#and that's why i didn't go to the job interview. because i wanted to protect myself from that heartbreak again

[zaczenemiji]

Hi I hope you are having a lovely day my dear ♥. I was wondering if you could do a Kenji Sato x reader where the reader is an assistant manager to him and one day he like acts arrogantly towards her during one of his interviews when he sees a pretty journalist amongst the crowed of ppl interviewing him and he says some hurtful things to reader and collectively ignoring her and instead choosing to focus on the journalists girl. Ever since that day reader has been silent around Sato and he thought he didn't care but it bothered him because even though she is usually quite, these days she is *too* quite and then there is like a mini celebration for like a baseball game win and reader goes with a guy who is like an athlete but is not as famous as Sato. So the kicker is reader is absolutely DROP DEAD GORGEOUS and ppl at the party even think she is a model. So Sato get jealous and he acts all possessive and protective of her , while she is still angry at him but eventually he makes it up to her over time. If you have anything else to add please do.

Shattered Pride

Kenji Sato x AssistantManager!Reader

Word Count: 1,873

Genre/Warnings: Character Development, Eventual Romance, Forgiveness, Jealousy, Regret, Redemption

Author’s Note: The idea behind this was just fantastic! Thank you so much for the request, writing this was my honor.

MASTERLIST

Being Kenji Sato’s assistant manager is not an easy task. I repeat: Not. An. Easy. Task. Throughout his baseball career, he has had several assistants who quit as soon as they were hired because, for one thing, Kenji is stubborn.

Ghosted interviews, off-topic answers, and insults to other players were just some of the many things about him that gave you a headache.

You remember being referred to him by his last assistant saying that it was a high-paying job. However, you were skeptical at how quickly and willing they were to give off their job to another person.

You understood why the first time you met him. After the meeting, you asked him, “Is there anything else you need from me today?”

In response, he gave an irritated sigh. “If I needed something, I would have asked.”

Thankfully, you were more on the nonchalant scale, and how people respond to you didn’t bother you much. You were here to do your job—and excellently at that, not exactly to be friends with an arrogant baseball star.

Kenji’s behavior was… challenging, that’s the best word for it. He barked orders, rarely said thank you, and seemed to take your presence for granted. But in conditions like these, you thrive the most; you succeed where others have failed.

Today was a usual day with the usual crowd of journalists and fans gathering in the conference room. You stood by his side, ensuring everything was in order for yet another post-game interview.

It was going all smooth and well when Kenji suddenly paused mid-sentence. It was a very short pause that wouldn’t be noticeable to others but you, with all the time you spent as his assistant, noticed it.

Your eyes looked in the direction he kept glancing at. A girl, of course, strikingly beautiful with long sleek back hair that cascaded down in soft waves.

When it was her turn to ask, Kenji leaned forward to give her a dazzling smile. “Why don’t you ask me a question?” he said, ignoring the list of pre-approved questions you handed him before the interview started.

Kenji was holding court with this journalist longer than he should. You noticed that the others in line were starting to murmur in annoyance.

You stepped forward, maintaining your professional demeanor. “Excuse me, Mr. Sato, but we need to move on,” you said. “Other journalists are waiting for their turn.”

“I’m not done here,” he said arrogantly, not bothering to look your way.

You took a deep breath, wanting to handle this situation diplomatically. “I understand,” you said. “But we’ve exceeded the time limit, and it’s only fair to give everyone a chance.”

Whichever agency’s plan was it to send her here to get ahead of other journalists, it’s working. She gave you a polite smile, clearly enjoying the extra attention.

Kenji frowned and turned to you. “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something important?” He asked. “If you can’t manage your job properly, maybe you should reconsider.”

Your eyes widened. You could feel others’ on you, their stares almost cutting through your professional facade.

Swallowing your pride, you nodded and stepped back, keeping your expression neutral. But as neutral as you looked, deep down you felt a mix of anger and humiliation.

From that day on, you remained silent around Kenji, only speaking when necessary. You remained professional though, and you made sure that your job was not compromised.

During meetings, you no longer offered insights unless directly asked. When you did speak, your tone was strictly professional. Well, it has always been, but the warmth that characterized your interactions was now gone.

Like that one time during a team strategy meeting. Kenji asked for input on a new play. The room fell silent as everyone waited for your usual insightful suggestions, but you simply looked down at your notes, saying nothing.

The coach glanced at you, surprised. "Any thoughts, (y/n)?" You shook your head. "No, Coach. Nothing to add."

At first, Kenji was oblivious to all of this. He was absorbed in his own world and the adulation of his fans, as always. But as the days turned into weeks, your silence grew too loud to ignore that even he finally noticed it.

A month later, the team planned on celebrating a recent major win. This time, they have decided to invite other athletes as guests of honor. The organizers wanted to have a mix of established stars and up-and-coming talents from the sports world.

You decided to take this as an opportunity to have yourself pampered. You have been working hard, after all. Despite the obvious tension between you and Kenji, you were still able to do your job well.

That’s why at the party, you were stunning. Drop dead gorgeous, as the team said. Though the lights were dim, it seemed as if a spotlight was following you as everyone you passed by turned their heads to look.

You decided to settle by the bar for drinks. “Hey there,” came a familiar voice. You turned to see Jake approaching. He was one of the promising young athletes and a rising star in the sports world who was invited to this party.

He plays as a forward for a popular soccer team and has recently garnered attention for his impressive performance in the league. This wasn’t the first time you met as Jake and Kenji ran into each other a couple times before at different events.

He leaned against the bar, signaling the bartender for a drink. “It’s nice to see you again and this time, enjoying yourself,” he said. “You looked like you needed a break at the last event we were at.”

You chuckled softly, appreciating his observation. "Yeah, it's been a bit hectic lately."

Jake's drink arrived, and he took a sip, his eyes studying you with genuine interest. “Well, you look incredible tonight,” he said. “Have you been hearing what the others are saying?”

Jake turned to glance at the crowd, then back at you. “They were all asking if you were a model or something,” he said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think the same.”

“Thanks, Jake,” you replied, smiling. “You clean up pretty well yourself."

He laughed, a warm, infectious sound that put you at ease. "So, how's work been treating you? Still managing the chaos that is Kenji Sato?"

You hesitated, the memory of Kenji's recent behavior still fresh. "It's been… challenging," you admitted. "But I manage."

Jake's expression softened with understanding. "I can imagine. He's got a reputation for being difficult."

Unbeknownst to both of you, the baseball star you were talking about has finally arrived. His presence commanded attention as he navigated through the crowd, exchanging greetings and handshakes.

As he made his way deeper into the club, his eyes caught sight of you. At that moment he froze. Or was it time that froze? He didn’t know. All he was sure of was that for a little while, he couldn’t breathe.

You were stunning. Your outfit, a sleek, form-fitting dress that accentuated your every curve, made you look like you had just stepped off a runway. Your hair was styled to perfection, your makeup highlighting your natural beauty.

Suddenly, he noticed the man you were talking to, Jake. “That rookie soccer player,” he thought. Gosh, you deserved so much better. At that moment, with firm resolve, he declared upon himself that he would work to be the better that you deserved.

Kenjl's jaw clenched as his own possessive instincts flared up, a mix of jealousy and protectiveness surging through him. He made his way over to you, his eyes never leaving your form.

On your end, you noticed the crowd parted slightly, and you saw Kenji making his way towards you.

Turning slightly, you met Kenji’s gaze with a cool, indifferent look. "Kenji," you acknowledged, your tone polite but distant.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, his voice tight with barely restrained emotion.

Jake looked at you, his gaze asking if you were fine with it. You smiled at him, a genuine and warm expression, something you haven’t given Kenji in a while. “I’ll go on ahead,” you told Jake. “See you around.”

Kenji led you away from the crowd, finding a quieter corner of the club. As soon as you were out of earshot, he turned to you, his eyes dark with jealousy.

"Why didn't you come with me?" Kenji asked, his frustration evident.

You scoffed. “First of all, you didn’t ask me to.” You crossed your arms, fixing him with a hard stare. "And you made it very clear where I stand with you. Or rather, where I don't."

He winced, the memory of his hurtful words coming back to haunt him. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice softer now. "I was wrong. I was an idiot."

You remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“I've been a jerk, and I know it,” he continued. “I was arrogant, dismissive, and I took you for granted.”

You watch him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. Yet you looked away, the hurt still fresh. "You hurt me, Kenji,” you said. “You made me feel worthless and unimportant."

Kenji steps closer, his voice filled with regret. “I know, I'm so sorry. I was so focused on myself, on my career, that I didn't see how much I was hurting you. Your silence has been killing me. I miss your insights, your presence.”

He paused for a while before continuing. “I miss you.” He reaches out, gently taking your hand.

“You're more than just my assistant,” he said. “You're the reason I can do what I do. You make everything better, and I've been too blind to see it. Please, give me a chance to make it right. I want to earn back your trust.”

You met his gaze, searching for any sign of insincerity. All you saw was genuine regret and a longing to make things right. "This isn't something that can be fixed overnight, Kenji."

"I know," he said quickly. "I'll do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. I just... I can't lose you."

You took a deep breath, the weight of his words sinking in. "We'll see," you said. "But it won't be easy."

He nodded, relief flooding his features. "I understand,” he said. “Thank you, (y/n)—for giving me a chance.”

As you walked back to the party, Kenji stayed close by your side, protective and possessive. arm subtly wrapped around your waist, a clear signal to everyone around that you were with him.

As the night came to an end, Kenji offered to drive you home. To which, you agreed. The drive home was quiet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything else, it was rather hopeful.

One evening, after a particularly grueling day, Kenji found you alone in the office. “Hey," he said softly, "I was thinking we could grab dinner. Just the two of us."

You looked up, surprised. "Dinner?"

He nodded, a hopeful smile on his face. "Yeah. To thank you for everything. And to make up for being such an idiot."

You smiled at him for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Dinner sounds nice."

Taglist is open! Comment if u wanna be tagged on future Kenji oneshots

@eternallyvenus @puppyminnnie

[pixiesfz]

would you write for alexia putellas?

okay I always find it hard to write for Alexia but I finally thought of a good plot

inspired by Olivia Rodrigo's unaired song

prison for life a.p

plot: you've always been independent in life but when Alexia walks in you cant help but want her to protect you.

warning: idk

You sat in front of an interviewer in front of the goal posts as he asked questions about your new signing to Barcelona FC.

"So what caused the change from United to here?" he asked and you smiled "Change of scenery I think, there is nothing wrong with the club and I cherish every memory I have there" The interviewer nodded his head "So you don't feel for the comments saying you are moving just to get wins under your belt?" he asked slowly, almost as if he was scared to ask the question.

Your eyes slightly squinted at him but you leaned back as you remembered it is only his job "I'm a big girl" you smirked "I'm not going to listen to comments left on my Instagram because they're not the ones controlling my movements, I am" you said with a nod.

The interviewer smiled, impressed with your answer as the camera stopped rolling "You're very good with the media" he complimented you as he packed up his set "thanks" you smiled before returning to practice.

As you reached the other side of the pitch Keira turned to you "any personalized questions?" she asked and you shrugged "talked a little bit about the rumors of why I moved but that's all" Keira nodded "I will say in this team you get asked more personal questions so I'm here if you need" she suggested and you nodded "I'll be fine" you reassured her "yeah?" she asked "I'm good at protecting myself".

You had moved to Barcelona for a change of scenery but to also spend more time with your girlfriend Alexia who lived and breathed the club.

She was injured at the moment so she wasn't at a lot of the trainings and would appear at some games, she was very protective but you knew that... to an extent.

Your whole life you had protected yourself from the prying eyes of others and didn't rely on anyone else so whenever someone offered to help you, you always declined.

They didn't need to, you had yourself sorted.

But as your early weeks turned into months at Barcelona more interviewers and fans started asking more questions and players on the pitch were starting to recognize some of your go to traits which ended in more tackles, risky tackles.

You had never played in the same team as Alexia yet but as she was getting better and sat on the bench you saw her eyes darken whenever a tackle on you was played.

When the game ended you walked over to the bench where she sat and took the water bottle she had out for you "you know if looks could kill Ellie Carpenter would be six feet under" you joked as the girl had slide tackled you at least five times during the game.

"I don't like it when they try and hurt you" she shrugged and you smiled, leaning over to place her hair behind her ear "it's apart of the game Ale, it's her job and she is good at it." you told the blonde and she rolled her eyes "they hurt you, I hurt them" she shrugged before walking off into the change rooms.

You stayed in your place as you watched her go.

"She's so protective of you" Mapi scoffed as she watched your interaction with Ingred "you know it wouldn't hurt if you were that protective over me" Ingred teased "Alexia would go to prison for life if anyone laid a finger on her"

You furrowed your eyebrows at the couple as they walked away from you still babbling about how Mapi could be more protective of Ingred.

You looked around the crowd before walking around to say hello and sign t-shirts for the crowd.

You always did the lap, some girls stopped every now and then because some of the fans could be too much but you were always good, protecting yourself when something would go too far.

But when a man tried to convince you to take off your playing shirt and give it to him you thought about Mapi's words.

You wish you had Alexia here to protect you.

But you had never invited her too, always making excuses for people or sticking up for yourself.

You knew you could protect yourself but you wouldn't mind Alexia saving you.

You bid the man farewell as he groaned at your non-willingness to take off the top.

When you went home that night you took another hot shower as Alexia cooked dinner you couldn't stop smiling over the fact that Alexia cared so much about you.

When you got out of the shower and changed, you went to the kitchen and wrapped your arms around Alexia's toned stomach.

"comfortable?" she asked and you nodded "very" Alexia laughed "almost done, go put something on the TV" she suggested and you nodded, kissing her back which was covered by a singlet and walking to the couch and picking a television show.

You sat in the corner as you waited for Alexia, your mind wondering into situations where Alexia could save you and how her arms could hold you oh her arms-

"penny for your thoughts?" Alexia said as she put your plate down in front of you "not thinking much" you shrugged and Alexia rolled her eyes "I know when something is on your mind amor" she said and you ducked your head into your arms out of embarrassment.

"It's silly"

"I doubt it is" Alexia moved closer to you and picked up your head with her fingers so you would face her "are you okay?"

"I'm fine I just-" you stopped yourself and Alexia nodded for you to go along.

"Well my whole life I've always stood up for myself and solved my all problems" you started and Alexia nodded "I know, it's one of the things I love about you"

You blushed as she kissed your cheek "And today when I saw your eyes on the pitch and then what you said after the game I realized that I can also allow you to protect me" you said softly

"And I just really like the fact that I have you and that you care about me so much to even suggest hurting someone who hurt me" you laughed at the end.

"I would do more than just hurt them" Alexia quipped and you smirked "would you say you would end up going to prison?" you asked, thinking of Mapi's comment from earlier.

"For life".

[gardenschedule]

Paul wrangling John

Brian Epstein made the Beatles PR conscious: he would say, ‘Don’t smoke on stage’ and things like that. I was very pleased that they stopped smoking on stage as I didn’t like it myself. He had no difficulty persuading Paul as he knew instinctively how a band should behave on stage, but John was a rebel and George could be difficult.

Bob Wooler, c/o Spencer Leigh, The Best of Fellas: The Story of Bob Wooler. (2002)

JOHN: The truth about the separation was she kicked me out . . . so I (laughter) was adrift at sea . . . and there was nobody to protect me from myself which is fine. I should be able to look after myself but I never had, and there was Epstein or Paul to cover up for me. I’m not putting Paul down and I’m not putting Brian down. They’d done a good job in containing my personality from not causing too much trouble.

Barbara Graustark, “The Real John Lennon.” Newsweek (September 1980)

JOHN (with mock horror): My “lost weekend”? It lasted for eighteen months. I was like an elephant in zoo, aware that it’s trapped but not able to get out. It’s an extension of the craziness that I’d been doing with the Beatles in Hamburg in Liverpool, but it had been covered up by the people surrounding us. So when I freaked out, there would be Paul or Epstein to say “What he really means is he’s just a normal boy from a normal family who likes to shear sheep.” And the machinery around us would take care of the business. By the time we got to America, we were old hands at it. But if you look back at the Beatles’ first national press coverage, it was because I sent a guy to the hospital for calling me a fag, saying I slept with Brian Epstein.

Barbara Graustark, “The Real John Lennon.” Newsweek (September 1980)

“But all the time Paul, and Brian Epstein we’re always trying to kill me from saying anything. But because I was in so much pain, I’d always get drunk or drugged, and I’d always say something that didn’t suit them. And so always, I would leave a piece of shit amongst the Beatles image. But all the time they tried to kill me and kill me and bring me down to be a Beatle, to be a nice boy, be a Beatle. But if you look from the career of the Beatles, the first national news the Beatles ever got in the English newspapers was when I nearly killed somebody at Paul’s party. So all the famous news the Beatles ever got besides being Go–angels, was when I did something terrible through being in so much pain. So they could never keep me down.”

Oct 1971 - John and Yoko interviewed during John’s 31st birthday celebration by reporter Takahiro Imura

"I constantly saw Lennon and McCartney together because Paul came along to see that I wasn't rude to John - who I can't say I got on with. Paul didn't want me to upset John."

Sir Joseph Lockwood - Northern Songs: The True Story of the Beatles Song Publishing Empire, Brian Southall, 2008

Sometimes, though, I certainly thought John was being a complete idiot. Even though I was younger, I would try to explain to him why he was being stupid and why something he’d done was so unlike him. I remember him saying things to me like, ‘You know, Paul, I worry about how people are gonna remember me when I die.’ Thoughts like that shocked me, and I’d reply, ‘Hold on; just hold it right there. People are going to think you were great, and you’ve already done enough work to demonstrate that.’ I often felt like I was his priest and would have to say, ‘My son, you’re great. Just don’t worry about that.’

Paul McCartney, in The Lyrics (2021).

It came as a welcome relief that John and Paul, along with Neil Aspinall, planned a quick trip to New York on May 11, where several press events had been scheduled to announce Apple Records in the States. Friends agreed that getting John away might do him a world of good; being alone, with just Paul to steady him, might have a calming influence. Paul was grappling with his own set of anxieties. “We wanted a grand launch,” Paul said, “but I had a strange feeling and was very nervous.” Drugs, he later admitted, may have been at the root of his problem

Bob Spitz, The Beatles: The Biography, 2005

“The setting is the Blue Angel and Paul McCartney is upstairs talking to some press people, while in the basement is John Lennon shooting his mouth off, well away with the drink or whatever. He said, “Hitler should have finished the job”, meaning that the gas ovens should have been more active than they were. His manager was Jewish and I prevailed upon him to be quiet because the press were upstairs, but he didn’t take any notice of me. I told Paul that John was shooting his mouth off and that the press must not get wind of it. ”

Bob Wooler, c/o Spencer Leigh, Best of the Beatles: The Sacking of Pete Best. (2015)

“The party was at Auntie Gin’s house in Huyton. By now, Paul could afford a marquee in the garden.This is inside the house, where my comedy group, Scaffold, are performing for the guests. John Gorman and Roger McGough are onstage, and I’m photographing reactions to the act. The jokes are going well with Paul, his girlfriend Jane Asher, and an old school chum, Ivan Vaughn, but John Lennon was so pissed he kept shouting, ‘That’s not funny’ (until Paul told him to ‘Shhh!,’ which he did)…” -

Mike McCartney

[After John pours a beer on Chris Montez' head and starts a brawl] Everyone settled down in their seats. Paul McCartney tried to make peace with Chris. Chris said, “Paul sat by me and said, ‘Come on, Chris, let’s be friends….’ “I said, ‘Paul, just get away from me, I don’t want nothing to do with you guys. You know, you pissed me off!” As for Lennon, Chris recalled, “John? I guess he was a wise guy. But I got the sense that, I shouldn’t say this, that he was jealous of who I was or what I did. I don’t know what his problem was, but I didn’t like it too much.”

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE BRAWL BETWEEN JOHN LENNON AND CHRIS MONTEZ IN 1963! EXCLUSIVE!

JOHN: I used to try to get George to rebel with me. I’d say to him, “Look, we don’t need these fuckin’ suits. Let’s chuck them out of the window.” My little rebellion was to have my tie loose with the top button of my shirt undone. Paul’d always come up to me and put it straight.

John

PAUL: There’s a story that I used to straighten John’s tie before we went on stage. That seems to have become a symbol of what my attitude was supposed to have been. I’ve never straightened anyone’s tie in my life, except perhaps affectionately.

The Times Profile of Paul McCartney – 1982

I spoke to Paul about this night many years later, and he confirmed that he and George had been shaken rigid when they found out we were up on the roof. They knew John was having a what you might call a bad trip. John didn’t go back to Weybridge that night; Paul took him home to his place, in nearby Cavendish Road. They were intensely close, remember, and Paul would do almost anything for John. So, once they were safe inside, Paul took a tablet of LSD for the first time, 'So I could get with John’ as he put it- be with him in his misery and fear.

George Martin, With a Little Help from My Friends: The Making of Sgt. Pepper

AW: Isn’t he? Well, you know, of all the people, he comes through a lot of stick. Or a lot of people think he comes through a lot of stick in my book. But that’s the way John behaved. He behaved really outrageously. And Paul used to pour the oil on the troubled waters, as it were. But of all the people, only John, out of all the Beatles, have said that my book is the only book that gives a true insight to what it was to be an early Beatle. I admire him for that.

All You Need Is Love – Peter Brown & Steven Gaines

“We were in a daydream till he came along. We had no idea what we were doing. Seeing our marching orders on paper made it all official. Brian was trying to clean our image up, but, at the same time, he didn’t want us suddenly looking square. He would tell us jeans were not particularly smart and could we possibly manage to wear proper trousers. He literally fuckin’ cleaned us up! There were great fights between him and me, over me not wanting to dress up, and he and Paul wanting me to dress up. In fact, he and Paul had some kind of collusion to keep me straight.

The Beatles Off the Record (Keith Badman)

[kingconia]

hiiiiii! ugh, i am not sure if you take requests? but if you do, can i ask you leona one, where reader is the descendant of scar, and afterglow savanna always treats her like shit, thinking she will try to kill farena or leona?? idk tbh the dynamic between her and others, but maybe with a prompt "why are you keep protecting me?" "because if anyone kills you it will be me?" BUT NOT ANGSTY MORE LIKE CHEESY ONE like she is joking she has no plans to do so!!

(also maybe she is friend with azul bc both of them manipulative masterminds idk)

A/N: that's actually sounds so fun. i am genuinely invested, though, i had never thought that someone will ask me to write something. but, oh, darling, thank you. i would love do that more, so if anyone wants, i am open to your ideas.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR × READER, WHO IS SCAR'S DESCENDANT

warnings: not detailed mention of blood and some threats with mentions of gore? it is lighter than it sounds.

Hatred followed you from a very young age. And it wasn't necessarily yours.

You were six, when you learned to understand that kindness will not help you survive. But cruelty will.

Abandoned, throwed away, you were nothing in the world of kings and queens. Your whole existence were cursed from the day you made your first breath, and no one was going to tell you why. Why you were so hated by the whole country, by every single person in your motherland? Why your mother turned away from you? Why you were considered to be dangerous?

But the more you grew, the more you understood that it is for the better. Their hatred, their suspicion, their rage. It made you the independent person. The predator.

And you were fine with that.

At some point, you stopped caring about what all of them thought. Instead, it filled you with even more power to move forward.

And so you survived. Proudly, with chin up to the sky, ignoring the way others treated you.

Savannaclaw wasn't necessarily bad, though. You thought it will be; Farena Kingscholar never being kind to you, and his kingdom therefore, too. But Savannaclaw was different. There, your only king was Leona. And Leona didn't care whose descendant you were.

If anything, he never even took it seriously.

”Why the fuck I would care about that cursed king?” He spitted it out once, as Ruggie asked him in what he thought was a whisper, as you passed by. ”Stupid lion is dead for a long time. Why would she care about him, even?”

And that was it. Savannaclaw never acted like you were enemy, no one glared at you with participation, no one was suspicious about your every single world.

You were free.

And the freedom you had gained, finally, made your loyalty to Leona stronger.

So, you didn't really like, when someone offended him.

It was your job to annoy him, to try break his trust towards you by cynical remarks—”oh, my King, you shouldn't trust me with your nephew. What if I tear him apart?” or ”Tsh, tsh, little lion... Haven't your brother told you? You shouldn't really turn your back to the hungry animal,”—even if he never cared.

And if someone tried to steal your job... Well, that would be really-really bad.

”Remind me once again,” you yawned, throwing a grape in your mouth, ”why I am not allowed to fight that Pomfiore boy for you?”

Azul chuckled.

”You got almost expelled twice, tigerfish. I am flatted that you are willing to try it for me, too, but I have more interesting ways to get my revenge.”

Azul was probably the strangest friend you ever had—and you had the only one, who was Jack—but it wasn't necessarily bad. He always got you involved in his plans, and as both of you were thinking about this or that in complete solitude, scheming and laughing, you thought it actually was nice.

”I caught him applying foundation on his face a week ago,” you share with him quietly. ”On the whole face. And let me say, he is not that perfect without it, Zul.”

He gasped dramatically.

”And that after interview, where he says he hates unnatural beauty?!”

”Mhm.”

”Tigerfish, you are so cruel,” he smiled. ”I love it.”

”Sure you are,” your ears moved by itself and you turned your head on the right. ”Do you hear that?”

Voices. Very loud, very angry voices. Usually, you would ignore that, but it was a familiar scent that made you move forward, ignoring Azul's question.

”Are you fucking insane, Hunt?”

”Oi, oi, I only cared to see if you would react immediately!”

You groaned.

Fucking Pomfiore kids.

As you stepped closer, your annoyed expression shifted to a worried one. There was a crossbow in Rook's arms, and Leona was holding an arrow is his hand, face angry.

So, it was it: little hunter tried to hunt Leona down.

Before he acknowledged your presence, you moved forward, raising Rook by his collar, right from behind.

”Don't get frightened, little one,” you said, voice, despite a smirk, vicious. ”I only cared to see if you would react immediately.”

Leona scoffed.

”Aha, how nice! Jolie Lionne! Had you came to save your pretty prince from the trouble?”

You frowned.

”He is the king, hunter.” Your turned him to face you properly, still leaving him hanging in the air. ”Listen to me, sweet human, the next time I see you trying to shoot him, I will scratch your eyes with my claws, and eat them in front of your fake housewarden. And then, I am going to make a feast. Do you hear me?”

His face scrunched for a second, but he put his usual smile on the face rather quickly.

”My, my... We were merely playing! But, fine, fine. As you wish, jolie lionne!”

You freed him, and this time he was rather quick with leaving.

Other students shun you actively, so it wasn't surprising. Beyond Savannaclaw, Azul, and, well, Lillia Van Rouge, other either ignored your existence or avoided you in fear. You had one the hell of the reputation, and your own attitude never helped to fix the damage that rumours left on you.

”I didn't ask you to do that,” Leona clicked his tongue, moving to your right side.

”You never do,” you shrugged. ”I don't really care.”

Maybe it was the fact that you never denied his power, never looked down at him, that helped him to make a peace with the fact that you were so eager to protect him. Because, well, in the beginning, he thought it was offensive.

”You are so fucking strange that, do you know that?” You repeated your previous action, and he continued. ”If I were you, I would love to kill me. And my brother. Especially him. But you keep doing that. Keep guarding me like a lapdog. Why?”

Why?

You wondered about it too, once. But the answer came easily to you.

It was a boy with unusual scar on his young face that stared at you without hatred the first. Simply stared, without any particular emotion, and handed you a little red flower, before leaving.

And though, he probably didn't remember it...

It was still him, who looked at you without despise in his eyes, when both of you grew up, meeting here and there, as your presence should have been always controlled and seen by the royal family.

And it was him, who made Savannaclaw respect you, as he joined this school, a year later than you did.

It was always him.

”Having trouble with creating another lie?” He smirked, moving to stop in front of you, clearly disliking the fact that you ignore his presence.

”You want to know why, Leona?” You tilted your head, meeting his curious eyes. "Because I consider you to be the King, more than your brother ever will, and therefore, I should protect you.”

Before he opened his mouth, you caught him by the chin, moving him closer. He stared at you, not annoyed, but quite lost by this action. Your eyes shimmered with a familiar hunger that always lived inside you.

A hunger for fame. Acceptance. Peace. Blood. Cruelty.

Love.

”And because,” your lips brushed the corner of his, as you breathed out on his cheek, ”if anyone ever tries to rip out your golden heart, my King, it is going to be me.”

His lips curled in a same wicked smile that played on your face.

And as his arms fall on your hips, he accepted the game.

”What a coincidence,” his whisper came out like a purr. ”Because if ever try to rip our my heart, my dear Consort, I will allow it to you.”

A laugh that escaped your chest sounded so taunted that others would find it scary.

But you know Leona didn't. In fact, he enjoyed it very much.

And both of you had a very long journey to find out what else you enjoy about each other. Gladly, you had plenty of time for that.

[darcytaylor]

Luke Newton & social media/instagram

I've seen some people be pretty upset about Luke Newton's social media activity and his lack of posting/liking/commenting.

While I do think that he could be using his social media in a more productive way. I think that there are valid reasons as to why he is doing what he is doing.

Luke has mentioned that he wants to use his social media for work related things, rather than for his personal life. I think this is a good approach for any actor, they can showcase their work and passion, and I believe this would probably help with their mental health. Social media is not for the weak!

(there is a reason why so many influencers need to take time offline for their mental health, online environments can be toxic and just a downright scary place to be)

So when you have an actor, who is famous for their acting and not an influencer where you need to be online constantly for your job. I'd say making your online profile work related rather than personal makes complete sense.

(I think that when Luke decided to do it, it was a decision that was made a little too late. Making his profile more professional right before the promo tour didn't give the fans time to adapt to his new normal of posting)

Social media can be a stressful and an overwhelming place (even with my small amount of followers, I can be overwhelmed, I don't know how I would ever deal with millions of people).

This brings me to Luke consistently bringing up how overwhelming season 3 and him being the lead is.

It's actually somewhat sad to take a look at past interviews and see how many times he brings it up. He is already trying to cope with his rising fame, and it is obviously effecting him in a stressful way. Any normal person would try to take away any unnecessary areas in their life that would cause more stress. I think Luke is choosing social media.

Unlike Nicola, who I have commented on multiple occasions how good she is at her job, in all areas including social media. But not everybody has the ability to do that. Not everybody can fully take on millions of people, a career, a private life, a social life with the grace she does.

Nicola is not the standard of how most people can handle things. She is an anomaly. This is also why I think that comparing Luke and Nicola in regards to posting BTS and farewell posts is kind of cruel to Luke.

Luke is also credited as being empathetic, sensitive, introverted, and a people pleaser (all of which tie into his anxiety).

I think because of this it is normal that he would shield himself off from the world. Disconnect from the outside world to protect himself.

I also believe that this could make someone throw caution at every post and comment made on their socials. Anxiety makes you second guess every action, every thought. You want to make everybody happy, but you could be damned if you do and damned if you don't, so you just don't. It's not worth it.

Then there is the issue of Luke making those questionable PR moves a few weeks ago. I think Luke is trying to regroup and come to terms with the fact that he messed up in that regard. His career took a step back because of his actions that were brought forward through social media. I think he believes that the best way forward is to distance himself from it while he figures out his surroundings, especially since he had already mentioned that's what he was going to do.

(I know some people think he made zero mistakes, but this is an area I strongly believe some mistakes were made)

I also believe that because of the bad discourse going around about him online and through professionals, Luke must be scared to make the wrong move and/or the wrong choice.

Luke has wanted to be on stage/act at a very young age. I can see that he is very passionate about it. I think he saw that slipping away from him slightly. Especially since Bridgerton and being a lead was supposed to do the opposite. He's probably going to do most things with a bit more caution and social media is on that list.

Let's try not to hold much thought into how Luke's social media is presented.

Should he maybe hand his social media over to somebody else to manage? I think that could be a smart move.

Do I think that if he did post something completely endearing about Bridgerton and Nicola he would appease a lot of fans? Also yes, but like I stated above, I believe there are multiple things holding him back currently.

It's okay to be disappointed that Luke doesn't upload or comment regularly. You can also be disappointed in the content he is posting. But it's only social media. Most of the time social media is fake anyway.

[gadriezmannsgirl]

I have this idea for a fic and you are the very best to write it🥰.

Sports journalist reader and Pedri being in a private but no secret relationship, she is ok with it until people start commenting that Pedri surely wants to keep her private bc he wants to keep his image of being single and linked with ig models, and maybe it gets worse whe he fucks it up with a public comment along the lines of him not being in a relationship and she is like "ya basta de estupideces" and we get drama. Here I don't know what could happen but it ends with our beloved reader doing the post match interview with the players, when it's Pedri's turn they do the questions as normal but at the end he knows the mic is on and he says something like: "me esperas para llevarte a casa amor?".

It's Enough -P.G8

Summary: You're tired of people assuming things that are not true while your boyfriend shuts them up

You loved your work, you loved being a sports journalist, you were happy when you got the job at Sport and you loved being able to make people see a different point of view from what other journalist do, make players feel comfortable around you and ask them different questions than: "How was the rival team? Any thoughts on winning a certain trophy this year?"

And that's how you met and eventually make Pedri, your ten months boyfriend, fall in love with you, you being yourself even while working.

You had let people known you were in a relationship together two months ago and while everybody knew that, you both liked your privacy and you both tended to keep things on the low. And mostly, Pedri.

Everything has been great, both of you understanding each other, talking of anything, making time to be together, rarely fought but this one... it was the biggest one, you could ever have.

"I'm sorry"

"You really just think a simple sorry will cut it? I have my best friends asking me if you take this relationship seriously! My mom's calling me like crazy because she saw the video and my co-workers are sending me <<I'm sorry>> kind of texts, my brother wants to hit you in the face and I would gladly let him!" You shook your head "Why did you do that?!"

How on earth will he say "I'm not seeing anyone at the moment" when he clearly has you?!

"Y/N, amor-" You cut him off

"Comments about you with other girls have been going on and on lately, I honestly don't care about them, I know you and I know you wouldn't do that but then, you went ahead and said that shit that sent everyone into madness, it makes me rethink of everything I thought I knew about you once!" You admit with tears at the verge of falling "Did you lie to me? Do you really love me? Or you want me just to keep you company at nights?"

"Hey, no. Please, don't think that" Pedro shook his head "I've never lied to you, I'm in love with you, you are the girl of my dreams and the love of my life"

"Si lo soy, entonces ¿Por qué carajos dijiste eso?" (If so, then why the hell you said that?) Your voice broke lightly and the first tear fell down "You just embarrassed me in front of everyone, Pedri. There's nothing you can do to take it back, people think I'm good with open relationships, with you cheating, people are saying that you are hiding our relationship because you're embarrassed of me, people are saying you broke up with me just because you had what you wanted, people are saying shit about us, about me and it's all thanks to you"

"No, I didn't wanted that. I didn't- I'm not ashamed of us, of you, I just wanted to protect you, I-"

Your phone ringing interrupted him, you looked down at your hand and your boss's name flashed across the screen, you sighed in fear. You were news and bad ones.

"I gotta answer this"

"Please, amor-"

"Don't call me that, Pedro. In fact, don't call me, don't text me, don't even look at me, nothing at all because if you do I will do something I will later regret on"

"Like what?" He asked softly

"Like breaking up with you" You said strongly looking at him "I really can't bear with you right now, Pedro. We'll talk later" You shook your head and answered the phone going upstairs

Pedri felt like crying.

He knew he screwed up the second those words came out of his mouth, but it was as his body just blurted them out before his mind could process it. He just wanted to keep you safe.

But what a way of doing so, right?

He tried to do something else to shift his attention to the small office he set up for you at his house like washing the dishes, play some NBA, laundry and eventually get ready for his match.

He went upstairs with the intention of going straight into his room but his body tricked him and he ended up at your office, his heart breaking up when he heard you sniffing while speaking to your boss.

"You're giving us bad reputation with those news, Y/N" He heard your boss say

"I know, sir; my apologies" You said "He must have been really tired, you know he isn't like that"

"Whatever it was, it's done"

Pedri closed his eyes, his hand on top of the doorknob ready to come in and defend you but his phone interrupted him

Tiburón🦈

"Ya vamos a empezar a calentar. ¿Dónde estás?" (We're starting the warm up. Where are you?)

He sighed and went to your chat: "I love you, always have and always will. I'm truly sorry about everything, my love. But I'll make it up for you, I swear to God"

And leaving a kiss on the door, he left the house quickly, his body was on his way to Lluís Companys but his mind and soul stayed with you at his house.

You sighed, coming out of the shower. You had to go to Barcelona's match because you were scheduled for tonight's interviews, looking at the watch on the wall, you saw you were a bit early but still needed to go so you could make it on time.

You weren't in the mood for anything today. From being called names, to have all of your contacts worried about you and your relationship, to have your boss onto your neck wanting for you to dissolve any rumor but won't even knowing how to do so.

You wanted to simply disappear but you never had powers back in high school and you won't grow powers now being an adult. So the only thing you did was buckle your pants up and act as if nothing was affecting you.

Calling a cab, you went to Lluís Companys and with the help of Aaron, the cameraman you started the reportage in which ended up with Barcelona being the winner. 2-0. Both goals from Pedri.

Both goals that were dedicated to you.

Your heart beating incredibly fast at the gesture of your boyfriend who changed his glasses celebration for your name on a personalized Barcelona jersey, still with the 8 number

"Te quiero" he had said before giving the jersey to one member of the staff and return the game.

You felt extremely proud knowing he was the MVP however your happiness slowly turned sour because as he was the MVP of the match you had to interview him, you wanted it or not and you weren't ready to face Pedri yet.

"Buenas noches, Pedri" You said with a small smile, professionalism running through you

"Buenas noches" (Good night) He said softly

"Vamos a ser un poquito rápidos que sabemos que tienes que irte... Enhorabuena por la victoria de esta noche" (Congrats on the win tonight) ", 2-0 against Getafe How do you feel?"

"Well... Good. We played very well, we had control, we managed to knock the rival mostly from the sidelines, we knew we had to be strong since Getafe is a great team as well. And well, it was a very good game which we won and now to focus on the next game"

"Both goals from you with amazing assists of Fermin and Raphinha. They were amazing, by the way"

"Gracias"

"And you are the MVP for tonight's match. Congratulations as well with that, Pedri. How do you feel about that?"

"Good, good. It feels amazing, my goal is to score more and make more assists this season and hopefully I'll be able to help the team in any way I can"

"That's good to hear, Pedri. Once again, congratulations. Have a good night!" You said quickly wanting to get over with everything. "¿Lo agarraste?" (Did you got that?) You ask Aaron who nods and goes to show you a bit of the footage.

"Amor, ¿me esperas para que vayamos a casa?" (Babe, you wait for me so we can go home?) You heard Pedri asks "Por cierto, esto es para ti" (By the way, this is for you) He hands you the jersey

"What? Why?" You receive the jersey looking at it

"I'm dedicating goals to my one and only girl, is it bad?" And as much as you wanted to refuse a smile slowly came up to your face. You shake your head softly coming over to him to hug him "Te amo" (Love you) He said "And I'm sorry" You smiled and kissed his lips before kissing his sweaty, dirty but rosy cheek

"Don't do it again please" You whispered watching his big brown and beautiful eyes

"Never. You're my girlfriend, I'm in love with you and I see the rest of my life with you by my side, amor" He whispered back before pecking your lips softly "Entonces... ¿Me esperas? Voy a bañarme y a cambiarme rápido para que vayamos a casa y descansemos" (So... You wait for me? I'll shower and change really quick so we can go home and rest) You nod softly

"Better be quick, I really want to go home" You smiled untangling yourself from him

"I'm off right now"

"Y/N..." Aaron called you softly with a panicked look to his face

"What?"

"Football players mic was on and that was live" You open your mouth in shock, troubles keep coming at you.

"Don't mind" Pedri said "Let everyone know I'm taken by the best girl ever" You looked at him and he winked at you squeezing your hand.

What a sneaky boy he was.

°°° °°° °°° °°°

Taglist: @gaviymarcsbride @stuckinaf4nfiction @elijahslover @azzpenswrld @http-isabela

[nathaniel-underwood-is-an-intj]

Looong rant about chapter 16 Ptolemy's Gate and how being passive can add to the cycle of ab*se.

oof so I just read when Nat goes to see Ms Lutyens and I can't help but be absolutely furious at her??

I know that's maybe a little bit unfair given she's frightened of him as a magician and is obviously angry when she finds out the department he's responsible for, but honestly it kinda brings up the problem with inadvertent bystanders to child ab*se in my mind.

And I'm definitely not blaming her solely for who Nat becomes but it makes me think of all those people in huge child ab*se cases who give interviews to press about all the things they noticed that were wrong but they just...never do anything?

She stood up for him against Lovelace, and when Nat thanked her- "I wanted to say that I know you were trying to save me, and-"

''Yes, and I'm sorry I didn't" Like girl be for real did you really think that alone would undo the years of indoctrination and abuse he's already suffered and prevent years worth of the same in the years to come? And she won't take responsibility - "My job is with children, not the adults they become" and again while it seems harsh to blame her for who Nat becomes, it's so much easier to pass the blame to people who are more directly responsible rather than acknowledging you also play a part.

I think it hurts so much more because it's her specifically- Nat goes to her in sheer desperation, it almost seems like a goodbye- he wants to thank her, tries to set her up in a job that will pay well and struggles to communicate he's trying to help. At this point he thinks Bartimaeus has been summoned by another magician and his birth name will be revealed. He's sure he's about to die and if not he'll be stood on trial and lose everything.

He goes to her because she represents the peaceful moments from his childhood when he got away from his master. He's scared and feeling lost and really it's call for help; but he doesn't ask for anything he just wants to make her feel proud of him- he's looking for that validation that he's been chasing since childhood.

And that shows he still does have that little bit of childhood innocence in him; he thinks she will be proud, thinks she'll see him as the same little boy in the garden gazing up at his teacher in adoration. He can't quite grasp why she's separated the man stood before her from that little boy. Because in that moment the child inside Nathaniel is seeking comfort AND THAT'S WHY it makes me so angry. She's completely given up on him when he's at his lowest ebb, because she doesn't want to be associated with the magician he's become. As if it isn't a massive step in the right direction that he saught her out in the first place- what other magican would bother? I wonder if that's why she reacted so strongly to seeing him again? Before that moment she could go about her life wondering if /pretending her attempt to protect him was enough, and now she realises it wasn't, of course it wasn't, and the image she had of Nathaniel's childhood innocence is completely ruined in her mind.

Or was her contempt for him even grater than Nat realised? She was naturally disgusted by the rhetoric he'd started to repeat from a young age, and gently tried to correct him although she was clearly angry- was she just resigned to the fact that there is little else she could do to change his future? I always thought- couldn't she have looked for him? The Underwood house fire was in the papers and they mentioned the apprentice was being searched for. Did she ever worry about him? Surely something must have been in the papers since- an announcement of new ministers, ANYTHING! Look at how much research Kitty did to find out about Bartimaeus and Ptolemy. I just don't think Rosanna Lutyens cared enough, realistically Nathaniel wasn't hard to find- but he was no longer her responsibility so she could turn a blind eye.

And sadly it's not just her- I know everyone loves Martha Underwood including Nat; but I think her submissiveness to her husband has a negative effect on Nathaniel as well. In AOS when Nat is locked in his room for ages after setting the mites loose, and is forbidden to have any contact with anyone and she won't talk with him. I know she's been told by Mr. Underwood she can't, but it still boils my blood. She's an adult and going along with ignoring Nathaniel because her husband told her to...I can't even begin to imagine the psychological damage that would do to a 10 year old child. (It could be argued she's frightened of the consequences if her husband finds out she's disobeyed him which is fair, he could always be watching through magic- but this is Arthur Underwood we're talking about. He's lazy, oblivious and weak I doubt he'd expend all that energy each day to check up on her.)

And It's even more painful that Nathaniel is often described as fiercely loyal to her and I think to Ms Lutyens as well- he doesn't expect to be treated well by Arthur Underwood but he loved Mrs Underwood and Ms Lutyens so much he started to view them through a rose-coloured lense. He never feels betrayed by either of them, even though they absolutely let him down, because the pedestal he's put them on is too high AND THAT ABSOLUTELY DESTROYS ME.

Would things with Nathaniel have been any different if Mrs Underwood hadn't died? I don't really think so. Do you think she'd see Nathaniel's temper at 14 years old and be reminded of Arthur Underwood? He was awful, absolutely awful to Nat and to her; but he was under so much stress in an underfunded departement, where pressure was being put on him by superiors to accomplish far more than they knew him to be capable of, and he took it out on the easiest target. Nathaniel ends up in exactly the same place and he starts to take it out on the only person around him- Bartimaeus. Would he snap at Mrs Underwood all the time if she were still there? Because he's learnt that behaviour from his father figure, and subconsciously learnt from his mother figure that she'll put up with it. He learnt from the woman he loved so deeply, that if you don't resist, people will walk all over you. So you have to maintain control even if it ends up hurting people you care about because no one will step in to stop the suffering no matter how much you love them, no matter how much you want them too.

It's easy to blame Arthur Underwood and Simon Lovelace and the magicians that actively hurt Nathaniel but I just feel like it's a bit disingenuous not to acknowledge the role of those doing passive harm. It's really mean to say it but even Bartimaeus plays a role- he knows Nat is clinging on to him because he can't 'bring himself to break this last connection' (to his childhood) but instead of bringing it up properly he 'taunts' Nathaniel- a boy who has been taunted for his weakness by his master for years. And even in AOS when Nathaniel tells Bartimaeus he was beaten for the mites incident Bart just kinda shrugs it off. Like I get it, why should Bartimaeus do anything, he's suffered way worse due to the system so he doesn't owe Nat anything right? But from Nat's point of view this is the first and only time he's mentioned to anyone what has happened to him and nothing changes. It's like another lesson learnt: telling someone about it doesn't help. Another nail in the coffin.

And I like all these characters, I feel bad for them. They're all victims of the system, I think the chapter with Ms Lutyens is just the straw that broke the camel's back for me. All of those little opportunities that are insignificant to the narrative over all; the commoners have it worse, Nathaniel is in a privileged position in society, exerting control over others. He's very morally grey, crossing over into objectively bad person territory but I love him with my whole heart and all of those insignificant moments would have been massive to him whether he was conscious of it or not.

And it goes all the way back to the beginning with Nat's parents giving him up to the magicians at 5 years old. I can't get the image of that little boy sat crying all alone in the government building. And he's not going somewhere safer, or somewhere he'll be happier and more loved. Giving your child over to a total stranger, oh he'll be totally fine won't he? He'll grow up to be a magician and far richer than you'll ever be, he'll be happy and comfortable and be grateful he got to grow up in luxury. There's no way a stranger you've never met, who the majority of society is terrified of would ever hurt a vulnerable little kid right? And if they do? Well you aren't responsible anymore, how could you know? What could you possibly do against the magician taking care of him?

Every little thing is another grain of sand tipping the scale. Did anyone else have to analyse An Inspector Calls in school? It feels like that to me- those BIG moments and all the little moments in between that add onto the pile.

And it goes on to cause problems in wider society too- ab*se is so normalised to the magicians, they casually ask Underwood if he hits Nathaniel like it's nothing. Because to them it is nothing, they've all grown up in the same circumstances and are repeating what they've learnt as children. I can't help but feel a little sorry for them all, especially when they aren't looked at through the black and white lense of 'argh these people are the evil arseholes look at how they treat everyone around them, screw these guys.' When we see those little glimpses of humanity like Simon's anxiety with the amulet; looking to his master and father figure Schyler for reassurance, and what's sad is that Nat is "reminded...of his own master's cold impatience" It's clear Simon looks up to his master, wants to make him proud and loves him. But it seems like Schyler has just trained Simon up so he can get power through him later on. I love the little hints of similarities between Simon and Nathaniel; the anxious mannerisms like fiddling with his hair that Nathaniel starts to develop, the way their master's talk to them. Even though they're actively working against each other in AOS and Simon is placed firmly in the baddies category and Nat in the goodies category at this point in the series; these things always hinted to me they had similar childhoods, how was Simon treated? When he had the imp beat Nat into unconsciousness, was it because he'd had the same punishment used against him? Did he know the magicians in the room would do nothing to stop him because no one stopped it from happening to him? Did he ever have a teacher stand up for him only for it to change nothing in the end because all the negative influences were so much stronger? Is the reason he loves Schyler like a dad because he's almost developed Stockholm syndrome? It looks like love because he's never known anything else.

And Arthur Underwood- who doesn't think his upbringing, and being taken away from his family ever did him any harm- doesn't realise the harm done is that he doesn't even know another way of raising Nathaniel, because he was never shown another way. His childhood may also have been filled with people who hurt him and the people that didn't do enough to intervene.

There are so many psychology studies that show children copy everything they see the adults in their life doing. Nathaniel copies the magicians behaviour towards spirits and on a subconscious level I think he copies all the submissive people in his life. How many times does he end up upset and frustrated with the fact he seems to be going nowhere and how many times does he just hope things will be different rather than taking postive action.

I dislike the actions the magicians end up taking but I also find them fascinating to analyse. I tend to prefer villains in media because they're usually slightly more complex individuals and I love to think about how they ended up that way. They can all be seen as victims of their circumstances in a way, despite all the power and privilege they have had terrible and traumatic childhoods, and if the commoners had no valuable worldy possessions at least they had a sense of togetherness; of love and understanding and selflessness. I wonder if the magicians hated them at least partly because of that. Because out in the sea of faces of the commoners talking about nothing important, doing nothing great and noble- could be the parents that abandoned them. And when your life is on the line daily because of working with spirits, and your colleagues want to stab you in the back, sometimes not being responsible for anything important looks good. But you can't leave your life as a magician, it would be too difficult; you have nowhere to go, no real friends, no one who really loves you. So it's better to stay and be a submissive bystander in your own life because it's so much easier.

Doing nothing is doing something- being passive can be just as harmful.

[herejusttosufferalong]

"This made me think about the press tour strategy, which was certainly planned since the beginning, way before January, I would imagine."

Sorry, this might also be long...I don't necessarily disagree completely here, but I do have a rebuttal. Yes, ShondaLand and Netflix knew what they had with Nic and Luke. However, the people who are in with them daily and see their dynamic are not the ones designing the promotional tour. Yes, they might have designed a press tour around a friends to lovers plot, but that doesn't mean they were purposefully exploiting any romantic feelings between them. There have been plenty of costars who don't get along who have had to go promote together and fake it. That's just part of the job. Studios expect them to put in the work, but they don't expect them to (fake) fall in love over the course of the tour. Nic and Luke were given talking points for the press tour. We can see that all the way back in summer 2023 when Nic first brings up the broken furniture. So the repetitive questions everyone complained about as well as saying Nic and Luke were unhinged cause they couldn't stop talking about their intimacy scenes, those were because of the marketing/PR team. HOW Nic and Luke responded was their own. That's why we saw their answers changing and the different levels of comfort between the two of them.

As far as Luke and Nic's behavior, I genuinely don't understand how people say they were purposefully playing up their connection. If anything, I think they interacted on a more surface level than they typically would. To me it has always been clear that Luke was super uncomfortable talking about anything personal. Anytime he was asked something about himself or his relationship with Nic he always brought it back to the show and his character. Seriously, go back and watch their interviews. It drove me crazy haha. This is one of the reasons people have been so frustrated with him. He very rarely shares actual personal details or feelings about Nic. She is willing to share more than him, but even still you know there is a lot more that isn't being said. She has a few key traits of his she'll hit on each time. Neither of them are being disingenuous, just different degrees of guarded. What frustrates people and makes them think they've been played are the times when their guard is dropped or they forget they're being filmed/watched and we see more than they're wanting to share peak out. We aren't owed their actual relationship, but we've seen glimpses of it and it's magical so we're all obsessed. We want to dissect and either put it on a pedestal or rip it down because we can't stand living in this uncomfortable grey space of not actually knowing anything.

Now to my biggest issue, Nic would NEVER exploit her family for show numbers. She doesn't even follow them on social media to keep them protected. You'll notice none of them were in any of the official materials put out. What we got were cell phone videos from fans inside the theater. Nic saw her mom for the first time in months in that theater. They didn't meet up prior. Her hugging her mom was genuine. Her excitement about introducing Luke was genuine. People took a sweet moment and made it weird. Marketing didn't orchestrate that. It's this type of narrative that makes celebrities stop sharing their private lives at all. If this was a marketing ploy, there would have been cameras at that dinner. We would all LOVE to see Nic's brother in law try to get Luke drunk. The teeny bit of footage we got from fan cell phone videos in that theater showed her sister in law, brother and best friend all emotional and loving the moments between Nic and her mom and Luke and her mom. Can't we appreciate and accept this was a real moment of connection? Or are we just too jaded?

Not everything with actors is fake. Not everything that happens while they happen to be on a press tour is PR. Some things are calculated, but it's not as disgusting as people are wanting to make it out to be.

another great perspective

thank you for sharing 💜

[franklin-nelson-archive]

I wrote that other message, I didn't want to upset you, there's no need to answer this one if you feel offended. I don't want to sound like those Elnde and Foggy haters. But I just read that Deborah stole Elden's place in the show. Now, she is more important than him, and Foggy will die protecting her. I read somewhere that she doesn't like Elden and hopes that Foggy dies, so she will be much more important in Matt's life and for the show. Do you know if this is true? Is this the reason why you hate Karen? I'm sorry again, it's just my curiosity

Well... wow... so much is happening here that I had to stare into space for a few seconds to breathe and get my thoughts in order.

I want you to know that you didn't upset me. I truly understand where each fan is coming from and their frustration.

I understand that many fans were upset with Foggy's reaction. However, I'll never agree with the hate for him and Elden.

Interestingly, Charlie/Matt fans now seem to understand how essential Elden/Foggy is to the series, as they haven't sent me any hateful asks in a while now, and for that, I'm grateful. Perhaps it's because Charlie has shown his appreciation for Foggy, or maybe it's because, over the years, fans have seen that Matt and Foggy are true friends who need each other.

I've been getting asks from Karen/Deborah fans, though.

Some of these asks are very similar to yours. The difference is that yours is milder, which is why I decided to respond.

Well, as for Karen;

I feel really sad that I even have to answer this. Honestly.

I have always loved Karen.

Karen from the comics is so strong, sweet, and sensitive.

When I first saw Deborah as Karen in a photo with Elden for the first season, I swear I cried.

And when the series was canceled, I fought more for Deborah than for Elden because I thought the hero's best friend was loved the same way the hero loves him.

I took Elden/Foggy for granted.

My disappointment started when I realized that in interviews before the series was saved, Deborah always talked about Vincent, Charlie, and Jon. (If you have seen an interview where she talks about Elden, please send it to me, and I will be happy to reconsider.) I've seen a lot of people saying that she didn't seem to like Elden, and I tried not to take it to heart. After all, they are just co-workers; they don't have to be friends. I never took it seriously. I've never been interested in the personal choices of celebrities, anyway.

But yeah, I always found it curious that she praised her other co-stars, some of whom she shared less screen time with than Elden. But in that respect, it could just be a matter of behind-the-scenes affinity.

And then she posted about Foggy's death and added laughing emojis. Of course, it could be an indication that Foggy isn't going to die. But then a small war began where some of Foggy's haters celebrated. I was shocked to read the comments from her fans mocking Foggy's death. It's important to remember that these characters are significant to many people and that their deaths should be treated with respect.

When she mentioned having a lot of heart in the series, a chat group I'm part of raised the issue that this seemed like a tease, since Elden has always been the heart of the series. Again I found it curious, but I didn't take it seriously. It's so easy to be misunderstood on social media.

Then one of her fans DMed me, passive-aggressively saying something like this: "It's so beautiful that Deborah now has a heart in the show and Elden is no longer the heart of the show. She is now Matt's Goose. Unfortunately we couldn't save them both, but I'm glad DAW is happy and I hope Henson gets a job." The message was huge, I'm just summarizing. At that specific moment everything hit me hard and I expressed my regret for having cried for her one day. Then her fans came and I was blocked, and then I decided it was time to leave… Everything exploded so quickly. I'm just sorry.

Once again, I love Karen and I don't regret standing up for her. However, I do regret prioritizing Deborah over Elden, as I initially believed Elden would receive more support and that Foggy would hold more/or some significance in the new series.

Well. It all exploded very quickly. But no, I don't hate her. (God, who am I compared to Deborah or Karen to still hate them)

Now, I've gotten some asks about Deborah appealing to Marvel bosses about keeping Foggy dead so she can have more screen time.

This is absurd!

While I understand that Hollywood is a place where only the strongest survive and thrive, I simply don't believe Deborah would be that person. She's too talented to resort to such tricks. It doesn't even make sense!

I don't believe this is Deborah's behavioral profile. And I know a lot about behavior (I have a degree in it)

Yes. I saw countless people talking about things that I don't want to repeat here. But these are in no way rumors, but rather malicious speculation.

I'd like to clarify these things because you're not the first person to ask me about this.

Over time, these things (rumors and speculation and nasty asks about Foggy's death, Elden's looks, and Elden being swapped for Deborah, Jon or Dex) stopped being a source of disappointment. Now, they make my group chat laugh and inspire us to create our own theories.

Most of my Daredevil fan friends have moved on with their lives. Some, like me, don't have as much love for "Born Again" and that whole "I'm a good lawyer" thing, or for that scene with Foggy on the concrete floor. (Although I don't believe he will die protecting her.)

Of course, If the rumors are correct, I disagree that she has more prominence than Foggy since Foggy is Matt's best friend, and Matt needs him. I also can't agree to a series where Foggy isn't by Matt's side or even just in the series in every episode. ( but hey, I wish Foggy had his own series, so...)

I've been drawing Deborah/Karen since 2015, and I must admit, I usually don't draw people I don't like. In fact, I've gone as far as purchasing clothes similar to Karen's and even tried to collect some of her outfits at the Marvel auction. It's safe to say that I wouldn't have put in so much effort if I didn't genuinely like her.

Initially, I was disappointed about certain aspects, but looking back, I don't know why I was so upset about it. It's just a series, although "Foggy" means a lot to me, and I absolutely love Elden. If Deborah has more prominence in the second part, I'll be over the moon! She truly deserves it.

I'm longing to see Nelson and Murdock, Maverick and Goose again. Imagine Matt and Foggy discussing the senses; that's my ultimate dream!

Elden definitely deserves recognition and meaningful scenes in the series. However, if he doesn't, I'll be okay with that.

I'm gratful for Foggy, Matt's best friend, the tough, cute, goofy, sweet, wonderful lawyer that all three seasons gave me – I will always adore him, and that's more than enough.

[walpu]

I found a really interesting premise that I think you would execute perfectly. The IPC has established a "mental and emotional health department" basically therapists to help with the stressed out or traumatised IPC worker and it's a mandatory thing to have one visit with them. The reader works in this department and when Topaz, Aventurine and Ratio (separately) went in, all probably thinking it's pointless. Reader proceed to read them like a book to the mineut details of their issues. How would they react? Would they come back for another visit?

thank you so much for your trust, it was actually very interesting to write 🥹

being their therapist

characters - Dr. Ratio, Aventurine, Topaz

notes - gn!reader, no romantic undertones, mostly character study

Dr. Ratio

I feel like he would be a bit taken aback at first.

He didn't expect you to go further than a few generic questions about how the latest missions have affected him and suddenly you're asking about his feelings regarding the IPC recurring him.

"Weren't you disappointed? Didn't you feel like your cooperation with the IPC symbolizes you drifting further away from joining The Genius Society? How do you view The Genius Society in general?"

It's a bit too personal for his liking but he has to admit that you are truly an expert in your field.

I can see him rather harshly asking why are you stepping out of the line with your questions since it's hardly concerns the topic of the therapy session. Not because he's too troubled by you seeing through him but simply because of the professional ethics.

When you elaborate that it's the IPC's request to make a full psychological portrait of their workers he just sighs.

His answers are short, he doesn't elaborate much. Sometimes he simply says that the topic you mentioned doesn't affect his mental state in a way that can prevent him from doing his job and leaves it at that.

He doesn't trust the IPC much since he knows better than giving a powerful organization information about his weaknesses. He does feel a certain level of respect towards you and your professionalism though.

Doesn't feel targeted or overly vulnerable even if it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth to hear his insecurities being acknowledged.

Wouldn't show up again. Mostly because of his distrust to the IPC tho.

Aventurine

Oof.

Both of you will need a drink after that.

There's just so much to unpack really.

If you try to ask him about how he feels almost dying at each mission, he downplays it.

If you ask about his childhood trauma, he shrugs it off.

I don't know how many people saw his interview for anan but everytime he's asked about something personal he brings up how he's actually lucky and hiw he should be grateful. So you get tve spirit.

Doesn't matter what your question is, his answer is the same. He survived, he was loved by his family, all his suffering led him to this, so of course he's grateful what are you taking about ha ha!

Look at his voicelines too, praising the IPC and all that. He gives you this generic answers and hopes you'll buy it.

Well you don't but you also can't force him to answer more honestly.

He himself would be deeply troubled by you reading him like that. He feels weak, defenseless. Like all he has done to protect his inner self was for nothing since you can see through him like that.

0/10 experience he won't show up ever again. Nothing personal against you, he just can't do it. Plus he doesn't trust the ipc either so.

Topaz

Honestly the most normal one.

She will at least try to be honest since she trusts the IPC (maybe a bit too much, which is also a coping mechanism and not the healthiest one, but you can't really call her out on this since you're working for the ipc and, let's be honest, they would not respect their workers' privacy, they WOULD force you to give them their personal information if needed and you don't want to make it worse for Topaz)

She may be a bit taken aback at first but it honestly feels good to talk about her struggles and inner conflicts. And I'm sure she has a lot of those since she's actually trying to do good things, still believing that the IPC can bring positive changes.

Will probably share her experience in Belobog with you.

Will use your meetings as an opportunity to sort out her feelings about her missions.

Has a lot of respect for you personally and actually tries to do some soul-searching to make your meetings more productive.

The only one out if the three of them who would come back

[youuuimeanmee]

SxF Chapter 95 Thoughts

The drought is over.

And HOLY MOLY

AAAAAA I know we're nearing the end-semester gala but I never thought we'd get it on THIS chapter AAAADHJDJSKDN

When I saw the chapter is 21-pages long, I made sure to savor it well sskskjs

"Guardians will not be attending the gala." DAMMIT. Oh wait, Twillight can just disguise himself as a volunteer. I forgot.

Lol this is really not good for Damian's poor little heart.

WOHOO Becky cute!!

Huh, looks like Henry and Martha had a history together. Maybe they used to be classmates in Eden? Or something else, maybe.

The party is different than I expected. I thought ALL students will mingle in one place. I thought we'd meet Demetrius here. Oh well.

Damn this is depressing. Reassignation class based on academic performances. It's really happening. Anya will be separated from Becky. Hopefully their classroom will not be that far off 🥲

Damn Damian. Looking fine there, like a true young chaebol.

ANYA IS CUTE!! She's a princess!! 😭💕 I was surprised with her hair, I thought she'd keep the haircones. It's almost like as long as the little bundle of her hair is protected, any hairstyle is fine. Her dress though... It's darker than I expected; I thought she'd go with light color. But this is fine too. She's cute either way. (lowkey reminds me of a little witch, lol). It's also cute how she and Damian looks matching with black-and-white outfits, hehe. (Then again, this is b&w manga. Will their outfits have different color in the colored illlustration?)

Nicee Ewen, you do know when to give credits when it's due.

Nah Damian you're just making up shit now. You have excellent eyes, you know her dress is not cheap.

Of course Damian would fo anything for any imperial-scholar related. Cute.

Now this is interesting.

Some people say it's a reference to Harry Potter, so I wonder if some of it will turn out to be true. Especially the last two: "the cursed underground maze in section 4" and "the sealed chamber in the tower of wisdom." Sounds like hella suspicious places for a school filled with top political figures in the country. What if those are the places Donovan entered often? Hmmm. *sus glance* Wonder if DamiAnya gang will tackle the 7 mysteries like in Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun and see something they shouldn't see like in Promised Neverland, lol.

Anya, you got this! It's the name you learned in the school's interview! She already forgot, lol. But at least she got the "Ben" right!

Wonder if any of these kids will become Anya's new classmate, lol. Endo really used his break time brainstorming new characters here.

OMG IM DED. Narcis Hubrisse. Brayzen. These fucking fitting names I swear 🤣🤣🤣

Yesss you go Becky. Set your standard high. Don't mingle yourself with these lowly boys.

YAAASS. A GENTLEMAN ASKING ANYA OUT. YOU GO BOY. Even if it's a facade at least it's better than these Hubrisse and Brayzen boys.

OH.MY.GOD. FFFUUUUCKKK AJDNSKDBKDJDJSKHDUDJXNJDKDHDJJSJKSJSJSYEEEESSSSSS

HE'S HEREE HE'S FUCKING HERE. His hairstyle is ugly but HE'S HERE. I was wondering if we're gonna meet him soon. I was righttt, he iss gonna be a recurring character. I mean look at the name reveal from chapter 93. Look at that damn edgy hair. Hopefully he will be Anya's new classmate. But I never thought he'd put an interest in her as a runner-up in the classical language test. What is his background? How is he so good with the classical languange to even reach 90-ish points even though it's rarely taught? Does he have a connection with Anya with his gift in classical language and weird hairstyle? Why does he have such unsettling bow tie? I need to knooww

And he even pull off such a strong reaction from Damian too, skskjsksk. 2nd ML candidate? Lmao

Good to know Arnold's family is B tier. Not bad.

Twillightt you got soft. Letting Anya and Damian do whatever they want? What happen to the mission?

Lowkey sad to see Anya trying hard because Twillight didn't trust she would do a good job in plan B.

Oh mah gahh these preciouss kiddss 😭True homiess 😭😭💕💕

At least this will ensure Anya to get her place fair and square.

I wonder if Twillight realize Anya is approaching Damian for the sake of world peace she mentioned. Or he's simply motivated with Anya's motivation.

But at this rate, the dance will be over the moment Damian got his partner, lmaoo

Great comeback chapter! 🔥🔥🔥

*Edit: Screw what I said that Arnold might be the 2nd ML. I don't trust his hairstyle, his droopy eyes, his bow tie, and his polite manners. So far we've seen only adorable children but he could be evil for all we know. Better be cautious than sorry.*

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Can I have a snippet about a morally grey Hero taking advantage of yandere Villain’s jealousy and violent tendencies? Hero knows Villain kills people Hero gets too close to, so they start flirting with other villains that they want stopped or villains that they just plain don’t like.

“You look tired,” the hero said. Usually, they would have the curtesy to ring the bell and not enter through the window. However, they hadn’t had time to change into their normal clothes which left the window as the best option.

They weren’t too thrilled to explain to the villain’s neighbours why they were dressed up like a superhero. Especially not to the old lady above them.

“I...” The villain looked at them, pupils blown up. They looked quite innocent like this and the hero supposed they rather made that impression on everyone in their life. The villain was clever, was quiet when they had to be, was assertive when it was demanded of them, was seductive when they forced themselves to be. Sometimes the villain’s ability to adapt scared the hero. What if the hero was too boring for them one day?

Would they get rid of them?

Although that seemed unlikely, the hero had seen the villain’s deepest secrets and they had learnt about their most vulnerable parts. If this was a long-term thing (and the hero wanted that, not only for the violent benefits but also for the ego boost), they couldn’t allow themselves to slip up.

Then again, the villain was efficient when it came to murder but they also had the tendency to lose all their power when it came to the hero.

They were like a puppy.

“Hm?” The hero raked their fingers through the villain’s messy hair. It wasn't exactly love what they wanted. So what?

Didn’t they deserve a little compensation for all the pain they had lived through? Losing people was part of the job and if the hero could have someone who wanted them, who could protect themselves, who really cared about them, even if the hero didn't have the same feelings for them? Who could blame them for continuing this? Who could blame them for wanting to be loved?

“Sorry, I’m very tired,” the villain said. They closed their eyes and took in a deep breath.

“Hard day?”

“Yeah.” Obviously. The villain had murdered one of the most powerful villains in the entire country a few hours ago and it hadn’t been a quick fight. The hero would know. They had watched carefully.

They doubted the villain knew any of that.

“Got into an argument again, did you?”

No one had found the body yet.

“Yeah, you could say that,” the villain said. The hero smiled gently as their grip grew stronger in the villain's hair. Slowly, the hero scrutinised the villain, noticing bandages and bandaids on their body. Not saying a word, they let go of the villain and walked over to their fridge.

For a moment, the hero had thought the villain wouldn’t make it. The fight had been brutal and bloody and anything but easy. But even if the villain had died, the hero could’ve killed the other villain easily.

It would have been a devastating loss, obviously. The villain had already killed ten of their own kind and their work was incredible.

“How was your day?” the villain asked, despite being in incredible pain. It was adorable how they thought the hero wouldn’t notice.

“Oh, it was alright. Arresting some bad guys, doing an interview, stuff like that.” They closed the fridge, disappointed.

“Being a superhero must be hard.”

“You have no idea,” the hero mumbled, still eager to find something to eat in the kitchen. It was a mess and the hero was truly not impressed.

“...I’ve been thinking about us,” the villain said quietly. “Today was...difficult and I just want you to know that you mean a lot to me. All I do is for you and—”

“We agreed on friends with benefits,” the hero interrupted. “I told you my secret because I trust you, because I care about you, too. You know I cannot have relationships that are more than that.”

The hero looked at them sharply, as if to scold them and apparently, the villain understood. They wanted to say something but did not.

“That being said, there’s a new villain I got assigned to. I don’t know, they’re kind of funny.”

“Oh, really? How funny?”

The villain didn’t learn, they always took the bait.

[little-fairy-forest]

The interview

pro hero Dynamight is questioned on his choice of partner. Will Dynamight be honest with the press about his secret love life?

Bakugo x gn! reader, fluff, romance, foreign reader, protective bakugo

Pro hero Dynamight wasn't interested in the whole world knowing about his private life. Numerous news outlets and journalists try and squeeze the tiniest amount of information out of the stern hero, ending with no information worthy for a click bate title for their blog.

Dynamight only shared what he sees as 'necessary' to the public. His workout routine? sure he will demonstrate what he does in the gym, what he eats in a day? sure but he does the voice over. He is very strict with what gets posted about him. He can't always choose what the press posts about him, knowing the hero will react a certain way if the information is twisted beyond belief.

You both wanted to make sure your relationship was private from the public as you liked your privacy. Even the slightest hint of bakugo having a partner will put you in danger of villains. So when Katsuki was approached by a tabloid to do a questionnaire, he insisted his assistant and manager triple checked the questions to make sure he was safe and prepared.

---

"So Dynamight! Welcome to our annual hero questionnaire to start the hero year after the popularity polls - congratulations on number 5! that is an amazing achievement for a young hero like yourself. " The host asks bakugo as he waits for the questions to start. The sooner, the better so he can go home.

"Right, lets get into the questions, firstly how did you and your partner meet"? the interviewer was listening with big ears as Bakugo huffs and bluntly explains how you guys met

"They where workin' with Earphone jack, they arrived to Red Riots birthday a few years back. Couldn't take my eyes of em" Katsuki says with a small smirk paired with a light chuckle back on the fond memory

"That's wonderful, Did you wait long before getting together after meeting?" Katsuki slumps back in his chair, thinking about his answer before replying to the eager interviewer

"After a few dates I asked them just before I dropped them home, Couldn't let them make the first move– I'll always be number 1" Katsuki says with a shit eating grin on his face as he waits for the next question confidently,

"That's so sweet, but why did you want to date a foreigner? do they understand much Japanese at all?" The interviewer didn't seem to pick up on the level of disgust his question brought to the hero in front of him. More questions like this, and he will blow a fuse

"What type of fuckin Question is that huh? Doesn't mater to me where they're from. Once they aren't a pain in the ass" Katsuki tries to blow over the question like his agent told him to when he is asked an inappropriate question. Unfortunately this interviewer didn't get the memo.

"Is this an arranged quirk marriage?" The interviewer jumps straight to the question most of Bakugos haters want to know. He has a large follow across the world, but his haters really know how to piss him off. They can say all they want about him, but you? that's too fucking far for this blond boy

"So what? you thinking we're gettin married for some quirk marriage or some shit? what makes you think that, huh? because they have a cool fuckin quirl? or is it because they're from (home country) and Japan is on the decline of arranged quirk marriages?" Katsuki asks sternly as he sits up in his heat, He was moments away from blasting the man in front of him to the moon if he even dared make a racist comment about you next

"Look at the people from that country! they're in need of strong quirks as their ratio to quirkless to quirk users in on the decline. They also seem very comfy in your penthouse sitting on their ass all day, rather working a hard job like you do Dynamight. No hate is meant from my answer, but it is alright of you having an arranged quirk marriage. " How dense was this interviewer. Bakugo has found a hater who clearly is asking biased questions. None of his real fans would care who where why when and how he gets married.

"They work so god damn hard. They don't need the media blowing smoke up their ass for just lifting a finger like most pros sniff for. Not only do they own their own franchise, but they are also the ambassador of (luxury brand) . What do you do? except asking people invasive questions all day?" The film crew was hinting to the interviewer to cut the questions short before the explosive hero kicks off.

"Think we're done here, don't message my team." Katsuki stood up before walking off the set, leaving the interviewer pissed off as he wanted to ask more invasive questions to the fiery hero. Too bad he didn't follow the script

---

@heronews247 : pro hero Dynamight storms of out interview after hurtful remarks towards his fiance !😲 follow for more updates 🔔

@heronews247 : pro hero Dynamight threatens any news outlit with a lawsuit if they make racist comments towards his fiance 🤯

@Ilovedynamight33 : any true Dynamight fan knows not to make fun of y/n! they give us all the gossip! 😍❤️

@RedRiot : very manly 🥹💪@OfficalGodDynamight stading up for y/n!

@OfficalGodDynamight : Whisper lies about @y/nlovelylife your days are numbered.

-> Masterlist

[anonymousbardd]

꒰ ☕ ꒱ ┊: Celebrity Crush

↳ Diego Kang x FemReader

- In an interview, the famous Korean idol, Diego Kang had been asked who his celebrity crush is.

To much the interviewer's surprise, he mentioned a name that no one has heard of.

It was another long day for me to begin, my manager has been reminding me none-stop about a sit down interview on a show this afternoon.

Everything's been so time consuming, and I haven't even finished my job to take down the chairman yet.

After finishing a nice shower I looked at a picture that was framed on my shelf, it was a group picture of my friends and I.

I sighed and got dressed for the interview, once I've finished, I called my manager and told them that I'm ready to head out.

"Good afternoon mister Kang! It's a pleasure to have you here," the host greeted, I smiled and leaned back on the small couch, "Thank you for having me, it's an honour."

"How is your afternoon going so far Mister Kang?"

"It's starting of well, I suppose after the interview I'll just go ahead and have something to eat."

I and the host chatted for a while, he asked me some questions about my career, hobbies, etc.

Eventually, he asked me something that I knew a lot of people were wondering as well.

"So, mister Kang, you've worked with quite a lot of celebrities, have you?" I nodded crossed my legs, "I have, they're really fun to work with."

The host then chuckled and rested his head on his hand, "May I ask a question that's running around for quite a while now, how is your celebrity crush?"

I knew it, I sat there in silence as I thought for a moment.

The image of a young girl flashed in my mind, "I suppose it would be a young woman I like to call Tulip," I said.

My response tickled everyone with curiosity, "Who is this Tulip?" The host asked, I grinned and leaned back on the couch I sat on.

"Well... She's someone who I always admired, she was the one who inspired me to become the person that I am today..." I paused and let out a sigh.

"Though I never admitted it, I'd do anything just to see her," I smiled as I felt a tug in my stomach.

I knew that everyone was asking the same thing, who the hell is Tulip, well, I didn't want to disclose any detailed information about her.

One may mistake it for me being too busy and forgetting about her, but it's not the case.

(F/n) is the loveliest woman I've ever met, though she stuck around with violent men, her heart's warmer than the sun.

(F/n) wasn't well known for fighting, in fact, she never raised a finger to hurt anyone, everybody knew her because she's the only one who tried to reason with stupid arguements.

She gave and gave and never expected anything in return, every Saturday she and I would go out for walks at the park, as if life is so simple, and it is.

With (F/n), everything is comforting, the little things mattered, her kindness always sparked something in me.

That's why I regret it... Not being able to protect her, (F/n) was the loveliest person I've ever met.

And I should have told her about it way sooner, I should have confessed to her from the start, I shouldn't have left like a scared dog.

(F/n) was the kindness person I've ever met, I always found myself thinking about her, wanting to be with her and.. Loving her.

Everybody knew her, they all respected her, and I was a damned fool to let her go.

༝༚༝༚𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚍

[nalyra-dreaming]

re: Armand & Lestat's motives for the trial, I'm sure s3 will fill in some blanks wrt Lestat (e.g. if/how he was forced to take part etc) though I didn't find his motives that confusing, i just hope the show does a good job w/ the additional context!

Armand though...I wonder if he'll give an honest account of it all one day? We can speculate that he sold Louis out bc he was disillusioned by their romance, felt unable to fully trust (i.e. control) him & feared inevitable abandonment, so he chose the safety of the coven. I'm satisfied by that explanation as is, I just wonder if we'll ever hear it from him. In the context of the interview itself he clearly had a stranglehold over the narrative & was never about to admit to anything too incriminating. He finally felt secure in his relationship w/ Louis imho and wanted to protect it. But now he has nothing left to lose & no particular reason to lie or cling to the "beige pillow" persona any more. I can't wait to see where they'll take him from here, I'd love to see him go full gremlin-mode for a bit??

Haha, yeah, I hope we see the "full gremlin" mode, too, tbh, preferably in the/a modern day DM chase part! (Though the past DM chase part is also high on my wish list^^)

I think it could be IMMENSE fun to have this (older) Daniel and Armand go at it *cackles* Including the microwaves and everything *g*

No, but on a more serious note, I do hope that the phase for Armand to tell a bit of his story, and to reflect on his part in it all will happen in the show as well - or, maybe, in the spin-off that was once planned, "Night Island".

But then... I mean, even in his own book Armand does not fully ... let's say "explain". He just offers the statement that "he could not love her" (Claudia), and that is why she didn't mean anything to him.

So, IDK. Because yes, his motives... are actually clear, right. He couldn't trust their love - and so he fell back to what he could trust. :/

I don't see that as feeling secure in the relationship with Louis though, on the contrary - he is constantly watching and "spinning the web", as Assad calls it... if he had felt secure, he would not have needed to do that, imho.

But in any case... I cannot wait to see where they take him. Such a fascinating character!!! And we are sooooo lucky with Assad :)

[canirove]

Friends, lovers… and an orange | Chapter 25

Previous chapter | Epilogue

Masterlist

A year later...

“Ready?” Mason said, squeezing Adele's hand.

“As ready as one can be” she sighed.

“Ok, let's go” he said, nodding towards the hotel's security member. As he started walking towards the door, Mason and Adele behind him, they could hear the screams getting louder and louder, flashes already blinding them.

“We can do this, Addie” he said, squeezing her hand again. “Walk behind me, I'll protect you.”

And once they were outside…

“Mason! Mason, Adele!”

“Over here, Mason!”

“Just a smile, Adele! Please!”

“Mason, marry me!”

“Adele! Adele!”

“Finally” Mason sighed once they both were inside the car that was waiting for them. “I swear today there were even more fans and photographers than yesterday.”

“The marry me was new too.”

“Uh?”

“These past days it's been all screaming your name and telling you that they love you, and today someone asked you to marry them. Didn't you hear it?” Adele chuckled.

“I didn't, no. I guess I was too focused on making sure you were ok.”

“Thank you, Mase” she said, kissing his cheek as the car finally started moving. “I don't deserve it.”

“You deserve the world, Addie” he smiled.

“Do I? Because all this chaos every time we leave the hotel is my fault.”

“What?”

“I was the one who insisted on shooting the Dior show again despite you and Maria Grazia telling me it was ok to say no.”

“But all those fans and paparazzis are there for me, Addie. So if it is someone's fault, it is ours. Both of us. We are all in this together” Mason sang.

“Did you just sing "High School Musical"?” she laughed. 

“Don't tell anyone” he said, lowering down his voice. “But I am obsessed with those movies.”

“Wait, is that why you had Troy Bolton's hair as a kid?”

“Maybe” he shrugged.

“Oh my God, Mase” Adele laughed again. “You better not buy me a necklace with the M like he did for Gabriella.”

“There goes your birthday present for this year…”

“Oh, shut up” she chuckled, giving him a little push. 

“I never liked Gabriella, to be honest. She was so…”

“Annoying?”

“Yeah. I'm team Sharpay.”

“Always knew you had good taste in women.”

“Because I like you?” he asked with a teasing smile.

“Precisely” she replied with a matching one. “Thank you, Mase.”

“What for? Loving you since the moment I understood what being in love is and feels like?”

“That too” Adele said, her smirk turning into a shy smile. “But thank you for this. For making me laugh and forget about all my worries even if it's just for a few minutes. For being there for me and supporting me despite everything that currently surrounds us and everything that has happened to you lately. I don't deserve you, Mase. I know you are gonna say again that I deserve the world and all those cheesy things you always say, but…”

“Addie” Mason said, taking her hand on his and kissing it. “You deserve everything good that happens to you. Me included” he winked. “Or have you forgotten that I am finally free from my agency thanks to you?”

Because it had worked. Adele's crazy plan… It had worked out.

Once their Valentine's day getaway was over, they went back to England, but not to London. They had escaped to the countryside, to the big mansion Edward owned and where they were joined by him and their parents.

The day the cover was published, they all had been together, holding their breaths as they watched the post being shared on Instagram and the interview posted on Vogue's website. 

“It's done” Edward had announced. “Did you do as I suggested?”

“We did” Mason had said. “Comments disabled on Instagram, all apps deleted from our phones.”

“You too?” he asked Toni and Elizabeth.

“Yes” Toni nodded. “And Luca and Alex have gone private.”

“Good. I don't want anyone bothering any of you. If they have something to say, let them do it to us. My team will deal with it, it is their job” Edward had said. 

And they had been busy, because Mason's interview and cover had been talked about all over the world, even making it to the news since more and more models had started to share their own stories, not afraid of speaking up anymore. But besides having to deal with everything that was happening on the media and online, they had also had to deal with Mason's agency. 

Erin had showed up at Vogue's headquarters in London demanding to speak with Edward, making first a big fuss about him not seeing her, and then when his assistant kept telling her that she couldn't reach him because the signal in the countryside was pretty bad (which obviously was a lie). Then, of course, she had been calling Mason and Adele nonstop, sending them text after text, asking them for an explanation. At first she had been nice about it, but as they kept ignoring her, she had started with the threats, with posting everything they had against him and ruining his career. That was when he had said enough, and had replied to one of her calls.

“Do it, Erin” he had said. “Post the video and the photos, I dare you. But it won't have the effect you are looking for. You've seen what has been published in the press, the support me and the other models who have worked with you have from both the fans and people in the industry. If you post that, you will only be digging your own grave a bit deeper. But remember how when you were too stressed, you always joked about retiring to the Caribbean? I think you should take your own advice and do it, Erin. Do it now that you still have the money and haven't wasted it on lawyers that won't take you anywhere. Because this is over, and not even a miracle will restore your reputation.”

A few days later, her agency had released a statement where they had announced her departure and a complete restructuring of the agency, no one hearing about her anymore. Though according to gossip, she had taken Mason's advice and was now enjoying life on a paradisiacal beach, which had been what he and Adele had also done: take that gap year and enjoy their life together.

While the world kept talking about the interview, and Mason's new agency had had to decline many other interviews and different job offers while also dealing with fake sightings or people wanting to know where they were, they had disappeared and gone back to one of their favourite places in the world: Italy.

They had rented a van and traveled all around the country, stopping only at small towns and discovering all the hidden gems they had to offer. They had taken hundreds of photos, eaten their weight in pasta and gelato more than once and twice, visited the most beautiful monuments and landscapes, and fallen in love even more with each other, something Adele couldn't imagine was possible.

“I feel so stupid” she had said one night as they cuddled and watched the starry sky, something she knew would miss once they went back to the real world.

“You just mixed words while talking with that man, Addie. Anyone can do it while learning a new language” Mason had replied.

“I wasn't talking about that.”

“Then?” he had said, kissing the top of her head.

“I feel stupid because I wasted many years dating other guys and getting heartbroken when I had you, my person, right in front of me. You were right there and I couldn't see you.”

“But you did in the end, didn't you?”

“I did” Adele had said, moving in his arms to look at him. “I certainly did.”

“Then that's all that matters” he had said, caressing her cheek. “I love you, Addie.”

“I love you too, Mase. Only you” she had said before kissing him. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“And? What did he say? What did he want?”

“Can I at least take off my coat and my shoes before I answer all that?” Adele chuckled.

“Yes, yes. Sorry” Mason said. “But did it go well?”

“It did” she said, letting herself fall on the sofa. “Though I need to buy a new pair of boots, those are killing me.”

“Addie…”

“Ok, ok. It'll tell you why he wanted to see me. But you just look so cute all nervous and worried about me” she said, squeezing his cheek. 

“Adele!”

“Fine…” she sighed. “He wants me to work as his assistant.”

“What?” 

“Yep. That's why he wanted to meet. He has seen my photos for Dior and my Instagram account, and after talking with some people who know me and have seen me work, he offered me a job as his assistant, to join him in all his photoshoots and help him.”

“Oh my God, Addie. That's amazing!” Mason said, throwing himself at her and hugging her. “He is the best fashion photographer right now, getting him to shoot you is an honour not many can have! And you are gonna learn so much with him, Addie. Like, he's the best professor you could ask for.”

“He is, but if you keep squeezing me like that, I won't get to learn a thing.”

“Sorry, I'm sorry” he said, letting go of her. “But I am so proud of you, Addie. So fucking proud. Because you said yes to this, didn't you?”

“I'm not an idiot, Mase. Of course I did!” she laughed. 

“That's my girl” he smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. 

“He told me something else, tho.”

“Something else?”

“Since he has his studio in Paris, he wants me to move there.”

“To Paris?”

“Yes” Adele nodded. “I'm afraid our world tour isn't gonna be happening any time soon. Though you can still go on your own, maybe take Alex with you now that he has finished his studies.”

“Nah, don't worry” Mason said. “If I don't get to travel and see all those amazing places with you, I don't want to go.”

“Oh… ok.”

“Addie… Addie, look at me” he said, gently lifting her chin to make her look him in the eyes. “If you are moving to Paris, so am I. Wherever you go, I will go too. And you know, this may be the sign I was waiting for to start working again. My new agency is respecting my choice to take things slow after everything that happened and not rush anything. But if I'm honest, I've been missing all the chaos that comes with photoshoots and fashion month.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… But I don't know, I still have to think about it. What I do know, tho, is that now that we are finally together, I'm not going to let you go. You are stuck with me, Adele Turlington” he smiled, his dimple showing.

“Shit” Adele said.

“Shit?” he laughed. “Were you planning on leaving me or something? Maybe run away with one of the celebrities you are going to meet at your new job?”

“I was actually thinking about this really hot footballer that plays for Arsenal and that Luca's boyfriend introduced me to. The one with an Irish name.”

“I beg your pardon?” 

“Have you seen how beautiful his eyes are? And his nose? Yours is good, but his… And he totally is boyfriend material. He… Mason!” she screamed as he lifted her in the air and threw her over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Taking you to our room so I can show who actually is boyfriend material.”

“You what?” she laughed. 

“There” he said after throwing her in the bed, Adele giggling like a little kid.

“Mase, you don't have to show me anything.”

“Don't I?” he asked, arching an eyebrow and joining her in the bed.

“No, you don't. Mainly because you aren't my boyfriend.”

“What?”

“You are more than just that, Mase” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and caressing the back of his head. “People have always said that we were destined to be together because our mums are best friends, and they were right. Because you, Mason Mount… You are my soulmate. And even though like I told you that one night in Italy, it took me some time to see it and realise it… I love you, I've always had, and I will always do. I love you, Mase.”

“I love you too, Addie” he said while giving her that smile that was all dimples. The one she loved, she had always loved, and will always love.