#and all these players owe me absolutely nothing

[eyes-above--the-waves]

ANYWAY, I hope that the Toronto Maple Leafs have a very nice night and remember that a lot of people love and support them no matter what .

[enwoso]

blurb request of reader being too hyper/boisterous or getting way too competitive and taking things too far so having to constantly be warned of told to play nice by her older teammates?

WIN OR LOSE — reader x engwnt

masterlist

“t’was stupid anyway! i should have won!” you sulked walking back into the canteen with grace who was boasting about her win in the little game you were playing with the media team for the england tiktok.

the rest of the england girls watched on at your two polar opposite moods, grace’s being a big grin from ear to ear while yours was a scowl as your eyebrows deepened.

“oh shush y/n, just admit your a sore loser!” grace teased bumping your shoulder into hers as you gave her your signature death stare.

everyone who you played with knew how much you hated to loose and that came down to both football matches and silly little games that meant absolutely nothing like the one you had just done hence your mood.

your mood usually being happy, giggly as well as winding everyone up on the team being know as the pest of the team, but put you in a losing position and your attitude and mood will change quicker than you can blink.

you constantly being reminded by the older player at both club and country about your competitiveness sometimes taking it a little two far when trying to win. but in your mind why wouldn’t you want to win, losing is boring!

“i’m not a sore loser, you literally were cheating!” you voice was starting to sound a little harsher and a little louder as you were just about to open your mouth to retaliate you were being pulled by the arm by leah who pulled you into a seat next to her, millie and beth.

“get off me!” you huffed, your arms folded across you chest. your scowl still being present and probably deepening. the three looking at you with the same look, you knew what was coming.

“oi huffy pants, quit with the attitude!” millie quipped back as you rolled your eyes earning you a slap on the arm from leah, the perks of being the youngest on the team!

“ow! what was that for?” you questioned rubbing your hand over where the captain had just slapped you, the three still giving you the same stern look.

“right kid, we aren’t here to dampen your spirits cause we love that you want to win everything-” mille started as you sighed knowing there was a but, there always was.

“-but not every little silly challenge matter, yeah?” leah continued after milke your stone face still there as you were unsure what their point was.

“we know you know, but just don’t take it too far. okay?” beth smiled at you, a small shrug came from you “would rather win though, wouldn’t i” you mumble as you hear the three sigh.

“yeah but you never really lose” beth said as you looked at her as if she had just told you that grass was purple. your eyes wide at what you he’d just heard the girl say urging for her to continue with her explanation

“well the saying goes, you never lose cause you either win or your learn”

“i think i’ll stick to my way” you smiled while leah gave you a pointed look. unsure of beth’s inspiration quote she most definitely just plucked out of thin air. both leah and mille looking confused at the blondes attempt.

“but i’ll remember not to take it too far!” you grinned as the three jumped up celebrating and high fiving each other as you rolled your eyes playfully at their silly antics.

“right race you to the changing rooms!” you called out over the top of the three, jumping out of your seat as the three sat back in theirs.

“that lasted for all of three seconds!”

[beneathashadytree]

HEY GUYS! LONG POST HERE, BUT PLEASE READ🙏🏽

I am genuinely appalled by the discourse ongoing in the LNDS fandom these past few days—but above all, I am severely disappointed in what had started out as one of the most inclusive and sweet fandoms I’ve ever been in. I have a few things to say, so in this post I’m trying to put all my thoughts to words. Apologies if I sound harsh, but I’m genuinely livid. Also, please ignore any typos. I’m not wearing my glasses while word-vomiting.

First off, for a fandom that is composed of mostly adults, you guys have been acting terribly childishly. It’s 2024, and yet people are still unironically shaming others for “switching up on their favs” as if a person owes 2D characters any loyalty. Let people enjoy things. The novelty of Sylus and how he’s quite literally 6 months behind the other 3 love interests makes people want to catch up on the enjoyment of him all at once. He’s still such a brand new character and concept, so there’s no wonder everyone’s hyped up over him.

I’ve seen people get genuinely mad at other players and writing whole think-pieces about this. I promise you guys, the company making this game is still benefiting whether you’re pouring your money into Sylus or any one of the previous 3. We’re all happy to have an interesting character pop up among the roster now, and we’re taking our time getting to know him. Doesn’t make any of the first 3 any less loved. I genuinely don’t remember this amount of nastiness when solo events for each of the guys used to drop.

In fact, if the popularity thing is worrying you, going off MLQC (the company’s past game) the character who was last added was—eventually, after the initial hype died down—kicked off to the sidelines in most major events and was given the least content, and was the least favorite of fans.

Secondly, and this has my blood boiling, there is an insane amount of entitlement and rudeness I’ve seen on my timeline concerning how people characterize the men—particularly Rafayel.

Absolutely nothing warrants this shitty attitude towards other creators for how they depict characters in their fics. It seems you guys feel protected behind a screen and think it gives you the right to bully strangers online. Fanfiction is for fantasizing about your favs; for letting your imagination run wild. If this were a character analysis, then yes, maybe I’d agree that inaccuracies are aggravating. However, in fanfiction, there are zero rules, especially when it comes to smut.

Sexual preferences are not equivalent to a person’s whole personality—so whether he’s written as a dom, a sub, a switch, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, this has nothing to do with his kindness, gentlemanliness, passion, power, ruthlessness, snark, or whatever minuscule aspect of his character makes up his lovely whole and matters to you.

I think this circles back to a lack of ability to separate sexual matters and personality, because how else do people interpret fics depicting him in a certain manner as them erasing his character? They might overlap, but they can very well be mutually exclusive. I’ve seen incredibly sweet and gentle men irl who were absolute doms in bed, and I’ve seen powerful and passionate men who were reduced to tears between the sheets. There is barely any correlation whatsoever, and if anything, claiming otherwise is what I consider piss-poor media literacy and reading-comprehension.

My third point is that for some reason, there have been many, many posts and replies on here where I’ve seen people just straight-up spread pure hate for the characters. Maybe this bothered me in particular because I’m an OT3 (OT4 now!) and absolutely adore all of them, but I find no logical reason for “yucking someone’s yum” when we’re talking about liking the characters of an Otome game—a genre of video games which is made to literally cater to the tastes of as many people as possible.

It’s especially disheartening to see when it’s at a time like this, when new content is about to drop, and you find in the replies of every other post/discussion at least a few people spewing hate and disgust at Sylus. Again, so many people are incredibly excited about him. Why is there a need to rain on everyone’s parade, especially in such an unsolicited manner?

This fandom originally started as a safe space for people of all races, backgrounds, genders, sexualities, and personalities to bond over our mutual love for characters. All I’ve seen on my TL lately (in terms of discussion) is negativity, and it’s such a fucking let-down. I hope whatever the fuck has happened to this fandom cools down after a bit. It’s probably exaggerated and very in-your-face rn, cause more and more people are downloading LNDS, so the probabilities of finding people being nasty are increasing. But I seriously don’t want to grow to resent this fandom and find myself distancing myself from it to protect my peace.

Let’s all remember to be kind towards other players, to not act entitled or bratty about the characters, and to try and mind our own business if we see content that doesn’t suit our tastes.

[autistichalsin]

If you're curious, this is what Halsin's letter says in the epilogue if you fail to break the Shadow Curse:

My friend, I was truly heartened to learn of your success in the fight against the Absolute- the whole of the Sword Coast and beyond owes you a debt that can never be repaid. I dearly wish I could have joined in your moment of celebration, but the Shadow Curse remains, and so my vigil must continue. Perhaps I shall yet discover a way to restore light to this place, but until then, the memories of my time traveling with you shall sustain me through all manner of hardships. If the Oak Father is kind, one day I shall feel the warmth of the sun and know the joys of your company once again. Yours until the end, Halsin

So... there is a LOT going on here. A lot. One, obviously, the heartbreak of Halsin resigning himself this way. "If the Oak Father is kind," he'll feel the warmth of the sun again?

The way he sees the player's company as something he longs for just as much as the sun. While confining himself to darkness and despair, what he longs for most- even more than nature itself- is sunlight and the player.

Which brings me to... you can feel the pining here. This letter was what finally cemented it for me: Halsin is, canonically, in all "good runs", in love with the player. Not "holds a lot of affection for the player that may or may not become romantic" like the others. This was what finally made me decide, beyond a doubt, he is ALWAYS in love with the player so long as they don't raid the Grove. This is just too much pining, too heavy of a romantic coding, too much he sees in the player, to be anything else.

He puts the player on par with sunlight. The thing he uses as a metaphor time and time again to explain as a basic need, something no life can live without. Something whose absence chokes the nature he loves so much into nothing. A need. That's what he considers the player.

And that's not even getting to "yours until the end," which is so obvious, I think it speaks for itself. With all the "I'm glad to be had"s and the "I am your servant, my love"s, Halsin is someone who- despite loving to be "unbound in nature"- considers a form of "being had" to be something of a love language. And here, knowing he will very possibly never see the player again unless a miracle happens or the player goes on a borderline suicide mission just to visit him, he still calls himself "yours". Even when he devotes himself to the land he couldn't heal, he still sees his heart as belonging with you, first and foremost.

And that's the happier explanation. The sadder explanation is that he's so tormented by the shadows and everything else that he's making up a fantasy in his head, of the player being his tragic, could-have-been love, just to cope. Just to convince himself there's something, someone, waiting for him should the curse ever be broken, so that he can imagine better is waiting for him, to give himself enough strength to endure the shadows for however long it takes, because the alternative is surrendering. And he can't let himself do that as long as he's needed. So, as he has done before, like when he convinced himself he liked being a sex slave to survive being a prisoner in the Underdark, he indulges in fantasy to survive- but instead of enslavement, it's solitary confinement.

Both are HEARTBREAKING options, in a scenario that was already beyond heartbreaking just before the epilogue.

[thommi-tomate]

Sometimes it amazes me that people literally give all the attention to the other members of the GNT while completely ignoring Thomas who has been massive for the national team, like man how can you not but admire someone with a career as hard working as Thomas Müller?

With Thomas' near retirement with the national team in mind I would like to review his international career.

Thomas came to the senior national team months before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to play 2 friendlies, and when the World Cup arrived he was an undisputed starter from the very first moment at only 21 years of age.

In the World Cup, he was a key player, he scored 5 goals and 3 assists making him the winner of the golden boot and the best young player.

In 2014 he was part of one of the most iconic teams in the history of football, again being instrumental in the win that would put the fourth star on the chest, with 5 goals and 3 more assists

Winning the silver ball of the tournament and taking the cup home, the road after that was complicated but he still became the record man of this generation

With 131 caps to his name, he is the third most-capped German player.

Germany's fourth highest goal scorer at World Cups

Sixth German player with the most goals in the history of the German national team

Top assistant in the history of the German national team

With 131 games, 45 goals and 41 assists and over 9000 minutes played (every 105 approx. minutes he made a goal contribution), Thomas owes absolutely nothing to this team, he put his soul, blood and sweat and as he said it already once he did it with love, that watching any of his games you can notice and receive, so put more respect in his name the man is a living legend

And if this is the last time we see each other in an international match, thanks for the love of the game, thanks for your effort, thanks for the happiness and even for the sadness.

Vielen Dank für alles

[vscabarca]

relax - pablo gavi

summary: gavi comes home exhausted after an intense week of football, but you‘re there to help him relax.

genre: fluff

———

gavi came home absolutely exhausted. It was the week before the game against Atlético Madrid, so xavi didn't give his players any rest, but kept pushing them to their limits. After an already intense practice, the coach then announced a spontaneous meeting, where they would discuss their tactics for the game.

already annoyed by the sudden change of plans and a headache forming, he stumbled into the meeting, sitting down next to araujo. what gavi didn't know, this meeting would take about two hours before he finally sat in his audi to head home. a sight left his lips as he looked at the time. 8:17pm. you were probably already done with dinner and left him a plate to eat.

you sat on the couch with your glasses on, trying to do some homework for the next day, as you heard the keys jingle, indicating gavi was home.

he stumbled into your shared apartment, holding his phone and keys in one hand, while the other held his backpack. his eyes were half closed already and his hair was all over the place. after finally looking up, his eyes met his girlfriends. you smiled softly at him when you saw the worn out boy standing in front of you.

"you look like you need a hug." you chuckled and walked over to him.

gavi only half smiled, but put his strong hands around your shoulders nevertheless. you knew how exhausted he must've been, so you let him hug you as long as he wanted to.

"i've missed you." he muffled and placed a soft peck on your neck.

"I've missed you too pablito." you spoke, holding his cheeks to give him a proper, long kiss.

"i already ate but i can warm it up for you, if you want." you spoke again, taking the backpack from his hands to put it away.

gavi just nodded sleepily, stumbling towards the kitchen.

you came back and prepared his food when Gavi whined in pain as he sat down. "Ow!" he growled, putting a hand on his lower back.

"does your back still hurt?" you asked him concerned and walked over to him, rubbing his back softly.

"mhm, i couldn't rest that much these last few weeks, so i guess the pain came back." he replied, leaning into your touch.

his back had been giving him problems for a while now. during a game, he received a blow from another player onto his lower back muscle and since then it hurt. over time it got better, but when gavi played a lot and couldn't rest properly, the pain came back. the physiotherapists at Barça said nothing could happen if he played through the pain, but his ability to perform at his best was restricted.

"how about i'll give you a massage after you're finished with eating? it helped the last time."

"yeah that would be nice, thank you amor." he replied and gave you a soft kiss to which you blushed in response. he ate dinner in silence, watching some videos on his phone while you got everything ready. gavi walked upstairs, his face contorted in pain with every step he took, until he reached the bedroom.

you patted the bed, indicating for gavi to lie down. with a plop, he was face down on the bed, eyes already closed.

"baby if you want me to massage you, you have to take your shirt off." you laughed at your boyfriend's silliness.

he was quiet for a second until he spoke.

"you could've just told me if you wanted to see my abs." he replied cockily as a joke to tease you.

you just shook your head, but secretly liked the view when Gavi stood in front of you shirtless. still with that cocky grin on his face he came closer, looking down at you.

"you like what you see, don't you?" gavi stepped even closer, only inches apart from each others faces.

"i'm trying to be all cute and helpful for you and you make me nervous over here. stop it." you replied only above a whisper.

he laughed out loud before pressing a gentle kiss on your lips.

"you are cute and helpful, but i love to see you all shy and blushing because of me."

finally laying on his stomach, you swung your legs on either side of Gavi, sitting on his butt.

"it's going to be cold for a sec, sorry." you had already warned him before you placed the cream onto his lower back. he shrieked at the coldness but relaxed shortly after.

pressing your thumb into his skin, you made slow but strong movements, trying to ease the tension out of his body. he sighed in relaxation, sometimes giving you an appreciative smile or comment, like "oh that's nice" or "keep doing that, it feels amazing".

you now wandered from his back to his shoulders and neck, giving his other muscles also a good squeeze. you enjoyed letting your hands wander over his broad shoulders and loved to see your boy relaxed, as his body was often in constant pain or exhaustion.

it's been about half an hour when you stopped as your hands started to hurt. you hadn't heard much from gavi, so you gently got off him, only to see him sleeping.

his eyes were closed and his lips slightly parted as soft breaths left them. you pressed a sweet kiss onto his cheek, before placing the duvet over him to let him have his well deserved rest.

[icarus-n-flames]

So I’m just sitting trying to will my brain quiet and scrolling twitter when an idea occurred to me all because of these little cat shaped bottles.

The idea was that there is a scenario where the DBDA need a very rare ingredient for a spell. Cat tears. That’s not exactly something you can find and you can’t just make a cat give you their tears no matter how desperate you are. Ofc Edwin is going to get a bottle carefully packed in a nice box delivered to him by the Ghost Post from none other than Cat King.

Then there is the question of WHY he would need Thomas’ tears so I thought of something horrible.

Charles for all his charm sometimes does not say the right thing to critters when he first meets them. “Zip it crow” “Piss off cat” so he probably said the wrong thing to idk a tanuki or kitsune and got himself a fun little withering curse to match his withering words.

They think nothing of it at first because you think a withering curse would be something VISIBLE. That is until Charles starts to seemingly become absent minded. It’s little things at first like forgetting where he placed his favorite mixed tape but Edwin gives him a look because that broke a few weeks ago unfortunately when the blasted cassette player had decided to devour it. He’s misplacing things more and more. Then he walks past the case board one day and points to a case that he has absolutely no recollection of and NOW Edwin is worried.

They do their research and discover the withering curse will slowly drain his memories written on his soul since he is not alive for a body to wither until he is nothing but a faded suggestion of an expressionless boy aimlessly wandering the world.

They can’t find the creature that Charles offended to beg for leniency so they start researching possible alternatives.

It takes so very long because every thing they find says there is no cure for the curse save for the forgiveness of the creature who cursed him so Charles forgets more and more til he’s even forgetting Crystal.

Edwin has to remind him every morning, they tried having Charles read it in his own writing but it just didn’t have the same effect as Edwin calmly explaining, detailing the events in the same voice he used the first night they met. Oddly enough, Edwin never has to tell Charles he’s in love with him. He remembers, though he doesn’t remember how he knows.

“Guess I just always knew you loved me, Edwin. It’s not a memory I could lose, yeh?”

It’s painful, just a bit, but also a comfort.

Then they FINALLY find the cure. It requires so many ingredients, it takes them so long to track them down until they only have “Cats tears” left. Of course Mick doesn’t have it though he says he’ll keep an eye out and Edwin is looking everywhere.

Then like a gift from the heavens or maybe just from a Cat King who might have a crush on him, they secure the tears FINALLY but not before Charles finally forgets that Edwin loved him.

Charles is trying his level best to help through the spell, trying to talk Edwin through his obvious discomforts and sadness when he thinks it’s been but a few days since he was dying in an attic back at school. They need to hurry, Edwin owes it to him to get him out of this but Charles is stopping his frantic hands, slowing him and telling him to just take a BREAK. He can fix him right up in 30 minutes.

“Charles why are you doing this? This is important I can not just “take a break” until this blasted curse is gone.” He’s so wrung out and in his overwhelming worry he thinks Charles isn’t taking this seriously because he hasn’t had 35 years to know when to calm himself. He’s only a few days from that attic and from being a 16 year old boy who died too young.

Charles gives him a pained little look, taking the vial out of Edwin’s hand and sitting it down before grasping his hands tightly in his.

“Because I’m in love with you, I think. So bloody worried about me you just never think about yourself do you?” Because Charles is thinking of a boy who escaped from hell and risked it all to talk him through it all, to be there when the light came so he wasn’t scared. The boy who was already terrified of being caught but still caved under Charles’ smile and let him tag along. He taught Charles the ghost rules and how to keep from falling through the floor or how to touch the world around him without stuttering through it in ways he never even knew how to when he was alive.

He might not remember anything else about the last 35 years they spent together but he knew he loved Edwin Payne and had since he’d died. It was terrifying because he had no idea if Edwin could love him right then, maybe 35 years really only got them friendship.

The horrifying comedy of it all is not lost on Edwin that it took Charles losing 35 years of their life together and but a memory of a week together for him to say what Edwin was certain would take a century if even so soon.

Of course they’re going to get him fixed right up but I just really loved the thought of Charles forgetting Edwin’s love eventually but most certainly not forgetting his own that is so much louder now that there isn’t the weight of 35 years and the fear of that crumbling in his hands. There is just a boy trying his hardest to make Charles whole again with everything he is and he needs to say it before he forgets Edwin entirely.

[captainpulisic]

you've ruined my life by not being mine - m. mount

wrote this during a severe brain rot so I hope it isn't too mid, thank you to anyone who reads & I hope you enjoy :) word count : 4.4 k gif creds to owner

mason mount is absolutely gorgeous. nothing else to say, no need to elaborate. everyone who comes across him can confirm this. he’s a god amongst mere mortals, you’re sure of it. being an intern for chelsea's social media team, you have had the privilege of crossing paths with him several times a day. all these small interactions and polite ‘hellos’ have made you smitten. you’re positive that is the case for every girl who has the honour to be the winner of his attention.

you’ve come to the conclusion that he has a gift of making anyone he's talking to feel special. his eyes never leave yours, making it known that his attention is solely on you. the real killer is that smile of his. it’s very soft and boyish, with just a hint of shyness. as if he’s as nervous to talk to you, as you are to him. that bastard. how dare he make your cheeks go deep red and hands shake just by saying ‘have a nice day’. the audacity! 

he could be worn out from an extensive training session or surrounded by other important chelsea people, yet he’d always find a way to squeeze in a conversation with you. it was sweet of him, really. the fact that he was nice enough to make you feel so welcome to the family, like part of the team. he probably did it for everyone, yet it still made you feel special, nonetheless. 

mason was always going out of his way to make small talk with you, to ask how your weekend had been. he assured you that once you finished uni, he was positive the club would offer you a full time position. he’d confide that your ideas and content was the best, engaging everyone from fans to the players. 

‘why wouldn’t they try to keep the best when they already have them, yeah?’ he would assure you, squeezing your arm. you always felt you skin burning by the time he let go. 

you find yourself in that exact situation right now. 

after a particularly long week full of training, everyone was filing out of the locker room. freshly showered and exhausted, mason’s only mission in life was to get home and sleep for the next twelve hours. no agents or coaches or ‘after training, distress at a club’ plans will stop that. end of discussion.

he’s almost out the doors and into the parking lot.

well, that is until he sees you. you’re near the office doors, all smiles and cheerfulness as you talk to other people from the social media team. he’d never admit this to anyone but you have him quite smitten, too. one time he practically bumped into all his teammates when he saw you across the hallway. conor bitched to him for the next hour, annoyed at how he’d accidentally shoved him into a wall. he’d speed walk at an embarrassing pace, just to be able to say hello you, to be in your presence.  

as he approached your group, your co workers left you to face him by yourself. your small fangirl crush on him was a well known topic, since they swore he fancied you back. as if, you’d blush and wave them off. 

“hi,” he halted, ending his unusually fast pace. “hey, you.”

“to what do I owe the pleasure, mr mount?” you felt your grin go wide. you both laughed at the nickname. it was a recurring joke from when you had just started your internship, too starstruck and using only formal names to address the players. 

the first time you had been introduced to mason, you had addressed him as ‘mr. mount’. you were scared and confused when he started to turn around and look at all the people passing behind him. you weren’t sure what you had said wrong. 

“oh, ‘m sorry. I heard mr. mount and immediately thought my dad was here. please, call me mason.”

you had been a giggling mess since then and even now, you always found yourself laughing around him. on masons side, he heard your laugh that first encounter and vowed to himself he’d do anything to keep hearing it. 

“I just wanted to let you know that a bunch of us are going to a club tonight,” he didn’t even know what he was saying until he had already said it. his tired limbs were yearning for his bed but his y/n crazed brain overpowered him. the chance to see you outside of the bridge was such a sweet opportunity he couldn’t pass up. “come, please?”

you had never really been invited to those club or party hangouts, they were mostly reserved for the players and their girlfriends. you’re a bit stunned, you thought he’d come over to ask you if he had to do any reshoots for last week's youtube video. 

you’re both silent, waiting for your own response. your face is crimson red and he’s nervously tapping his foot. it doesn’t help that you can’t even make eye contact with him, too shy to look at his face. you’ve always found it hard to say anything directly to his pretty face. of course you want to go but you don’t want to make this into something bigger than it is. you don’t want to get your hopes up that this might be a step into seeing each other in a non work environment, like a pregame for a date?

no. what if he’s just being polite and this is a work get-together? what if he’s mistaken you with a different y/n, a cooler famous y/n?

before you can even choke out an answer, you notice a goddess type woman approaching the two of you. she’s wearing an all-access visitor pass around her neck and walking with the confidence of someone who owns the place. and her heavy gaze is set upon mason. she’s truly beautiful, like someone you’d see on the runway or a vogue cover. in a totally progressive and feminist way, you don’t like how much skin she’s showing. at least not when you’re forced wear such workplace appropriate attire, anyway. it makes you green with envy on how she looks like someone more fit for mason. now that’s the type of woman he would be seen with at the club . 

“time to go home, mason?” she sounds sweet, too sweet. hearing her delicate voice call mason makes your skin crawl and heart plummet.

he quickly gravitates all of his attention on her, giving her a nod. as soon as he’s in arms reach, her delicately manicured hand is wrapping around his foreman. she doesn’t even spare you a glance. she begins to pull him away from your shared spot, causing your mood to significantly dampen. 

“y/n,” mason says, pulling you out of your self wallowing thoughts. he’s giving you that award winning, boyish smile. “you’ll be there tonight, right?”

his tone is so soft and sincere. it warms your heart, even as that beautiful woman is clinging to his arm. 

you brave a fake smile, “i’ll try, mr. mount.”

he’s only able to smile in response, the probable supermodel eagerly tugging him out the door. you see her pull out keys from her purse, as he, ever the gentleman, opens the door for them.  

you feel a fool. mason is one of the most sought out men in the country. he’s sweet and handsome and funny and probably has a thousand girls at his disposal. your chances with him are next to zero. you’ve told yourself countless times to be content with the little attention you get from him. polite conversation and shy smiles is all you’ll ever get from him and that's totally fine. it has to be, anyway.

-

you’re stupid and idiotic. very stupid and idiotic. you knew you shouldn’t have showed up to the club, it wasn’t your place to be here. you weren’t even planning on actually showing, preferring to spend the night at your apartment, yearning for your unreciprocated crush on a certain footballer. yet, as you were heading out of the building for the end of the work week, you bumped into a couple of the other players. you had been too busy wishing it was you asking mason if he was ready to go home, you hadn’t heard them calling after you. 

all of the players were fond of you, fond of the cheeriness and lovely attitude you brought to the bridge. and you were equally as fond of them. so, when they asked if you wanted to join everyone else at the club, you said yes. you figured you’d make yourself miserable and see mason with his supermodel friend the entire night. yeah, you loved the pain.

being at said club now, you regret your decision. the music is too loud and the strobe lights are giving you a headache. everyone else has been nice enough with some small talk when passing by you, except for mason who was nowhere to be found. 

an hour passes by, and you’ve lost count of all the drinks you’ve taken. it’s pathetic to admit that all you’ve done is think of mason. how can someone so beautiful make you feel so sad? 

you finish the remnants of your drink and decide to head back home. coming here was a mistake and the original person who asked you to come didn’t even bother to show up. the bigger mistake though, is how you might have underestimated how many drinks you’d gone through in your short time here. you’re barely out of the main room and in the lobby when your vision begins to get blurry. your balance is wobbly and you’re quickly reaching to support yourself against a wall.  

you’re not sure how long you’re in that position. trying to somewhat sober up, you wonder how difficult it’d be to go back into the main room and find one of the players to help you. 

would you even be able to recognize any of them? you were royally screwed.  

your train of thought is broken when you see someone on the other end of the room relentlessly pacing. you’re only able to make out their moving outline, they look nervous. you disoriented state only hears them mumbling, as if they were talking themselves up.

it endears you. it reminds you of mason, you’ve caught him doing the same before any big game. come to think of it, the figure looks a lot like masons. same build and same pretty hair at the top of their head. plus, the jacket they’re wearing looks a lot like the one you once told mason you loved. that was months ago, though. surely he hadn’t remembered you’d said that. 

wait.

it is mason.

mason. 

oh.

oh.

he sees you right after, his pacing coming to an abrupt stop. not having noticed your intoxicated state, he’s quick to approach you. “y/n?”

your brain isn’t on your side tonight. your mouth speaks the first words that come to mind, “hey there, gorgeous.”

“hi, love.” his smile is instant as his gaze fixes upon your face. He runs a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he’s always had. you adored his beautiful prince like hair. it looks as it had been perfectly styled at one point, now it was disheveled from endless tugging and fixing. he frowns when he realises you’re leaning next to the exit door. “are you leaving? I was just heading in there to see you.”

instead of responding, you try to take another step towards the exit. this is too much for you. on a good day, you’re barely able to handle being in his intoxicating presence. in your current state? you can feel him taking up every atom and particle surrounding you.

you stumble and his reflexes are quick to hold you up. as if this is a regular occurence, your hands instantly find their way onto his chest.

oh my god, you scream in your head. mason mount has his hands wrapped around my waist. my skin is burning where he’s touching me, please never let go. 

“i’m okay, i’m okay,” you mumble. 

“having too much fun, yeah?”

you’re tempted to lie to him. you want to tell him that you had the best night of your life without him, that you hadn’t even noticed his absence. you want to tell him that you drank too much because you were having too much fun with other guys. 

you’re tempted to tell him the truth, too. you want to tell him that you were having the worst night of your life, that you drank to forget that he was probably having fun with his supermodel girlfriend. you want to tell him that it should be you asking him if he’s ready to go home, after a long day of work. while you’re at it, you think of telling him that his face is so infuriatingly gorgeous that it’s all you ever think about.

would he even care?

you feel dizzier with the way he’s looking at you with those pretty, concerned eyes. mason has always had a knack for making you blush with just a look but tonight it’s stronger. all you want to do is kiss him silly. these stupid feelings irk you, really. 

“stop looking at me like that!” you take your hands off his chest and your fingers immediately miss the contact. you lightly shove him, “god, you make me so fucking mad sometimes.”

now mason is confused. the corner of his mouth dips, “i’m sorry, love. I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“oh, ‘i’m sorry, love. I don’t know what I did wrong’, bite me!” you try your best to copy his accent. you know you’re acting childish, but you can’t help it. common sense left you long ago and now is the only time you can tell him exactly how you feel. “you have no idea how infuriating you are.”

“y/n,” he tries to tilt your head up by your chin. “look at me.”

“please stop, i’m begging you,” you whine. you know you resemble a spoiled child, but you’re on a roll. “don’t you know its actually impossible to look at you? your face is so pretty and I never know what to say when you look at me and you’re always looking at me. can you imagine what that does to me?”

“yeah, well how do you know i’m always looking at you?” he muses. “that’d have to mean you’re always looking at me, too.”

at this point, mason finds the situation very entertaining. he can’t help but laugh. he had arrived at the club twenty minutes ago, trying to build up the courage to walk in there and find you. he still wasn’t even sure if you’d shown, never have given him a real answer. being ever the optimist, he was hopeful you’d be in there waiting for him. he had planned that tonight was the night he’d confess his feelings for you, that he’d ask you out on a proper date.

fear of rejection got the better of him and he had psyched himself out. so, there he was. pacing back and forth, working up the courage to walk into the main room and tell you that he was crazy for you. he was just hoping you felt the same way, that you’d give him a chance. 

the possibility of finding you drunk out of your mind, babbling about how pretty you found his face, had never crossed his mind. this was way better than him stuttering out his feelings for you. mason could spend the entire night in this position, longer, if it meant more time next to you. he’s not cruel, though. he knows he’d be proper embarrassed if the roles were reversed, he doesn’t want you to regret whatever drunken thing you say to him. plus, if you’re going to call him pretty, he wants you to be sober for it. “hey, lets go home, yeah?”

hearing those words are like a trigger to you, a switch that releases the impending dam of tears in your eyes. why can’t he tell you those words under different circumstances? 

“stop,” you’re sputtering out. “this is hurting me too much.”

he lets go of your waist right away, leaning you back against the wall. you miss his touch immediately. “what is? do you want to stay?” 

continuing your drunk tantrum, “you don’t get it!”

“y/n, help me understand.” he’s trying his best to wipe the tears on your cheeks but you’re shaking your head too much. you refuse to look at him, he’s desperately trying to meet your eyes. “what don’t I get?”

“that this is all your fault,” your tears can’t stop. you hate how you can hear yourself slurring your words. “you made me feel this way!”

“what way?”

you make dramatic arm gestures of the space between the two of you, “this way, idiot!”

mason is more confused than ever. nonetheless, he surrenders and apologizes for making you feel ‘that way’. you’re too distracted repeating a slurred ‘you should be’, that you don’t notice that he’s steered you out of the club and to his car. 

“c’mon along now, love.” mason isn’t sure how the night is going. on one hand, he’s with you and that's all he’s wanted for the longest time. on the other hand, he’s not having the easiest time trying to unlock the passenger's seat, while simultaneously making sure you don’t stumble onto the pavement. one things for sure, he’s not complaining on how you’re holding onto his arm for dear life. plus, you keep whispering something into his ear, and it keeps making him blush. 

gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

you don’t stop repeating the word to him, as if it's a secret only the two of you could know. you whisper into him once more, as he finally opens the car door and places you inside. the long, eventful night had started to take a toll on your body, your body lazily slumped into the passenger's seat. 

“you really do have a pretty face,” you whisper. you’re much more calm now and the tears have stopped. even in your state, the bittersweet thoughts won’t stop. he has the prettiest face you’ve ever seen, he’s the sweetest boy you’ve ever met. but he’s not yours, he’s someone else's. before the tears can return, you’re distracted because you have to tell him his face is beautiful but you had been using a different word seconds ago. what was it? its at the tip of your tongue. “it’s like… what's the word? what word was I saying?”

he spares you a quick glance as he buckles your seatbelt. teasingly, “gorgeous?” 

“yeah,” you lazily smile. it’s the last thing you say before the sound of the engine lulls you to sleep, “it’s gorgeous.”

-

the headache is already making you wish you were dead as soon as you open your eyes. before you can tell yourself off for drinking way more than you should’ve, you begin to panic.

this is not your bed.

this is not your room.

that is not your glass full of water on the nightstand that is not yours. 

you’re definitely going to scream when you look down and find yourself adorning a large, unfamiliar shirt and shorts. even though you can’t see yourself, you’re sure your face is red with embarrassment. 

please don’t tell me I hooked up with some rando, you silently beg any god that will listen. 

in this scenario, you’d usually pick up your clothes and sneak out before getting caught but, where the hell are your clothes? and whos fucking house is this? 

stumbling into the hallway, you feel as disoriented as you did when you left the club last night. you wish you could remember who you left the club with, too. 

finding your way through the maze of this large house, you come face to face with some picture frames decorating the wall. the face you see in these frames makes you wish it was actually some random guy house you were in. instead, you’re greeted by mason-fucking-mounts framed and pretty face. 

you hear him before you actually see him. you hear a commotion from the other end of the hallway. you’re tempted to turn around and find the exit instead of facing him. you don’t know what happened last night and you’d rather not find out. 

alas, your feet involuntarily move towards the sound and you’re met with mason sitting on his sofa. the television is on but you can faintly hear him mumbling to himself. his leg is nervously bouncing, and his eyes never waver from the clock on the wall opposite of you. unsure of what to do, you clear your throat. 

you fear he’ll get whiplash from how quickly he turned his head.

“oh, you’re awake,” mason motions you to come closer to him, a smile appearing on his face. he reaches for your arm, pulling you down to sit next to him. he points at the two mugs on the centre table, “I made you some tea, did you drink the water I left you?”

“mason, what happened last night?” you don't know why you’re whispering, but you are. unconsciously, you tug the hem of his oversized shirt you’re wearing. 

“oh, no no no,” he begins to sputter out. “we didn’t do anything, don’t worry!”

you’re only slightly disappointed. 

mason continues, “I think you had too much last night, you were pretty out of it when I saw you.”

you can’t meet his eyes, “oh god, i’m so embarrassed.”

“don’t be!” he’s quick to reassure you. “you said some pretty great stuff when I bumped into you but still, better not to leave you alone, ‘figured you’d need help leaving so I decided to help you home. I didn’t actually know your address so I brought you here. I left you to change by yourself and I slept on the couch, don’t worry.”

“oh,” you look away from him. “i’m sorry, I bet your girlfriend didn’t like that you left her to help me. sorry for ruining your night.”

“girlfriend?” he looks more puzzled than you look sheepish.

this is the last conversation you want to be having, especially hungover. you look down at the floor. “yeah, that stunning supermodel who drove you guys ‘home’ yesterday.”

the bastard has the nerve to laugh at this. seeing your not-so-pleased face, the laugh turns into an awkward cough. “sheryl isn’t my girlfriend. she’s part of the new partnership promotion, shouldn’t you know that? didn’t your team arrange everything?”

your answer without missing a beat, “we didn’t have any involvement in it, ‘above our paygrade or something’. i’d never seen her before.”

“oh, well she’s just part of the campaign, she’s not my girlfriend. the only reason she drove me home was because my car broke down at the film set and she offered to drive me to the bridge and home afterwards. she’s nice but ‘m not interested in her like that.” your heart had just mended a smidge but it was cracking all over again when mason added, “plus, I fancy someone else.”

“cheers.” you give him your best half assed smile. of course he had his heart set on someone, you should be happy for him. it’s not like you ever really had a chance, you’re only hoping you hadn’t said anything too incriminating last night. its better if you leave right now, with what dignity you have left, and act as if none of this ever happened. you can go back to polite conversations at the bridge and he can pine over his crush. you can only imagine how stunning she is. if mason wasn’t falling onto his knees for the goddess that sheryl was, this other girl must be aphrodite herself. 

“yeah,” mason is fully grinning now. “she’s just the best person. I don’t think she knows how stupidly obsessed I am with her, I do anything I can just for the chance to talk to her and be around her. I used to be too scared to make a move, because I didn’t think she’d feel the same.”

she��s an idiot if she doesn’t, you miserably think. 

mason rambles on, “I think all my mates know how I feel. i’m sure they’re just waiting for me to tell her, so they don’t have to hear me talk about ‘how pretty she looked today’ anymore. I say she looks pretty but I think there's a better word.”

you can only smile in return, not trusting your voice to congratulate him on this gem he’s found.

“you know,” mason cracks a smile, “i think she’s just so gorgeous.”

“what did you just say?” your eyes snap up to meet his. hearing him say those words trigger blurbs of last night to come back to you. you remember the drinking and the crying and the tantrum and repeatedly calling mason gorgeous. now you’re certain you’ll have to disappear off the face of the earth. shaking your head, “oh god, are you making fun of me?”

“of course not.” mason is in utter disbelief. is he not being clear enough? “christ y/n, are you really going to make me get on my knees? it’s you, i’ve been crazy for you for so long. I wasn’t sure if you felt the same but i’m hoping last night was some indication that you do.”

you can’t believe a word you’re hearing. now you’re sure you drank too much last night and got alcohol poisoning. you’re probably laying in the hospital and having these deluded fantasies of mason saying he fancies you. that is the only way this can be happening. 

“y/n, love.” his smile never falters but you can hear the anxiousness in his tone. here he was, being vulnerable and wearing his heart on his sleeve. he was just waiting for you to do the same for him. he was waiting for you to do what you’ve been doing for months now. what you both had been doing, just secretly and shyly. he reaches out to squeeze your hand, “please say something.”

you’re sure you might start crying again. happy tears this time. “god mason, of course I like you. my heart has been yours, pathetically and desperately and always.”

he doesn’t respond, choosing to finally kiss you instead. it’s better than either of you could have imagined, and you know his heart is yours just as much as yours is his.

authors note 2.0 : if I had a nickel for every time I wrote a mason fic where its an unrequited love and he confesses that he loves reader after reader sees him w some girl, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but its still weird that it happened twice (idk im predictable ig)

[m1ssunderstanding]

Understanding Lennon McCartney Rewatch Part 4.3

Oof! Got him!

“She loves you and he loves him and they love each other”. You know when you've got something to say but you don't want it to look like you really wanted to say it specifically so you throw it in between two other things? No? Just me and John?

I'm obsessed with John just heaping praise on Paul in this interview. Every song the interviewer brings up it's “best” “my favorite” “all Paul” “good piece of work” “somewhere I have the tape of him doing it” “damn good” “one of his masterpieces” See also: Paul’s a good lyricist, he just doesn't try because he's insecure. And: one of the most innovative bass players of all time.

John mixing up In My Life and If I Fell “although I don't know why I'm confusing them, they're nothing alike but they have the same–” The same what? Same target? Same muse? Hmm? “It's really about–it's not about Cyn.” He's barely hanging on to not saying it here, like, by a gossamer thread. 

John confessing that the consistent character flaw of Paul's which hurt him ((hurt. Not annoyed. Not angered. Hurt.)) was insensitivity. Not bossiness or lameness or sneakiness. Insensitivity. What John couldn't handle in the end about Paul was that he wasn't aware enough of John's tender feelings. 

He's also so cruel in this interview. And what you've got to pay attention to is the theme connecting the songs he's cruel about: Let It Be (let John go) and The Long and Winding Road (the long and pointless fight). 

The Japanese Monk comparison doesn't quite land for me because it implies that John purposely broke up the Beatles because he knew they were at a peak and he wanted them to stay gold. And I think that's what John would like the story to be. It makes him feel better inside. It makes him look incredibly wise and courageous. But it's clear – John even stated it himself more than once on record – that the breakup was not purposeful or calculated. It was a terrible accident that nobody wanted, least of all John. 

More quotes to live by when examining John's post breakup “ow!”

I find it fascinating that John thought of Paul's and Dylan's lyrics as very similar and says so twice in this documentary. But nobody else ever draws that comparison. In mainstream thought, Bob Dylan is one of the greatest lyricists of all time if not the greatest (it's me. I'm mainstream. Subterranean Homesick Blues my absolute beloved.) and Paul is the worst lyricist to ever get successful. And you know what? I think Paul gets punished for being physically pretty and financially savvy, and I think in the exact same way his music gets punished for being melodically pretty and commercially successful. 

John about Paul's inscrutable messages in his songs: if one knows the person, one knows what's coming down. John in I Know (I Know): and I know. What's coming down. 

I will always love how he says in the same breath . . . “I've compared it to a marriage a million times" and "Paul and I were together.” 

You really do gotta be like “Johns say the darndest things sometimes.” I mean that's what Paul did, right? Because genuinely most of the time he's a fucking sweetheart. After he's sat there defending Paul's insane mourning bus movie, the interviewer asks him to compare himself and Paul. And after saying there's never been a question about commerciality, he says this. 

Nobody think about Paul writing “One of These Days” just before John's death then “This One” a decade later. Don't do it. I do recommend. 

Free as a Bird is such a beautiful song. It's a gorgeous melody, and it's got such complex emotions. He's still mourning something that was lost, but he's hopeful. He's on his way home. 

You all know that long distance interview Paul did right before John died where they bring up some of the awful things John said recently about him (ignoring the millions of loving and admiring things). When Paul's voice cracks and he looks up at the ceiling and struggles for a minute and the lights go out, I have a theory that it's one of their kids being protective. She was messing with the lights before to be silly and then when the bad question comes she turns them off again as a sort of protective sabotage. 

What If though? What If that's true? 

Quote of all time!!! “The person I actually picked as my partner, who I recognized has talent and who I could get on with, was Paul.” He doesn't say ‘as my sidekick’ or ‘running mate’ or ‘captain’s mate’ or ‘second string’ or any of those things that traditional Beatles fans tend to push on them. Partner. 

Serious question, because I swing all over the place as to what I think actually happened between John and Paul physically and emotionally. If we agree that Real Love is about Paul (a baby and another on the way lalalalalala farm . . . Just call him on the phone) Then what about this lyric? “Was I just dreaming (a word of theirs and something they thought they shared) or was it only Yesterday (Paul's biggest song) I used to hold you in my arms? Is that to be taken literally? John used to hold Paul in his arms? i.e. frequent hugging and cuddling?

The heart monitor cuts so harshly into John singing “Grow Old With Me.” As we see beautiful images of John and all the people he's leaving behind. I'm dry heaving. This documentary is so much more painful this time around than the first. 

Anyway I'm glad we got coverage of all the “for Paul” songs. Which. Btw fuck you Sean and Peter. You proved absolutely nothing.

[vitanithepure]

Can we talk about Gale again? And Mystra, one last time? Or at least let me vent? I know it seems like I can't shut up about it, but deal with me this one last time?

It's a long one, an fervent one, and possibly the last one on their relationship because there isn't much to tell for me after this. I just want to lay it to rest on my part, it's too emotionally draining, but I wanted to do this.

Spoilers for them ahead.

It was some time ago I did the talk with Mystra and Gale as an origin character and I needed some time to process this and gather my thoughts. Because I was left reeling with how personal it felt for me and I hated seeing that to bo honest, even though I think whoever did write this scene did it... very well. I feel a lot of thought went into it, so even though it does touch a delicate subject it does it as tastefully as possible.

Okay, let's begin with a real banger.

Why? This will forever read as "I gave you a solution, explain yourself why you didn't die when I asked you to." for me. What kind of messed up question is that to ask someone?

But can I say how there is absolutely no wrong anwser to that asinine question? You can roleplay however you wish, but none of them are bad anwsers. Some of them are more heartbreaking then the others, but none are in any way making excuses. There is nothing to excuse and I'm glad whoever wrote this dialogue recognized this.

I chose the "I have someone else to live for" one here, because I felt that Gale, at this point, really found that special someone, be it a friend or lover, to live for. It's gut-wrenching that he needed someone to keep him alive in the first place, but this is what having an abusive ex does to you.

But the other choices here? All of them fair. She absolutely had no right to ask that of him, no matter the crime, that's just a fucked up thing to expect.

Being afraid to die? Valid, this shouldn't be put up to question.

Two last ones? Pure gold. I treat the fourth one as a direct jab at her own teachings, on how all magic needs to be preserved and studied? It's like him saying "Hey, I did what you expected and now your mad?".

The very last one is poetic justice. "I owe you nothing." and if that were me this would be the absolute end of this discussion. Mic drop, I'm out of here.

And okay, I did take he self-pity route with "I let you down." here becuase this is what I believe is closest to how "canon" Gale feels about this. That's the most heartbreaking thing about it, that he believes he was not worth enough before and is even less now and doesn't deserve love, of any kind.

What are the other options? Well, all in character and each seems like a valid way for Gale to feel. But me, the player, who is fortunate to know some meta knowledge? Oh boy.

"I was a danger to you." No you weren't. She is the goddess of magic, one of the most powerful out here. She is magic. All you could do is make her day worse.

"I disobeyed you." Yeah, you did. And she sentenced you to a slow death for it.

"You were threatened." Eh, not really. But what comes after that statement? "You realised you couldn't control me."? Yes, that is the only thing she felt threatened about - loosing control.

"Our relationship bored you. The orb was just an excuse to end it." I mean... maybe? Not enough is known about it but seeing how all reincarnations of Mystra are fickle lovers at best I would say it's a possibility. Even if it is just his ego speaking here - damn, what a way to end a relationship.

She has the audacity to tell him "he only thought of himself". Pot calling the kettle much?

Oooh, but I love what we can say here. The amout of vicious call outs here is superb.

We get to call out how much of a control freak she is. Then we can say how out of place was her punishment. Because I feel like it was a fucking equivalent of throwing a child into a dark cellar for breaking your favorite cup, while all they wanted to do was wash it for you. That is how imbalanced this whole thing is and I'm not taking criticism on that.

We also get to straight up ask what was the lesson if she never let him know what he really did and left him without means to make things right?

Then my favorite. Straight up ask her how many lives was she willing to sacrifice to get rid of the problem?

And last but not least - call her out on her lies. That's what she did. Why? I don't know. Was she afraid? Possibly, because the Karsite Weave + Crown of Karsus combo could potentially threaten her. Potentially, because as we saw in one of the Gale endings, she has no problem with just getting rid of a newly ascended god wielding them. That leads me to believe she is not afraid of loosing power as much as just being rivaled with. The indignity she has to suffer, truly.

Hit a nail on the head here. Who cares about mortals, if they live or die and in how many droves? Competition comes knocking, so all gloves are off. And that is what I believe to be the crux of the matter. Mystra wants to remove the Absolute (because that's the new upstart god breaking the status quo), the orb containing he rival Weave, the Crown which threatens her rule over magic all in one swoop. Oh, and that one guy who tries too hard and refuses to die. No biggie. Who cares, she has a line of followers who would replace her Chosen at any given time.

I'm a salty bitch over the fact we can't keep the Crown of Karsus, but instead of using it - just hide it away again. Stablize Gale's Karsite Weave and keep that thing around, hidden away. Let her sweat over the idea someone else might find it one day and rival her rule.

I know I'm way too emotional about it, but like I said, it's very personal - I been there, done that, and never recovered in full after it. I'll die defending anyone and any pixels who are struggling with their self-worth and trying to get over an emotionally abusive relationships.

"Be the better person, die saving the world and I'll 'forgive' you." Fuck. You.

And a bonus, for those of you who stuck around till the end, because I was totally naming the screens and yelling at my monitor while doing this.

[livelaughghoul]

Oscar Piastri Personality and Career Tarot Reading

Disclaimer: This is for entertainment purposes only, nothing observed or taken away from this should be considered fact. As a reminder, I know fuck all about Formula 1, I just like fast cars and have a dumb amount of knowledge of astrology and tarot. 

Since I am just recently getting in F1, the first race I actually watched was the Hungary GP. Which like, what an introduction to the sport. Since then I have watched a lot of the replays from prior races, but my knowledge outside of the track is nonexistent. Having this be my first introduction to Oscar was interesting, and I think that there is a lot to unpack there between the team dynamic and the way they approach and relay information to both Oscar and Lando. I may end up doing a reading on two of them at some point, but we will see how I am feeling. 

This spread is actually amazing to me, because we have one of the better Swords followed with a slew of Cups. I love that we are mixing Swords and Cups (even if we are Cup dominated), because Swords are very self focused, almost interalized, whereas Cups are incredibly emotional. I think that it specifically being the Two of Swords really telling, especially with the specific correlation of the Cups we pulled. 

I really love this spread, like a lot. I usually don’t care much for wanting to learn more about the people on the grid, but I actually am interested in getting to know more about him because this is just so interesting to me. I might actually look into someone other than Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, and Kimi Raikkonen (honestly I owe that anon SO MUCH, because you truly have made my life so much better with these men). 

Outward personality - Two of Swords

This card has a soft spot in my heart because it absolutely is the introvert card. It’s protective in nature, and more reserved. While I don’t think it’s a full avoidance of feeling or expressing things, but it definitely is a more thought out or silent approach to emotions and expressing them. Since things are more reserved, there is going to be a lot to go through to develop a friendship or relationship with Oscar. I see a lot of people referring to him as a cat (which is hilarious, I love this), and I think that is really seen in this card positioning. Cats take time to develop trust in people, but when they do, it’s lifelong and so rewarding. Cats are also really good at masking how they really feel, I think that there is a lot of masking and hiding of things in terms of how he is feeling or what is being experienced. 

Inward personality - Ten of Cups

Interally, once you break past the resting bitch face and flat affect, you feel nothing but valued, delight, and at home. The Ten of Cups is like, coming home to your family after a long day at work and just getting to feel valued and at home. It’s a happiness, feeling fulfilled and loved. I love the switch up of the outward personality being this like professional brickwall, and then on the inside there is this soft gooey center filled with love and affection.

Current career - Queen of Cups, reversed

I’m not a huge fan of this one when it comes to the career, because I think that this has the possibility of being too willing to take everything lying down, allowing others to essentially make the decisions for you, and almost put yourself in a secondary or lower positioning. There is a lot of tenderness in this card, and I think that while yes, Oscar absolutely can be aggressive and challenge things, I think that there is alot of hesitancy in this. There is going to be this patience and accepting of whatever he is told to do. It absolutely tells me that he is a team player, but I think that there may be too much of prioritizing of others instead of himself. 

Future career - Three of Cups, reversed

No matter where he goes in his career, who is on a team with, or what his support team looks like, this man is making friends and building a community wherever he goes. Oscar is going to be able to foster a community wherever he ends up, and this is going to make work so much smoother, especially when there is a transitional period that happens. 

[eaglefairy]

Why I love XC2

I know that I complain...often...about xenoblade 2. I promise that I really do like this game! Believe me, if I didn't love it I wouldn't be complaining, I just wouldn't be thinking about it. Anyway, an incomplete list of why I love this game:

The presentation! This game is gorgeous and has some areas that can just take your breath away. Uraya is one of my all-time favorite areas in any video game, and I just had to sit back in awe the first time I saw the petal rain there. Xc2 also knocks it out of the park when it's going for aesthetics that aren't jaw-dropping beauty; the environmental storytelling in Mor Ardain is top-notch, Temperantia truly looks and feels like a blighted wasteland, and there is nothing I could say about the Land of Morytha that hasn't already been said. Just amazing all around.

The music! Literally on the night I began writing this post my roommate and I played the end of Torna and they use the music from the Land of Morytha for the inside of Torna which is just. ow? The music is all beautiful, for one, and they absolutely nail whatever mood they're going for at the moment.

The characters! The cast is truly unique, in my opinion. Out of all the xenoblade games, it's absolutely the character concepts from 2 that stick with me the most. None of them are generic or cliche, everyone has something new or fresh to appreciate once you dig into them. This post is already long enough but for just the highlights: - I must shout out Rex for maturing, becoming more worldly, and going through an arc learning about the horrors and despair you'll find in the world without ever letting go of optimism that things can be better. A lesser character might end the story by becoming jaded as a substitute for maturity or begin the story jaded and have to be proven wrong about the world, but he just truly believes in goodness the whole way through! - Jin and Malos have one of my favorite relationship dynamics of all time. No one is doing it like them. Jin acts on his desire to destroy the world because Malos found him and gave him something to live for beyond keeping Lora's memory alive. Malos's desire to destroy the world is validated by Jin and the rest of Torna--people who would not be there if Malos hadn't inspired Jin! They're an ouroboros of destructive codependency and I love them for it. - Addam. The way he's built up as this incredible legendary hero in the main game and then you play Torna and he's just a man trying his best to do what's being asked of him. Probably the first time I've seen humility as a fatal flaw done well (done at all?). He never wanted Mythra's power, doesn't want to be king, and that in the end is what undoes him and his entire country. And then the truth of his tragedy and loss is papered over by people who don't care, who just want their story of a savior, and he's remembered forever as something he never wanted to be. Deliciously tragic!

The writing! This one might come as a surprise if you've seen my complaining before, but I'm being 100% serious here: there are elements of the writing (especially in the latter half) that I think are extremely well done. It embraces its themes without yelling them at the player outright. It presents murky situations and asks the player to engage with it honestly and think critically as you experience the story. It's very subtle storytelling that actually requires effort from the player to experience to its fullest, and I've just got to give it props for demanding trust from the player

The setting! The Cloud Sea has 100% grabbed me as a worldbuilding concept and never let go. (Could also be blamed on Skyward Sword, my first single-player video game.) I also love the Titan-Blade life cycle as a concept. This would absolutely come off strangely without context, but it reminds me of like bugs and plants and anything with a non-mammalian reproductive cycle. That's a good thing! I'm a biology nerd, these are all compliments!

Edit: I've decided this is the collective's xc2 positivity post now. Reblog and add your own favorite things about this game! Whether it's something already mentioned in this post or something else, let's get some positivity flowing!

[armin-supremacy]

cater to you

don't fret bestie, i got you 💜

pairing: lucifer x gn!mc

genre: fluff, comfort

prompt: pampering lucifer, original prompt post located here

You adjusted the centerpiece one last time.

Lucifer's favorite dinner, placed for two, rest perfectly on the table. Much to the brother's help, cooking and setting up went much much quicker than on your own.

Thankfully, smoother too.

You perked up as Mammon entered, waving around what you'd hoped to be the record you'd asked for. "Is that it? Did you find it?"

"The Great Mammon always delivers", he smiled confidently. You brightened as he handed the record over. It was one Lucifer had mentioned wanting to borrow from Simeon for a while now.

"Ah you're the best!" You complmented with a smile before you began ushering him out. "Now go! Shoo, shoo!"

Mammon's laugh rang throughout the dining room at your antics. The brother's were really pulling through for you today after expressing just how important today meant to you.

You've noticed Lucifer, as always, being overloaded with work and looking after you and the boys. He never had anytime for himself. It made you a bit sad. Especially, since it cut into your alone time together as well.

So you took it upon yourself to clear his entire schedule for the afternoon and evening, of course after talking with Diavolo (who was more than pleased to grant your request) and aided the brother's in planning for their own afternoon out.

Leaving the HOL for just you and Lucifer to do as you pleased.

"Alright, alright I'm goin'" Mammon said.

"Please stay out of trouble. Don't do anything reckless, okay? And let the others know-"

The second born cut you off, resting his hands on your shoulders in the midist of your worry. You trusted the brothers, you really did. But sometimes.... "Relax! We'll be okay. Ya got nothin' to worry about."

Mammon gave you once last smile before giving you a small bonk on the head. "Text if ya need us."

And with that, he was gone.

With that, you scurried over to the record player you had set up near the table. Careful not to cause any scratching, you placed the record appropriately and adjusted the volume to a comfortable setting.

You checked your D.D.D. Lucifer should be home....now!

Never a moment late from when he assured he'd return, your boyfriend made his way in. Though you could easily tell he was exhausted, he still looked absolutely breath-taking to you. "You're home!"

Lucifer grunted in surprise at the force of your body colliding with his, your arms wrapping securely around his neck. He cleared his throat, a small pink beginning to dust his cheek.

"MC, you're awfully eccentric this afternoon."

You rolled your eyes and smiled. Ah Lucifer. always trying to put on a facade.

"Your brothers are out for the evening", you began. You leaned up, giving him a sweet kiss. His body immediately reacted. He couldn't help himself. Lucifer's arms wrapped around you, pulling you close as his usual 'responsible, Avatar of Pride' persona fizzled away. You broke the kiss with a hum. "The entire house is ours for the rest of the day."

Lucifed smiled apologetically, his hand coming to cup your cheek. "That's wonderful, my darling. But sadly I have-"

"Ah ah ah!" You cut him off quickly. "I've already talked to Diavolo as well. Your schedule is cleared, your deadlines are extended. You have nothing to worry about."

You took his hands in yours and began leading him to the table where you had prepared dinner. "All you need to do is relax and let me take care of you."

Lucifer nearly melted. You'd remembered his favorite dishes. It was then as well that the music you had been playing really hit him. "Is this...?"

You nodded proudly. "Yep! Simeon owed me a favor so I took advantage." You then began helping Lucifer remove his coat, ushering him to sit. You hung his coat on the back of his seat neatly before taking your own next to him.

"Forgive me but.." he hesitated. Lucifer looked at you in worry, an unusual sense of panic bubbling in his chest. "I don't remember any occasion that's supposed to be happening?"

"There's not", you assured. You took his gloved hand in yours, bringing it up to your lips to kiss. You knew the gesture drove Lucifer wild. It was so simple, yet so intimate. "I know you've been so overwhelmed lately with taking care of me and your brothers, helping Diavolo at every waking call, and just so much going on with the council."

You looked up, tilting your head slightly with a smile. "I just wanted to give you some time to just relax and let me take care of you for once."

Lucifer stared at you dumbfounded for a moment. If he wasn't already smitten, he sure was now. "If you'll allow me too, of course."

Your voice was soft, a slight bit of hesitation as you awaited his response. Relief filled you as Lucfier smiled.

"How could I refuse?"

The two of you ate dinner, talking back and forth about your days thus far. You were happy to see Lucifer much more laid back, the earlier tension you saw leaving him bit by bit.

After dinner, and much to your dismay, Lucifer helped you in quickly cleaning your dishes and putting away leftovers.

Before you knew it, the two of you had made yourselves comfortable in the common room, Lucifer's head resting comfortably on your lap.

His eyes remained closed as your fingers slowly ran through hair, occasionally curling a strand around your finger. "Your hair is so soft..."

Lucifer let out a content hum at your actions. One of his hands came to grip yours, resting on his chest and giving it a soft squeeze. After a moment, he turned his head slightly, opening his eyes to meet your gaze.

"You really didn't have to do all this", he said gently. You shook your head.

"I'm happy to do this", you assured. You leaned down, letting your lips ghost over his with a sweet smile. "especially for you, my love."

Lucifer wasted no time to push himself up, meeting your lips with passion. You let out a small hum in satisfaction, your hand in his hair instinctively tugging the strands your fingers were entangled in.

Your lips moved together for a moment, hearts beating in both your chests and cheeks rosy. You hated to pull away, needing to fill your lungs with air.

His kisses were addicting, always so full of love and gentleness.

It left you wanting more.

You left a few more pecks on his lips and over his face, emitting a chuckle of delight from the demon before settling back.

Lucifer looked up at you from your lap, a twinkle in his eyes. "You truly are a piece of heaven."

"I love you too, Lucifer."

~~~~~~

tag: @vintage-bumblebee

ahhh how'd I do? im not a big lucifer stan, but i tried my best 😭😭

[atthebell]

i do kinda think its very silly for people to be acting like q is the devil and stuff and we all have to run away from this server as fast as we can cuz like. man i feel like everything happening all the time during the lockdown dsmp days have destroyed some of this fandom's ability to be patient and wait for change. :( i dont think ive even seen any major news since pomme and dapper? to me it just seems like stuffs been quiet cuz theyve been cracking down behind the scenes. i dunno it feels kinda sad to hear that so many people are just giving up on something they love when its not even gone yet.

yeah i mean i think deciding it's a foregone conclusion is very stupid, and also i understand being very upset with q because he hasn't been very responsible or diligent (particularly before all of this came out) but also like. you guys understand he was also mega fucked over by this right. like you know that this project is his baby and he wants it to do well and wants to treat people fairly and doesn't want to ruin his reputation with it?? like i don't get thinking he's a mustache twirling villain when that's not how he's behaved at all. and also you're not owed any behind the scenes info!! this is the kind of shit that takes months to work out, it's not going to be resolved immediately, like you said, and i don't think most of it should be public. admins can, have, and will likely continue to speak out about issues, it's not like we're not going to find out if shit keeps sucking and nothing improves, but the actual restructuring should not and will not be public.

have some damn patience!!! i know i sound like a dick when i say that but i'm also miserable about all of this!! i just don't decide to make it a moral issue (in terms of "supporting the server" or whatever) or be a fucking freak weirdo to people because of it. i adore this server, i want it to be better, i want people to be treated well, i want players to be able to come back and tell the stories they want to tell, and waiting for that fucking sucks but it's the only thing to do so long as i still care about it, which i absolutely do.

idfk i'm tired of talking about this whole situation because i think everyone is upset and thinks that justifies everything they want to say and do, including being shitheads to other fans and acting like every cc involved in this is a fucking war criminal, which is how mcyt fans always act when there's any kind of issue (or whatever they view to be a problem). it's tiring and i wish people could be mature about it but apparently that's impossible

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

Well about the perception of Volo vs Kamado thing, and why more people don’t hate Volo, I have my own reflections (pretty privilege is absolutely a factor tho let’s be real 😂)

Everyone growing up has at least one story of an adult being super unfair to you, even though you were doing everything right. Their own biases and experiences could be understood later once you were older and calmer reflecting back on the incident, like a teacher who snapped at you maybe had a super long day of wrangling hundreds of children. But we never forget how it feels in that moment to have those who should be guiding us be unfair and seemingly unreasonable. So naturally that’s gonna hurt when you get kamado being paranoid.

Volo on the other hand is just absolutely delightful I’m sorry maybe if Kamado put on a silly outfit and hair for his boss battle instead of plate mail he’d have more art. Like you said Volos betrayal is one and done really, he acts like a theater kid and then dips. You have to keep seeing kamado being in charge in the game after his blunders for a while which can rub people the wrong way. (Also this is maybe just me but I never trusted Volo just like I never trusted Cynthia as a kid, and finding out he was evil was a great moment of vindication I CANT be the only one who experienced this)

TLDR we see unfairness way more than we see someone betray us while making their hair like a god horse

well, you heard them, kamado. time to go get the jester outfit. cmon chop chop it's to redeem your image

yeah, the point abt getting burned by adults in authority is also very fair. most of us were not scarred for life by theater kid antics lol. the other thing abt it is that often those same adults never really face any consequences. you were always just expected to move on, suck it up etc. cause that's life as a kid right. sometimes ppl will use their power over you just to flex their limited authority, or to vent whatever's going on in their home life, and this doesn't really stop when you grow up it's just that when you're a kid basically every adult has that authority position. so it's just expected that there's nothing you can do. i mean unless you decide to be the karmic force of justice in your own life by being the most stubborn bitch of a child to walk the earth. not that i would know anything about that cough

uh anyway. the thing is the thing btwn you and kamado isn't about about child vs adult. you're more or less considered an adult yourself by jubilife, albeit a rather young and more importantly low ranking one. like we've said (a million times already lol) kamado's not doing it just to grasp at a sense of control, he's reacting to what he perceives as a very real threat to his village (and also because the writers clocked him in the face with the idiot ball for plot advancement reasons lbr).

and the thing is kamado DOES, kind of, face consequences and own up to his mistakes by the end of the game. also after the red sky event he's like, REALLY nice to you lol. not just briefly either! imo you can tell that he sincerely respects you and regrets his actions in the red sky. go look at his late game quotes-

"Perhaps you are a divine being yourself, sent to bring us gifts from above... "I know I've no right to say this... But we are truly fortunate to have been able to count you among the Survey Corps' ranks. If you had not joined us, we would have fallen on Mount Coronet. We would have lost our home. We would have lost our future." "I'm grateful to you for showing me what a heartening presence Pokémon can be. We must spar again sometime!" "<player>, forgive me for taking so much of your time [telling you about the Galaxy name.] Please accept this as a sort of apology."

like he's trying to make up for the way they were treated earlier and give them the proper treatment they're owed for all their help.

idk i don't have a good way to conclude this i guess. i just think he's a cool character

[izzyspussy]

"Hey, Coach Shelley!" Nate pauses in the hallway automatically. He still craves for that title to fit him, but he pushes the feeling down. It's too late not to answer to it now, though.

"Uh, you know- You know I'm not a coach anymore, Jamie," he says when Jamie catches up to him and jogs around the hamper full of today's dirty uniforms. Jamie leans his elbows on the rim, both hands dangling over into the sweaty grass-stained recesses as one drops a bundled up pair of socks into it. Ah, Nate thinks. That must be it then.

But Jamie shrugs with awkwardness that is absolutely surreal to see on him and says, "Ah, I figure I owe you a little extra respect." Nate doesn't know how to respond, unsure if the tight feeling in his chest is because he's touched or if it's just more guilt, or perhaps a bundle of unwarranted pride and power hunger. Maybe it's all three. Whatever it is, he chokes it down. But it takes any possibility of words down with it. Jamie clears his throat and stands up straight.

"Uh, Coach," he says again, and Nate flinches. "Can I talk to you about something? In the boot room?" He actually waits for an answer, which Nate silently scolds himself for being surprised at. Jamie is a good man, now. A team player. And all that. He nods, and Jamie grins at him before spinning around to lead the way, keeping one hand on the rim of the hamper as if he thinks Nate will abandon him (again) if he lets go.

The boot room stinks, like feet and sweat and mud and smoke, as always. It's stuffy with the stench, just a little bit too warm and slightly humid from how close it is to the washers. Nate has always kind of hated it in here, except right when he'd finished everything and it was clean and neat and perfect enough the smell momentarily became an endearing quirk. Jamie doesn't turn on the lights.

"Listen, um..." Jamie has his head tipped gently down so he can peer at Nate in a facsimile of 'up'. But then he nods to himself and straightens to his full broad-shouldered height. He doesn't seem resolute. Just confident. Comfortable.

"You remember the team dint want me back, yeah? 'Cause I hurt 'em. And, uh, apologizin' dint really matter, and they took a little revenge, yeah, but not much- I think they deserved more, but Dr. Sharon says that's a me problem-" He seems to realize he's getting off track, whatever his track is, and cuts himself off with a wry smile.

"Anyway, the point is," he holds Nate's gaze in a way that would be intense, maybe even intimidating, if he wasn't still smiling, if his eyebrows weren't set so softly, "I dint need to be punished, yeah? Or be someone else or nothing like that. I just needed to do better. You get me?"

Jamie pauses there, still staring into Nate's eyes like he can look his point right into Nate's brain. But Nate still doesn't know what to say. His tummy squirms and his heart races and he feels a little bit hollow, maybe in a good way, like his head could float right off. But he needs to stay down to earth. He needs to be satisfied with what he's got. So he doesn't say anything.

"Okay," Jamie says, and if he sounds sad surely Nate must be imagining that. Projecting, or whatever. "I mean, obviously I don't know you that well, so maybe that's not... But think about it, yeah?" He nods again, claps Nate casually on the shoulder, and leaves the boot room without a glance back.

Nate stares into the middle distance in the floor just beyond the rim of the hamper, shell shocked. Slowly he manages to blink back into the confined reality of the smelly boot room. He looks up across the way to see Will sitting on top of one of the washers, kicking his feet in the open porthole door. He gives Nate a very serious, unnervingly Beard-like nod.

Nate goes through the motions, muscle memory, washing and folding and polishing. It all goes much faster with both him and Will doing it, and they're finished with everything before dark.

Nate walks home. He hasn't let himself drive the car Mannion bought him since he quit at West Ham, but he hasn't been able to bring himself to sell it either. It's waiting for him at Jade's because his dad didn't want to have it sitting around.

He gets home, he eats the dinner his mom put aside for him, he takes a quick shower, and he lays down in bed.

He thinks about it.

Maybe tomorrow he'll drive.