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#basically everything about season 2 is better
miwiheroes · 2 days
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Mike and El's conflict is not just about him not being able to say 'I love you.'
It's about the fact they just don't understand each other anymore. Even if he was truthful about loving her in the end, it doesn't matter. Their relationship's building blocks are still broken. Here's why:
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"I guess I just don't really understand."
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"I mean, you've seen it, I've been bullied my entire life."
"I know what it's like."
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"I understand"
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"Just please don't tell the others okay? They won't understand."
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"Eleven would. She always did."
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"No. You don't."
"What don't I understand?"
"I am different." "You think I'm a monster too."
I really don't think anyone truly realises what the Mike and El fight in season 4 does to their relationship. Yes, it is basically all about how El tells Mike that he isn't loving her in the way that she needs, and that Mike just thinks of her as his superhero rather than a human being. However, this is a total break down in their relationship as a whole.
Their whole relationship was built in season 1 and 2 on a certain type of shared trauma, attachment to the person who gave you care, fascination and most of all, understanding. Mike was attached to her in season 2 and season 1 and had the first inkling that he might have liked her because he thought, 'finally someone who understands me'.
That understanding is gone. I repeat, it is gone. In this scene, with the broken diorama, it is established that the fundamental building blocks of their relationship too, are broken.
Many people think that by the end of season 4, Milkvan is completely fixed. Because Mike said 'I love you' and y'know what, let's say he meant everything he said! What if he did mean that he loved her? (even though that's not the case but walk with me here).
That still doesn't resolve everything.
Wait. But that was their only problem, right? That was all their argument was about, right?
Wrong. Their argument was also about El not understanding Mike, Mike not understanding El. And this part isn't fixed. Mike still calls her a superhero in his speech even if he is truthful, he still makes her feel like she's not a human being.
But:
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"You make [me] feel like [I'm] not a mistake at all. Like [I'm] better for being different. And that gives [me] the courage to fight on."
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Mike likes the words that Will says, and if he believes the lies that he's telling him, then that means he also likes having that sense of understanding between him and El. But in reality, it's not there. He feels warmth for feeling like he's being understood/ he understands someone else, but it's not El. It's Will.
"I am different. I do not belong." vs. "You make [me] feel like [I'm] better for being different."
When Mike finds out that it's not El that he makes feel like she's not a mistake, and that it's actually Will, he's gonna have a lot of questioning to do. Because, as Finn said:
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"There's probably a mutual understanding and acceptance there, I think." (in relation to someone asking about mike's feelings here)
Mike will find that understanding he craves so much in a relationship. Will already believes that Mike understands him and makes him feel like he's not a mistake. Mike will find that understanding with Will, because it's mutual.
Uh so yeah, this is truly why I think for Mike's arc and El's arc, it makes no sense for them to be endgame, because they simply don't understand each other. But it's not anyone's fault.
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all-that-jazz-93 · 1 year
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Possibly unpopular opinion, but I like season two a lot more than season one
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hella1975 · 1 year
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*crawling from debris bloody and breathless with tears in my eyes* hrrngh. my. my assignments. they are completed
#IM FUCKING DONE#I BARELY DID ANYTHING TODAY TBH BC WE'D BASICALLY DONE THE GROUP PROJECT#BUT STILL EVEN JUST THE KNOWLEDGE OF AN ASSIGNMENT IS ENOUGH TO DAMPEN THE MOOD#FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU#BUT IM FREE NOW#FOR A FEW WEEKS AND THEN IT'S SUMMER EXAM SEASON BUT WHO CARES#WRITING TIME BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#gonna do a little to-do list here:#1. taob ch42#2. TAMS PLOT OUTLINE (fun thing about tams is while literally ALL of my other wips are outlined basically minute-by-minute#like the level of detail i put into the outline before even writing a single sentence is INSANE#tams just doesnt have an outline. ive just got bullet points of Main Scenes that are happening so i at least know plot twists#and things like that#but everything in-between is just me freestyling lmfao#BUT ive recently had some superrrr good plot ideas so i think im gonna properly do her outline now#bc tams is turning out wayyyyy better than anticipated like it intially was a fun little passion project#but now it's like 'oh shit you could Be Something'.#ANYWAY)#3. tams ch5 and respond to ch4 comments/asks#FUN :))))#taob is the only one i TECHNICALLY need done by the end of march but it's nice having 'deadlines' for things i actually enjoy#also my flatmate's OLD flatmate (V) who i saw a lot last year bc i basically just invaded their flat every single day#like i was there ALL THE TIME their flat was the main base of operations#so even though V was just 'my friend's flatmate' he still became my friend on his own and joined our pres a lot etc etc#and his girlfriend visits from the next city over a lot and she's genuinely the loml i really like her#but obvs since they all moved out of that flat for second year i literally HAVENT SEEN V OR HIS GIRLFRIEND SINCE#BUT THEYRE COMING TO OURS FOR SOME DRINKS TONIGHT <333 we're literally just gonna catch up and play wii#and today is also my friend's bday so tomorrow our main group is going for bottomless brunch#AND i decided to be the bigger person with the other flatmate that i fell out with#so we're both fine again now and it's lifted more of a weight off me than i realised <3
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it seems like some people in the owl house fandom still need to hear this
Guys.
The Owl House is not going to end with Luz leaving the Boiling Isles behind and living in the human realm.
Luz has established so much of an actual whole life in the Boiling Isles, none of which can be easily left behind.
Take her relationship with Amity. Remember what Luz said to Amity when first asking to date her? She said "I don't know what my future's going to look like, but it would be so cool if you were in it." Does that seem like it would remotely make sense, after that, for it to just...end? With the two possibly never seeing each other again?
Her learning to be a witch too. It's such a big part of the show, the amount of time that’s been dedicating to her wanting to learn magic, to her finding the glyphs and teaching herself how to use them, developing and honing her skills with them, and that she’s fully enrolled in a school for magic too. It honestly feels very much like a whole life-ambitions thing. It would make no sense for her to just go back to a world where none of the skills she's spent so much time and effort learning can be used and just. Stay there.
The Owl House never felt like it was trying to send any anti-escapism message or anything like that. Luz hasn't treated the Isles like they're just a way to live out her fantasies and escape reality for a long, long time. Arguably since the beginning, even. She said in the first episode that it wasn't the PG fantasy world she'd always dreamed of. And the fact that her life on the Boiling Isles isn't some escapist fantasy has only gotten more and more clear over time, it's been pointed out by plenty of folks in this fandom before.
Honestly, everything Luz has gone through on the Boiling Isles and everything she's been doing there feels like putting down roots and charting out a whole life course there. And The Owl House overall has always been very much about making one's own decisions, deciding one's own future. There've been long text post essays on that. That's what Luz has been doing this whole time, and she's been doing it within the context of the Boiling Isles. It includes her mom, but it also includes everycreature she's come to know and love in the demon realm and everything she's been learning to do there, none of which would be applicable back on Earth.
Not to mention her mom is literally the ONLY thing she’s ever expressed wanting to go back to in the human realm, and we’ve known for a long time she was bullied and ostracized there, and in Thanks To Them Camilla’s nightmare flashbacks and some of Luz’s video diary entries only drove it in even further just how out of place she always was in the human realm. She’s more accepted on the Boiling Isles by now than she EVER was in the human realm. On her mom’s doorstep after the events of King’s Tide, she said “I’m back.” She didn’t say “I’m home.” When she did say “Yeah. I’m home.” after Camilla said she was glad Luz was home, I don’t think it could’ve been much clearer in her voice or her face (which the screen took a moment to fully focus on) that those words didn’t feel true to her.
When Luz DID decide in Thanks To Them that the best course of action for her would be to stay in the human realm, this was framed as being entirely wrong. Partly because it was out of a false belief that she would be of no help and only made people’s lives worse, and partly because it was very much established how she did not belong in the human realm. Camilla clearly knew Luz staying in the human realm wouldn’t be right as soon as she heard Luz say this. Her immediate and wholehearted response was “No, no way in heck am I letting you do that, don’t you even say that. You’re going back there, and now that I’ve seen what you’re up against, you’re taking me WITH you.”
Nothing about The Owl House feels like it’s leading into Luz saying goodbye to the demon realm and going back to living the rest of her life in the human realm. It would make no sense for the show to end like that, and everything about the show feels deliberately built up in a direction that goes completely against ending like that.
So yeah. Anycreature who’s been worrying about this, you can relax.
#the owl house#the owl house spoilers#the owl house season 2 spoilers#the owl house season 3 spoilers#the owl house season 2 finale spoilers#the owl house king's tide spoilers#the owl house thanks to them spoilers#major owl house spoilers#look i know the owl house gets compared to amphibia a lot but in this respect they're completely different#i argue that going back to earth permanently (or at least for ten years) wasn't a good ending for amphibia either#but amphibia hadn't built up EVERYTHING against that like the owl house has#getting back to earth was always anne's end goal and she was always shown to miss a lot more about it than just her family#she was never shown to be entirely happier with life and generally much better off in amphibia#(marcy was actually but that's a whole 'nother essay)#luz in contrast has basically nothing to go back to on earth and literally so much on the boiling isles#anne had a found family she loved with all her heart in amphibia and i argue it was entirely wrong to separate her from them#but she wasn't going to SCHOOL there#she didn't have a COMMITTED LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP there#she wasn't DEDICATING HERSELF TO LEARNING SKILLS THAT COULD ONLY BE USED THERE#and building WHOLE LIFE PATHS around them#and amphibia at the end of the day did have the underlying themes of change it tried to preach in the finale#change has never been among the owl house's major themes#the major themes it does have point in an entirely different direction for the endgame
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chushanye · 4 months
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another list of moments that made me fucking lose it:
everything about Gorgug's interaction with Unit left me wondering what was Zac's intention when speaking with Unit I am so confused
"I'm gonna lose my virginity to that girl over there" is a brand of teenage horny that feels somehow realistic
"Kristen 2 thinks the ice is seasoned because she's just that white"
Brennan referring to Kipperlilly as "homegirl"
Brennan legit struggling with what to have Mary Ann do because of her particular brand of teenage disinterest
Fig's...entire speech to Rubin was sooo brutal, i felt bad for the guy like goddamn let him return to basic bitch status he doesn't need to be roasted to ash
"i thought maybe you were honouring something"
Ally making a Biblical reference to David and Goliath when Gorgug was fighting Porter...the fandom BETTER take good advantage of that comparison
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fyrewalkwithmee · 1 month
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Temptations Pt.1
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Early seasons Spencer x roommate reader. NSFW MDNI 18 +++
Part 2
Basically Reid and reader are roommates and are both pining over each other but don't know. Reader catches Reid getting off and kindaaa joins in🤭? Idk just read it.
Warnings: Perv!Spencer, Sub!Spencer, Perv!reader, voyeurism, mutual masturbation (but Spencer doesn't know), descriptions of masturbation both male and female. MOMMY KINK
1.1k words
I'm such a slut for subby, mommy kink early seasons Reid I'm sorry.😫
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Spencer Reid was a good roommate. That’s what he liked to tell himself when he let his temptations get the better of him. When his throbbing cock was gripped tight in his hand, his head thrown back in pleasure as he pumped himself desperately in order to reach a long-awaited release.
He found it difficult to get himself off while away on a case, always having to share a room with Hotch or Morgan and his mind being too distracted by whatever sick unsub they were trying to catch. When he would return home he would be left with a week's worth of sexual frustration that was only amplified by seeing you, his roommate, his friend and his biggest sexual muse.
He felt terrible for sexualising you when all you'd ever been was kind and supportive towards him. But he just couldn't help it, he was attracted to everything about you. Your outgoing personality, your kindness and understanding, your smile, your body… god your body drove him crazy. He had lost count of all the times you would ask him for his opinion on an outfit before going clubbing with your friends only for him to rub himself raw at the memory of your curves once you had left. Or during movie nights when you would slowly doze off and use his shoulder as a pillow, the scent of your shampoo suffocating him in the best way and making him uncomfortably hard. He would have to excuse himself and go to the bathroom, a pair of your panties in his hand as he wildly stroked his cock while trying to conceal his whimpers and moans. He always felt extreme guilt as soon as he would finish and it only worsened when you would apologise for falling asleep on him knowing that he had a problem with germs and touching. 
He tried to stop himself but it was no use, he knew that like everyone else in his life, you saw him as this awkward, lanky, sexually inexperienced boy and you could never be attracted to someone like that. So he continued fantasying about you because it was the closest he'd ever come to ever being with you or experiencing your non-platonic love. 
Readers Pov
Spencer Reid was a little perv… and so were you.
That's what you discovered last week when you came home late after seeing some friends, being extra quiet to make sure you didn't wake your roommate Spencer who must've been exhausted after flying home from a weeklong case. You turned off all the lights and slowly made your way past the kitchen towards your room, trying your best to navigate the pitch-black apartment. 
You were almost in the clear when you heard a strange sound escape the slightly ajar door of your roomates room. You stopped in your tracks thinking he might be having one of his nightmares and inched closer to his door to further investigate. It was then that you heard it, a strange sound like something wet being moved around quickly followed by breathy whimpers. It took a second for it to click before you realised what you were hearing. 
Spencer Reid your sweet, awkward, innocent roommate was masturbating. Your eyes widened in the darkness as you stood there frozen in place. Your mind was screaming for you to move but something else deep inside you wouldn't allow it, you knew you were attracted to Spencer but didn't think he would ever like you back. You weren't an intellectual like him, you were a loud, outspoken party girl who couldn't even finish a degree before getting bored and swapping to something new. It was entirely perverted but this could be your only chance to witness Spencer being sexual, even if it was with his hand and not you. 
You were pulled out of your thoughts by a loud desperate whine that sent sparks of arousal shooting right down to your core. You instinctively clenched your thighs to relieve some of the tension and closed your eyes so you could zone in on Spencer's movements and sounds. His breathing was erratic matching the impossible quick strokes of his hand around his cock. You could tell he was getting close by the way he began to whimper, the high-pitched sound had you cupping your pussy through your panties and you began to rub your palm back and forth. It was then that Spencer began to call out, 
“F-fuck. Feels so good baby please.” You could hear him squirming around in his sheets as he edged himself, the dirty sounds of his slickness becoming impossibly loud. You imagined how he would look with his sweaty hair stuck to his forehead, cheeks flushed and red matching the tip of his angry, throbbing tip. That thought alone was enough to have your wetness begin to soak into the soft cotton of your panties which you pulled aside to insert a finger. You clenched around yourself as your finger moved in and out, adding another one and having to use the door frame to keep you upright. 
You couldn't believe you were about to make yourself cum while creeping on your roommate, but the sensation of your own pleasure mixed with spencers sounds of desperation were too good to pass up. You heard Spencer's movements increase once again, his sweet moans filling your ears as you matched his frantic pace with your own. You were both so close to release, just needing that one last push to be thrown off the edge.
And then Spencer’s whines and curses were joined by something new,
“Oh fuck y/n. Y/n please mommy. Please mommy let me cum, let me cum.” 
You had no time to be shocked as both you and Spencer’s bodies were flung into your own intense climaxes. Spencer let out the most delicious whimpers as ropes of cum spurted all over his torso and you clung frantically to the doorframe, one palm over your mouth and the other working hard to ride out your orgasm to its completion. Once you had both come down all you could hear were Spencer’s laboured breaths and your own heart pounding in your ears. 
You stood frozen for a moment longer before quietly slipping into your room and collapsing onto your bed trying to process all that had just happened. A new and stronger sensation of want for the boy overcame you as you relived his cries for you and the way he submitted to you in his fantasies.
You couldn't believe that this was what he'd been thinking about doing with you all this time...
and you couldn't wait to make him admit it. 
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spotsspeciall · 10 months
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Factory meetings - LN4
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vol. 2
Lando Norris x fem!reader
summary: Lando makes a move to Red Bull for 2024 and you work in the Red Bull factory. You meet him, and he’s a dick. But something inside you, needs him. 
Notes: Shoutout to @f1goat and the “His teammate” series, for the inspiration!!  Fair warning, I'm talking alittle shit about McLaren, but I am a McLaren girly and It’s all lies, I mean nothing by it! I also made up some gibberish about the car, since I don’t know how everything really works haha. This was also longer than I expected, but I can honestly say I'm pretty proud of it.
warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI. smut, unprotected (wrap it before you tap it folks!) p in v, pet names, language.
word count: 7.3k
masterlist
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You had been working at the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes for 2 years. After getting your degree in mechanical engineering, you grabbed the first opening in Red Bull. And now you had built your way up to your current position. 
You were sitting on the chair, staring at the little metal pieces in front of you. Trying to figure out the best way to puzzle them together, and make the most out of the car.
Your job was to plan, and build components in the car. And when you gained your current position at the factory, you helped with the success of the RB19. 
Working in the factory, you rarely met the drivers. They were here a lot for the simulator and meetings, but your paths rarely crossed. You didn’t need to have contact with the drivers, so you didn’t. Only seeing them from afar, when the whole factory came together for a meeting.
Monday morning, just over a week since the last race in Abu-dhabi, the RB19 had been a huge success. And you were working hard to finish the last details on the RB20 before the new season, working even harder than you did on the RB19. Trying to make the RB20 even better, as impossible as that sounds. 
You had a goodbye party for Checo on Friday, as he was retiring. And Christian Horner had announced that Lando Norris was taking his seat.
You had never met Lando, only seen him when you watched the races. And from what you had heard about him, he was kind of a dick. 
You and the other women working for Red Bull had formed a strong bond, you and the Red Bull media girl, Sophie, were basically best friends. And since she was on the track every race weekend, she had some encounters with Lando. 
She said he was constantly grumpy. He only cared about racing, and the fact that he hadn’t had a win yet, already being in McLaren for 5 years, it started taking a toll on him. 
He used to be a kind and sweet person. Loving to chat to people, and loving the interaction with his fans. He was just an all around loving guy. But when his fist win never came, and 
The McLaren car never got faster. He turned mean and angry, and stopped caring about anything other than racing. And when Christian gave him a nice offer to fill Checo’s seat, he jumped on it, no hesitation. 
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You picked up your tools and started assembling the pieces again, to see if your mind had any ideas. 
You had your normal shitty Monday morning, and you didn’t have time to properly get ready. So you were sitting here in the Red Bull work clothes, your hair was up, but it had fallen out of your bun and was falling in your face, and you kept trying to pull it behind your ears. You didn’t have time for either makeup or to put your contacts in, so it was glasses today. But it wasn’t that bad, everyone saw you like this every Monday (and most other days too)
But what you didn’t know was that Lando was visiting the Factory today. To have a tour of the factory, and meet everyone working there. You didn’t hear the door open as you were staring a whole into the piece you just assembled. But you did hear your name being called. 
You turned around and met the eyes of Christian, but your eyes quickly looked over at the man standing beside him. You hurried to stand up and rip the gloves off your hands. Stretching out your hand to shake his. It seemed like he hesitated for a bit before shaking it, staring into your eyes the whole time. 
“I’m Y/N, nice to meet you”
“Lando”
Yeah, he seemed pretty grumpy. 
As you pulled your hand away, Christian started explaining who you were, and what your job was. You didn’t know if Lando was even listening because he was still just staring at you. 
Christian then turned to you and asked you how the work was going. 
“Oh yeah!” You were blocking their view of the piece, so you turned to walk around the table to show them. 
You started explaining what the piece was and what your goal for it was, as you put on a new pair of gloves to show them the piece. 
Putting it back down, Lando looked back at you. A small smile had made its way to his lips. 
“Is that going in my car?”
“Well yeah, it’s going in both cars”
“But, I’ll only drive the car if you’re the one working on it” He was now smirking at you and turned to Christian. “I’m serious” His smirk was gone.
“Don’t worry Lando, I’ll make sure of it” He said with a smile as he patted his shoulder. “We should move on to look at the paint booths” 
As they headed towards the door, Lando turned around before he left. His face was unreadable, and he had a look in his eyes you had never seen. You had never been more confused, and it took you a while to get back into the right headspace for you to finally crack the code.
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There were only a few days left before Christmas break, and you hadn’t seen Lando since that first time. 
Today had been a stressful day as you tried to do as much as you could in the little time you had left. You were standing in front of the computer, looking at the readings from a recent test, and there were a few numbers off. The frustration got to you, and you pulled off your glasses, rubbing the bride of your nose. Before you shoved the keyboard away and buried your face in your arms on the desk as you groaned in frustration. 
Lando had one last visit to the simulator before break. And before he left for the day, he decided to see if you were there. He was mesmerized by you when he first saw you. Your hair was falling in your face, and the glasses framed your face perfectly. He noticed that you had no makeup on, but you were absolutely breathtaking. And when you started talking about your work, he saw the passion in your eyes. He felt a small pull in his chest, and felt like his old happy self for just a moment when he looked at you. 
But it quickly disappeared, and he realized his new mission. He needed to have you. 
When he opened the door, he heard a groan as he saw your face land in your arms on the desk. The desk was quite high, and as you were bent over it, your ass was on display for him. 
He had to fight himself to not go right over and touch you. But he still walked over and leaned on the desk beside you.
“Something wrong baby?”
You quickly looked up, shocked that someone was in the room with you, and why were they calling you “baby”?
When you met Lando’s eyes, you rolled your own. You had already made up your mind about him, and you were not surprised he was acting like this. 
You heard a low chuckle coming from him as he saw you rolling your eyes. 
You leaned closer to him, really close. He could feel your breath.
“Don’t call me baby”
You could see he was a little shocked at the closeness, so you smirked to yourself and stretched your hand out to grab your glasses that had landed beside him. 
Leaning back, you put your glasses on. “And if you must know, I didn’t get the result I wanted” 
You pointed to the numbers on the screen. His mouth was slightly open as he still looked a little shocked, but he turned his head to look at the numbers. 
“I don’t know what any of the numbers mean” He turned to look at you.
You laughed before replying “Yeah, I know” 
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After closing your front door and throwing yourself on the couch. You pulled up your phone and sent a text to your best friend Sophie. 
“Lando came by the Factory today and called me baby…”
She answered right away.
"BRO!"
“No way!”
“He’s probably trying to get in your pants”
“WHAT?”
“NO HE IS NOT”
“He’s probably just trying to get a reaction out of me”
“Why would he want to get in my pants when he has models drooling over him?”
“Stop it Y/N”
“You are literally drop dead gorgeous.”
“Lando wishes he could get you! But don’t let him use you like that!”
“hahahaha”
“You’re the best Sophie”
“But yeah, he will not be getting anywhere near these sexy pants!”
“YEAHHHH GIRL”
“go piss girl”
“hahaha”
Closing your phone, you laughed to yourself. And when you laid down in bed, and closed your eyes. You couldn’t help when your sleepy brain started thinking about him. 
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You looked down. Seeing your naked body, tits jumping at the movement you were making. You saw your hands spread out on the lower abdomen of the man under you. You saw his hands groping your thighs, hips, tits. And when one of his hands traveled up to grab your jaw, you met his eyes. Lando. 
Waking up, you sat up in bed, hand flying to your jaw.
As your breathing calmed down, you realized the dream. Running the images through your head over and over again. And that's when you noticed just how turned on you were. Your panties totally soaked, and you felt hot.
Landing back in bed you groaned.
“Fuck you brain. That was so fucked up”
You rubbed your hands over your face before getting out of bed. Just a few more days of work before break. 
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Your brain had sneaked in thoughts about Lando all through the break, much to your dismay. And he always showed up when you were close to an orgasm by your own hand. And one time, his name slipped out in a whisper. But you would try to deny yourself that it ever happened. 
And when it was time to go back to work, you felt like it had been long enough for you to forget everything, just praying you didn’t have to see him for a while.
And you were lucky for once. The end of January was nearing, and you had yet to see him. But you knew it was not long before you would.
The start of February was when the car was launching. And you had worked your ass off to finish the last bits, and the tests and readings were good, great even. 
There would be a reveal of the finished car in the factory, for all employees, before it was going to be a public launch. And you knew reveal day meant Lando. But you would be fine, all of the employees would be there, no way you would have any contact with him. 
And when the day finally arrived you were excited. The RB20 was going to be revealed, a car you helped make, and that was all you could focus on. 
You and Sophie were standing together up at the front of the crowd, looking at the car covered in a protective sheet. Christian got up beside the car and started his speech, and then he reached the moment where he introduced the two drivers for the team. Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, and the new Lando Norris.
As he walked up beside the car, he was dressed in the Red Bull racing suit, and you couldn’t help but admire him in it. It wasn’t wrong to think the man looked good, incredibly good. You knew he was still an asshole, but you did have eyes. 
Max had his speech, and then it was Lando’s turn. It was a good speech, talking about how he was ready for something new, a more competitive car. He then started thanking the people working on the car, and he locked eyes with you, and held it until he was finished speaking. 
Lando and Max then lifted the sheet off the car to reveal it. And the crowd started clapping. You marveled at the car for a minute, feeling proud. But you felt his eyes on you. So you looked back at him, and you saw that stupid smirk on his face, he then had the audacity to give you a wink. You rolled your eyes at him, and when you looked back at him, he had a genuine smile on his face, and a glint in his eyes. And for just a moment, butterflies fluttered in your stomach, before you were interrupted with Christian speaking again.
You were standing in front of the car, looking down at it in admiration. The “party” had been moved to a different room, where food and drinks were served. And when you found a quiet moment, you slipped away to go look at the car. 
You were all alone as you squatted down to get a better look at the car, and the details of it. You couldn’t believe you had a hand in building it. This was Max’s car, with the big, red number 1 on it.
Standing back up, you felt a hand slide its way to your lower back. Shocked, you turned to look at the person beside you. Of course. Lando. 
He had that typical smirk on his face as he spoke to you in a low tone. 
“Hope you did a lot of work on my car too” “I was serious when I said I will only drive it if you have”
You rolled your eyes again, it was something he really brought out of you. 
“I have!” You put on some fake excitement in your tone. “I even put a little extra work into your car” You gave him a suggestive wink.
“Oh, so my car might be a little faster?” He said in a hushed tone, like you were sharing a secret. 
“Yeah” You nodded at him, and pointed to the car in front of you. “This is your car right?”
He narrowed his eyes at you. “No, this is Max’s”
“Oh shit, guess I put it in the wrong car then” You shrugged your shoulders as you couldn’t hold your laughter anymore. 
You turned to walk away, leaving the hold he still had on your lower back. The place where his hand had been was burning hot. And when he saw you taking quick steps to get away, he hurried to follow after you. 
“Baby, that was not nice” He said with a small pout as he finally caught up with you. 
You stopped in your tracks. “I told you to stop calling me that” 
“Oh you look cute when you’re angry” His amusement was clear on his face. 
If you weren’t angry before, you sure were now. You groaned as you started walking away from him again. And before you entered the door to the party, he shouted to you.
“Can’t wait to see you again soon baby!” You could hear the grin on his face. But you just opened the door and walked inside, hoping to not see him for the rest of the night.
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Just a week after, you were back at work, looking over some data on the computer, when you heard a knock at the door, and then it opened and closed. 
Turning around, you were met with Christian. “Oh hey Christian!” “Wasn't expecting you to be here!”
He smiled at you, “I am here to ask if you’re free to have a meeting in my office?”
“Right now?”
He looked down at the expensive watch around his wrist. “Yes”
“Um, yeah sure!” “I’m just going to-” You trailed off as you pressed a few buttons on the computer, before turning it off and walking towards Christian. “Shall we?”
Sitting down in the chair opposite his desk, it all started to become a little intimidating. You waited for him to speak as he looked at a few papers, before lifting his head and meeting your eyes. 
“Y/N” “First, I want to formally thank you for your work on the RB19. You made the car what it was. Great work” “And I also want to thank you for the work you’ve put into the RB20. I know it will be even better than the 19” He smiled at you, and you smiled back as you nodded, silently thanking him for his words. 
He continued, “I have been talking with Lando Norris, and after he had a test in the car, and felt how it worked. And after he also saw how you worked on it, he has asked for you to be his no.1 mechanic.” He paused, waiting for your response.
“No.1 mechanic? as in, at every race, in the garage, being the head mechanic on his car?” You were shocked, confused.
“Yes.” He gave you a warm smile. “When he suggested it, I totally agreed.” “It would be a perfect job for you, and with all the work you have put in, the least I can do for you is to give you a chance to be with the car at every race.” “So, do you want the job?”
You didn’t even think about the fact that Lando was the one to suggest the job for you. You just focused on the fact that you could be the no.1 mechanic. 
“Yes” “Yes I do.” A big smile grew on your face.
“Perfect!” Christian clapped his hands together, and picked up the papers he previously looked at. “Take the time you need to read through them before signing” 
Taking the papers in your hands, you read through it. And everything looked perfect. So you signed where you needed to. And handed the papers back to Christian. 
“Thank you so much for this opportunity!” “I can’t wait to get started” You couldn’t stop smiling.
“Good!” “Can’t wait to see you on the track”
He then told you the plan heading forwards. You had plenty of meetings coming up. You needed to know what to expect in the garage. And you had a few meetings with the people working in the garage. And after all of that was finished, you were headed to the pre-season testing in Bahrain. 
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Arriving in Bahrain, you felt prepared. And you were even more happy to finally join Sophie at work, as you walked into the garage together. 
Testing had been going pretty great so far, you only needed to do a few tweaks on the car to see if the performance was different. 
On the other end, Lando had been tolerable. He had his usual flirty, teasing persona around you. But now that you worked together in a small garage, he had toned it down a bit, much to your pleasure. 
But when you got a moment alone, he always sneaked up on you and rested his hand on your lower back, called you baby, and did everything to annoy you. Much to your frustration.
You had been single for a few years. And you hadn’t slept with too many people after. But now it had been a really long time since last. Too busy at work to even care, but you were growing more and more pent up and frustrated. And this asshole resting his hand on your lower back was not helping. It was also not helping that he looked drool worthy all the time.
What was helping, was the fact that he was just that, an asshole. But you had no excuse for yourself when you were alone at night, and you just stopped caring. It made you cum fast, and you were happy with that. So you kept thinking about him every time, while whispering his name under your breath. 
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It was the fourth race of the season, and you were in Japan. The previous races were good to Lando, who had gotten a podium on each one, but no win yet. But he was good in Japan, he knew this could be the one.
It was early on Thursday, and when Lando walked into the garage, he found you working on the car, alone. 
You were so focused as you lay bent over the nose of the car, trying to screw something that was in a tricky position. When Lando saw the sight of you like that, bent over, legs spread, he felt his dick twitch. 
He quickly turned his head to look around for the sign of any people, seeing no one, he walked up to you, close enough so your feet were almost touching. Looking down at you, he noticed you still didn’t know he was there, so he cleared his throat to get your attention. 
When you heard the sound, it spooked you, and you went to stand up from the compromising position you were in. But you didn’t know someone was standing right behind you. So when you lifted yourself off the car, your ass hit something, someone. You felt a pair of strong hands grab onto your hips to stabilize the both of you, as your back was now flush against his chest. When you looked down at his hands, you saw his watch and bracelets and immediately knew who it was. 
You heard a low groan coming from him, right by your ear. And you felt a bulge grow right where your ass was resting against his crotch. You panicked, and shoved yourself back to knock his balance off so he would get off you. When he did, you turned around to look at him with anger in your eyes.
“What the fuck was that Norris!?”
You didn’t even let him answer before you turned to storm out. Two reasons why. First, you were flustered and could feel your face heat up, and you did not want him to see that. Second, feeling his hands hold your waist, and the bulge grow in his pants, you were already soaked and horny beyond belief, and you did not want to be around him in a state like that. 
Lando stood there, a little shocked, and flustered. He pulled his hoodie down to try and cover up the bulge in his pants, as he headed towards his driver room.
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It was time for a car check. And you were picking up the steering wheel to put it in the car. When you turned back around to go over to the car, you saw him.
Lando was standing in his seat, and you watched him lower himself into the seat, holding onto the halo with a tight grip.
You almost dropped the steering wheel in your hand, as your eyes focused on his hands. You had to literally shake your head to get back to the right headspace.
You walked over to the car, and looked down at Lando looking around the cockpit, trying to get in a comfortable position. After he found it, he looked up and his eyes met yours.
His eyes were shining from the lighting on the ceiling. And the feeling that arose was butterflies hidden by anger. Why the fuck was he so breathtaking, but also such a dick. Fuck him. 
You clenched your jaw as you kept eye contact with him. 
“You gonna hand me the steering wheel love?” There was that stupid smirk again.
You narrowed your eyes at him in anger, and handed him the wheel. He clicked it in place, and looked back up at you and told you something he wanted changed on the car. 
Luckily for you, when he started talking about the car, you went straight into work mode. Not a single thought about Lando in your brain. (Only far in the back)
He pointed to show you something that was underneath the steering wheel, right over where his legs rested. And you couldn’t see it. So you stepped farther towards the back of the car, to see it more from his angle. You grabbed a stepping stool that was standing close by, and leaned over the halo. You face resting just beside his. 
“What was it again?” You asked him, surprisingly calm, but the working Y/N was in control right now.
He pointed again, and started explaining it. And you stretched a hand out to point to it as well, making sure you understood each other. 
Lando didn’t expect you to get that close. And when you stretched your hand out and got even closer, he turned to look at you.
You felt his hot breath on the side of your face, and you could tell in your peripheral that he was looking at you. So you turned to look at him. Your faces so close that your noses almost touched. 
But somehow, you kept your cool. “I can fix that for you Lando, you just need to get out of the car.” You smiled innocently at him as you leaned back and stepped away. 
When he stepped out, you got your tools ready and lowered yourself into the seat, needing to sit there to get the best access.
As you worked away, Lando stood by the side of the car, arms folded against his chest. There was something going on in his body that he couldn’t recognise. He was still feeling the effects of what happened with the two of you earlier. But there was something different there as well.
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On Sunday, you found yourself standing in front of the mirror in the public bathroom. It was not long before race start. And you were staring at yourself in the mirror.
You were angry, frustrated and way too fucking horny. Last night, you caved, again. Imagining your fingers were his. You used it as a way of getting the anger out, and it worked. 
But your brain was on overdrive and everything was threatening to boil over. Looking at yourself, you took a deep breath and nodded to yourself, heading back out, ready for work, trying to ignore everything and hoping it would be fine. 
You were sitting on the pit wall, as you watched them line back up on the grid after the formation lap. And Lando lined his car up on P1. Max lined up in P4, unlucky in Q3.
The race start was good, the top 5 drivers staying as is. Lando keeping the lead until halfway in the race, Lando boxed to get new tires. And when he moved his way back up the grid again, you heard his voice coming on the radio.
“Something is wrong.”
“The gears are not working properly”
You turned to Lando’s race engineer sitting to your right. You nodded at him, and he nodded back, a silent exchange you both understood. 
He contacted Lando to tell him he was looking into it, and would update him as fast as possible. 
You looked at as much of the data as you could, as fast as you could. And there you found it. Between all the numbers and graphs, there was one thing off. 
You contacted the race engineer on the radio, and pointed to the mark on the screen. He saw it, and you both knew the solution. Luckily an easy one, as he only needed to press a few buttons on the steering wheel to change modes. 
The race engineer nodded at you again, but this time, in a way that signaled you to tell Lando. So you did.
“Lando, mode 6, and give it 3.8”
“Understood”
“Thanks Y/N”
You felt like you could hear a smile on his face, but probably not. Right?
When you looked back at the data, you saw everything was fine. And not long after, Lando radioed back to say it was good, and he was ready to get back to the chase.
And he did just that, climbing his way back up. Lucky for him, Max had pitted not long after Lando, making Lando ahead of Max in the race. 
You were anxious for the last few laps. He had gotten back into P1, and had made a reasonable gap back to the driver behind him. 
The screams you heard on the radio as he crossed the line first, almost made you deaf for a minute. And you had a big smile on your face as you celebrated with the crew on the pit wall, proud of the car you helped in making. 
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You had gotten the car back to the garage after watching the podium. You, and two other mechanics were pulling the protective sheet over the car. You tried to keep your mind focused on the task at hand, but the image of Lando getting champagne poured on him was seared into your brain. But when you were done with everything, thanking the mechanics before you stepped back. You heard someone entering the garage. 
In walked Lando, soaked in champagne and still dressed in his racing suit that was hanging around his hips. When he saw you, he actually smiled. And seeing him like that, you couldn’t help the heat settling in your core.
He almost ran over to you and wrapped his arms around your hips. He lifted you with him in a tight hug, your feet far above the ground, you had to grab onto his shoulders for support. 
“There’s my no.1 mechanic!” 
His voice was muffled as his face was resting directly against your boobs. 
And when you squeezed his shoulders in reaction, he looked up at you as he still held you tight. You couldn’t get any words out. But as he looked up at you, he smiled. A genuine, lovely smile. But something else was shining in his eyes, and his pupils dilated. 
He felt you started to slip out of his arms, so he readjusted his grip. He got a firm hold on your ass, and when you felt it, everything boiled over.
“Let. Me. The Fuck. Down.” “Now.”
The mechanics stood there in confusion until they heard that. They shared a look, and hurried to leave the garage. Avoiding you screaming at Lando.
Lando heard the threatening tone in your voice, and he immediately lowered you to the ground. 
When he stood back to look at you, he opened his mouth to say something. But you were quicker.
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME NORRIS? YOU CAN’T JUST LIFT ME UP LIKE THAT! AND NOT TO MENTION WHAT HAPPENED THURSDAY MORNING! YOU’RE MAKING ME GO CRAZY!” You basically screamed at him, with your finger pointing at him in anger. But you weren’t finished. 
“You’re the one who wanted me to have this job, and you’re usually rude and mean, but then you’re teasing me and acting all flirty?!” “You’re so fucking confusing!” 
Your brain had exploded at his point. Every feeling that had been pent up for so long, finally boiled over. And since everything hit you, you felt yourself grow wetter and wetter by the second. You let out a heavy breath and lifted your hands to hold onto your head in frustration. 
Lando had just taken it all, with his eyebrows lifted in shock. He was making you go crazy? His mind was running, what did you mean? He didn’t know what to do, what to say. But then he saw the small movement you made, and the look on your face. A smirk making its way to his face as his eyes got even darker. 
While in your frustration, your body just acted for you. And as you were standing there, looking anywhere but at him, your face red and hot, your whole body on fire. Your thighs squeezed together for some desperate neediness for something, anything. 
And when that caught Landos eyes, he took two long steps towards you. His arms wrapping around you, the palms of his hands resting on the top of your ass. 
When he was suddenly in front of you, so close. You dropped your hands in shock, and just stared into his eyes, then his lips. They were slightly parted, and you saw the quick moment his tongue darted out to lick his lips. Before you quickly looked back into his eyes, cursing yourself for the moment of weakness. 
When you locked eyes again, his eyes were dark, looking down at you. Lando had no patience left. He shoved your body hard, into himself. You chests touching, and the grip he had on your ass, where he was holding you tight against him, you felt almost every detail of his already growing bulge through his pants. If you weren’t soaked already, you sure were now. 
You had no control when you let out a small moan at the contact, and that was all Lando wanted, and needed to hear, as he leaned down to capture your lips in an aggressive kiss.
It was like he was hungry, starving for you. And Lando had wanted you since he first saw you, and with the months that had passed, it all came crashing down at the same time.
The kiss was messy, teeth clashing and rough. But you loved it, feeling another moan slip out of your throat.
As you moaned, Lando took the chance and slipped his tongue inside your mouth, your own immediately tangling with his. It was harsh, but so full of passion. His hands were guiding your hips in a way that gave him some much needed friction. And when your hands slid up to grab onto the hair at the back of his neck, he let out a low groan. 
You couldn’t take it anymore, and you pulled on his hair, so you disconnected. Your breathing was heavy as you looked up at him. He was breathing heavy too, and his lips were wet, and slightly red. His pupils blown wide. God, he looked so fucking good, you almost wanted to go back to being angry at him. just because of how hot he was. But you didn’t, he spoke before you could do anything.
“Shit, I need you.” His eyes darted all across your face, looking for any type of reaction. “Please”
He looked so desperate, and he sounded even more desperate. He was begging you. 
Fuck it, you needed this too. “Your driver room” “Now”
He was quick to grab your hand and pull you after him.
When you finally entered his driver room behind him, he turned around and closed the door behind you. And when he turned back around, he took long steps towards you, until your lips met again. 
Neither of you could control the sounds coming from the both of you. His hands were everywhere, grabbing onto what he could. You hands found his hair again, grabbing it, earning a sweet sound from him. 
He walked the both of you backwards until the backs of your legs hit the small couch. He spun the both of you around, he sat down and pulled you to sit on top of him. 
When you sat down, Lando looked down to where your hips met as his grip on your ass moved your hips, grinding yourself onto him. You lifted both of your hands to hold onto the sides of his face, and made him look at you.
When Lando looked at you, you almost took his breath away. Your cheeks were tinted pink, and your lips were open, breathing heavily. Some of your hair had fallen in your face and your eyes were shining as you looked at him, he swore, you were a goddess. His hands slid up to hold on to your waist, and he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth in a way to try and control himself. But he lost it the second you whispered.
“Just fuck me already”
His hands immediately found the hem of your Red Bull shirt and pulled it over your head. You understood the signal and stood up from his lap and went to pull your pants off, as he pulled the fireproof shirt over his head. 
You were standing in front of him in only your underwear as you looked at him hurrying to pull his race suit and the fireproofs of his legs. When he finally did, he looked up at you, and you swore you could see his dick twitch in his gray boxers. 
Your confidence grew in you, so you went to take your bra off. When it hit the floor, you could hear him muttering under his heavy breath “Fuck”. Next, you hooked your thumbs in the waistband of your panties and slowly pulled them down. 
It had been awhile since the last time someone saw you naked, but with the reaction Lando was giving you, his eyes looking at you like you were a goddess. It made you feel beautiful, and so powerful. So you stepped forward until you were right in front of him. His eyes kept shifting from your face to your tits. 
You sat down in his lap again, your knees resting beside his hips, and your core just barely touching the outline of his dick in his boxers. When you leaned down to capture his lips again, you lowered your hips until you felt his covered dick resting between your folds. And because of the much needed friction you got. You moaned into his mouth. 
The kiss was much slower and careful than before, frustration replaced by the need to really taste each other. His hands had found a tight hold on your hips, as he tried to guide them to move. 
“Baby, you’re soaked” He said as he looked down at where you were resting above him.
Lifting your hips, you saw that his boxers were absolutely soaked because of you. And you felt your face heat up even more. 
“Fuck, I can’t wait anymore” “You reckon you’re ready to take me?”
He looked up at you, and you felt stunned. Just nodding wildly at him, his smirk grew. He looked down again, and pulled his boxers down enough to free his dick. Springing free, it hit his abdomen. You stared down, bewildered. How was he supposed to fit?
His hands found your hips again, and he guided them to rest right above him. One of his hands wrapped around his dick, and he moved his hands up and down a few times, as he looked up at you. You were staring down at his hand wrapped around himself, and you felt your pussy clench, waiting to finally have him inside of you. 
He moved his dick so the tip was resting against your hole. Looking up at him, he still had that smirk on his face. 
“Think you can handle it?” 
You didn’t reply before you dropped your hips down until he bottomed out inside of you. His pelvis hitting your clit. You both moaned simultaneously. The stretch was a lot, he was big, and you hadn’t had a dick in you for ages. But God it felt so good. 
Lando swore no one had been able to fit around him so perfectly, and when you took all of him, he felt you clench around him, almost holding him in. He felt another moan slip out of him. His mouth was hanging open in awe as he looked at you. Your head was tipped back, eyes squeezed shut in pleasure.
“Shit, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted you” He almost whispered.
He slid a hand up to hold on to the side of your face, tipping it down to make you look at him. And his other hand gave your hip a squeeze. 
“Please move”
You didn’t have to make him beg for you, he just did on his own. Was he really this weak for you?
A smirk grew on your face as you wanted to know just how weak he was. You just grinded your hips slowly, and you watched his face as his eyebrows furrowed in pleasure. You kept your small movements up, but he tried to lift your hips up and down on him. But you were stubborn, and you didn’t budge. 
Your hands grabbed onto his shoulders, as the movement was so good for you. Your clit getting friction everytime you moved back and forth. Your breath coming out in whimpers. 
You closed your eyes again, but opened them when you felt his hand on your face again. The look on his face was pleading. 
“Please baby.” “I need more” His voice was so soft and sweet, and you couldn’t help the smile on your lips. 
“Say it again.”
“Please please please please baby”
His hands were running up and down your torso as his eyes were locked on yours.
You gave in and moved your hips up to slam them back down. And the groan that made its way out of lando could’ve made you cum already.
You couldn’t hold back anymore, as you kept up the rhythm, riding him with your hands gripping his shoulders. His hands slid around to your ass and grabbed a hold as he helped you move up and down on his dick, and his hips moved up to meet yours. 
You knew the door to the driver room was pretty thin, so you bit your bottom lip to try and hold back some of the sounds threatening to escape. Lando noticed, and snaked a hand around to circle his thumb around your clit. He saw it on your face, the effect it had on you. But he also felt it, as you got even tighter around him. You didn’t moan from it, but he sure did. 
You were so focused as you tried to keep quiet, but with the added pleasure it was so difficult, also because of the sounds he was making.
“Come on baby, let me hear you” He said in a low tone, as he was looking up at you.
That broke you. And he got the sounds from you that he desperately needed to hear. 
As you looked down at him, you saw his eyebrows scrunched together as he was staring at himself disappearing inside you, and his mouth was hanging open. You lifted one of your hands and ran it through the wet curls on the top of his head, still soaked in champagne and sweat. 
You grabbed a hold of them and pulled his head back to make him look at you. All of the feelings you had for him came rising to the surface, just as you felt your climax closing in. The feelings of anger and frustration. So with gritted teeth, you spoke.
“Fuck you.”
He enjoyed that.
“You already are sweetheart.”
You gave in and sped up your rhythm. And his thumb moved faster and his grip on your ass tightened. Your hand slid down to cradle his jaw. You ran your thumb across the facial hair growing on his chin, before you pulled him in for a searing kiss before your climax hit like a brick wall. 
You disconnected from the kiss and tipped your head back, eyes screwed shut, as your vision was going white, and you whispered a quiet “Fuck, Lando” as you came. 
Lando felt you tighten around him as you came, and he looked up at you, mesmerized, as he saw your face contourting as you came around him. And he followed right after, coming inside you. 
You felt him filling you up, and his thumb had slowed down, but was still rubbing soft circles helping you come down from your orgasm. After a few seconds of catching your breath, as he did the same, you opened your eyes to look at him again, and he was already looking at you. The ghost of a gorgeous smile on his face. 
His hands rested on your thighs, and his thumb rubbing soft circles again. Neither of you said anything, you just looked at each other.
“You’re going to be the death of me” 
He was whipped.
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Notes: I realized this could be made into a series or something. So let me know if you want more!! Thank you for reading<3
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ohnoitstbskyen · 8 months
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So, considering what's going on with Riot right now, do you think Arcane Season 2 got caught up in all of this restructuring?
Yes and no. Arcane season 2 is part of the reason for the restructuring.
As I understand it, internally at Riot, after Arcane was a huge (and more importantly: prestigious!) success, the decision was made to basically hand the entirety of the game's lore and story over to the Entertainment division within Riot. These are the people in large part responsible for projects like Arcane, K/DA, Heartsteel, that animated series China got, all that sort of thing.
The writers at Riot were basically told to flat out stop producing new content and lore for the game - that's why there's BEEN no new story content for League for over a year - because everything was going to be consolidated under the Entertainment division from now on. This is why Riot started talking about "One Runeterra" and "Arcane is going to be canon" and so on.
The success of Arcane convinced executives that what League of Legends needs is a singular cohesive brand with its most successful public property leading the charge, Arcane is going to be the gateway drug, the hook on the end of the line that brings new players and new paying customers into the exciting world of the League of Legends multimedia IP universe!
Nevermind that Arcane's story and worldbuilding is fundamentally incompatible with >checks notes< the overwhelming majority of Runeterra as it exists and enormous compromises would have to be made to either the world of Runeterra or Arcane itself to make it work. Arcane is the big shiny prestigious mainstream Emmy-award winning project that every executive wants to put their name next to, and like companies Pivoting To Video in 2015 because Facebook showed them inflated viewership stats, Riot Games is Pivoting To Arcane. It's better than them pivoting to crypto and NFTs, at least, although I know for a fact that high ranking people at Riot tried to make that happen too.
Now, the primary cause for all of these games industry layoffs is that interest rates aren't zero anymore. Borrowing money isn't free, the curve of constant growth has ever so slightly slowed, taking on debt is becoming a little tiny bit more risky than it was previously, and corporations are responding to this with massive rounds of layoffs and constriction to show "financial responsibility" and prove to shareholders that they are prioritizing core growth strategies and blah blah blah etc. They're also trying to kneecap the growing labor movement in the games industry and exert downwards pressure on wages, but the interest rates seem to have been the main thing.
In Riot's particular case, a secondary reason is they want to pivot the focus of the company to support their One Runeterra pipe dream, so a lot of the people who got fired at Riot are writers, artists, creative leads and sometimes extremely senior and successful staff who are now surplus to requirements. This is also why Riot shut down Riot Forge in the same round of layoffs - can't have a bunch of talented indie devs going off making video games that don't adhere to the new One Runeterra policy. What if someone played Mageseeker and got confused how there can be mages all over Demacia but somehow there are no mages in Arcane's Piltover and Zaun. That's a plot hole! People write snarky articles about that sort of thing. It turns off new consumers! What if Cinema Sins makes a video making fun of it?!?
So yeah. A bunch of cocaine-addled fame hungry executive vultures at Riot are absolutely gagging on their own d*cks to put their name next to Arcane related projects, and since they were going to be screwing hundreds of people out of their careers, healthcare, and in some cases their fucking visa status anyway, it seems to have presented a nice opportunity to clear the board for their latest Visionary Scheme for the company IP.
That is as I understand the situation, anyway. I'm a bitter old man and most of what I hear is second hand and anonymous gossip through my social networks, take what I say with a grain of salt, but I've followed this company for (oh god) twelve years now and I have developed a tragically keen understanding of how its executive class operates.
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aloesarchives · 5 months
Text
JJK Drabble #2
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Tw/Warnings: Fem!Reader, Fluff, Fluff Brainrot, Domesticity, Family Man Toji, Usage of Wife and Mom, JJK Oc added
Pairing: Toji Fushiguro x Fem!Reader
Reader: Female, Usage of Wife and Mom
AU: Modern/"Toji Lives" Au
(A/N): I'm back! Well, kinda of. Long story short, dealt w/college stuff and had a health scare that kept me away from writing. Also had a mini burnout too. More is explained here!
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Thinking about Toji taking up crocheting and knitting because he saw how expensive yet cheaply made certain items like blankets are made. So he buys a simple set to try it out, following Youtube tutorials and watching videos for ideas. Once he masters the basics, Toji is LOCKED IN once again. Making full on hand-made blankets, scarves, hats, mittens/gloves, stuffed animals, covers/cases, bags, scrunchies, even damn rugs. Anything you ask him for, he’ll make it. This ends up being very practical to Toji because he saves so much money by just making them at home himself. It has to be the premium, natural, good quality type. Organic cotton, wool, cashmere, alpaca/llamas, silk, linen, mohair, bamboo, hemp, all of that. Tell him about polyester or something and he tells you to put that shit back. He buys the premium yarn nearby, locally, or gets them imported internationally. Gets every and any colors because he never wants to be limited when making his projects.
There was a throw blanket you wanted for the couch but it was expensive and the size was a lot smaller than you hoped. The next day, you come home to see Toji making it for you. The same color but better quality and inexpensive, and it was the size you wanted too. You were happy and amazed that he made it within a day. Living off your praise and approval, Toji just makes everything. Since he can’t get carpal tunnel or arthritis, his hands and wrists never get tired from working. Though, his posture does get bad and his back aches from being hunched over. The blanket in your bedroom with Toji? He made that shit with fucking love and care. He actually made multiple ones depending on the weather and season. 
Man has even made throw pillows, regular pillows, water bottle cases, table cloths, coasters, bags, cushions, and made your own curtains. I mentioned before that everything in your home was either made, customized, or renovated by Toji. This stays TRUE because almost all the pillows and blankets in the house are his creation. The blankets and pillows that cover Megumi and Tsumiki’s beds? All Toji. Both pillows and blankets match each other and are in respective colors for the two. Megumi has one at his dorm because it gets cold over there and he hates sleeping in the cold. 
If you are a stuffed animal fiend, like me, you ask Toji to make you any stuffed animal you want. Definitely make squishmallow dupes for you if you asked him. In your personal room/office, there’s a pile of stuffed animals in the corner from Toji that you pluck one from the pile and hold it while relaxing or walking around the house. The ones he loves to make are bees, dragons, whales, dolphins and dogs. And they’re so soft and huggable, you squeeze them all the time. Toji just grins to himself knowing the things he makes brings you and the kids happiness.
Toji “Anything my wife wants, my wife gets. No questions asked” Fushiguro
It’s normal for you to come home to see Toji crocheting/knitting away at something. You either find him in three places at home: the engawa in front of the courtyard and garden, the family room with the shoji doors open, or in his personal room/office. Mostly, he sits outside sitting on the engawa working away at something. It makes him work better, or so he says. Makes his own needles and hooks because of his big hands. Megumi still has his crocheted stuffed puppy when he was younger, still going strong even though it’s been worn down from love. Tsumiki has all the Sanrio characters knitted/crocheted as gifts from Toji.
Tsumiki always wears her hair up in a ponytail, Toji makes her scrunchies in her favorite designs and colors. Her favorite cardigans and pullover sweaters that keep her warm during fall and winter were made by Toji because he wanted to try making outerwear. Luckily it worked in his favor. Tsumiki asked Toji if he could make her a tote bag because she needed a bag for outings. She comes home from school one day to see three of them in different sizes. She has those cute little flower keychains on her school bag and outing bags too because she asked Papa Toji for them. The massive white and blue circle rug in her room is from Toji.
Megumi’s winter scarf, earmuffs, and hat are made by Toji too. Megumi will never admit it out loud but he appreciates that Toji made it for him. They keep him and he doesn’t feel the wind chills nipping at his face. Megumi also appreciates his dad for making his stuffed animals. I’m projecting here but Toji made a set of plush stuffed animals after his shadows. His divine dogs, all of them. Megumi keeps them on his stuffed animal net in the top corner above his bed. Megumi wears a jacket and hoodie made by Toji all year round because of how versatile they are. In general, they’re Megumi’s favorite clothes to wear too.
Thinking about asking Toji to make a present for Nobara and Yuuji on their birthdays. You asked Nobara what her favorite color and style was while Yuuji said he wanted a new hoodie. Toji makes them pretty fast and the two are in love with their gifts. Nobara is wearing her bag EVERYWHERE, and I mean, EVERYWHERE she goes. Yuuji, like Megumi, ends up loving his hoodie that you always see him wear when he’s in casual clothes. Since Nanako and Mimiko grew up with Megumi and Tsumiki, one of Nanako’s cardigans and a pair of her socks are made by Toji while Mimiko only has a random plushie Toji made for her when she was younger because Suguru had to clean the other one.
Not me thinking about how Tsumiki, Megumi, and Mayumi(JJK OC) baby blankets are handmade by Toji himself with their own individual design and patterns. Megumi and Tsumiki’s are still in good condition even though they were lovingly used by the two throughout their whole life. Their baby hats, socks, and certain outfits were all made by him. He keeps them all in individual boxes to not lose them. Gets sentimental and nostalgic that you catch him staring as he holds the small clothes in his big hands. Reminiscing about Megumi and Tsumiki being babies and small children, now realizing that they are growing up before his eyes.
God, all of it is thoroughly well knitted and crocheted that people thought you bought it from a store. “No, actually my husband made it for me. Isn’t he skillful and amazing?” Your friends and co-workers lowkey ask you if Toji is willing to take commissions for them. They’ll pay for it obviously but they want good quality home-made items Toji makes which gives you an idea. You asked Toji if he considered making orders for other people besides his family. He did think about it but he said he would get overwhelmed when receiving orders and packing them up. You asked him if dealing with the orders and packaging them would help him change his mind. So you unintentionally set up a small business with Toji. His shop consists of blankets, bags and baskets of any kind, pot holders, rugs, coverings, and pillows. It runs where one week is for receiving orders, one month is for making them, and another month to send them out. Making a spreadsheet/list for Toji to show what he needs to make. Probably gets finished with all the orders in two weeks or something.
For some reason, Toji wears eye-glasses when he knits and crochets. You don’t know why but it makes him more handsome that your brain rots/short circuits every time you see him working away. He got you all flustered and down bad it’s insane(but absolutely valid). But you don’t understand why he would need them since he already has better vision and eye-sight than 99% of the population.
“Honey, since when do you need glasses?”
“I need it so I don’t strain my eyes when working on them?”
“Can you, like, squint? You already have 20/10 vision. You don’t need glasses when you have superhuman vision, Baby.”
“Doll, just because I have good eye-sight doesn’t mean my eyes aren’t as sensitive. My eyes are still bugged by light, shit hurts and gives me headaches. Anyway, can you pass me the blue yarn in front of ya?”
Megumi and Tsumiki always see you with their Toji. You’re chilling and minding your own business with their baby sister napping away while Toji is working away at a rug because he is bored. Even though he’s been doing this since they were young, the two still can’t get over how their dad can make a king-sized blanket(start to finish) in four hours. Or when they come home from school and see Toji finishing up on a big and long green dragon, turning to Megumi and Tsumiki asking them, “Do you two think your mom would like this?” Or they could be chilling then Toji asks them to try on the projects he finished to see how they look. Tsumiki and Megumi are his main critics, you are too but you aren’t bothered by certain details to criticize Toji’s projects so he leaves it to the kids.
Mayumi(JJK OC) is chilling by Toji as he’s working away, either sleeping away or playing with her stuffed animals close within sight. Being the three year old she is, she sometimes hides underneath the unfinished blankets and pops up from under to surprise Toji. Papa Toji gives his iconic DILF chuckle that has you  GEEKING and GIGGLING like a damn school girl when you get the chance to hear it every time. He just pats her head, calling her a little rascal or princess, then resumes.
I’m projecting once again but you know those cute crochet dolls? Like the ones with the big black eyes, big head, small body, and no mouth? Toji made those of the entire family. There’s one of himself in his iconic black compression shirt, white sweatpants, and kung fu slippers. He added a little scar too where his mouth would be. Then there is your’s, all pretty and pristine with your iconic outfit. Toji getting your colors and features down to the bone. Next is Megumi and Tsumiki, literal carbon copies of their real versions. Toji said Megumi’s hair was the hardest part to make lol. Then Mayumi’s doll is later added once she’s born. The mini Fushiguro Doll set sits on the top shelf of a pristine black display case, next to the tv, in the family room. 
He’s the type of guy you wouldn’t expect to be good at a skill like this then later found out he’s an absolute master and god among men. Toji doesn’t parade around craftsmanship because he knows how some guys have fragile egos. But he won’t shy away when people ask him about his work. Pulls out his phone to show people the things he made with two needles, one crochet hook, and a shit load of yarn.
Satoru, being the shitter he is, tries to tease and bully Toji about it. To which you reprimand and scold him for it. But Toji doesn’t care about dealing with his antics because it’s a practical skill and keeps him out of trouble. Then you remind Satoru that his winter scarf he always wears was made, the one you gifted him for his 18th birthday, was made by Toji at your request. Satoru never wore any scarf because he thought you made it for him. But for you to tell him Toji actually made it for him, Satoru shuts himself up and doesn’t shit on Toji anymore.
Toji loves it when his family uses/wears the things that he made. Usually wears a goofy smile or grin on his face to conceal his prideful yet satisfied self, knowing his creations are appreciated and loved by his family.
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scoops-aboy86 · 3 months
Text
By The Heart (Secret Admirer pt 2)
Steddie Week 2024, July 2: Hands / touch starved / Invisible Touch by Genesis
wc: 2136 / rated: T / set between seasons 2 and 3 / also on ao3
After the world fell apart a second time in November of ‘84, Steve had finished out the rest of his senior year in a daze. Partly because Billy Hargrove had broken a fucking plate over his head, giving him a small scar by his hairline that the doctor said would fade and recurring headaches that the doctor said might stick around anywhere from a few months to forever. 
It’s been more than a few months and the headaches are only slightly less frequent and a tiny bit less severe. 
He graduated, barely. His dad keeps dropping pointed comments about how his parents let him stay in their house rent-free after high school, how he’d saved up while attending a nearby college by not having to worry about the cost of a dorm or basic meals, and that it is his gratitude towards them that has moved him to offer the same to Steve. Usually said comments come after Steve tries to sidestep some sort of menial task, and it always feels like a threat.Steve just grits his teeth and takes it—refills his dad’s drink when the bottle is already literally right by the man’s hand, washes the family car after dinner when both his parents know that Steve has a shift at Scoops first thing in the morning, whatever. He can’t afford to get kicked out right now. 
His job at Scoops Ahoy is shit, all bright fluorescent lights and kids screaming and everything getting sticky for a measly minimum wage, but that probably reflects the quality of the job application he’d submitted. 
He has no friends, no prospects, no one in his corner except a bunch of incoming freshmen and the only one who really seems to want him around is off at some sort of smart people camp that he’d never even heard of… Go figure. 
But he has Secret Admirer. 
Okay, what Steve has is a pen pal who has a PO box and prefers to remain anonymous, possibly because Steve is an embarrassing person to have a crush on these days. And it’s really stupid that he thinks of them as first name Secret, last name Admirer, but it’s not like he hasn’t tried to come up with better names! Unfortunately, there are so many things Secret Admirer has called him (sweetheart, darling, dearest, honey, baby) that he can’t really think of anything original with those constantly rotating in his head… He can’t use them, though. It’d be weird. 
The first letter had been shoved into his locker in the last few weeks of school, looking like someone either wrote it with their non-dominant hand or had also suffered a blow to the head recently, and he hadn’t known what to make of it at first. In fact, he’d considered the possibility that Tommy or Billy were playing some sort of prank on him… but he didn’t think either of them could write “To Steve, the heart of my heart” without bursting into homophobic flames, and if it was Carol she would’ve done her girliest handwriting with hearts dotting the eyes. And his Secret Admirer had mentioned things no one else in his life seemed to care about. 
Like, 
I hope you’re feeling better. Sometimes I notice you squinting or grimacing in the classes we have in common… Are you still getting headaches? Do you get enough rest? You probably already know this, but mental and physical rest are super important for getting your handsome self all recovered, big boy. 
And,
I had a concussion once, not a bad one but it really left an impression. Felt like I was trying to think through a head full of soup for weeks. It sucks that teachers didn’t seem to cut you much slack because, just saying, I noticed they used to do that a lot more when you were still on the basketball and swim teams. Jock privilege placed above consideration of an actual, serious injury? I’m sorry, but that’s the rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril, sweetheart, and you deserve better. 
So, yeah. Clearly his Secret Admirer is a nerd who doesn’t necessarily have the best opinion of jocks… but still took the time to notice all those things and write kindly about them. It felt nice, knowing that at least one person out there noticed, maybe even cared. 
And when that letter turned out not to be a one-off, a few more letters in his locker and then one in his mailbox, postmarked and everything, after graduation? Steve was hooked, enough to start writing self-consciously back. 
Which has brought him to the point of wanting so badly to meet this person that he’s stooped to begging, and it’s not even getting him anywhere. 
It’s occurred to him that it could be a guy, of course it has. Steve might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he knows it happens. He’d had a friend in middle school, Todd Fischer, nice guy, totally normal kid—got caught kissing some boy in the next grade up behind the gym and turned out to be the worst sprinter of the two. The Fischers had moved out of Hawkins a few weeks later and Steve hadn’t heard anything from or about Todd since. They’d been halfway through reading Romeo & Juliet in English at the time, and Steve remembers thinking when they got to the end of the play that at least things hadn’t gone that badly for Todd and whoever the other kid was. He’s old enough now to know that it could have; between Todd being such a nice kid, Barb dying in his own backyard, and the threat of government agents coming out of the woodwork if he ever breathes a word about certain secrets, the thought leaves a bad taste in Steve’s mouth. 
Anyway, if it is a guy, that would explain why Secret Admirer keeps dancing around his pleas to meet. And the initially disguised handwriting—which had been dropped by the second mailed letter, along with a brief, sheepish apology. 
But it could also be a girl who’s really shy or something. Steve doesn’t want to assume and then look like a total idiot further down the road. Whoever it is, all Steve knows is that he doesn’t want to lose them. He has to play this smart, play it cool… because he knows himself, and already knows that they have him by the heart based on words alone. 
The latest letter is in his hands, crinkled a little at the edges, and Steve can’t help himself from rereading the fifth paragraph yet again. 
… those indecently tiny shorts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about running my fingers up the inside of those thighs. Or my mouth. Whichever you think you’d like best, baby, I’m not picky. And while I do like ice cream, particularly strawberry with rainbow sprinkles in a cone, I can think of something else I’d love to wrap my hand around and run my tongue over before any drips can escape. You just think about that, hmm? Maybe share some of those thoughts in your reply, if I haven’t scared you off…
He’s not scared off. Doesn’t need to know exactly who put pen to paper to imagine hands and lips running up his legs, either, an invisible touch that sends shivers along his spine. 
Okay, maybe it’s been a while. Between striking out from behind the Scoops counter and not really trying all that hard anyway, the only action Steve’s seen is from his own hand… and this letter. He has thoughts, alright, but has a much better idea of how to translate them into action than words. And this is his problem with the whole pen pal only thing, his natural charm (if he has any left) is absolutely useless in this medium. 
The other problem is that he really, really wants to jerk off about this, except he’s got almost no details to fuel the fantasy. He knows that Secret Admirer had a concussion once, but not what color or length or texture or style their hair is; knows they’re on the fringes of popularity and not really into sports, but nothing about their height or build or how they might move against him. Hell, he doesn’t even know if they’re a girl or a guy, isn’t sure if he should try to imagine boobies and painted nails or stubbled cheeks and big hands. 
Secret Admirer has mentioned being a smoker though, of both tobacco and grass, and Steve is not exactly proud of how strongly this makes him want a cigarette just because it’s all he has to go on. He has work in under an hour and Robin hates the smell of cigarettes, will be extra vicious for their entire shift if he comes in reeking of smoke. 
He’ll have to figure out something else…
Dear Secret Admirer, Thanks for writing again, I was really glad to get your letter. I don’t sleep with them under my pillow because sometimes my pillow ends up on the floor and I don’t want to drool all over them. I keep them in a box in the back of my closet, because sometimes my parents have the cleaning lady do my bedroom without telling me and I don’t want her going through my stuff or putting it in weird places that I can never find again.  Sorry for laughing at you You must not have seen me last week when I threw a banana peel at my coworker for It’s not being humble if I don’t deserve Yeah, fuck high school.  Sorry for not rewriting this, I’m running out of paper and my dad’ll kill me if I break into his office to get more I definitely thought about what you said in your last letter. I thought about it a lot. It’s hard to figure out how to explain what though, because I wanted to picture you like you were probably picturing me when you were writing it. You obviously know what I look like, but I don’t know who you are so I had to get creative. (Which isn’t my strong suit. So if this is stupid maybe we could just never mention it again?) Since I don’t know what you look like and it’d be weird to try and picture you anyway, and then what if I’m not even close and that makes it seem like I don’t like you for who you are? I’m not sure if that makes sense. But anyway, since I don’t know what you look like I pictured you dressed like a ninja.  Hear me out, okay? You’re such a mystery. Ninjas are mysterious, and dressed all black to blend in with the shadows. You can’t see their hair or face and they wear gloves because you can tell a lot about a person by their hands. I guess what I’m saying is I imagined you sneaking into my room at night when the lights are off. Totally silent but with this powerful presence, you know? I think if I were in the same room as you it’d feel like that moment right before the whistle goes off at a swim meet, because that’s just like, holy shit it’s about to happen and your muscles are all tense but ready but you’re waiting, coiled like a snake. So I’m coiled like a snake and you’re still a ninja and I’m not very good at this. I’ve done it over the phone a few times but that’s different. I don’t know where I’m going with this just sitting writing this alone in my room with Genesis playing in the background so I’m going to stop. Just trust me, it was hot. If you ever want to exchange numbers I’d be happy to tell you all about it sometime.  It feels weird to end like that, so I’ll also tell you that I tried reading that Hobbit book you suggested and you were right, it’s a lot easier than the Rings book that the kids I babysit tried to bully me into reading. Bibo is freaking out about all these dwarves in his house and I can relate, it sounds like when those kids all show up and try to rope me into driving them around town. At least they haven’t tried to make me steal anything or try to take on a damn dragon yet. Hopefully this book won’t give them any ideas.  — Steve PS If that was so dumb you changed your mind about still writing to me, please let me down easy. Seriously it would be no hard feelings. At least I still have a great ass and great hair, so I’ve got that going for me.
Tag list (open): @hotluncheddie @lawrencebshoggoth @sofadofax @tangerinesteve @steviewashere
@cryingglightningg @theresebelivett @sleepy-steve @rozzieroos @lunaraindrop
@just-my-latest-hyperfixation @wheneverfeasible @swimmingbirdrunningrock @yesdangerpls @matchingbatbites
@ihavekidneys @p0lybl4nkk @grtwdsmwhr @cheesedoctor @thetinymm
@practicallybegging @fuzzyduxk @greatwerewolfbeliever
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vettelsdarling · 1 year
Note
Hiiii can I get a request for Lando basically a sunshine x grumpy where the reader is a new driver that wants 0 distractions and ruled out dating any drivers and so she gets along with everyone but is more distant with Lando because she knows if they get close she’ll fall in love with him but she can’t afford any distractions but he still puts in effort to get to know her and making her smile etc despite her pushing him away and they have this moment and idk you can finish it however you like plsss and thanks!
𝐈𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦
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Lissie note… Hey there! This is a really cute idea, I love the thought of Lando pining!! Thank you for the creative freedom to finish it off however I feel!
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Things to note:
This is set in the 2022 season, but not in the same timeline(?) you'll see
Reader isn’t completely new to Formula One, but it’s her first time on the grid as a driver (she’s been a reserve driver)
Reader is a few months/a year younger than Lando
Reader is a Red Bull driver
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Pairing: Sunshine!Pining!Lando x Grumpy!Serious!Fem!Reader
Warnings: Some cursing, Pretty angsty, J*s Verstappen
Word Count: 6.5k+
Recommended playlists: 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭💔, 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟💗, 𝐋𝐍𝟒
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Formula One. A bloodsport, really. Vicious and dangerous. Somehow you’d managed to rise through the ranks and get there. Even earning a place next to Max Verstappen, the second-youngest world champion. Christian Horner, your team boss, was the kind of person who nursed his drivers as if they were his own children. You yearned for the proud look on his face. Not just for him, but for yourself. 
Growing up in a middle-class family, you weren’t as privileged as other kids in karting. Your mother worked tirelessly to support you, whilst your father took you to each race. Now that you’d finally made it to Formula One, you wanted to do everything you could to pay them back. They had given the better part of their lives up so that you could live yours the way you desired.
Winning a championship in Formula One had always been a childhood dream of yours.
… and you were not about to give up on that dream anytime soon.
You, Max, and Horner had come to an agreement: Max would help you win as much as possible. Nobody and absolutely nobody was to get in your way. Max promised to make sure of that. Since you were younger than him, he treated you like a younger sister, whilst still treating you as an equal. Given the fact that he had a sister, he was great at it.
You were in your car. It was the first qualifying of the season, and you felt all of your nerves tense up. It was your first ever feel for Formula One besides sim racing. You’d been stuck as a reserve driver for nearly 2 years— safe to say, you were relieved to finally get a seat. Max and Lewis had just been dominating too much. However, this year was yours and yours alone. You were determined to shine, and you would take down anyone who so much as breathed a hint of threat your way.
You were released and you started your out lap. The tyres felt smooth and the car was completely in sync with you. It was nothing like sim racing, and nothing like Formula 2 either. You’d done practice runs several times before, but there was something about the real deal that elevated the experience that much more. You knew there was a lot of pressure on you for qualifying. Mainly due to the fact that Max had no way of helping you. It was every man for himself, and there was no way you were going to get kicked in Q1. 
“You doing alright?” You heard your engineer say. It made you get distracted, and you accidentally exceeded track limits.
“Well, now I’m not! Shut it, please.” Well, shit. You knew that blunder would be noted immediately. It was surely a deletion of your time. Therefore, you decided to push. Hard.
The next lap was a go, and you worked your way meticulously around every corner, hitting every apex just right. You were determined to make it into Q3. No matter what it took.
You got one final time in, and it was announced by your radio that you made it into Q2, placing P5. You weren’t the type to scream out with joy, so you merely thanked them for the notice.
Q2 began, and you barely made it through to Q3, placing P10.
What nobody expected was your spirit. If you wanted something, you were going to get it.
“Okay, we’ve notified Max that he should try to slow down a bit, to possibly get you a pole position. This way, we can also help you from behind in the race.” 
“Copy.” Your chest felt ticklish with adrenaline, and you pushed harder than before. You did everything you could. Your body felt as if it had been fused to the car. You were getting the fastest sector time left and right. It was exhilarating.
“That’s a pole! Great job! We did it!” Your engineer screamed into your ear with excitement. It was deafening, but that didn’t matter. It felt so good.
“Thanks for the help, guys.”
The front row consisted of you, Max, and Lando Norris; a driver from McLaren. You hadn’t really conversed with him much before. Except one time. Max had invited you to attend the end-of-year party a year back. Lando barely managed to introduce himself before he was interrupted by the Dutchman.
After Lando finished his interview, he moved back to where you were waiting patiently for your turn.
“I hear you’re into brunettes?” You were, but you hadn’t told anyone. Which could only have meant that it was his go-to pick-up line. Lame, if anything. 
“Did you also hear I’m into guys who don’t bother me?” It wasn’t a matter of teasing him or playing hard to get. You simply had no time for something as frivolous as dating on the grid. It was pointless and would only serve as a distraction when you had to stay focused.
“Cute.” It almost felt repulsive to hear him say that. You’d never really been in a relationship other than the many situation-ships you’d allowed yourself to fall victim to in your Formula 2 days.
When your turn finally came, you shook David’s hand with a smile. Adrenaline was still making its rounds throughout your system.
“You did an amazing job today, surely you must be excited!” David was such a gentle and warm soul, so you decided to lay off the colder side for a little.
“I feel amazing, really, I’m over the moon!” You grinned. He asked you some generic questions and you gave him appropriate responses for each.
“You’re the first woman in a long time to have raced in Formula One, you should be proud,” he finished off, before letting you go.
Max slung his arm over your shoulder as the two of you walked back to the Red Bull motorhome. Christian greeted you at the door on his way out, pulling you into a big bear hug and thanking Max for the sacrifice. The two of you made yourselves comfortable on the leather couches in front of the small flatscreen that was inside.
“Max, I really hope it’s okay for you to do all of this for me…” You looked over at Max who was scrolling through the channels.
“Of course, I’ll do it for you. We’re teammates. Besides, it would’ve been wrong if you weren’t talented and couldn’t actually take me on… but you can… so…” He started trailing off as he got a phone call. It seemed to be his father, so he immediately answered it. Of all feelings, you were definitely not surprised by the angry bickering coming from his father through the phone. The look on Max’s face was all but whipped with joy.
When the call ended, you tried to find the right words to comfort him. It was rather hard though, as you’d never really experienced his situation before.
“… I’m here if you want to talk about it?” That was really all you could offer. But your support meant everything to Max, who had made quite the impression on track. Fans saw him as a hot-headed brute, with nothing on his mind but winning.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t anything. Don’t worry about it.” His demeanour had completed a full 360°.
“Well, in any case, if you ever happen to need someone… you know I’ll always be right here.” Without warning, you pulled your brother figure into a warm hug, rubbing his back gently. You’d only ever met his dad a couple of times, but both times were horrible. The man was stone cold. He was intimidating to you.
To celebrate your pole in qualifying, Max had invited you out for dinner with a couple of friends. He said you knew who they were, but still, you felt off about it.
Your hair cascaded down upon your shoulders, masking your exposed collarbone from your little black dress. It was a simple dinner dress you’d brought along for the trip. Your makeup was light but accentuated your features to the fullest extent. Your shoes were designer and matched your padded Prada mini-bag. You threw on a black blazer to complete the look. Flawless.
Max had texted you the address of the restaurant along with the time. You jumped in a cab and gave the driver the information. The cab driver was chatty. He talked about his family, mentioning the fact that he had twin daughters who had just started middle school. You zoned out on the rest of his chatter though. The thoughts of dining with Max’s friends felt daunting somehow.
When you finally arrived, you were already late. You’d been too busy zoning out to notify your teammate. Upon walking in, you saw a fancy vined wall with several pictures of celebrities who’d visited the establishment. Amongst them was a picture of Max and the Brit who’d tried to hit on you. Lando Norris. A waiter approached you with a polite smile and a guest list.
“Oh, um… Max Verstappen?” You also made sure to mention your name so as to not stir any confusion or suspicions. You could’ve easily been mistaken for a fan.
“Right this way, miss.” He led you to a quiet room in the back. It was likely reserved for the restaurant’s VIPs. There you laid eyes on Max and Daniel Ricciardo… but Lando Norris too?! A wave of relief washed over you, as you realized you knew them somewhat.
“Max, you didn’t tell me she would be here?” Lando took the view in with delight, smirking as you noticed it. You rolled your eyes and took a seat beside Max. Unfortunately, that seat was across from curly-haired Brit. 
“It was a surprise. We’re actually celebrating her first pole today.”  You felt slightly embarrassed, almost like people singing you birthday songs.
“Max, isn’t this just rubbing another Red Bull win in our faces?” Asked Daniel. He was obviously joking, so you shot him a playful glare, chuckling shortly after.
After a while, Daniel and Max had gotten deep into their conversation, which left you to deal with Lando. He’d stolen several glances of you throughout the dinner and it didn’t seem like he was planning to stop. You took it as your opportunity to strike up some small talk. All in hopes to get him to stop staring.
“You should stop staring, my image might get burned into your retina.” He didn’t even bother blinking. His eyes moved from your figure to your eyes.
“I think that’d be a blessing, no?” You scoffed at his reply. You saw it as nothing but a foolish attempt at flirtation— which you didn’t appreciate. Sure, you were off-track, but that didn’t mean you had time for meaningless distractions. Lando gave off a clear vibe that he was nothing but a hindrance to your ultimate goal of becoming a champion.
“You’re playing hard to get. I like that,” he smirked and slightly leaned back in his seat.
“Could you be any more obnoxious?”
“If that’s what you want me to be.” He was truly impossible to communicate with. Every sentence was a pick-up line to some degree. 
“I’m not interested in you, Norris.” He seemed to completely disregard the message you sent, as a smile grew on his face the moment you uttered his last name.
“Glad to know you know my name, Miss Red Bull.” Admittedly, he was pretty easy on the eyes, and his small chuckles were cuter than you wanted to acknowledge.
“You should let me take you home after this.”
“You don’t even know me.” Contrary to your belief, that wasn’t true at all. He knew exactly who you were. He and Max were close friends after all. But the real kicker was; he’d been into you for much longer than he led on.
His infatuation first started in the early stages of the 2021 season, when he’d see you wandering around the tracks on weekdays. He’d seen you in the Red Bull garages, usually deep in conversation with one of the engineers. He’d asked about you from multiple people. That included the big man himself; Christian Horner. Though, Christian encouraged him to stop asking around and just strike up a conversation with you. However, Lando never actually found the time to approach you. You were always surrounded by mechanics and the media. It was simply impossible to get to you. It was almost like you were a national treasure. Pretty to look at, but that was all he could do.
“Trust me, I know you.” For a moment, you got lost in those dashing eyes of his. He returned your gaze, only looking into what would be considered the windows to your soul. Could he read you? Could he understand that you didn’t want him? Did you want him?
“You’re incredible up close.” 
“Excuse me?” You snapped out of whatever trance you’d been stuck in as soon as those words left his pouty lips. That statement was creepy if anything, and not flattering in the slightest… or was it?
“That’s a pretty off-putting thing to say, you know?” This luckily caught the attention of Max who’d finished off with Daniel. The two of them turned their heads your way to join in.
“What’s off-putting?”
“Oh, we were just talking about how obsessed Lando is with me.” You said it in a joking manner, but everyone’s faces went semi-pale. Especially Lando’s.
“So he finally talked to you? I’m glad I don’t have to answer any more of his idiotic questions.” Your mouth went dry at his words, and Lando’s face turned a rose colour. As if all air conditioning had been turned off on a hot summer’s day.
“Excuse me?” You’d lost your appetite, making your curiosity the only reason you had to stay. That and your appreciation for Max having paid for the dinner that was supposed to serve as a celebration.
“I- um…” Lando was reasonably hesitant to say anything.
“Well… I was just referring to his constant flirting. I didn’t believe it was deep or anything but… um… you know what? This was nice, Max. Truly. I think I’d like to get home. I’m absolutely drained.” You sighed with a screwed smile on your lip. You gathered your things and pushed your chair in. Despite your friend’s heavy protests, you left and got a cab for yourself. 
Leaving on an empty stomach hadn’t been the plan, so you had no choice but to stop by a grocery store. Many in the area had salads ready to go. It was no five-star meal, but it had to suffice.
Of course, you felt awful for leaving early, but you knew you couldn’t let yourself stray away from your goal. Lando was attractive, you couldn’t stand there and lie to yourself, but that was all the more reason to stay away. Well, besides the point that you barely knew the guy. The flirtatious comments and borderline creepy behaviour were nothing to you. It wasn’t anything you wouldn’t be able to ignore. As long as he stayed out of your way.
Except he didn’t.
The following morning, you had a couple of missed messages from Max. He’d been worried after you took off. You were too frazzled and in a hurry to respond. There was no time left before the briefing back at the motorhome. Being punctual meant that you showed an interest. It meant that you showed passion. You were not going to let some silly McLaren driver ruin it for you. That was simply not your style and would never be.
When you got there, everyone was already gathered. They’d been waiting for you to arrive. Honest, but embarrassing mistake. You wanted to let out a slew of self-insulting jabs. Lucky for you, it didn’t last too long, and you were on to start prepping for the race.
“Hey, are you okay?” A certain Dutchman tapped your shoulder and spun you around when you weren’t responsive. The look he saw in your eyes spoke volumes. Notes that you wish weren’t easily revealed. The eyes didn’t lie. They never did.
“I’m fine, I just really want to focus on winning. I don’t have time for whatever Lando is trying to drag me into.” You sighed as the two of you walked to the motorhome.
“Look, I know you haven’t known him for long, but maybe try to get along with him? You don’t have to accept his shitty flirting. He’s my best friend and so are you… it’s really awkward that you can’t even be around him.” True. You had acted somewhat irresponsibly, but you certainly weren’t the only guilty party in that. 
“Fine, but under one condition. You tell him to stop being so flirtatious with me. I hate it.”
“Deal.”
The race ended with a lucky pole position. Somehow, you’d gotten away with defending yourself from none other than your little McLaren fan. As much as you enjoyed your national anthem being played and spraying champagne— you felt so empty. It felt like a worthless celebration. All because you knew you’d been underperforming. You hadn’t given it your all, yet Lando still kept behind you. Of course, with Max behind him, there was nothing for you to worry about. Both drivers were amazing when it came to defending their place, but you just couldn’t understand how he hadn’t gone for the win. It was right there. Right within reach. It was so close, his beautiful curved lips could touch it. It didn’t make sense to you, nobody would be stupid enough to sacrifice coming out on top. You didn’t believe it. You simply didn’t even want to.
Lando became unavoidable. As more races were won by you and some by Max, it was finally time for the summer break. 3 weeks of much-needed rest.
… what you thought would be a relaxing 3 weeks, turned out to be the most stressful weeks of your life.
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Max had texted you on short notice to come over for dinner, as Kelly had made too big of a batch of gnocchi. Since you lived walking distance from him, you didn’t see any harm in coming over. Kelly wasn’t exactly your favourite person in the world, but it wasn’t like she was insufferable. She was still a nice person… somewhat.
Max greeted you at the door, having Penelope run up behind him to say hi. You might’ve not been the biggest fan of her mother, but she was such a cute little thing. You took her up into your arms and smiled,
“Hi there ‘P’!”
Your smile quickly faded though. The Brit from McLaren came into view from behind Max, and it was almost as if all of your spirits had been sucked out of you like the marrow of a bone. It was something of a consolation, however, that he stayed silent. He just stood there and watched as you played around with Penelope. The toddler was full of energy.
“Come come, the gnocchi is ready.” You put the girl down and followed them into the dining room. Kelly had plated everything and had taken the liberty to sit across from Max. You had no choice but to sit next to her. It wouldn’t exactly make sense for her to be sitting next to Lando.
“Kelly, I must say you are an amazing cook, this looks fantastic!” Fake it until you make it. In all honesty, though, she was a great cook.
“Thank you. I’ve been practicing lately.” It felt like deja vu when the couple got into talking. There was just you, Lando, and Penelope.
“I think I should apologize for… everything?” Lando suddenly spoke. You scanned his face, his hair, his outfit. Were you in trouble? Perhaps.
“You know what, Kelly? I think I’ll help tuck Penelope in!” You got up from your seat and politely put down your cutlery.
“Oh, sure. Thank you. It’s way past her bedtime.” She smiled at you and signalled for Penelope to come with you before she turned back to Max.
Lando had the guts to follow you into Penelope’s bedroom. He watched as you lifted the little girl up into your arms and placed her carefully on the duvets that covered her bed. She was already in her pyjamas, which made your job all the more easy. He took the chance to sit next to you on the bed, as you stroked the toddler’s cheek.
“Are you really going to avoid me forever?” He said in a quiet whisper, not wanting to disturb the girl from dozing off into the gentle night.
“You’re a fool if you let relationships taint your path to victory… in my opinion.” You turned your head to look at him. The moonlight shining from the gaps in the blinds complimented his dancing eyes. They looked at you. Your figure. Your facial features. They admired you as if you were a priceless piece of art at a gallery.
“You must’ve led a pretty sad life up until now.” He wasn’t right. You’d been around love and laughter for the better part of your life. You weren’t that lonely… were you?
“Lando… we don’t even—”
“Don’t tell me we don’t know each other. You know me and I know you. This isn’t like all those months ago. We’ve been in social settings together more than I can count on my fingers. You and I know each other.” He was obviously desperate. It made sense when thinking of the massive crush he’d had on you thus far. You did feel a tinge of guilt knowing you had to turn him down no matter what.
“Lando, please don’t do this.”
“I apologize for being so forward, okay? How about we begin with a friendship, huh? That’s what Max would want anyway.” He wasn’t wrong. That’s what Max had asked of you several months ago, but you’d only been distant.
You got along with everyone pretty well. Mick was someone you would chat with every time you saw him on race weekends. Sebastian was like an older brother. Lewis, although your biggest competition, was a good buddy too. You were always hanging around Pierre and Kika too. There were no hard feelings between you and pretty much all of the other drivers. Except for Lando.
As much as you hated admitting it, Lando’s charms had taken a massive effect on you. His flirtatious little comments were nothing short of annoying, but you loved the banter. You loved his energy, his radiant laugh whenever Max would hurl jokes his way. You loved his smirk whenever you rejected his advances.
Over just a couple of months, you found yourself needing to avoid him. So you did. As more time passed, Lando must’ve started to notice, because he dialled his game up by the tenths. Avoiding him became an impossible mission. He seemed to be everywhere. If you went to the Red Bull motorhome, he was there with Max. If you went to the garage, he was there with Max. Even on-track he was right behind you in your slipstream. He was always chasing you. You only had one other option left— to act completely apathetic and aloof. Which brought you right to the confrontation in front of a little toddler trying to fall asleep.
“Just leave me alone. I don’t want you here. Just go, okay?” Your heart clenched as he gave you a disappointed smile.
“If that’s what you want.”
That night you couldn’t fall asleep. It was impossible. Whilst you didn’t harbour any real feelings for Lando, you knew you’d fall hard if you spent any more time with him. Your mind was supposed to be focused on winning, but instead of that— you were stuck on him. You didn’t want to fall for him. You didn’t have time for that. There was only one person that mattered, and that was you. Only you.
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“Is he really that bad?” Kika asked as she took a sip of her coffee, placing it on the plastic coaster on the wooden table. You’d invited her over for a sleepover of sorts. Mainly what became an accidental therapy session,
“You know, I came here to Monaco to explore. Why are we sitting here and sulking? Lando isn’t all that bad.”
“Yes, Kika, he is! He keeps trying to get close to me, and when I reject him he makes me feel so guilty for doing so.” Your face was squished against the table, signalling your utter defeat in the matter. You were at a complete loss. You didn’t know what to do anymore.
“Sounds to me like you have a thing for him, no?” Kika was a voice of reason in many situations, but this was not acceptable to you. Denial and delusion was the only solution.
“Never. I want to win a championship, not go fool around with some British guy from a midfield team.” Harsh, but you had to say it. Saying it didn’t exactly have an effect on the situation, but it made you feel better.
“I don’t see any quick fix to this, honestly.” You groaned at her words, wanting your misery to end.
“Come on, relationships take time. I should know, I’m with Pierre.” Pierre wasn’t Lando though. She and he were meant to be. It was as if they were put on the planet to be with each other. You, on the other hand, were put on the planet to win. Lando was nothing but a meaningless distraction.
“Fine, I’ll help you out,” she finally said and sighed. You sprung up and looked at her with wide eyes,
“Really?”
“Really. Now listen. I’ll set up a double date thing, okay?”
“Wait what? No! Kika, no. That’s only going to make it worse. Why would you do that?” Your head dropped again.
“Look, do you want my help or not?”
“I do…”
“Then let me do my thing, and sit tight.” It was her win. You just wanted to get Lando out of the way. Any lengths were necessary if it meant being able to blow right past the Brit.
A week passed before the supposed ‘double date’, and you were not feeling it one bit. Lando wasn’t even all that close with Kika and Pierre. Not as close as you were. You’d end up being the only reason he’d have to stay.
Sadly you realized that fact too late. You were sat with Kika and Pierre at a fancy seafood place down by the harbour. Lando had noted that he’d be late, which gave the three of you some time to discuss some last-minute details. It was imperative that he’d be completely out of the equation by the end of the date.
It wasn’t so much the question of whether or not you’d fallen for him. No, it was whether you could ignore it altogether. Completely shut out any little squeak from your heart when it tugs at the sight of him. Which is just did.
You saw him walking through the door with a casual, but not too casual outfit. His curls were slightly slicked back and his smile was as radiant as ever. You couldn’t stand the sight of him. It was repulsive. Was it not? It made you sick. Did it not?
When he took a seat next to Pierre, across from you, it was hard to not look at him. Oh, but how badly you wanted to. Then again— you didn’t. You hated the fact that Kika had some diabolical plan in mind. One that probably went against everything you stood for.
“Well! Now that Lando’s here, we should order appetizers!” She pulled out the menu and casually looked through the variety of foods.
Whilst she ordered for the four of you, Pierre gave you a nervous look and slightly peered over at Lando, who luckily had his nose buried in his phone. Likely some business stuff. You could only mouth ‘What do I do?’ to which the Frenchman replied with a shrug and a miserable look on his face. He knew just as much as you, that this date would end up in a knot of awkward silences and unfinished sentences.
“Lando, I didn’t think you’d actually show up. You know, given this girl’s obvious distaste for you.” You nearly snapped your neck, as she pointed at you. Oh, how you wanted someone to interrupt your date. Anyone. Lando put his phone away, sighed, and looked at you with a small smile, before giving her a reply,
“I don’t care if I’m being completely honest. I’ve done it for months. I can go for years if I have to.” Kika had seriously misinterpreted Lando’s intentions and how badly he actually wanted you. Your version of the situation had him painted in an entirely different light after all. You made him out to be some meaningless player. Which, by the sound of things, wasn’t his style at all.
“I was under the impression he was trying to play you! That’s why this date would’ve worked out to get him off your back. What is this?!” Kika whisper-yelled. Everything was messed up. Way off course. The plan had gone to shit within less than an hour.
“Well… I really don’t like him, so isn’t there something you can do?” You whispered back. The two of you both realized that the guys were able to see you whispering back and forth, so she hauled you into the ladies’ room. It was quiet and nobody would disturb you.
“Do you want the truth or a sugar-coated lie?” She asked, resting a hand on her hip.
“The truth?” You were conflicted though. Did you actually want the truth? Did you already know it? Did you perhaps just bury it deep within the darkest chambers of your pitiful little lonely soul? Were you so obsessed with rising to the top, that relationships truly didn’t matter?
“You like him. No, it’s more than just an infatuation. You’re head over heels for him. The way you looked at him when he walked in? I saw it. Pierre saw it. The waiters saw it! Open your eyes.” Hearing it from another person really put things into perspective, and it didn’t sit right with you. All your life you were used to pushing people away. Silly little childhood crushes would stay exactly that; crushes. You never let anything go beyond the first stage.
“Kika… I don’t know,” you groaned and turned on the faucet, splashing some water on your face.
“Come on, let’s get back to them. They’re waiting for us.”
After sitting back down, Lando tried to give you a curt smile. It was awkward and the pressure was rising. It was hard to stay within 10 feet of the guy.
“I remember when I first started falling for Pierre. It was really something… how about you, Lando? When did you start having a thing for her?” Oh please, Kika seemed too determined to let it go. A part of you liked that, but the other part felt its gut screaming in agony.
“It’s been more than a year or so now, actually… it’s a little hard to explain.” With that, you couldn’t handle it anymore. You apologized and left the setting abruptly. It was far too much for you, and you just knew your heart would give out.
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As you walked out of the restaurant and started looking for a cab, you heard footsteps running after you, with the calling of your name soon following right behind. You knew exactly who it was, but you didn’t know if you were ready for that conversation.
“Please don’t. Don’t leave again.” You turned around to see a very desperate-looking Lando. 
“Lando, do you know how embarrassing that was for me?” You sighed and rolled your eyes as if you were a bratty teenager being denied the latest fashion statement dress.
“What?”
“Even I didn’t know it had been a whole year and more than that! You were seriously going to tell them all about your weird little obsession with me! Don’t you see how embarrassing that is for me?” The curly-haired brunette looked reasonably upset by your words. They cut deep like a dagger to the chest.
“I’m sorry, okay? I was just being honest. It felt like an interrogation. I was uncomfortable and just had to say something… well… the truth. It was really as if Kika wanted to know my intentions, though.” How was the guy so spot on?
“Lando, just leave me be and go back to the others. We can live our separate lives. I don’t want to be near you right now.” You didn’t want your face to reveal any underlying feelings, so you buried your gaze in the asphalt.
“Why don’t you go ahead and look into my eyes whilst you say that.” Your heart stopped. Lando was simply impossible.
“Lando, just let me go. I don’t want you and if you can’t accept that— I don’t think there’s any space for a friendship either.” This time, he went to hell with it and cupped your face with both hands. You could feel the warmth pulsating in each palm, sending jolts down your spine.
“There’s no reason to treat me like this if you can’t even say it straight to my face.” He held you too tightly for you to look away from him. All you could see was the genuine despair in his eyes. The little hope he had left was slowly slipping the more you denied and denied and denied.
“Lando if you don’t let go of me right now…”
“What are you going to do? Distance yourself from me? Isn’t that what you've been doing this whole season? Do you think you’re invisible? I’ve seen you. I saw you on the podium. I saw you on the screens. I saw you in the magazines. Just because you run away, doesn’t mean you get to go the easy way out. No, you’ll know that I—“ Fuck. Your brain was struggling to scramble everything together. All you could think about was those sweet eyes of his. Those curly locks. That desperate look on his face.
“Just let me go… please.” The overload of sensory input sent a single tear streaming down your face. Lando, seeing this, immediately let go of you, making sure he hadn’t hurt you in some way.
“I’m so sorry. I really am.”
“I know…” You quickly wiped the salty drop of truth away and put on yet another jester’s face.
“Please, can you tell me why you hate me so much? I just need closure. I just can’t find it in myself to believe that it’s because of my flirtation.” He’d given you space to breathe and space to think.
“I don’t hate you…”
“Then why do you keep leaving? Why are you avoiding me?”
“Because I’ll fall in love with you if I don’t… and that’s not what I want to do.” It was hard to read his face, but it was certainly portraying some kind of relief. You confirmed it when he pulled you into his chest. The sound of his heartbeat matched the pace of yours. Fast and relenting.
“Please, could you give it a chance? Give us a chance?” He pulled away, grabbed you by the hips and looked deeply into your eyes. The window to your soul.
“I just told you… that’s not what I want, Lando…” You were just about to give the ground another look at your face when Lando grabbed you by the chin,
“I know you’re obsessed with winning. I heard from Max. I won’t compromise that. I promise. It’s just… I need you in my life, and now that I know you feel the same way… I can’t just sit back and watch you slip away.” He was making it harder than you wanted him to. He had a point and you chewed on it.
“Fine… but you better let me win. At least for the remaining races of this season.”
“Sounds like you’ve got yourself a deal.” He smiled. It was as if time stood still, as you’d eyes closed with his— your lips touched his with a certain birding falling off your back along with it. His lips were like a cure. They were soft and delicate. Not something you expected, but the feeling was certainly welcome.
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The season had ended with you as the champion. The party that was held was unlike the others. It was your party. Not Max’s. Not Lewis’. It was yours and yours alone. People cheered your name and toasted in your honour. You felt like you were on top of the world. More than anything though, Lando held you in his arms that same night. He showered you with congratulations and compliments. Even going as far as buying you a bouquet of roses. The club smelled of alcohol and cheap perfume, but all you could smell was the woodsy and warm scent of Lando’s cologne. You were practically engulfed in it throughout the entire night.
He took you on an official date a week later, waiting for the season to fully conclude. Mostly due to the stress of packing and making it back home.
 It was a picnic in one of the many British marshes. Everything was home cooked. Well, you’d cooked everything and he had bought the wine. It was a win-win. You’d done everything overnight, as you wanted to arrive early into the morning.
You’d spread out the checkered tablecloth for you to sit on, opened the basket, and prepped everything. Lando opened the aged wine and poured you a glass before he poured his own— a true gentleman. You swirled your wine around, watching it hit the rim of your glass before you took a sip.
“For once, you aren’t running off before we eat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dine, even with all the dinners we’ve had together,” your boyfriend chuckled and handed you a chocolate-covered strawberry. You took a bite of it to show off that you, in fact, were able to stay and eat. It stirred a little chuckle from him. He then mimicked the exact way you ate it and gave you another one after you finished yours.
You leaned against your lover’s shoulder, feeling his arm wrapped around your waist. The two of you watched the yellows, the oranges, and the reds in the sky as the sun started its ascension far into the horizon. It was mesmerizing. Truly. You admired the view, taking in all of life’s pleasures, and listened as the mourning doves cooed the same old nostalgic tune from your adolescent years. There was no place you’d rather be, and nobody you’d rather be there with, than with Lando Norris. The one, who through one too many races, was right in your slipstream.
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𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻...
𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚!
𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩
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©vettelsdarling
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺— 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
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mysticfalls01 · 10 months
Text
Romeo & Juliet
(Misa Rodríguez x reader)
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Playing for Barcelona and dating a Real Madrid player has been something crazy.
Before playing for Barcelona, you played for Atletico de Madrid for their B team where you met the love of your life, María Isabel Rodríguez or better known as Misa.
From the moment you met her you were head over heels for her, you asked her out 6 months after meeting her and you guys officially started dating a month later.
Misa is the extrovert to your introvert persona, she is the light you see at the end of the tunnel. Misa and you complemented each other perfectly, she brought out your best qualities. Dating Misa has been the best thing ever, it wasn’t a secret that you guys were dating as your Instagram page basically became fan account for her.
Everything had been a bliss until the season 2020/2021. You guys knew that if you wanted to grow as a professional player moving from Atletico was the best decision as both of your contracts ended. When the news about your decisions to move from teams came out the both of you received offers from multiple teams.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Cuddling in the living of your shared apartment in Madrid the both of you knew that it was needed to have “The Talk” about your futures.
“Mi amor, ayer me marcó mi representante y me comentó las ofertas que ha recibido” (Mi love, yesterday mi agent called to tell me about the offers that he has received) Misa said enthusiastically.
“That’s amazing baby!” you said matching her energy.
“En cuanto me mencionó el nombre de un equipo le dije que ese era, que los demás no me interesaban” (As soon as he mentioned a particular team, I told him that that was the team, that I didn’t want to hear more) she said, you could see how her eyes shined with determination
“Mi vida, I also recently talked with mi manager, and I also have a preference for a particular team” you answered her
“How about this mi amor, we count until three and we mention the name of the team” she said with a grin on her face
So, the both of you started counting before saying the team’s names.
“1, 2, 3”
“Real Madrid”
“Barcelona”
As soon as each other heard the name of the other person’s team you guys stared at each other with wide eyes knowing what it meant.
Each one of you were joining a different side from the most important rivalry in football.
Silence was all that was heard in the apartment until you decided to talk.
“Mi vida, I know what this means. I haven’t accepted the offer yet. For you I could join another team” you said with a soft voice.
Misa turned towards you and with her finger on your chin she turned your face towards her own face.
You were looking at her brown eyes when she spoke “Amor, one of the best teams in the world wants you to join them, I couldn’t ask you to do not join them.”
She made a brief pause before talking again. “I know that I’m joining Real, it’s a totally new team but it’s my dream to be there when one of the best organizations can fight against the best teams in the world, I want to help them to achieve that goal. I promise you that nothing will change our relationship even the legendary rivalry won’t be able to change it”
Her words and her confidence only made you love her even more.
“And don’t worry mi amor, I’ll talk with Ale and Jenni as I’m sure that you will need your extrovert person there” she said with a wink.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
When the announcements of both of your signings came out the fans were quick to give you guys new nicknames “Romeo & Juliet” with Misa being Juliet and you being Romeo.
Sticking true to her word she talked with her national teammates Alexia and Jenni. They received you with open arms and made sure to make your arrival as smooth as possible not without being teased for dating one of their closest friends.
As time passed the both of you adapted to your new teams, each of you were in love with your teams.  You guys talked with each other in a daily basis and traveled to each other’s city when it was possible.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Before you knew it the game that you had been dreading all season was about to happen. The first ever women’s “El Clásico”.
When you saw that next week’s game was against Real Madrid you were regretting choosing to be a striker and not a midfielder or a defender, your job was going to be to score against the love of your life.
Alexia and Lieke, your national teammate, noticed that you were more quiet than usual. You were a quiet person but you had never reached that level of quietness so, the both of them approached you in the team’s bus which was on the way to the field.
“Romeo! Is everything alright?” Alexia asked while sitting next to you.
“Oh, hola Ale. Si, everything is alright”
“Don’t lie to me Romeo, I can see it on your face how worried you are” Alexia said softly.
“Yeah y/nn, you are quieter than usual. We just want to help you” Lieke said.
You were so in your own head that you didn’t heard Lieke arriving.
“We are playing against Real Madrid” was all you said.
“Yeah?” Lieke said having not yet realized what you were talking about
Ale being the intelligent woman she is she realized why you were so worried. “It’s Misa isn’t it y/n”
“Ja”
Lieke was the first one to hug you with Ale following her action.
“y/n you know that Misa will love nothing more than you giving your all”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
You had never been more nervous than the moment when you were in the tunnel, even if you weren’t starting the nerves were still there.
Before going to the bench you felt a hand quickly taking you away from the crowd. When you turned around to see who took your hand you saw your favorite brown eyes, it was Misa.
“Amor!” Misa said while giving you a hug. You quickly put your face on her neck and hugged her. She could how fast your heart was beating.
“Amor, Ale told me how nervous you are” she softly said.
All you could do was to nod your head still hugging her as you were seeking for her comfort.
“y/nn you know that whatever happens on that field will not change our relationship, the love that we have for each other”
“I know mi vida but what if I score against you, what if I make the winning goal, what if…” before you could continue she gave you soft kiss to stop your rambling.
“Baby, calm down. We knew that sooner or later this game would happen. You already have scored against me with our nationals teams so calm down, everything will be alright” she said.
Before you could answer Olga interrupted you. “Misa! It’s time to line up. Hurry up!”
“y/nn remember nothing will happen. Te amo mi amor”
Before she left you told her “También te amo Misa!”
At that moment you couldn’t had been more grateful to Ale as she knew that the only person who could calm you down was Misa.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
You entered the game as a sub in the 55th minute and 9 minutes later you scored, the moment the ball hit the net you felt your teammates enthusiastically jumping on you celebrating your goal however, you didn’t celebrated it and all you could see was girlfriends stressed face as the score went up to 0-3 with Barcelona winning.
As soon as the game ended went to where Misa was.
“Congratulations my love” she said softly, you could hear the pain in her voice
“I’m proud of you Misa” was all you said while you hugged her.
You guys hugged for some more minutes until Lieke got behind you and spoke in Dutch “Romeo, I’m sorry to interrupt but you were chosen for media duties”
You sighed before answering back in Dutch “I’ll be there in a minute Lieke”
After she left Misa, for the first time since the match ended, laughed “All I understood was Romeo mi vida. I see that they also have been bothering you with the Romeo and Juliet nicknames huh”
“They haven’t stopped calling me Romeo since we arrived my Juliet” you said with a fake annoyed voice
“I must leave Misa but expect me in your apartment later tonight. Jonatan knew how much this game was taking a toll on me and gave me a few days off.”
“I’ll be expecting you there mi amor!”
You started walking away towards Lieke and when you reached her you gave her a side hug and spoke in Dutch so no one else could understand “Lieke could you go out with me to buy the ring. I think it’s moment to take the next step with my Juliet”.
You knew that there were going to be more games between Real Madrid and Barcelona however, your love was stronger than the most legendary rivalry in football.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Misa deserves so much love. She is such an amazing and my favorite goalkeeper.
I'm taking more requests for Madrid players so don't be shy!
456 notes · View notes
chefkids · 3 months
Note
thoughts on this article: https://dnyuz.com/2024/06/29/the-bear-jeremy-allen-white-explains-why-carmy-daydreams-of-sydney/
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Sorry but I refuse to believe that Carmy finds peace in Sydney because she's just such a wonderful coworker. His panic attack in Season 2 was about his relationship with Claire and his family, nothing at all work related. He was not thinking about "Wow Sydney has some serious cooking skills!" there. He thought of the first time her met her, and when she came back to him when he thought she was gone forever. He has also worked with the best chef's on this planet with far better skills than Sydney, many of whom were calming and supportive presence in his life.
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In Season 3 the thing that sets him off is seeing an imagine of meeting Claire in his mind. Then he is reminded of his fight with Richie.
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He tries to think of The French Laundry and then Noma to calm down. Then he tries to think of Nat at Marcus's mom's funeral.
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And only after that when Sydney talks to him he calms down. He's always stressing about work, in that moment the trigger was Claire, not work, and the peace was Sydney. Not because she is helping him do his job or work, but because her presence brings him peace and pulls him away from what causes him anxiety, which is remembering Claire who is tied in his mind to so much family trauma.
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You can't shoot down what was already written! Carmy took Claire to Sheridan Road and Post Office like UPS, those are both tied to Sydney. He made her Sydney's pasta that led to her coming to him. He had a far more intense and passionate moment with her under the table making promises of prioritizing her over his girlfriend, never letting her fail, promising to always be there for her, giving her the most thoughtful gift one could imagine. Far more than he has ever had with Claire.
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So what he's trying to say is that they have this deep cosmic connection, intense passion, and she brings him peace and happiness and security but the only thing he could never possibly have is any form of physical attraction towards her? That Sydney can meet all of his emotional needs and work needs and share the same interests and goals and passions. But Claire will always win at the end of the day, in spite of the lack of peace she actually brings him and there being seemingly no actual shared interests between them, because he just wants to sleep with her? Like...
1. I don't buy that Carmy has absolutely no possible interest in Sydney in terms of physical attraction.
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2. If that's genuinely the case, and this is all ending with her either leaving forever and Carmy giving up or staying as his calming sidekick while he's endgame Claire, it is basically putting Sydney in some sort of black woman savior trope for him whose purpose is to serve him and his story and his progress while remaining undesirable, while also simultaneously giving her nothing back because he can't uphold any promises to her cause he's too damn busy thinking of Claire.
If they wanted to keep them platonic they could have done so after Season 1 without constantly drawing comparisons between Sydney and Claire and making her everything he wants and needs except being ya know.... his white girlfriend.
171 notes · View notes
landitolover · 10 months
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𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 part two | previous part ౨ৎ oscar x reader
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WELCOME BACK TO DULCE HOTLINE!
enter your password: ***********
message list !
y/n l/n
lando norris
message y/n l/n?
yes > no
you have sent a message!
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oscar
heyo
y/n l/n
hi oscar
sooo
ur famous.
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oscar
uh yeah
is it gonna be a problem?
y/n l/n
not at all
😆
oscar
you don’t see me
any differently now?
y/n l/n
uhm
no?
i mean, you’re not taylor swift famous….
oscar
glad about that
must be a bit tiring being that famous
y/n l/n
i’d assume 🤔
if u don’t mind me asking
where do u live
oscar
the uk, for the most part
i travel lots though cause of my job
you?
y/n l/n
i’m living in france for a bit
with my two friends 😁
oscar
that’s nice
i like it over there
y/n l/n
yeah it’s quite alright
oscar
how long have you been
living in france?
y/n l/n
not too long
originally i just came here for a wedding
then my friend bought an apartment while she was drunk
oscar
how does one buy a whole ass apartment
while being drunk 😭
y/n l/n
honestly
i have zero clue
kinda funny tho
tell me more about yourself 🥸
oscar
well it’s my first season in formula one
i’m kinda awkward in person
i started karting when i was 10
i prefer dogs over cats
i like tim tams
sorry i don’t know what else to say……
y/n l/n
rookie season, wowie
i’m also awkward in person dw!!
karting at ten? woww i was eating chips on
my bed and watching austin & ally…
dogs over cats……… immediate no 🌝
tim tams are yummy
oscar
it’s your turn to tell me yourself
y/n l/n
okay okay uhm
I’m in uni atm
i have two cats named cinnamon and sugar
oscar
two cats?
y/n l/n
yes yes
oscar
oh! so uhm
how are u on this fine evening
y/n l/n
🌝🌝
very very good
you?
oscar
that’s good
i’m better now that I’m talking to you
y/n l/n
🫣
you’re a flirt, piastri
oscar
🤔🤔
maybe i am
but you like it, don’t you?
y/n l/n
i do
😵‍💫
oscar
i have to go now, sorry
bye :)
y/n l/n
bye oscar!
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y/n ⛄️
guys
he wants me so bad ong
xienma 🛐
dulce hotline guy?
y/n ⛄️
yes yes
okay so
i know a bit more about him now
xienma 🛐
do tell
madeline 🤺
yes, tell us abt ur man!!
y/n ⛄️
okay so he’s an f1 driver for mclaren
so basically just cars??? it’s his rookie season
he started karting when he was 10
he loves tim tams
he prefers dogs over cats 🌝
madeline 🤺
that’s kinda boring
xienma 🛐
leave her man alone 🤓
but dogs over cats??
what ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN?????
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madeline ⛄️
nah fr
he could POSSIBLY be the father of
cinnamon and sugar 🤔🤔🤔 if he likes
dogs more!!!
y/n ⛄️
dw guys
i can change him 🙏🏼
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LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS MAN
madeline 🤺
we’ve lost her to a man
xienma 🛐
aww he’s a cutie
i’m a ynoscar truther!!
madeline 🤺
i guess i’ll support u guys
just don’t let this be like ur old situationship
xienma 🛐
i second that
y/n ⛄️
i won’t guys, trust!!
he seems like a sweetheart
xienma 🛐
well, i hope everything will
work out for you guys 😁
just want u to be happy!
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oscah 🦅
lando
norris
landoh 🤓
yes ?
oscah 🦅
i am so heavily attracted to her
landoh 🤓
dulce hotline girl???
oscah 🦅
obviously
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look how beautiful she is
landoh 🤓
did you insta stalk her mate
….🌝
oscah 🦅
uhm
🤣🤣!!
maybe i did
she has two cats
cinnamon and sugar
landoh 🤓
wow mate
are you going to be a father to cats 😱
oscah 🦅
uhm no
i dunno
🤔🤔
landoh 🤓
how does she feel about like
you being famous
does she care?
oscah 🦅
no I don’t think so
she said i wasn’t “taylor swift level famous”
landoh 🤓
thank fuck you aren’t though
that’s good that she doesn’t really mind
about you being famous 🤔🤔
oscah 🦅
i agree
oh my god
oh my hod
landoh 🤓
what ????
oscah 🦅
she messaged me
oh mgmgod
-&;@2&;@?&2&/_*{+~£|¥_£|¥_
bye
bye
TALK TO U LATER
landoh 🤓
I’m actually SICK
seeing u obsess over a girl
this isn’t you babe 🥺🥺🥺
what happened to landoscar
😭😭💔💔
Read 15:00
WELCOME BACK TO DULCE HOTLINE !
YOU HAVE ONE MESSAGE
y/n l/n has sent you a message
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y/n l/n
hi oscar 🤓🤓
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oscar
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y/n l/n
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oscar
hi y/n :)
also, you’re sending me all these memes of myself
so does that mean i’m in your camera roll?
y/n l/n
woah
oh
yeah you kinda are.. taking over my camera roll
didn’t even realize
oscar
wow are you already obsessed with me?
y/n l/n
uhm
i don’t think so, piastri
maybe YOU’RE the one obsessed with me!!
oscar
are you trying to use reverse psychology?
clever girl
y/n l/n
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clever girl?? i’m blushing
oscar
wasn’t my intention but i’m glad
bet u look cute
y/n l/n
you’re insane for saying that
lord.
oscar
sorry sorry
y/n l/n
yeah no it’s fine
just !
😵���💫🤔
oscar
quick topic change..
you know why i prefer dogs over cats?
y/n l/n
hm no
why?
oscar
cause i’m scared of cats
y/n l/n
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how could you be scared of this baby
oscar
okay well i’m not scared of your cat in specific
just other cats…
y/n l/n
oh so ur biased 🙄
oscar
yes
well
no?
maybe
y/n l/n
you’re never meeting my cats.
oscar
wait no
trust i’ll change for them
y/n l/n
you know what’s funny
you kinda look like a cat yourself
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oscar
oh my god
wait
why do i kinda look like one
y/n l/n
oscar pastry is a cat confirmed
piastri***
oscar
🥐
i’m oscar pastry fr
y/n l/n
wowie 🤓
okay i’m gonna go eat now
#dinner time
oscar
alright, bye
have a nice meal
y/n l/n
byee!
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y/n ⛄️
HIIIIIII GUYSSSS
xienma 🛐
someone’s happy
what’d he do now
y/n ⛄️
he’s just so
sooooo 😍😍
madeline 🤺
we lost her
she’s down deep
xienma 🛐
i think they’re cute idk
pretty good looking couple imo
y/n ⛄️
i think so too, i might be a little biased though…..
do u guys think that men obsess over
girls the way we obsess over them
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like this better be him 🤣🤣🤣
xienma 🛐
GIRL 😭😭
madeleine 🤺
no cause real shit
i wonder if they get giggly n shit
y/n ⛄️
FORREAL U GET ME!!
madeleine 🤺
like do they just go :3 when we message them
xienma 🛐
totally
y/n ⛄️
he totally goes like that when i msg him
he’s so cat coded idk what to tell u guys
madeline 🤺
no wonder y u want him so bad
y/n ⛄️
🌝🌝
xienma 🛐
i’m ynoscar truther forever
madeline 🤺
they barely kno each other 😒😒
THEY MET ON A DATING APP
xienma 🛐
okay girl just cause your little situationship
didn’t work out, doesn’t mean u have to be a hater..!
madeline 🤺
don’t bring that shit up again……
yall fake
y/n ⛄️
woah man
I didn’t say anything
i’m eating dinner!!
and mad, what if he has a cute lil friend 🤫
i’ll set u up 🔥🔥
madeline 🤺
our wag era 😈
y/n ⛄️
ok bye i’m leaving
😴 nap time
xienma 🛐
dream abt oscar xx
Read 16:20
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౨ৎ sorry i didn’t post anything about dulce hotline yesterday, i just couldn’t think of anything to write 😭 i might possibly do a double update, so keep a lookout for that!
taglist, @d6za1 @amoosarte @ch3rryknots @moneygramhaas @alessioayla @cherry-piee @chasing-liberosis if you wanna be added, please comment ౨ৎ
523 notes · View notes
coraniaid · 3 months
Text
It's true that the Buffy writers' answers to the closely related questions "is there a meaningful distinction between a vampire and the human being who was sired to create them?" and "when you get down to it, are vampires basically people?" clearly undergo something of a shift in the second half of the show.
This is a transformation that starts with Buffy's reluctance to stake Willow's vampire alter ego in Season 3's Doppelgangland and continues at pace with the gang's collective reaction to finding out that Harmony has "become" a vampire in Season 4. It's a process that continues as long as Harmony remains a recurring character on the show, until, by mid-Season 5, Buffy (and Buffy) has essentially undergone a complete switch in its view of vampirism. The later seasons handling of vampires are very hard to square with the speeches made by Buffy in Lie To Me ("you die, and a demon sets up a shop in your old house [...] but it's not you") or Giles to Xander [about the late and largely unlamented Jesse] in The Harvest ("you're not looking at your friend: you're looking at the thing that killed him"). Whether this is a change for the better or not is a matter for debate, but that it is a real change that happens is pretty hard to dispute.
It's also true that the writers are obviously increasingly reluctant to show their show's protagonist, the titular vampire slayer, actually going around killing vampires. At least any vampires who've had a chance to establish some sort of personality. How many of the dozen or so named, recurring vampire characters does Buffy actually kill over the course of the show? Not very many.
I make it two in Season 1 (if you're generous and count Luke as a recurring character), one in Season 2 (if you're similarly generous and count Buffy sending Angel to hell for almost three whole episodes as killing him) and ... that's it, right? Somebody other than Buffy kills Darla [=Angel], and Colin the Anointed One [=Spike], and Dalton [=the Judge], and Mr Trick [=Faith], and vamp!Willow [=wishverse!Oz, twice] and Sunday's only-named-in-the script henchvamp Tom [=the Initiative], and Sandy [=Riley], and Spike[=... well, Spike, ultimately, I guess]. Nobody ever kills Drusilla or Lyle Gorch or Harmony, all of whom make multiple appearances on the show and (un)live to the end of the series. And Angel and Spike (and even Darla, eventually and temporarily) all come back after apparently being killed.
Buffy might have a sacred calling to slay vampires, but the show is very uncomfortable about her killing non-human characters who've had a chance to establish themselves as people. Perhaps that's why the show stops having vampiric Big Bads completely after Season 2, and why Season 7 tries to introduce a whole new category of personality-free, definitely-not-people monsters to replace its existing vampires. (Perhaps not entirely succesfully, if we're being diplomatic.)
It's certainly true that the show does not have a consistent take to offer on vampire lore. Like everything supernatural in Buffy, vampires are essentially walking metaphors: and the things that they exist to represent and comment on change and evolve throughout the show's run. Buffy's worldbuilding is not very deep or rigorous.
But what's not true at all, and what I wish people would stop claiming, is the idea that Angel's awkward "well, actually..." when Buffy assures Willow in Doppelgangland that "a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it was" represents some sort of big departure from the show's established or implied lore up to that point. It does not. At all.
In fact, it's Buffy's claim that is at odds with everything that the show has been saying up this point. A vampire's personality has always, always been something that the show wants us to believe is informed by the personality of the person who died to create them, This goes all the way back to Season 1.
In Angel, Giles does tell Buffy flat out that "a vampire isn't a person at all", but he also says that a vampire may have "the memories, even the personality of the person that it took over". In the part of her speech from Lie To Me that I elided earlier, Buffy admits that if you're turned the resulting vampire "walks, and it talks, and it remembers your life" [and the clear implication here is that the vampire walks and talks like the original person did, otherwise what is this supposed to be saying?].
If the show's original position was that a vampire's personality had nothing to do with who they were in life, why would Giles have felt the need to tell Buffy (in Season 1's Never Kill A Boy On The First Date) that Andrew Borba had been on the run for a suspected double murder the night he died and rose as a vampire? Why would he have told her in Season 2's Bad Eggs that the Gorch brothers "massacred a village" before they were vampires? Why would he warn her in Season 3's Helpess that Zachary Kralik was a "criminally insane" serial killer even before being sired as a vampire? If the show -- or even just Giles himself -- really did have the position that a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person they were before death, as Buffy claims in Doppelgangland (and some fans apparently believe), how would any of this make sense?
If we weren't supposed to think vampires inherited at least some part of their personality from their host then why, in The Harvest, would vampire!Jesse still be obsessed with pursuing Cordelia Chase? Why would Drusilla still be driven mad as a vampire as a result of the pyschological tortures that Angel inflicted on "her" when she was a mortal? In Halloween, why would Buffy be trying to find out more about the sort of person Angel was as a human? Why would Willow and Xander still be together in the world of The Wish?
The idea that a vampire inherits the personality of the person whose body they take over [or who they were before "becoming" a vampire, in the later seasons' parlance] isn't any kind of retcon. It's one of the few consistent takes on vampires the show had from beginning to end. Continuity of self; moral standing as a person; capacity for self-reflection and personal growth, whether or not vampires can breathe ... these are the things about vampires the show changes its stance on. But a vampire's personality was always informed by who they were in life, right from the very first pair of episodes.
(Spike and Drusilla being capable of at least some kind of romantic love and mutual jealousy in Season 2 is also not a retcon, incidentally. We saw that with Darla and Angel in Season 1 as well. And even the Master clearly felt emotions and had some sort of affection for his favorites among the vampires that worked for him. Spike and Dru do represent a significant -- and welcome! --change in the tone of the show, but they aren't somehow a walking refutation of what Giles has been telling Buffy (and through her, us) about vampires for the past year.)
I mean, I don't really have a big point to work to here, it's just that I keep seeing takes on my dash about how this particular scene represents a big change in the show's lore about vampires. And that .. just isn't true?
163 notes · View notes
Note
Thank you for your service to the ghoul fucker community 🫡🤠
You mentioned that you have more headcanons for the Ghoul, can you share them with us? NSFW or SFW it is up to you
SFW Cooper Howard/The Ghoul Headcanons 2
(Follow-up to the SFW Prewar!Coop headcanons I posted here.)
I've said this before, but I firmly believe that this man doesn't sleep. Based on what we've seen about ghouls over the course of the franchise, I think that food, water, and sleep are basically optional; something that helps them feel and run better, but not things they can't survive without. With sleep comes vulnerability, both physical vulnerability and the vulnerability of being subjected to dreams. Cooper doesn't want to dream. His unconscious brain isn't nearly as good at shoving all the unpleasant things he doesn't want to think about down as his conscious brain is. The only true "sleep" he gets is when he's been knocked unconscious, whether that be by some enemy of the Wasteland or by one too many substances. He still will typically pick a spot to stop for 5-6 hours a night, put his feet up, get a little extra intoxicated. Sometimes he rests his eyes and feigns sleep when things feel especially calm.
He is a YAPPER! I've seen so many people theorize that for season 2 Lucy is gonna talk The Ghoul's ear off on their walk to New Vegas...I respectfully disagree. Have you ever met an old man? They never shut the fuck up at the best of times and this one has been without real companionship for so long; now that he's got an audience, he's never without something to say. I mean, the man was fancy waterboarding Lucy and standing there monologuing about some shit he read in the newspaper 200 years ago because he's lonely.
This man will absolutley start falling in love with you if you get ANY of his jokes or weird little references he makes to shit that hasn't existed in forever. Even if that's the first time he has positive feelings towards you, he's officially on that path. It would be a moment of genuine human connection, the kind he hasn't felt in so long. Even if it's innocuous, the poor thing is immediately gonna be a little obsessed with you.
Have fun if he DOES start falling in love with you, because initially it'll make him even more unpleasant than he usually is. He's confused at first, then he's annoyed by it when he realizes what he's feeling. He's gone this long without having to deal with that on top of everything else. Both emotions come with a hearty side of frustration and anger, as well as a general defensiveness you won't be able to wrap your brain around until his (reciprocated) feelings eventually come to light.
Marriage doesn't really exist in the same form he knew before, but if he was serious about you, he'd still wanna marry you. Depending on where you come from, whether you're a vault dweller or not, you might not even fully understand what he's asking when he proposes (which he would definitely still scrounge up a ring for, by the way; it wouldn't feel right to him if he didn't give you one). He takes it just as seriously as he took it the first time, and he's determined to be the husband he knows he's capable of being to you.
Not a headcanon so much as a musing, I suppose, but hear me out: what if the duster he wears is from the first person he ever cannibalized (or something similar)? Much to wonder about.
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