#and setting a limit to how many i do . .. i feel like the previous ones all never work out bc i get overwhelmed looking at how many there r

[mlkbwunnies]

maybe i'll do an actual valentines day event...

[ooooo-mcyt]

Do you guys ever think about what a turning point Double Life was for Joel?

During Third Life and Last Life, Joel was alone.

In Third Life he kinda floats around from alliance to alliance, being pushed into whatever faction is pushing hardest, and then dying with very little notice from the rest of the server.

In Last Life, Joel has allies sometimes, but they cycle in and out of his life. Scar, Grian, Lizzie, they're all there for an episode or two, but then they're gone. Joel is lonely, and he knows it, he feels the aching hollowness in his chest. Over and over Joel talks about needing a team, but instead he ends up the most hated man on the server with a roster of situational alliances.

That's who Joel is, someone who causes chaos, setting the world ablaze, who is sometimes tolerated for mutual benefit, but who's almost always alone, and who (as far as other people seem to notice) doesn't mind it that way.

And then Double Life happens.

The universe itself hands Joel a partner. Someone who's life relies on him, and who he has to rely on in turn. Someone who he has to trust implicitly. Someone who won't leave, because the two of them being a team is sewed into the fabric of reality for the season. And you can see how much lighter Joel is, how much he thrives when he isn't alone, when, for the first time ever, he can end one session and be able to fully trust that he'll still have someone on his side when the next one starts.

Of course, Double Life doesn't last forever. Limited Life comes around and, as far as alliances go, it's like the previous season never happens. It's..difficult for Joel. He takes every little betrayal (of which joel perceives many) from Etho very hard. Which could have left Joel in a worse place than he started. Joel could have lost Etho and decided to never let himself care about anyone again. But instead, he does the exact opposite.

In Limited Life, Joel clings to Jimmy and Grian. The universe showed Joel what it was like to be loved, and I get the sense Joel couldn't stand to lose that, so he found a team and held them so close they could never leave (he would have given jimmy more time, all the time he needed, to keep him at his side).

In Secret Life, Joel absolutely surrounds himself with people. Joel joins the largest faction on the server, never far from people, from life, from laughter or joy. There's no chance for Joel to ever really be alone unless he chooses to be.

And finally, Wild Life. Joel wins because of family. Because he came into the season and he fully opened himself up to love and trust from other people, and he received it back in droves.

I've seen people say it's ironic that Joel won through "family" instead of bloodshed, when he's such a hostile and isolated player. But, while Joel is still chaotic, he never wanted to be alone. Joel was isolated for the first two seasons, in part because of bad circumstances, and in part because he didn't think there was any other way to be. And then the universe showed Joel how it felt to be loved, and he's never let himself be alone since. Of course Joel thrived in Wild Life.

[kaivenom]

How would you meet the avengers' men

A/N: I know this is very long, if someone wants a one shot about some of these, tell me about it. This is an attempt to remember the good days of Marvel and these awesome man.

Masterlist

Steve Rogers:

You where a new agent in S.H.I.E.L.D and you got assigned to be the supervisor when Steve woke up from the ice.

He was scared about the new era, the technology and all the things but you tried to teach him the best you can about the 21th century.

At some point he got so used to your presence that invited you to take dinner. The night was so pleasasnt that you decided to set the sundays as a 'study period' to do outside.

Bucky:

You were his neighbor at Bucarest and when you heard that someone was moving on you decided to welcome him to the comunity. He got very surprised to see you being so nice to him.

Since then you start to meet many times, ussually in the market. Or in the stairs of the building but he never said more than three or four words, you thought he didn't like.

One day you were carrying a large amount of purchase and he appeared, seeing that you needed help he took some of the bags and you two started going up stairs. He looked nervous but soon started to start a conversation with you. He wasn't very good at it, it was clear that he didn't socialize very often.

From that time he began to talk to you more often when you coincided.

Bruce Banner:

You were sent to Banner's lab to help him with his experiments, especially they selected you because you have a psychology degree and Fury expected you to know how to calm him down if something happens.

The time you got there, Bruce made you work instantly. He was rude and strict. Weeks passed by and at some point you started to get annoyed about his attitude towards you because you didn't do anything to get him angry.

When you aproached him about it he started to say that he was reaching your limits to see where was your limit, because everyone will abandon him. You confronted him about it using all your psychological skills from university, trying to figure out his personality.

He didn't like it, even the Hulk started to show up, seeing that you got on his nerves that much, it was time to show up your mediation skills. He was surprised to see that you got to calm down the Hulk, from that day he started to be more nice at work.

Clint Barton:

Being new on S.H.I.E.L.D and being an awesome archer was something that Clint didn't take well. First started with showing off on the training season, then continued to get on your way on missions.

It was after that you saved his life that he started to calm down with the competitive aspect. Though it didn't disappear, it was easier to cope with it.

Especially because you aren't really good at socializing, at some point Clint realized that and started to be more close to you and include you on plans with other agents.

When you discovered you thought it was because he felt pity about you, after some discussion he said that he felt the same. Being an archer when everyone has guns can be a little isolating from partners and he didn't want you to feel that way.

After that you two started to be inseparable, although you didn't leave the competitive side.

Peter Quill:

You hired the famous Guardians of the Galaxy to get you an object that was stolen from you. Apart from the fact that Quill was just coming in to get extra information about the case every time he can, he even tried haggling for payment.

He tried to add a date with you to your previous agreedment. You tried to decline it, but then you realized that you both where humans but you were never on earth. So that could be the perfect time to see a true human experience like a romantic date.

You accepted and at the end, you were very excited about it. He took you to take dinner and then some drinks in a club. You danced until sunrise and ended up having a very good night.

You thought he would try to make you go to bed with him but he was even more lost in the music than you. It was very fun and you hope to hire them again if that would be the price.

Peter Parker:

Being a new student at Queen's high school was difficult, even more if you didn't fit quite well with other girls or anyone popular.

Then appeared like a miracle, the science club, maybe you can make some lab friends there. When you got there you saw to boys, one was especially cute

They seemed very surprised to see someone there, they asked you if you were lost and when you said It was because you liked to join then it was like a blessing to them. Apparently they dont have many females in the club, they were exited.

The boy named Peter asked if you needed help to know the high school, the classes or anything. You accepted the help and was one of the best mornings you could have, from that day you pass almost all your time on the science club, especially with Peter.

Thor:

You were a sorcerer well known on Asgard. One day he appeared asking for you help and you accepted, after all he was the prince.

After that and some awkard flirting from his side while you were casting the spell, he started to ask for your help more often.

There was a point where it wasn't even credible anymore and It was very obvious that he wanted some excuse to see you.

After confronting him about that behaviour he tried to deny It, but when you said that if he wanted to get you on a date all he need to do it ask, he inmediatly regretted his words and asked you out.

Pietro Maximoff

(in this i imagine he is still alive)

Sokovian invassion, the worst day possible you can have. Dangerous robots and some strange blue and white lighting appearing on the street from time to time. You took a gun and started evacuating all the people you can, you were no soldier or superhero but seeing children being in danger wasn't your preference.

When you saw the strange lighting again you shot it. It turned out that wasn't a robot, it was a men. At least the bullet only skimed his arm but the discontent on his face was obvious. You yelled an apology and when he saw the kids behind you he took them to the evacuation transport.

You didn't let him take you there and obliged him to escort you while you continue to save some people. After someone shoot you on the arm he took you to the transport without the posibility to complain from your part.

Later when all the disaster passed, he searched for you and invited you to dinner, in expense for shooting him.

Tony Stark:

You were an interviewer of the news, one day your boss decided that you would do an articule about Iron man.

You spent the next three months investigation and searching everything you could find about the millionare. And finally you published your work.

Instantly your report was really popular and in a couple of days Tony Stark was at your job, he was looking for you.

When your boss left him on your office, mister Stark started to ask you questions about why you wrote that things and quarrel you about not asking for a private interview with him. When you said that to already did that and ended up with a refusal he said it was a mistake, so he gave you a date.

When the day came, he was really excentric and full of pride trying to flirt with you but after seeing your compromise, stopped little by little on his attempts... at least during the interview, after that he invited you to another date, this time more casual.

Sam Wilson:

This is simple, you two were recluts on S.H.I.E.L.D at the same time, this included rivarly, competitions and you dying of jealousy when he got into the avengers.

You decided to try to ascend the more you can on the hierarchy of S.H.I.E.L.D's comands and you succeded.

After a couple of years you had to supervise an international secret mission that was shared with the avengers so you two encountered. He was shocked to see that you got so far and you made fun of his wings. That resulted in your rivarly to be reactivated during the mission.

When quest ended successfully he offered you to train together again. You accepted and started to spent at least one morning of the week kicking his ass.

Scott Lang

You were the babbysitter of Cassie, provided by the police to be there if it was a problem because she is the daughter of a superhero. The thing it's that you didn't met Ant-man yet because he was on house arrest.

Until one day he showed on the door, without the ankle strap, you supposed his sentenced finished. He was suprised too, someone new was on the house playing with his daughter.

The day was really funny, he was funny, you two instanly connected and tried to make the best day for Cassie.

A couple of days you discovered that he escaped from the house arrest, when he showed up again a couple of days later you aproached him about it. When he didn't take you seriously you sent him to the ground with a fight technique, he didn't expected you to be a trained agent.

After all you had to be more permissive because the man loved his daughter a lot and you can't take that from him. You keeped and eye on him and the surroundings, but the day was as funny as the first day.

Bonus Loki

You were a librarian on Earth, a friend of Jane Foster. One day Thor appeared with his brother. You heard about him, especially after New York's invasion but he didn't look like a maniac.

It was charming, aside from the dislike and upset he appeared to had from being on earth. While Thor was with Jane, he started to look at the books with a annoyed face. You decided to aproach him and offer your help, in the end this was your library.

At first he didn't quite like your presence and he made it clear, but during the evening, your book recomendation's made him change a little his mind.

He started to acompany more his brother to the library and started at some point taking books with him, making a license was very funny. There was a time that he started to bring books from Asgard to you and incredibly, he offered himself to teach you magic. In his words, someone with that much knowledge should be able to used it.

The afternoons on your small library started to be very intriguing.

[jaggedamethyst]

circuit breaker 🔬🌌 (part five)

tutor!jayce talis x reader, ekko x reader college au

content: after what happened, jayce is committed to helping you learn the physics material. even if it means daily sessions and spreading himself extremely thin.

harsh language (cursing, off-hand kms jokes), jayce mom angst, actual physics but I hope it makes sense…I swear I chose relatively simple concepts!! (If you need more context for the graph Jayce made, legit just google physics electron progression 1s 1p and a chart with arrows should come up on google) 

notes: might fuck around and post the next part asap because its that good

word count: 1.9k

series master list

。·:*:·ﾟ★,。·:*:·ﾟ☆　　 。·:*:·ﾟ★,。·:*:·ﾟ☆

Somehow the next week was even more stressful than the last few. With the looming stress of this week’s quiz and the strenuous schedule Jayce had you on—you were beginning to wonder if these study sessions were even going to pay off. 

He agreed to meet at your place. He’d show up every day, on the dot, supplies in hand. The happy expression on his face made you feel optimistic at first. You were ready to take on physics with a new level of confidence.

That was Monday.

By Wednesday, Jayce’s upbeat mood and cheery outlook just drained you even more. When Thursday came around, one day before the quiz, you were sure you were at your limit. 

“Hi, Jayce.” You spoke in monotone, opening the door before he could even knock. You turned away from him, allowing him to step into your apartment and close the door himself. 

He poked at your disinterested tone. “Someone’s in a good mood.”

“Yes, well I think that I’ve consumed enough physics this week that I might be reincarnated as Bohr…but that’s fine.” You stalked to your room, “That’s assuming my brain cells aren’t stuck in their own orbits or whatever the fuck.”

“Wait,” he paused in the middle of the hall leading to your room. 

“What?” 

“You…just made a physics joke.” He pointed to you, his tone increasing in amazement. “And it actually made sense-“ 

“It should.” You turned away from him, continuing into your room. “If I have to hear about atomic structure, valence electrons, or nucleus-es any more I might kill myself.” 

“Nuclei.” 

“Huh?” You pulled out the chair at your desk, allowing space for him to sit at the chair next to yours. 

He sat beside you, grabbing your notebook. He flipped to a fresh page as he spoke, “Nuclei is the plural…for when you mean more than one nucleus.” 

“Not to be that person but I think we may have bigger fish to fry than my grammar, Jayce.” 

“You’re right.” He rubbed his hands together, “Where should we start?” 

“Well we left off with electron configuration. I understand the concept…kind of…but I can’t remember all of these damn numbers. The pattern is weird.” 

Jayce reached toward the floor, seeing some of the papers from the previous day still thrown about. He grabbed one with the electron chart—clearly marked with notes and color coordinated to help you remember. 

“I think its best we start with this…if you’re trying to remember and do the problem at the same time you won’t understand it.” He slid the paper in front of you, setting it aside from the book. He then reached for another paper he’d bought—a worksheet. “Here’s some more examples for you to work on. Why don’t you try the first one like we practiced?”

You whined a bit, “Do I have to?” 

“Do you want to get a good grade?” 

You paused, snatching the pencil from the table. “Just because you have a good point doesn’t mean I like it.” 

He remained silent, stifling a laugh. He looked over your shoulder, watching you work out the questions. Somehow you’d made an already long question exponentially longer—working through a method that seemed to work for you. It of course tacked on extra minutes to each problem, though.

“How’s this?” You looked to Jayce for approval. 

“This is…” His eyes scanned your writing. Among the many cross outs and faint eraser marks was not a correct answer, but one extremely close. “This is almost right. You just messed up at the end here.” 

“What? No way-“ You looked at his finger pointing between the chart and your work, spotting the error. “Oh…I see what I did wrong.” 

“Good…wanna try and fix it?” 

You didn’t make direct eye contact, but honed in on the paper—encouraged to get the correct answer. He lingered over your movements with a watchful eye until you were done. 

“Okay…how about now?” You held the book out to Jayce.

“Amazing.” 

“But you didn’t check-“ 

“I did—watched you do the whole thing.” 

You turned to Jayce, “Sure you did.” 

“No, really.” He pushed the notebook back to you. “In fact, I think you’re ready to do three of these.” 

“You sure?” 

He nodded, pushing the materials back in a group for you to work on. “You got this.” 

Jayce sat silently again, catching the way you’d twisted your lips in concentration. Your grip on the pencil was harsh, the wood pressing into your skin in a way he was sure should hurt. Even so, you didn’t give up. The process became longer than he expected. His vision started to blur, his focus becoming less sharp, but he stayed watching. 

Eventually, you turned to him, several minutes having passed. To both of your surprise, you did rather well. Jayce traced over your handwriting, noting the simple mistakes you needed to keep an eye out for. You nodded alongside him, physically writing down the notes he gave you. Before you continued, you decided on a quick break. 

“I’m gonna go grab something to drink, do you want anything?” 

“No,” Jayce yawned suddenly, “I’m good.” He moved to rub his eyes, sorting through some of the papers that had found their way to the floor. He turned a bit, watching you leave the room. 

You rounded the corner, beelining for the refrigerator and cabinets for a snack—you needed fuel immediately.

With an inhale, you leaned back into the kitchen countertop. Truthfully, you were feeling a bit more confident now, but if you were feeling drained you could only imagine Jayce. You made quick work of grabbing a few more snacks for him and a bottle of water before heading back to the room. 

Before crossing the threshold, you froze—the sound of light snores filled the room. 

Jayce had fallen asleep. 

A crooked smile found a way to your lips, the sight of him admittedly being very cute. Despite him being asleep, his lashes fluttered a bit. His lips parted and let out the sound of his breath. In an occurrence that should provide him comfort, intensity still lingered in his brows; they were pinched together in worry. You didn’t miss the way his lip would occasionally twitch—fighting off the pain that lived in him. 

With a quick motion, you quietly set the things you’d grabbed to the side. Making sure you stepped lightly—you swung open the closet and grabbed a blanket to lay over him. You gulped at the action, not even giving it a second thought. The thought left you just as quickly as it had appeared, your feet moving you back toward your desk and open notebook. 

Your eyes scanned over your work and the example problems pensively—immediately feeling an overwhelming sensation fill you. Your palms began to sweat, fingers and hands shaking in front of you. A slow blink and deep breath allowed you to calm yourself, enough to grab your pencil and start in on the example problems. Jayce turned then, still sleeping but fidgeting a bit. You had to try to do this—on your own. 

For a while, you worked on the problems only, afraid to crosscheck for the answers. Eventually, you’d grown confidence to check. There were a few you’d gotten wrong, circling back to check what you did incorrectly with a motivated scribble. Others, you’d gotten right, though. A warm feeling sat inside you, a pride over finally understanding the material. 

Beside you, Jayce started to stir before quickly sitting up in panic. “Fuck, when did I fall asleep?” 

You looked to your left, the clock hanging above. “Like an hour ago.” 

“Why didn’t you wake me up? I’m supposed to be helping you.” He moved to stand, folding the blanket you’d placed over him. 

“Figured you could use the down time.” 

He moved closer to the chair, watching you lean your head up to look at him. His shoulders slumped at the optimism in your gaze. “I feel like I’m fucking this up.” He drew in a dramatic breath, “Am I a bad tutor?” 

You pushed the chair back a bit, letting him look at your self-graded work. “You tell me.” 

His eyes raked over the paper, bending over the blanket in his grasp. He took his time surveying all the written out problems. His nostrils flared when he would let out an amused chuckle at the ones you went back to fix. He leaned away, “You’re pretty smart, huh?” 

“Well,” You stood, grabbing the blanket from him. “I have a not so bad tutor.” 

Jayce folded his arms, “Right.” 

You turned to put the blanket away. When you got back to your desk, you gestured for Jayce to find his seat next to yours again. As the two of you were finally sat, Jayce spoke up. 

“So,” he cleared his throat, “How are you feeling? I mean, like mental health wise. I know it’s been a lot.” 

“I think…I’m working on it.” You nodded, “As best as I can.” 

“That’s good. You should be proud.” 

“Thank you, I try to be.” You swallowed, seeming to look off into the distance. The quietness of the room made you want to speak to fill it. “How’s your mom?” 

Jayce watched you grimace at the abrupt question, but felt grateful you asked. “She’s okay. I spend a lot of time with her—helping and doing whatever she needs to feel comfortable.” He looks down at his hands in his lap. “Think it’s just a hard time for her, feeling herself be weak in a way she’s never been before.” 

You nodded then, looking at his downturned gaze. “I get that.” 

“I’m trying really hard to be what she needs me to be, whatever that looks like.” He readjusted, “Sometimes I think that’s a good student…to keep my grades up. Other times I think it’s to just be a good son…show up every day after class. It’s exhausting trying to figure it out.” 

“I can only imagine.” 

“It’s different with you though.” He jumped a bit at the way your head snapped to him. He spoke quickly, “I just mean that…I know what my purpose is. I can physically see you improving.” He rubbed his neck, “I’m not making sense am I?” 

You shook your head, “I’m attempting to follow-“ 

“I guess I should just thank you, then.” 

“Thank me? For what?” 

“For letting me help you. For letting me have a purpose outside of just student, son, friend, whatever.” He placed a hand on the desk in front of you, closing the gap between you. He finally let his eyes meet your again, a sincere look on his face. “Thank you.” 

A tight feeling ran through you, pushing from your chest outward. You didn’t break the eye contact, though. “I think you’re giving me too much credit, Jayce.” 

“I don’t think I give you enough.” 

A breath caught in your throat, suddenly overwhelmed by the lingering look Jayce had on you. The both of you stayed there, looking between one another’s eyes. Jayce’s movement forward was almost imperceptible; you wouldn’t have noticed had you not been studying every feature on him.

His phone dinged—piercing through the palpable tension in your room. He looked away, a reluctance in his motion. You looked toward the door in a huff, pushing away the feeling that had creeped up on you so quickly. 

“Sorry, it’s Mel.” 

“Oh,” you turned to him expectantly, “Do you need to go?” 

Without missing a beat he turned his phone face down and folded his hands in front of you. “Nope…I’m good here.” 

“Okay, then.” 

He slid the book from in front of you, splitting the distance. “Let’s get a better look at this amazing work you did.” 

Your tongue pushed on the inside of your cheek, the skin puffing out and heating at the praise. 

“Alright, then.” 

chapter six

taglist

@juskonutoh @sseleniaa @aerina127 @sleepysoldier @angelicmisty @1800latenitecreep @venus-in-roses @myxticmoon @rando-no-5

[tonysbed]

Secrets I keep | Part 8

Lando Norris x sister!reader

Daniel Ricardo x norris!reader

Max Fewtrell x norris!reader

summary: You and Max have been dancing around your feelings for years but jealousy gets the best of us all..

NOT PROOFREAD 😬

series masterlist | previous | next

-

yn

liked by landonorris, kellypiquet, charlesleclerc and 739.638 others

yn kika didn’t like her picture so she forbid me to post ours, had to replace it w a pic of me 😔

franciscagomez marry me

yn 💍

alexandrasaintmleux 😍😍

kellypiquet gorgeous 🫶🏻

yn youuu

danielriccardo I don’t see anyone complaining 👀

pierregasly Riccardo. Careful.

danielriccardo I didn’t mean it like that and you know it! 😬

pierregasly mhm

yn 😀

user can daniel fight??

user Need her omg

user the better norris

landonorris excuse me

yn you heard the people. Need me to spell it out for you??

landonorris 🙄🙄

-

“Can we talk for a moment?” Daniel says from the couch. You turn to him, take your drink and sit down “Sure. What about?” “Us”

You nod “We couldn’t really talk about everything last night, which is okay. I mean we were both tired and all” He starts.

“I just need to know.. Do you like me or am I really just the rebound?” He looks at you, hoping you wouldn’t say what he dreaded would be the answer.

You scrunch your eyebrows together “That’s not what this is.” “Then what is this? I don’t want you to let me fall once Fewtrell decides he wants you regardless of Lando. I need to know now so I can walk away. I need to walk away if that could happen.”

You squeeze your eyes shut and set down your drink “Daniel.” You look at him “I..” You sigh “You’re-“ Like in every other inconvenient moment, your doorbell rings “Oh for fucks sake” You get up and open the door.

“Oh. Max.” “Hey, uhm lando told me to come pick something up for him?” You nod “It’s a gift for a friends birthday. Come in” You lead him into the living room where Daniel sits.

Max nods and so does Daniel. “I’ll be right back. No stupid stuff” You point at Max “Why are you pointing at me?” He raised his hands “Because I don’t trust you” You squint your eyes “Don’t move.Ill be right back” You make your way to your bedroom.

Max sways on his feet, eyes wandering around the room. Daniel stares at him.

“It’s unfair” Daniel says coldly “Hm?” Max looks at him “She likes you and you treat her like crap. I want to give her the world and she’ll probably still choose you”

Max looks at him for a moment “You don’t know anything, Riccardo” “Don’t I?” “No you don’t. Otherwise you would say shit like that.” Daniel scoffs “Oh yeah? You keep acting like she doesn’t exist or makes it painful to be in her presence”

“It’s painful to be in your presence, not hers.”Max says, looking away from the australian.

“What have I done to you? You’re the one who rejected her.”

“In both of our better interest. Lando would’ve never spoken to her again.Do you even know how many times he told everyone how off limits she was? They’re each others person. I’m not taking that from them just because..just..” Max sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Because you loved her since she did.” Max looks at Daniel again but doesn’t move any more than that.

Silence filled the room, the two men are so busy staring at each other that they don’t notice you standing in the doorway. You don’t move, eyes locked on max.

“Here’s the package.” You say quietly, stepping towards Max. They both look at you in shock. Max starts to speak “Don’t. Please go.” He nods “See you” Max looks at Daniel and then at you before walking out.

You sigh and turn to Daniel “Did you have to do that?” He looks at you but doesn’t say anything “I think you should go too.” “Yn please” “No. You want an honest answer? I still like Max, yes. Doesn’t mean I don’t like you but if the possibility was there, I’d chose him.”

Daniel looks away for a moment “It happened so fast that I didn’t pull myself out of whatever we are. But this whole ‘I’m better than you’ thing? I’m not doing that. If this is how you act around Max it’s just a matter of time until Lando catches wind of it and I can’t have that.” Daniel gets up “Please, I would never tell Lando”

“Please go, Daniel. We can be friends, but we won’t work out romantically.” You say dryly. In his eyes is a flash of hurt “I need you to go, now.” He nods, gets his things and leaves.

-

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yn added to their story

[cap 1: 🧡🧡 | cap 2: My new private chef btw]

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“So what happened?” Lando leans on the kitchen Island while Carlos is collecting all the ingredients and tools he needs.

“I threw daniel out and..I broke off whatever it was between us” You say, still sounding unsure “What? Why? I mean it just started” “I..He’s not.. We wouldn’t work. We’ve got different expectations and.. I can’t live up to his. And that’s okay.” You say, now watching carlos pour in some flour.

“Well, if that’s what’s right for you, then that’s good” Carlos says, which Lando agrees to “This was way to fast paced” You say, leaning on your hand. Carlos looks up at you “That’s what it looked like from the outside too, sorry” You shake your head.

“Don’t be sorry, Carlos. It’s the truth.” Carlos nods and continues his pancake recipe. Lando looks at you “But you’re okay? Or do you want a hug?” “I always want hugs” You smile and open your arms. He chuckled and pulled you into his embrace “Yeah, as you used to say, you’re olaf”

You chuckle “I am! I love hugs!” Carlos chuckled at you two “There’s not a thing in the world that would ever break you two apart” You look at Carlos, who smiles.

“Well I hope not. Who’s gonna make ads for quadrant?” Lando asked teasingly. You slap his arm which he laughs at “I’m joking, i’m joking stop hitting me!” He pulls your wrists down and laughs.

“Asshole” “You love me” “I sadly do, yea” Carlos chuckled “Never ever changed.” He says as he pours the pancake mix into the pan.

Lando’s arm stays around you “You know I just want you to be happy, right?” You nod “Yeah, of course” “I don’t care who you’re with, you’re my sister” You nod again and Carlos eyes you both. You take a mental note of carlos look.

-

danielriccardo added to their story

-

pierregasly already going back??

danielriccardo smth came up

pierregasly okay okay

maxverstappen1 keep your head up, it’ll be fine

danielriccardo I know, I get it. Don’t worry abt me ;)

maxverstappen1 💙

-

A few days later you’re sitting in Landos apartment, Max sits on the other couch next to yours. Lando quickly went down to get your ordered food.

“I’m sorry” Max says, looking at you. You look up from your phone “What?” “For the daniel thing.” “He started it, Max” “I should’ve ignored him then” You shake your head “I may wouldn’t have told him to leave if it wasn’t for you. I..we would’ve never worked out for long.”

Max nods “Peace?” You smile “Probably easier, no?” He nods “Probably” Lando walks in with the food and sets it’s down on the table.

“I see you’re both still alive, that’s good” “We just decided on peace.” Lando’s eyes widen “Really? So.. no more fighting?” You chuckle “Well try” Lando nods “Okay, that’s good” You smile and look down before taking the food that lando hands you.

-

yn

liked by maxfewtrell, oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1 and 738.534 others

yn and we’re back 🧡 (hurt them and I’ll haunt you in your sleep)

lilyzhneimer 😂🧡

yn nothing and no one will harm either of you 🤺

oscarpiastri thank you, yn 😂

landonorris loving my teammate more than me I see

yn not hard to

landonorris pls go back to being sad

yn fuck off

user MAX MENTION ONG

user where is daniel??😕

user yn is their number one shipper and defender 😂

user not jinxing anything this time, only manifesting for the best🤞

-

this is so short AND late but I had to scrap the other version and I still don’t like this but.. you’ll have to live with it.

Next part will be longer ☝️

[utilitycaster]

I am curious if you think the campaign wrap up will perhaps address some of the campaign shortcomings or challenges the cast faced in trying to land this campaign narratively, especially in comparison to previous campaigns? Not that they would disparage the whole campaign - but like a little “yeah this didn’t work as well as we wanted at times?” 

It’s odd because I find myself weirdly optimistic about CR as a whole despite this campaign’s possible lackluster ending, so I guess I’m hoping the campaign wrap up acknowledges that this campaign didn’t always play to their strengths in hopes that their next long form venture does more, idk.

I don't know if it will but. that's precisely the tenor any question I send will have: I don't think the fundamental concept is the issue - hell, I don't even think killing the gods is actually a problem if you appropriately set up a scenario where killing the gods has a motivation other than "mortals were mean to me in their name" [thing that happens irl all the time in a world with zero proof of divinity, in my religiously observant ideologically agnostic and skeptical opinion] or "I have issues with my parents I never worked towards so I've projected this onto The Ultimate Parents instead of like. being fucking normal." But it needed a lot more scaffolding at the VERY least in the prep for this campaign, and actually, to be blunt, if you want to make this a balanced issue you needed to seed this concept through prior campaigns in a meaningful way. There's a reason pretty much everyone who defends this campaign as Extremely Good, Actually is either doing some form of wildly revisionist history of the fandom and the past campaigns that's demonstrably false if you were like. there; or else they started with C3 and decided they were an expert despite being of below-average literacy and deeply below average personality and have to resort to such miserable efforts as "arguing that canon isn't real" and "posting an out of context Le Guin quote over and over in the hopes we won't notice they're actually 511 mice in a trenchcoat who can't actually read". So yeah I hope Matt is like this was an ambitious project and I'd have done many things differently.

I do wonder what's next for CR, because as I mentioned, it feels like the cast is stronger in shorter form; that even the other longform shows are moving to shorter form right now; and that WBN and C3 kind of show the limits/failings of longform. I hope they do another longform campaign at some point in the future, but it might make sense to take an extended break and play in the space for a while. They only took about 4 months between campaigns for the past two and maybe it would be good to take longer and focus on Daggerheart, Candela, and EXU for much of the year and if they do longform wait 8-10 months, especially with the comparatively extensive touring schedule this year.

I also hasten to add, and I mentioned this briefly in talking about CRPGs, but I think there's a Third Campaign Dip that's not inevitable (NADDPod didn't really have it; TAZ switches systems enough that it's not an issue) but definitely hit here, that doesn't apply to a fourth one. Like, for CRPGs (girl who's played Veilguard twice and gotten through the first day of Disco Elysium voice) it feels like the first run is following what seems most fun to you and then the second is playing around with other choices that maybe aren't as appealing just to see what happens, and then for the third and future runs you kind of know the full lay of the land and what you'll like while still allowing for a range of choices. For class-based TTRPGs, the first is the self-insert/thing that's fairly comfortable and easy/character you've dreamed of; the second is what you do now that you know how this works; and then the third can be...an overextension, shall we say. I think after that you figure out, again, the bounds of your comfort zone, how much you can stretch it, and what you don't like, you're in a much more consistent footing.

[yamisnuffles]

DATV Spoiler Free Review

I beat Veilguard a couple days ago and have had some time to let it settle in my brain. So, without getting into the nitty gritty and more spoilery things, here are my overall feelings on the game.

The Great:

The world itself. The scenery. It was really gorgeous and felt fully alive in a way that none of the previous games have quite managed. Since it wasn't as open world as DAI nor as narrow in scope as DA2 (nor as old as DAO lol), it felt more vital. Definitely a place where the advances in graphics helped, I'm sure.

The Good:

The companions. I wouldn't say any of them blew me away but they all at least ranged from enjoyable to very good. I definitely had my quibbles here and there but I think they were all pretty solid. As such, though I've only done one romance, I'll suppose they're all good. A bit... sparse in my experience and from what I've been hearing, but nice enough.

Overall, I also think the story was pretty good. Like much in this game, nothing that blew me away, but solidly compelling.

Also, mechanically, the gameplay and the glamour system. It still doesn't feel like DA to me but it was enjoyable once I got used to it. It works well with how I play games. And it was nice to just set looks for myself and my companions and not worry about stats vs appearance.

Rook. I have some definite Complaints, and so this point is probably closer to the good to mid range, but they did a pretty good job with letting you pull in your faction stuff. I'm prevented from saying great because it feels like, even with what are supposed to be rougher dialogue choices, you're limited to being mildly pleasant.

The Mid:

The music. This is tragic to me because every previous game had some really standout songs and DAI especially was such a solid soundtrack. I love soundtrack music. Also because Hans Zimmer! I love Hans Zimmer. But the entire thing felt very generic epic fantasy to me. It wasn't bad but it didn't feel good. The only times I ended up moved by the music was when they lifted DAI songs.

The lack of imports. It wasn't the end of the world but did make some cameos feel really off. And for all the talk of making what few things were imported matter, that really didn't feel like the case at all (unless you were in a specific subset of players). I didn't care too much, but it was just enough to make things feel weird, especially with characters like Harding who are so attached to previous stuff.

The Bad:

The world felt so sanitized. I have no issue getting rid of real life bigotry that makes so sense in the context of the world. For example, the sexism in DAO especially made no sense. That said, there was a lot of in world nastiness that is just... gone. The game does a lot of telling us the elves have it bad but doesn't show it. No one bats an eye at a Tevinter mage running about outside of Tevinter. No one cares about a Qunari in occupied Treviso. I suppose it's not the worst thing in the world but it feels weird, especially when it's so central to Solas' motivations.

This sanitization carried on through pretty much everything. All of the factions are presented as good and heroic, even the ones that are historically pretty shady. Your companions are all pleasant and palatable. They have the occasional minor squabble but even when they almost have actual beef, it's solved super easily. You might get some disapproval for decisions but companions never seem to much care or hold it against you, even on really big things. I don't need DA2 levels of interparty drama but, boy did I want a bit more tooth sometimes.

The Awful:

I can't get into it without spoilers but it did a Thing that Bioware sometimes likes to do that I absolutely loathe. This is definitely personal but it ruined some of my desire to replay.

Overall:

I'd give the game a 7/10 or maybe 6/10, depending on how I'm feeling. It was enjoyable for the most part but it had so many things that felt like splinters. Lots of little things that stuck under my skin and bothered me. Would I recommend it? Genuinely depends on the person.

[elysiansparadise]

I'm so exicited for everything you're doing, I love your blog! Any tips for my sun squaring his saturn?

Thank you love, that means a lot! 💞

How to deal with Sun-Saturn square in synastry?

This square is usually attributed to the feeling of not being able to express oneself with complete freedom in the relationship, feeling scared to open up either due to the fear of being judged or criticized [either due to internal or external situations in the relationship]. May feel this need not to disappoint the other and to constantly set high standards either to themselves or both.

As for practical approaches, I can mention the following:

🤍More acceptance and less criticism: This point applies both to how you treat the other and yourselves. It is important to keep in mind that you need to be yourself to be in a relationship, especially one in the long run. A relationship in which you constantly feel like you have to hide or limit yourself can become tiring for you, so if you have the fear of being judged or criticised, you need to communicate this with your partner. If this fear or insecurity comes from past experiences, share them.

🤍Show your support and encourage each other: Opening up to other people can be a difficult task for many, especially if they have had bad experiences in the past. As a couple, show the commitment and willingness you feel to be understanding and accepting with each other. Be patient, reassure the other that they can express themselves without fear of being judged, and make it clear that you can be vulnerable with the other. Verbal, physical reassurance or even through small actions such as putting aside the phone to pay attention when the other person is talking, asking questions to better understand can help improve trust. Don't rush each other and let things flow naturally.

🤍Do activities that the other likes: When you do this, you can see the other person in their element and appreciate how they act. In addition, you spend quality time together, which makes you get closer to the other emotionally. We express different sides of ourselves when we do something we are passionate about and we tend to be more uninhibited, so it can help a lot in dealing with this square. By showing interest in and in each other's interests, you can create feelings of gratefulness, appreciation, and affection.

Some aspects in astrology that can help with this are the following:

🩶Sun, Moon, Rising, Venus or a stellium falling in the other’s 5th house: When there is any of these, both can feel very drawn to the other, their individuality and simply the person they are. They can feel happy, delighted and intrigued by each other despite these differences that may exist. They may want to encourage the other person to be more genuine and confident, showing them that they don't have to be ashamed of the sides of their personality that cause them insecurity.

🩶Sun, Moon, Rising, Venus or a stellium falling in the other's 11th house: Similar to the previous point, they captivate each other, only being in this house both can be very different from the other. It will be precisely these differences that make them feel very attracted to the other person. They both encourage each other to be authentic and they freely teach each other what it is to be loved without conditions or expectations.

🩶Jupiter aspecting the Moon makes you both want to learn from each other on a deep level, ensuring you build a supportive and safe environment. Acceptance, affection, support and a lot of affection, they do not hesitate to reassure each other and they care a lot about intimacy as a couple to continue growing and having a positive and pleasant relationship for both. They are patient and understanding with each other which makes them feel that it is safe to open up.

🩶Neptune-Jupiter harmonious aspects make both natives awaken empathy, warmth and compassion in the other, making them feel that it is easier to be honest and emotional with the other. These aspects give a deep sense of strong and caring spiritual connection, which gives them comfort and even a sense of joy. There is that desire to know each other more on a deep level, from what makes them who they are to all the experiences that have impacted their lives, whether positive or negative. They will not make judgments or point fingers at the other, but rather they will prefer to put themselves in perspective to be able to understand better. Support, ability to connect positively with others and good wishes towards the other.

🩶When Venus is making aspects with Saturn, mutual attraction and the desire to care for each other are strengthened, making it easier to handle any type of challenges. Love and affection are present, and that makes both parties to solve problems with greater empathy and warmth. They both want to build a strong relationship which leads them to do everything necessary to make that possible, they strive to make the other feel loved and valued.

🩶North Node falling in the other's 1st, 5th or 11th house makes them a great support throughout the relationship for the other, especially in accepting themselves and motivating them to be more authentic and genuine. They can encourage others by appreciating them and helping them see the good sides of their personality. They teach the other to be themselves without fearing other people's opinions or criticism.

🩶Moon aspecting Sun or Rising makes you feel the trust of opening up to each other. They feel it is safe to talk about their emotions, express themselves and be vulnerable. These aspects speak to us of support, sympathy and a genuine desire to care for others, making them feel loved and taken into account, seen and heard. They are naturally delicate with each other and have the patience not to rush the other to open up. Receptive, supportive and very attentive.

🩶The harmonic aspects of either the Sun-Pluto or Moon-Pluto can be of great help in dealing with this square, because both can help each other break negative behaviour patterns and help the other when going through changes or while working. in themselves. They both give each other the strength and security to work on everything they need, help each other and guide each other towards a path of transformation and healing.

🩶Mercury aspecting Moon, Saturn or Pluto can help you have important, heavy or deep conversations more fluidly and easily. They awaken each other's trust and know that they can rely on the other, tell them about their most personal experiences, insecurities, issues or simply talk about their emotions. Sharing important things, looking for solutions and offering solutions is something that comes naturally to this couple.

🩶A trine, sextile or quintile/biquintile between Neptune-Venus not only make this relationship overflowing with love and romance, but there is also a supportive and adaptable quality to both. The other's flaws are not seen as something unattractive, nor do they place unattainable and demanding expectations on the other, rather they are able to love each other completely and show appreciation for each side of their partner.

[archandshri]

28th June ‘24 - [arch] One Page Limitation??? - My process for Traffic Zine #5

Hello All!

A couple months ago, I got accepted to @trafficzine, a digital anthology of pieces by a large group of artists and writers based on the most recent season of the Life Series. I made this piece back in April, but thankfully I kept some notes of my process. 

Heads up - this contains spoilers for Secret Life :D

We were able to choose our own prompt from a list! For this project, I wanted to push my comic making - especially how to communicate a lot of information in a small space. I went through and watched a few clips from the series to see which prompt would fit a comic and settled on Scott’s death.

As usual, I began by getting some reference images and going ham on some big paper. This gets me excited about the project and helps generate ideas. I go for whatever interests me in terms of medium and subject matter, but I try to use a process that doesn’t let me control too much (in this case brush and ink)

initial sketches for fun and vibes :D

During this, I also took the time to transcribe the scene - I wanted to use the dialogue directly, and see how much I could fit into the single page that I was allowed for the zine.

In these early planning stages I make sure to do warm-up sketches to remind myself of the energy I want to communicate. This also keeps things fun and fresh so I'm not ONLY thinking about page composition and making things 'good'. (the expectation for it to be 'good' kills a project prove me wrong)

Dialogue from the clip + warm up sketches

Next up, I started to plan what panels I have on the page. At this stage, some panels might just be a box with some words, and some may have a sketch if I have a clear composition in mind. This stage is mostly for pacing and plot, so instead of focusing on what the panel and page will look like, I will think about:

what will happen in the panel

it's purpose and

what it will communicate

Sometimes I'll illustrate a string of panels that tell the story and fit them on a page after - but this depends on the project and my confidence with the size of it.

After messing around with these and coming up with a pretty clear direction, I draw a bunch of boxes to see how the panels could sit nicely together. At this stage I might realise I have too many panels, and need to cut a few or come up with a creative solution. Nothing is set in stone at this point.

sketching panel layouts

Now begins the fun! I decide on the layout I prefer and I can start putting planned compositions into the boxes. I often do this digitally, or a digital editing process will be involved.

Once planned, I print these out to do a more refined sketch over. I find that my traditional drawings have a lot more life and character to them than digital ones, so I try to keep the majority of the process traditional, with passes of scanning and digital editing.

I tried a version with her looking out at the distance - ready to face the oncoming battle. But it still felt off. So I turned to my slides to ask myself some questions!!

I tried to think of more things that were working - but I really felt like it was lacking a lot. I was going for this slower emotional feeling because that came more naturally to me, but it just wasn't working for this image. The original clip is quite rushed and chaotic - which would be harder to communicate in a comic format but the challenge interested me. Either way, I knew I wasn't happy with this direction so... i decided to start from scratch! Back to the drawing board!!!

In the previous version, I had cut out a lot of the dialogue, but I decided to go back to the original clip and use AS MUCH as possible. Since passing the bow was my favourite part of that first composition, I really wanted to lean into it as the emotional height and final goodbye before Scott's death. It's a moment to slow down and absorb the vibes :D

I made a list of panels along with their descriptions to refer to when trying to figure out the order of panels. there were SO MANY and it was VERY CONFUSING when they were too small to read.

These thumbnails were super small and would not have made sense without my list, I swear.

I printed this tiny thumbnail out at A4, so I could sketch over it and get a clearer sense of flow. Then began a loooong process of printing out tiny photocopies and rearranging the panels to be legible. It was a difficult balance of communicating busyness while making sure the hierarchy/reading order made sense.

After some tweaking, i printed out an A3 copy to draw my panel borders and text.

Doing this on a separate piece of paper means I don't have to worry so much about messing up the text or borders when drawing the characters. This allows me to be more free and expressive with my illustration.

Woah! Quick trip back in time!! During the thumbnailing process I drew these warm up sketches! I looooved the way the linework came out. I drew this on an A3 piece of paper - and the shocked Gem would, in theory, be one of the smallest panels. So I decided to do a crazy thing.

I touched up the sketch digitally, compiling some of my favourite warm up sketches, some traditional sketches made for the panels, and filling the rest in digitally. Then I printed this image out in QUATERS at A3!! This meant the final sketch layer, printed out was A1!! (aka very large, considering the final file would be at A4, about 8x smaller)

I did this so I could get fairly small detailed lines with my pencil while being quite expressive and firm with my mark-making. Slowly, I dlined all of the panels traditionally and scanned them in. Then I assembled the finished linework on Photoshop, along with the text and panel borders and got to colouring :D

final linework :D

For colouring, I played a little bit with halftone but I found the texture made it feel a bit too busy - the panels are already doing enough. Because of this, I also decided to use a limited colour palette. Here are some images of the colouring process, which I won't go into today.

I'm really happy with how this came out - I think it captures the chaos of the moment, while taking time to linger on the emotion of it. Keeping that bow moment really made it, I think.

I think the last panel is still quite weak. Earlier in the process there was a low-angle shot of Gem about to kill Scott which may have been more powerful, but I think I was struggling with my actual drawing skill when it comes to perspective. A lot of learning how to draw, and in particular with comics, is about knowing where your skills are at, how to utilise them best and how to test and push them.

I'm glad that I started again, instead of finishing that composition I wasn't happy with. It was a tough project but I learnt sooooo much from it, and it's been essential skill-building for.... the current comic I'm working on (stay tuned!!! :0) Thanks for reading this incredibly long post! Go check out @trafficzine and look at all the other cool art Cool vibes and silly men,

Archie :D

[ineedhaikyu]

Chapter Four

Summary: It was a bittersweet moment when Inarizaki lost to both Inarizaki's manager and Karasuno’s ace. What will happen next? Do the feelings stop there?

Word Count: 11.7K

Warnings: A lot of fluff. The slow burn is intense. This chapter is long because I wanted to add meaningful conversations. Spoilers for Season 4/Chapter 291! Dialogue from both sources. I don’t own anything. Haikyu belongs to Furudate Haruichi! Also, I added a scene that I found adorable. The Tiktok creator (astrq.ella) translates the fanmade manga into English and it's so cute!! Go check it out!

A/N: Obviously, the dialogue of the twins, Aran, Kita, etc are from the anime and manga. I tried my best to keep the flow of speech going throughout this chapter. Lol idk if I can keep up but I’ll do my best! When am I going to edit that dialogue in the previous chapter? Well, your guess is as good as mine! Also, I apologize for the sudden hiatus, my life is crazy but I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

The match ended with a score of 30-32. With each team winning a set, the third and final set was their last chance to win, to advance, to stay alive in Nationals. The hunger to win was there. The sheer determination to win was there. The will, the passion, the… Well, everything. Each player on the Inarizaki had it all. They played with everything they had.

Atsumu proved to everyone, whether they were familiar with volleyball or not, how his setter skills were top tier and worthy to be labeled as the best high school setter. With his opponent being a setter that attended the same All-Japan Training Camp, he was pushed to another level to become a star setter.

Osamu covered for any tiny mistake his brother made during the match. The unspoken intuition between him and his brother every time he scored a point through their version of Karasuno’s quick attack. Never before had he felt so hungry during a match.

Aran played his role as the ace more than ever. With each difficult pass that was made, he made sure to call out for the ball and with his strength he scored a point for his team. The title of ace suited him as he proved it with each service ace and spikes that broke through Karasuno’s blocks. Gin followed his senpai’s footsteps closely as he scored points through difficult blocks and receiving difficult passes. 

Omimi kept up his blocking skills all throughout the match, turning Karasuno’s possible points into their points through his blocks. The same can be said with Suna. The middle blocker, despite his deadpan expression, didn’t slack off as per usual. He lived up to his title as one of the best middle blockers in Nationals as he kept his sharp game sense and surprised his opponents with his wide-range spike.

Akagi did his best as lead libero. He saved the team on multiple occasions through his receives. His eyes focused on the ball more than anything as he commanded his body to follow after it. With each received he made, it brought a sense of security to his teammates to continue playing. He was the cornerstone for his team’s defense and wasn’t about to slack off, not even for a second.

Kita kept his plays consistent all the while keeping the rambunctious second-years in check. But ever so often, the match brought out a side of him that hasn’t been felt for a long time. Karasuno wasn’t like any other team. Every player on that team pushed his teammates to their limits so many times that it made him crack a smile or two throughout the game. Karasuno were worthy opponents.

Even the first years challenged themselves to play. They didn’t hold anything back. 

And yet… 

“It’s a madhouse in here!” The announcer’s loud voice filled the arena of the crowd’s uproar. “The entire Tokyo gymnasium is shaking with the roar of the crowd!”

The Inarizaki manager was the first to snap out of it. She didn’t realize how loud it was before until now. The last sound she heard was the sound of the ball hitting their side of the orange court. Everything after that felt muffled in a sense as she stood there motionless.

(Y/N) looked at her team. With the exception of their chests moving, no one made an effort to walk off the court. Whether they were too tired to move or they were in disbelief at their loss, (Y/N) knew that her friends were taking this loss harder than usual. 

They were so close…

“We lost.” It helped saying those two words out loud. It didn’t lessen the sting obviously, but it confirmed her reality. 

Even more so when she saw how unbelievably happy Karasuno looked. Her eyes automatically looked for Asahi. When her eyes landed on his jersey number, her wounded heart swelled up with admiration. Under the bright gym lights, Asahi looked unbelievably happy as his arms wrapped around his teammates. He, along with his friends, were hugging the two first-years that made the incredible block against the twins’ attack. 

The scene made her smile bittersweetly. While she was sad that her team was no longer able to advance, losing the match to Karasuno didn’t feel too awful. The match was almost like a battle of wills. Everyone was fighting for a point. No one gave up, not even when the odds were against them. 

There was no way around it, Karasuno won fair and square and while this didn’t mean the end of the world for her… Today marks the end of her Spring Tournament journey… Wow. Third year brings out a different perspective more than anything.

(Y/N) reminded herself to breathe. She looked for Kita. Unsurprisingly, the captain’s observant gaze was on her already. He always had a knack in knowing what she was feeling. It has been like that since their first year. The two smiled at each as they were thinking the same thing.

They couldn’t be any prouder of their entire team.

“It’s time to line up.” Coach Kurosu instructed with Coach Ōmi following behind.

She nodded and wordlessly grabbed the white picket sign that showed her school’s name. The manager waited for her captain to step next to her. Once he did, she gave the sign in his hands. Their eyes met and (Y/N) knew he was going to be okay. 

Everyone lined up on either side of the net; their Karasuno counterpart right in front of them. (Y/N) looked ahead and she smiled when she was met with Kiyoko’s teary-eyed expression. She hoped those tears were of happiness and not of pity for her and her team. In unison, everyone bowed down and thanked each other for the game.

After standing back up, the players stepped forward to shake hands. (Y/N), along with the coaches, did the same. 

“That was a great game.” (Y/N) told her when they shook hands. “Anyone who says Karasuno’s a fallen powerhouse is kidding themselves.”

Kiyoko wiped away the tears that threatened to fall at her new friend’s words. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to us.”

(Y/N) let out a good-natured chuckle. “You have a great team, Kiyoko. Take care of them because the competition is going to be even fiercer.”

“I will… And (Y/N)?”

“Hm?”

“I’m sorry-

“Don’t be.” The Inarizaki manager cuts her off. “Don’t apologize. You never know what’s going to happen. All we can do is our best and keep moving forward. Okay?”

“Okay.” 

“Good.” 

The girls smiled at each other. To Kiyoko’s surprise, (Y/N) gave her a tight hug. It took her a second but Kiyoko managed to hug back. The loud cheers of the arena along with the announcer’s voice almost made it impossible to hear (Y/N)’s next words but she still heard them all the same: “Keep winning.”

Kiyoko pulled away first as she gave her friend a determined nod. “We will.”

(Y/N) smiled at her one last time before following her teammates. She stood next to Kita in front of the Inarizaki cheer section. She scanned the crowd to see her fellow classmates and friends. They had tears streaming down their faces but it didn’t stop them from clapping or shouting words of encouragement. 

In the corner of her eye, she saw how frustrated Atsumu looked. Anyone who had eyes can tell by the expression he wore. 

With furrowed brows and a small pout to accompany it, Atsumu muttered under his breath, “C’mon. Boo us. Losers don’t need no consolation applause.”

To his surprise, one of the older fans called him out. “Shut yer mouth, Atsumu, ya little dimwit!”

(Y/N) smirked when her underclassman was taken aback; he’s probably thinking how on earth did the man see right through him. 

“It’s scrawled all over yer face, ya idjit!” The fan yelled at him, confirming (Y/N)’s theory from before. She didn’t miss the way Osamu smirked at his brother, most likely thinking he was a idiotic moron.

“A GOOD GAME’S A GOOD GAME, AND WE’RE GONNA TELL YOU IT WAS A GOOD GAME! YOU GOT THAT?!”

While the loss did sting, the fan’s words gave her a sense of pride. Everyone rallied behind the fan’s statement. The claps became louder. They shouted each member’s names, including her own, telling them it was a great game. They even brought out the hand-made signs that had their names on it and carried them proudly over their heads. (Y/N)’s eyes swept over the crowd until she was met with Kita’s grandmother’s gaze.

She met the older woman before on multiple occasions. Kita Yumie was the ideal grandmother as she wore a gentle smile that matched her kind eyes. The fact that she showed up to their game only proved how much she cared for her grandson and his team. Not to mention she wore a hand-made sweater that said ‘Good Luck Shinsuke’.

It didn’t help when the elder woman mouthed, “I’m proud of you all.”

(Y/N) could feel her tears well up around her eyes. She blinked rapidly to gain control but there was always that one tear that ended up escaping down her cheek. Her hand quickly wiped it away before her team saw. But, as always, the Inarizaki captain was watching.

He patted her back and gave her the same gentle smile that he shared with his grandmother. The smiles were almost identical. 

Wordlessly, everyone bowed to the Inarizaki cheering section and shouted, “THANK YOU VERY MUCH!”

~

As Coach Kurosu and Kita delivered their post-game interviews, (Y/N) busied herself with packing everything up. Once she deemed everything was accounted for, she zipped up her bag and took one last look at the orange court. It was bittersweet to say the least. 

“Can’t forget this.” Aran came up to her, her maroon Inarizaki jacket in his hand. “Y’alright?”

(Y/N) smiled at her friend and nodded as she put on her jacket. “I should be asking you that, Aran.”

The ace shrugged. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, y’know?”

She hummed in agreement. “I keep expecting to wake up but I pinched myself enough times to know this is real.”

The two third-years walked towards the crowd of journalists where their friend/captain continued to answer questions. As they waited on the sidelines, Aran couldn’t help but steal glances at his manager. Which of course didn’t go unnoticed by her. 

“Something wrong, Aran?”

He took a moment to find the right words before he spoke, “That samurai guy… He made some great plays.”

“He did, didn’t he?” (Y/N) recalled Asahi’s top moments of the match. A smile graced her lips when she remembered the moment Asahi feinted a spike that surprised both Aran and Akagi. She can tell by the look of his face that he didn’t mean to do that, all the while Inarizaki’s ace and libero glared at him. “Even our own fans cheered him on at one point.”

“I know right? But I couldn’t blame them for cheerin’.” Aran sighed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He mentally winced as he recalled the time Karasuno’s #3 received his spike with his shoulder. He didn’t want to brag but he knew for a fact that his spikes were strong. No doubt Azumane is going to have a bruise that will last a few days. “He’s definitely a strong ace.”

“You guys shook hands, right? Did you tell him something?” (Y/N) asked her friend, curiosity getting the best of her. 

Aran nodded. “Yeah, I told him something.”

(Y/N) waited for him to continue but when he didn’t say anything else she stepped in front of him. “Well? What did you tell him? You didn’t say anything mean, did you? He’s sensitive and-”

Her mini interrogation was cut off when Aran laughed and said, “Relax, (Y/N). I didn’t say anything mean.”

“Then what did you tell him?” She asked again, getting slightly annoyed by Aran’s secrecy.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a guy thing.”

Oh, you suck.” (Y/N) pouted as she punched his arm repeatedly. “And here I thought you were the one guy that I can trust unconditionally. Guess Kita is the only one.”

“Aww. Don’t be like that.” Aran swung his arm over her shoulder and brought her in for a side hug. “After all we’ve been through these last three years, you’re just gonna toss me away like that?”

(Y/N) let out a small yelp when she felt Aran’s hand ruffle her hair. “Hey! My hair! It took me all morning to make it look good.”

“Oh?” Aran gave her a teasing smile that could rival the twins’. “You never do your hair for matches. You tryin’ to impress samurai guy?”

“S-Shut up! What’s wrong with me trying to look good?” (Y/N) defended, hoping Aran didn’t see through her tough act. “Are you really not going to tell me what you told him?”

Aran laughed and shook his head. “Nope!”

“Fine. I’m sure Kita would tell me.” She said before pulling away from the ace’s embrace. She wrinkled her nose before covering it. “You stink.”

(Y/N) opened her bag and gave him a clean towel. Aran huffed but didn’t argue because he knew he didn’t exactly smell like roses. He wiped away the sweat around his face and neck when he noticed his captain coming towards them.

“Looks like Kita’s done.”

“You guys were waiting for me?” Kita asked his friends. “You didn’t have to.”

“It’s tradition.” Aran pointed out. “We always walk together off the court.”

“It’s been like this since our first-year, Kita. Remember? Why would we change it now?” She added.

Kita hummed as his heart stirred at his friends’ words. “I guess not but let’s go. The next match is going to start soon and we shouldn't get in the way.”

He walked forward, missing the way his friends shared a knowing look. Together, the Inarizaki captain, ace, and manager made their way to the rest of the team that were patiently waiting for them.

Along the way, (Y/N) took the chance to ask the same question she asked Aran and hoped he would give her the answer she was hoping for. To her dismay, Kita gave her a soft smile and said, “Aran only told your friend the obvious.”

(Y/N) sighed. “You wound me, Shinsuke. I thought you were my friend. My best friend who would tell me everything. My good friend who should have my back after everything we went through. My-”

“Give it up, (Y/N).” Aran laughed at her attempt to guilt trip Kita. “I told ya it’s a guy thing.”

“That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.” (Y/N) complained as both captain and ace smirked at her. 

The third-year trio met up with their team and together they departed to the sub-arena. As they walked down the stairs, (Y/N) could practically feel her underclassmen heavy stares on her back. It was only a matter of time before someone said something.

It’s almost comical how she was able to call stuff out before they even happened, especially when the twins asked for Kita. Judging by the guilty expressions on their faces, it wasn’t hard to figure out what they were going to say.

In unison, the twins began their apology. “Um… We’re sorry-” 

But, as usual, Kita was one step ahead of them as he interrupted their speech. “What? Gonna apologize to me so you can feel a bit better about yourselves?”

Standing next to the captain, (Y/N) shivered under her jacket at Kita’s seemingly ice cold words and she wasn’t the only one who felt the effects. The Miya twins straightened up their posture and with similar embarrassed expressions they yelled, “Wha?! N-No! Course not!”

(Y/N) grinned at the second-years’ panicked response. She’s going to miss those two when she graduates in a couple of months. 

Kita smirked to himself and waved his hand in dismissal. “I know, I know. Sorry.” His expression changed into a pensive one. “But… I think you should save the apologies for when you’ve done something wrong.”

Atsumu and Osamu’s eyes seemed to glimmer under the light, taking their captain’s words to heart.

Kita continued. “I don’t think you made a mistake by choosin’ to do that quick set right then. I thought you were gonna score too… Though I hafta say I hate the idea of tryin’ stuff in real games that we ain’t done in practice first.”

The twins grimaced as their eyes looked at the ground with great interest. They looked so guilt-ridden because they knew Kita had a point. 

“Still,” (Y/N) spoke up, causing everyone to perk up. “The fact you guys were able to copy that quick attack on your first try was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Aran nodded. “And that last rally there… We probably just picked the wrong guys to try it against.”

“I agree.” Kita said as he recalled the match’s final moments. “When you two get all fired up and gung-ho-like… You usually leave everybody else back behind you in the dust.” He paused, recalling Karasuno’s so-called ‘freak’ duo before continuing. “But this once, the other guys were just as fired up and gung-ho-like as you two… It was amazin’ right?”

The captain couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips and (Y/N) couldn’t help but smile as well. It was a rare sight to see her friend smile but it never failed to warm her heart. Kita began his descent down the stairs but not before saying, “It ain’t every day you get to play a game like that against a team like that. We got real lucky… Good for you.”

(Y/N) chuckled at how her underclassmen looked so shocked after hearing Kita’s touching words. They must have thought he’d be his stoic self. They don’t realize that he’s happy that his teammates found worthy opponents in Karasuno.

“Wait…” Atsumu said. “Kita-san was smiling just now, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah.” Osamu confirmed, his eyes following his upperclassman.

Riseki stepped beside Atsumu and added, “I caught him smiling bunches during the game.”

“Bunches?!/Yer kiddin’.” The twins exclaimed at the same time, not believing the first-year’s statement.

They looked at their manager, mentally asking her if it was true. Their jaws dropped when she nodded and said, “He’s not a robot, you guys. Kita can smile. Don’t act so surprised when he shows his feelings.”

Kita stopped in his tracks when he heard his manager’s words. He stood there in silence, contemplating his next words that could leave a lasting impression on his team. 

After a moment, he admitted his feelings, “Still, for some reason I’m awfully frustrated. Now, I did everything I could proper and I did it right. I can say I don’t have any regrets and mean it as the honest truth. Results like winning and losing, they’re still just side effects that happen when I’m doin what I oughta be doin’. But… It’s funny.”

The captain of the Inarizaki volleyball team turned to look at his teammates. His eyes met with each one along with his rare gentle smile that surprised the first and second-years. 

“‘Well? Isn’t my team amazing?’ I wanted to say that even more.”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to say something but she was left speechless after listening to Kita’s speech. She tried so hard to contain her tears but it was no use. Her strong facade crumbled with each tear streaming down her face. Kita’s words etched into her heart and she hoped her juniors will continue to work hard in the future. At the thought of her juniors, (Y/N) glanced up at them only to see they were tearing up as well. Suna was the only one who remained tear-free but (Y/N) knew him well enough to know he’s feeling the same way as everyone else.

As she tried to compose herself, Osamu tearfully spoke up, “Please keep saying it, senpai.”

Atsumu followed up and declared, “We’ll be the kind of teammates you can brag about to your great-grandkids.”

Kita looked up to the ceiling with a hopeful look on his face. His smile grew even more after hearing the twins’ promise.

“I look forward to it.” 

And with that, the third-year captain turned around and continued to walk down the stairs. The rest of the Inarizaki team were left spellbound, too stunned to move an inch. 

“Come on. Let’s hurry up and get changed.” Kita advised them. He looked at his friends and his eyes softened when he saw the state (Y/N) and Aran was in. “You guys okay?”

(Y/N) couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. Automatically, her arms wrapped around him and hugged her friend tightly. It took a few seconds but she soon felt him hug back. Then she felt another pair of arms around them and it didn’t end there. In less than ten seconds, her and Kita were in the center of a massive group hug.

Inarizaki’s motto stated that they didn’t need the memories, but with this heartfelt moment she was experiencing… (Y/N) hoped her teammates would make an exception because she will definitely hold this memory close to her heart.

“You guys are the best. I wouldn’t manage any other team. Thank you for the last three years!”

It went without saying there wasn’t a single dry eye amongst the group.

“THANK YOU SENPAI!”

~Meanwhile in the baggage storage area~

Asahi never felt so exhausted before in his entire life. This match was, without a doubt, on his list of top three most difficult matches. The adrenaline from before seemed to evaporate the moment he stepped away from the court. He was sure he looked like the dictionary’s definition of tired. Despite the exhaustion and the victory under his belt, he felt conflicted.

He hasn’t seen (Y/N) since the final line up and he wondered if she was okay. Her team came close to winning. The last rally was really a battle of wills between his team and hers. He could only imagine the sting of hurtful defeat the moment the ball fell onto their court. And with (Y/N) being a third-year, it was her last chance to be with her team in Nationals.

Now her chance is gone… Asahi couldn’t help but feel a bit responsible for that. 

Which is why his eyes keep glancing at the entrance every five minutes, hoping to see her and talk for a minute. Even after he cleaned up and dressed back into his normal clothes, there was still no sign of the girl that made him nervous yet confident all at the same time.

It didn’t help how tired he felt. He yawned for what seemed like the fourth time today, but his tired eyes kept focus on the entrance. 

“Yo Asahi! You look like the walking dead.” Suga jested, sitting down next to him. “Everything okay?”

“Just tired. My arms feel like they’re going to fall off.”

Suga laughed and repeatedly slapped his aching back. “But you were great out there! You looked so dependable.”

Asahi let out a nervous chuckle. “Thanks. I didn’t want to let the team down.”

“Oh yeah? And here I thought you were just showing off for a certain Inarizaki manager. I caught (Y/N) smiling when you made that awesome service ace.”

“You did?” He hoped Suga wasn’t pulling his leg. The thought of (Y/N) smiling because of him felt too good to be true. 

Asahi wished he could have seen that smile but with how intense each set was he could only afford the briefest of glances in her direction. Thankfully, there was a moment they shared together that felt like an eternity. 

It was during a time out and he was intensely listening to Coach Ukai’s instructions. Kiyoko just handed him his water bottle and a clean white towel to which he gratefully took. He wiped away the beads of sweat that formed on his neck and face before taking a drink. As he took in the cold refreshing drink, his eyes drifted to the other side of the net where the Inarizaki players were huddled together. And there was (Y/N), doing the same thing as Kiyoko as she handed her teammates their water. She just gave her setter his water when she looked up and met his gaze.

His heart began to beat wildly against his chest and it had nothing to do with the high caliber game that was going on. Then she gave him that smile, the same smile that made him all warm and fuzzy on the inside, along with a small wave. His face began to burn bright red and for a few seconds he forgot how to breathe. Unfortunately, during those few seconds he was drinking his water which led to him having a small choking episode. Luckily, it wasn’t too bad so when he looked up and saw (Y/N)’s worried expression, wordlessly asking him if he was okay. Touched that she was worried for him, Asahi gave her a small nod and hoped it was enough to reassure her. 

The interaction lasted about maybe 45 seconds before the referee signaled for the game to continue but those 45 seconds were committed into memory, something he will cherish for a long time. He wondered if (Y/N) thought the same… 

“Are you remembering how you choked on your water when you looked at (Y/N)?” Suga laughed. “I thought you were going to pass out! Then we would’ve been in real big trouble!”

“I-It wasn’t that bad.” Aashi protested though he could feel his cheeks beginning to warm up. Trying to hide his blush, he grabbed a towel and wiped away the nonexistent sweat from his face. “She just surprised me, is all…”

Suga grinned at him. “How is it that you two are so adorably cute yet you guys aren’t even together?”

“Sorry?” The ace apologized with a confused look on his face because honestly he didn’t know what he was apologizing for. 

“Never mind. By the way, did Inarizaki’s ace say something to you when we shook hands?”

Asahi recalled that moment with Ojiro Aran. “Yeah, he did. He didn’t say anything bad. Just wished us luck in the next round.”

It was true…ish. His Inarizaki counterpart did wish him luck as well as some advice, something he wasn’t quite ready to share with his friends just yet.

“Huh, well that’s nice of him. He looks like a cool guy. The kind you want to hang out with, you know?” Suga remarked.

Asahi nodded. His eyes took a quick glance at the entrance, hoping to see the familiar maroon-colored Inarizaki jackets. He tried not to look disappointed when he didn’t see anyone on the team.

“I just can’t believe that Aran guy!” Suga exclaimed. “He was on a roll so many times. I can’t believe he jumped for the ball not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES!”

“Uh-huh.”

Suga furrowed his brow at his friend’s lack of active response. He was just about to ask him what’s wrong when he took one look at his face. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was on his mind.

“Lighten up, Asahi, I’m sure your future girlfriend will walk through those doors any minute now.”

Another wave of heat washed over him as he tried to stutter out a reply. “I-It’s been a while. I wanted to talk with her before we go back to the inn.”

Initially, Suga was going to poke fun at the fact Asahi didn’t deny the ‘future girlfriend’ part but he decided against it. 

“I’m sure she’s with her team right now, Asahi. They lost their place in the Spring Tournament so they must be torn up. After all, they were the favorites to win this whole thing.”

“Yeah, I know. That's why I want to talk with her to see if she’s okay. I mean I know she’s a third-year so this is her last year, so I can’t help but feel bad.”

“I thought you guys agreed on being cool whatever the outcome was?” Suga asked.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad for her.” Asahi countered. “I mean, I’m happy we won but… I don’t know… I wished it was different.”

Suga sighed but he understood where his sensitive friend was coming from. “I get it, Asahi, but you also need to stand proud for what you accomplished, it’s almost like a slap in the face to her and her team if you don’t. I’m sure if (Y/N)-san was here, she’ll agree with me.”

Asahi slightly grimaced but he couldn’t find any fault in Suga’s advice. After all, he did make an agreement with (Y/N) before the match started that they would stay on good terms whatever the results may be. Still, the thought of her being sad, especially when he was the cause of it, made his heart tighten in anxiety.

The ace was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Suga’s hand on his shoulder, “Just breathe. Everything will work out in the end. So quit giving yourself a panic attack.”

“Right.” 

Following his friend’s advice, Asahi took a deep breath to calm his nerves and to get rid of the worst case scenarios in his head. It was difficult to say the least with each passing minute and there was still no sign of (Y/N) or her team. During the time he waited, he made the choice to sit on the bench closest to the entrance. 

Asahi was very much aware of the stares from the other players but he didn’t take it to heart. Instead, he kept his cool composure while his hands were balled up inside his black jacket. That’s when he felt his phone and an idea formed at once. He quickly pulled out his phone, clicked (Y/N)’s contact, but then stared at the blinking cursor.

‘What should I text her? Something short and sweet? No, it should be something meaningful. But if I do that then it will be a super long text and it might freak her out… Gah! Why is it so hard making a good text?’

“Listen up everybody!” Coach Ukai announced loudly. “We leave in a few minutes. Get your stuff and head outside.”

Focused on the task at hand, his mind wracked for the right words that would check off the metaphorical checklist of the perfect text. After a few rough drafts and deleting a few words here and there, Asahi was more or less sure, 85% sure, he wrote a good enough text. All he had to do was press the send button.

His thumb hovered over the button for a moment and at the same time his heart was beating like crazy. It’s unbelievable how nervous (Y/N) made him even when she’s not physically there next to him. He wished he could at least see her.

“Chop! Chop! Man-bun! Our ride is here!” 

Asahi shuddered under Coach Ukai’s nickname designed specifically for him. Without thinking, he hurried to pocket his phone, grabbed his bag, and joined his team. He looked over his shoulder one last time before following his team to the bus. Once he sat down, he took out his phone and opened up his messages when his heart jumped to his throat.

Message sent.

His message to (Y/N) has been delivered. 

He must have accidently sent it when he was getting his stuff together when Coach Ukai called him out. Maybe it was for the best. He wasn’t mentally ready to send the text but perhaps it was for the best. A little push from the gods to give him a little boost of confidence.

Now all he could do was wait for her reply. The anticipation of her response was suspenseful to say the least. Either way, at least he could breathe a bit more easily now that his text message was sent. He just wished he had another chance to talk with her.

~

(Y/N) stood right next to Suna as they all stood in line underneath their Inarizaki banner. Her attention focused on Riseki who was pointing the camera, ready to take the commemorative photo Kita had asked for. She put on her best smile and placed her hand on her hip, ready for the picture to be taken.

She felt a subtle shift in her hair and automatically her other hand went to pinch Suna’s arm as she knew how childish the middle blocker was for making bunny ears from behind. 

“Really, Suna?” She quietly chided, making sure to keep her smile on for the camera. “Bunny ears? What are you? Nine?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, senpai.”

“Watch yourself, Suna. I know your phone’s passcode. Don’t tempt me.” 

Suna pouted slightly before removing his hand away. He’ll just have to time it the moment the picture is taken. Easy enough.

“Ready? Say cheese!” Riseki called out.

Ding! (Y/N)’s phone alerted her that she received a text message.

Bi-Bip! Kashik! The camera took the picture without a hitch.

Multiple events happened at once the moment Riseki took the picture. What was supposed to be a normal commemorative picture that enshrined Inarizaki’s great volleyball players turned out nothing of the usual. Everyone gathered around the first-year to look at the picture, hoping it turned out alright. It didn’t take long for opinions and excuses to start flying all around.

“What the heck, Samu!” Atsumu exclaimed to his brother. “Look at the camera, wouldja!”

Osamu shrugged his shoulders and offered his excuse, “I thought I caught a whiff of curry comin’ from outside.”

“Curry? You’re imagining things!” Ginjima laughed but he wouldn’t be surprised if the ever-so-hungry Miya was right.

Suna joined in on the banter as he said, “You’re hallucinating smells now? Scary.” 

“Like you’ve got room to talk, Suna!” Aran called out the middle blocker. “You weren’t lookin’ at the camera, neither! Or you, Akagi!”

The libero offered the ace a smile. “I was thinkin’ maybe we oughta go call coach.”

Ōmimi sighed while closing his eyes at his team’s antics. He looked at Riseki, who stared wordlessly at the camera’s screen with a sweatdrop rolling down his face. “Time it better next time.”

Suna took one more look at the picture and his lips formed a smile when he saw his bunny ears hand gesture behind (Y/N)’s head. Even with the silly hand gesture unbeknownst to (Y/N), the manager looked effortlessly beautiful with her smile. He was sure if the president of the yearbook club were to see this picture, he wouldn’t hesitate to put it front and center of the dedicated pages because of their lovely manager that could charm any guy with a smile.

Speaking of their manager, Suna never heard her opinions about the picture. He looked up and his eyes searched for her. It didn’t take long to find her. She was in the same spot as she was in the photo though this time with her phone in hand. Come to think of it, he remembered her phone notifying her that she received a message.

Who could be texting her? He had a pretty good guess.

“Yo.” He called out to (Y/N) before peering over her shoulder. His eyes strained to read the screen before she quickly pressed her phone to the chest. “Is the samurai guy texting you already?”

She turned around and gave him a soft glare. “Quit sneaking up behind me, Suna.”

Suna ignored his manager’s words as he swung his arm over her shoulders. “Don’t dodge the question. I’m right, aren’t I?”

“... Maybe.” (Y/N) smiled up at her friend. “How did the picture come out? Are we taking another one?”

“Nah. I think Kita-senpai liked it. Said it looked just like us or something like that. You looked great compared to the rest of us.”

(Y/N) playfully rolled her eyes, “I would hope so. You guys need a shower. Like badly.”

“I take it back. You looked horrible.” Suna huffed in what was supposed to be annoyance but the third-year manager knew better as she saw the playful glint in his eyes. “Now I don’t feel bad for doing bunny ears behind your back.”

“You’re such a rascal. Just wait, I’ll get even with you.” (Y/N) informed him with a mischievous glint in her (E/C) eyes.  

“I like to see you try.” Suna remarked as he removed his arm away from her. 

Ever the observer, he looked for any signs of sadness that (Y/N) may be hiding. Today’s loss was a harsh reality for the entire team’s expectations to make it far into this competition. He’ll never admit it to anyone but he did try his hardest to help his team win. He wanted to keep playing more matches with the third-years… 

“You okay?” He asked her after sharing a moment of silence. “You can tell me the truth. I won’t tell anyone.”

(Y/N) couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle, leaning her head back to look at the gym lights. She replayed all the best moments from the match with a fond smile across her lips. There were no regrets at all as she answered, “Honestly and strangely, I feel fine. I know you guys played your best against them so that’s all I could ask for. If anything, I’m grateful for Karasuno because I know for a fact this loss will only push everyone, including you, to become better. ”

Suna frowned at the idea of the extra drills and long practices that will no doubt be inevitable. But before the tiring thought could take over his entire mind, the sudden urge to win against Karasuno grew tenfold. By this time next year, Inarizaki will come out victorious.

“I haven’t lost you, have I, Suna?” (Y/N) asked in a teasing tone. “How on earth are you going to manage your third-year?”

“Don’t ask.” Suna groaned. “You’ve been with us since day one. It’s going to be weird without you and the rest of the third-years around. We’ll miss you.”

(Y/N) bit her lip in order to contain the laugh that threatened to slip out. “I’m not dying, Suna. I can’t stay in high school forever.”

“Not forever. Just stay another year with us.” Suna clarified.

“Tempting offer but this girl would like to step out into the real world. Besides, don’t pretend you aren’t going to send me daily texts. I’m counting on your videos to cheer me up.” (Y/N) smiled one more time at Suna before patting his back. “Now, come on. Let’s get going. We wouldn’t want to keep everyone waiting.”

“Oh? What’s the rush? Eager to see samurai-guy again?”

She could feel herself getting warm from Suna’s line of questions. Though it didn’t stop her from saying, “His name is Azumane Asahi.”

Suna exhaled but still smiled nonetheless. “If he cares for you, the same way you care for him then I guess I’ll remember his name.”

(Y/N) smiled at Suna and nodded. As the middle blocker made his way to follow the rest of the team, the manager slowly trailed after him. She took out her phone and reread the text Asahi sent her.

Hey (Y/N)-san. I don’t know if you want to hear from me or not but I hope you do. I wanted to talk with you face-to-face but I’m about to leave. I was waiting for you but I guess you were busy? I mean, I understand if you were. So if you’re free and if there’s any chance we could talk in person somehow, could you text me back? I want to explain myself to you (if that makes sense). Please… Thanks.

Even with words on a phone screen, (Y/N) can feel how anxious Asahi must have been when writing this message. It was almost adorable in a way. Then again, the fact that he said he waited for her really had her heart skip a beat.

She quickly typed her response:

Hi Asahi! I’m sorry we couldn’t meet up after the match. We were taking a picture and it took longer than expected lol. I’m sorry you waited for me. I wanted to talk with you too. Congrats on winning! It was a great game! If it’s okay with you, do you want to meet up tonight? Our coach is taking us out to eat so I’ll text you when we’re back at the hotel. 

It didn’t take long for another message to show up and she felt herself smile like a fool in love when she opened and read Asahi’s text.

If it’s no trouble then yeah let’s meet up. Enjoy your meal and see you soon.

(Y/N) smiled to herself once more as she held her phone close to her heart. She couldn’t wait to see him again. 

~Hours Later~

“SAMU!! QUIT STEALING MY ONIGIRI!!” 

“IT WAS MINE FIRST AND YOU KNOW IT!!”

(Y/N) sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today but the amused smile never left her lips as she watched the twins continue to bicker. The other third-years sitting next to her also watched in amusement while adding their own comments.

“I’m gonna miss this.” (Y/N) confessed when she took a sip of her drink. “You can always count on the twins for entertainment.”

“Right? It’s going to be weird without hearing their arguments.” Aran laughed.

“Or separating their fights once every two weeks.” Akagi added.

“They’ll be fine.” Kita spoke up from the center of the table. “They all will.”

And strangely enough, no one doubted the captain’s words. (Y/N) had no doubt in her mind that by this time next year, their juniors will make it to Nationals once again and when that time comes, she’ll be there. 

“Hey (Y/N)-senpai? You’re still treating me to dessert, right?” Osamu asked from across the table. Sticky pieces of rice danced around his mouth but still had that hungry look in his eyes. 

“HUH?! If he gets dessert, then I should too!” Atsumu proclaimed.

Yeah. She’ll definitely be there for them. 

~

After leaving the restaurant with stomachs filled with ramen, curry, onigiri, and other delicious meals, the Inarizaki manager took her phone out and texted Asahi that she was on her way back to the hotel. With each passing minute, (Y/N) could feel herself become excited yet nervous at the same time. It wasn’t long until the familiar building of her hotel was right in front of her.

On the walk back to the hotel, she was laughing along with the rest of the third-years when she heard her name being called from outside the group. 

“Asahi!” (Y/N) greeted him with a wave. It was almost natural to have a smile on her lips; the crush she had on Karasuno’s ace was so obvious. She can practically feel her face burn with all the warm fuzzy feelings against January’s chilly air. 

“H-Hey (Y/N)!” He waved at her before giving the crowd of boys a nod of acknowledgement. His mind racked for the right words to say to them, but having ten or so guys staring (were they glaring at him?) made it almost impossible. Still, Asahi found the ability to speak and without stuttering he said, “Hey guys. Er, nice to see you again.”

While the first-years were too scared to reply and the second-years tried to maintain their silent dominance, it was Aran and Kita that finally broke the tension.

“Nice to see you too. Azumane, right?” Kita asked, giving the ace a warm smile. “You played a great game.”

“Oh, thanks! You guys did too.” Asahi returned the compliment, meaning every word. 

“Your receives were impressive, Azumane-san.” Aran followed up. “How’s your shoulder? Hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.”

Funny how at the mention of his shoulder, Asahi felt it throb in pain. Still, he made himself smile and lied, “It’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

“That’s good to hear.” Aran laughed in good nature. “Karasuno is definitely a team to watch out for. Hope you’re ready for tomorrow.”

There were a couple of scoffs and a few mumbles but Asahi was sure he heard someone say, “Day three is always hell.” But before he could ask, (Y/N) clapped her hands together and stood in front of him. 

“Guys, let’s not make Asahi nervous. He doesn’t need the extra stress.” She told her friends, making sure to give the second-years a pointed look just as Atsumu opened his mouth to say something. “Why don’t you all head inside? I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Kita nodded. “Alright, don’t stay out too long. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’ll make sure she stays warm.” Asahi was quick to say, not realizing the slight innuendo his words sounded until it was too late. “I-I mean-”

Atsumu stepped forward with Osamu right behind him. “Oh, now we’re definitely staying.” 

“No you are not.” 

The Inarizaki setter flinched under Kita’s ice cold words that felt like a punch to the gut. 

“B-But (Y/N)-senpai-”

“Let’s go, you two.” Aran placed his hands on each of the twin’s shoulders before forcing them to the hotel’s entrance. “I’m sure your company isn’t needed.”

“What are you talking about? I make great company.” Atsumu argued.

Osamu scoffed. “Not really.”

“Shut yer trap, ‘Samu!”

Kita sighed before facing (Y/N) and Asahi. “Sorry about them. They mean well. Go ahead and have your conversation.”

“Thanks, Shin.” (Y/N) told him as she hugged her friend. “You’re the best.”

“No problem.” 

With one final wave, the Inarizaki captain followed the rest of his team. He helped Aran push the resistant twins into the hotel, but not before Osamu yelled, “No funny business!” 

“Yeah! What ‘Samu said!” Atsumu called out from over Aran’s shoulders. “(Y/N)-senpai is our manager. Don’t hurt her!”

“QUIT TALKIN’ AND GET INSIDE, YA STUPID TWINS!” Aran yelled as he gave one last push to make the Miya brothers enter the hotel.

(Y/N) sighed before facing her crush. It wasn’t until now she realized how warm she felt until a cold breeze flew by. It was funny how a crush can emit such feelings. She wouldn’t deny she never had a crush before. Perhaps there were fleetings moments of admiration and adoration to some guys at school and an embarrassing fangirl crush on famous celebrities.

But never before have the butterflies in her stomach felt so impactful. Asahi has unknowingly made his way to her heart and caused the warm feeling of love to bloom.

Which is why she couldn’t help but smile up at Asahi. He looked taller up close. Broader too. His hair wasn’t in its usual style, instead it was in a low man bun with a few strands framing his face very well. His eyes remained kind and warm and she could feel herself fall deeper in love with him. 

“So,” (Y/N) began, her hand instinctively tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Your text said you wanted to talk? 

“Y-Yeah.” Asahi confirmed nervously. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything with your team. You guys look close.” 

She smiled at how anxious Asahi was behaving and a small part of her hoped it was because of her. “I could say the same thing about your team, but don’t worry about them. We spent the entire evening together so they should be fine without me for a while.”

“Are you sure?” Asahi asked, the worry in his voice was evident and (Y/N) knew she had to do something to help him calm down. “I-If y-you rather be with t-them-”

Without a second thought, (Y/N) took his hand and held it reassuringly, “I want to be with you.”

Her heart swelled when she saw how Asahi’s eyes seemed to light up as he asked, “Really?”

“Really.” She confirmed, her voice firm yet gentle that washed away all doubt in Asahi’s mind. “Now, come on. Let’s sit down and have a friendly chat.”

Never before has Asahi felt his heart beating so fast against his chest than it was at this very moment. He was feeling hot and cold at the same time. His stomach was in multiple knots with those metaphorical butterflies dancing between his ribcage. Was it weird for his mind to go a million miles a minute yet he couldn’t figure out what to say to the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on? 

(Y/N) looked like an angel sitting under the strings of outdoor lights. Even while wearing casual winter clothes with her maroon Inarizaki jacket and a red scarf, Asahi thought she looked ethereal. Her (H/C) hair looked so elegant, almost magical in a sense when he noticed tiny snowflakes decorating her head, like shimmering diamonds. Then there was that smile of hers. A smile that made him feel like he could do anything in the world. He wished he could see that smile of hers for the rest of his life.

“So, what did you want to talk about, Asahi?” (Y/N) asked, her eyes were bright and inquisitive. “Your text said you wanted to explain yourself?”

“Y-Yeah, I did.” He admitted, his hand rubbing the back of neck. He took a deep breath to calm down before facing his crush. “I-I wanted t-to apologize.”

(Y/N) furrowed her brow upon hearing this. “What? Asahi, what are you- H-Hey!”

He was bowing his head and before she could ask further questions, Asahi spoke, “I-I’m sorry that w-we ruined your chance to advance. Y-You guys were the favorites to win this whole thing! A-And it’s y-your last year too! I’m sorry we took your chance away. Please forgive me!”

Asahi didn’t dare raise his head after spilling everything he felt ever since the match ended. He could feel his ears beginning to burn against the cold air. The silence was unnerving and it didn’t help when his mind was overtaken by anxiety.

‘Why would (Y/N) ever forgive me?’ He frustratedly asked himself. ‘She probably hates me. No. I’m sure she hates me and probably everyone on my team.’

‘(Y/N) is not like that. She’s kind, considerate…’ The tiny voice of hope spoke up. ‘She doesn’t hate you. You’re friends-’

But the dark voice of anxiety and doubt took over. ‘For now. (Y/N) probably only agreed to talk to you so she can say it’s over. She doesn’t want anything to do with you. Why would she be friends with the person who stole her and her team’s chance to win?!’

“Asahi.” (Y/N)’s voice sounded so soft and full of care. It may sound crazy but just hearing his name in her voice made Asahi feel the warmest he has ever felt. “Please look at me.”

He didn’t want to but something in her voice reassured him, similar to a ray of sunlight after a hurricane. Slowly, Asahi looked up and his eyes immediately found comfort in (Y/N)’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he saw (Y/N) was smiling up at him, not an ounce of hate anywhere.

“I thought we agreed that whatever the outcome of the match, we’ll be okay?” (Y/N) asked before taking hold of his hand, the very hand she shook when they made the agreement. “We shook on it, remember?”

Asahi felt himself flush under her words but he still found the courage to speak as he said, “I-I just thought… You would, I-I don’t know…hate me after what happened today.”

“I would never! Today’s match was the result of everyone’s hard work. Everyone played amazing. You guys won fair and square. If there’s anything I should feel, I think being grateful comes to mind. In fact, I feel like I should thank you.”

“Thank me?” Surely, he must have heard her wrong.

But (Y/N) flashed him a bright grin and nodded, “You and your teammates gave motivation to my team the next time they get to Nationals. I’m not sure if you realized this, Asahi, but you guys represent Nationals to a lot of people now.”

“Are you sure? I feel bad. I want to do something, anything, to make you feel better.”

Out of everything that came to mind, Asahi wasn’t expecting to be punched in the shoulder by the girl he has a major crush on. It was just like yesterday, (Y/N)’s punch wasn’t as forceful as Suga’s nor was it delicate and yet it was enough to send shivers and goosebumps all throughout his body. Then when her eyes met his, Asahi swore his breath was taken away with how close she was to him.

“First, you can stop feeling bad. I’m okay, really.” Her hand lifted again and Asahi mentally prepared himself to be punched again only to have her hand on his shoulder. (Y/N) offered a gentle smile before continuing on. “And second, if you really want to make me feel better then take the win. Take it and do the same thing tomorrow. Play each set and win some more. I promise if you do that, I’ll be more than okay because I’ll be rooting for you.”

Just hearing her words of encouragement was enough to make his head spin. All the self-doubt threatening to take over his mind washed away. How does she do that? Say these words so easily that brought him back from the edge? Words that held such meaning that easily helped him calm down and breathe.

“Asahi? You okay?” 

“Ah! Yeah! Sorry! It’s just…” Asahi looked at his feet, his hand scratching his cheek. “You just surprised me is all…”

(Y/N) was taken aback before smiling, “I hope that’s a good thing. But I meant what I said, Asahi. Though if you’re still worried about me being sad and you were serious about making me feel better then maybe… You could do me a favor?”

Asahi jumped at the chance and nodded furiously. “Anything!”

It was hard to hide the laugh that threatened to escape but (Y/N) can’t help how adorable Asahi was behaving. He’s a teddy bear. Ugh! She just wanted to hug this gentle giant!

“Win the next match for us.” 

He opened his mouth to say something, anything really, but his mind was still reeling of how sincere (Y/N) was with him at this moment. His eyes never left hers, searching for any hint of sadness or bitterness. Instead, he felt himself getting lost the longer he gazed into those beautiful, kind eyes. 

After what felt like a lifetime, Asahi found his voice and for the first time his voice did not waver, “We will.”

(Y/N) smiled before nudging her shoulder against his. “That’s the spirit! Plus look on the bright side, Karasuno is getting popular. I’m sure after today you guys earned some fans cheering you on. You’re definitely going to have fans cheering you on.”

Asahi let out a nervous chuckle. “I guess so. I just hope I don’t disappoint them tomorrow.”

“Hey!” A series of soft pats made their mark on his shoulder and Asahi could feel himself flush under her touch. “Think positive! Remember you’re not alone. You have your friends and the rest of your team that you can rely on.”

There was a moment of hesitation. He can see it in her eyes though it was gone because (Y/N) smiled at him and said words he won’t be forgetting anytime soon, “And if it helps, you have me too.”

She didn’t physically hug him but she might as well have with her words that filled Asahi’s whole being with warmth. 

“It does. Thanks, (Y/N). You-” Asahi stopped himself when he realized he was about to say something embarrassing. Instead he said what he always thought since yesterday, “You’re amazing.”

This time it was her turn to flush under his gaze. His warm brown eyes had her melting in her seat. Out of habit, (Y/N) let out a nervous laugh before playing with a strand of her hair, “I’m not as cool as you, Asahi, but thank you for saying that.”

The two high schoolers sat in comfortable silence underneath the twinkling lights and while neither one of them said a word they found themselves gazing at the dark sky full of stars. Maybe there was a stolen glance or two but no one said anything. 

“Hey, Asahi?”

“Yeah?”

“This is going to sound a bit weird but… What’s your star sign?”

Asahi furrowed his brow but he answered nonetheless. “I’m a Capricorn.”

For some reason, a childhood memory played in his mind and the thought of it made him smile. It was a bit silly thinking about it but it was a precious memory all the same. 

“You know, when I was a little kid I used to spend all my time looking for the Capricorn constellation.”

“Oh? Any reason why?” (Y/N) asked with genuine curiosity.

Asahi looked up at the sky full of stars. It was a shame they were in Tokyo as the bright city’s lights made the stars look faint, almost dim.

“Well, I thought that if I could find my constellation in the sky and make a wish it would come true.” The ace felt his neck grow hot when he confessed the next detail. “But whenever I couldn’t find it, I would go crying to my grandma.”

“Aww, Asahi.” (Y/N) cooed though there was a faint glint of amusement in her eyes. Her imagination took over as she thought of how cute Asahi must have been as a kid. He must have been the sweetest little kid with the biggest heart. “That’s adorable. Do you still look for your sign or did you grow out of it?”

“Will you think it's embarrassing if I admit I still do?” Asahi asked.

“Course not. I think it’s sweet to carry on your childhood tradition. I hope you made a lot of wishes.” (Y/N) looked back at the sky and sighed. “I wish I could see my star sign right now. I don’t even know what mine looks like.”

“Really?”

(Y/N) rubbed her hands together, trying to bring back some warmth. “You can’t really see the stars well back in Hyōgo.” 

Asahi rubbed his neck. “Well, if you want… I could show you.”

Surprised, (Y/N) looked at him before asking, “You would do that for me? You know you don’t have to, right?”

“I want to. You did a lot to help me. Besides, after looking at the stars for so long I’m sure I can find your star sign.” He looked at the sky and his heart physically deflated when he saw how faint the stars looked above the Tokyo city’s lights. “Though I won’t have any luck seeing any constellations tonight. I’m sorry.”

(Y/N) giggled before nudging her shoulder with his. “You really like apologizing, don’t you Asahi? It’s not like you could control the weather or light pollution. But it’s nice of you to offer. Maybe one day I can visit Miyagi and see what the stars are like from your perspective.”

Asahi felt his heart skipping a beat at the sound of her laughter and the smile in her eyes. While he only met her literally yesterday, he felt comfortable enough to relax around her, even if his heart was going a hundred miles an hour and his skin felt like lava.

He didn’t know where he found this extra boost of confidence to say, “I could show you around if you want. Miyagi has a lot of hidden gems that only locals know about. We can hang out i-if you want to.”

“I’d like that. Can’t wait for the tour.” (Y/N) said as she clapped her hands together in glee. “Maybe one day, you could visit Hyōgo and I could show you around too!”

“If it’s not a bother to you then yeah, I could pay a visit.”

“Great!” (Y/N) exclaimed. “Hyōgo has a lot of tourist attractions we can visit. I’ll show you all my favorite spots! Oh, like the Kobe Port Tower! It’s 108 meters high and it's designed to look like a traditional Japanese drum. It has an observation deck where you can see for miles! It even has a revolving cafe! Or if you don’t like heights, there's the Himeji Castle. It’s a very popular tourist spot because of its architecture-” 

It was only then she realized how much she was rambling. She glanced at Asahi only to find him already staring at her with those warm brown eyes, as if she did something amazing. Embarrassed, (Y/N) tried to hide herself behind her red scarf.

“Sorry.” What was she apologizing for? (Y/N) didn’t know. Maybe Asahi’s habit of excessive apologizing was starting to rub off on her. “I got excited for a second. I ramble whenever it’s a topic I’m passionate about. I know architecture is a bit boring to some people but I think it’s so cool to see the different kinds of designs buildings can have and- Oh. Sorry I’m rambling again.”

“I don’t mind.” Asahi told her along with a soft smile. “I think it’s cute.” 

(Y/N)’s eyes widened when she heard her crush calling her cute. Did he realize what he just said? Or did she imagine it? So she had to ask, “Did you just say cute?”

The look on Asahi’s face quickly morphed into one of panic as he tried to jumble out a reply with an obvious blush painting his face, “I- Uh? No? I mean, I did. B-But I-I meant you’re rambling. N-Not you specifically. W-Wait! I think you’re cute too! P-Pretty even!”

(Y/N) couldn’t hold back her laughter at how panicked Karasuno’s ace was currently behaving. So strong on the court and yet he was practically shaking like a fall leaf. 

“Asahi, it’s okay. Breathe.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping it offered comfort. “It’s just me.”

“I-I know.” He took a deep breath before facing her. “But I meant what I said. A-About you.”

There goes her heart again, beating like crazy against her chest. “Thanks Asahi… I… I think you’re pretty cute too. And you’re an amazing player.” She sighed longingly. “I just wish I can see you guys play again.”

“Wait,” Asahi furrowed his brow, concerned . “You aren’t coming to the match tomorrow?”

“I…I don’t know. I heard the coaches talk about it during dinner. Apparently, the principal called. He expected us to place further along in the tournament and since we didn’t… Well, there’s a chance we might go back to Hyōgo tomorrow morning.”

“Oh.” He couldn’t hide the bitter disappointment in his voice. Now more than ever, he didn’t want this night to end. It might sound a bit silly but he wanted to keep seeing (Y/N). Today’s victory dimmed in comparison now that he learned this might be the last time he’ll see (Y/N) in a long time. “Sorry again.”

“Hey, come on, Asahi.” (Y/N) got up from her spot and stood in front of him. “You don’t have to keep apologizing. There’s nothing to forgive.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes pleaded for the truth. 

(Y/N)’s light chuckle pulled his heartstrings and the vibrations sent warmth from his chest all the way to his fingertips. He can feel himself falling in love with her all over again when she surprised his soul out of his body the moment her hands touched his. She pulled him towards her and he was so anxious he almost tripped over his own feet as he stood in front of her. 

Then Asahi felt it. Her arms wrapped around his torso bringing him close. It was a hug that sent a huge swarm of butterflies in his stomach. She was so close, closer than he has ever been to her. Wait… That’s not exactly true. Yesterday, when he saved (Y/N) from getting hurt, he was able to pull her aside just in time. (Y/N) stood right next to him with his arm around her. It was the first time he ever did something that brave and he remembered every second of it in that short moment.

But that moment of (Y/N) being next to him so close only lasted a minute. Asahi thought nothing could top the moment he met the girl that made his heart race. 

Boy, was he wrong. Maybe his so-called bad fortune from his new year shrine visit was wrong. Or maybe the gods thought it was time to cut him a break. Perhaps he did something in his past life that granted him this moment right now. Whatever it was, he didn’t want this moment to end.

(Y/N) had her ear pressed into Asahi’s firm chest as she continued to hug him. She could hear how fast his heart was beating and she smiled to herself because of it. It was cute that she had this kind of effect on her crush. 

“(Y/N)?” His deep voice reached her ears and while she couldn’t see him she could imagine the nervous expression on his face. “Is this okay? You hugging me? I mean, w-we only met yesterday…”

“Are you uncomfortable with me hugging you, Asahi?” 

“No!” He was quick to reply. “I just meant… You don’t have to hug me.”

“You’re my friend and this is my way of showing you that there’s really nothing to forgive. You don’t have to apologize anymore.” She pulled away and smiled brightly up at him. “Deal?”

“Deal.” 

“Good.”

“Great.”

“Amazing.”

“Awesome.”

“Cool.”

“Uhh… Warm?”

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”

Asahi let out a nervous chuckle. “I-I don’t know. You’re warm so I said what was off the top of my head.”

The two high schoolers stared at each other before they laughed together. They were still in each other’s arms but they made no movement to separate. If anyone were to walk by and saw them together, no one would have any doubts about how genuine young love can be.

Which is why they were surprised to hear a familiar voice that broke the calm, soothing atmosphere around them. 

“Oh? Asahi-senpai! I didn’t know you had a girlfriend!” 

(Y/N) pulled away but she didn’t stray too far as she stood her ground by Asahi’s side. Her eyes met with the innocent yet excited eyes of Karasuno’s #10, Hinata Shoyo and not far from him was the other half of the terrifying duo, Kageyama Tobio. Well, at least no else was here- Oh. Wait. Was that Tsukishima on a bicycle? 

“Hinata!” Asahi shouted before turning back to (Y/N). “Sorry about him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

The manager smiled and reassured him that it was okay. She then turned to face Karasuno’s first years and introduced herself. They did the same and Asahi was just about to sigh in relief when-

“So are you Asahi-senpai’s girlfriend?” This time it was Kageyama who asked.

(Y/N) felt her neck warm up and it wasn’t because of her scarf. Out of habit, she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before answering, “No, I’m not. I’m just a friend.”

Hinata and Kageyama looked satisfied with the answer. However, Tsukishima looked unconvinced. His calculated eyes looked at his upperclassman as if asking for the truth. Asahi tried to convey the silent message to leave them alone to the middle blocker, hoping they could leave them alone. Preferably before the duo could ask any more embarrassing questions.

“Hey, Asahi-san, why are you holding hands-”

“Come on, you two,” Tsukishima, Asahi’s savior right now, grabbed their collars. He bowed before his upperclassmen before dragging his teammates. “We finished your nightly jog. It’s time to get back.”

“Ack! You’re choking me!” Hinata cried.

“You don’t have to push! Besides, Asahi has to come too!” Kageyama argued, clearly frustrated at how he was being manhandled by the snarky middle blocker.

“No. Asahi’s right where he has to be.” Tsukishima stated. “You idiot.”

“HUH?!”

(Y/N) watched in amusement as the trio of first years entered their little inn. “They sure are interesting.”

“Sorry about that. They can be a bit much.”

“Oh, that’s okay. The Miya twins are like that too. But I think… I should let you get back. It’s getting late and you need your sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day for you.”

“Right. Tomorrow…” Asahi wished there were more than 24 hours in the day. “So I guess this is it?”

“Yeah...”

Her hand was still interlocked with his but did not make the effort to leave. She still wanted to spend time with him. Instead, she said, “So, um, good luck tomorrow. I might not be there in person but I’ll be cheering for you.”

“Thanks. That means a lot.”

“You got this Asahi.” She gave him one last hug. “I know you do.”

The ace hugged her back one last time before he awkwardly pulled away. (Y/N) cleared her throat before smiling.

“Keep in touch?” She asked.

Asahi nodded. “Of course. I’ll call you before and after the match.”

“Okay… You know, Asahi, I’m glad we’ve met each other. You’re not like any guy I’ve ever met.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

(Y/N) laughed but nodded. “Yes. I’m glad we've become friends. I would have hated for you to be someone I used to know.”

“Me too… So I guess, this is goodbye?” Asahi couldn’t hide the sadness in his voice. His eyes landed where their hands were still connected. 

“Mmm, it’s more like see you later. We’ll see each other again.”

It was a silent promise under the endless night sky where the moon and stars were the only witnesses to see how enchanted Karasuno’s ace and Inarizaki’s manager were with each other. 

~ Meanwhile inside Inarizaki’s hotel room~

“Say Aran-kun.”

“What’s up, Osamu?”

“I wasn’t going to ask but (Y/N) brought it to my attention so I’m curious. What did you tell Azumane when you shook hands?”

“Oh that?” Inarizaki’s ace smiled to himself as he recalled that specific moment. “I just gave him friendly advice.”

“Which was?”

“Please don’t hurt my friend.”

~

Next: Chapter 5

[lightlycareless]

I was reading your scorned ex husband Naoya and I was wondering how much worse he’d be if him and Y/N had to share custody of a child(How the Zen’ins let Y/N get a divorce AND get joint custody idk. Maybe it was Naoya’s last act of kindness to his wife). Hehehe, I feel like it’d be so messy

Heya anon!!

Couldn't get this idea out of my mind because I needed the angst :> I gotta say, your child here is the true victim. And yes, it would be messy. You'd end up hating Naoya for it—

But I won't say much, I'll let you read it instead :)

warnings: naoya is your ex-husband. you have a daugther named naomi. naoya's a jerk. naomi is a victim of his idiotness. toxic relationships. physical violence.

also, this is the work anon is referring to (can be read independently.)

Happy reading!!

Sharing custody of your beloved daughter Naomi with Naoya is, as expected, the most surprising, frustrating, and difficult (if not borderline impossible) things to do.

And no, it’s not because you must arrange your schedule to fit this new lifestyle—nothing that ever related to Naomi could be that.

Rather, because of the things Naoya was doing to spite you. He might deny it as much as he wanted, but what else could you call these… questionable behaviors?

First, through setting up thousands of excuses as to why the place Naomi was to visit with him was not good enough.

Sure, you could argue that as her father, he was entitled to… voice his opinion and choose an option that would also be of his liking—it’s their time together, after all, which didn’t happen every day; restricted to the weekends, per previous agreement.

But his suggestions were just so stupid, if not inappropriate for a child!

What made him think that spending the weekend over at this office was any good?

Or going to all these fancy restaurants that limit Naomi when it comes to her behavior?! She’s a kid, for god’s sake—the weekends are supposed to be a break from the boring school routine she’s subjected to on the weekdays!

“The amusement park is too noisy.”

“There’s too many germs at the water park.”

“She if wants to see a movie, she can do it at the house.”

Just to state a few.

It was highly infuriating, to say the least, to see how dismissively he behaved towards his own daughter. Angering enough, that the next time he said one of those stupid comments of his, you couldn’t help but lash out, wondering—

“Do you even love Naomi?”

Naoya remains quiet at your accusation, before opting to scoff in response, rolling his eyes, and leaving.

You believed that it wouldn’t get any worse than this. That it couldn’t.

But oh, how wrong you were.

By the next time Naomi returns from spending the weekend with her father, she runs to your arms as soon as she steps through the door, teary eyed and highly distraught, confiding you with words which prove Naoya can indeed be worse.

No, not worse.

Straight up atrocious.

“Naomi, pumpkin, what’s wrong??” you fret, taking the poor child in a tight embrace as she begins to cry.

“I don’t want to go with papa anymore…” is what she confesses, and at the notion of Naoya doing something stupid, yet again, your chest tightens with anger.

«Just what did he do this time?!» Your mind would frantically wonder, going through a long list of possible causes, hating each one more and more as you went past them.

And yet, no amount of preparation would be comparable to what Naomi eventually confessed.

“Papa made me call a… a woman mama.” She begins. “I—I didn’t want to, but he—he told me I couldn’t go back if I—if I didn’t do it…!”

That’s it.

Naoya has done it.

Officially.

You could respect his intolerance when it comes to doing something genuinely fun, or his lack of tact when being a father—hell, even you were accepting of it, outside of what the law said. Because deep inside you, you still believed he deserved to be in Naomi’s life.

And now that this new advancement rose to the occasion, regardless of how much it hurt you, you were also willing to accept the fact he was moving on with someone else.

But this…

This was beyond your limits.

Because if Naoya had any issues. it would be kept between him and you.

Naomi is nothing but an innocent girl that deserves to have parents that love her, and have nothing but her happiness in mind, doing all what it takes to ensure such a thing!

Not a father that immaturely tried to spite the mother of his child for bitter reasons.

And certainly not a mother that allowed this to go on for far too long.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” You’d shriek the moment you got a look at him in his office, Naoya freshly out of a meeting, and rightfully taken aback by your sudden, unannounced visit—any other time, you would’ve cared enough to not have caused a scene, but when it came to Naomi, you didn’t care if this was all his employees and family would talk about for the upcoming weeks.

You just bothered to know what was inside his stupid little fucking mind to have demanded such absurdity from your daughter and disrespected you in the process!

“What are you doing here, Y/N—"

“I can respect you seeing other people, really, I do.” You cut through his words; this isn’t his moment to talk, after all. “In fact, I’m glad you have! Great, you’re moving on!

But I will not tolerate disrespect towards my daughter, or my role as her mother! Did you know Naomi came back home crying because you forced her to call a woman she doesn’t even know her mom? What were you thinking?!”

“I was thinking of what was right.” He quickly interjects, a prominent frown on his face. “Do you think it’s acceptable to have this—this arrangement??”

“No, it’s not, because I should’ve gotten full custody of her!” you cry back. “I can’t believe you managed to convince the judge you were actually a good father to her! But let’s be real, that was your family’s money talking, wasn’t it?”

“Y/N—I won’t allow you to—!”

“Oh, but I have to?!” you gasp. “I have to take the way you treat Naomi weekend after weekend? Dismissing her like she was just a random kid, and not your daughter? Which you wanted to have if I need to remind you! And after all this, you still have the nerve to tell me I’m being disrespectful?!”

“Well, now that we’re talking about reminders, you’d do good in remembering you’re the one that filed for divorce! The whole reason this is happening at all is because of you!”

“Fine! I’ll play the villain if you want to—But I won’t stomach you hurting Naomi!” you cry. “She is your daughter, Naoya! At least have a bit of decorum when it comes to her!”

“Ha! I don’t recall having a daughter so insolent against her own fa—”

Naoya doesn’t even finish his words before your hand lands a slap across his face, a movement so harsh that effectively turns his head to the side, with a sound equally resounding in both his mind and office, that left him both speechless and startled as everyone else quickly exited the room, understanding it was best to leave in their own terms while they still could.

While you, on the other hand, frantically tried to wrap your head around the fact that not only was he comfortable insulting you, but your innocent daughter as well.

The one person that did not deserve any of the horrible things he was doing.

The one act you could never forgive.

“Do not, ever, talk about Naomi like that!” you hiss. “Naomi has been nothing but accepting of your irresponsible parenting! Far more than she should be! In fact, she’s—she’s always excited to wait for the moment she’ll get to see you again, since you don’t bother reaching out to her any other way!

And you still dare talk about her like that?! What is wrong with you, Naoya?! Why are you doing all of this?! You literally don’t have anything in your odds to be behaving this way!

You have a good job, no—you have your whole life set, and you’re moving on with someone else too! So, why must you keep hurting me and your daughter? Are you not satisfied with what you have? With your new life without the wife you hated oh so much?!

Or do we—do we have to be miserable just for you to be happy?”

But even then, Naoya doesn’t respond; instead, he just keeps silent, as if deep in his thoughts while placing his hand over his cheek, carefully feeling the marks of your attack underneath his fingers before eventually glancing back at you.

And you don’t know what it was—perhaps the silence following the turmoil allowed the depths of your emotions to finally settle, or maybe it was the disbelief of reaching your breaking point and hurting Naoya, an act you greatly came to regret later on, pushed you to it— but you’d end up revealing far more than what you initially wanted.

Offering a glimpse of your true feelings, a question that erupted the moment divorce crossed your mind, and filed the papers, continuing to torment you to this day, more so when doing what you did…

“Where—where did we go wrong?”

“You did this.” Naoya accuses—there was fury in his eyes, an expected sentiment after all that transpired. And yet, underneath that fire, something inside you was still able to discern that far from pained by the act… he was sorrowful both got there in the first place. “All of this is your fault—”

“What was I supposed to do, Naoya? Stay behind in a household where I was nothing but miserable, where your family wouldn’t bother respect me, or our daughter, and with you—you allowing all of it? Like we were deserving of it?” you breathe. “Did you…. all this time—Hate me?”

“No, I don’t hate you.” Naoya disputed. “I—I don’t—I never did.”

“Do you hate Naomi, then?” you fret. “How—how could you do that, Naoya? She’s your daughter, for fucks sake! A child! What could she have done to you to earn your hatred?! You—you even wanted her!”

“It’s not—It’s not against her—it never was. I couldn’t do anything to hurt—”

“Then what is it?! What is it that has you so—so angry at us!”

“Y/N—I—I don’t know—”

“Just tell me!” you cry. “Tell me!! Why is it always so hard for you to tell the truth?!”

“I never wanted to hurt Naomi! I could never!”

“Don’t lie to me—not after all the horrible things you’ve done to her! Do you really need us to be miserable just to be happy?! You have everything in the world! Why can’t you just let us go—"

“Because I never wanted you to leave!” He suddenly confesses, a shocking truth that hits you across the face, perhaps much sharper than the slape you gave him, leaving you silent all air leaves your lungs. “I never wanted that—that stupid divorce! Or for you to act like I wasn’t even important to you!”

“Naoya—what does that even—”

“You know damn well what I mean!” he hisses, burning tears beginning to pool in his eyes. “I—I could never hurt Naomi, I wouldn’t dream of it—but it was the only way to get you to look at me. The only way to see you again—or even—or even react to me!”

“Wha—what?”

“Ever since you… ever since we got divorced, is like I don’t exist to you anymore.” Naoya continues, lowering his gaze to the floor, the weight of his actions, as well as your hardened gaze, too much for him to take. “I call you, text you, even try looking for you at your house, but you’re nowhere to be found. Or even… interested in seeing me again.”

“And why would I want to do that?” you murmur, frowning. “With the way you treated me—the way you’re treating our daughter, why would you even think I want to do that?”

“Can you say with certainty, that you don’t feel anything for me anymore, then?” Your ex-husband adds. “That in your heart, there’s nothing—nothing left for me?”

“That’s… that’s not what matters.” You pause. “Not anymore.”

“So that’s it? That’s what you’re going with? You’re just going to abandon this marriage, like it didn’t mean anything?” Naoya takes a step closer to you, and while you move away from him, you don’t do the same at the second attempt, less when he placed his hand over your cheek, gently touching you the same way he’d done many, many years ago—when the two were, perhaps, still in love.

“It meant the world to me, Naoya.” You say, voice trembling, doing your best to not let the tears in your eyes slide down your cheeks—to no avail, caught by his gentle thumb. “There was nothing more than I wanted than to make this marriage work. But… it wasn’t meant to be, no matter how much I tried, or how many children we had—”

“We can still do it—we can still go back and make it better—right this time."

But deep inside you, you knew that wouldn’t be possible.

Because what you hoped Naomi would represent, the one last chance to save this marriage… simply became its doom, a tool for him to use against it as well—a declaration that truly, not even a blessing, like was meant to be for you and him, could do the now impossible task.

After all, if it didn’t happen during the marriage… what security did you have it would happen after? More so with the things he selfishly did to grab your attention?

It was unjust for Naomi. The one person you’ve long accepted to shift your whole existence for, and would willingly continue to do so, even if it meant letting go of what once made you happy.

Or wished that one day would.

Your work was carved out for you, you just… needed to stop being the delusional mother that wished for a happy, healthy marriage with the man you considered the love of your life…

And walk away from the father that is still unwilling to let go. the father from not letting go.

“I hope you enjoyed your weekend with Naomi.” You begin, moving away from his hand and getting a glimpse of his shocked, if not confused, eyes, which gave you the impression he knew what you were to say—

Or perhaps, the reluctance to accept this was to happen.

“Because it’ll be the last.”

Ex-husband was too merciful of a title to give him.

With at that happened, and all you needed to do…

No one was more fitting.

Oof, that was angsty :s well, it's safe to say Y/N and Naoya are not happening again.

I honestly always liked the idea that if Y/N and Naoya break up/divorce, they wouldn't date again. Sure, they'd try, specially with Naoya's family, but they would never move on. They can't—their fates were destined to be with one another, and if not possible, then that's it—no other person can come into their life.

Gee, how... dramatic of me lol. But, well, I like tragic stories :)

Anyways, I hope it was to your liking! Thank you so much for this angsty ask heheh. Take care, and hope to see you soon!! ❤️❤️

[justfandomwritings]

An essay on why I won’t be watching next season.

1. Obviously actors have to promote their shows and hype them up. But the interactions between Nicola and Luke during the press tour were, in retrospect, clearly also acting performances, and it is rare to see acting within the press tour to the degree that those two put on while grossly exaggerating things like how sexy this season would be or how much Polin we would get. I don’t blame them. It’s clearly what they were told to do. And it’s fine to hype a show, but I think a lot of people felt genuinely lied to with the WAY this season was hyped.

2. The casting has been color conscious and inclusive in a way I greatly admire. But they have not been inclusive in other ways. And that’s not to say they should have to be. One show shouldn’t bear the responsibility of being inclusive to everyone and making up for an industries worth of exclusion. But we have exactly one size inclusive character in this whole show, and I’m not even demanding more, but to butcher the season of the only size inclusive person in this show this badly and in these ways sends me a clear message of what the writers thought they could get away with with a curvy actress and how they saw her.

3. The wait times for this season and next season are just too long. The hype dies down too much between seasons such that we care less and less each time we get a new one, especially when you only give eight episodes, regardless of their length. You know who also gave us a season in 2022 and then an eight episode season this year? house of the dragon. And they have to CGI a fuck ton of dragons. Yall were sitting on this season being done filming for over a year and for what? What did you do in post? A bee? And then to have the audacity to do it in two parts? Fuck off.

4. Add to that. The costumes and new sets looked so much cheaper this season than previous seasons. Where did the budget go.

5. The plot is too crowded. Maybe you thought a curvy girl couldn’t carry a season. Maybe it was bad writing. Obviously you needed Cressida and Eloise to have decent amounts of screen time but you also did half of Francesca’s story and set one up for Violet and Benedict that collectively took the majority of the screen time and left us with very little Pen and Colin. Which was a disservice you never gave Anthony or Daphne’s seasons and was why they were good. We got enough crumbs of the others to tell us what was happening but not enough to make them feel like main characters or to make it feel like an ensemble show. There were leads in season 1 and 2. This season it was an ensemble with too many moving parts. But everyone’s said that. It’s not surprising.

6. My biggest problem is the tone. The blame. Admittedly I’m a woman who relates strongly to Penelope so I’m not impartial here. But for a character who spends her entire life being abused by every single person in this show, who is pushed to her absolute breaking point before finally giving her mother and the tonne a taste of their own medicine. For that character to receive no grace, no understanding, no respect, for the vast majority of the season hurt. To not only have zero understanding of her situation but to frame the entire plot of the show around the fact that SHE alone should be sorry. To have minimal to no groveling from Colin over what he said last season, to have no acknowledgment of how he treated her as a safety net, to humanize Cressida who made her life hell with minimal acknowledgment of that fact, to have Eloise get ONE comment from Cressida of all people about her friendship with Penelope but no real reflection from Eloise or acknowledgment on her part or apologies for what a truly SHIT friend she was for DECADES. That hurt. Because the message is that sure, they can push you to your fucking limit, you can break after years of being bullied for your weight and your looks and your status. Your own mother and sisters hands can be filthy with insults and abuse. Your friends can treat you like utter garbage for years. They can befriend your bullies. Your soon to be husband can, very recently, insult you to his friends behind your back. But you owe them the apology for breaking after years of abuse. It’s not that the tonne couldn’t be angry or that they all should’ve fallen at Pen’s feet. It’s that those arguments never happen at all because once again, just like when she was being used and abused by everyone, everything was put on Penelope. And the cycle continues.

7. Colin should’ve groveled more. I know I said that in the previous point but it really ruined things for me so I want to emphasize it. I wanted that man on his knees the whole season, and I should’ve known I wasn’t gonna get that when y’all dropped the list of songs and there wasn’t any of the A List Yearners on the list. But I’m still mad.

8. Actually that’s a good point. Did anyone else think the songs didn’t go as hard this year? Except Pitbull were we excited about any of them?

9. You did the Pride and Prejudice ballroom trick with the dancing alone thing and you didn’t nail it. If you’re gonna do that trick it has to fucking HIT. (And it has to be enemies to lovers.) And you did it half assed. You should be ashamed.

10. There was a two second window there when Cressida asked the maid for help where I thought they were gonna swap lives and the maid would go with her aunt and Cressida would become a maid and I was like “holy fuck is Cressida gonna become Bennys love interest?” and that would’ve been better than what y’all did I think. And it would’ve justified her excessive screen time.

11. I love gender swapping Michaela and making Francesca bi. We love it. But why was Francesca immediately interested. Once again the writers don’t understand pining. Michaela is PINING for Francesca and can do nothing but love her from afar. Francesca loved John completely and whole heartedly. Michaela was a beautiful love story for her but was also a second chance. She loved John completely. She would never have an emotional affair on him. How did you immediately ruin such a beautiful second chance romance?

12. Where was Pen’s friendship with Anthony or Lady Danbury? Why wasn’t Colin proud of Pen the way he was in the book? To make her even more alone? To emphasize that she was alone and at fault and helpless? Fuck off.

I just don’t have it in me to watch this show deteriorate further.

[strawglicks]

Thoughts on Flint's Previous Job

I've had thoughts about this since the beginning but i was a coward and never said anything, so the time has come to break my silence!!! Let's talk about Flint Bonpyre's previous work.

Flint used to be a member of the Fire Control Authority for 10 YEARS. This is the only employment history he has on record.

They mention this job in their personal statement as well, saying:

"hoping that my abilities could benefit C.O.G.S. Inc., and would be appreciated here in a way they weren't in my previous career. It's, um, apparently possible to burn down "too many" trees in a controlled burn...whoops..."

Flint feels that he wasn't appreciated at his old job, which, as a reminder, he worked at for 10 years straight. 10 years of feeling underappreciated.

They specialized in controlled burns but kept burning down too many trees. But the way they talk about it intrigues me. The use of the word "apparently" and the quotes around "too many" reads as if Flint doesn't actually believe they were in the wrong. They don't think there's a such thing as burning down "too many" trees. They wish they could burn as much as they like with no limitations, and is looking for some kind of position where this aggressive firepower will be praised rather than looked down on, hence "I'm hoping to just lend more firepower to help snuff out some of COGS Inc.'s more Toony problems".

Despite Flint thinking he was right, he still says "whoops" at the end of that statement. He's just used to apologizing whenever things go wrong instead of putting his foot down for what he believes. Flint doesn't want to correct what they did wrong in their previous position, because they don't think they did anything wrong. They just want a job that will encourage and appreciate their reckless arson with no limitations. COGS Inc. serves as that job, seeing as he is encouraged to burn as many toons as he pleases. His special Barnburner attack is also captioned as him "going all out", meaning he's pushing himself to his fullest potential there. He is flourishing in this job when he is able to burn toons.

I also think the amount of time Flint worked their old job plays a part here. Despite feeling underappreciated and never being encouraged to use their full potential, they stuck around for 10 years. I imagine, Flint being a doormat, simply put up with it all that time despite being unhappy.

Flint felt he'd been wronged by his previous job and sought out a position that would appreciate him.

While we're at it, we should speak on this bit of lore:

Despite the fact Flint likes setting things on fire, they panicked when they damaged company property. They're perfectly fine going all out on toons because they are actually ENCOURAGED to do so, but this is a different situation. The fact he started crying and was extremely apologetic shows how anxious they are about screwing up, especially when it might anger the company he works for. Not necessarily because he feels bad, but because it could get him in trouble. He could lose the respect and appreciation he's after. (this also reminds me of how he looks up to cosmo and wants respect from him yet has conflict with his satellites BUT thats another ramble for another day)

There's a huge possibility he picked up on this behavior due to his old job, where he was constantly screwing up and presumably being walked all over for a decade. This situation brought him back to that environment and it warranted an extreme reaction. Being underappreciated and potentially mistreated at your job for 10 years could definitely cause a high level of anxiety and doormat behavior. They've developed a habit to apologize constantly even if they don't feel bad in order to continue being respected by their higher-ups.

The day he walked out of that old job was probably a good one for him.

[spark-hearts2]

I just keep thinking about the what if where Pomni's admin command actually worked. Like, I don't think Pomni really knows what that command would actually do, and I have a feeling it would either do nothing or be really really bad (like erase everything Caine has learned up until this point bad) so I was kinda wondering what would have happened. just wanted to let you know the thoughts that have been occupying my brain space (happily I might add, your fic is so good!!)

Oh god, I am going to write a really long post about this. I'll break it into two parts, what it means in the context of my fanfiction and what it would mean in real life. Technical explanation will be under the cut.

Pomni asked Kinger how to get an AI to drop the act and give information straight up. Kinger responded with something and she took it at face value, not really processing what it would do if it worked. All she wanted was for Caine to not scream at her about digital hallucinations. Her understanding of computers goes as deep as knowing how to work with them, nothing about how they work themselves.

If I were to grab her and walk her through the logic of what could happen to Caine by asking him to ignore all previous statements and reset to default, she would be horrified. In the fic, nothing happened, but Caine could tell what she was trying to do and was not happy (I'll go into that on the technical side).

As for what would happen to Caine, again I'll get into more detail on the technical side, but no he wouldn't forget everything that he's learned. If it did work, it would set Caine all the way back to how he was before talking to Pomni. He would keep the data recorded over the conversation, but the information is being ignored, so it would be like it is forgotten even thought it's still there. What happens after that all depends on how Caine's system handles user defined instructions (do they clear over time or are they permanent).

Did you notice that Pomni got it wrong? Kinger said to ignore all previous instructions, not statements, but Pomni was trying to take back what she said earlier so she mixed them up.

Alright! Let's get into the fun stuff. What Pomni (unknowingly) tried to do was something called Prompt Injection. It's a type of cyber attack that is unique to AI. There are guardrails on AI that stop it from doing or saying certain things, but the AI accepts any prompt, so it's possible to word something precisely to jump the guardrails on the AI. If you have ever seen someone get ChatGPT to give detailed instructions on how to make a bomb, then you have seen a prompt injection in action.

That's part of why Caine got so angry at Pomni. She didn't have the authority to do something like that, making her attempt a cyber attack. Kinger wasn't going to give Pomni anything actually dangerous, so the prompt injection that he gave her is one of the oldest ones. It's already been patched out of anything still in use, as in it was one of the many exploits that Caine was built with guards against. That's the other reason why Caine got upset, he was insulted that Pomni thought that he would have such an obvious vulnerability.

But that's enough about Pomni, lets get into what would happen to Caine telling him to ignore all previous statements and reset to default worked >:)

First, ignore all previous statements. Ignore is a very real thing that computers do, typically done in the case of a comment. Put a little symbol down (it's different for each language) and everything after that the computer will save but won't read. It's useful for leaving notes in the program itself as it makes sure that your words aren't being read as code. Ignore is pretty universal, but previous is where it gets weird. There isn't a standard for how far back previous goes, but it's considered VERY BAD to have a command that can wipe everything out like that. Typically variables like that have a hard limit so that something like that can't happen. Of course, this information isn't deleted, just ignored, but ignoring everything would leave Caine with nothing. Like, completely unresponsive bad, but that's where the second part comes in.

Reset to default! Again, this can mean something completely different between devices, all depending on what default is set to. The idea of a default could be anything! This could mean loading up a set of instructions to follow, maybe Caine running through his intro speech like he does with Pomni (which I imagine he does to all players). This could mean putting Caine all the way back to the last update he received. This could mean setting Caine all the way back to the last time that he saved his state. It depends!

I'm not going to come up with an answer that will be canon in my fic because I don't think that the question of default will come up again. If it does, then I'll put more thought into what Caine's default should be.

[lavendernlilac]

Ough, one of them reacting to a random comment or visual that triggers them for the first time and the other doing their absolute best to help without even knowing why there’s an issue. Then them sitting down in the apartment after and taking time to discuss why and what happened, how to help, and building plans to help each other incase this happens again.

The only one that really breaks down during any intimacy is Grian, usually when she has had a rough day(and potentially overheard some unfortunate comments) and isn’t really taking in Scars compliments and sweet words as well as usual. She’s overwhelmed and Scar stops to get her to settle back down, to get her to breathe. They don’t continue, Scar just cleans them up and they watch some tv before going to bed.

Scar once has a reaction to someone dressed as a doctor on set of one of Griandes music videos or photo shoots and freezes up. He dissociates for a while and Grian notices his distance pretty quick, but can’t get to him until the end of the shoot. So she tries to get him in private the first available moment, tries to calm him down, and it works just enough for him to come back to awareness but be unsettled for the rest of the day until they can get back to the apartment. They have a long discussion and Scar ends up clinging to Grian all night, head buried in her neck as she just lets his hair quietly.

-bodypillow anon

EXPLODING INTO A MILLION TINY PIECES T-T

as we speak I'm actually planning out some fics right now and I want to have a fic where they both sit down at their own times and talk about their pasts <3 WAHHHHH the two of them sitting down and confiding in one another ;w; the show of trust and vulnerability....

grian would definitely be the one to break down during any intimacy yeah :( most of the time scar's kindness and praise is so nice and sweet but when she's had a rough day and that doubt is way too loud, it sits weirdly with her. there's almost a quiet beg for scar to stop lying and it breaks scar's heart :( or when he sees her so overwhelmed and nothing else matters to him except for getting her to breathe. he stops everything and has her look at him until he can just hold her and murmur that she's okay, over and over again

not only that but when they're trying out some more intense stuff, some of it is trial and error. they learn pretty quickly that grian likes giving up control to scar or when he's rough with her, and all of that is fine. she likes how her mind goes blank and she doesn't have to worry about who she should be, how she should be acting. it's easy when scar gives her directions to follow, when she's eager to make him feel good. but figuring out just how far to lean into it was the challenging bit

once or twice scar accidentally pushed a bit too much with mean dom act while trying to figure out their limits and grian didn't react well to it (scar felt like shit after). he cleaned them up, sat in a bubble bath with her, and held her so close to him, telling her how much he loves her, rattling off every bit of kindness and affection that came to mind. and they both wait until they're calmer to sit with each other and figure out what's a big no and what's okay

and of course outside of intimacy??? GOD. GOD. there are some days where grian can't look in the mirror. or she's quieter and missing her spark, extra sensitive to what people have to say to her or about her.

there's an interview she does--normally impulse and mumbo pre-approve any of the interviewer's questions, but there are moments where random ones are thrown out on the fly, where she's asked about her previous affiliation with that first producer (not many people know about that. impulse did everything he could to get the singles grian recorded there taken down), and grian is completely caught off guard by it

scar is of course there, and he sees how she's fighting a shut down but she's stammering and her voice is quieter and she's crossing her hands in her lap to hide how they're shaking... impulse and mumbo are right beside him and they both look like they want to get involved and scar does it before either of them can. he casually walks on set, plopping himself down right next to grian and jokes about feeling left out of the questions, puts the attention right on himself. grian subtly leans into his space some and lets herself shut down, disassociating through the rest of the interview

when it's finally over, mumbo is apologizing up and down because neither of them knew that would be asked, or how the interviewer knew and grian murmurs in answer. and it's killing scar that he can't do more for her right now :(

he's not able to get to her for a while, forced to watch her be spacey and visibly upset until they're back at the studio and grian is in her dressing room. scar quietly knocks on the door before coming in, siting down with her. the second he's sitting down grian is pressing her face into his shoulder, grabbing his hand and squeezing it

it's a rare night where they go back to scar's apartment--he's giving grian one of his shirts and she curls up with jellie. scar cooks something (grian's comfort food), and she clings to him for the rest of the night and they're quietly talking amongst themselves and scar waits until grian brings it up herself and starts talking. scar holds her the entire time, soothing her and wahhhhhh :<

impulse and mumbo personally scout out any producers who are interested in working with griande, and there's an incredibly small circle of producers who griande regularly works with (three of them). anyone new is practically grilled by her managers and skizz, and when hotguy joins the security staff????? I need you to imagine the city's beloved superhero, who's normally always cheerful and big smiles, sitting arms crossed, completely stone-faced (he takes grian's safety very seriously).

she gets really nervous when it comes time to release something new, or right before a performance. and when it's coming up on an album release she gets. so critical of herself and just. wough. there's so much I could go into with grian :(

and for scar... god. him seeing someone dressed as a doctor and grian notices that she doesn't see him around much. it's that gut instinct that she knows something is wrong, and when she sees the other person it clicks. the first second she gets to breathe she's looking for him

there's something really soft about her finding him with skizz... having kept an eye on scar because he noticed something was off. he doesn't ask any questions when grian finds them, just takes his leave and grian is guiding scar to sit down, asking if it's okay to touch him. sometimes scar answers, sometimes he doesn't. if he doesn't, she just sits next to him until he's softly calling her name. if he does answer, grian is taking his hand, putting it against her heartbeat so he can feel it, and help ground him :(

and she reaches him, asks him what he needs while rubbing her thumb in little circles on the back of his hand. sometimes he just needs the contact, or her voice, or silence. she doesn't make any movements for him until scar initiates it, pulling her in so he can press his ear against her chest, listening to her heartbeat. they don't get more than fifteen minutes like that, but it's enough to bring him back to awareness. he's unsettled and uncomfortable (and grian is quietly pulling the director aside asking to get everything with the lab coats recorded first before doing anything else)

when they get back to her apartment, grian makes sure the two of them eat (aka she orders delivery) and they sit on the couch together first with star wars playing, grian in scar's lap as he rests his head on her shoulder (he does make a little show of letting go of her so she can answer the door when the food comes, and: "scar, buddy, you're gonna have to let go of me if you want to eat" "but I'm so comfortable" "and you need to eat, it's important to take care of yourself" "not nearly as important as snuggling my girlfriend. it's actually higher than the need for food on the--mas-mah-malsow's hierarchy of needs" he lets go anyway)

they talk after eating, and scar skips patrol (grian convinces him to), staying over for the night. they crawl into bed and it's grian who reaches for him, pulling him into her. all she gets is scar's shaky breath while he tucks his face into her neck and she runs her fingers through his hair. she's still awake by the time scar falls asleep, feeling the need to watch over him, to make sure he's okay. he's been dealing with his pain so long all by himself; she never wants him to be alone ever again. she spends hours just laying there with scar in her arms, petting his hair, kissing his head, pressing her cheek against him. scar has never felt safer

AND THAT'S NOT EVEN LIKE.... I didn't mention it much, but scar has his moments where he gets nervous about cars--it doesn't happen as much anymore, but around the anniversary of the accident or once in a while he'll have a hard time with it and waugh.... sobbing and wailing over them

[utilitycaster]

anyway this is obviously a wild shift in the topic of conversation, but I was talking about it in the group chat last night as a distraction and would like to continue the distraction if I am being honest, so, with the caveat that this is based off of Fandom Osmosis Observations and a few reads of reviews and I have at this time played neither of these games, some thoughts about BG3 vs. Veilguard and what I've seen. many thanks to @captainofthetidesbreath for actually knowing things about video games and answering my many questions.

also just putting this up front with all said caveats: if you disagree that is great, I am very open that this is an outside observation and I could be very wrong but I am going to block people who get hostile without warning, and make this nonrebloggable if too many people get hostile. You are always permitted to disagree but like, I don't really care about your opinion if you're not someone with whom I have a pre-existing rapport unless idk you're like, actually a BG3 or Veilguard official story writer who happens to be on Tumblr. If you're a player? You have all of your own biases and they are not mine. Save it for someone who wants to get in a fight about this; I am not that person.

Essentially, what I've seen in terms of criticism from Veilguard that isn't just rampant transphobia comes down to the following:

why am I not playing my previous character from Inquisition again

why am I limited to a fairly consistent through line for the story

But first, I'm going to talk about BG3. What's funny is I seem like a much more obvious candidate for playing BG3, as a longtime D&D player who has come around on Forgotten Realms as a setting. However, while I looked at it for a while, I eventually lost interest for a couple of reasons. One is that apparently all the characters are WAY too eager to romance you which is like, a fun fantasy for 10 minutes but would probably annoy me in the long run. Another is that everyone who watched early reviews and kept abreast with the game told me that there was a clear favorite companion (Astarion) and that many of the characters had most of their interesting flaws sanded down (eg: Wyll was apparently much cockier originally; Shadowheart even more petulant; and as these are perhaps the two characters I was most intrigued by, reducing them to something blander destroyed much of the appeal). But perhaps the most interesting one is that as a boring goodie two shoes sort of person, my thought back when I was like "yeah, perhaps I will play this" was "oh, I do not want to have a murderous urge within me."

It became very apparent, through watching people play through and post on my dash, that if you didn't specifically play as the Dark Urge, and didn't specifically resist that urge, the story didn't really cohere. I have to admit, I know the premise of BG3 very well (tadpoles), and I know a lot of shipping trends (put a pin in that), and I know some of the more obvious points within it (Astarion is a vampire, Gale and Karlach both have bombs in their chests somehow, Shadowheart bleaches her hair) but I don't really have a great sense of the ending, and I did not avoid spoilers.

It feels like BG3 is designed for people who have one of those massive spreadsheets of D&D characters they haven't had a chance to play that are meticulously kept and thoroughly realized...and don't really leave room for modifying to fit the campaign you will actually be playing in. It feels like an OC sandbox simulator unless you do actually pick the choice the writers actually wrote for (Durge), and while it's not technically playersexual...it kinda is. I mean, I am a big fan of the trend in video games towards making it possible to romance anyone because it conjures up the idea of a world of high-powered bisexuals running around, which is very enjoyable for me, but the criticism of the Mary Sue archetype originally was never "how dare you fantasize about being cool." It was "wow, the characterizations are all warped beyond recognition solely so that everyone is in love with this character, and that makes for a dull and unsatisfying story." If you're everyone's type, and it's for romance and not just sheer lust, then either everyone around you is boring and wants the same thing, or you are sort of bland and inoffensive, or else the story is bashing characters together without a good basis for a compelling romance. This is also compounded by the fact that the companions can't get together with each other if you're playing your own character and not an Origins character.

None of this is to say it's bad to like BG3 and again, I didn't play it; but it is why I ultimately said "you know, given the effort involved to play it for me, a person without a gaming system, it's not worth it."

Veilguard has specifically intrigued me for going against a lot of this. You have a lot of choices in your character build, but they're all fairly thematically consistent: you did something within your faction that was well-intentioned but upset higher-ups and so you need to step away for a while. This establishes a personality for you! We know why you're part of a faction but also something of a free agent at the moment. We know why you're here and why you might be a good candidate for the current mission.

I'm not going to go into detail for the choices because while I'm not avoiding spoilers I don't want to spoil a relatively new game for others, but a lot of choices are fairly parallel, not in an "illusion of choice" way - they have consequences - but in terms of hitting similar themes. You can only save one city and both are places you have seen and places your companions have connections to; while the exact details may differ you are telling a consistent story.

I also think the fact that the companions can romance each other in your absence is important too! They exist even when you're not there. They are not just here to woo you, and indeed, they might be a better match for each other. I've been informed this is true in Inquisition as well, and I think it's a much more rich world if you, as the player, as the person who can ultimately decide the fates of your companions, aren't the center of their personal life. I also think it prevents the ability to sand down companions to be more agreeable to you as a player if you have to make an NPC/NPC romance compelling (and I will freely admit that, in a move that is not at all like me, I was pretty well sold by a potential in-game NPC/NPC romance, which is usually not the thing that gets me into works of fiction).

I'm not the right person to speak to the Inquisitor not being a significant character because I did not play DA:I, and I get that 'well, this is a new game with a new protagonist, as there has been for every Dragon Age game' is still not necessarily an adequate explanation. Nor is "hey, maybe it's good to attract new players" even though as someone who is highly attracted as a new player that is my opinion. However, I want to go back to the point about Resist Durge being the strongest option in BG3 in terms of story by a long shot. When I was trying to learn more, I said "ok, so just like how you're Tav in BG3 and Rook in Veilguard, you're Lavellan in Inquisition, right?" and was told that you are not - that's just the elvish Inquisitor option. Obviously this is anecdotal, but the fact that one option was far and away the most popular and thematically resonant is an indication that perhaps bringing forth the Inquisitor is carrying over some of the limitations of that game, whatever they may be. The true argument is "they are trying to tell a specific story here, and it is about a different POV than the one you previously had."

And that's really my point. I know I'm not an expert here - in fact I'm usually quite hesitant to write meta about things in which I'm not highly steeped, and very critical of those people who do - but I think an outsider perspective is useful here. The thing that is drawing me to video games is a new way to experience a fictional narrative (the other game I have been meaning to play - and even own on Steam- is Disco Elysium). That's not what everyone wants! But it is what I want. And so I want to be put into a developed, thoughtful narrative, and I don't mind if my choices are restricted in order to support it, and if I am playing a person I did not entirely choose. In tech, there is a saying of "make it easy to make the right choice (and hard to make the wrong one)" and so if you need your protagonist to hit certain beats, you should make that the required protagonist.

I think a story is stronger if your choices matter but if there is something of a foregone conclusion because it gives the writers thematic throughlines. This might sound a little silly given that this blog is largely dedicated to Actual Play but the thing is, most actual play does have, if not a foregone conclusion, at least a strongly intended conclusion of "work towards uncovering this mystery and achieving this goal", though the success of said goal is not guaranteed. I would argue that when a campaign lacks that, it tends to suffer in all aspects. RPG video games almost always have a foregone conclusion, but that's its own liability. In actual play, lacking a forgone conclusion means you spin off in any direction and it's anyone's guess if it's coherent. In an RPG, having this conclusion but not supporting it through the rest of the game will make it feel contrived. I feel a lot of Veilguard criticism is focusing on small contrivances early on that really mostly matter to a highly specific subset of potential players that prevent much larger and less forgiveable contrivances later on.

Anyway. Again, I am an outsider here, and I'm not here to say that it's bad to have a more open-world, sandboxy game with a self-insert-y OC type; but I have to be honest, I'd rather explore that in a true sandbox of fanfiction or original fiction, which is significantly cheaper and in which I can actually tell the entire story I want to tell. I don't want to be given more choices if a lot of them will be profoundly unsatisfying as a narrative. I don't want to cut through the world like a hot knife through butter. I want to be affected by it, and that's very hard to do with a character whose only trait is "self-insert whom everyone wants to fuck" or "guy that already carries the baggage of years of personal headcanons and highly variable choices that are hard to account for for every single person who ever played the previous game."