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chanranghaeys · 5 months ago

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🎼 complementary wavelengths

Wouldn’t falling in love with your research partner compromise the integrity of the research study? You had no idea. But if that were the case, then you were in for some major trouble.

pairing: university professor!vernon x high school teacher!fem!reader word count: 2.8k+ genre: fluff for valentine’s day! rating: g tags: non-idol au, distant college friends to ???, first love :(, they both grew up!, we stan emotionally healthy MEN in here warnings: i claim no accuracy on the academic process because i am not a teacher and no accuracy on the mathematics and scientific concepts here because i am absolutely not a mathematician or a scientist

a/n: surprise lexi @heechwe, i’m your secret cupid! a huge thanks to jupiter @ddeonghwa-s for hosting this secret cupid valentine’s event! it took A WHILE for me to churn this out but we persist and bounce back to writing! a very very special thanks to kae @ylangelegy for beta reading! and to @svtreverie, @choitcherryanne, and k for being my forever hypegirls mwa mwa

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“So, Ms. Y/L/N, do you have a Valentine's date already?”

You roll your eyes for what must be the millionth time. “For the last time, this is grounds for unbecoming conduct, young lady.”

“I’m just saying!” Your student Sofia laughs. “You deserve to have a good Valentine’s Day this year.”

“Since when have you played matchmaker for me, Ms. Chwe?”

“Since we saw you crying in the school parking lot,” Sofia’s best friend Meena chimed in supportively. Come on, Ms. Y/L/N. You can’t expect us to sit around and do nothing.”

“Especially not for our favorite Maths teacher!”

You shake your head at these two high schoolers. You knew you couldn’t play favorites amongst your students, but these two and their stubbornly infectious energy sparked a little of your youth back in you. Plus, you really couldn’t blame them because they were right about that school parking lot incident.

It was after this brunch date went terribly wrong a few weeks ago. And while it was very unbecoming of a teacher for her students to find her squat and sobbing against her car, these two were like guardian angels that took you under their wings and brought you ice cream and were girl’s girls all the way—as if they weren’t almost a whole decade younger than you.

Since then, Sofia and Meena would secretly try to find you a potential Valentine’s date amongst teachers, guardians, single parents, older siblings, school staff, or anyone at this point. They were wholly invested—and not just because you were the best teacher they’ve ever had in their very subjective opinion.

From afar, you see a familiar figure leaning against his car, signature plain white tee with jeans underneath his selected outerwear of the day—this time, it was a black denim jacket with a matching Yankees cap.

You've noticed him for a while now, dropping by a few days a week. You've thought about approaching him several times as well, but you always stopped this impulse. However, today was different.

“Sofia, would you mind calling over your brother here for a second?”

“What is this about?” Sofia had her eyebrow raised. Despite her age, it was hard not to take her seriously given that you were both standing at the same height.

“You know what this is about. He told me that you gave him my email address.”

A look of understanding lit in Sofia’s eyes. “Ah, that thing. Yeah, gimme a second.”

Meena stayed behind to continue the line of questioning. “So what’s that thing?”

“It’s a post-grad thing of sorts. Don’t mind it, you have enough schoolwork on your head to be thinking about this.”

She just chuckled in return. “Ms. Y/L/N, may I remind you that Sofia’s brother is single, handsome, respectful, decent, and smart. You can see why I personally have a vested interest in this thing already.”

“Meena.”

She heard your tone shift and straightened herself. It was a subtle reminder that she was still your student and that you were still her teacher.

“I’m just stating facts,” she said with a shrug and a quieter tone.

Sofia’s distant voice calling out for her friend caught both of your attention. At the same time, you see the figure in black and white walking toward you in his confident and deliberate strides.

“I’ll go ahead Ms. Y/L/N. See you tomorrow! And good luck on the thing,” Meena said with a smile and a wave. When she passes the figure, she does a slight bow out of respect, which he reciprocates. This exchange quirks up the corner of your lips. You recall what Meena said earlier, and it prods at you with an irk of frustration.

It frustrates you that she’s right.

When he finally stood before you with a smile, a flood of memories came crashing back. Suddenly, you’re back on your college campus standing underneath your favorite tree, a girl in front of a boy.

“I got your email, Professor Chwe. It’s been a while.”

“It has been a while Ms. Y/L/N.”

You chuckle at your monikers. Who knew two scruffy college students would turn out to be respectful academicians? “Formalities aside, it’s so nice to hear from you again Vernon.”

“Likewise.”

“I see the teaching gig in university hasn’t changed your sense of casual style.”

Vernon looks you up and down in your sensible collared button-up and slacks ensemble. You completely ignore the growing flutters in your stomach. “I can see that this high school has changed yours.”

“Well, you gotta do what you gotta do. The kids actually like my sense of style, mind you.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed Sofia starting to wear blazers all of a sudden. I never thought that it’d be you I’d blame for that.”

You feel something in your chest, a sudden churn and an unexpected leap. As a teacher, you’ve mastered your emotions enough to mask your face into one that wouldn’t give everything away. But these primal emotions were almost too much to bear.

Is this what it really feels like to face your first love after so many years apart?

“Anyway,” you continue as a means to deflect before anything else gives away your true feelings. “You emailed me about your dissertation? You really didn’t give much away. And you know you could’ve just sent me a message.”

“Oh, yeah!” Vernon nods vigorously in emphasis of your statement. “I need someone good in applied mathematics.”

“And you need me for that because?”

He blinks at you. “Because you are good at applied mathematics. I want your help for my musicology dissertation.”

You let out a sigh of disbelief. “Vernon, I—”

“And don’t you dare say you’re not good,” he insists with his finger pointed at you. “I’ve read your research papers. I don’t even know why you stay teaching in high school. You could’ve been tenured by now. Or on a sabbatical like me.”

He’s read my research papers? So he’s been following my work? You shake your head to clear these unnecessary thoughts, which are immediately replaced by a sense of uncertainty. “I don’t know, I’m pretty busy these coming months…”

You really didn’t know why you were avoiding it. This was the perfect academic opportunity and you had no idea why you were avoiding it.

Okay, scratch that. You knew exactly why—because of him.

“No problem, we’ll be able to pace the progress. Besides,” he continued, “you’ve always been my study buddy. I know we’ll be really good partners for this one.”

With one sentence, he has almost reduced you to a blushing schoolgirl with a huge crush.

Oh wait, weren’t you one already?

But still, you couldn’t resist stoking the flame that had been sparked inside you. So you ask, “Why me? Were there no other worthy research partners in your esteemed university?”

“Nope. I choose you,” he answered with a lopsided smirk. “I think you’ll understand why when you hear what my dissertation is about.”

“What is it about?”

“Do you wanna go out for coffee?”

“What?”

“What?” Vernon said in more of a statement than a question.

“What does coffee have anything to do with this?”

“Unless you want to keep standing here with your students watching us, I think it’s better if we continue this discussion somewhere else.”

You peer over his shoulder to see Sofia and Meena watching the two of you from the car like hawks, ready to catch any significant interaction that might give away what you two were talking about. When you met their line of sight, they were ready to bring their phones up to feign their disinterest.

“There’s a cafe on the next street over. If you’d like to go there…”

“Nice,” he said cooly, his voice low and sure.

He lifted his phone to his ear. From your peripheral vision, you see his sister raise her own phone in response. It was almost comical how you could see their silent reactions from across the courtyard, with Meena vibrating with excitement and slapping the other girl’s arm as you hear Sofia’s voice trying to sound calm through the speaker of Vernon’s phone. You see them hurriedly lowering the car window and lifting their thumbs up toward your direction.

They seem to think they have finally succeeded. You wouldn’t give them that benefit yet.

When he hung up, Vernon addressed your confused look. “Sofia’s been annoying me about getting the car anyway, so they can have it. Let’s walk?”

It was silent at first. The early afternoon sun cooperated with the cool breeze, setting the atmosphere for a nice leisurely walk. Students and office workers were milling around the nearby commercial strip, with the sounds and conversations all mingling in the background.

It had been years since you last spent time together like this, in an environment not too different from this one. After your study sessions in the library, you two walked together to your shared classes, which by some stroke of luck always seemed to happen for at least one class every semester until you graduated.

You both hung in different circles. He hung around with his fellow music majors in band practices and the college’s musicians organization, while you spent the majority of your time with your mathematics batchmates in the library or the school quad, catching up on problem sets and homework before you needed to make it to your choir’s rehearsals at night.

But when you ended up as seatmates in your first semester, you made a comment on the Bach piece he was listening to, how Bach was actually a pretty mathematical composer. He asked you how you knew that.

You said, “I take mathematics. I needed a cool fun fact for introductions.”

From that moment on, Vernon took it upon himself to make you appreciate how mathematical Bach’s pieces were. Music became your common language amongst everything else in the background, and the rest was history.

“Okay,” you began, “You know that we haven’t really spoken to each other since graduation. So…why choose me? Not that I’m complaining, though! I’m just…shocked, I guess. And confused. Because if you’ve read my research, you’d know that it’s been years since I published anything.”

Throughout your rambling, Vernon simply looked at you. When you finally stop, you notice the clear brown of them looking straight into you. It had been years, but they were the same eyes that looked at you, that listened intently when you were explaining a complex math concept.

It had been years, but that almost unblinking gaze of his still made your heart do unexplainable leaps in your chest.

You broke away from the intensity of his gaze. He took this as a cue to answer your question. “I was looking for research papers to help me form my framework. Then I stumbled on your computations of metered wavelengths and frequencies, and their relation to different kinds of sound.”

That paper. “Oh.”

His lips turned up in the corners when he continued. “I suddenly remembered how we randomly theorized this during one of our study sessions. I couldn’t believe you actually turned it into your master's thesis.”

“You still remember that?”

“Of course. I never thought I’d find someone so in tune with me and my random theories.”

“If you’ve read the paper, you’ll know that it wasn’t a random theory at all. You might just have discovered the makings of a postulate as a college sophomore.”

“It wouldn’t have been possible without your mind making sense of it. You really are the brightest of your batch.”

You scoff at the remark. “We’re not in college anymore, Vernon. There are a lot of other bright minds out there.”

“None quite like yours, I’m sure.”

You reach the cafe and order in—a decaf iced americano for you, and a hot chocolate for him. As soon as you two get seated, he finally launches into an animated discussion of his dissertation topic about discovering the medical applications of using the various sound wavelengths from certain types and compositions of music to aid in both the operation and healing process of a person, with the goal of identifying a singular formula to determine the right wavelength for each medical situation. He had his medical experts, all he needed was his mathematician.

It was a lot to digest, to say the least.

But by the end of it all, you were in awe of both Vernon and his mind. He is smart. He’d always been smart, but it felt like the confines of university and immaturity bounded his full potential. Now that he’s seen and explored the world of academia, he was able to finally showcase how bright of a mind he really is.

“Can I tell you something?” You set down your coffee and leaned forward.

As if second nature, he mirrored your action to the tee. “Shoot.”

“I’m proud of you. Really. You used to be this mysteriously awkward guy in college who just played around with guitars and 808s. But I always knew you’d put that big brain of yours to good use.”

He opens his mouth as if in reply, but stops midway and just smiles and scrunches his nose. After a beat, he nods with a look of quiet decision. “Can I tell you something, then?” He asks, worrying his thumb with his other hand as he looks at you. You nod in response.

“It was you that inspired me to be this version of myself. Because you can’t only be smart, you also have to work hard. None of my friends back then had that mindset, then came you.”

“What are study buddies for, yeah?” You raise your fist in front of you. He looks at it and smiles his trademark gummy smile. In return, he bumps his own fist into yours, reminiscent of how you two would check in on each other during extended hours in the library finishing a project or a paper. A fist bump to make the heads bump, you two used to say.

Instead of lowering his fist after, he holds it there flush against yours. “Would it be weird for me to say that it’s honestly more than that?”

“What do you mean?”

He took in a deep breath and let out an exhale just as deep. “When I read your papers, I remembered everything we went through in uni and I just…kinda fell in love with your brain again, I guess. Even until now, you—and your work—inspired me to just do it. Then you started popping up everywhere in my life again and…I remembered how I did kinda fall in love with everything else about you. I was just too young and chicken to see it before.”

It took you a whole minute to find your voice again because how could he be this nonchalant? “You’re really just here dropping all these truth bombs without any warning, huh?”

“Like you said, we’re not in college anymore. I’d rather say it now than never.” Vernon’s smile is a shy one, hidden behind his hot chocolate cup. You can’t believe it took a dissertation paper for anyone’s feelings to be revealed—much less his.

As your mind reels with Vernon’s revelation, you scramble your brains to come up with a lighthearted retort. “So are you still kinda in love with me? Just so I know what and how we’re working on this project.”

He chuckles. “I don’t think you’re doing any better. Don’t think I don’t see you staring whenever I fetch Sofia from school.”

You gape at his reply. “How do you even know where to look for me?”

“You’re her last teacher of the day and you both leave the school at the same time. I told you. You just came barging into my life again unannounced, and it wasn’t even your fault. You just sort of…fell in there.”

A smug look took over your features, one you really couldn’t help after hearing all that he had to say. “Vernon Chwe, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were so down bad for me.”

“For that whip-smart brain and that adorable smile, maybe—theoretically—astronomically and catastrophically down bad even.”

You fight the heat rising to your cheeks—and fail. After a cough to hide your growing embarrassment, you say, “I think we’re done for the day.”

“Sure. So. Same time tomorrow?”

You were about to answer when you suddenly realized, “Vernon, it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Don’t you have any other plans?”

He shakes his head and looks you straight in the eye as he says, “Just you. If you say yes.”

Wouldn’t falling further in love with your research partner compromise the integrity of the study? You had no idea. But if that were the case, then you were in for some major trouble.

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hurtspideyparker · 5 months ago

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Inspired by @sunnysideprincess post "young Tony Stark sleeping with a stranger at a gala and turns out that stranger is now his bodyguard?" a winteriron 2.5k fic (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes, Protective Bucky Barnes, Possessive Bucky Barnes, Hurt/Comfort, Temporary Tony Stark/Tiberius Stone

Bucky doesn't know much about the current pop culture climate. All he knows is Howard has a son who likes to get into trouble, but due to recent threats against the family it's no longer safe to go out alone.

—

Bucky attends the gala to meet with Howard and be acquainted with the venues and protocols he'll be expected to know, including dress and social custom. He's still reintegrating into civilian life after an honourable discharge, but Howard worked with him during his prosthetic trials and wanted to hire him immediately.

Bucky meets a pretty thing at the gala, something charming and mischievous, and hey, he hasn't exactly had time to take advantage of the civilian world and all it's private space and willing bodies just yet. Howard won't be able to meet till the end of this thing, and who's to say fooling around in an empty office doesn't count as "integrating into higher society".

He doesn't even get the man's name. Doll, sweetheart, and pretty boy seem to do him just fine for the hour they spend together (half at the start, and a second time during a boring speech when they make eye contact; Bucky can't resist the cute little smirk and head nod towards the exit).

Everything goes smoothly with Howard, and he's expected at the house tomorrow morning at 8am to meet the infamous Tony Stark. From what he's told he's too smart for his own good, resents authority, and has no idea he's about to get a permanent babysitter. To say Bucky is hesitant is an understatement, but the pay is good and things haven't exactly been easy since coming home, so he's up for a challenge.

What he couldn't have predicted to go wrong, however, is the pretty thing that turns around the corner the following morning in boxers and a Metallica t-shirt, sees Bucky and Howard in the kitchen, and immediately lets out an adorable squeak before hiding bashfully behind his hands and running out of the kitchen.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected. Tony, get back here!"

Bucky agrees, although with an entirely different surprise.

Bucky can't help but be endeared by the sudden shyness and petulance of the previously confident and forthright man, but things turn awkward over time as they settle into their new dynamic.

Bucky spends half his time checking up on Tony in the lab and making sure he eats. Definitely a bit too close to the babysitter mark, as Tony calls him with annoyance, but it beats his nights out.

When Tony goes out, he goes all out. It's loud crowded clubs, it's mansions with boozed up nepo babies, it's sketchy drug-hazed apartments. Bucky starts to understand the controversy about Stark Industries upcoming CEO while watching him do body shots off of random college girls in a dive bar, but all he can do is threaten to smash cameras and make sure Tony gets in his car at the end of the night.

SI has nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things; Tony practically runs the thing already, considering how most of the tech updates have been his for the past decade (when Bucky was a dirt poor teen with no future but carrying a gun and being expendable, Tony was building the fighter jets that flew above his head. He hadn't even begun puberty yet). Tony's also the one who made Bucky's arm, not Howard, and he only finds out because he starts blabbing on about "missing the human trials, how's the fit, any cinching? Wow, my baby is smooth," a few weeks into their arrangement.

The worst part, though, is Bucky learns real quick that he wasn't special.

The young Stark's charm seems to be quite universal; women, men, college students, business associates, strangers too old for him, creeps too touchy with him. He gets them all with his pretty smile and long lashes.

Bucky doesn't say anything. Doesn't do anything. It's not his place, and besides, they both knew when they met it was a one night thing. He's most definitely not jealous at all.

Okay, he wants to slam every man who touches Tony's ass before even introducing themselves face into the bar counter, but that's neither here nor there.

Thankfully dark and broody is his default, so Tony never comments on the rage and possessiveness in the watchful man's eyes.

Bucky realizes he has a serious problem when Tony starts dating Ty Stone.

Their fathers are friends, Tony calms down with the partying, and everything seems to be going well for SI.

But Bucky's there; on the expensive dinner dates at a nearby table, leaning against a golf cart while they play, standing beside the exit at a charity gala. He hears how Ty talks down to Tony, the hands he can't seem to keep off even when Tony squirms a bit, or how Tony asks for permission to do the simplest things.

"Honey you're such a messy drunk, don't go embarrassing me again."

"It's just wine with the meal Ty—"

"Did you not hear me? Get something else."

Tony resigns himself to sparkling water while Ty gets a perfect red to pair with his steak.

"You look like a whore, god, button that thing up. People are going to think you're for sale or something," Ty says as he steps into Tony's space and does the top buttons of his shirt.

"I can do it myself."

But Ty doesn't move back, instead taking the words as a challenge and tugging the now too-high collar till Tony chokes a bit.

Bucky steps away from the wall, ready to rip his hands off when—"Buck, don't."

Bucky just barely settles back at Tony's instructions, who's fidgeting with the uncomfortable collar.

"That's right doggy, sit."

Bucky can only glare at the arrogant man.

Bucky still gets Tony the most. He gets to see his light come back in the lab at night, eyes shining as he explains what he's doing to uneducated ears. He notices the way Tony perks up and smiles when Bucky comes over to chat during boring work events, making fun of how many times the team can say "efficiency" and "blue sky thinking" in a single meeting.

Bucky knows how many polite smiles Ty gets on their dates, and he knows how much real laughter he pulls out of Tony just on the drive home.

The bodyguard has come to peace with his role as the observer. Spending the rest of his life glued to Tony Stark's wall is worth the ache slowly eating him alive from the inside out.

Things change rapidly though. Bucky finally gets to dust off his knuckles to defend Tony's honour, but it doesn't feel good like he thought it would, nothing feels good when Tony's on the verge of tears.

Bucky had attended another date of the famed couple; a launch party where Ty had finally "let" Tony get tipsy on champagne. Bucky hadn't realized how much tolerance Tony had lost these past months limiting his alcohol, and it hit him hard and fast.

The pair were now giggling in the backseat as Bucky drove them home. Kissing, a little heavy petting. Nothing Bucky hasn't seen before, although it felt even more disturbing to witness with Ty.

"Mm, not here," he hears Tony mumble.

They continue kissing, then—"Ty I said not in the car. Bucky's right there," Bucky glances in the rearview mirror at his name. Ty has pulled Tony into his lap, a hand trying to sneak into his waistband.

"Half the media has seen you slutted out on poppers Tony, it's not like you have any modesty. Just wanna make you feel good baby," he says as his hand slides back down Tony's waistband.

Tony grabs at the hand awkwardly, fingers too weak in this state to pull it away.

Bucky doesn't even think about it. He jerks the steering wheel to the side with only the barest of glances that the road is clear, pulling into a ditch and slamming on the breaks.

The un-seatbelted pair in the back go flying, Tony landing on the floor with a yelp and Ty falling on top of him with an ugly awkwardness.

Bucky hops out of the driver's seat and yanks the back door open with his metal arm so hard it comes flying off. He tosses it somewhere behind him, reaching in and grabbing the scruff of Ty's suit jacket and dragging him out of the car.

"Get off me you fucking psycho! You could've killed us all, what is wrong with you!"

Bucky shoves him flat on his ass, hands scraping on the damp asphalt.

Bucky chases after him, and Ty has the intelligence to scramble backwards, fearful.

"Hey hey hey man, I'll sue you to all hell for this! Don't come near me, get back freak!"

Bucky's metal fist groans at the tightness as he gears up, but suddenly gentle hands are wrapped around his arm and Tony is stepping in front of him.

"Don't be stupid."

The pair make eye contact, a pleading in Tony's eyes that splashes water on Bucky's, a sizzling sound in his mind as he cools off.

"If you go to jail on a murder charge who's gonna watch The Fresh Prince with me, huh?"

He gives Bucky a soft smile, but Bucky only has those brimming tears in his vision.

Turning back to Ty the bodyguard speaks in a gruff voice, "get out of here before I decide to run you over."

Ty doesn't hesitate, clambering up and slipping around in his fancy leather shoes, running through the middle of the road as a car honks a near miss at him.

Tony drops Bucky's arm and speaks with resolution.

"Let's go."

Bucky watches the back of Tony's body walk defeated to the passenger seat.

Bucky gets in without a word. He starts the car, checks his mirrors and lights, and ignores the giant hole in the back of the vehicle. With a glance he turns to Tony and clicks the younger's seatbelt on for him before pulling back onto the road with an awkward rocking as the car struggles out of the ditch.

When they pull up to the Stark mansion neither of them get out, just sitting there in the dark with the metaphorical wall between them.

"My dad's probably gonna fire you for that. The Stones own nearly a quarter of our stock."

Bucky grunts, "I don't care. Anything to get his grubby hands off you."

He can feel Tony's stare burning the side of his face, but he doesn't meet it.

"If. If he fires you, can we still be friends?"

It's hope in his voice, but Bucky can't help but feel a tad disappointed. Friends.

"Of course. I'm always gonna be here to protect you doll, doesn't matter who's paying me or who's threatening me. I'll babysit your ass for free."

Tony smiles at that, "hug?" he asks with open arms.

He looks so sweet like this. Ruffled clothing, shy smile, earnest eyes. Bucky could never deny him, leaning over and hugging the other.

It's a bit awkward, but it suits them. They pull back slowly, hesitant to let go. Bucky meets those warm brown eyes, lashes clumping from the rainfalls of sadness earlier, and then suddenly he's being kissed.

It's hard, a starving thing. Bucky can't get a word in edgewise, everytime he moves away to speak Tony follows him, crawling over the cupholder right into Bucky's lap.

Bucky grabs his hips, strong and possessive. Decides to kiss back because oh god is it a million times better now that he knows what he looks like with a pillow imprint on his cheek, how he gets giggly from sleep deprivation, how he sings along to the Fresh Prince theme song, the resignation whenever his father speaks to him, the kindness to every waiter and the sass to the paparazzi when he steps into their flash, the way he shovels breakfast cereal into his mouth like a sport, the chatter in the middle of the night to his robots when he thinks Bucky is asleep on the couch.

It's Tony, it's really Tony, finally his.

Tony pulls back gasping for air because he kisses like a drowning man. He rests his forehead against Bucky's collarbone and the bodyguard kisses the top of his head before wrapping his arms around him. If he had a choice this is exactly how he'd do his job, with Tony trapped between his arms as often as possible.

"That's okay right?" muffles Tony from the mouth pressed to his shirt.

"Beautiful, I am so much more than okay right now."

Bucky can feel the way his lips upturn on his skin, so he grabs Tony's head between two large palms and pulls him away to see.

Tony's face is gloriously bathed in peace and warmth. Blinding toothiness, cheeks so plump they almost obscure the eyes that dart back and forth on Bucky's face as he listens to the man.

"I am so in love with you I was prepared to put up with that bag of dicks just to be able to watch you from the sidelines. To see you happy in that lab doing what you love."

"SI could burn down tomorrow for all I care, I don't need Ty, I don't need his money. Was always looking at you, god you look hot when you're jealous."

He kisses Bucky again, less hurried but just as passionate, wet and slow with probably too much tongue; Bucky is already so close to devouring the boy whole he doesn't care.

"S'not jealous," Bucky slurs between kisses.

Tony sends him a playful glare.

"Okay, maybe a little. He doesn't deserve you."

"Oh, and you do?" Tony only teases, but Bucky's heart twinges.

"No, but at least I can protect you."

Tony's eyes go soft and he cups Bucky's face, forcing him to meet his warm eyes.

"You're probably the only person in the world who would take a bullet for me, but would also listen to me rant about the coding bug I couldn't find for thirty minutes."

Bucky smirks at the memory.

"You were huffin and puffin like a toddler, it was adorable."

"Do you know how hard it is to find an extra period in 70 lines of code!"

Bucky gazes up at the worked up man with a look of pure adoration that turns Tony's ears red.

"No, but I know how to kiss someone who does."

"Oh. That's good, you should do that. You should do a lot actually," Tony breathes desperately.

Bucky kisses him while opening the car door, stepping out with Tony still koala-ed to his front. He only clings tighter, with more intention as his arms pull Bucky's neck closer.

"Mm, not tonight doll. You've had a rough night. In the morning though..." Bucky trails off with a possessive tightening of his hands on Tony's thighs.

Tony gasps, pressing closer.

"Yes. That's, that's a good plan. Take me to bed," Tony speaks with their lips still brushing.

"To cuddle."

Tony let's out a frustrated groan.

"Ugh, fine. And to make out too."

Bucky can't say no to him.

#winteriron #tony stark #bucky barnes #marvel #mcu #don't ask me what happened I think I was possessed and then I wrote 2500 words at 4am #bodyguard au #bucky barnes x tony stark

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political-us · 4 months ago

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The U.S. energy consumption is expected to rise with the increasing adoption of AI, electric vehicles (EVs), and cryptocurrency mining, but the exact amount depends on multiple factors like efficiency improvements, grid expansion, and renewable energy adoption. Here’s a breakdown of how these technologies could impact energy demand:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Data Centers

• AI requires massive computing power, increasing electricity demand from data centers.

• In 2022, U.S. data centers consumed about 2.5% of total electricity (~200 terawatt-hours, TWh).

• AI workloads could double or triple data center energy use by 2030, potentially increasing U.S. electricity demand by 5%–10%.

• Efficiency Gains: AI hardware and software improvements may offset some of this demand.

2. Electric Vehicles (EVs)

• The transition to EVs will increase electricity demand but reduce oil consumption.

• If EV adoption reaches 50% of new car sales by 2030, transportation electricity demand could rise by 10%–15%.

• Smart Charging & Grid Management: If managed well, EVs could charge during off-peak hours to reduce strain on the grid.

3. Cryptocurrency Mining

• Crypto mining is highly energy-intensive. In 2023, Bitcoin mining alone consumed about 120 TWh globally, with the U.S. accounting for ~40% of that (~48 TWh).

• If crypto adoption and mining expand further, electricity demand could rise by 2%–5%.

• Renewables & Efficiency: Some mining operations are integrating solar/wind energy to reduce grid impact.

Overall Impact on U.S. Energy Use

• The U.S. currently consumes about 100 quadrillion BTUs (~4,000 TWh) annually.

• By 2035, AI, EVs, and crypto could increase electricity demand by 15%–25%, depending on adoption rates and efficiency improvements.

• The shift to renewables and nuclear will be critical in meeting this demand without increasing carbon emissions.

#politics #us politics #political #donald trump #news #president trump #elon musk #american politics #jd vance #law #energy #oil and gas #oil #gas #solar #wind energy

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souliebird · 2 years ago

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[[and then I met you || ch. 6]]

Series: Daredevil || Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader || Rating: Explicit

Summary:

A one-night stand years ago gave you a daughter and you are now able to put a name to her father – Matthew Murdock. Everything is about to change again as you navigate trying to integrate your life with that of the handsome and charming blind lawyer’s and Matt realizes he needs to protect his new family from not only Hell's Kitchen but from the world.

pt: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

words: 1.6k

There is a big party on the other side of the park, with lots of music and food, so the small playground is empty. That means Minnie can play on anything she wants, and she goes straight for the see-saw.

Minnie loves the see-saw. It is so fun to go up and down, up and down, up and down, and she likes the squeaky noise it makes. It's funny and it doesn't hurt her ears.

She loves this park because it's closer to the water and things aren't always so loud. The other park is close to the road and people are always yelling and making their cars beep and she doesn't like it. The river is smelly but not as smelly as the train, so it's okay. And Mommy likes this park a lot, so that makes Minnie like it more.

Minnie likes it when her Mommy also likes things and that makes it easy to like Mister Matt.

He came with her and Mommy to the park and while Minnie plays, they are having Adult talks. She doesn't listen to what they say, the big words don't make sense to her, but she can tell whatever they are talking about makes both of them happy and that makes Minnie happy.

Mister Matt makes Mommy smile on her mouth and her heart and that's important. Sometimes Mommy's mouth smiles but her heart doesn't - like when scary people talk too loud on the street or when bad things happen, and Minnie doesn't like that. She wants her Mommy to be happy and have real smiles.

Mister Matt's heart smiles when he's with Mommy and that makes Minnie's heart smile, too. And his voice is nice, and he knows how to do Adult things like reading and how to tie shoes and he's smart. Mister Matt knows lots of stuff, but he isn't mean when he talks to Minnie. Some people can be mean and that's rude. Mister Matt isn't ever rude - he says 'Please' and 'Thank you' without Mommy having to tell him to.

Minnie is glad her Mommy wants to be friends with Mister Matt. Her Mommy needs more friends. Minnie has Pig and Scooby, but Mommy doesn't have Everyday friends, only Special friends. Special friends are for Birthday Parties and when they go places with lots of other kids and Minnie is supposed to play with them.

Minnie would much rather play with Mister Matt than other kids. She hopes that when Mister Matt and Mommy are done talking, he will be able to swing with her. She thinks he will be good at the swings - he has big arms and can push Minnie extra high.

Minnie looks over to where Mister Matt and her Mommy are sitting. They are talking in soft voices and Mister Matt is holding Mommy's hand. Both their hearts and mouths are smiling, and Mister Matt is making Mommy laugh. Mommy sees Minnie looking over at them so Minnie waves from the see-saw. Mommy waves back, then tells Mister Matt what is happening and then he is also waving at Minnie. That makes her giggle and wave back harder.

Mommy's phone starts making noise and Minnie watches as she gets up and goes behind the bench to answer. She can still see Minnie but isn't talking into Mister Matt's ear. Mommy says talking on the phone in people's ear is rude and Mommy doesn't like being rude.

"Minnie, can you hear me?"

The voice is Mister Matt's and Minnie stops her bouncing. Mommy can't hear her unless she shouts across the park and it's rude to shout when people are on the phone, so she starts to get off the see-saw so she can go to the bench. Mister Matt speaks again before she can finish getting up.

"You don't need to stop playing, sweetheart. I can hear you from here. Can you hear me?"

Minnie plops back down onto her seat and nods, "Uh-huh. I can hears you." She talks in her normal voice, since he said he can hear her. She starts to go up and down again, smiling when the squeak returns. Mister Matt stays sitting on the bench.

"Can I ask you some questions?" Mister Matt asks and that excites Minnie. She likes answering his questions.

"Yeah!"

"Can you tell me what else you can hear?"

That is a big question and Minnie has to close her eyes so she can Hear properly. She has to make sure she can tell Mister Matt the right things.

Everything gets Loud as Minnie opens up her ears and the world gets a little bigger. Lots of people are talking all over each other and there's lots of words she doesn't understand. It sounds like when Mommy is looking at videos on her phone and scrolls through them fast. Words start then stop and everyone has a different voice and there's music, too. There's doggies and cats making lots of noises, too, and lots of birds.

A certain jingle catches her attention and Minnie knows that song only comes from one place. "I hear the ice cream man," she tells Mister Matt before singing along with the song, because Mommy taught her the words. "Doooo your ears hang low! Do they wobble to and throw! Tie them in a knot, tie them in a bow! Ears hang low!"

Mister Matt laughs and smiles at her singing, and it makes Minnie giggle. His heart sounds really happy and Minnie wants to keep making him smile. She likes it when he smiles.

"Can you hear the horses?" Mister Matt asks her after she bounces a few times and she screws up her nose to listen better. Horses go clip-clop and neigh and at first, there's too much noise. It's hard to try to find the horse noises but she just has to listen extra good. She turns her head left and right to try to find where they are hidden.

Finally, she hears the horses.

The clip-clops are far away, but she can hear them, so Minnie nods and tells Mister Matt, "They don't wanna walk." She can hear the huffy pouts the horses make, and they don't sound happy, now that she can focus on them. Sometimes, Minnie doesn't want to walk either, so she understands the sad noises.

"No, they don't want to walk today," Mister Matt agrees and Minnie preens at doing a good job.

She's the bestest at hearing.

"Do the noises ever get too loud?" Mister Matt asks her and that makes Minnie frown. She doesn't like it when things get loud.

"Yeah," she says, trying to not whine. Babies whine and she's not a baby anymore. She's a big girl. But the noises get really really loud sometimes, and they hurt her ears. Then her whole head hurts really really badly and makes her want to cry. And then crying makes her head hurt even more.

"What do you do when it gets too loud?"

Minnie doesn't even need to think about the answer because there is only one and quickly responds, "I listen to Mommy."

Mister Matt makes a funny noise, like he coughed but backwards, then asks her another question, "You listen to Mommy? How do you listen to Mommy?"

"Her heart goes duh-duh. Duh-duh. Duh-duh. And it makes all the bad noise go away," Minnie explains. Mommy's heart is the best medicine - it makes her head not hurt and makes Minnie sleepy instead. Minnie just has to listen to her Mommy, and everything gets better again.

Mister Matt doesn't ask another question right away, so Minnie opens her eyes and looks over at him. He's still sitting on the bench and Mommy is still on the phone, but now Mister Matt is touching his face, covering up his mouth. His teeth are making click-clack noises like Mommy's do when she works on a hard puzzle, so Minnie is going to be good and let him think. That's what Mommy always says - she's gotta think.

Minnie goes back to listening to the horses. They are clip-clopping a lot more and Minnie pretends she is riding one of them. Bugs Bunny bounces when he rides a horse so bouncing on the see-saw must be the same and she quickly gets lost in her imagination for a while.

Minnie enjoys playing make pretend until her Mommy ends her phone call and goes back to sit by Mister Matt. They go back to Adult talking and she decides she doesn't want to see-saw anymore.

"Woah, horsie," she tells the see-saw and stops pushing herself up and down. When it stops moving, she climbs off and pats where she was sitting as a thank you before turning and heading towards her Mommy and Mister Matt. There's space open between them and once she reaches the bench, Minnie pulls herself up. Mommy and Mister Matt reach out to help her, but she doesn't need it and plops herself down.

"Are you done playing?" Mommy asks once she's sitting proper and Minnie shakes her head.

"I wanna swing. Please," Minnie replies, making sure to use her Good Manners. She turns to look up at Mister Matt, who's already looking down at her, "Mister Matt, will you push me?"

His mouth smile gets really big before he answers, "Of course, sweetheart. I think we can figure something out." He looks back to Mommy, saying her Grown Up name, "What do you think? Do you think we can figure it out?"

Mommy laughs, a real happy laugh with a happy heart, and stands up, "I think we'll be able to figure out something just fine."

a/n: a baby chapter for our little baby

Tags:

@midnightreids @cloudroomblog @yeonalie @thychuvaluswife

@dorothleah @mattmurdocksstarlight @mars-on-vinyl @mywellspringoflife @sleepdeprived-barelyalive @simmilarly @soupyspence @darkened-writer @akila-twt

@murc0ckmurc0ck @groovycass @sumo-b98 @just3rowsing @tongueofcat @zoom1374

@theclassicvinyldragon @aoi-targaryen @lunaticgurly @nikitawolfxo @shireentapestry @snakevyro @yondiii @echos-muses @honeybug-victoria @the-bisaster @ristare @mrs-bellingham @eugene-emt-roe @cometenthusiast @stevenknightmarc @hunnybelha @

Specialagentjackbauer @yarrystyleeza @ofmusesandsecrets @mayp11-blog@danzer8705 @thinking-at-dusk @remuslupinwifee @akila-twt @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @dil3mma @allllium

#soulie writes #fanfiction #matt murdock #daredevil #matt murdock x you #matt murdock x reader

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riewritten · 11 months ago

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so i went to a remote area this weekend for a field work and i cant help but imagine erwin during the ride... like in an interview he said that if given the chance, he would like to live in a remote cabin, right?

LIVING IN THE CABINS OF TROST

ERWIN SMITH X GENDER NEUTRAL READER

TAGS: post-canon, erwin lives agenda, fluff, age-gap (lol rie tell us what we don't know!), love confessions, basically jus wholesome stuff

WORDS: 2k

Trost District’s advanced practice had saved their economy from titan invasion years ago, but sadly not every district in Paradis would like to apply it in consideration to the nobilities. In principle, you’d like to have it implemented in the rest of the island whose pride has long belonged in its rich agricultural resources. To know the bounties of Trost to the fullest, you’ll have to live with them for a month!

Lo and behold, you’ll come across the Erwin Smith as one of the residents. You see, he doesn’t talk much to people, let alone from outsiders, but the villagers love him because of his kindness and intelligence; they’re confident that if there’s someone who could help you the most, it’ll be no other than this man. And, strangely so, Erwin welcomed you with open arms the moment he knew of your research.

He doesn’t want the residents to treat you as an inconvenience so as soon as he learns your university isn’t funding student researchers—which makes you lack the resources to rent a dorm in Trost—he gladly opens the spare room he had built inside his cabin at your disposal.

However, amidst the neat and swift arrangement, you can’t help but be bothered because not only is he so kind for reasons you’re yet to unveil, but you are to live with him! A very handsome middle-aged man who is unreasonably single, especially in a period where people as young as sixteen are already bearing children!

Maybe the sheer change the Paradis had become since the walls collapsed has something to do with it?

However, it isn’t long until you’ve learned that he is none but the very commander who had contributed the most for the freedom of Paradis. He suddenly blurts out over breakfast that he was the 13th Commander back in his prime. The 13th commander of the Scout Regiment. You took history classes really well so you know what the 13th commander has done; it’s just that you never remembered his name because as far as you are concerned, the former commander opted not to publish his name in books and told the historians to ensure every contribution of his comrades would be noted instead. Your teachers spoke of him so highly–indeed, an amalgamation of what a real leader must be.

The way you started shaking over the coffee and bread Erwin had prepared made him panic, “Oh no, was the coffee too strong for your liking? I'm so sorry.”

And when you eventually cry and utter praises and gratitude for serving the country well, he starts laughing—boisterously so. That was sure a laugh he had never done during his prime.

He then pats your head, “Well, our efforts have never gone to waste because of smart students like you, no?”

To integrate more with the Trost community, Erwin fetches you to other neighbors using his old car every morning (he bought it for a discounted price at an auction—scratch that, the merchant almost gave it to him because he was a huge fan. Had Erwin been a boastful bastard, he wouldn’t even bother paying for it). He says the ride to another farm takes around half an hour, so you two take your time talking about a lot of things. He turns gloomy whenever the topic of being a commander is talked upon, so you’re always sure to stay with the menial—his favorite areas on his lawn, the things he’d like to do in the future to make his little paradise even better to live in, and more.

Oh, how badly you yearn for a life like his.

And when late afternoon comes, Erwin would pick you up from the neighborhood so you can accompany him to the wet market approximately an hour away. Erwin usually takes this chance to talk to the merchants because he supplies them his harvest at a low price for extra income (what a strategic and simple man he is!) then you two would restock condiments and other needs in the house that his small farm couldn’t provide. The life Erwin has is surely tiring for you who’s basically raised in a highly urbanized area, but that doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy it especially with his company.

One of the best things he has ever shown you is the tiny river surrounded by giant trees where he takes a bath. The scenery makes you feel like some sort of deity in an urban legend; sun would peak behind the leaves and onto the water, then the water would bounce back its light towards your glimmering eyes—full of adoration at god’s creation. The river is quite cold and sometimes the breeze these trees exude freezes your skin, yet it feels so fresh, so pleasing to look at, and you wouldn’t mind if you’re not accustomed to taking a bath in an open area. No reason to be scared, too, as the singing birds and cicadas keep you company. Not far from here, you could also hear Erwin’s daily wood chopping. Of course, he’s just there, ready to rescue you if you slip on the rocks or some intruder tries to come at you.

One of the best tasks he had entrusted you with (which you asserted to be tasked because you couldn’t fathom not paying him rent) is plucking ripe fruits from his farm. In your hometown, every need comes with money, but here, one could survive with just the gifts of land ripened by their hard work.

“It makes your research more valuable, doesn’t it?” Erwin affirms. “Imagine every citizen in Paradis being able to live a life not based on money once the government appreciates agrarian reforms more, given how rich our country is with natural resources.”

The distance you had with him as he intricately teaches you how to cut fruit from its stem, his appreciation for your principles (which students from the urban area often laugh about), and the way his hands brush against yours while he’s correcting your posture because the way of cutting needs to be precise so the stem could still be capable of bearing another fruit—it all fills your heart with sheer warmth. When night comes and you’re alone in your room, you finally deduce what you feel for him—it’s not just mentorship that you want, or his kindness, or even his farm.

You want him as he is. You want to give back all the help he has given you by loving him with all your heart.

As the research is about to end, you realize that you soon will be bidding him farewell to go back to your hometown, to live a boring university life, to take a bath in the constricted bathroom of your dormitory, and to worry about filling money up your sleeves so you could eat instead of just plucking out leaves and straight up cooking it. It fills your heart with sorrow; you hope you can just stay with him.

On one of your final days in Erwin’s house, you wake up with rain so strong tip taps of water can be heard from the roof towards the wooden floor. Erwin knocks and asks if he could fix it as you eat breakfast but as soon as you open the door for him, you start crying.

“I'm sorry, it happens a lot during rainy days. I should've warned you.” Perhaps he’s thinking that an urban girl like you would deem living in this wooden cabin overwhelming, but it’s rather far from it. “I’m thinking of replacing the roof with cement instead of mere iron strips, but I can only do that when summer comes. you might not be here anymore by that time, though.”

“Can I just live here for good? I don’t want to go,” you wail, the attachment and adoration you have for this new friend flowing through your tears. “I want to live here for good!”

“Because you want to witness the renovation of my roof…?”

“No!”

Erwin is surprised at your sudden rise in tone, but eventually he smiles—he smiles despite not understanding it all, “I’ll consider, but only after you let me fix the hole in your room.”

It took you five minutes of wailing (and Erwin’s gentle taps on your shoulder) before you stepped away from the door and let him in, with which he whispered a small praise, “Good girl. Now come on, eat your breakfast and drink your coffee. We’ll talk after I'm done here.”

His voice sounded so warm, deep, and gentle in that particular remark.

You manage to do what he asked of you, albeit with little hiccups. To be honest, had Erwin lacked the academic knowledge to help you finish your research, your stay in his home would’ve lasted longer. but he’s such a smart man—even on par with your actual research professor—that it even makes you wonder if his parents were formerly part of the academy, too.

When Erwin learns of that fact, he laughs in guilt, “I'm sorry! I admit I got too caught up with your research. You should’ve shooed me away when I got too invasive! Is that why you were crying?”

“No! It’s because I want to stay with you longer!” you cry, albeit impulsively, because you are drenched in cold water as soon as you see Erwin’s surprised face.

Nonetheless, he’s able to compose himself, “Seems like you loved living in Trost, hm? It’s okay, you could visit us here even after your research is—”

“I meant you! I want to stay with you specifically!”

Oh god, did bathing in the river give you a bravado as strong as Erwin’s? You’re not usually this blunt.

“Why, if it’s fine to ask?” Erwin starts, his face more serious this time around, albeit there’s a tinge of expression you couldn’t quite decipher.

You wouldn’t be able to take this back. You wouldn’t be able to take this back. You wouldn’t be able to take this ba— “Because I like you!”

You wouldn’t be able to take that back!

“Oh god,” you covered your face in embarrassment. “I-I’ll be back! I’m sorry!” then you stand up from your seat and hurry towards the door.

You run to the secluded river to wash your face from embarrassment (or perhaps drown in it for good), but after a throaty scream of shame, you notice a presence behind you.

“E-Erwin!” you screech in surprise. “I told you I’ll be back soon!”

“Repeat what you just said.”

“The what?”

“What you said before running off. Repeat it.”

“Are you angry?” you weakly mutter.

“What? No! I mean—” the unusual stuttering made Erwin chuckle in defeat. “Please, I just want to hear it again.”

His soft eyes on the ground, one you couldn’t quite decipher earlier, is much more understandable now. It gave you more courage to admit more, “I said I like you.”

“As a host or…?”

The question almost ruins the mood, and yet you think that’s the most adorable Erwin has been since you’ve known him. All this time you thought of him as someone who knew everything astutely.

“What do you mean ‘as a host?’ I know we have a bit of a generational gap but I’m certain what I said was clear enough!”

He walks closer until you’re centimeters apart, eventually he smiles in realization. Then he cups your cheeks and says, “Finish your research and come back here. you’ll hear my answer by then.”

“Huh?” you scorn, “Why don’t you answer now while I’m still—”

A kiss on your forehead cuts you off. It lasts for ten seconds or so—you know because you started counting it out of fluster. While on it, he rubs his thumb on your cheeks in circular motions. The sensations render you in a haze. As soon as he withdraws, you bury your head on his chest, taking his scent in even though you don’t understand what’s happening.

“What I could offer to you is nothing in comparison to the life ahead of you in Stohess. Do what you must there—submit your research, advocate for your principles until your voice reaches more people, and if by then you still can’t stop thinking of me, by all means, stay by my side for good.”

“How can I be sure that you’re not married the moment I come back?!”

He chuckles, then places your hand on his chest. His forehead bumps on yours, a knowing smile plastered on his lips, and his eyes reeking of adoration. “Because my heart has been yours the moment you set your foot here.”

p lease i encourage everyone to continue this fic for me because as much as i love the prompt i donT HAVE THE TIME TO TURN IT INTO AN ACTUAL THING 😭😭😭 PLEASEDKDKSED

also here's a majestic fan art of idrawr16yt that helped me visualize what a retired-commander-living-in-the-countryside erwin smith would look like

🔖 @xiaotopia @cadenza-damour @rinamars @grimistheangerinmystares @suntizme @onasvigo @inkofteyvat @aeanya @watyousayin @collinnmckinley @frenchdyer | SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE TO MY STORIES

#I FINALLY MANAGED TO WRITE IT #JDIFEDJKEJDISXJKS #I CANT STOP THINKING OF IT LAST SATURDAY HHEEELLPP IM BEYOND SAVING #erwin smith x reader #erwin smith x you #erwin smith x y/n #erwin smith canon #erwin smith fanfic #erwin smith fanfiction #aot x reader #aot x you #aot x y/n #aot reader insert #aot fanfiction #aot erwin x reader #aot erwin x you #aot erwin x y/n

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a103-chris-mm · 15 days ago

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Street Racers Sturiolo x Reader

+ keith powers and nika muhl

au moodboards

matt sturniolo x reader

chris sturniolo x reader

nika muhl x reader

MATT - black - 24 - leader of the crew, very respected, definitely a bit arrogant, fearless, smart, he truly is a mastermind, most people don’t realize how much he knows, people don’t know how integrated he is with ideas and plans, he makes the calls, manipulative – but only to the people he doesn’t trust, plans the races, keeps everyone in line, won’t race without his lucky necklace, wears gloves to race, cares a lot about everyone in the crew, straight

CHRIS - red - 24 - daredevil, reckless, thrillseeker, charismatic, will race just to feel the adrenaline, you will never be able to predict his next move, that makes him a great racer, always ready for risky bets, push his limits, he’s an instigator, shows up late to everything, loves, drifting, close with the leader, cigarettes, worries, the crew with his crazy ideas, when he is alone, he listens to calm music and just kind of lives in the moment, straight

NICK - green - 24 - strategist, very close to the leader, observant, plays the long game, often gets angry at Matt for his decisions, doesn’t race as much ever since Matt became leader, he scouts, predicts rivals moves, hacks traffic lights, without him they’d be caught by the police, he stays inside mostly, encourages his crew, gay

Y/N - pink - 21 - rookie, the daughter of a previous well respected street racer, eager, naive, pays close attention to learn, wants to prove herself, despite being new she is quite good at racing and she learns quickly, back up driver for the crew, stays up late taking notes, constantly asks questions, blushes around Nika, idolizes the leader, prone to falling in love, unlabeled

NIKA - yellow - 22 - solo, she likes to go her own way, but she won’t leave the crew, shows up unannounced, deadly behind the wheel, around others she’s quiet and mysterious, but around the crew, she is talkative, bisexual

KEITH - purple - 25 - mechanic, loyal, hangs around Chris a lot, works on everyone’s cars, covered in grease, cause the cars, his babies, notebook full of experiments for ways to make cars faster and smoother, straight

LOVE INTERESTS X YN

main love interest - matt - yn

likes how much she looks up to him, knows about her crush on him and purposely does things to make her flustered, guides her hands to the right places when she learns about mechanics, smirking

main love interest - chris - yn

flirted with her since she joined the crew, always asks for her opinion on things, whispers sweet things in her ear, talks to keith about her non-stop, makes her laugh, asks for good luck kisses

side love interest - nika - yn

knows the effect she has on her, always cracks a smile around her, sometimes when she takes off she lets yn come along with her, always there to answer questions yn asks her

miemie- this took me forever to make so please show it some love /not proofread

taglist; @pair-of-pantaloons, @sturns-mermaid , @oopsiedaisydeer , @matt-sturnioloo , @httpssturns , @kenah-sturniolo

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eugenedebs1920 · 2 months ago

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The current psychological state in American society to day is a mix of fear and uncertainty, guilt and embarrassment, sadness and remorse. On the other side is vindication and entitlement, smugness and self absorption, cockiness and superiority.

Before we succumb to these emotions let’s just remember who we’re dealing with.

Trump. A man who forever wanted his father’s approval but could never obtain it. His low sense of self esteem manifested itself into bullying and preying on those without the financial, physical, or influential status he was born in to. Trump wasn’t smart enough, nor did he possess the integrity, to become successful through legitimate means so he took to a life of a conman. Trump is so pathetic he would call into radio shows pretending to be someone else and express his admiration for himself in disguise, telling the radio host how handsome Trump is, that he would be at a particular club at a particular time, inquiring why Trump wasn’t given awards. HE BANKRUPTED HIS CASINOS, squandered his inheritance and got in deep debt to Russian and Italian mobsters. He was chosen, after many actual business people declined, to be the lead in a reality television show. The makers of the show described their shock to find the offices of trump tower in shambles, outdated, and rundown. He accidentally won the 2016 election and had no idea what he was doing. He tanked the economy (Deja vu) completely failed during the only real crisis he faced, then, like a petulant child, threw a tantrum, lying about election results concluding with a failed coup on Jan 6th 2021. We see how it’s going now…

Musk was given the capital to pursue his business endeavors by his father whose wealth came from the exploitation of black South Africans in the gem and diamond mines he acquired during the apartheid era. With help, PayPal was a success. He made a few good acquisitions but was never an engineer or creator. Musk is the largest recipient of U.S. government subsidies ever. Using the attempt to confront the climate crisis as a vehicle for financial gain. Which would be fine had he remained ethical and not used his vast taxpayer provided wealth for political influence. He is unable to maintain a romantic relationship and many of his children despise him. He now artificially inseminates women half his age because he doesn’t have the personality to create a bond with them. His theories are that of someone who spends too much time in alternate realities and not in actual reality. He betrayed his clientele then wonders why the left is so mean and boycotting his car company. He had potential but blew it with his trans hate and right wing, racist ideology.

These are broken people. Losers who have to project their worth by putting others down. Selfish, greedy, immoral, rude individuals who hate themselves so they want others to be as miserable as they are.

These aren’t great military men, or social heroes, they inherited what they possess, they didn’t earn it. Don’t stress these clowns. Keep on them. Keep ridiculing them. Keep standing up to them. When a bully fronts on you, the only way to stop them is to push back, and pop em in the face if they continue.

This rendition of Cake’s “he’s going the distance” (he’s rigging the system) is fantastic!! Thought I’d share.

Keep up the fight. Light drowns out dark. Love overpowers hate. Good is stronger than evil.

🇺🇸

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grande-lando · 1 year ago

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"carlos did the bare minimum of what he was hired to do, nothing more nothing less"

i've seen this take a lot today, in many different forms, all of them hyping up charles while doing their utmost to trash talk carlos.

no one is denying that carlos was hired to score points and podiums. that's the name of the game. (almost) everyone on that grid is hired because the people in charge believe that they can bring their teams some kind of glory.

but what this race (and the other three races he's managed to partake in) highlights is more than just his ability to "do the bare minimum."

time and time again we have seen his ability to overtake and defend, that's not something anyone can argue. but some of y'all still try your hardest 'til you're blue in the face.

there seems to be a consensus for a lot of people, especially those who support his teammate, support the current world champion or support the driver who will take his seat next year, to talk down every single thing carlos does. when he does his own strategy, he's a bad team player, when he follows strategy, he is being favoured by the team. when he's the faster ferrari driver, it's only because there's a problem with charles' car, but when charles is faster, it's because he's better.

two things can be true at once, and those two things are: carlos and charles are both excellent drivers.

they both have their talents, but i'm here to talk about carlos' talents.

his race strategy is, very often, unmatched. there is a reason he's called a strategist, and it's because he is incredibly smart but also very insightful and can calculate what's best for himself while driving an f1 car at top speed. not everyone can do that, and that's fine. other drivers have other talents.

but it's so integral to realise that his contributions extend beyond the cockpit. his teamwork, communication with engineers, and feedback have contributed significantly to ferrari's car development and team strategy, enhancing ferrari's competitive edge. the fact that people at maranello didn't know what to do with him in his first year cause he was always around, looking, learning and contributing says a lot about him.

his resilience in high-pressure situations, his adaptability to changing race conditions, and his determination to maximise every opportunity on the track make it clear that reducing his contributions to merely doing the "bare minimum" doesn't do justice to his capabilities or achievements. the weirdest part of this for me is that people seem to resent him for knowing his worth. they dislike him because he knows his talent, and knows his strengths, and isn't afraid to stand up for himself.

for the past month or so people have been talking a lot of shit; from saying that bearman should get the seat for the rest of the season to calling his win after abdominal surgery a fluke, his podium in bahrain being ridiculed because his teammate had brake problems and therefore "he never would've been on the podium if charles' car hadn't failed him" and now people are saying his p3 in japan means nothing.

there have been severe accusations thrown at carlos and his father, and i would even go as far as call them libel. these people who have spread false information and made up ridiculous rumours are lucky they're nobodies either on here, reddit or twitter, otherwise they could be in a lot of shit.

i could genuinely go on forever about this, but i won't. just know that carlos sainz jr is an amazing driver who deserves to have a team that not only fully appreciates him, but also is able to give him what he deserves.

ferrari is not, and never has been, that team. and i hope that the fans of the team that he will end up with, will appreciate everything about him and not resent him for wanting to be the driver that he knows he can be ❤️

#f1 #carlos sainz jr #and i wrote all of this without shitting on charles #imagine that #it's not hard

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runawrites-blog · 6 months ago

Text

Undercover Ch. 3 (Connor x Reader)

Summary: Two weeks after your arrival, you and Connor have successfully integrated yourselves into your neighbourhood. While you're still trying to gather information there is another break-in on your street. When you call back to the DPD to talk about it, your coworkers start to notice how close you and Connor have gotten.(Female Reader) Warnings: Chapter 3/10. No Y/N. Petnames (Love, Sweetheart). Discussions of Crime Scenes and Break-Ins. Detective Reader. Crossposted on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62247359/chapters/159245245#workskin Previous Chapter

---

It took you and Connor almost two weeks to properly integrate into the neighbourhood but when Riley invited you two to her birthday party you knew that you had gained the trust of this tight-knit group. And it was a good thing because during countless chance meetings carefully planned by Connor and you, the two of you had caught fragments of conversations about the murders. Your new neighbours seemed to have more theories and potential people of interest than you’d originally thought.

During one of these meetings when you had waited for Rose to take the trash out so you could do the same and run into her, the two of you had eventually gotten to the topic of the murders. It was already dark when you two had met and started talking over the fence that separated your small garden from theirs to the right of your house. And due to the darkness outside you two had begun speaking of more frightening topics.

“Steve doesn’t like me going out in the dark anymore.” Rose eventually said after talking about what she’d heard about the police investigation on the news for a while. “He acts as though he’s not in just as much danger -- you know, being the other part of an android-human couple and all that.”

“I get what you mean. Connor told me to hurry back and I’m pretty sure he’s getting worried now that I’ve been outside, talking to you for almost ten minutes.” You chuckled softly, shaking your head. “But don’t you think it’s strange that four of the six murders took place on Fairfield Street? I mean it sort of suggests that they live here, right?”

“Or they just frequent this street. Maybe we should watch out for cars that drive by a suspicious amount of times.”

“That’s a smart idea.” You nodded, looking at the deserted street. “You’ve lived here longer than Connor and I. Do you have any idea who it might have been?”

Rose sighed softly and shook her head. “Not really. As we’ve said during that barbeque two weeks ago, we’ve had our suspicions but they’ve turned out to not be true.”

“So you have no idea? Not even an inkling?”

“Not really.” Rose said before giving you a small chuckle. “You know Steve and I even theorised who of our little friend group was most likely to be the killer if one of them had to be it.”

“Who was it?”

“Well, we thought Dave and Ashley being all suspicious and leaving their house late one night just for two dead bodies to turn up the next morning was a good lead but it turned out they just visited CyberLife for emergency repairs. Made us feel like total dicks for suspecting them.” Rose shrugged before smirking and nodding toward Riley and Stacy’s house across the street. “But I think if anyone was capable of overpowering an android and a human, it would be Riley. She works out several times a week. I’ve seen her carrying huge boxes full of books and appliances into their house when they moved in. She’s mad strong.”

That got a chuckle out of you, despite your small disappointment that you had yet again not found out anything. “She really is. She moved Ash and Dave’s heavy fancy grill all on her own when we were over.”

Rose laughed at that just as the backdoor to your house opened and Connor came out, eyes fixing on you and a relieved expression overtaking his face. You gave him a small smile and Rose waved at him as he came over, wrapping an arm around your waist to draw you close.

“You shouldn’t be outside in the dark all alone.” He said softly, pressing a kiss to your temple and making your stomach flutter. “And I think Rose should head back inside, too. I’m sure Steven is just as worried as I was.”

“You’re probably right.” Rose nodded before smiling at Connor. “Steve and I are taking our dog to the dog’s playground at the park tomorrow in case you two want to tag along.”

“We’d love to.” Connor said, a small genuine smile spreading on his lips. “I love dogs.”

You had to smile at his excited look and the way he immediately asked Rose about their dog. The two of them talked for about two to three minutes until Steven called out to Rose and she bid you two goodnight. You did the same and Connor led you back inside. Once the door was closed you turned to him with a small smirk.

“Don’t tell me you were actually worried about me being outside on my own.”

“I was. Although I got you inside because Fowler called and sent us files with witness statements, I must admit that I was glad for the excuse to get you back inside.” Connor admitted, a faint blue hue appearing on his cheeks. “I care about you. Of course, I worry.”

You just smiled at those words and moved toward the sofa, picking up the laptop. “Are the files on here? What do they say?”

“I suggest you read them yourself but to summarise, a witness that was at the site where the bodies were found hours before we suspect the murder took place. She stated that she’d seen a suspicious-looking person, clad in all black with a hood pulled over their head. Now she didn’t get a description, other than that she suspected the person was a female according to their silhouette, but they said the suspect was an android.”

“How did she know?”

“She could see their LED in the dark.”

You nodded and opened the file on the laptop, scanning it and finding that what Connor had said was pretty much all that the witness had stated. But it was a lead and even though it was nothing conclusive, you two now knew to watch out for suspicious activities from androids.

“What do we do now?”

“We look around the park when we go there with Rose, Steven and their dog.” You suggested. “Maybe we can find something.”

“That is a good idea.” Connor said and sat down next to you. “Officers and detectives have investigated the place before but perhaps without police there we can watch out for potentially suspicious behaviour.”

You nodded and leaned back on the sofa, stretching your arms above your head. “Rose and I spoke about the murders and about her theories.”

Connor looked up at that and turned to you, supporting his head with his hand and propping his arm up behind your head to do so. “What did she say?”

“She said that the night one of the murders took place Ashley and Dave left their house at a suspiciously late hour. But she said they had simply gone to CyberLife to get emergency repairs done.” You explained, leaning closer as she told him the story. “But unfortunately she didn’t say when that was, so we cannot confirm with CyberLife.”

“We can try and get that information from Rose.” Connor suggested, eyes never leaving yours. “And if we can’t, we can surely just ask CyberLife if she had ever even gone in for emergency repairs before but it would be easier if we had a date since they have so many androids coming and going that it might be hard to remember.”

“Good idea.”

“Should we head to bed? You look exhausted.”

“I’ve been helping Matt and Caleb clean out their shed all day.” You nodded, leaning back away from Connor and for a split second, he followed your body before pulling back, as well. “You helped us, too. But androids can’t get exhausted, can they?”

“With the new updates I installed to give me a more human experience, I actually can. During work, I usually disable those programs but right now, I’m exhausted, too.” Connor admitted with a small chuckle. “Let’s head to bed.”

And within the next twenty minutes, you two were in bed. After a few more minutes of simply talking, sharing random thoughts and contemplating on whether or not it was wise to leave the window cracked open to get some fresh air, the two of you turned down for the night.

But about two to three hours later the two of you were awoken by the sound of police sirens. You shot up in your bed as Connor rose from stasis, immediately inquiring whether or not you were alright. The sirens stopped just a few houses away by the sound of it and you were out of bed before you could even properly take notice of the fact that Connor had an arm wrapped around your waist. He followed you to the window and you hugged yourself as you tried to make out where the cars were.

“It looks like they stopped by the Jefferson’s house.” You whispered, worry rising in you as you remembered the small family that lived just a few houses down the street. “I hope they are alright. Should we head outside?”

“Our neighbours are all going outside.” Connor said, placing his hand on the small over your back to support himself as he leaned over your shoulder to see. “We should head outside, as well. It would certainly help us blend in if we showed the same level of interest in what was happening. After all, we are playing the role of a married couple that has no knowledge of police proceedings. But you have to stay by my side in case of danger.”

“Connor, I can handle myself.”

“Please, just stay by my side.” Connor pleaded quietly, looking back at you. “The last thing I would want is for you to get hurt. Promise to stay by my side.”

“I promise.”

When you arrived outside, still only clad in your pyjamas and having thrown on the first pairs of shoes you could fine, you quickly met your neighbours. Matt and Caleb were huddled together while Rose and Steve waved you over. They looked frightened, clinging to each other and you quickly took Connor’s hand, reasoning that it was simply to blend in with the other couples when his grip tightening made your face heat up.

“What happened?”

“We have no clue.” Steve explained, looking back at the scene in front of them. “We came outside when we heard the police cars coming by. I’m really worried. The Jeffersons have a young son.”

“But it looks like they are all accounted for.” Matt breathed a sigh of relief. “There’s Adam and Janine with their son Ethan. They’re being questioned but they look unharmed.”

Connor nodded along to the other android’s words. “If they were injured the officers would have called an ambulance.”

Caleb looked up at that. “How do you know?”

“I’ve seen it on the television before.” Connor lied with a shrug. “I reckon that it’s the same way in real life.”

You leaned into his side, your other hand coming up to hold onto his arm. “Why are the officers coming over to us?”

“Maybe they want to know if we saw anything.”

When the officers were close enough you recognised them as Gavin and Tina. The two of them expertly pretended not to know you and Connor while you two did the same, greeting them politely. They asked you a few questions on whether or not you’d seen any suspicious activity before informing you that there had been a break-in at the Jeffersons' house but that no one had been injured. Janine and Ethan were humans and Adam was an android so it fit in with the previous attacks, except for the fact that no one had been harmed.

It made you wonder whether the family had stopped the culprit or they had decided against harming the family for their own reasons. Before you could think about it too much Gavin spoke up, giving you a polite smile.

“Thank you all for your cooperation. We will contact you if there is any need for more questions but for now, I suggest you all head back inside.”

“Do you think this could be linked to the murders?”

Gavin looked at Rose with an apologetic expression. “As of now we can’t say for certain but we will look into that possibility.”

“I see.” Rose nodded before looking back at Steve. “Should we head back inside?”

“We should.”

And with that, Gavin bid you all goodbye before heading back to Tina. After speaking to your neighbours for a few more minutes you headed back inside. Once the door was locked Connor turned to you, eyes wide as he gestured for the staircase.

“We need to head upstairs and call Gavin. We have to know if the Jeffersons saw the culprit and gave a description of them.”

You nodded in agreement and the two of you headed upstairs. Once there, you sat down on your bed and called up Gavin while Connor took the space next to you, leaning in closer to look at your phone screen. Gavin picked up immediately, his face popping up on the screen.

“Long time no see.” He joked before clearing his throat. “I assume you’re calling about the break-in on your street.”

“Yes.” Connor nodded, head right next to yours as he looked at Gavin. “Did any of the Jeffersons see the culprit and did they give a description?”

“They hardly saw the culprit.” Gavin sighed and shook his head. “Janine Jefferson saw the culprit but only for a split second and she told us that according to their frame and the LED on their temple we are dealing with a female android. She also said the culprit had long hair but she couldn’t make out the colour in the dark.”

“Did Janine see the android’s face?” You asked, leaning back a little and meeting Connor’s chest with your back. “A female android with long hair doesn’t really narrow it down.”

Gavin once more shook his head. “She said the android had obscured her face with the hood of the hoddie she was wearing.”

Connor sighed at the lack of information, his chin dropping onto your shoulder and you leaned your head against him, frustrated by how little the description narrowed down the search. You missed the curious look Gavin was giving you two at your casual display of affection but when he spoke up you turned back to the screen.

“But it appears that our culprit has an accomplice.”

“Really?” Connor’s head shot up and you hissed as it collided with yours, making him turn to you in worry. He placed his hands on either side of your face to turn your head and examine it. “Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. I was just not expecting you to move so suddenly.”

“I apologise.” Connor mumbled, thumb gently rubbing over the spot where the two of you had collided. “I’ll be more careful.”

You smiled at his caring gestures, completely oblivious to the knowing looks Gavin was sending you and how Tina was now also looking at his phone in interest, a smirk on her lips. When Connor deemed you uninjured he turned back the phone, smiling as he saw Tina.

“Good to see you, too, Tina.”

“You too, Con.” She said before nodding at Gavin. “But as Gavin said, there seems to be an accomplice. Adam Jefferson said that the culprit fled through their bathroom window and into the front yard but when he looked after her he saw a second figure at the edge of their property.”

Connor nodded along to those words. “So we’re looking for a female android and their accomplice. Do we know the accomplice’s gender?”

“We don’t.” Tina shook her head before sighing. “But we’ll get to it in time.”

“Then I suggest that Connor and I head back to bed.” You said and leaned back on your bed with a smile. “I wish you a safe rest of your shift.”

“Head back to bed?” Tina repeated and a smirk appeared on her lips. “So you and Connor share a bed? How scandalous.”

Connor chuckled at that. “Technically, we’re playing a married couple so there is really nothing scandalous about it.”

“It’s still giving me there was only one bed trope vibes.” Gavin joked, grinning at you. “I know you love that trope.”

“I wouldn’t let Connor sleep on the couch for the duration of his mission.” You joked and shook your head. “But we’ll hang up now. I’ll speak to you whenever I next can.”

“Stay safe.”

“You, too.”

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