaws—a side effect of their claustrophobic childhood, and the long periods of estrangement that had followed.

But when had Newt gone anywhere near him because he'd wanted to spend time with Theseus? The answer made his chest tight.

Newt was still staring at the wall, like his head was hooked on fishing wire, chin jutting in its familiarly mulish manner. "It's not about preferring you one way or the other. But when you're—when you're being more…diplomatic—it's a little bit…easier."

"It’s predictable." If Theseus could, he'd have wound the world around predictability. But the team's chaos would only get worse. The risk someone might die and he'd be the partial cause sat in his already tight chest and made it hard to breathe.

"Mmmh.”

"But no one's asking you to be perfect."

A gentle silence followed. They'd always been decent at sharing silences.

He thought he might have preferred silence, to communication, this time. Pathetic thought. Years of priding himself of honesty and resolution, and look where he was.

"Fair enough." Theseus stood up from the chair. "They'd just really, really prefer me to be anything else. Because it's easier—or, no, not even that. Because I'm just so intolerable when the mask drops."

Newt hunched into himself, picking up the pencil again and staring at his paper. It was clear any train of thought he'd been having had fled; and that was one of Theseus's skills, wasn't it? Making Newt unhappy whenever they were in the same room?

"I'm going to get some air," Theseus said.

[i stopped posting snippets on main because it felt like spam but in this wip i really want to explore theseus struggling pre-kidnapping in SOD because of his autistic traits!]

[covid-safer-hotties]

Reference archived on our website

Published in the Summer of 2021. Those "experts" who are shocked to find out that covid has lingering effects aren't as expert or informed as they like to act.

Abstract Background There is growing concern about possible cognitive consequences of COVID-19, with reports of ‘Long COVID’ symptoms persisting into the chronic phase and case studies revealing neurological problems in severely affected patients. However, there is little information regarding the nature and broader prevalence of cognitive problems post-infection or across the full spread of disease severity.

Methods We sought to confirm whether there was an association between cross-sectional cognitive performance data from 81,337 participants who between January and December 2020 undertook a clinically validated web-optimized assessment as part of the Great British Intelligence Test, and questionnaire items capturing self-report of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 infection and respiratory symptoms.

Findings People who had recovered from COVID-19, including those no longer reporting symptoms, exhibited significant cognitive deficits versus controls when controlling for age, gender, education level, income, racial-ethnic group, pre-existing medical disorders, tiredness, depression and anxiety. The deficits were of substantial effect size for people who had been hospitalised (N = 192), but also for non-hospitalised cases who had biological confirmation of COVID-19 infection (N = 326). Analysing markers of premorbid intelligence did not support these differences being present prior to infection. Finer grained analysis of performance across sub-tests supported the hypothesis that COVID-19 has a multi-domain impact on human cognition.

Interpretation Interpretation. These results accord with reports of ‘Long Covid’ cognitive symptoms that persist into the early-chronic phase. They should act as a clarion call for further research with longitudinal and neuroimaging cohorts to plot recovery trajectories and identify the biological basis of cognitive deficits in SARS-COV-2 survivors.

Funding Funding. AH is supported by the UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology Centre and Biomedical Research Centre at Imperial College London. WT is supported by the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Neurotechnology. SRC is funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Fellowship 110,049/Z/15/Z. JMB is supported by Medical Research Council (MR/N013700/1). MAM, SCRW and PJH are, in part, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London

[lukedanger]

OC Ask Game, tagged by @dujour13

Here's my Wrath of the Righteous Knight-Commander, Elaina.

(No portrait yet - have not yet gotten around to getting one commissioned, but the one I used from a portrait pack is in the KC Template post I did)

General . . .

Name: Elaina Alias: None besides the standard titles (and Nenio calling her 'Book-Paladin') Age: 24 (25 after WotR Act I) Gender: Female Occupation: Paladin (of Iomedae), Knight in the Order of Heralds, Knight-Commander Sexual Orientation: Lesbian Spoken Language(s): Taldane, Kellid (not too well though), Celestial (post-mythic path, possibly Truespeech from that?)

Favorite . . .

Color: Silver Entertainment: Reading, song (singing or listening), discussions on philosophy or history Pastime: Besides reading just for her own enjoyment, she also begins to step into writing herself after the dust settles with Wrath (Ember, the Redeemed Brotherhood, and how they relate to Andoletta's teachings becomes one of the first major writings she does) Food: Fish, particularly if spiced (and not Worldwound mutated) Drink: Spiced Demonade* for non-alcoholic; for alcohol she prefers various wines thanks to her upbringing *From one of the recent sourcebooks; it's basically an energy cocktail for students needing to be awake post-carousing. No actual demon parts in the recipe (just in case the ingredients from Wrath gave you ideas)

Have they . . .

Passed University: Equivalent studies from Iomedae's church and training from the Order of Heralds, but technically 'No' because it was not at a formal university with degrees. Had Sex: Yes, though pre-WotR it was services ran by Lymnieris' temples rather than anything romantic. Had Sex in Public: No, and the idea makes her uncomfortable as she sees it as something private (not shameful, just private) Got Tatoos: No, though if she got any it would probably be pattern art instead of something specific. Got Piercings: None, partially because she would end up closing any piercing holes with how much healing she slings around with her Hospitaller archetype. Got Scarred: The scar beneath her heart from mythic power. Otherwise, most of the ones she would have gained would be healed before they scarred thanks to a combination of using Lay on Hands to dispel fatigue on the march and frequently channeling positive energy. Had a Broken Heart: Not romantically, but she had a big one with being a crusader and its leadership due to the Act IV Field Trip and how she got sent on it in Wrath, followed not long after by the Hand's (understandable) freakout during said field trip.

Are they . . .

A Cuddler: Reciprocally. Not touchy-feel enough to start it, but she'll settle into it if someone else is starting it (*cough*Arueshale*cough*) Scared Easily: Immune to compelled fear as a paladin and is the kind of person who would take a shot at a Demon Lord to see if the random crossbow given to her could really pierce their hide. On the other hand, she is usually good at risk assessment when looking at a bad idea she really wants to see the result of. Jealous Easily: Not romantically, but does have a deep chip in her shoulder about people judging the Mendevian Crusaders (especially negatively when those doing said judging are letting Mendev take the brunt of the carnage) and envies the safety and prosperity other realms have. Trustworthy: Yes, and will try to at least uphold the spirit of what she promises. Though she is not above being technical with the truth should a situation really warrant it, but it has to be something she planned on.

Family . . .

Sibling(s): None by blood Parents: Biological parents were dead long ago (for much longer than Elaina knew), and she never had proper adoptive parents at the abbey as the orphans she was with were communally raised. Children: None yet, though she is in no rush either given everything. Pets: Only if you count horses she uses for travel, though her personal one would have been lost just before the attack on Kenabres and afterwards she would just be borrowing one from the Crusade's stable for travel.

Open reblog for anyone who is interested!

[sigmaleph]

there's a post i want to make about how the world is too complicated for individual people to understand and we sort of don't really grapple with the fact that most people don't so much make informed decisions as go with pre-established defaults that society has made and trust that those are fine

and if you're fighting to step out of societal defaults you basically have to make informed decisions. which is not a skill society trains on you. and you fuck up. and it's very important to allow people to do it but also you trip over the fact that 'this isn't illegal' and 'society has said this is Fine' look very similar and for people who run all their risk assessment on 'society said this is Fine' this is dangerous.

i would like to say 'that's the post' but that's not the post. i can't write the post. i wrote this instead of the post and it's worse. sorry.