#THEY ALL STOOD UP AND PLAYED THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND SANG

[katiemccabeswife]

It's Not Your Fault.

Matildas x Fem!Reader

After losing against England in the semis, not only do you feel guilty but people are blaming you.

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Vomiting, crying, threats (breifly mentioned), death (very breifly mentioned), self depricating thoughts, sad reader :(

You were one of the youngest players on the team, technically speaking you were the youngest being a few months younger than Mary. Despite your age, and compared to the other girls -your lack of experience, you were still a part of the starting lineup for the semi-finals against England.

You had played in all of the other games, if only for a few minutes at the end of a game, including the game against France. You participated in the penalty shoot-out and managed to get the ball past the keeper which brought you and your team to this point.

You were more nervous than excited but you wouldn’t admit that to any of the girls. The Matilda’s had made history for Australia and women’s soccer and that’s exactly what the girls would tell you for you expressed your worries about the game. They’d tell you that they along with the rest of Australia would have your back and no matter the outcome, everything would be ok. You didn’t want to listen to the girls lie to you, so you said that you were fine and excited.

It didn’t help that some of the girls apart of the Lionesses squad were your teammates from Arsenal. You were still kind of new to the club and were still building relationships with the girls and you didn’t want tension between the group if your team beat theirs or vice versa. Steph and Caitlin would be in the same position as you but they were already well settled into the team and you doubted a loss could ruin the relationships already built.

To sum it up you were shitting bricks and your stomach hurt from stress and worry. You smiled and chatted to the little girl you walked out with, sang the national anthem and smiled for the team picture but once the camera went down and you were in place, ready to start the game, you almost started crying and throwing up.

~

You didn't get any goals. Sam got one, but so did Ella. And Lauren. And so did Alessia.

You did however have almost the perfect shot but your anxiousness washed over you like a hot shower and you passed it off to Mary who missed. You know you should have taken it, everyone does. No one would blame Mary for missing but they would blame you for not taking the shot. Whilst the goal may not have made you win, it could have boosted morale and encouraged one of the others to get another goal that could have won it for Australia.

You passed the ball to Mary but you didn’t run towards an open space to give her options, you stood there with a blank face before bending over and clutching onto your stomach. You heard a few people boo when you chipped the ball and you knew they were booing you. You were booing you as well.

You walked up to Mary and pat her on the back, “I’m so sorry Mary, I should have taken the shot. I’m sorry, I panicked.” Your eyes had filled with tears and your free hand was still clutching your stomach.

“It’s ok, don’t worry about it,” Mary smiled at you in reassurance but you knew she was upset.

“I’m sorry,” You nodded to her before running back to position.

You lost the game for Australia and you felt worse than when you started. You barely held on when the final whistle sounded. You say yourself onto the floor before rolling onto your stomach and crying into your arms, trying to block out the lionesses celebrating. You tried to keep your shoulders still as you sobbed and held your breath when someone came and tapped you on the back or whispered to you that you played well.

You slowed your tears as you did the walk around and again when you and the whole team stood in a heart shape and listened to what Tony had to say, but you didn’t stop them when you walked through the tunnel. You didn’t say ‘Hi’ to any fans nor signed anything, you were sure no one would want to even look at you.

You walked right into the bathrooms and threw up everything you had in your stomach. You were dry-heaving when you felt someone rubbing your back. You leaned your forehead onto your arm and sobbed. The hand stayed there.

You weren’t sure whose hand it was as you stayed in the bathroom cubicle until Sam came and helped you stand before wrapping you into a hug.

“I’m so sorry, Sammy. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” You repeated over and over as new tears began to fall.

"It’s ok, chick. It’s ok,” She reassured with tears in her own eyes.

“Everyone’s gotta hate me, I lost the game for us. I’m so sorry Sammy,” You sobbed loudly.

She pulled you away for the crook of her neck and held onto the sides of your face, “Chick, this is a team sport. You didn’t lose the game, we lost the game. It’s not your fault, no one hates you,”

“Maybe you guys don’t but everyone else will,”

“Well they can go fuck themselves, I’d like to see them play professional football,” You laughed lightly through sobs, “C’mon let’s get goin',” She kissed you on the forehead and guided you towards the bus.

~

Sam was right, but so were you. The girls didn't hate you or blame you, that you knew of, but the rest of Australia did. You were messaged horrible things, threats, death wishes and they were also commented on all of your socials even going back to your earliest posts.

Hayley caught you scrolling through the gate messages, turned off your comments and blocked everyone that DMed you. You were rooming with her so she heard you crying under your duvet and in the shower and tried to cheer you up.

You were grateful for her efforts but if anything, it made you feel more guilty. Yes, not only were you mourning the loss but also fighting against the immense hate you were getting but Hayley was also mourning the loss and you felt guilty that she was trying to take care of you when she should have been taking care of herself.

You ended up spending a lot of time in bed over the next few days, opting out of team bonding time, either sleeping or crying. When it came to training, as you had the match for 3rd place coming up, you were pushing yourself to a new limit and staying afterwards to continue practising.

After dinner with the girls, Hayley came into your room and sat you up against the headrest before turning the TV on. After flicking through a few channels, a familiar face popped onto the screen.

"The good thing about playing a team sport," Sam's voice filled the room, "Is that it's never one person's fault, or it's never one person that made the team win. And I think that without Y/N the whole team, I mean Tony will probably tell you, that our whole team plan changes. She's such a...an amazing player, and being so young she holds so much potential"

You had tears in your eyes as you continued watching the news. Chloe Logarzo also spoke on the matter which made your heart warm as you had never even spoken to the girl and she was defending your honour. Hayley let the news continue playing as she pulled out her phone and wrapped her arm around you.

She pulled up Instagram and clicked on various stories. All of your fellow Australians had posted pictures of you and them saying how proud they were of you, Ellie's kindly saying, "My superstar, leave her alone <3". Some of the girls from Arsenal even posted similar things that Hayley showed you before going into her camera roll and showing you pictures of fans with signs for you, those who also posted for you and those who had DMed you expressing gratitude for you and congratulating you.

You were crying again, but tears of happiness. Hayley hugged you before bringing you down to the girls who hugged you 'til you were scared their arms would fall off.

[wosowrites]

New Fear Unlocked (Mapi Leon x Reader)

Warnings: ⚠️swearing⚠️

A/n: i know germany was in the finals but for the sake of this story let’s say it was spain instead. based off this request:

Prompt: in which mapi makes a bad tackle against you in the euro final, ending your tournament and season.

"With Spain playing England in the Euro final, it’s important to talk about both teams. But the real surprise right now is the fact that Spain has actually made it this far. Why? Mapi Leon’s questionable defending."

"The real shock is usual defensive champion, María León’s rocky performance throughout this tournament."

"Spain’s number 16 is going to have to step up during this final or they’ll get crushed by the Lionesses."

"Another thing that needs to be talked about is the relationship between british superstar striker, Y/n Y/l/n who’s been having a great tournament and shockingly questionable María León, who’s given heart attacks to Spanish fans all over the world for her close calls and bad mistakes. Seeing this power couple for barcelona play each other in a final will be interesting."

"María. Get off your phone. You know better." Ona told the older woman in spanish, snatching her phone and plopping it in the defenders bag. "We play the biggest game of our lives in 45 minutes. The last thing you need is that device." Ona added. "I know. I know." Mapi said, pulling out her cleats and putting them on.

"Big game, y/n. How do you feel?" Your captain asked you. You were manspreading on the bench at your cubby, your forearms resting on your thighs, your head hung in thought. "I feel as though I want to make my country proud." You told Leah, looking up at her and smiling. "And…" She added. "And i’m terrified. Of hurting Mapi, of loosing, of making a mistake." You told her. Most of the team had headphones in, but you didn’t listen to music before games. Leah sat down beside you and looked at you. "You have already made your country proud, if we loose, we loose together, if you make a mistake, we have all got your backs. And you and María have been dating for three years, this will not be the end of your relationship. I promise you." Leah said, rubbing a hand up and down your back. "You’re right. You’re right." You said to her. She smiled at you and walked back to her cubby. You were starting today, and so was Mapi. It would be hard, and scary, and you didn’t know what tomorrow would look like.

You walked into the tunnel wearing your England kit and your england jacket. Your hair was in a tight messy bun on the top of your head, and Mapi was standing in line at the same spot you were. You gently reached out and squeezed her hand, she squeezed back and you made sure not to make eye contact with her. Today, she was the opponent, and nothing else.

You knew what the media was saying about your girlfriend, and it made your blood boil. When you talked to Mary Earps about it, she listened, but told you you couldn’t focus on that. She was right.

Soon, the referees started walking and you followed your squad out. You made your way into Wembley, the crowd bringing the most wild atmosphere you had every experienced. You lined up and the spanish national anthem started playing. You stood tall respectfully, it was your girlfriend home country and your clubs country after all. But when the english anthem played, you pushed your shoulders back, lifted your chin, put one hand on your heart and the other one behind your back. You sang, badly, but so was everyone else.

And then… kickoff.

You were a winger, which you thought really annoying for this exact game, because Sarina had put you left wing, and Mapi was right back, which means you’d be clashing throughout the game.

The first 20 minutes were dramatic. The pressure was sky high, the environment was wild, and at least ten fouls for both teams were called. But after that, it calmed down a bit.

The start of the second half was slow, everyone was freaking out, not wanting it to go to penalties. Leah was constantly having to yell at her squad to calm down and breathe. It was as though everything both teams had learned about staying calm and composed went flying out the window. And then, out of nothing, you received the most splendid ball from Keira Walsh. And then you were running, you took one touch, Mapi on one said, Ona Batlle on the other, and lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net.

Wembley went crazy. You ran as fast as you could towards then bench, arms wide, fans screaming, team yelling, atmosphere unmatched.

The kickoff happened three minutes later, and almost right away, England got the ball back and it was sent to Ella Toone. The woman received it perfectly, but then switched it to you. That’s when you felt an ankle collide with yours. You knew immediately something was wrong. Your ankle folded inwards and you yelled, loud enough for the stadium who were mostly holding their breaths to hear. You saw a cleat clear the ball away, and that’s when you saw the initials. Through your agony, even though you were rolling on the floor, crying and holding your ankle. You could see the initials ML on those cleats. The cleats that had just taken you out.

Leah, Ella and Chloe were soon at your side, calling over the medics. "What’s wrong?" Ella asked, crouching beside you. "Is she okay?" You asked a spanish voice say. "Get away from her. Right now." You heard Fran Kirby say. You ignored Mapi and Fran, too focused on the pain in your ankle. "I don’t know. But it’s wrong. Something is wrong." You cried, lying on your back and holding your ankle to your chest. You heard the stadium cheer and could only assume your girlfriend had gotten a yellow. You looked over to confirm your theory. Red.

She hadn’t done it on purpose. You knew that. You weren’t mad. Pained, sad, scared? Yes. Mad? No. You watched Mapi look at you with a look of despair before walking towards the tunnel. The medics were at your side now, touching your ankle and unlacing your cleat. As one of the men tried to take it off, you screamed loudly, putting your fist in your mouth to stay quiet. "It’s broken. For sure." The man whispered to the woman beside him. "Fuck." She muttered, looking at you.

You looked at the faces of your teammates, all of them broken to loose their goalscorer. "No." You cried. "No."

But the medics were waving over a stretcher, and you had pulled your jersey over your face, trying to hide your crying face. You kept it over your face as you got put into the stretcher, you hid your face as Leah whispered reassurance to you, you kept it hidden as the crowd stood up and cheered for you loudly. You kept it hidden as they carried you into the medical room and walked past Mapi, who was sitting against the wall in the entrance, crying almost as loudly as you were.

In the medical room, you had abandoned your shirt, wanting no recollection of the history making game being played only a few steps away from you. And then you heard screaming, but it wasn’t loud. Just loud enough to make it clear that the spaniards were happy. They had leveled the game. You started crying even harder. "We should really get you to a hospital y/n." One of the medics said. "Listen. My team is out there working their asses off to win the euros, and when we do, because we will, i’m going to walk out on that pitch in crutches and celebrate with them. Am I clear?" You told her. She nodded, and got out things to keep your ankle steady.

Mapi, who was now siting in the away locker room, was watching the game on the TV in there. And when Alexia scored, she couldn’t even find it in her to care. She just wanted to go back in time and not have fouled you. She just hoped you would forgive her.

The second your ankle was wrapped up and put in a boot, you stood up and used crutches to make your way back into the pitch. When you walked out, people went wild again, you smiled slightly, trying to seem brave through your surely puffy eyes. Sarina and some players walked up too you. Hugging you and congratulating you on your goal. You told them it was broken and your club season was over, they looked almost as sad as you did. It was only three minutes later that Chloe Kelly found the back of the net. She took off her shirt and ran around the stadium as you pumped your fists in the air, staying seated and yelling.

And then it was all over.

The spaniards fell to the ground, some of the lionesses did too, but for different reasons. You went as quickly as you could onto the pitch, but your crutches were bringing you nowhere.

You were angry, angry not at Mapi but at the media for making her feel as though she had something to prove, for messing with her mind. You saw Lucy Bronze run up to you. You stopped in your tracks and let your crutches fall, balancing on one foot and ignoring the pain in the broken one. She wrapped her arms around you, picking you up and letting you wrap your legs around her waist. You hugged her and cried, she did too, and then she put you on her back and carried you to the rest of the girls who started screaming and jumping and crying at the sight of you. The team, the managers, every person that made the lionesses, the lionesses came into a big group hug, while still being mindful of your ankle.

It was when people started going to find their families and friends in the crowd that Millie sat you down in the middle of the field, asked if you were okay and then left to find her boyfriend that it sunk in. That everything sunk in. That England were european champions, that you had scored in a euro final, that you’re ankle was broken because of the love of your life, and that the only person you wanted to see was crying by herself in the away locker room. You didn’t have anyone else. Your family was on the pitch, in barcelona, and on the opposite team. Your parents were deadbeat, all your friends were football players, and you have never felt this emotion before. The crossover between feeling lost, and feeling pure and utter joy.

The trophy lift was unreal, the smiles on people’s faces, unmatched. But when fans started leaving, and England made their way into the changing rooms, you parted from the group with Sarinas permission. You made your way instead to the Spanish locker room. The whole corridor was silent, and what broke the silence was your first rapping against the door. Aitana Bonmati, another one of your Barcelona teammates opened the door. Her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were wet, and at the sight of her you started crying as well. And not the happy tears from the trophy lift. "I’m sorry." You hiccuped. Aitana abandoned the door and hugged you tightly, mindful of your crutches. "It’s okay darling. Shh." She said lovingly. You felt bad for having her comfort you. You pulled away and saw the spanish team in the changing room, the head coach looked like he didn’t want you there at all, and in all honesty, you were scared of him. Mapi was nowhere to be seen. "I need to talk to María." You told Aitana.

She nodded stiffly and walked into the bathroom connected to the changing room. A minute later, Mapi walked out. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, she was shaking and she couldn’t look at you. She walked into the hallway and stood in the middle of the corridor. You closed the changing room door, struggling a little. "I’m so-" Mapi started saying. "Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. You made… a bad tackle. Yes. But you would have never, ever done that if it wasn’t for the media and what people were saying. They got to you. And I hate that. I hate it." You said, sniffling and playing with the medal around your neck.

Mapi looked up and you, her lower lip shaking. "Really? You’re not breaking up with me?" Mapi said.

You looked at her sadly. "Put your back against the wall." You told her.

She raised her eyebrows, using her tattooed palm to wipe away her teary cheeks. She didn’t argue though, placing her back on the wall and looking at you in confusion. You used your crutches to walk over to her, placing yourself in front of her. Balancing on one foot, you took both crutches and leaned them against the wall beside Mapi. You put your hands on her stomach, feeling her rock hard abs. And then you kissed her. You kissed her to tell her you loved her, and you forgave her, and you were sorry Spain lost. And she kissed you to tell you she loved you, she was sorry for injuring you, and she was so proud you had won.

Because after all, it was always going to be Mapi and Y/N, Y/N and Mapi.

[endless-summer-soldier]

ice ice baby - chapter ten

pairing: CollegeHockeyPlayer!Bucky x CollegeFigureSkater!Reader

summary: Bucky is a college hockey player, Y/N is a figure skater without a partner. What's happens when these two opposites start sharing the ice...

warnings: enemies to lovers trope, some alcohol use

word count: 4.3k

 taglist: @sebsgirl71479 @whiskeyrosepoetry

series playlist

series masterlist

The team stood on the ice, idling in place as a member of the university acapella group sang the national anthem. It was the first round of the playoffs and Bucky was doing his best to fight off the nerves. He caught Y/N’s eye in the stands and smiled at her, excited that she was there to support him. But her presence made him more nervous because he wanted to impress her.

As the anthem ended and the crowd broke out into applause, the team skated to the sidelines for a drink of water to prepare for the start of the game. Then, an announcement came over the PA system.

“And now we have a very special presentation honoring all our graduating seniors.”

Bucky looked up at the screen in surprise. He peered around to his teammates, but their eyes were all glued to the screen. 

The first message was from Steve’s parents, talking about how proud they were of him and wishing him luck in the game. Then Sam’s sister and his nephews appeared, smiling big and gushing over Sam. As the messages continued, Bucky wondered who his message would be from. It could be from his mother, but they weren’t terribly close. Maybe his younger sister, but he hadn’t spoken with her in a while. His question was answered a moment later when he saw Y/N’s face on the screen.

“Hey Buck,” she smiled at the camera, “I don’t know if you realize how much of an impact you have had on me over the past few months. First you swooped in and saved me by agreeing to be my partner. You persevered through my perfectionism and high standards, impressing both of us, which is when you gained my trust. And then, you pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Aside from my mother, you are the only person that has challenged me to try new things and to just stop and appreciate life every so often. Now, I’m not a very sentimental person and I’m terrible at expressing my feelings, but I mean it when I say that I love you.” 

She gave one more genuine smile at the camera and Bucky subconsciously placed his hand over his heart. He looked up to find her in the crowd and she was already peering down at him, her bottom lip wedged between her teeth. She was nervous about putting herself out there. Bucky gave her the toothiest grin and mouthed “I love you too.” She drew a heart in the air with her two pointer fingers and smiled back at him. Now he was ready to play.

In the last period, the game was tied 2-2. Bucky was playing extremely well. He had to admit, his figure skating lessons had improved his speed and technique, and his opponents weren’t ready for it. 

The clock was ticking down under the two minute mark, and something had to happen. Bucky was not letting this game go into overtime. He looked toward Coach Selvig and made a small T with his hands, signaling for a timeout. Selvig nodded and called for time as the team skated over to the bench.

“I’ve got something,” Bucky told the coach. He dropped his gloves to snag the small white board and marker, drawing out the play he had in mind. As he looked around, his teammates were nodding and Solvig held a thoughtful hand to his chin.

“That could work,” he approved. The team took one final sip of water and then the whistle called them back to the ice. Clint positioned himself in the small circle for the faceoff while everyone else circled around the ice. 

The puck dropped and Clint flicked the puck to Peter, who sped down the ice. Bucky and Steve shielded him on either side, keeping defenders out of his way. Peter looked toward the goal and took a fake shot while actually passing the puck to Sam. Sam skated around the back of the net and attempted to sneak the puck into the corner of the goal. One of the defenders saw it happening too quickly, and got a stick on the shot. The puck spun out toward Steve and he effortlessly collected it, skating around to reset the offense. Bucky gave him space, skating back towards the neutral zone to get a read on possible plays. Clint moved opposite Steve and attempted to get open, but Steve didn’t have many options. He passed the puck back to Sam when Bucky saw an opportunity. He skated in to protect Sam, planning to slam the defender into the ice. But Sam had a different idea.

He passed the puck just ahead of where Bucky was skating to and Bucky sped up to claim it. He was expecting a defender to put some pressure on him any second now, but the moment never came. Bucky continued skating to a wide open goal and found he was playing chicken with the goalie. He leaned toward the right, waiting for the goalie to shift, and as soon as he did, Bucky took a shot to the left. The shot clinked off the goalpost and flew into the back of the net. The lights flashed above the goal and Bucky glanced up at the scoreboard. With a mere 15 seconds left, this game was as good as over.

His teammates pulled him into a tight group hug and he heard the crowd going wild. The refs broke up the celebration and asked the players to reset, preparing for the final faceoff. Clint stood in the middle of the circle and easily won the puck, passing to Steve who skated in a figure eight to kill the time. The air horn blew, calling for the final time and the team celebrated once again. They shook hands with the other team and the opposition quickly filed off the ice. The fans were tossing teddy bears, scarves, and mittens onto the ice to celebrate the team. 

Solvig approached Bucky and gave him a pat on the back before letting him know the broadcast crew wanted to do a quick interview with him. He skated over to the edge of the rink and answered a few basic questions from the anchor. As much as he was loving the victory, all he could think about was Y/N. He wanted to squeeze her tight in his big arms and tell her he loved her over and over again. As he skated away, he saw her standing behind the glass, smiling at him. 

“Come here,” he mouthed and motioned. She looked toward the bench, figuring out how to get past the glass and acted before thinking. She jumped over the barrier onto the bench, and then used the little door to let herself onto the ice. She was surprised to find she didn’t even bother to consider the consequences of this action. She honestly didn’t care if she was forcibly removed from the ice, she just wanted to be with Bucky. 

She trode carefully on the ice in her boots, and Bucky did most of the work, striding toward her with little effort. 

“There you are,” he said, cupping her face with his hands.

“You were amazing. I’m so proud of you!”

“Really?” He said reflexively. It had been a long time since someone said those words to him.

“Of course. Now I can brag to anyone that will listen about my stud of a boyfriend who scored the game winning goal in the playoffs.”

He smiled and bit his bottom lip as a blush spread to his cheeks, “Oh boyfriend, huh?”

“Don’t tell me now you have a problem with labels. I just announced to this whole stadium that I love you!”

He placed a hand around her waist and leaned in close, whispering “I love labels. Almost as much as I love you.” He closed the gap between them in a passionate kiss as her hand found the back of his neck. He leaned her back into a dip and she squealed in his mouth in surprise. 

“Get a room!” Sam yelled. They separated and Bucky returned her to vertical, before telling Sam to shut up. 

“Now the real question is, how are we celebrating?”

T W O  Y E A R S  L A T E R

“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Y/N whispered to Bucky. The two were dressed head-to-toe in red and blue Ralph Lauren layers that consisted of a sweater donning the American flag, a buffalo plaid puffer, blue and red boots, and navy blue beanies with the American Olympic Committee logo. The only difference in their ensembles was that Y/N had on a pair of sleek navy leggings, while Bucky was in white snow pants.

“I feel…puffy…” she managed to say.

“Well you look adorable. You know I can’t resist you in a beanie,” he said, planting a wet kiss on her cheek.

She blushed before pushing him away, reminding him that they were about to walk out with the rest of their country representatives. It was the opening ceremonies for the Olympics and all that was required of them for tonight was to walk out with their flag, smile, and wave at the crowd. Yet this was the moment that everything hit Y/N; not only was her dream coming true, but she was doing it with Bucky at her side. 

As much as she would’ve loved to compete with Bucky, it wasn’t possible with his hockey schedule. She found another partner who skated well and was easy to work with. She still turned to Bucky for music recommendations, wanting to keep the crowd and judges on the edge of their seats.

Bucky had made the US hockey team with ease. He’d been playing in the minor league and practicing with the national team whenever warranted. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins after graduation and was scheduled to start practicing with the team following the Olympic games.

Y/N had been training in Lake Placid, which was close enough to Boston for them to see each other when they had free time. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked fine. Bucky’s latest campaign was for Y/N to move to Boston and move in with him after the Olympics. She wasn’t convinced just yet. She had to figure out what her next step was career wise. This would likely be her only Olympics but she wasn’t quite ready to hang up her skates. 

“This is it,” Bucky interrupted her thoughts and grasped her hand, as they prepared for the big stage.

She turned to him and said, “No one I’d rather have by my side.”

Y/N had her headphones in and was stretching in an attempt to release the stress she was currently harboring. She was next up to skate and was feeling more nervous than she expected. This was the biggest stage she’d ever skated on and she was trying not to let the pressure get the best of her.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find her partner Scott, smiling at her. If he was nervous, he wasn’t showing it. He asked if she was ready because they were on next and she merely nodded. The routine was great, but technically challenging. Even the slightest misstep could ruin the whole thing. She pulled herself together and followed Scott to their on deck position.

She was practicing her deep breathing to center herself when Scott nudged her arm ever so slightly. She turned to him, curiously and he merely pointed out toward the crowd. Y/N peered out into the crowd and found the entire USA hockey team seated behind the judges at the top few rows of the arena. Her mouth turned upward into a smile when she saw Bucky leading the pack with a “Y/N for Gold” poster above his head. He never ceased to amaze her. After two years of being together, he still managed to pull off the perfect surprises. The butterflies in her stomach never quite went away when he was around. He caught her gaze and gave her a thumbs up as if to say “You’ve got this.” She carefully placed her fingers to her lips and blew him a gentle kiss. Bucky caught the symbolic kiss in his fist before placing it over his heart. 

Y/N turned to Scott with a nod and said, “I’m ready.”

Everything was a blur. Y/N and Scott completed the routine, but she did so without thinking about it. It was like she was commuting to work and all the sudden she pulled into the parking lot, realizing she hadn’t paid any attention to how she got there. On ice, the specifics of the routine weren’t on her mind; she was thinking about Bucky and the first time they skated together. It was a mess, he was all over the place. And yet, they built something out of nothing. Her mind then drifted to their routine at nationals. Bucky pushed her out of her comfort zone, creating an edge over the competition she didn’t realize was possible. Being on the ice with him that day felt magical. The only time she had felt like that before was the first time she skated with her mom. Now, being here on the biggest stage imaginable, she realized that the competition didn’t matter. All that mattered was her happiness. And Bucky gave her that.

She was released from her thoughts when Scott shook her shoulders and smiled at her. She mirrored his expression before glancing up at the rankings, where she saw their names at the top of the board, claiming the highest score of the competition so far. She glanced up into the crowd and saw the US hockey team cheering wildly and all she wanted was to climb up those stands and throw her arms around Bucky. 

Before she knew it, she was standing on the podium and they were placing an Olympic gold medal around her neck. This was the moment she had dreamed about her whole life, and yet something was missing. She smiled for the cameras and teared up imagining her mother cheering her on in the afterlife, but what she really wanted was Bucky by her side.

After the medal ceremony, there were several news interviews that she took with Scott and she provided the generic responses she had mentally rehearsed in preparation for this moment. Apart from wanting to find Bucky, she really just felt relieved that all the build up to the competition was finally over. She could finally relax and enjoy being across the world with her person.

Once the press frenzy was over, Y/N and Scott retired to their dressing room, where they would collect their things and head to the dormitories. They were both emotionally drained from all the attention, but they still had smiles plastered on their faces.

As soon as they opened the door, Y/N first noticed the “Y/N for Gold” sign propped up against the vanity and then she found Bucky sitting in her chair, phone out but head turned toward her. In a millisecond, he was up and had Y/N spinning off the ground in his arms.

“There’s my superstar!” he gushed, squeezing her as tight as he could. “You crushed it out there, Ace!”

When he put her down, he greeted Scott with a fist bump and complimented him on a flawless routine. Scott quickly collected his things and announced that he would head back so that they could have some time alone with each other, much to the couple’s appreciation.

Y/N nuzzled into Bucky’s shoulder, happy to be in his arms again.

“Can I tell you something?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“Watching you skate today took my breath away. I’ve seen you skate before, but it’s different being with you on the ice. I was always focused more on what my next move was. But tonight, I was able to focus all my attention on you and you were absolutely incredible. I love that I was able to be here to see years of hard work pay off. I am so unbelievably proud of you.” He kissed the top of her head and pulled her in closer.

His words were so genuine and kind that she didn’t know how to react. The only thing she could manage back was, “I love you so much.” She pulled her head off his shoulder and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. As they separated, Bucky held her eyes for a moment and he never felt so connected or so in love. 

“You know what, fuck it,” he muttered to himself. Y/N looked at him, confused, and it was only when he held her hands and got down on one knee did she realize what was happening.

“I had a whole plan for how I was going to do this. We were going to go out to a beautiful dinner on a yacht and the server would bring out a chocolate mousse for dessert and right on top would be the ring. But something about this moment just feels right. You’re standing in front of me in your team USA tracksuit with a gold medal around your neck and all I can think about is how desperately I want to marry you. And please know I don’t want to overshadow your Olympic victory at all, I just can’t spend another day calling you my girlfriend when I want you to be my fiance. So, Y/F/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?”

The tears had started dropping before he was finished. It wasn’t until Bucky lifted his eyebrows that she realized she hadn’t responded.

“Yes, absolutely yes. I would love to marry you.”

He nearly jumped up from his knee to pick her up and smother her with kisses. 

“I love you so much. Did I say that? I don’t think I said that,” Bucky rambled.

“I know Bucky. I love you too.”

He carefully put her down and slid the ring onto her delicate finger.

“Can we still go to dinner on the yacht? Because that sounds really lovely.”

He chuckled, “Hell yeah we’re still doing that. Now we have a reason to celebrate.”

“Okay good. We should get out of here though, you have a big game tomorrow.”

“Yeah okay, but only if you stay and cuddle with me tonight.”

“Now you know I can’t say no to my fiance,” she smiled up at him. He planted a kiss on her head before they collected her things and headed out.

Y/N was seated in the stands, a few rows behind the team, dressed in her team USA gear. The hockey team was warming up to face Canada, a major rival in Olympic hockey. USA and Canada had a history of facing each other in the gold medal game, and this year was no different. She sat there, twisting her engagement ring in an attempt to calm her nerves. Bucky was so close to achieving his goal and she wanted it so badly for him. He was the reason all her dreams came true and he deserved to win something too.

“Excuse me, are you Y/N?” An older man approached her side with a woman who she assumed was his wife. 

“Yes, I am,” she responded.

He extended his hand, “Hi, I’m Joe Rogers and this is my wife, Sarah. We’re Steve’s parents.”

Her expression changed from confused to delight, “Oh, hi! So great to meet you.”

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Sarah said. 

“Likewise! I should probably thank you for all the support you’ve shown Bucky. He’s spoken so highly about you both and I know he wouldn’t be here today without you.”

“He’s always been a good kid, he just fell into the wrong group. Watching him grow up to be a wonderful young man has been priceless,” Joe said. It warmed my heart that they spoke so highly of Bucky.

“How lucky are we that our Stevie and James both made the team!” Sarah exclaimed. 

“Those two are inseparable. I don’t think they would’ve been able to function being apart for this long,” Y/N added. On top of both making the USA team, they had both been drafted by the Bruins.

Sarah and Joe chuckled and they continued chatting like old friends, keeping Y/N’s mind off her game day nerves. But that only lasted until the opening face off; once the puck was in play, she started twisting her ring again.

Into the third period, the score was 0-0. Both teams were playing extremely well on both sides of the ice, and both goalies saved several shots on goal. While Bucky and Steve were both playing really well, they had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. It was easy to see why the two had been drafted together; they had a connection on the ice that was telepathic, each knowing exactly where the other was and what they were thinking.

And then, out of nowhere, Canada scored a goal. It happened so quickly that Y/N nearly missed it. One of the players took a shot on the goal and the puck skimmed one of his teammates skates, changing the angle ever so slightly that the goalie didn’t pick up on. It was rotten luck, but sometimes that happened in ice hockey.

There were only three minutes left in the game, but that was more than enough time. It only took a few seconds to score, but the team would have to keep the puck on the offensive side of the ice. Team USA pulled their goalie and added another man on the ice, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference if Canada scored again. 

They did a great job moving the puck around and clearing out space for their teammates, but the goalie stopped every attempt at a goal. This didn’t discourage the team, as they continued to attack on offense, but as the clock ticked down, the reality of the situation was setting in. The final buzzer rang and team Canada circled up in a big group hug. Y/N watched Bucky look up at the scoreboard before hanging his head in defeat.

“They put up such a good fight. At least they can be proud of how they played,” Sarah said. Y/N nodded, agreeing with her statement but knowing Bucky would still be crushed.

“A silver medal is still a great accomplishment,” Joe added.  

Both teams took off their helmets and lined up on the ice to receive their medals. The Canadians were all smiles while the Americans put on a brave face, but the disappointment was evident behind their eyes. Y/N couldn’t help but tear up a little when Bucky received his silver medal. It wasn’t exactly the outcome they wanted, but she was still incredibly proud of him for coming this far and never giving up.

Once the medal ceremony was over, both teams retreated to the locker room. Joe and Sarah asked Y/N if she wanted to go with them to meet Steve but she passed, knowing Bucky would want some space to process everything before socializing. She sat in the empty arena and watched the zamboni smooth the ice, wondering what she could say to cheer up Bucky.

Once a sufficient amount of time had passed, Y/N wandered out of the arena to find the locker rooms. She poked her head behind the door labeled Team USA and found silence. She took that as a sign to continue and wandered through the rows of lockers, looking for her fiance. She found him lying on the bench, staring at the ceiling tiles, recently showered and dressed in his team USA track suit.

“Hey you,” she said, taking a seat next to his head. Her hands instinctively found their way to the side of his face and she started lightly playing with his hair.

He didn’t say anything, but his eyes floated upwards to find her. 

“Let me see it,” she demanded.

“See what?”

“Your medal!”

“It’s not as cool as yours,” he said, handing her the silver medal that had been tucked in his palm.

“Honestly, this will make for a more interesting display in the house. We’ve got two out of three!.”

“It’s not even about the medal. Or losing for that matter.”

“What’s it about then?”

He let out a deep exhale before he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bench so he was almost facing her.

“When you won that gold medal, I felt so full. I was proud of you and I was grateful that I was there to witness your achievement. And I wanted you to feel that way today with me. I wanted to see you smiling in the crowd as they put the gold medal around my neck.”

He hung his head and Y/N leaned into his shoulder and grabbed his hands.

“Bucky, I had that moment today. Despite my best efforts, I cried a little bit when you received your medal. Of course I am proud of you. I’m proud of you for just making it to the Olympics. Winning a medal is even more amazing. And most of all, I’m proud that you never gave up. You left everything you had out there on the ice. I know you didn’t get the outcome you expected, but there is still so much that you should be proud of.”

He turned to her, “How do you always know the perfect thing to say?” 

She placed a hand on his cheek, “Because I know you Buck. And I love you more than anything.”

He leaned into her and they shared a kiss that embodied their emotional connection. When the moment felt right, Y/N stood up and held her hand out for Bucky. He took it without hesitation and the two walked hand in hand out of the locker room.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get your gold medal,” she offered, as her final words of comfort.

“Don’t be sorry, I’ve got my gold medal right here.”  

[idealspawn]

met up w the guy i like again yesterday :DD we went to the zoo. he took the last train home and i took the last bus but it still felt as if there wasnt enough time. he is so sweet. and nice. and healthy. and secure. and just lovely. he is smart and interesting and fun to be around. he isnt afraid to show overt emotions. and i love it so much. we have matching temporary fairy tattoos. we blew soap bubbles and he burst them by kissing them :DD we played hopscotch and hhahahha he drew the trajectory of my body on the pavement w a stone when i lied down. he was my cause of death because "i fell after he made me weak in the knees". he apparently knows how to walk on the tightrope like really fucking well and we walked by this place w a tightrope free for use. silence is so nice with him too. but we talked a lot too. it all feels so organic. we layed in the grass and looked at pretty leaves and eachother too and it was so fun. in the zoo there was this resting area with an installation where we could be on bean bags together too. it was so nice. he sings so nicely too. at a certain time every day the national anthem starts playing and he grabbed me by the hand when we were lying the grass and we stood up and he sang it and it was beautiful :D. he is very playful and so am i and i like it so much. we have a lot in common but not too much. found out that our moms share the same profession. and!!! he also has one fairy ear. like. his ears are different from one another like mine. one is pointy like a fairy. :DD. he is so open and calm but also kinda fidgety like me. we talk both abt very abstract philosophical topics but also like regular stuff too so it isnt intense. i like it. thats my preferred way to communicate. he said he has been in a very good headspace now for some time. me too. its great. he primarily lives in another city but he stays w his parents sometimes near where i am located. he doesnt live too far though. i used to live where he lives now. my sister lives there too. i said that next time ill come to his city. i really want to visit my sister and her cat anyway too. :) im so happy. he is so nice. and he gives great hugs and everything just seems so natural. so natural. and he likes me too. thats nice too. he is so cute. and he thinks im cute :D. im so happy. i failed one of my essays and i need to write it all over again today but im so happy i dont think that can even ruin my mood :D. aaaagh. so much more happened. i like him so much. I ALSO SAW THE PALLAS'S CAT AT THE ZOO. I SQUEALED

[oliviab-scstudyabroad]

Argentina, Me Encantas

Hey friends! This past week and a half I had off for Semana de Turismo, like Spring Break in the U.S. All of the girls and I from my apartment decided to spend it in Argentina! There is so much to write about, so here is part one of my 10-day trip to Argentina.

The girls and I left early on Friday, March 31st and took a bus ride to Colonia, Uruguay, where the port is located for passengers to take a ferry to Buenos Aires. We rode on the Colonia Express ferry and enjoyed the 45-minute ride. When traveling to and from Argentina, most Uruguayans take the ferry because it’s cheaper, more convenient, and fun!

We arrived in Buenos Aires that afternoon and spent the night there. Something I immediately noticed is that Buenos Aires is HUGE! It’s so full of life, and it seems like there is always something to do (great people watching too). My first objective was to change my dollars to Argentine pesos, and it was a startling to hear people in the street yelling “cambio, cambio!”. Luckily, my friend who’s from Argentina had told me that the cuevas are wanting to exchange your dollars for pesos under the “blue dollar.” Because the rate of inflation in Argentina is between 60-70%, the Argentine peso isn’t worth much, so Argentines like to “buy” the dollar because it’s a much more stable currency. And how does this help foreigners? Essentially, tourists can either can change their dollars for pesos under an official bank and receive 170 pesos for every dollar, or they can change under the dollar blue rate and get 350 pesos for every dollar. Fortunately, one of the girls’ cousins who is studying abroad in Argentina took me to a secure place to change my dollars, so I had money to burn!

After a night of munching on empanadas and trying some delicious helado (ice cream), the girls and I woke up early the next day to catch a flight to Salta, which is in northern Argentina! We headed straight to our Airbnb after arriving, which had a gorgeous view of the whole city! We then went to eat at la Vieja Estancia (recommended by our taxi driver) and tried a regional dish of locro! It’s basically a stew with cooked meat and vegetables. We also had a glass of white wine to go with it (Torrontes) because Salta is known for their local wines and brews. My entire meal was about $7. Can you believe it?! Everything was ridiculously cheap.

After that, we roamed the city and stopped upon some beautiful churches, including the Basílica Menor y Convento de San Francisco. I noticed that people are very reverent and respectful in the Catholic churches. Even if they are just stopping by to snap a picture, an Argentine will kneel and do the sign of the cross before leaving. The faith is an integral part of Argentines’ lives.

If you’re traveling to Salta, you must visit a peña. I had found through my research that peñas are restaurants in northern Argentina that have live folk music! I had asked the Airbnb host where the most local peña was, and she suggested La Casona del Molino. We decided to have dinner there at night! The line was long to get in and there was even some sort of security guard at the door with James Bond glasses, but once we finally got in, sat and watched a group of four play the guitar and tambourine and sing famous Argentine songs. There were several rooms in the Casona, each one with its own singer. I was most amazed by the fact that every Argentine knew the words to every song! The national anthem played at one point, and everyone stood and sang along. It was a special experience; I had goosebumps the whole time. Salta’s nickname is “Salta la Linda”, and for good reason.

The next morning, the girls and I rented a car to head to Tilcara-Jujuy! It was a struggle to rent the car because a lot of people had the same idea to travel to Tilcara during the break, and we couldn’t make reservations online. We finally lucked out and did the 3-hour drive through the foothills of the Andes. It was incredible to see loose horses, pigs, and lambs in the middle of the road!

We arrived and headed to our Airbnb (probably my favorite out of the 3 we stayed at). It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, but that’s what I liked about it. We had a gorgeous view of the mountains, and because we were so high up in altitude (11,000 feet), the clouds were right above us! We went to another peña that night and listened to an incredible guitar player. He gave us a book of songs in which we could request one for him to play, and the book probably had about 200 songs in it that he knew by heart! We asked him to play “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and “Love of my Life” by Queen. We were seated next to a group of five Argentine ladies, and at one point, they stood up and invited us to dance! We took each other’s hands and strutted around the restaurant, did the conga line, etc. Again, another experience I’ll never forget. They gave us their Instagram and told us that if we ever needed anything to let us know. Que linda!

Those were my first three days in Argentina. Stay tuned for Part Two!

[kessicasrps]

I smooth out my dress as I hung back by the stands, feeling a little nervous. I had performed in this very stadium tons of times on past tours but I still got a little nervous every time I performed. I was only singing the national anthem today but it was nerve wracking to be singing in front of a ton of rowdy football fans, it not really being my scene at all. I sensed someone near by and I did a double take when seeing you standing near me in your football uniform. You were pretty cute up close. I had seen clips of you before across social media saying that you were a fan of mine and I thought it was endearing. “Are you following me now? Do I need to get my security?,” I ask you, a smile on my lips as I gently teased you.

--

I stood with the rest of the team on the field as we bore our respect while you sang the national anthem. I was mind blown from how incredible your voice was. I caught up with you since I wasn’t playing on the field yet. I chuckled from your words as I shook my head. “No, please, don’t do that.” I laughed a bit. “I just wanted to tell you how incredible you were out there.” I smiled at you. “I wanted to introduce myself, I’m Sebastian,”

---

I sat in my car nervously as I looked at the beach house. This was my first time coming back here without my parents, and it felt like a whole new place to me even though I had spent my whole life coming here. I was nervous since I knew I was going to see you for the first time in years. I got out of my car and walked into the house, knowing I didn’t need to knock. It still felt strange to me, but I tried to shake off the nervous feeling. I smiled when seeing your sisters, hugging them all so tightly and catching up with them. They had thrown me a party for graduating college. 

[itsmyflaura]

0. The Fool

The energy of the Fool begins to become more apparent when we break out of the monotony of the matrix and begin to seriously wonder what else exists outside of what we've already experienced.

This is a moment where we're no longer navigating life by the rules placed around us, instead being led by a purely instinctive state. & when people witness others go against the rules established, they not only consider this foolish, but dangerous as well.

Those that embody that harmonious synergy with spirit are seen this way because it's not something that can be tangibly explained, only felt and understood once experienced.

Oftentimes one can be made to feel misguided for seeking out a road that's not been paved for them, especially when that road sometimes means leaping off a cliff (metaphorically speaking).

This harmony with spirit is also met with the experiences accumulated prior to this enlightenment, and we're presented with a choice to exist in a chosen naïve like state in spite of these experiences; this time however, there is a new found faith in how to move forward, although this energy is not yet being consciously directed.

The Fool is the only card that has the number zero in the Rider Waite deck, which not only symbolizes a starting point, new beginnings; it also suggests endless possibilities which begin by taking that instinctive step forward. This is the moment we begin to journey through the material, subconscious and superconscious realms as represented by the Major Arcana.

*********

1. Try - Madison McFerrin

This reminds me of the moment of recognition of the shift that happens internally when you know you're staying safe by playing by the rules, rather than going ahead and taking a "leap of faith", how the Fool is often characterized. I remember learning shortly after hearing this track that she had an experience where she sang the national anthem and was completely ripped apart by people on social media. Even with such a heavy experience, she knew intuitively that playing it safe was not an option and was able to make such a beautiful song in tribute to that truth.

2. Colours and Shapes - Mac Miller 🕊️

I have such a deep appreciation for Miller's tracks, particularly after 'Divine Feminine', and this one stood out to me instantly. The composition of the track feels very liberating and flowy to me, almost playful the way an intuitive state of being feels. Timothy Leary (involved in the psychedelic movement in the 60's) opens up the track around his contemplation of "Who Am I". I feel that's part of the Fool's journey, this understanding isn't concrete yet and I felt it really resonated when he wrote "if you want to hold on to yourself, then let yourself slip". The Fool's message is one of surrender.

3. Fall - Chloe x Halle

The slow progression of the piano accompanied by Halle & Chloe's voice feels like surrender to me. The slow beginning is reminiscent of the initial thoughts that can surface in that moment of surrender; fear, doubt and sadness. These are the emotions surrounding the Fool when it appears reversed in our readings. It indicates a blockage that prevents you from following your instincts, and this is perfectly normal as your ego fights to regain a familiar safety. As this track progresses and the tempo increases, it feels like an acceptance of these emotions and choosing to fall through them with optimistic faith.

4. Speed of Sound - Coldplay

This track has always given me the feeling of a sense of wonder and adventure that feels like the Fool's journey. The first verse kind of gives me the visuals of the Rider Waite Fool when he asks "how long do I have to climb, up on the side of this mountain of mine". The lyrics throughout are about going through a journey and resisting staying stuck in what they know; the lyric that I found stuck with me most was a bridge towards the end where he sings "all those signs, I knew what they meant, some things you can invent, some get made and some get sent". I find this explains the juxtaposition of moving forward with your life experiences/choices and being led by an intuitive state outside of your conscious knowing, and how these types of action are very different yet its source still comes through you when you release control and simply surrender.

5. On & On - Joey Bada$$, Maverick Sabre, Dyemond Lewis

I'm such a huge fan of Joey Bada$$, particularly his lyricism in the way his words flow with his often spiritually charged messages. His first verse outlines his experiences as he pursues what he feels destined for; he ends the verse by stating the "omnipresence is omnipotent ... this is the death of a psychopomp but a birth of God's son". A psychopomp is a spiritual guide to a living soul, and he's saying how this unconscious presence that presides over him influences the direction of his path, like Jesus. In the Rider Waite deck, the Fool is facing towards the Left, which represents the unconscious world. The white rose on the card represents when we raise our passions to a higher power and I felt this track really represented this aspect of the Fool.

6. New Map - M83

The sound and lyrics of this track immediately gave me the feeling of The Fool; instead of hesitancy that one might experience when the Fool appears reversed, this track gives me Fool upright being pursued with full exuberance. I feel the essence of the Fool is summed up beautifully with the lyric "rules of conformity, heavy clouds of reason, they're hiding the beauty of your free distortions". This is turning away from the logical mind (represented by the right side in Tarot) and engaging with the unknown.

7. Didn't Cha Know - Erykah Badu

You will see Erykah's art and message sprinkled throughout this Tarot Playlist series because her music has been such a blessing in my life. J Dilla's sampling genius mixed with Erykah's unique voice and wisdom created this esoteric and otherworldly melody that reminds me of journeying through the unknown. The second verse in particular reflects on her reality of not knowing and making mistakes, which could be described as someone foolish, however she embraces this reality of being human, because of the knowing that her heart will guide her back on the path she's meant to take. This is the key in being able to navigate the unknown, trusting your intuition.

8. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

This song gives me such an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, of long road trips and has just been so relatable as I've moved through life. Her story telling through the verses of her scheming of what moves to make next is reminiscent of the Fool in reverse when it suggests taking the time to plan carefully rather than diving into something recklessly. Sometimes that's what life requires us to do, until we reach that point where we're able to free fall into what is meant for us. There are also socioeconomic barriers that prevent certain groups of people from being able to take the risks as easily, so this is where pursuing the path of the Fool can be read as dangerous. In communities that are particularly targeted under structures of oppression, being taught that practicality is the safest way to exist presents a mental and emotional barrier in allowing the Fool's energy to flow through. The impact of her words at the end, "we got to make a decision, leave tonight or live and die this way" really lingers for me; how for some this initial step forward is a matter of life or death.

9. Rise - Solange

This track is like a mantra with the repetition of "fall in your ways" which shifts into "walk in your ways". I feel it serves as a reminder of the why, when I experience resistance in falling when the Fool's energy shows up. So I can crumble, so I can sleep at night, so I can wake up and rise.

10. Spotless Mind - Jhene Aiko

Another one of my favorite artists that will frequent this playlist series, this light hearted track reminds me of the wandering nature of the Fool. The Fools energy is not directed in any particular way, so there is an aimless energy in his travel. The Fool travels with a wand, but again it's tucked away and not in use. While the opportunities are limitless at this moment, this track reminds us that in the endless possibilities that exist, change will always be an inevitable constant.

[gothwives]

"sorry... i'll be quiet." constantly finding herself in trouble due to her big mouth ever since grade school, birdie simply anticipated the inevitable scolding, until she was met with something else entirely. "oh— you liked it? well, thank you!" coming from an actual professional musician, the slight compliment tickled her pink. she'd been in choir back in high school, but she was never the girl who got the solos, or got picked to sing the national anthem before the football games. always stood in someone else's shadow, even in her pageant career. "oh, no, never... well, there was this one time in high school i helped my boyfriend re-write the school anthem for a contest, but i just came up with a few lines. it was mostly him..." having the man's full attention on her, birdie couldn't help but shift from foot to foot, suddenly filled with nervous energy. her job was to clean and not get in his way, trying to shrink down her presence as much as humanly possibly so it was like she wasn't even there. they'd barely even spoken before this beyond a simple, "hello," "good morning," or "goodbye." "uh... yeah, i think... i can try. play it again for me?" clearing her throat, she waited a couple bars to regain her confidence, starting out softly as she began to recall what she'd just sang. "all i wanna do is find a way b-back into love. i can't make it through without a way back into love..." singing it out loud right in front of him, birdie couldn't help but feel silly. they were such simple, basic lyrics— surely nothing worthy of his consideration. "i think that's... that's it."

starter for @gothwives continued from here.

"i heard your singing," patrick starts, though out of context that could be taken in several different ways. "it sounded…good," a quick recovery he hopes, and he's not surprised that it's her in particular that seemingly had a knack for songwriting, but more so that she was there with him, in his house. it seemed like fate, like perhaps his luck was about to change. "have you written any songs before, birdie?" curious, he rests his forearms against his thighs. it's hard for him to quieten his intrigue, his excitement but the last thing he wants to do is put her in a difficult position; have her thinking she's caught between a rock and a hard place. sure, he needed her -- but he figured her comfort was paramount if she was going to produce anything worthwhile. "…you think you can remember it? si-sing what you just did again?"

[lostmykeysie]

saturday morning affirmations

[daydreamingleclerc]

Hi! How are you? How about Mason fluff were the reader is from another nation (Germany, Italy whatever) and the national teams play against each other but the reader doesn’t know who to cheer for (obviously being happy for whatever team wins) :) thank you!

hi! i love this idea thank you so much! i haven’t specified what national team it is so you’re free to decide! 🥰

cheer | mason mount fluff

“baby, you know i’ll never tell you to not support your home team,” mason cooed down the phone, “and you know i’d never force you to support me either.”

“i know you wouldn’t, i do love you,” was your response as you found your seat in the players family boxes at wembley. mason laughed from the other end of the line, and you heard as the other boys were hyping themselves up in the dressing room.

“but?”

you flashed a smile and sat yourself down, wearing an england shirt with mason’s name on the back, but similarly having your national flag tied into your ponytail to further show your torn state of mind, “but i also love my home team.”

“and that’s completely fine,” he laughed. the chants were loud and ear piercing from both sides of wembley, and it was almost definite that mason could hear it. “right, baby, i’ve got to go. love you.”

“love you too, masey.”

the chants got louder with every passing minute, until eventually each side was singing their national anthem. you stood and sang for both, not minding the strange looks that fellow fans gave you from the england stands when you saw mason smiling up at you in all your glory as you sang your home’s anthem.

the game kicked off, and within ten minutes england were one nil up, although two minutes later your home team equalised and you couldn’t quite settle, always hopping up and down off of your seat with each ball in the penalty area, never focussing on one loss for too long. just before the half time whistle blew, mason scored and — of course, you cheered for your boyfriend louder than you’d expected to cheer for anyone this match.

by the time the whistle had blown, england won 4-3, thanks to an injury time goal from your boyfriend, making him the man of the match. he bundled up to you after the game, and you jumped into his arms, looking past the sweat dripping from his body, and he laughed.

“here she is, my duo-team princess,” he kissed your temple, “proud of me?”

“proud of all of you,” you kissed his lips softly and he hummed in content, happy that you felt comfortable enough to be able to love him dearly and support your home team all in one.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Mesmerised: Mai x female reader - Imagine being a singer and capturing the attention of the stoic knife expert herself.

Mai’s POV

Mai had never liked singing. 

Ever. 

She found every singer hurt her ears or was just dreadfully dull. She was sure music was the most over-rated form of art....until she heard you sing. 

Mai was truly perplexed and intrigued by her fondness for your singing, it was almost unantural the effect it had on her and Mai had no idea why it affected her so much. She had been walking home one day when your voice drifted out from a cafe. It had tugged at her and she found herself slowing down. She’d never heard a voice like yours. There was something so appealing about it, something so...emotion-provoking, Mai actually felt something stir in her. This had never happened to her and Mai was both surprised and alarmed at the sensation. She carried on walking and shrugged it off but you lingered on her mind. She wondered who sang like that and why she hadn’t heard that song before. It was comforting and beautiful but she knew she had never experienced anything like it before. Your voice played over and over again in her head until finally, Mai gave in. She walked back to the cafe at the same time the next day and ordered a drink. She noticed there was a stage so she took a seat with a good view and waited. As time ticked by she was ready to leave and abandon her fool's errand when you appeared. When she saw you she just knew you were that beautiful voice. Sure enough, when you started to sing the same sensation swept over her, she felt an odd array of emotions and was transfixed by every word. She finally got what people meant when they said music moved them and she liked it. But this new sensation only applied to your music specifically. She realised with an abrupt reminder as the next artist began to perform that she still hated all other music and so she sought yours out to pinpoint exactly what it was that she liked. She came back to the same cafe the next night and then the next and before long she had your schedule memorised. She also learnt the other places you sang at and went to them too. She was slowly becoming a stalker or groupie or something but she still hadn’t figured out what it was that transfixed her and so she came back night after night just to listen to you.

Your POV

You sang at an array of fire nation cafes but even with the hundreds of bars and cafes in the fire nation capital it was difficult to make ends meet. But you’d sought a creative career in a country that favoured efficiency and concrete solutions, what did you expect? You really were a dreamer. You’d noticed this girl had been in the main cafe you sang at every single night you’d been there. Maybe it was just a coincidence and she came here every night anyway but you noticed her in the crowd a lot and hoped she was here for you. She was so mysterious and impressive. She just looked cool and emanated power dressed from head to toe in long black clothes lined sparsely with red. She was very beautiful and you wondered more and more about her every day, what her story was, where she was from, what she did for a living, just everything and anything about her. One day you got your wish.

You stepped outside the bar after a successful gig and there was the girl. She was waiting on the corner yards away from you. She turned as you came outside and your breath caught in your throat. You looked at one another and she stared at you. Her eyes were concentrated and serious adding to her mysterious powerful persona. You blushed at her intense gaze and looked away. She darted her eyes away too but you noticed she kept glancing back over at you. She stepped towards you when suddenly a pink blur appeared. "Mai!" the pink girl cried and she wrapped her arms around her. 

So her name was Mai? 

You smiled, it suited her.

Mai’s POV

"I’ve missed you so much" Ty lee cried still hugging her and Mai let her having learned a long time ago the easiest thing to do was just let Ty lee hug you. "It’s only been a day since we last saw each other" Mai replied dryly."Well you’re so great i missed you even after that amount of time" Ty lee cried kissing Mai’s cheek. Mai rubbed at it annoyed, she didn’t want you getting the wrong idea and thinking Ty lee was her girlfriend. She looked back to see if you were watching and found your spot empty. You’d left. "Is everything okay?". Ty lee asked noticing Mai was staring and she nodded "yeah it’s fine, let's go" and they made their way home.

“We’re home!” Ty lee called as the door swung open and Suki appeared in the corridor “Mai! How was your visit to your family?”. “Boring” she shrugged before pausing “Tomtom is getting so big now” she smiled softly. Suki nodded “I bet! I thought your ship got in at 6?”. “It did, I swung by the lavender inn”. Suki frowned “again? You’ve been going there a lot" she commented and Mai shrugged "i like it there". "Why? It’s not that nice a place" Ty lee frowned and Mai paused "i...i like the staff". When Suki and Ty lee hesitated Mai rushed to cover her back "they serve me quickly, have my order memorised and leave me alone for hours, it’s bliss". Mai could hardly tell them she actually went to lots of different cafes and bars because of a girl and not just any girl but a singer! She knew they’d tease her endlessly for liking a girl so unlike herself and Mai had berated herself over that but she couldn’t help it. You were simply her guilty pleasure and she had no intention of letting you go. 

1 day later

Mai showed up at your usual place the next day and took her regular seat. She was relaxed and ready to hear your music when another girl walked on stage instead. She introduced herself and began to sing. Mai frowned, where were you? She wondered if maybe this girl was the warm-up act but as time stretched on Mai wasn’t so sure. More than a little disappointed Mai discreetly made her way towards the exit. A door leading to the back room opened and Mai heard an argument within. She paused as she recognised your voice. Mai stood casually by the door and listened to what she could hear. You were arguing with someone and it appeared to be over your wages. "I can get more money if I bring in more singers!" a man said and Mai heard you sigh “I’ve had this spot for a year! You can’t just half it, I rely on tips, this will kill my takings”. “That’s not my problem” the man retorted “you either perform here for half the time or go find somewhere else, singers are easy to replace, there are hundreds of performers exactly like you”. You laughed “no there’s not but good look finding one! You can stuff your slot!” you cried and before Mai could react you stormed out from the door past her and exited the cafe. Mai paused and waited an appropriate amount of time before following you. She looked around and saw you’d walked away from the cafe a few feet before you sat on the pavement your head in your hands. Mai watched you, clearly upset, and wondered what she should do...despite her better judgement Mai approached you. "Hey" Mai said and you paused and looked up. "I saw you storm out of the cafe...are you okay?". You nodded your head, your eyes darting over her "i’m fine i just got fired...or quit? I don’t know" you shook your head and Mai frowned. "Well it’s their loss, you're the best performer here". You glanced at Mai curiously "i am?". Mai nodded "i’ve heard you sing quite a few times and nobody sounds like you or does your style...they’ll regret it". You smiled "i have seen you around before and the other night on the corner with your girlfriend!". Mai paused and cursed Ty lee. "That was me but Ty lee isn’t my girlfriend, i don’t have a girlfriend...at least not yet" Mai said and cringed at herself. She wanted you to know she was single and that she liked girls but she’d been so obvious! You chuckled slightly and Mai’s blush rose. "Good to know, your names Mai right?". Mai nodded her head. "My names y/n, it’s nice to finally meet you". Mai smiled "it is". Your eyes met and you looked away first blushing slightly which aided the recovery of Mai’s ego a little. "Can i ask you something?" Mai said fuelled by her burst of confidence. You nodded and she took a breath "so i hate singing, any form of music basically makes me sick to my stomach but i don’t hate yours, I don’t even dislike it!". You paused before smirking "thank you?". "No that didn’t come out right...what i meant was i like your music better than anyone else's and i’ve honestly never heard anyone sing the way you do, so my question is what's your inspiration? Why do you sing so differently?". You paused, that was a big question and you weren’t sure where to start. “Well I mean I’ve always liked to sing, music was my favourite lesson in school but I found there were too many restraints on it! Don’t move when you’re singing, don’t stray from the century-year-old anthems, don’t add any personality to it...” you sighed “I always found it so odd and cruel that we weren’t allowed to just express ourselves but nobody else seemed to, they all called me odd for wanting to sing in a different key or learn a different song. I didn’t fit in with the conventional music...so i quit music classes and practised music in my own way, I found a library book of old songs from before firelord Azulon’s era, apparently they were deemed too unconventional and weak for traditional fire nation custom but I loved them! The songs weren’t harsh or imposing, they were delicate but powerful, emotional but liberating! After I learnt all of those I decided to make more. I’ve developed hundreds of adaptations but the style stayed the same because it feels so free and creative, so un-fire nation. So long story short i guess my style is so different because i rebel against anything that fits with fire nation tradition. I know it’s sacrilegious" you grinned "but i sometimes feel so trapped by all our customs and rules...singing is my rebellion". Mai smiled and you blushed as silence settled "i bet that sounds so overdramatic". Mai shook her head "i know a little about rebelling against the fire nation, it makes sense. It makes me like you...i mean your music even more" Mai said going red. She heard you chuckle under your breath and cursed herself. You went to speak when a voice called out your name. You stood up and waved to the figure "my ride is here". Mai looked down the street where a girl was waiting for you and frowned. She’d embarrassed herself enough so why not push a little more? "Ow...your girlfriend?". You smiled at Mai’s not so subtle question and looked at her "no Loren is just a friend. I don’t have a girlfriend...at least not yet" you said mimicking her earlier response and Mai blushed. "Good to know" Mai said copying you and you smiled at her. "So i should go but it was really nice talking to you Mai, I’ll hopefully see you around?". Mai nodded "yeah I hope so too" and with a smile, you disappeared.

Mai was in excellent spirits when she got home. Not only had she talked to you but she’d flirted (well an attempt at flirting) and she was fairly sure you flirted back. However the best thing was you liked girls and currently didn’t have a girlfriend. Mai kept replaying the smirk on your face when you said “not yet” and was ashamed at the light blush it caused.  Things couldn't have gone better and hopefully she’d see you again soon.

__

Man I love Mai!

She’s in my top 3 for Avatar characters but I find her quite hard to write for because half of her scenes revolve around Zuko so it’s hard to write for her alone when we’ve got so little Mai content!

But either way, this idea came to when I was listening to this classical Chinese song titled 芒种 by 音阙诗听 & 赵方婧 and it’s honestly the most beautiful song i’ve ever heard so I’d really recommend giving it a listen a https://youtu.be/8L2ds1XxrvA. I always have one song on repeat for every imagine I write but this song totally inspired this whole piece and this is how I imagine the reader sings.

Life story over, I hoped you enjoyed the soft cute Mai content!

[chilling-seavey]

Seasons Change (d.s.) - FIFTEEN

↳  A/N Can’t forget Daniel’s pre-hockey pump up song: Thunder by Imagine Dragons - Let’s go Lincoln Lightning! ⚡

↳ Summary: Everyone knows everything about everyone in this small rural town in east Connecticut and the handsome single father who owns the farm down the main street seems to always be the talk of the town. Balancing the care of his acreage, raising his school-age son, and coaching the local boys’ hockey team keeps Daniel busy; but his mind never strays far from the expansive and vibrant flower gardens planted outside his farmhouse.

↳ Word Count: 2573

↳ Warnings: This story touches on topics such as loss of loved ones and grief. Read at your own discretion x

The whole town – or, most of them – came out to watch Lincoln Lightning hockey games. It was always the most populous event in the small rural community, especially when the junior boys’ team was currently one of the leading teams in the whole county. They had their handsome coach to thank for that.

Lennox lived and breathed for hockey, that has been well established, and his father was no different. They took game days very seriously. Saturday games were always at 1pm and the morning was first spent with the basic farm work followed by a full breakfast – plus a protein smoothie for Daniel. Their bags were packed early and all their equipment was accounted for including Lennox’s lucky shirt that accompanied him to every practice and a few extra snacks tucked in the outside pocket of Daniel’s hockey bag.

Since Daniel was the coach, they always had to arrive at the rink first but that just meant more time for pre-game practice. The workers at the community centre such as the lighting controllers, score counters, and Zamboni operators usually were there too and they greeted the Seavey boys as they came in with familiar smiles. They were always home at the rink.

As the bleachers filled with townsfolk and the ‘home’ locker room bustled with chatter from the younger boys, Daniel got set up at the bench. He always introduced himself to the opposing coach with the handshake but they usually kept to their own sides. This day wasn’t different. Each team had the rink for thirty minutes to warm up and then returned to their locker rooms before puck drop.

Daniel got the boys in a huddle, all in their blue and white jerseys and decked out in their surnames and shiny numbers across the back. Lennox was right beside him like every day. Daniel did his usual speech about playing fair and having fun and of course added a bit about kicking butt to make the boys giggle and then they all put their hands in the center of their huddle and did their little cheer. Bring the thunder, bring the lighting!

When the boys were stood in two parallel lines on the ice; the home team on one and the visiting team on the opposite in the neutral zone, everyone stood for the national anthem. Daniel let his gaze drift across the crowd taking up most of the stands in the small community arena as he sang softly and his eyes landed on Jonah, Jocelyn, and Blythe behind the glass farther down. She smiled at him as they sang along to the Star Spangled Banner and he smiled right back.

Lennox played forward so he was usually right in there in the action – and was the go-to for face off at centre ice. Daniel stood with the rest of the team at the bench as the boys on the ice got into positions and Lennox leaned forward across from another boy from the opposing team. With their sticks at the ready, the referee crouched down between them.

“We’re playing a fair game today, boys.” he reminded them before dropping the puck.

Lennox was in there quickly to swipe it back to Jonah’s boy behind him and the game was started.

It was known that Marigold had always cheered the loudest at games – if she really got into it, she’d be banging on the glass too – and the arena always felt quiet without her no matter how loud the crowd was. Blythe, as a hockey fan herself, seemed to be getting into the game herself and she was cheering loudly along with the crowd too. Lennox wasn’t a fan and even under his helmet and visor and mouth guard, his eyerolls couldn’t be missed but he still stayed focused on the game. Hockey was his priority after all.

Being a junior game, they only had two periods and a half time and after a twenty minute break for water, snacks, and an update on game tactics from Daniel in the locker room, they were back on the ice. Lincoln Lightning won 3-2 that day. The two teams shook hands – as did the coaches – and the boys hurried back into the locker room absolute buzzing. Daniel praised them tons, sharing high fives and feedback on what they did best out there and what they could have done even better. He was the best coach the team had seen after all.

The arena was starting to clear out the Zamboni was making its rounds around the rink. In the main hallway, most of the boys – back in their streetwear – gathered in a huge group with their parents and ran around buzzed off adrenaline from their win. Daniel was busy in the rink still, tidying up the bench and locker room and putting things away until the once bustling arena was falling into near silence.

“Daddy!” Lennox came running down the row of bleachers, a few of the boys following after him. “Dad!”

“Hey there, my shining star.” Daniel smiled, “What’s up?”

Lennox stepped up on one of the metal benches to see over the small board separating audience from team box, “Corbyn said he’s gonna give us all ice cream for free because we won. Can I go?!”

“Sure thing, Spud.” Daniel agreed. “Other parents are going too?”

“Yeah! My mum and dad!” Jonah’s boy piped up.

“Are you coming?” Lennox asked.

“I’m gong to stay back to get my own practice in and I’ll meet you after, is that okay?” Daniel asked, pushing his son’s sweaty hair back as it was plastered down over his forehead.

“Yeah.” Lennox jumped off the bench heavily, landing loudly on the cement ground. “Ice cream from Corbyn and we’re gonna watch baseball on Jonah’s projector, okay?”

“Okay.” Daniel chuckled.

Lennox leaned up with his hands on the side of the board and Daniel dipped down to kiss his head. Before the eight-year-old could run after his friends, Daniel grabbed his wrist to stop him.

He leaned back down to whisper, “Mommy would be so proud of you today.”

Lennox smiled widely and threw his arms around his father’s shoulders, “Love you, Dad.”

“Love you, Spud. Have fun.” Daniel called after him, watching his son take off back down the stands after his friends and he disappeared into the foyer of the small community centre.

Daniel liked the quiet. He especially liked the quiet that settled right after a good game when the buzz could still be felt in the cool air of the rink and the boards still burned with the fire of the boys’ passion for the game. It always felt electric and the silence rang in his ears blissfully. Post-game bliss and a moment to wind down and collect his thoughts.

He strapped his skates on and tugged his hockey socks up over the bottom hems of his jeans, not bothering with a helmet or mouthguard or extra padding since it was just him on the ice. Daniel tossed a few pucks onto the ice and hopped over the boards with his stick in hand to get to practice. The Zamboni had just finished its rounds so the ice was freshly smooth and beautiful to glide across.

Daniel did a few warmup laps since the entire game he was coaching in his streetwear. He always liked hitting the ice in his jersey though so it was draped loosely over his tank top underneath, rippling in the breeze that whipped past him as he sped along the permitter of the rink.

Once he was warmed up, he took to a few practice runs and shots, letting his mind wandered as he followed his usually routine. The sounds of his slapshots and the puck hitting the boards echoed through the empty arena but the slam of the main doors had Daniel looking over across the empty stands. Blythe was heading down the cement steps towards the rink and she shot him a friendly smile.

“Hey.” she greeted sweetly.

“Hey,” Daniel skated over slowly, “I thought you went for ice cream with everyone.”

“Nah, I thought I’d hang with you for a bit.”

“I think ice cream with eight-year-olds would have been more interesting.” Daniel admitted, leaning his forearms against the edge of the team bench.

Blythe held up a pair of rental skates, “Not when I came to join you.”

Daniel couldn’t hide the smile that came to his face, “Well, well, well. It’s about time.”

“I know. Long overdue.” Blythe agreed.

She sat down on one of the bleachers and kicked off her sneakers in exchange for the white skates. Daniel waited with her while she laced them up and then opened the door in the boards onto the rink for her. She thanked him and walked out onto the ice, slipping slightly at her initial step. Daniel’s hand habitually flew out to grab onto her to keep her from falling and she clutched his hand in hers.

“Phew.” she chuckled, easily stabilizing her footing. “I think I’m a little rusty.”

“Seems so.” Daniel snorted.

She smacked his shoulder playfully and pushed off to skate towards the center of the rink, reaching the centre to warm up with a graceful tight spin. Daniel glided after her slowly, watching her perfect twirl as she came out of it with a grin.

“You don’t mind if I join you, do you?”

“Not at all.” Daniel assured her. “We can skate for fun. I don’t need to practice today.”

“Maybe I can show you some figure skating moves.” Blythe offered as he picked up the few pucks from where they were scattered across the ice.

“In my hockey skates? How’s that gonna work?” Daniel argued, tossing the pucks into the team bench before gliding back over to her at the centre of the rink.

“Didn’t think you were one to stray away from a challenge.” Blythe tisked, pushing off the ice away from him.

“I’m not.” Daniel followed closely after her and they made their way around the perimeter of the rink, Blythe skating backwards and Daniel keeping up with her pace. “But I’d still beat you.”

“Try me.” Blythe turned around and he slowed down to give her space as she kicked out her left leg and held it straight behind her, arms outstretched, and she glided perfectly across the ice.

Daniel applauded politely, “Easy peasy.”

Blythe turned to watch him as he tried to raise his leg but was a little wobbly and had to hold onto the edge of the boards. Blythe giggled as he steadied himself and pushed off, trying to hold his leg up behind him.

“Higher! Leg higher!” she instructed.

Daniel tried to lift it higher, nearly wobbling in his skates, “I’m trying! I don’t stretch like that!”

Before she could say anything else, he slipped and fell flat on the ice with a groan, his legs flailing up behind him as he nearly faceplanted. Daniel swore quietly, thankfully having put his hands out in front of him in enough time to catch his fall.

Blythe skated over quickly, “You okay? Anything hurt?”

Daniel huffed as he pushed himself up from the ice and got back to his feet, “Just my ego.”

They shared light laughter and he brushed the shaved ice from his jersey. There was a momentary silence as he looked up from his jersey to her face and their eyes met.

Maybe it was the father-of-an-eight-year-old-boy in him but Daniel couldn’t help but say, “Race you.”

Blythe could barely process what he had said before he was whooshing past her and towards on end of the rink. She turned to watch him go and Daniel did a quick lap, gliding across the ice like it was second nature. It honestly was since his second home was the rink and he looked so peaceful on the ice. Blythe only stood at centre ice and watched him lap her a few times but she didn’t make a move to join him.

“Now who’s worried about losing?” Daniel called loudly.

Blythe scoffed loudly, “You make me laugh. I’m making it easy for you.”

“I don’t need you to make it easy for me.”

Daniel turned early to speed right down the centre of the rink, right towards her at top speed and she shrieked just before he slid to a sudden stop, spraying ice at her as his skates caught him. His momentum had her stepping back and she stumbled a bit on her skates but he caught her around the waist quickly before she could fall.

Silence.

Their eyes met. They were breathing heavily from the skating and Daniel had a thin layer of sweat along his brow from his prior practice. Her eyes lingered on his face as his arm stayed tucked around her waist and her hands had habitually set against his chest.

He felt as frozen as the ice they were standing on, his chest feeling tight against the heavy beating of his heart. She was warm against his body, living, real, and her green eyes stared up at him widely, shimmering with anticipation. He couldn’t let her go. He wasn’t sure why. He couldn’t help it. The feeling of a woman in his arms was so foreign now yet it was a moment he wanted to linger on for as long as he could.

Blythe wasn’t Marigold. Daniel could see that easily from even just the deep green eyes that were staring back at him but the familiar fluttering in his chest was unmissable.

He leaned down quickly, as if he were going to change his mind if he waited one more second, and pushed his lips onto hers.

Blythe gasped softly into it, letting her hands grasp onto the white fabric of his hockey jersey and gladly kissed him back. Daniel’s arm tightened around her back, holding her close until there was no space between them. The feeling of her lips pressed to his had waves of warmth washing over him in the middle of the cold ice rink.

On skates, they drifted a few centimetres over the ice ever so slowly but they didn’t move from their kiss for a few long seconds. But when they did, Daniel’s hand was raising to the side of her face and pulling her back in for more, locking her lips with his for a few more lingering kisses like he couldn’t get enough of her. She draped her arms around his shoulders, letting him lead and chose their pace until his fingers were pressing into her hips.

Blythe gently eased him back by his shoulders after a couple seconds and their eyes met shyly behind blushing cheeks as she breathed out his name between them.

He stared at her, their faces still frozen close together so he could feel her gentle breath against his warm cheeks. His heart was racing until he felt like it might beat right out of his chest and he eased his arm from around her waist to let a few centimetres of space drift between them.

Daniel licked his lips slowly and asked quietly, “Do you…wanna go for dinner one night?”

“Dinner?” Blythe raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Are you sure?”

“Not like…not like a date,” Daniel added quickly, “but…just…to get to know you?”

Blythe smiled in agreement, “Sure. Not a date.”

Daniel returned her sweet smile and nodded, “Not a date.”

Seasons Change Taglist: @stuffofseaveyy​ @randomlimelightxxx​ @jonahlovescoffee​ @hiya-its-amber​ @hopinglimelight​ @onlyangelavery​ @sbrewer21​ @bessonsbxtch​ @viamiasoncrack​ @the-girl-who-cried-wolf​ @21burritoseavey​ @queenseavey23​

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[john-laurens]

The parley Commissioners were John Laurens and the Vicomte de Noailles, Lafayette’s brother-in-law, representing the Allies, and on the other side two aides, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas and Major Alexander Ross, for Cornwallis.

Cornwallis’ conditions proved inadmissible. He asked for the honors of war to be granted to his garrison in the ceremony with flags flying and the right to march to music of their choice. For some Byzantine reason of European custom, the right of the capitulators to play the national airs or anthems of the victor was considered to imply that they had put up a good fight. Washington did not think so. In his judgment, in a letter to Governor Sim Lee of Maryland, Cornwallis’ conduct “has hitherto been passive beyond conception.” In Washington’s creed, danger was created to be overcome. Moreover, at the surrender of Charleston, eighteen months before, the British had allowed no honors of war to the defenders and required them to appear with flags cased – that is, furled. Laurens, who had taken part in that occasion, was adamant in refusing to allow the British the honor of marching to the music of their choice with regimental flags flying. When told by Major Ross that this was a “harsh article,” Laurens reminded the Major that after a gallant defense of six weeks in open trenches at Charleston, the same had been refused by the British there. Ross replied that “Lord Cornwallis did not command at Charleston,” and was firmly told by Laurens, “It is not the individual that is here considered. It is the nation. This remains an article or I cease to be a commissioner.” Next, the British wanted honors for the garrison of Gloucester, while Laurens insisted it should be treated as one with the rest. A compromise was finally found, allowing the cavalry to ride with drawn swords and sounding trumpets while the infantry must keep its colors cased.

To plunge into passionate dispute over the trivialities of so-called honor is a queer but not uncommon gambit of men who have just come from putting their lives at stake in serious combat. These were men who had been fighting for empire in one case and for national independence in the other. Did they think they were altering the verdict of the battlefield?

A more substantive issue next arose in the British demand that British and German troops as prisoners be returned to their countries of origin under parole not to re-engage. The same provision granted at Burgoyne’s surrender had permitted the prisoners to fill the places of other troops at home, who could then be sent to America. This time it was disallowed. The most obstinate issue concerned treatment of the Loyalists who had fought for Britain and whose protection Laurens said he had no power to grant and which he was sure Washington would not permit. While the army waiting outside the parley stirred in restlessness at the delay, the arguments dragged on, until the terms were finally concluded at midnight.

When copied and delivered to Washington, he promised to reply to the modifications early in the morning, with another two hours granted for Cornwallis’ signature, expected at 11 a.m., to be followed by surrender of the garrison at two o’clock, failing which, hostilities would resume. The signed papers were duly delivered in the given time. Promptly at 2 p.m. on October 19, 1781, the first steps took place in the ceremony so often described, inaugurating the existence of a new nation.

Lined up on one side of the road to Williamsburg were ten French regiments in their white uniforms, with white silk flags bearing the royal fleur-de-lis in gold. On the other side stood the Americans, with the Continentals drawn up in the front and the less disciplined and shabbier militia, some with toes poking through broken boots, behind. The British, with polished black boots and gaiters whitened, and wearing fresh uniforms issued by their commissary so that they should not be included in the surrender of property, marched out between the lines with colors tightly cased, no flags flying to wave them along. As required, they marched to the music of their own nation – according to one of history’s most memorable invented legends, a ballad, as everyone supposes, called “The World Turned Upside Down.” In fact, no such song or melody by that name existed.*

*The words occur in one of many versions sung to the popular tune “Derry Down.” Best known of these was the ballad “The King Enjoys His Own Again,” an old Jacobite serenade to Bonnie Prince Charlie, anything but appropriate to this occasion. Another version, entitled “The Old Woman Taught Wisdom” or “When the World Turned Upside Down,” contained these lines of notably uninspired poetry:

If buttercups buzz’d after the bee If boats were on land, churches on sea If ponies rode men and if grass ate the cows And cats should be chased into holes by the mouse If the mamas sold their babies To the Gypsies for half a crown If summer were spring And the other way ‘round Then all the world would be upside down!

The statement that “The World Turned Upside Down” was the tune played by the capitulators has been traced to John Laurens, who is supposed to have told it to William Jackson, his close associate during Laurens’ trip to France and also the recorder of Laurens’ conference on surrender terms with Cornwallis’ aides. Jackson, later assistant to a Secretary of War, is said to have communicated what Laurens told him to Alexander Garden, author of Anecdotes of the American Revolution, published in Charleston in 1828. It has been suggested that what Laurens said was something to the effect that the capitulators marched in a slow and dispirited manner, as if they felt the “world had been turned upside down,” and that Jackson presumed he was referring to the ballad containing those words. Variants as to date and origin of the ballad, as to whether it was or was not a marching tune – e.g., “The rhythm in 6/8 time is not adapted to marching” (Frank Luther, Americans and Their Songs), and, alternatively, “The music makes an excellent march” (Kenneth Roberts, Northwest Passage) – have led students through a maze of contradictory references, leaving us with only one certainty: that the tune played by the capitulators at Yorktown, like what song the sirens sang, is historically obscure.

From The First Salute by Barbara W. Tuchman

I thought this was an interesting explanation of the possible origins of the claim that “The World Turned Upside Down” was the song that Laurens requested be played at the British surrender at Yorktown.  The book also includes some sheet music for one of the possible versions of this tune:

[multifandomfanfiction]

Fireworks

TITLE: Fireworks PAIRING: Frankie/Talia (OC) RATING: T CHAPTER: One-shot SUMMARY: It’s the Fourth of July and the guys (plus Talia of course) go to see some fireworks.

[A/N - Frankie and Talia are back! Did this idea come to me while watching fireworks? Yes. Am I ashamed? Nope.]

Talia and the boys arrived at the park where they’d be watching the fireworks.

Benny and Will set up the lawn chairs, while Frankie and Santi scoped out the place.

“Sit down,” Talia urged them.

Frankie sat, but Santi remained on high-alert. Thankfully he’d been told to leave his gun in the car.

“Santi,” Talia said, softly placing her hand on his arm.

Santi relaxed and sat down, but kept an eye on their surroundings.

“The training runs deep, darlin��”, Will told her.

“Tally, Tally, can we go play now!” Sofia asked.

“Ask your daddy,” Talia said.

Sofia looked at Frankie and tried to give him her very best puppy dog eyes.

Frankie sighed. “Fine, but stay where we can see you.”

“That’s fine. I’ll go with her,” Talia said, standing up.

“Are you sure?”

Talia put a hand on Frankie’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine, ‘Cisco.”

Frankie blushed like every time she used that shortened version of his name.

Talia took Sofia’s hand in her own and they walked towards the playground equipment.

“Man, when are you going to marry that woman?” Will asked him.

Frankie shook his head. “She probably doesn’t want to get married.”

Santi laughed.

“What?”

“Talia’s wanted to get married for years now. She said she’s just never found a man worth marrying. I’ve never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at you.”

Frankie looked over at the two playing together and he couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild. He pictured her waddling after Sofia, her belly round with his child. He’d never considered having another child or getting married again after what happened with Maya, but maybe he could have it again with Sofia.

Sofia came running back to Frankie and the guys, Talia chasing after her. “I win! I win!” she cried.

Talia doubled over panting.

Benny laughed. “Maybe you need to come to the gym with me.”

Talia glared at him and sat back down in her lawn chair.

Someone stepped out on the small stage and said, “Hi! And welcome to our Fourth of July Extravaganza! Dinner will be served shortly. We’ve got hotdogs and chips and even some ice cream! So come help yourselves!”

Santi and Will were put in charge of procuring the food, while Benny kept Sofia busy chasing her around.

Frankie set up a little blanket for Sofia to sit on while she ate.

“Tally! Come eat with me!” Talia sat down on the blanket with her back resting up against Frankie’s legs.

He lovingly stroked her hair as Talia listened to Sofia ramble on about school and what she at her mom’s house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Around 9 o’clock, a man dressed in uniform stepped out on stage. “Before the fireworks begin, we’d like to present the colors. At this time, we’d like to invite all veterans and current soldiers serving in the US military to stand. Please join me in thanking them for their service.”

Benny and Will proudly stood up, but it took more convincing from Talia to get Frankie and Santi to join them. Talia knew they still carried tremendous guilt from the op in Colombia and the death of their captain. “You guys deserve the recognition,” Talia told them, “What you did down there isn’t a reflection of who you are as people. You’re good men.”

Frankie and Santi stood up as the people around them clapped.

Talia knew that unlike Will and Benny, they’d rather forget that they were ever in the military.

They brought the flags out and every one of her boys saluted as they sang the national anthem.

Talia would never admit it, but she loved a man in uniform.

Finally, it was time for the fireworks to start.

Talia set Sofia on her lap and Frankie covered her tiny ears with noise-deafening headphones.

Sofia watched wide-eyed as the fireworks went off around them.

Frankie glanced over at Talia, who had a smile on her face. Maybe he could have a happy ending with her. Maybe Talia was right. Maybe he deserved it after all he’d been through.

[alisonwritesimagines]

The Last Bow ~Mat Barzal Imagine~

Requested by anonymous:

Summary: It is your last night as Eliza Hamilton. And because it is your last night, you are super emotional. Luckily you have your family, friends, and the love of your life to be there for you. 

Author’s Note: More theater!reader. Funny though. I was never a theater kid in high school. 

Tonight was your last night as Eliza Hamilton in the hit Broadway show, Hamilton. For about a year, you had the fortunate opportunity to play Eliza Hamilton after Phillipa Soo. Now it was your turn to pass the role down. 

You sat backstage, getting your makeup ready for tonight. Many of your fellow cast members have given you some farewell gifts which kept on making you on the bridge of crying. 

“Everyone is going to ruin my makeup by making me cry,” you joke as you kept trying to convince yourself to stop crying. 

“You’re going to do great tonight, Y/n. Go and make it your best,” your fellow co-actress, Mandy, tells you.

“Thank you, Mandy.” 

“Is your family here?” Your other co-actress, Aubin, asked you.

“Yeah. My family, my boyfriend, and one of his teammates is here,” you tell her.

“That’s good. Break a leg out there,” Aubin winked.

A little thing to know about your boyfriend was that he was a hockey player for the New York Islanders. You met him at a hockey game where you sang the national anthem. He liked your voice and thought you were beautiful so he asked to meet you after the game. 

“Are you excited to see Y/n perform one last time?” Tito asked Mat as they sat with your family. 

Mat has seen you perform a couple of times before. Once with his family after you invited them to watch you perform and another when he went with the team. This time was going to be different. 

“Yeah. I’ve seen her perform a couple times but I just love seeing her perform. She’s always so dedicated to her performances,” Mat tells him.

“We’re glad you both can join us for tonight. I know Y/n was crying after she told us about this being her last performance for Hamilton,” your mother tells Mat and Tito.

“We’re glad to be here, Mrs. L/n,” Tito smiled at her. 

The show started off great. Mat smiled when you sang Helpless. You had put in your best for the performances and you were happy to be with your cast for one last time. 

After the last number, you and your cast took your bows before they let you do your final bow. Mat stood up clapping, smiling at you proudly.

“We like to thank Y/n L/n for this is her last performance with us. Y/n, you have been such a great person to perform and work with and we wish you the best in your next projects. We love you so much,” Miguel (the actor who played Alexander Hamilton now) tells you as Mandy handed you a bouquet of flowers. You started to cry from the overwhelming emotions. You smiled as you waved at the audience. 

After you were done getting changed, you signed some playbills before your mother walked over to you with her’s.

“Can you sign my playbill honey?” Your mother asked.

“Of course mom,” you smiled as you signed her.

“We’re so proud of you honey,” your dad said as he hugged you. 

“I still can’t believe you performed in Hamilton,” your sister tells you. 

“I know right!” 

“You were amazing, babe,” Mat tells you. 

“Thank you, sweetie,” you smiled as you gave him a kiss.

“This is for you, Y/n,” Tito said before handing you a bouquet of flowers.

“Aw they’re amazing. Thank you, Tito.”

“They’re from the team and the wags as well,” Tito smiled. You gave him a hug as well while you carried all the flowers that were given to you. 

“Let me help you with that,” Mat offered. He took some flowers while you had to take some quick pictures.

“You know it’s kinda funny,” Tito mentioned to Mat.

“What is?”

“Well the fact that if we were in high school, you would’ve fallen in love with a theater nerd.”

“Well I would’ve fallen for her either way,” Mat smiled at you. 

After taking some picture and autographs, you and Mat went back to your shared apartment where you started to put the flowers in some vases. You changed into your pajamas before lying in bed with Mat. 

“How are you feeling right now?” Mat asked you.

“I’m a little emotional but I am glad I had the opportunity to perform in Hamilton,” you tell him.

“Good,” Mat said before leaning down to kiss you. 

[yayeetsonny]

Hand in Hand~Alyssa Naeher x Ashlyn Harris

Prompt: there's a picture out there that looks like Alyssa is proposing to Ash so, here’s a proposal fic that was super fun to write. 

Requested by: @knight-16​

Alyssa PRO//

“Are you sure this is a good plan?” I asked Ali Krieger, my good friend and my hopefully soon-to-be fiancé Ashlyn Harris’s best friend.

“Yes, this is perfect.”

“Well what if I mess this up or, what if she doesn’t like the ring or, oh god what if she says no-”

“Lys, relax. She’s not going to say no. The women is head over heels in love with you.”

“I could still mess up.”

“You won’t. Trust me.”

I had been planning my proposal to Ashlyn for months, it took me 3 months to even decide on the ring for her. I have known she was the one since our second year anniversary. We’ve been dating for 2 and a half years and I couldn’t be happier. She completes me and I fall in love with her more everyday. I knew in my heart that she would say yes even if I proposed with a ring pop candy ring but I still wanted everything to be perfect.

The plan was to wait until after our game tonight and after we get back to our apartment I’ll ask her if she wants to go for a walk and then I would take her to our spot on the beach we like to visit almost everyday. Once there we’ll sit and chat for a while like we usually do and then I’ll carry out the rest of my plan and pop the question. I was beyond nervous but I was also over the moon about finally getting to this milestone with her.

“Hey babe! You ready?” Ashlyn said, taking me by surprise.

“H-hi love. I am.” 

I quickly shoved my phone in my bag so she couldn’t see what I was showing Ali

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just nervous is all.” I admitted

“You have no reason to be nervous Alyssa, you’re starting in the game, which is a first for this set of friendlies I know but you’re going to show Vlatko just how amazing and badass you are.”

She came up behind me, and wrapped her arms around me, kissing my neck softly.

“Oh, you can do it just know that I believe.” She sang 

I smiled softly when I realized what she was doing. We watched the High School Musical movies religiously and I instantly knew the song from the 3rd movie.

“And that’s all I really need.”

“So come on.”

“Make me strong. Time to turn it up, game on.” I giggled as we finished singing. 

Ali was watching and recording the whole thing, smile just as bright as we were.

“You guys are the cutest.”

“Thanks, we try.” Ash said flipping her hair

“I needed that boost. Thank you.”

“of course baby. Now go kick some ass.”

She slapped my butt playfully as we started to head out to the tunnel. I met up with the little girl whose hand I would hold and walk onto the field and she talked animatedly about how excited she was to go out and I promised we would wave to her parents when we did. I was behind Megan who was first in line since she was captaining this game and when we stepped onto the field I was swept away by the crowd and how loud they were. I have been playing on the national team for years now but I will never get over that first cheer or the adrenaline rush I feel before a game. After the anthems, pictures and shaking hands with the other team we got into a huddle for once last pep talk

“Okay listen up. We’ve watched plenty of game footage and strategized, we can beat this team. If we take care of the big things, all the little pieces will fall into place, alright?”

We all nodded in agreement.

“Oosa on 3!… 1!… 2!… 3!”

“OOSA, OOSA, OOSA” We shouted together.

We broke off to get into our positions and I headed into goal. I took a deep breath, jumped up and down a couple of times and stretched my arms, determined to remain completely focused. I wanted a clean sheet really bad.

It was the 67th minute when things changed, up until that point I had stopped every shot that the Brazilian players sent my way, every set piece went off without a hitch and we were up 1-0. Unfortunately, Becky accidentally fouled Marta in the box and gave away a penalty. She turned to me looking guilty.

“It’s okay Beck, I got it.” I said patting her on the back.

I knew I could stop the shot and after listening to instructions from the ref and waiting for everyone else to be ready I turned out everyone else around me and focused solely on the ball. I could feel Marta’s eyes on me but I refused to look her in the eye because I knew she was trying to get in my head. She backed up a few steps before firing the ball toward the upper right 90, I could see she was going to go there so I leapt in that direction and was able to slap the ball away and out of danger. After I got up from the ground my teammates swarmed me and shouted praise in my ear as we hugged. 

“SO BADASS!”

“FUCK YEAH BABE!”

“Go, set up for the corner!” I yelled

I was overjoyed that I kept my clean sheet but I knew we still had work to do and was locked in. They did as I said and Marta once again took the set piece, she sent the ball into the box but I was able to come off my line and punch it away. We regained possession and Abby passed the ball to Christen who passed it to Lindsey and she took it into Brazil’s final 3rd. Our counter attack was strong and I was watching intensely as my teammates went for another goal. Lindsey crossed the ball the Megan but she was between 2 defenders so she wasn’t able to get the shot off, she decided to pass to Alex who was able to fire it into the net. I watched as my teammates cheered and celebrated and I couldn’t help but let a massive grin spread across my face. The rest of the game went on without many chances for either side and we were able to walk away with a solid 2-0 win. 

After we signed autographs and took pictures we all made our way back into the locker room, I was putting my stuff away when I felt someone pick me up from behind. I squealed quietly at the sudden movement but knew exactly who it was.

“THAT WAS SO BADASS BABY, I’M SO FUCKING PROUD OF YOU.” Ashlyn yelled as she set me down. I turned around and jumped on her, hugging her tightly as she peppered my neck with kisses and eventually moved to my head, face  before finally planting a deep kiss on my lips.

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

“Yes you could, and you did. I just gave you a little pep talk.” She chuckled

We kissed some more before someone cleared their throat.

“Look, I love you both and you’re super cute together but please… get a room.” Alex groaned

I instantly felt my cheeks turn a deep red as Ash just smirked at her.

“You’re just jealous because Kelley grounded you from sex for a week.” She said

She just flipped Ash off and stomped away. Everyone laughing at her faking being mad. Kelley pouted at her sympathetically as she whispered something in her ear. A dopey grin spread across her face and I knew she had been freed from the dog house. 

After an hour of celebrating the win Ash and I bid goodnight to our teammates and headed back to our apartment. We lived in Orlando together which was great but playing on different NWSL teams made being separated during the season hard but we made it work; we spent all of our offseason together and made sure to make frequent weekend trips to be together. I knew after I proposed, I would immediately get to work on requesting a trade to the Pride. Our regular season was almost over so the opportunity couldn’t be better. 

“So, how do you want to celebrate your amazing performance tonight?” Ash whispered in my ear, slightly nibbling on it as we sat on the couch.

“W-well, I was thinking of taking a walk together on the beach.”

She took to kissing my neck and as much as I wanted to celebrate like that I had planned to much for this not to pan out.

“A walk?” She seemed slightly disappointed, I felt bad but we could always celebrate after we were officially engaged. 

“Yeah, I would like to take a walk. It’s so nice out.”

“Okay, then a walk it is.”

I kissed her sweetly before whispering in her ear

“Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of fun later tonight.”

She shuddered and I smirked at her. She smiled at me before taking my hand and pulling me up with her. I pretended to go to the bathroom so that I could grab the ring I had stashed away and when I was sure I had everything I needed and shaken out my nerves, I reemerged and we left our apartment. walking hand in hand to the beach. When we got there, we walked along the sand, I had taken off my shoes and let the water flow over and under my feet, loving the calm, cool feeling.

“You did so good today, I’m so proud.”

“Thank you. You’re my biggest fan.” 

“I always will be.”

 After a while I led us over to our spot, which was a section of rocks that were comfortable to sit on and gave us a good few of the whole ocean. Ashlyn turned to me and I could have sworn her eyes were literally sparkling under the moonlight. 

“Hi.”

“Hey there.”

We just looked at each other for several moments, and then Ash broke the silence by tapping me on the nose.

“You have such a cute nose, did you know?” She asked, smiling like a fool. “I didn’t but thank you. So do you.” I giggled, tapping her nose in return.

We continued messing around, smiling and laughing and I fell in love with her all over again.

“If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?” She asked

“I would be right here, with you.”

She smiled lovingly at me in return before kissing me. We sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Ashlyn got up, turned away from me and stretched. 

I knew this was my chance so without any hesitation I got down on one knee, ring in hand and waited for her to turn around. When she did, her eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Oh my god.”

“Ashlyn Michelle Harris, I have loved you since the day we met all those years ago. You are the light of my life, my rock, my person and I can not imagine my life without you. Will you make me the happiest women alive and marry me?”

She stood in shock for a moment, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. At this point I was in tears too, my heart was going a million miles an hour as I waited for her to answer.

“Yes, yes a million times yes!” She shouted as she tackled me into the sand. 

“I love you.” She cried

“And I love you.”

Still on top of me, she looked down at me with so much love I thought she would burst. Our lips met in a passionate kiss and we made out for a moment before finally sitting up to breath. 

“So what do you say, you wanna put the ring on?”

“Oh, yeah. I totally forgot about that.”

I laughed through my tears as I slid the ring onto her finger. It was a simple gold band but Thad a decent sized diamond in the center. She inspected it for a moment before saying

“It’s perfect, I love it.”

“I really thought and hope you would” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

We sat in silence again as we took in the moment, we were officially engaged and it meant the world to us both. 

“How did you do so well at hiding this from me?” Ashlyn asked

“I had a little help from Ali.”

“Ah, I shoulda known. Good ol’ Kriegs.” She chuckled

“How do you think we should tell the team?”

“We could…. Invite them over for dinner tomorrow and see how long it takes for them to notice the ring?”

“Excellent idea.”

“I should probably tell Ali first, she’s been blowing my phone up for the last hour.” I laughed 

“That’s a good idea. Tell her I said thank you.”

“I will.”

“I can’t wait to be Mrs. and Mrs. Neaher-Harris.”

“The day I get to call you my wife will be the greatest of my life.”

After I texted Ali, swearing her to secrecy, we laughed at her excited response. 

I was excited for this new chapter in our lives and I knew no matter what life threw at us Ash and I would get through it together, hand in hand.

I’m sorry this took a hot minute. Sorry for any mistakes.

-N