#but!! on a more positive note I am very excited!! & I have some friends in aus who are going to some matches so I’ll be living thru them❤️
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maiteo · 1 year ago
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any teams you’re cheering on for the wwc? (if you’re watching)🫶
yes I’ll definitely be watching🤭 i have some fave players & nts that I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on, but for the most part im just looking forward for the games babe
like keep the games fun n fair, no injuries, and I’ll enjoy my time<3
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leclarifies · 1 month ago
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birthday boy
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✰ max verstappen x !bestfriend reader ✰
summary: max doesn't like it when it's race week and you're not there. he's been trying to convince you to quit your job and just come to his races full-time, offering to pay for the expenses but you've refused every single time. you end up surprising him in the singapore gp for his surprise birthday party the grid had arranged for him.
wc: 3.5k
a/n: hi there! this is my FIRST ever published fic and i'm super nervous about posting hjawdhbawjhbdbhawd i've had this idea since maxie's birthday in september but kept it in the drafts and re-edited some things around just to make it cohesive. i have requests open and my masterlist is currently an ongoing wip. thank you for reading!
edit: hello, here's my complete masterlist for anyone who wants to view my other work. thank you for 350 notes btw! i really appreciate it <3
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a ding rings through your phone and at first, you ignore it. 
it’s usually a work text which is why you’re not more alert. it’s a weekend and you genuinely just want to enjoy yourself while watching the race that your best friend is participating in and starting from pole position. 
then another ding, two more follow after that.
your furrow your brows confused, if it was a work text then they wouldn’t be spamming unless it was an emergency. 
you open your phone and you’ve realized you’ve been added to a group chat. 
lily m: hi guys! i’ve created this gc bc some of the boys wanted to surprise max for his birthday!!!!! so i’ve invited most of the drivers and their wags here in case you guys wanted in as well charles: Yes, hello everyone :) kika: yes! we’re so excited <33 all of the wags and respective drivers should be in this groupchat :D 
seeing this groupchat made you confused, yes you were max’s best friend but you were certainly not a wag and very certain that you weren’t a driver. so, you sent a text.
you: hi guys, i appreciate the gesture but i am not a wag and certainly not a driver HAHA
lily m: oh yeah! alex told me to add you bc we thought that you would want to surprise max  considering you guys are best friends HAHAHAH my bad i should’ve clarified
alexandra: welcome y/n! it’s great to have u here :]
you: no worries guys, but max’s birthday isn’t until almost two weeks from now were you guys planning a big party?
charles: I’m not sure what we want to do but considering it’s Autumn break when it’s his actual birthday, we wanted to start early.
lily z: we *could* plan a big party, but what do u think y/n? u know him best
you: i think a big party could suit him best lots of gin & tonic must i add
carlos: HAHA Of course.
the chats continued to flow in as all of the wags and some of their drivers tried to plan what felt best for max’s birthday party. it was a few hours before the race and you had assumed not all of the drivers had their phones on them which explained the lack of texts coming from them, it wasn’t abnormal. they were usually busy with their last minute content for their social media platforms or doing pre-race interviews.
then your phone rang, it was an incoming call.
“hello?” you spoke softly into the phone after picking up, knowing exactly who called.
“hi,” max breathed out softly, you could hear the hustle and bustle of the paddock in the background. max always made it a habit to call you a few hours before the race start, and it warmed your heart to think that he always thought of you before the races.
you didn’t know when the feelings started, was it his seventeenth birthday where he kissed you before his race? was it the promise that he would always be by your side and support you when you got your first job? was it when he convinced you to move to monaco and helped you move in with your sister? was it the soft glances he would shoot your way when you were at the paddock? or was it the small touches he would give when you guys were watching a movie? you didn’t know. all you knew that he was your best friend and you didn’t want to fuck this friendship up. 
“hey, how are you?” you replied, “the pre-race nerves getting to you maxie?”
“never. how’s it in monaco? how are jimmy and sassy?” max had asked, he had asked you to babysit his cats for you and you accepted. you loved nothing more than to watch over his cats while tending to your work.
“s’good. the cats are well-behaved, and i’m lounging in your sim racing gear about to turn it on and experience the race myself,” you joked, knowing that you were nowhere near the sim racing setup that he had for himself.
“i told you not to touch that,” max warned, you could tell he was walking around just by the sound of him talking and being slightly out of breath, “i miss you being here on the weekends, when are you off work?”
“i’m kidding,” you laughed as you got into a more comfortable position on his couch, “i dunno when i’m scheduled for time off again. i also do not have the money to continue to travel around the world to watch your races, max. i am comfortable with watching your races from monaco.” “how many times do i have to tell you that you can fly with me and stay with me while you’re out?” max reprimanded you for even thinking about the expenses, “you could even quit your job and do nothing and i could still have money leftover.”
you hated when he brought that up, he had always brought up the idea of you quitting your job and him helping you through your family’s struggles. you didn’t want to feel like a leech, you knew that his job was stressful enough, you didn’t want to be a stress on him and affect his job. “i am not a leech–”
“you are not leeching if i’m telling you to quit your job and come accompany me through my race schedule. it’s nice to have a support system around…” max’s voice trailed off, “seeing the other drivers with their girlfriends– friends makes me jealous.”
you were quiet for a bit, you’ve had this conversation one too many times with him before. he had told you to just live life and be with him, to stop thinking about the expenses and just be there for him but something about having your entire life being paid for by an extremely rich dutchman just didn’t sit right with you.
“i told you i’d think about it, plus you can invite all of the friends you want. it doesn’t have to be specifically me,” you sighed, rubbing your temples, “it’s not a nice feeling having to rely on someone 24/7 you know. you should understand how i feel as well.”
“i understand,” max sighed as well through the line, then you could hear him a bit farther away talking to one of the staff walking with him, you were assuming that they were on the way to the motorhome, “anyways, i’m on my way to film some content and i just wanted to see how you’re holding up at home."
you hummed back a response, listening intently to what he had to say, knowing that he would want to talk to you more before having to begrudgingly film content for the red bull racing’s social media platforms, “can you at least promise me that you will give me an answer after autumn break?”
you knew that autumn break was after the race he was at right now, which was in singapore. 
“max…” your voice trailed off, you didn’t know if you could make that decision in less than a month, “look, i said i’d think about it–” “but you’ve been thinking about it for three months, isn’t three months enough to make up your mind?” max cut you off, he hated it when you were stalling even though he knew that deep in your heart you would never come and just live off his expenses.
“we’re not having this conversation now,” you huffed, almost feeling frustrated now from max’s persistence, “how about you focus on the race and we can talk about this when you’re back?” “you always shut me out when it comes to hard decisions,” max replied back with the same attitude, “it’s such a bad habit, it pisses me off and it’s not like i’m asking you for a hard thing–” “just focus on the race. it’s your job. let me focus and enjoy mine, please. we can talk about this later when you’re back and you’ll have your answer then,” you almost begged him, you heard him say his goodbyes before shutting off the line. it was too early in the morning for him to be bargaining with you about your job– it wasn’t even bargaining anymore. he was practically begging you to quit your job to come to races with him full-time.
you didn’t necessarily have a hard job, sometimes you would attend the grand prix because you were working under a marketing firm in monaco and that would enable you to come to the races but it wasn’t all the time. your marketing firm worked closely with formula 1, but they had their main focuses and it didn’t allow you to attend and take time off work all of the time.
you estimated that it would be around 3 pm at singapore, which meant it was 5 hours to go before the main race. 
rubbing on your temples was a habit you had when you got stressed and it made you stressed even thinking about quitting your job. you liked your job and your co-workers and the pay wasn’t bad. 
you had basically promised him that you would give him an answer after he got home in monaco which made you make a decision under pressure. a ding from your phone distracted you from the problem at hand.
lily z: @/you how long would it take you to come to singapore? you: woah so suddenly?
kika: we thought we would just celebrate his birthday after the race, since we all can’t be in monaco at his exact birthday date what do u think y/n?
you: i dunno… okay kinda tmi but max has been bugging me about quitting my job to come and accompany him to the races fulltime but i told him i would give him a decision after the race i don’t think i’m ready to make a decision that quickly
alex: damn… we thought that it would be easier to celebrate in singapore instead of planning the party in monaco
you: it would certainly be easier all around but idk if i can face him so soon
lily m: i mean… is quitting ur job to hang out with us 24/7 rlly a bad idea HAHAH
you: honestly i would love to just hang out with u guys and just make it my job but i don’t wanna make it seem like i’m leeching off of max yk…
carmen: hi! i just caught up w everything but honestly, do what u feel comfortable with doing x if u don’t feel comfortable w cmg to singapore, then we’ll make ourselves available at an agreed date in monaco <3
alexandra: yeah, i agree ^^
lily z: honestly it all comes down to u y/n we all want everyone to b comfortable!
you: i don’t wanna be a nuisance, so i’ll take u guys up on that offer
alexandra: yay! so… book ur flight now..?
carmen: u better be ready bbg  HAHAHAH
rebecca: wait what’s happening i just checked my phone
you stifled a laugh at rebecca’s late response but sighed, you guessed it was now or never. 
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you booked the first earliest flight from monaco to singapore, not forgetting about max’s cats and leaving them to your sister who lived together with you a few doors down.
but being on a flight to singapore meant that you had to miss watching the singapore gp altogether, only arriving in singapore at 8 am the next day. 
you yawned and stretched as you got off the airplane, not forgetting to turn your phone back on to see a barrage of texts from max and from the group chat.
maxie <3: P2 Y/n :)  Were u watching? Wish u were here :( 
maxie <3: Hello? Is ur phone off? Why are my texts green?
maxie <3: I’m starting to get worried I texted your sister and she said she had no idea where u are
maxie <3: Can u please answer me, I’m really worried.
you giggled a bit from max’s flood of texts, but you and the girls had discussed that it would be a good idea to surprise him with your arrival in singapore. you told your boss that you were taking paid time off for the week as you knew that you would be traveling with the wags and drivers for the week to celebrate the autumn break.
alexandra and rebecca were the ones to pick you up from the airport, all three of you catching up and gossiping about what happened at the track while you were in the air. 
“honestly, it was crazy to see mclaren finally starting to dominate the track this time of the year. usually we would see ferrari and red bull fighting but i guess they had the better car,” alexandra mumbled as you all sat together in the car.
“i expected max to win, but that’s a bit biased isn’t it?” you laughed, “he complained about the car a couple of times throughout the free practices but i wouldn’t know shit about the car. i’ve never driven one.” “yeah, carlos does it to me all the time and i’m sitting there pretending i know everything about the cars,” rebecca added onto that thought, “like yes babe, i know exactly what you’re talking about because being an f1 wag dictates that you know everything about the car you’re driving.” the three of you laughed.
it wasn’t long before you guys reached the club that you guys planned to have the big surprise party, lily z and m were there with kika and carmen. the boys were keeping max busy for the day.
it wasn’t long before the club was decorated and fit for the surprise party, you had booked out the entire club for the night to celebrate. it was nearing the time that max would arrive with the party of drivers.
“okay, so lando told max that they were celebrating his win again tonight so max shouldn’t be suspicious about what’s going on. considering lando’s quite the party animal,” lily z had told the group as they were sitting around the booth, you nodded and listened along well while guests from the teams were shuffling into the club.
honestly, you were a bit nervous facing max. you didn’t know if you were ready to completely quit your job, but you told yourself that you would talk about it later once the time comes. there wasn’t a point to stress about it now when max was nowhere in sight.
maxie <3: Y/n? Are my texts going through? Where are you?? I’m gonna call your phone flashed to see max was calling you. you picked it up and the first thing you hear was max panicking, “hello? where the hell have you been the past day? why haven’t you returned any of my calls or texts?” “well hello to you too,” you laughed, “i’m sorry about not responding to you, i’ve been busy with work. i’m currently at a work event. congrats on p2 by the way, i couldn’t watch the race because i was at the office.” “don’t ever do that again, you scared the shit out of me,” max breathed out, you could faintly hear the chatter of the drivers behind him.
“what are you doing right now?” you asked, feigning innocence, acting as if you didn’t know exactly where he was and what he was doing right now.
“lando wanted to celebrate his win again tonight so we’re going to a club to party,” max explained, “we’re arriving now, i’ll talk to you again later but you better respond straight away or i’m flying straight home.” “okay, okay. stay safe max,” you clicked the phone off before you signaled everyone to turn off the lights and get into positions to surprise max.
the doors of the club opened to reveal the drivers of the grid.
“why are the lights off–” “surprise!” everyone had shouted as max was front and center, the lights switched on to reveal the birthday balloons and you were there in front of the boys with the wags behind you. his face was priceless, the shock and the realization all hitting him at once. the realization that you were there and you weren’t at a work event but here, in the flesh, in front of him. it made him ecstatic.
you flashed a bright smile to max as he ran and hugged you almost instantly. 
“you’re so sneaky,” max breathed out, you could feel his hot breath next to your ear, making goosebumps rise in its wake, “you made me so worried to only show up here…” you could only laugh and hugged him back tightly, his hug, his touch, it made you feel alive. his touch was electrifying– in a good way. his touches, whether light or full blown hand holding or his arm around your shoulder always lit you up like a lightbulb. 
“i wanted to surprise you– well, everyone did. they thought it would be more convenient for me to come here and surprise you,” you laughed, “so, are you surprised?”
“hell yeah, let’s get this fucking party started!”
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“so, about you quitting your job,” max tried to sneak the conversation in as the both of you were walking to his hotel, you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. they just had a really good fucking party and both of you were quite tipsy but sober enough to navigate your way through the streets of singapore (with the help of google maps).
“you’re a very persistent man,” you laughed as you walked alongside max, shoulders brushing against each other. it was almost 4 am, but you didn’t feel unsafe or scared at all. spending the night with max was what you really enjoyed. he made you feel things that you were scared of addressing, so for now you were going  to enjoy the moment.
“seriously, you told me after the race and this is definitely after the race. so tell me, did you decide what you’re going to do?” max grabbed your wrist to stop the both of you from walking, you guys could see the hotel from this distance but he wanted to sincerely talk to you, “are you going to slave your life away, working from paycheck to paycheck and only coming to my races when you have the time? or are you going to agree with me and just ‘leech’ off of me?”
you sighed and turned to look at max, you couldn’t lie that the life he offered was enticing. not having to work a day in your life and still coming to these flashy grand prix and partying almost every week was a dream for most people and you were most people. “i dunno max, i told you i would give it a thought but you know how i feel about me living off of your money,” you locked eyes with max’s bright blue ones and he stepped closer to you, landing a hand on your cheek endearingly. the way he looked at you full of unconditional love, you couldn’t tell whether it was romantic or platonic anymore. you knew max and you knew that max would do anything for the people you loved and you were included in that list.
“if you’re thinking about family back at home, you know i can always send over some as well right? i know that’s your biggest concern,” max looked deep into your eyes and you could almost feel like he was looking into your soul, “i know you’re scared of leaving your work behind because you still need to support your family back home and you wanna know something? they’re my family too, i would send them money even if you didn’t ask.” max’s other hand found its way to hold yours, “please… just do this one thing for me. i always see the other drivers with their significant others and it pains me to see that you’re the only one not there and breaking your back to work. i just want you to support me and have fun while doing it…”
“max…”
“i’m serious,” max’s face grew ever so close to your own, you couldn’t tell whether the heat on your cheeks was from the proximity of the both of you or from the lingering alcohol, “you know i’d do anything for you and i don’t do that for a lot of people– you’re not a lot of people.”
“if i say okay, will that make you happy?” “the happiest man in the world.”
“consider this a birthday gift then birthday boy,” you breathed out and as you finished you sentence, you felt his lips on your own.
the kiss was electrifying– he was electrifying. his other hand that was clasping your hand softly was now on your other cheek, deepening the kiss. your hands found their way wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.
to a rare passerby, the two of you were just a sweet couple sharing a kiss at 4 am and maybe, that’s what you were.
“you don’t know how long i’ve been wanting to do that for.” “ditto.”
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lavenderchqn · 1 month ago
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synopsis — 4NEMO idol dating scenarios pairing — idol!aether, venti, xiao, heizou, kazuha and wanderer x gn!reader warnings — reader is also an idol in heizou's and wandy's; venti is feeling melancholic (me2, dw king); xiao is in the trenches, a very minor panic attack in heizou's, just regular sad stuff happening in the setting of wanderer's and genuine chaos wanderer but what's new with him; heads up for kpop related language, that's all I think? notes — I have officially called the 4nemo fandom wispies as an homage to the venti wisp, we have to deal with my mistake now.
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The time for your weekly live was nigh. For the past few months, you had taken it upon yourself to spend a few hours streaming some work on Friday. Although it was abysmal to even think about working on a Friday afternoon. Having it be a stream made you more motivated to work. 
Ever since becoming a manager of 4NEMO, you had to grab onto anything to not procrastinate. The role expansion from a producer to a producer-manager hadn’t been treating you kindly. Not to mention it had been a sudden decision, due to their previous manager leaving suddenly after the death of a close friend. You couldn’t have left the boys on their own.
“Good afternoon, Chat.” You opened your stream the same, just like always. Your camera was turned on, showing your business casual self to hundreds of fans. Another perk of forcing yourself to work under the watchful eye of Whispies — the lovely fandom that was here to support the boys. 
“What are we doing today, [Y/N]?” You read the chat message out loud that’s been swimming in the sea of hellos and wishes for productive work. “Just regular stuff, I have some emails to answer. Everything I don’t want to come to on Monday… I guess”
After the initial stream preparations and deciding on the theme of Lofi music accompanying you for the journey, you made sure to remember to put your camera on full screen. If there was one thing you didn’t want to happen, that’d be catching a lawsuit for sharing sensitive information. 
“Gonna work now.” You turned to the camera, putting a fist slightly in the air. “Fighting, everyone.”
With that, you were off — your timer running down from an hour. Very quickly after your first stream, with the decision made alongside your fans, you had all settled on a Pomodoro method. You would work for an hour, taking care of everything possible and having a short break. It would most often turn into a quick Q&A section. 
Looking back, becoming friends with the fans had only done you wonders. By being established very quickly into the career of 4NEMO, they had nothing but support for the time your relationship with Aether has been announced. Oh, that had been a rollercoaster of a day. And let’s be real, the stream of that week’s Friday had been the most viewed one on your channel. 
An email here, an email there… You were absolutely swarmed with emails. Just what on earth was Venti doing to need so many emails answered.
You put your head in your hands, sighing. “I am going to kill you on Monday, you dick.” Whispering to yourself, trying to give away as little as possible. For the sake of the fans, you just couldn’t threaten to murder one of their beloved idols. Especially not Wanderer’s or Xiao’s… If that were the case, you probably wouldn’t even make it to Monday. 
Having decided to calm yourself down with a sip of water, you notice the timer of your phone going down to zero. What a lovely timing, you thought.
“Alright, everyone.” You turn to the camera, your phone in hand. “An hour has passed, it’s break time.” 
The excitement in the messages is apparent. Some fans show up to the stream just for the questions-and-answer segment. At the very least, it’s what the statistics say. You don’t blame them whenever that happens. If you were in their position, you’d probably share the enthusiasm for the possibility of learning more about your favourite music artists from a reliable source. 
“What question do you want to start with?” You ask eyes on the chat box. The first question had always been the one to set the tone for the rest of the section. 
The Chat in question goes into chaos with far too many questions at once. Some of them instantly get deleted by moderators for not abiding by the rules… some of them are unhinged, to say the least. Why of all things they’d want to know the foot size of Kuni’s— Wanderer’s. You had promised to call him by his stage name, you should do that even when thinking.
In an instant, one of the questions pops out to you. “Can you sing your favourite Chimes’ song for us?” You read it out loud. It was the first week that this would’ve made sense. Last week the newest album of 4NEMO came out, featuring solo member songs for the first time. 
You put on a thinking face, fully aware it’s just for show. Ever since starting the work on said album, almost a year ago… It was given which of the songs would be your favourite. 
“I’m no singer, but I could try…” You answer, fully prepared to start singing ‘The Road Not Taken’ by your lovely partner. There’s so much encouragement from the fans, that it’d be a shame not to try. “Don’t laugh at me once you hear it though! It was your idea, guys!” 
Taking a deep breath, you prepare yourself. You imagine the intro part with its beautiful guitars and piano notes. You even mimic playing the guitar.
“Traveling in the nights you've left me in…” Surprisingly, your voice is magnificent for this. You’re surprised at yourself for how good you sound. “I feel you in the last blow of wind…” 
“Even nowhere I can find you out,” You start swaying, imagining your partner singing the song next to you. “The answer is not far off now…” 
You’re so into the song in your head, that you don’t even realise the door to your room has been opened. Don’t notice your lovely partner coming into the frame, shushing the screaming chat. He’s about to make you aware of his existence.
“This journey of ours has been bittersweet…” You stumble back to reality when you realise the voice you’re hearing isn’t yours. Looking around, you finally notice Aether standing right next to you. You roll away from him, surprised to the core. 
“Oh my gosh, you scared me!” You shout, hands at your chest. “What are you doing here?” 
“The voice of an angel summoned me, of course.” He winks at you, still in the frame. “How are you, my Love?” 
“Fucking floored, mate.” You slump down into your chair, embarrassed at the situation. “I didn’t even know you were home.” 
“I just got back… I’m so fucking sore.” He sighs, stealing one of the other chairs in your office and taking a seat. “Remind me to kick Ven in the balls for such a rigorous practice session on Monday…” 
“We’re live, Aether!” Not only was he threatening one of his group mates on a live… he was also destroying his established angelic persona. 
Let’s just say… Venti was not happy on Monday, with either of you.
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It’s close to 1 AM right now. The final concert of their latest tour came to an end around an hour ago. It happened right here, in Mondstadt… his home. The group's biggest tour, one that allowed them to travel all across Teyvat. Looking back, as the leader… and the initiator of the group, Venti should be ecstatic. It’s an enormous achievement no matter how you look at it. He got to perform with some of the closest people in his life and travel the world ending it with a chance to sing right in his place. 
… And yet, at the same time… he’s feeling a little empty. For the longest time, this was their major goal. Now that it has been achieved, what’s more for 4NEMO to work towards to. That’s all that’s on Venti’s mind during their ride to their apartment complex. He’s silent for the entire duration — something that isn’t unacknowledged by the other members. 
“Venti, what’s on your mind?” Kazuha asks, his voice sleepy. “You’ve been silent ever since the concert ended. Surely the resident yapper would have something to add?” 
“I’m doing absolutely fantastic, Kazu!” Venti forces himself to be energetic. If he could, he’d just turn around and go nap… following in the footsteps of Aether and Heizou, who are asleep in their seats. “Just… taking the entire day in.” 
“I see.” Kazuha smiles, turning around and settling into his seat. “Make sure to take care of yourself, whatever is on your mind.” 
Xiao and Wanderer don’t engage in the conversation, most likely too tired to participate. At the very least they don’t comment on Venti’s unusual behaviour further. As much as he appreciates them not prodding into his thoughts… he wishes they would. Just this once. Just so that he doesn't have to be surrounded by all those voices. It’s just… difficult to come up with anything. It’s very loud inside his head. Far too loud. 
Venti gazes out of the car window, watching Mondstadt’s familiar streets blur past as they head back to their apartment complex. The city is quiet at this hour, bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, and yet it feels strangely distant to him. He should feel at home here, in the place that had shaped so much of his identity as both an artist and a person, but tonight... it’s just like any other city, just one of the many they’d visited on the tour.
It doesn’t get better even when the car stops at the entrance to the apartment complex. With the help of Xiao and Wanderer, they all manage to lead their sleepy companions to their flats. Oh, one of the perks of being well-established -  being able to sleep in a place that you don’t have to share with anyone. 
Now that he’s left all alone, prompted to head on to have his deserved rest by the two other awake members, he finally feels the exhaustion enter his body. Had it been any other day, Venti would most likely have taken a bath and had a glass of dandelion wine… Not tonight though. 
As soon as he opens the door to his apartment, he gets reminded of your presence in it. Your shoes are right next to his slippers… Multiple of his oversized jackets that have gotten borrowed for eternity by you… He’s home. Actually home… and not in an all-inclusive hotel. 
It’s for the better. Venti thinks there would be no way for him to fall asleep after a night like this in a stuffy hotel. Truth be told, he’s unsure if he will manage it tonight at all. He feels the immense need to distract his thoughts somehow, anyhow. 
That’s how he ends up on the balcony, his phone in hand. He’s starting a live at almost 3 AM in the morning… He prays that Xiao and Wanderer have joined the other three in going to sleep. Venti would rather not have to deal with their teasing the next time they meet.
In no time a bunch of Wispies are joining, concerned messages pouring into the chat. 
“It’s going to be a short one, don’t you worry lovelies…” He says, his voice hushed. Despite coming so late at night he’s unsure if you’ve fallen asleep yet. Venti predicts you must be out, given the lack of attention he’s been given. 
“To all of you who were at tonight’s concert…” He starts, eyes looking out into the distance.” I hope you got back safely. Safety is a priority, after all.” 
Thanks to a sudden force of wind, Venti’s hair flutters around his face as he continues to speak, his voice soft and calm despite the rush of thoughts in his head. He wasn’t sure why he decided to go live, maybe it was the strange emptiness that had settled in after the concert — something he couldn't explain to his bandmates but perhaps could share with his fans. They’d been with him from the start, after all.
“To everyone who came tonight... thank you,” Venti continues, his fingers absentmindedly fidgeting with the ends of his braids. “You guys made this tour special. Ending it in Mondstadt, my home... it was like coming full circle. But... now that it’s over, it feels strange, y’know?”
The chat instantly floods with responses — some fans expressing their love for the group and their music, others showing concern for his wellbeing. Venti smiled faintly at the screen, feeling the warmth from their concern, but he wasn’t ready to dive into his deeper thoughts just yet. Not here, not now.
He sighed and leaned against the balcony railing, the cool night air helping to clear his head. The lights of Mondstadt twinkled in the distance, casting a soft glow over the quiet streets. It was peaceful, and yet, inside him, there was still this gnawing feeling of incompletion.
“I guess it’s funny,” he chuckled softly, “we’ve been working toward this tour for so long... and now that it’s done, I can’t but feel a little lost. Like, what’s next? What should we work toward now?” He paused, letting the words sink in as he read through the chat. Some Wispies echoed his sentiment, sharing their own experiences of feeling aimless after reaching a big goal. Others reassured him that whatever came next, they’d be there for him and the group, regardless of the route they took. 
Venti took a deep breath. “I don’t know what the future holds for 4NEMO, but I do know this... I’m grateful. For all of it. The music, the journey, and most importantly, for all of you.”
He is about to sign off when a soft sound behind him makes him freeze. The unmistakable creak of a door opening. His heart skips a beat as he glances over his shoulder, expecting to see an empty doorway — only to find you standing there, rubbing your eyes sleepily covered by a blanket. You must’ve been woken by his quiet monologue.
“Venven… why are you out on the balcony at this hour?” You ask, your voice thick with sleep. Venti doesn’t realise it at the time, but it is the introduction… of his lover to 4NEMO fans. He must think quick, not wanting to share more than necessary. 
He waves at the camera, giving a hurried smile to his fans. “Alright, Wispies, gotta go. Need to take care of something!” He ends the live, putting his phone down before turning around to you.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you, my muse…” Venti says softly, running a hand through his hand. “Couldn’t sleep…” 
You step closer, the cool night breeze causing you to try to partially cover him with your blanket. “I could tell. You’ve got that look again… like you’re thinking too much.”
Venti chuckles lightly, still lacking his usual energy. “Yeah, maybe I am.” His eyes meet yours, the usual playful demeanour replaced with something more vulnerable. “The tour’s over... and I thought I’d feel more... complete. But instead, I just feel... empty.”
You join him to lean against the railing as well, your presence grounding him in a way he hasn’t realise he needed. “Maybe that’s normal,” You say after a moment to think. “You’ve been pushing yourself for so long. Maybe now that you’ve reached that goal, it’s okay to feel... off. You don’t always have to know what comes next. The guys are going to help you with that, for sure.”
Venti lets your words sink in, his shoulders relaxing a bit. It’s comforting… getting to hear it was okay to not have all the answers. Since the beginning, he had been the one everyone relied on to keep things moving forward. But maybe, just maybe, it was alright to take a step back and figure things out at his own pace. With or without their support. 
“Thanks,” He murmurs. “I guess I needed to hear that.”
You smile softly, nudging him with your shoulder. “You’re allowed to take a break, you know. The world can wait for a while.”
Venti chuckles again, this time with more sincerity. “Yeah... I guess you’re right.” He takes a look back out at Mondstadt, the weight on his chest lifting ever so slightly. The future can wait. For now, he has this moment, and that was enough.
As you stand together on the balcony, the city quiet and still, Venti finally feels the tension ease out of him. He doesn’t have all the answers, and maybe that is okay. For tonight, being here, with you, is all he needs.
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Whatever was happening today, was nothing short of chaos. Venti — the resident night owl — has been stuck in calls management for the past few hours, and questioned about the mess happening on social media. Xiao was at the epicentre of it, and they all needed the guy to realise whatever was going on. 
Every awake member has done their utmost to try and get ahold of Xiao, without any success. Their last resort would be to visit his apartment… for quite the surprise. 
By the time Xiao wakes up the 4NEMO group chat is in shambles. The poor idols have been trying to summon him for the past hours, their texts and calls going unanswered. He’s unsure what to do first when he sees all the notifications on his phone. 
Once another call screen shows up, he finally answers. It’s Venti, obviously. Perhaps the group leader will enlighten him on what has transpired for the members to be unrestful. 
“—Hello?” Xiao says, unsure.
“Oh my archon, fucking finally!” Venti’s shout makes the man recoil from the phone in an instant. “Have you seen the fucking video yet?” 
“For fuck’s sake, lower your voice down… What’s up?” Xiao answers, looking at the asleep person in his bed. You’ve decided to stay the night after the date you had yesterday. He takes a second to think about what video Venti is even talking about. 
As far as he’s concerned, it has to be the ‘making of’ their latest comeback… It’s been almost three weeks, meaning it was high time for it to be released.
“What happened?” Xiao asks once more, unnerved at Venti’s silence. Shit must’ve seriously hit the fan if Venti was giving him the silence treatment. He takes a second to think about what could’ve happened in the making of video of all things. He remembers you were there working as a movie producer… Was he in trouble due to something you’d done? 
“Just…” Venti’s voice is numb, overwhelmed by the situation at hand. “Check twitter, would you.” He commands before hanging up. 
Xiao blinks at his phone, the call abruptly ending with Venti’s cryptic demand. The sudden tension in his voice felt completely out of place, especially after such a peaceful night. He glances over at you, still fast asleep beside him, your face serene in the morning light filtering through the window. Whatever this was, it could wait... but clearly not for long.
He opened Twitter to a mess of being the star of trending tags. Not only him… You were also there, dubbed as ‘Xiao[Y/N]’. That was most certainly bad. The fans were not supposed to know about your relationship. What the fuck was going on? 
Xiao hesitates a little before clicking to see what the deal is about. Maybe he's still dreaming. He wishes that was the case. His fingers hover over the trending tag. His heart is pounding in his chest, as anxiety creeps up his spine. He takes a deep breath before finally clicking on it. As the page loads, he’s met with an abundance of videos, comments, and screenshots. At first glance, it feels like utter chaos — the group’s fans are divided into theorising about your relationship, defending and attacking almost equally. 
After a lot of scrolling, he finally sees it — one video with a particularly high number of notes. As soon as he clicks to see it, it all starts making sense. It’s the one scene Xiao had asked the editors to leave out the video… still in their newest release. 
After multiple takes, the producers had announced that they finally got the shot. 
“What do you think?” Xiao asked, coming up to you, swiping the sweat from his forehead. Solo scenes always made him nervous. Especially those where he was supposed to look attractive… and borderline sultry. If he had to pick a singular thing that absolutely enraged him, it was the constant need to pander to their fans. 
“Very hot,” You answered, taking a look at him. You know you had gotten extremely lucky by getting into a relationship with such an attractive guy like Xiao… There were so many fans wishing they were in your spot, writing fanfiction just to get a crumb of what you had a daily intake of. “You gotta wear your hair pushed back more often.” 
Your comment intrigued Xiao. Perhaps getting to work with an idol group for the first time, not to mention one your partner was in, was bringing out your weird thoughts. “Oh really?” He could engage in a little bit of teasing, why not. His eyes didn’t leave yours as he combed his hand through his hair. 
From the faint hotness that crept onto your cheeks, he knew of the effect he had on you. Unfortunately for him, you were not the only one observing his motions. 
“Get a fucking room, you lovebirds!” Heizou shouted from the other end of the shooting venue. This had gathered the attention of the remaining 4NEMO members, who out of nowhere became extremely interested in Xiao’s solo scenes… And with them, the camera followed in your direction.
It’s all there… in it’s full glory. “Fuck,” Xiao curses under his breath. He feels a sudden rush of cold, realising exactly why Venti sounded so panicked. This wasn’t just a minor breach of privacy — it was a full exposure of a relationship everyone involved with 4NEMO had been desperately trying to keep hidden. 
The shitstorm he’s in the middle of proving exactly why he never spoke about you. The comments were relentless, ranging from supportive to accusatory. Some were feeling betrayed, others were speculating about every detail of your relationship. There were calls for a boycott, with a cluster of fans defending Xiao and his right to a private life. 
He shuts his phone off, gripping his hair in frustration. This isn’t just bad for him— for heaven’s sake, you still didn’t know about anything. Would you even have a job anymore? For fucks’ sake, you had been so excited about working with 4NEMO and idols in general… and due to this fucking error your career could easily be over before it even took off. 
Whatever this mess is, it needed desperate damage control. And for the sake for the sake of keeping your relationship healthy, he had to make you aware of what had happened.
Xiao shakes you awake, guilt all over his face. You look so comfy tucked under the blankets, akin to a kitten. No matter how much he’d prefer to leave you be and deal with the mess himself. There was absolutely a call to be made to whoever edited this episode. 
“Five more mins…” You turn to the other side, getting away from Xiao’s hand. 
“We don’t have five minutes,” Xiao sighs, taking away your blankets. “We’re in a lot of trouble, babe.” 
The singular mention of you being in trouble wakes you up more efficiently than any espresso. 
You sit up immediately, rubbing your eyes as you register Xiao’s serious tone. The warmth of the blankets is quickly replaced by a knot of anxiety forming in your stomach. "What do you mean we're in trouble?" you ask, your voice laced with confusion.
Xiao hesitates for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line. "The making-of video... It’s out. And... there’s a scene in there. Us.”
It takes a second for his words to fully sink in. Your heart skips a beat as you process the weight of his words. “Wait, what? Us?” You ask, blinking rapidly confused. 
“Yeah, that solo scene thing. The one where we… where I came over to talk to you. They didn’t cut it like I asked.” He looks at you with a mixture of guilt and concern. “Everyone knows now.” 
You lay back down, deflated. No matter how much you tried to damage control — cutting out the scene, pulling the video down… it wouldn’t do anything. Whatever entered the domain of the internet would stay there for eternity. “What do you suggest, Xiao?” 
“I need to call management, that's for fucking sure.” 
Humming, you accept his thought. Getting the input of a third party would be for the best. The company must have a PR specialist ready to help with the damage control. “I thought you’d break up with me instantly if that ever were to happen.” 
Xiao, who by this point got out of bed stops himself before leaving the room. The look he gives you says everything — ‘the fucking audacity you have’. He’s appalled at your train of thought.
“Have you lost your mind?.” He says, voice laced with coldness. “We’re in this together, for better or worse.” 
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Maintaining a relationship with an idol under sworn secrecy was difficult, but do you know what was even harder? Being an idol yourself and having to keep it to yourself. 
You and Heizou had made the decision to keep your relationship private. After days of discussing and gathering input from your agency teams, you both reached the same conclusion: it was far easier to be cautious in public than to navigate the complexities of parasocial fans.
Every outing became a carefully calculated operation — hoodies on, masks and glasses adoring your faces. Not the simplest touch was shared between the two of you in public. Every precaution you could taken, you took. Any hugs, kisses and whatever Heizou felt like showering you with had to be done behind closed doors. If there had been one advantage of being signed to different idol agencies, it would’ve been the lack of ‘company-wide’ appearances. Honestly, if you two were ever seen together in public like that… well, social media would simply go up in flames.
Yet, there was one unavoidable event where idol groups from all over Teyvat would gather — the end-of-year awards. A nightmare for anyone trying to keep their relationship under wraps. Not only was the venue packed with fans, but it was also swarming with cameras. Every reaction shot of idols was broadcasted globally, often becoming memes, destined to live on as reaction images for ages.
This year’s award ceremony was most certainly one to go down in history. 
You knew 4NEMO would be one of the groups performing this year — Heizou had given you a heads-up. You’d heard him hum through the setlist they’d prepared, and you’d even had a sneak peek at the prototype outfits they’d be wearing. But what he conveniently left out was who would be taking on the solo dance during the final instrumental section.
Now, seated at the table, surrounded by your fellow members and other industry icons, you suddenly understood why he’d kept that part a secret.
As the lights dimmed and refocused on a single point, your heart skipped a beat. A spotlight circled to the stage, and there he was — draped in burgundy, his signature colour, eyes fierce and focused. Every subtle hint, every melody he hummed recently, all led to this moment. And yet, seeing him under the spotlight, dressed to the nines and poised to take on the solo, was breathtaking in a way that not a single writer could capture with their words. 
The music swelled, and Heizou moved with flawless precision. Each and every beat punctuated by sharp turns and graceful slides. It was simply impossible to take your eyes off of him. 
In your subconscious, you could feel people staring at you, and yet there was not a single thing that could force you to look away. It felt as if Heizou was dancing right in front of you, for you. The distance from the tables you were sitting at to the stage where he was did not exist at that moment. 
You could notice every glint in his eye, every smirk creeping on his face. He was not dancing for the audience. They simply had the privilege of being in the same space as the two of you. Holy fuck, your boyfriend was so fucking hot. Of course, he was attractive each and every day. Today he simply decided to crank it up to an eleven. 
Whatever that Casanova was doing, he was doing it damn right. He was simply in each and every single one thought of your head and— oh my god. Did his hair tie just slip out?! Dearest fucking archons, the last thing you needed was witnessing his ruby locks swaying to the rhythm. 
Wait, wait, wait. Dance breaks never lasted this long. What was going on? Did you get teleported to a different dimension, where time slowed just for you? Simply to allow you to watch your partner in his element? Surely not? Fuck, Heizou needed to really fucking stop. With each and every beat, you felt melting in your seat a little more. 
With a strong push, your little trance was over. Your leader, and frankly your best friend has been trying to shake you back to reality for the last few minutes.
“Heavens, [Y/N].” They whispered, finally getting your attention away from your partner. “We most certainly do not need a dating scandal tonight.” Your confused look must’ve alerted your fellow members of how out of it you are. Truly, to you, the past thirty seconds felt like hours. 
“You’ve been watching your loverboy so hard, you didn’t even notice that your reaction was out for everyone to see.” 
“Pretty sure it’s all over the net already.” 
“Man, I even took a picture. Wanna see?”
You cover your face with your hands, the seriousness of the situation slowly creeping in. Of course, they showed you. Not anyone else, but you. Do you even want to know how you looked? You feel all warm from the sheer nervousness enveloping your entire body. 
“Our silly [Y/N],” Your leader resumes throwing whispers your way. “I don’t think, I’ve ever seen a person look at someone else with so much love in their eyes.”
“Your boyfie for sure enchanted you tonight. Make sure you reward him well later tonight.” 
Oh right, you still had to deal with Heizou’s reaction on top of everything. 
You have been pacing around your flat ever since getting home. You refuse to check either your phone or social media in general. Living with a lack of knowledge sounds like such bliss. You most certainly do not need to be given a reality check. Every time your brain stops for a little, your thoughts circle back to the performance Heizou gave earlier today. 
“How annoying…” You whisper to yourself, slapping your cheeks gently. You really need something to take over your mind for a short while.
“Oh? What’s annoying you, dearest?” Heizou asks, his arms sneaking around your figure to give you a back hug. He separates the second he feels panic creep into your body. “Shh— It’s just me, don’t you worry.” 
With a few deep breaths, led by your partner holding your hand and caressing it gently to further ground you, your heart rate finally returns to normal.
“Hi,” You stammer, finally taking a look at him.
“Hi,” Heizou answers back, his olive eyes looking with relief. “You okay now?” 
“Yeah, sorry for worrying you for a sec there.” You sigh. “I’ve been out of it ever since the awards…” Your mind takes a double-back the second the words leave your mouth. Oh, you made a blunder. 
“Did I dance too good for your liking, dear?” Heizou asks a smile not leaving his face as he tilts his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this enchanted at something!” 
You’re completely still, taking his words in. Did— did he see your face while performing or… Oh heavens, did he get that from social media?
“The fans have dubbed your reaction ‘the only correct one’.” 
You let out a groan, the unwanted reality settling in even more. The only correct reaction — as if you hadn’t already put yourself on display enough tonight. All you can do is bury your face in your hands again. 
“Oh my god,” You mutter, voice muffled a little. “I knew I was watching a little too closely… I didn’t think they’d actually put it on a screen for everyone to notice.” 
“Oh, trust me, love. There was no reality where that wouldn’t get shown.” Heizou chuckles, taking your hands gently and moving them aside to get a good look at your face. “Your expression was… let’s just keep it short. It was quite legendary. Almost had Xiao break his emo persona when we saw the fans’ posts on the drive back…” 
You try and muster up a comeback, but nothing seems to come out. Instead, you just shake your head, feeling warmth blooming in your cheeks once more. “Look, I can’t help that I— “
“That you what?” Heizou prompts, leaning in dangerously close with a mischievous smirk, your hand still in his… His eyes fixed on yours. 
“That I got… carried away.” You pause, exhaling with your entire body. “I mean, how could I not?! You were amazing, babe. I felt as if you were dancing just for me…” 
Heizou’s smirks softens, as he nods slightly. “Perhaps I was,” he says, voice dropping to gentle murmur. “Perhaps I put everything into that dance… just because I knew you were watching.” 
You manage to wiggle your hand out from his grasp. As it slowly rises up his body right to his face, you take his words in. Dancing with so much passion just because you were there huh? You pinch his cheek gently. “Next time, dance like that for me in private.” 
“Oh?” His demeanour matches the one he had a few hours ago, the one which allured you so much. “How about you take me out to dinner first, then?”
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It was no secret to the 4NEMO fanbase what your relationship with Kazuha was. You had been clearly dubbed his soulmate ever since you were introduced during one of his vlogs. Despite the initial confusion, they had no choice but to accept your position. Besides, you were an absolute sweetheart. 
Sooner than later, you — a complete outsider to the world of idols — had garnered your own fanbase. Having been dubbed the 7th member of the group, protecting the boys from the ‘6 member curse’ you had become one of the most recurring side characters of 4NEMO daily content. 
Despite being loved by many, some things never changed. Errands being one of them. At the end of the year, they just piled up like crazy, the atrocious weather discouraging you from ever leaving your house to do them in the first place. 
“Come on, Dove…” Kazuha sighed, peeling the blankets from your body. He had promised to accompany you on your mission and preferred to be back in time for his afternoon nap. “We ought to get leave soon.” 
He was met with unintelligible muffled words, most likely telling him to scram off. You, his absolute sweetheart of a partner telling him to fuck off? Quite the blasphemy. Kazuha just couldn’t leave the situation like this. Well… it was time to use brutal strength, wasn’t it? 
In one singular swift motion, he scooped you up, blankets and all. If you didn’t leave the bed on your own, he’d simply take the bed with you. “You know I won’t be able to join you unless we do it today.” Kazuha was right — starting next week the group would begin their winter tour… Leaving you completely to your own devices. You would most certainly procrastinate it then too… 
“I know…” You said, voice laced with sadness. “Am too comfy, thoughhh…” 
If there was one way for Kazuha to take said comfiness away… Simply, It would be putting his muscles to good use. Here was to hoping he didn’t strain any of them. He’d rather not face the wrath of Venti and the group’s management. As he predicted, as soon as he started to spin in place — you still secured in his arms, you started shouting for him to let you go. Your lovely feeling of comfortableness and warmth was long gone… 
“Pleasure to be working with you, Dove.” He lowered you onto the ground, allowing you to take a breather. Anything to make the world not spin. “Get ready, I’ll start working on breakfast.” 
Just as you predicted, doing your errands in the company of your partner boosted your productivity. You managed to get a lot done… with your yearly health checkup as a cherry on top. As a treat and a reward for actually doing your errands, Kazuha was taking you to your favourite cafe as a prize. 
Located in a hidden alleyway, it never had too many customers. The only ones who knew about its existence were coffee connoisseurs or 4NEMO fans, who learned about it from your daily instagram stories.  
As you and Kazuha stepped into the cosy, dimly lit café, the warmth immediately contrasted with the biting cold outside. The soft hum of lo-fi music played in the background as the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee mixed with maple syrup enveloped the space. It was exactly the little haven you needed after a long day of errands, and Kazuha smiled as he saw the familiar look of contentment on your face.
"You always relax the moment we walk in here," He remarked whispering, brushing a strand of hair away from your face.
"How could I not? This place feels like a big hug," you reply, finding your favourite corner by the window. The barista, a young-looking girl came over to ask for your drinks of choice.  She must’ve been a new hire since neither of you had ever seen her before. She was quickly shushed by her coworker, who decided to take over your order. 
“The usual?” She asked, a smile on her face. 
“Absolutely.” You answered, turning to Kazuha. “What about you, love?” You pointed to the maple latte, something that would fit his tastes to a T. “That sounds like something you’d enjoy.” 
Kazuha shook his head, mentioning to the barista to make his usual order. “Just because my song is titled ‘Maple Leaf Samurai’ doesn’t mean I’m obsessed with maple flavour, silly.” He flicked your head lightly. 
In no time your drinks are delivered by the younger barista. She takes a few good looks at both of you, as well as the drinks that now are on the table. “I hope you enjoy!” She smiles, before heading to go back… 
“Oh, um.” You turn around, sort of curious about the girl. “Did you start working here recently?” You ask, getting her attention. “You don’t have to answer, but I’m simply curious. We’re regulars.” 
She comes closer, moving a chair for her to sit on. “I am! I’ve learned of this place thanks to an idol group I listen to… You know, 4NEMO?” Oh. Did you perhaps open a can of worms? While it was nothing out of the ordinary for the fans to visit this place due to a recommendation you had given, getting a job was quite next level. Regardless if it was you or any other idols good on the girl. Getting a job at a young was so difficult in this part of Teyvat.
“The coffee is really lovely here…” You answer, taking a sip. “The people that recommended you this place must know what they’re saying.” Kazuha is keeping his eyes on you, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to himself. Meeting fans was nothing out of the ordinary for him, however, it had always been under the careful gaze of managers and security… 
“The girl, [Y/N], is absolutely my fave. Such a blessed soul, she is…” At this point the barista is just daydreaming, swaying left and right on her chair. Her words put you into a completely still state. You know that there were fans of you in particular, but to have you as their favourite member? 
By this point, Kazuha can no longer hide his laugh. He’s snickering in his seat, as delicately and elegant as possible… but he sure is not discreet. 
“You’re a fan of [Y/N] too?” He chuckles, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. The barista's eyes widen, as she tilts her head in confusion. 
“Wait, you know of them too?!” She covers her mouth in shock, eyes going from Kazuha to you in a swift motion. “Are you fans of the group?” 
You gave her a sheepish smile, scratching the back of your head. “Yeah… I guess you could tell we know of [Y/N] pretty well.” 
Your partner takes your hand to play with your fingers. His eyes, however, don’t leave the barista. “Well, pretty easy to know of an individual when you’re dating them, no?” He asks, a smile reaching his ears. 
The barista blinks rapidly, before jumping out of her chair. The atrocious creak of the chair moving makes her turn instantly to the counter. She’s apologising to her coworkers and other guests, before turning back. “Oh, my Archons.” She also bowed before the two of you. “— I didn’t realise, I’m so sorry! I should’ve recognised you sooner—“ 
You also stand up, wanting to help her calm down. “It’s not an issue, don’t worry…” Behind the girl’s back, you mouth an apology to your regular barista, nervous for causing such a commotion. You take a deep breath, noticing the young girl is settling down. 
“Sorry… regardless—“ 
“There’s absolutely no need.” Kazuha also stands up, fully in his idol mode. “It’s absolutely fine. It’s quite a refreshing experience, in all honestly.” His smile is filled with so much purity. Oh, your darling angel. 
The sudden meeting ends with a proposition to take a picture. It’s done under the promise of not sharing it on social media. The barista asks specifically for a picture with just you and her — her ult bias. Oh, that is the price for being an unfortunate not real member of a group.
“Mr. Kazuha,” The girl starts. “Be sure to treat your lovely [Y/N] well. There are so many fans ready to fight you for her love and affection.” 
Kazuha chuckles in response. With being one of the more active members, he’s quite aware of the situation at hand. In reality… pretty much one-third of his fans enjoy you more than him. It most certainly fills his heart with both happiness… and relief.
“But of course.” He smiles, hiding his mouth with his hand. “I’ll make sure to fight every single one of you before I hand My Dove over.” 
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There was a lot that could go wrong when your relationship was announced to the entirety of the globe, not to mention how bad it was when said information was released by a gossip website. 
You had been fully aware of the consequences of dating Wanderer — his fanbase was labelled as the most toxic one amongst all of 4NEMO idols. What had there been more to say, there had been a lot of people who wished to be in your place.
The sheer amount of emails sent to your agencies demanding for you to break up was something else. The flood of messages, tweets and posts flooded in from fans who had felt entitled to dictate your life had been overbearing on your mind. 
Unfortunately, for you, the biggest and the most unwelcome surprise had been yet to come. After an entire day of you alone had ended off with a call from the manager leading the group you were a member of… They had decided to put you on an indefinite hiatus. The company had chosen to exclude itself from helping your situation in any way… 
Oh, the tears you had shed that night. The comforting words your partner had to speak to try and calm you down. 
Looking back, that was the exact moment you had felt at your worst. From the sheer stupidity of a gossip magazine, which hadn’t even managed to gather reliable material — one you hadn’t had the opportunity to sue from the lack of funds — you had lost everything in one day. The only cherry on top had been seeing your fellow members be given lines in songs that had previously belonged to you. 
Your hiatus, slowly, had turned into a permanent erasure of you from the band. After many deliberations between the higher-ups, you had simply been let go. You had been thrown to the curb, forced to fend for yourself. With the unfortunate resume, the gossip website had given you, not a single rational had wanted to bet on an idol who could be in a scandal. 
To say your mental health had hit rock bottom would be an understatement. 
And yet, a light at the end of a dark tunnel existed. Your partner, despite his sarcastic persona, took your struggles seriously and did his utmost to keep you sane during the said period. That, however, did not mean Wanderer didn’t participate in some bad decision-making himself. He was taking to social media consistently, hurling insults at your previous company.
“Even if we weren’t together, I would’ve done so.” He rolled his eyes when you commented on his behaviour one time. “What sort of fucking company decides to let go of a damn good idol just because they get spam mail, like be for fucking real babe…” 
Wanderer truly became your rock during those times. These unfortunate times didn't do anything but strengthen your bond. What his fans wanted had the exact opposite effect on your relationship. 
As for your ruined career… your partner couldn’t simply leave it as that. There was so much potential left to rot, simply because some people got overwhelmed and decided to take it out on you. He decided to pull all the strings he could, just to get you back on the idol scene — with as much grace as possible. 
Bowing and scraping was not something he preferred to indulge in, but for your sake, it was quite worth it. Over the months before your relationship was revealed you had done so much to get him out of the emotional void he was stuck in… seeing you slowly enter it yourself had been the last thing he wished for. 
Many months later, the stars began to align themselves. Thanks to Wanderer’s recommendations a smaller company had decided to take you in as a solo artist. They were taking quite the gamble with your person, and you had put everything you could to make your debut a success. Your fans, 4NEMO fans, who decided to side with you after your boyfriend’s campaign… they all had done everything to make it as profitable as possible. 
To say you did a marvellous job would not simply be enough. Your perception was shifting ever so slightly with more critics complimenting the work you had done. Being your fan was no longer something to hide. 
With the sudden throwback into stardom, one group of people have made themselves known once more… The paparazzi — ones that also were working for the gossip page that was kinda sorta behind your initial downfall. 
You were simply leaving the company after a morning filled with mornings, when out of nowhere you were met with a magnitude of flashes. With a phone in your hand, you had simply done the first thing that came to mind. And well, it was to cover yourself with it. Oh, if only you didn’t forget what you had in your case — a pretty, unreleased photocard of your partner was there… All for people’s glory. 
What a way to make your return. Another Wanderer-related scandal to greet you, just as your career began to take off once more. 
“Holy fuck, you really have the worst luck, babe,” Wanderer says as you step into your shared apartment. You texted him about the situation on your way back, seeking his advice. “Did management get back to you?”  
You sink into the cough, your head landing right into his lap. “They say they don’t mind… But I’m still nervous.” Despite their reassurance, your experience has taught you no company wants to deal with scandals. Especially a small one like the one you currently work at. 
“They better fucking not, ” He replies, his finger threading through your hair as he caresses your scalp. “Especially after what I have saved in my drafts on instagram.” He is muttering to himself, talking about a scandal of a lifetime… 
It’s not like you’re paying attention to whatever he’s speaking of. You’re far too comfortable and far too anxious to do so. 
It wasn’t long before you discovered the ‘scandal’ your partner decided to create. You open social media to find his latest post — a playful selfie with his phone in the frame, sporting a cute photo card of yours in his case. It mirrors the exact scene you were photographed earlier that day. And of course, its cation was quintessential Wanderer: 
‘You bitches thought you got rid of my partner? Nah, think again. It might do you good.” 
You couldn’t help but let out a breathless laugh mixed with disbelief. Dearest heavens, this was quite a way to wake up! Your heart raced, not just from the surprise, but from the sheer magnitude of his words.
But the reaction come quickly, as expected. Wanderer’s phone starts buzzing with calls from 4NEMO's management, ready to scold him for pulling such a risky move. You can almost hear their collective sighs of exasperation through the line.
Yet, as you sit there, staring at the screen, a warmth spreads through you. There is something undeniably attractive about how he puts himself on the line for your career and mental health. It was such a bold statement - one that showed he was willing to face the backlash just to support you. 
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date of posting — october 28th 2024
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norrizzandpia · 11 months ago
Note
hello, firstly i would like to say ur writing is phenomenal!! secondly i wanted to request something like the reader having some insecurities or just social media making her feel unworthy of lando thank u 🫶🏼
Ive been hanging onto this request for a while bc i love these scenarios bc they hit so close to home and I always need to be in the right mindset for them and now i am!
Love You the Way I Do (LN4)
Summary: When Y/n starts to pull back, Lando knows exactly what to do.
Warnings: insecurities, talks of not being good enough, language
Note: the reason ive been so mia on here is because ive just been in such a bad slump and not feeling good about myself or feeling good enough in general and im starting to get out of it with a lot of time focusing on myself but i really miss it on here so im using this as a way to kind of help me cope a bit with what ive been going through recently
Y/n was never good with her emotions. Discussing them and trying to work on them, she could never reach a certain level of comfortability with the people in her life that allowed her to be that vulnerable with them. Her parents, friends, and other family members had to pry words out of her when it was clear she was struggling and no amount of therapy sessions had cured the vicious cycle. However, Lando’s peaceful presence in her life had shifted the way she operated, allowed her to open up more easily with the way he would hold her until she was ready.
He was patient, almost strategic, when it came to getting through to her. Past moments of darkness where she would try to shut him out, try to be alone in the agony, were lessons in which ways worked best to get her to realize that he was there for her, waiting with open arms and constantly ready to listen.
Easing her mind, that was Lando’s job and he was damn good at it.
He could always tell when there was a war going on beneath the walls of her head. When she would go quiet or laugh just a bit less, he caught on fast. Just like now, as he sat on the couch in their shared apartment and watched her talk to her sister on the phone in the kitchen, Lando clocked the way she wasn’t as smiley, as excited to talk to one of her favorite people in the world.
“Thursday? No, I can’t do Thursday. I’ve got some stuff to do.” She mumbled into the speaker. Lando could hear her sister respond, something about Y/n being too busy, but he couldn’t truly digest the words, too engrossed in his own mind wondering what she had Thursday.
If he remembered correctly, she had nothing scheduled.
The second sign; distancing herself from people close to her and staying inside unhealthily.
She paced the room, rounding each corner of the counter as she bit the nail on her thumb, “Friday, no… next Monday, no… next Wednesday, no…”
Their conversation continued that way until her sister gave up on trying to find a date, muttering about letting her know when the next date Y/n was available was, and hung up. His girlfriend set the phone down on the marble, head falling forward as she huffed out a breath.
“You okay, love?” He spoke, voice hesitant as to not startle very clearly something loud in her mind.
She turned her eyes, squinting at him lightly before whispering, almost too quietly, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”
A tired Y/n, Lando knew, warranted clinginess. That was her usual way of remedying exhaustion, curling up in his arms wherever he was and partaking in a Power Nap. Although, there was none of that as she walked out of the kitchen, turning a corner and disappearing behind their bedroom door.
Third sign; shutting Lando out, the one he hated the most.
He scrolled through his phone for a minute more, not wanting her to know he had already realized her turmoil. He wanted her to believe that his comfort was not out of pity, but love.
When the clock reached an even number, he got up from his seated position and pattered over to their door, knocking lightly.
“Y/n? Can I come in?” He said, though there was no response. He creaked the door open, seeing her frame turned away from him as it laid on their bed, her phone illuminating the room.
Because of the darkness and the only light coming from her phone, he could easily see what she was looking at. It was as clear as day and the reason for her distance, however painful, became apparent.
A twitter thread of why Luisa was better for Lando than Y/n.
It broke his heart.
He stood for a moment, taking in the scene before him and breathing deeply, and deciding his plan of action. It only took him a few seconds, although, he knew exactly what he wanted to say to her.
Lando approached her side of the bed and when his footsteps reached the ears of his beloved, she turned her phone off quickly. He kneeled down beside her, dried tears on her cheeks not going unnoticed by him. His hand cradled the side of her face that wasn’t pushed into her pillow and he kissed her forehead.
“Baby, I saw what you were looking at.” He whispered into the quiet. His green eyes bore into hers as she willed the knot in her throat to dissipate.
Lando gently took her phone from her hands, sliding it off the bed and setting it on the night stand next to him. He nudged her shoulder, signaling for her to move over so he could squeeze into her side of their massive bed. When he laid down, his arms wrapped tightly around her frame, squeezing the skin and warming it as she nuzzled her head into his chest.
“Why are you doing this to yourself? You know they’re wrong.” He tried.
Y/n pulled away from his chest, looking up at him and using her voice, albeit wobbly, “Do I know they’re wrong? Lan, you mean so much to so many people in this world, people you don’t even know the names of.”
He nodded, “Okay, yes, what does that have to do with this?”
She sniffled, “There are so many other women that could compliment you better. Women that people know the name of. Women that have made their mark on this world just like you have. I will never be able to be what you need me to be.”
Lando shook his head, her words outrageous in his mind because she was already everything he needed, just as she was.
“Y/n, what? What are you even saying? That’s crazy. You mean everything to me. I don’t want anyone else. I don’t care about anyone else, anything else. You compliment my life and my happiness perfectly. That’s all that matters.”
Wetness formed beneath her eyes once more and began to fall freely as she toyed with the hem of his shirt, “What if you wake up one day and realize that Luisa is better suited for the life you lead? What if one day you wake up and I am no longer good enough for you?”
Lando gaped at her, truly at a loss for words. In his mind, everything she was saying was so incredibly wrong, she couldn’t be farther from the truth. However, from the sadden look in her eyes, he could tell that she fully believed the things flying from her mouth. That idea, the thought that she was scared one day he would no longer cherish her in the way he does now, made him all the more determined to remind how much she matters to him and how that will never change.
“Y/n, stop. Listen to yourself. Have I ever made you feel inadequate?” He questioned, staring at her fiercely as if what she was saying made him defensive. It did in a way. He was defensive of the love he had for her, taking shame in the fact that he had made her feel as though their relationship would end.
She shook her head as he brought his fingers up to wipe at the tears still falling down her skin, “No, but-”
He brought his pointer finger to her lips, “No buts, Y/n. Listen to me when I tell you this. You have been and always be more than enough for me. You are the start and end of my day, and that is something I never want to change. Being scared that one day I’ll wake up and magically have fallen out of love with you is absolutely fucking clinically insane. It’s been two years we’ve been together, Y/n, and I still badger you at the end of the day, asking what you had done because I love to hear your voice. I love your rambles and I love the way you love me. There’s nothing that’s going to make me want to stop loving you because there’s really no going back. I’m in this with you and I always will be. You need to believe that. Believe me when I say the only way we will end is lying next to each other on our death beds with rings on our left fingers from our wedding decades ago.”
“That’s kind of morbid.” She whispered, a small smile gracing her features as his words sunk beneath her skin.
He chucked and leaned further into her, “It’s true. There will come a time where I get on one knee in front of you and beg you to be with me for the rest of our lives. There will come a time where I will stand in front of all of our friends and family, and declare my love for you and certainty over marrying you. I know these things will happen because I am interchangeably in love with you. And I know you are with me too. So, just leave social media be, baby. Stay here in this moment with me, push all those disgusting fans away and listen to my words. I love you,” He shook her head lightly in his hands as he spoke, “You are worthy of my love and love in general, and there will never come a singular moment where even the thought of leaving you passes my brain. We are it for each other, love. This is it for me.”
Her body relaxed fully into his arms and further into the bed as they stared at each other. Y/n giggled at his words and he smiled down at her, still holding her face whilst lightly rubbing excess tears in her soft skin.
A silence passed before Y/n mumbled, “I think I’m going to delete my social media platforms for a while. Take some time off and get back on track.”
Warmth swelled in Lando’s chest, threatening to spill out from his mouth at overwhelming amounts of it within his body.
“I’m so proud of you, love.” He whispered, leaning in to kiss her softly. He pecked her lips lovingly, sweet nothings spilling from his mouth in the form of the warmth that had been drowning him.
They stayed that way for a few hours, both falling in out of sleep in the arms of the other. And when crickets chirped and the clock read an ungodly time, Lando pulled Y/n from bed, into their bathroom, where he showed her how much he loved her. A bath, some face masks, and low music that he made her dance with him along to, all worked as ways for him to tangibly exude the feelings he had for her. No longer were the ex’s of his past, no longer were jealous fans, no longer were thoughts of unworthiness.
Just him, her, and the love that would never die out.
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yvesdot · 2 months ago
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How To Get Roughly 50 Notes On An Original Writing Post And Possibly Net A Single Reader
I had someone ask today how I get people to click through and read my writing, and I'm realizing that I've never actually made a post all in one place of everything I do to get a new piece of short fiction off the ground... so here you go! How to get (some) eyes on your work, even if it is not published anywhere of interest and you don't have a marketing team behind you.
The #1 thing is presentation. You want to get people's attention, and once you have it, convince them to keep paying attention. Fortunately, people tend to be both reasonable and predictable, which means all you have to do is follow The Formula.
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(original post link)
Here's the formula from the above post broken down:
[giant horizontal title card, preferably animated to catch the eye] OR [a few tasteful parallels, if you're good at parallel posts]
TITLE (linked to where you can read the piece) / wordcount
a quote that is representative of the tone, themes, prose style, and/or the "promise of the premise"
A longer pitch, featuring the overall subject of the piece (transsexual reality TV drama), any comp titles (Detransition, Baby), the main draw (in this case, watching trans people be awful to clueless cis people), major themes (performance), and any other promises you'd like to make (food romance and tigers). You can see that the quote I chose delivers on the promise of trans people intellectually outperforming cis people-- if I were a reader, I would be more likely to trust that the rest of the pitch was accurate based on that assurance.
If you have any positive reviews on your piece, say so. If it has won any awards or contests, say so. If your work has made people cry, Doja Cat - Say So. Always. Generally speaking, more personal and more detailed is better, but keep it to one or two people-- e.g. "when I gave this to my S/O to read he shot milk out of his nose so far I had to go clean under the couch" or "my favorite review of this piece is the reader who said they read it chapter-by-chapter under their covers because they wanted it all to themself." This should be one sentence.
Depending on where the story is published, what you usually promote, etc., it may be worthwhile saying the story is free. Use your judgment on whether the reader can tell.
I also like putting my links at the bottom so someone seeing this on a friend's dash can easily track me around the 'Net. They make me look more professional (I now include a link to my website) and they visually balance the post, in my opinion. This post also happened to have some additional links for bonus content.
This is not as high stakes as it seems. I'm not 100% happy with the pitch here, and I'm not 100% happy with the graphics I've used in other cases. These are some bones that help to sell the piece even when the details aren't as sharp.
REBLOGGING
When is the last time you read something the first time you saw it on your dash? I schedule reblogs of all important posts at least twice over the next 2-3 days, often three times so I can get the morning/afternoon/evening reblog. If your followers tend to be more active at certain times, go ahead and use those. In the past I've intentionally scheduled posts for times I knew more popular mutuals were active, and it has paid off!
I also schedule a reblog for a week and a month and sometimes even a full calendar year out, because I know there is going to be that person who tags the piece '#to read' and instantly forgets about it, only to get excited when they see it weeks later. I am very often that reader. The goal is to catch people when they're ready to read immediately, and this is a game of chance.
Every so often, I go through my entire #writing or #important writing updates or even just #popular tag(s) and queue two dozen posts before shuffling my queue to redistribute matters. This keeps my older work circulating, ensuring new readers get a chance to see older pieces and giving those older pieces another shot at dashboard space. (More on #popular later.) This sounds like a lot, which is why you have to space everything pretty far apart. Fortunately, this is the world's best site for cool things to reblog. I guarantee you that you can find something new you love to post in the meanwhile.
COPING WITH FAME
The post above is what I, a published author, consider "doing well" for a post about my writing on Tumblr. As of October 10th, 2024, over two years after its initial posting and over five years into my posting doggedly about my original fiction, it has 77 notes. More than half (43) are likes. Around half of the reblogs are me promoting my own work or the same very sweet person dutifully reblogging me every time I do so. Glancing through the reblogs now, I know of four people whom I can confirm have read it. Presumably, there are more who are completely silent and have never interacted with the post whatsoever. Genuinely: wahoo!! I am so grateful and happy for the attention and reception of my work.
This is the number one thing I suggest: focus on what you have, and not what you lack. Imagine your post from the perspective of an outsider: even one reblog means you convinced that one person to spread your art! How cool is that! This is also good advice because moping is simply not helpful; it will not get you more reads. (And no, neither will guilting others. Kill that vent post in your head!)
GETTING FOLLOWERS
I don't have that many followers. Of the followers I do have, people are very unpredictably active. When I hear about other people's follower counts I am consistently surprised, because people with half of mine will have fans and haters the likes of which I could not possibly dream of. I follow 500-follower folk who post "I ate a strawberry today" and get 6 asks ranging from "Wow I respect you so much for eating that strawberry" to "I'm going to come to your address at [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED] and shove bananas down your throat for hating on my favorite fruit."
I point this out to establish three important things. 1) Be grateful for what you have (in my case, 0 anonymous hate asks about fruitpinions), 2) followers have far less impact on interaction than one might think, and 3) followers don't engage with the things you might like them to.
Think about yourself. Are you more likely to reblog a photo of a cat in a pumpkin (alright, here) or something advertising fifteen minutes' worth of writing, which could be, for all you know, bad? Or, for that matter, by a person you should not like to support? Reblogs on generically interesting things are 'safer' (unfortunately) than reblogs on art, and it makes perfect sense that people are skittish around the latter. People don't often reblog things they haven't read, and nobody can reblog every artpost on their dash. Having someone else put it there, however, is incredibly powerful—someone's vetted this post as Worth a Reblog, after all. Having more followers allows for much more of this.
(Followers don't guarantee any one sort of interaction, but having more of them is rarely bad. Rarely.)
Across my most popular posts, one theme becomes very obvious: people like things that apply to them or their blog. I try to post writing advice/opinions/memes every so often, because I know I have a loyal base of writerfolk who like to see that from me, and it's "easier" to reblog than my writing. This is simply the nature of the universe. I used to pretty frequently go into the #writeblr tag and check out what was recently popular so I could figure out how to serve the same base, and from time to time it worked.
You're welcome to examine the list of #writing posts that made it to 100 notes, because each tends to have a notable reason behind its success: a reblog with an exceptionally good review, a contest win, a wordcount that lends itself to pasting the whole thing in one go.
(Posts about my book's release are a notable exception, in part due to Blaze and in part due to my absolutely relentless flogging of their reblog buttons during the ~year of promotion. Also in large part to a dedicated circle of friends who passed the post around nonstop! Thank you so much!!)
A lot of people will tell you to attempt covert reciprocal promotion. You know—reblog a lot of stuff, in the hopes that people will reblog yours. If I could change one thing on Tumblr, it would be this: the culture that quietly encourages disingenously interacting with other people with a secret True Goal in mind. (On the autism website.)
Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, do not do this. If you comment on other people's work, do it because you're happy to do so. When I released Paper Tigress, I went through everybody else who responded to the same prompt and read their work, because I had the day off and I was curious. This has led to Paper Tigress having more comments on Reedsy than one of my contest winners, and even outranking the shortlisted story in the same prompt category. However, this would have been a waste of my time if I did not genuinely enjoy reading the other stories. I read 80+ stories, taking several hours, and gained 30 comments from the venture (half my comments are my responses).
Crucially, I do not promote other writers' work on Tumblr in the hopes of them reading or boosting mine. This is the #1 tip I see thrown around that I viscerally disagree with. While, again, I am grateful for engagement with my work regardless of the context, I do not want people suffering through my work in the hopes that I will promote them. I work a full-time job, and my reading calendar is perpetually overbooked, including with work by my absolute best of friends. Even if it wasn't, I think it would be quite insulting if I were posting works in the hopes that someone would choke it down like medicine. I post what I think is good so that people can read and enjoy it. If you are not enjoying it, I do not want you to feel as though you have to read it. My aim is to give to others what my favorite authors have given me, which is most certainly not A Bad Time Spent Being Dishonest In The Hopes Of Getting Something Back. You have better things to do with your time. Please be honest.
CONCLUSION
Realistically, the readers I have, I gained through being a published author for five years promoting my behind off on Tumblr, the least forgiving social media for promotion. People like it when you have a book they can buy, especially if it has Goodreads reviews that make it look like you have been vetted for them. Many people who follow me have read only Something's Not Right and nothing else. (Many people who follow me have read everything but Something's Not Right.) I have posted dozens of pieces on Tumblr and Wattpad (and AO3). I gained a small number of readers writing and posting fanfiction for the Locked Tomb Tri(?)logy, even though I marketed it absolutely terribly.
Just keep writing. Keep writing, keep posting, and keep making sure everyone who follows you knows you write. And keep writing because you want to. There's no better advice than that.
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jellyfishoreo1206 · 2 months ago
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Tending (Sebastian Solace x Reader)
Notes: I am enjoying this way too much, I have work to finish yet here I am making sure my children are fed.
Credit goes to @/cafekitsune for the borders!
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Picking the harvest was probably one of your favorite things this season. The soft sounds of nature that surround the garden as the sun lays its gentle rays upon the earth while picking the fruits and veggies give your mind a wave of peace. 
It's absolutely lovely.
Lifting that straw hat upon your head, you swiped off the sweat and dirt that had built up during your time outside. There are still traces of summer well into September, despite the dawns and evenings filling with a slight chill. 
Jack Frost sure is taking his time, huh?
There's a sense of pride that fills your very being to the brim as you examine the juicy Brandywine and Roma tomatoes that fill the wicker basket in your hold—not a single blemish or bruise on them, all are perfect! And they seem to be a lot bigger this year than the previous.
A sign of luck, you like to think it. If this year's harvest is bountiful, then the year will be prosperous.
A saying a dear relative always repeated whenever you helped out in their garden.
With a huff, you will your legs to stand straight from your crouched position, several of your joints popping from being in such a crouched stature for so long, heading over to the shaded porch where Painter resided to trade the full wicker basket for an empty one. 
And maybe some water, too. Harvesting is time-consuming, and your throat is parched.
"Hey Paints," The basket made a heavy *THUD* causing some of the items on the table to make a small jump from the force, Painter's monitor and tablet being no exception, giving the AI a small startle.
"I'm painting here." With a hiss, their narrowed eyes fixed themselves onto your sweat-riddled frame. You merely gave an apologetic smile, snatching the basket you came for and backing off before the AI started insulting you in various languages. . .
Again.
~~~
Clip. Clip. Clip.
Large scaly fingers gently picked the green beans off the bustling bush they hung from with care to not accidentally crush them, the wicker basket set beside him steadily filling up with the surprisingly immense abundance of the green capsules. He could probably make some carbonda for dinner tonight. . .
It probably won't be on par with Mama's, pero quién sabe?
Hopefully there's enough potatoes ready. . .
A feeling of excitement fills him at the thought of making one of his favorite dishes that he ate with enjoyment growing up and sharing it with you, his favorite person.
He could already imagine your look of delight when you take your first bite of the soup, smiling wide with glee and eyes wide with surprise as you go for your second bite, little hums of delight escaping your lips as you savor the taste.
Readjusting the straw hat that was slowly falling off his head with one of his hands, and slightly pulling back on his esca—grabbing the basket with the second— Sebastian moves on to the next patch in need of harvesting once he deemed there was no more beans to pick anymore—slithering his way towards where the red-potatoes were growing, being mindful to not accidentally smush his tail on any of the plants.
A soft breeze passes by, gently swaying the plants and trees along with it. It also made Sebastian suddenly aware of the sweat clinging to his tank top and hair, grimacing at the uncomfortable feeling of sweat and cloth sticking to his torso.
Though Sebastian is no longer human, he still maintains some of his most annoying human traits.
"Damn this summer heat."
~~~
Painter got a bit tired of the heat, as it was unfortunately messing with their hardware. Nothing too serious, but you wish for your friend to be comfortable, so you placed them back inside by a fan and a window.
Well, now would probably be a good time to get some water.
Swinging open the screen door with your hip, you walk back into the garden refreshed and with a new mission in mind, with two ice-cold glasses of water in hand as you survey your surroundings to find where your lover is in the garden.
It doesn't take much looking, as you spot him slithering towards the back porch with a full basket as he fusses about with his shirt, frustrated mutters slipping out every so often the closer he gets.
With a smile, you call out to him, relishing in the way his head snaps up to meet your gaze, a look of tenderness overtaking his face once he approaches.
"Mi Amor~" Once he was close enough, he used his two free hands to wrap themselves around your waist, settling the basket full of harvest down on the table next to you—nuzzling his face into your hair as he breaths your scent in, the tension that was once present in his shoulders now ebbing away.
You could practically hear the loud purring resonating within his chest the longer he held you, the low vibrations resonating throughout your whole body.
Ah, your little fishy kitty.
Unfortunately, you don't wish to spill the water, so you push him back a few inches with your elbow—though his hands now rest upon your hips, rubbing small circles as he fixes you with a coy smile.
"Hi baby," Standing on the tips of your toes, you press a kiss against his cheek, letting out an exaggerated 'Muah!' before pulling away, handing him his glass, "-thought you would've wanted something cool to drink."
"It's much appreciated, my dear." With a grateful squeeze of his hands, he brings the glass to his lips as he downs the water quickly, Adam's apple bobbing with every swallow; the glass emptied in seconds as he lets out a sound of delight, his tail thumping softly at the wooden floor boards of the porch.
Placing the empty glass on the table beside you, he flashes you with that handsome smile you loved oh so very much, his sharp teeth adding to the charm. Oh GOD DAMN. You could feel the beat of your heart fluttering rapidly within your chest as you looked into his eyes, full of love and adoration.
Those very same eyes looking at you.
Is it getting hot out here, or is that just you?
"Thank you, Starfish. If I stayed any longer out here I probably would've dried up!" He jokes, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he grins, adding to his gorgeous features.
. . .The sudden urge to smother him in kisses is very strong.
Quickly snapping out of your starstrucked spell, you replied with a joking tone as well, "Oh, you poor thing~!" With a playful pinch to his cheek, you give a gentle tug and wiggle before letting go, not without Sebastian sticking his tongue out in playful distaste.
"I'll make sure to water you if that ever happens," Embracing him once again, you nuzzle yourself the best you can into the crook of his neck, breathing in his citrus yet woody musk, "-my Little Froggit."
A few beats of silence pass by, before the both of you laughed aloud at the absurdity of words that has tumbled from your mouth. His shoulders are shaking as he attempts to shush his laugher, hand flying to his mouth to further contain them from slipping out, but it was no use. What felt like hours when it was merely seconds, the sound of laughter finally winded down—the both of you left breathless, only a quiet chuckle here and there could be heard as the atmosphere calmed around the two of you.
The two of you merely stood on the porch as you settled into comfortable quiet as your surroundings filled it with natures tune.
Seconds passed, eventually turning into minutes, then rolling into hours.
The sun hung low in the sky, making it through the last bit of his long trek down as it climbed lower and lower along the welkin, shadows elongating as the colors in the sky changed, the tune of the forest now changing as the sun dipped lower against the horizon—shining his last rays of light upon the soil of the earth before being overtaken by the moon and the stars.
The moon may not have been full this night, but she still showered the land below with her soft light as the woods became alive. The trees echoed with the sounds of the nocturnal, from the hauntingly beautiful howls of the wolves to the playful yips of the foxes. From within the trees, you could see the faint light of the fireflies luminescence bodies within the dark.
With a tired huff, you leaned more of your weight into Sebastian, sleep gently ebbing away at your brain as your eyelids drooped lower and lower. How long were we out here for? You try to think of when the two of you went out into the garden, but it seems to fade away as your mind slowly turns sluggish; craving a long needed rest.
"Tired?" Sebastian voice seems to be a lot closer to your ear, a pleasant warmth filling your mind as if you ate the smoothest of ambrosia and the sweetest of honey, nudging you closer to the land of dreams.
"Mhm. . ."
"Let's get you to bed, yeah?" The sound of movement met your ears as the floor below you disappears, now cradled within his arms as he sneaks into the house.
"But we haven't ate yet. . . or showered" You mumbled a protest as a yawn interrupts your sentence mid-way, attempting to climb out of his arms, but to no avail as he merely held you closer to his chest.
"I'll wake you up to make sure you eat and shower. Okay?"
". . .Mkay."
"Good,"He opens the door to your shared room, "-now let's get you ready for bed." Sebastian places you on the large bed with care as he slithers over to the dresser, picking out a pair of sweats and one of your favorite sleeping shirts before coming back to the bed. With some trouble, he helps peels off your dirty clothes, then handing you the clean ones before tucking you in bed.
Everything is hazy, your eyes are barely open. Your body feels so heavy with exhaustion, muttering out a small 'love you', to your lover before sleep finally took over. Transporting you to the land of dreams.
"Sleep well, cariño." With a kiss to your head, Sebastian slips out the bedroom with caution, carefully closing the door shut once the last bit of his tail makes it through. He listens to any shuffling from your side of the door, and relaxes when he doesn't hear any, only your breathing.
Now, let's make carbonda, shall we?
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Last Part, Next Part (?)
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ahqkas · 3 months ago
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♯ TO LIKE YOU OR LOVE YOU ; theodore nott
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PAIRING! theodore nott x gn!reader
SYNOPSIS! theodore nott was known to be just like an eurasian magpie — drawn by nature to snatch up and fly off with shiny things. it was no surprise the two of you found yourself in possession of a time turner (which certainly showed you an interesting image) ( based on this rq.!! )
WARNINGS / TAGS! fluff, time traveling, friends to lovers + lmk of more if found !!
WORD COUNT! 1.8k
NOTES! i love this prompt sm u have no idea how excited i was to find a request for it ☹️☹️ this is a repost bc tumblr wasn’t showing this in the tags. all the credits to the devider bellow belong to @/plutism !
© ahqkas — all rights reserved. even when credited, these works are prohibited to be reposted, translated or modified
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TIME WAS THE MOST INTERESTING THING A HUMAN RACE COULD HAVE STUMBLED UPON. It was woven with infinite threads of moments, decisions, and possibilities. Each thread held the potential to shape the fabric of the future in ways unimaginable. It was both a river, flowing inevitably forward, and a maze of paths that twisted and turned, leading to dramatic outcomes. The very idea that time could be manipulated, that one could step outside its relentless march, was as terrifying as it was exhilarating.
And Theodore Nott managed to do just that.
The passage of time was like a dance between light and shadow, where the present moment was a balancing act on the razor's edge of now. Like the White Swan and the Black Swan. Memories of the past tugged at the heart, whispering tales of days gone by, while the future beckoned with a siren's call of unknown adventures and uncharted territories.
Time was both a friend and an enemy. It was a healer, softening the edges of pain and grief with its gentle touch, allowing wounds to scar over and hearts to mend. Yet, it was also a thief, stealthily stealing youth, opportunities, and moments that could never be reclaimed. It moved with a steady, unyielding pace, indifferent to the desires and pleas of those who wished to slow it down or speed it up.
And with a Time-Turner, one could do marvelous things. This delicate device, seemingly unassuming with its petite hourglass and golden frame, held within it the power to transcend the natural flow of time. It was a key to the past and the future, a tool for exploration, and a bridge to moments that had long since passed.
The Time-Turner allowed its bearer to step beyond the boundaries of the present, to revisit decisions and events with the wisdom of hindsight. It offered a chance to right wrongs, to experience lost opportunities anew, and to glimpse the world that was awaiting. Each turn of the hourglass was a dance with destiny.
But the true marvel of the Time-Turner lay not just in its ability to revisit the past, but in the taunting glimpse it offered into the future. To step beyond the present and witness what lay ahead was a privilege reserved for the brave and the curious. The future, with its infinite branches and pathways, was a place full of dreams and nightmares, where every possibility coexisted in a symphony of potential outcomes. Everything could be possible in the future.
The golden chain of the forbidden magical item hung in Theo's grasp as he presented it in front of you, showing you the new possession he managed to get his grasp on. You didn't know how and from where, and you were positive you didn't even want to know the details. The delicate hourglass within the frame shimmered with an almost ethereal glow, hinting at the ancient magic contained in its confines.
His eyes, a pretty shade of Italian skies and deep seas, gleamed with a mixture of mischief and carefulness as he looked at you through his eyelashes.
"I'm certain you're familiar with this, am I right?" he asked, the tone of his voice low and conspiratorial, as if he were sharing a treasured secret with you. And at some point, he truly was, because what the two of you were about to do was something forbidden.
You nodded slowly at his words, your gaze fixed on the delicate device between his fingers. Whispers of its powers had circulated through the halls of Hogwarts, tales of old wizards and witches who had bent time to their will, reliving moments or altering their paths. But seeing one in Theo's hands, real and touchable, was something entirely different. The Time-Turner pulsed with promising adventures beyond the ways of the present.
"How did you get one of these? They're forbidden."
"Let's just say I have my ways," a hint of smirk danced at the edge of his lips upon his answer. He was mysterious like that, the Slytherin. Working years on creating the perfect facade for his persona: the quiet and intelligent student to most of Hogwarts, the cunning and bold boy to his closest ones. You had to admit, he was really one of the smartest students in your year. No one would ever suspect him for the acts he had done. "It's about knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time."
Raising an eyebrow at his poorly said explanation, clearly wanting to hear more, you gave him a pointed look, but Theo just chuckled softly and laced your fingers together in one, the Time-Turner now caged in your joined palms. "Don't worry about it. Just trust me."
His reassurance did little to satisfy your curiosity, but there was something about the confidence in his voice that made you want to believe him. Besides, the allure of the Time-Turner was far too great and enticing to resist.
"Okay," you breathed out in a nervous exhale. Theo swung the chain of the magical device around both your and his neck, bringing you even closer than before. His fingers set the hourglass into motion with a synchronized turn. The world around you shimmered and blurred, the magic of the Time-Turner whisking you away from the present. Your stomach ached a little at the sensation, and when the whirlwind of colours finally ceased, you found yourself standing on the exact same spot, near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The warm summer air was still the same, the sun casting a golden hue over the grounds of Hogwarts. Before you could fully grasp where — or when — you were, you heard voices nearby. And they sounded all too familiar.
Instinctively, you and Theo ducked behind the huge batch of Hagrid's gigantic orange pumpkins, peeking out cautiously to see who it was. What you saw made your breath hitch in the back of your throat. Just a few yards away, strolling casually along the path that led the Quidditch pitch to the castle, were two people you recognized immediately. But it wasn't just their faces that were familiar; it was everything about them.
It was you. And Theo.
Only, you both looked older — just by a year or two, but the difference was noticeable. Your older self walked slightly ahead, your hand loosely held by older Theo's as you seemed to chat so easily with each other from the distance. The sight was surreal, as if you were watching a scene from one of your friends' muggle movies full of romance and comedy.
Your older self laughed at something the older Theo had said, the sound ringing out in the stillness of the day. There was a lightness to your step, an ease in your movements that spoke of comfort and confidence. You looked happy — truly happy — in a way that filled you with a strange mix of emotions.
Older Theo, too, looked different. He seemed more relaxed, his usual guarded expression softened into something more open, more at peace. The way he looked at you — like you hung the stars on the night sky just for him — was something you'd never seen before, at least not from this Theo, your Theo, standing beside you now. The affection between your future selves was a sight to see, and you wondered in what universe was this really happening. Could it be your very own?
The two of them stopped walking near the entrance to the castle, close enough to feel the homely feeling Hogwarts provided and far enough to stray from any onlookers. Older Theo pulled the older you gently toward him until you were standing close, his hand lifting to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. The gesture was so intimate, so familiar, that it made your heart ache with a longing you hadn't fully acknowledged until now. Your older self leaned into his touch, smiling up at him in a way that made it clear how much you openly cared for him.
And then, in a moment that made you widen your eyes from the unexpected gesture, older Theo dipped his head and kissed the older you, his lips meeting yours in a tender, lingering kiss. Watching it was like seeing a secret version of your future — a future where you and Theo were more than just friends, where you were something much deeper, something lasting.
Beside you, the present-day Theo was silent, the look in your eyes matching yours as he took in the scene before him. You could feel the tension radiating off him, the way his hand gripped yours just a little too tightly. This was as much a revelation for him as it was for you — a glimpse into a future neither of you had dared to dream about.
When your older selves ended the kiss, your older self smiled softly at the boy, leaning into his touch when his lips met your forehead. They stood like that for a moment, wrapped up in their own little world, before older Theo spoke, his voice carrying on the wind just enough for you to hear.
"Did you see the look on Malfoy's face when he missed that last shot?" a smirk formed on your, apparently, boyfriend's face as he intertwined his fingers with yours and began to lead the way towards to castle yet again. "I thought he was going to hex his broom out of sheer frustration."
"I'm surprised he didn't. You know how he's with Quidditch — he treats every practice like it's the World Cup final."
The words echoed in the silence around you, sinking into your mind and heart like a promise — a promise of what could be, if you both were brave enough to act upon it.
Before either of you could process what you'd just witnessed, the familiar pull of the Time-Turner gripped you again, the world dissolving into a blur of colors and sounds. When you landed back in your own time, the warm summer day had been replaced by the cool shadows of the evening, and the grounds of Hogwarts were once again quiet.
Theo's hand was still in yours, his grip firm as if he feared letting go would make the memory of what you'd just seen slip away. You turned to look at him, your eyes meeting his in a shared surprise. The future you'd just witnessed was no longer some distant, abstract concept — it was real, and it was possible. The only thing standing in the way was the courage to take that first step.
Theo's expression was a mixture of shock and something deeper, something more profound. He looked at you as if seeing you for the first time, really seeing you, and in that moment, you realized that the future wasn't just something that happened to you. It was something you created, moment by moment, choice by choice.
And in that instant, you knew that whatever came next, you wanted it to be with him.
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fiendishfables · 9 months ago
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hello!! i saw ur blog and i was super excited to see another aroaceee is it alright if you do platonic adam x reader headcanons? he can be reader's friend, sibling, or preferably reader's father figure as long as its platonic, anything u'd like is fine! sorry if my request is kinda weird lol, i just haven't seen a lot of platonic hazbin hotel stuff (especially stuff with adam in it)
a/n: Always good to meet other aroace individuals, indeed. I personally love Adam, he is absolutely my favorite character. I’ve been dying to write for him more and thinking of him as a dad is just my favorite scenario-
warnings: cursing, Adam being Adam, brief mentions of sex, subtle hints at Lute x Adam (if you squint)
words: 944
additional notes: this was one of my first asks I ever got; I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. Enjoy~!
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Adam as a Father Figure
Headcanons
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First of all, he never expected to actually have a kid of his own, but now here he was
By the time you turned 6, you knew about every single curse word in existence, along with a (disturbingly) decent amount of female anatomy
Lute gets promoted to babysitter
When Adam is off performing with his band or needed in the council/other Heavenly resides, Lute is responsible for keeping track of his child
Even if she lost you (which she has, multiple times) he won't be that worried
You were a kid and as far as Adam knew, kids needed food
Hence how he knew you would find your way back to him eventually
Okay scratch that, maybe he does get a little worried...a lot
Starts to doubt his ability as a parent
Once he even got Sera to send out a search party for you because you had been gone longer than usual
It worried him sick whenever you went exploring, but he was almost a bit prideful that his offspring had managed to inherit his sneaking around capabilities already at such a young age
Lute has had to console her boss many times in response to your random disappearances under her watchfulness
He has legit been facedown on the couch with his head in her lap whilst he bawls his eyes out, blabbering to her about his worries pertaining to you, and then somehow that stems to his hopes and dreams in life (he doesn't wanna talk about it)
Only for you to walk in with food from some random location about 10 minutes later
You'd be on the floor as soon as you enter the domicile because Adam would have jumped on you and then proceeded to hug the very life out of you (all while stealing your bag of food in the process and running off with it)
Calls you a bitch, dumbass, and 'a little shit' for worrying him
Though he would never openly admit he had been worried
He doesn't care if you have a social life, he wants you home safe before 9pm, sharp
── ・ 。☆*☽*☆゚.──
Teaches you how to play guitar
He claims its because he wants to pass on one of his awesome talents to his only child, but he also really wants you to join him and his band on stage one day or another
You are in the starter stages of learning and are able to accurately get chords down and learn to read sheet music
A tear just may have come to his eye
The first song you two ever perform together is "Hell is Forever"
He did see someone try to give you a rose after your performance and nearly knocked them out
Trust him, he's a sex and relationship positive guy (for the most part) but he also can't help but feel like he wants to protect you at all costs
If you dare to call him over-protective, he will very gladly give you the silent treatment for a good 5 minutes
After that time mark, he will be groveling at your feet and whining about how sorry he is (rare that he actually says 'sorry')
His biggest fear is his own child having it out for him and not wanting anything to do with him
A clingy parent, no doubt
Wants to train you in the ways of becoming an Exorcist Angel
Poor guy is a bit insecure about everything and needs extra reassurance, though he would never ever outwardly ask for it
That's a sign of weakness in his eyes
Not for his child though
You come to him with even the smallest hint of watery eyes and he is already going full dad-mode
Determined to find the fucker who made you upset
Promises to give em' a good ol' kick in the balls (or vag)
Adam won't discriminate, he's just there to beat the ass of whoever hurt his precious baby
He will get in a fist fight with Sera in order to make you happy
Just expect to be the one he then blames when he gets demoted
── ・ 。☆*☽*☆゚.──
Adam totally took lots of naps before he had a child, so this just makes for the two of you ending up crashing on the couch together and creating a melodic tune out of your in-sync snoring patterns
Anything the two of you can do together without constantly arguing is a miracle, so this is to be cherished
He has definitely given you some very creative nicknames (as he calls himself 'Dickmaster')
Lute has taken many pictures
She wants to make a photo album and give it to Adam one day just to piss him off
But as she knows how much he really cares for you, she does not want to risk him growing apart from you due to something stupid she did for a few momentary laughs
Let's you two have your moments without interrupting
The two of you always fight over food and who gets to pick where you go for the evening, if going anywhere at all
Lute claims that you are making Adam all the more emotional, but no one seems to be complaining
Especially not the High Council
Its nice to have him shut his mouth for once and remotely think about his actions and who they could potentially effect
Adam has something to lose now, and everyone in both Heaven and Hell alike knew it
No demon spawn would ever get to set even a foot near you
You were the first life he felt truly responsible for
He refuses to fuck it up and lose someone else he cares about
He would protect you until the ends of time, whether you liked it or not
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sillylittlestoryblog · 10 months ago
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Keeping me warm
Part 2
Trafalgar Law x Reader
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Warning: female Reader, use of y/n , Angsty angst, Fluffy Fluff and some suggestive thoughts but nothing wild tho, English is not my first language, so yeah there are some mistakes in this possibly.
Plus I am currently still on my first watch of one piece and am only at Fishman island. So Law isn’t a character I know all to well. So he is more like a mixture out of other ffs descriptions and my own headcanon.
Notes: I never planned on making this second part but because I really am craving more Law in my life and because I got some really nice comments and people asking for a second part, I just had to write a lil something. I really hope you enjoy. And thanks again for all the nice comments. They literally make my day ❤️😭
I am quite shy and rarely comment on posts myself but I m trying to be better with it in the future because honestly sometimes we forget how much some kind words can effect someone. ❤️ thank you all for reading. Have fun.
The first thing you noticed after waking up was the silence. The rumble of thunder and the biting wind could no longer be heard. Tired, you opened your eyes and looked around. Warm rays of light broke through the entrance to the cave. Sleeping pirates in tight embraces lay around you. Your captain had wrapped his stretched arms around as many of them as possible. He was laying next to you in an uncomfortable position on the cold cave floor. Luffy was loudly snoring and mumbling incoherent sentences in his sleep. But despite the uncomfortable resting situation, there was a satisfied smile on his features.
"Well? Awake yet?"
The beautiful archaeologist was sitting next to you, reading a book. She looked at you with a small smile.
" Be careful, the others are still asleep. But you can go outside if you want. The snowstorm has stopped."
Robin had decided to let her friends sleep. It had been too long since they last got a little rest.
With a quiet groan, you straightened your body. You could feel an annoying headache forming. Neck pain, cold and hunger. Even if you were able to sleep, it couldn't have been for very long.
How much you were wishing to be on the Sunny right now. In your soft bed. With linen sheets. In the cozy room you share with Robin and Nami.
You stretched your body and while yawning you started walking your way out of the cave. In your head you were still dreaming. Of soft pillows and fresh-smelling flowers, like the ones that Sanji regularly brought back from the local markets for you girls. Even if his antics could be annoying, the flowers always made you smile brighter.
The girls' bedroom was always tidy and quiet. Only sometimes your giggling got louder if there was something exciting to gossip about. It was your little comfort place on the Grand Line and not only for Sanji the so-called "heaven on earth".
While fixated on your Daydreaming, you walked through the cave until you reached the entrance. You had expected that all the snow might have buried you and it would take a while to shovel your way free, but there was only a small amount of white mass in front of the cave that was relatively easy to climb. As you continued to walk towards the sunny outdoors, your thoughts returned to soft blankets. Soft pillows. And warm arms wrapped around your body.
Wait what?
You shook your head. Such thoughts were completely out of place here. The important thing now was to see how you could all get back to the village and then quickly get something to eat.
But as your legs sank into the deep snow, your selfish daydreams were immediately back.
Warm hands caressing your cheek. A rough voice whispering in your ear. Soft kisses being pressed on your neck.
Tattooed arms that were wrapped around your body and tried pulling you closer to his heaving chest.
These thoughts kept you more than warm as your thighs sank deeper into the cold snow.
No matter how hard you tried to categorize these thoughts as wrong and banish them from your brain all at once, each time they came back even stronger.
Would he touch you like that? Would his hands be as soft as you imagined? How much you would love to run your hands over his tattooed arms. Over his long fingers. And over whatever else was hidden under his covered chest.
The first time you met him, he had been wearing a dark shirt. It had been unbuttoned at the top and while observing him from a little distance, you had seen that his dark tattoos continued on his chest. But you couldn't see much. And as if he had noticed how you were literally trying to undress him with your eyes, he had turned in a different direction. You had stood there, caught, perplexed, confused, while a heart eyed Sanji had been dancing around you singing compliments to you in your new dress.
You remember hushing to Nami about those same tattoos. You had tried to make it sound as neutral as possible. Simply interested in the art under his skin.
But Nami had already figured you out. She knew how interested you were in the captain of the other crew. But instead of secretly whispering with you, she had decided to push you in his direction. She had tapped the tall man on the shoulder and asked loudly if he could take off his clothes, so that you could admire his tattoos.
You could have killed your best friend in this very second.
After he stared at the navigator with a questioning and almost angry looking face, the red head pushed you in front of the doctor. Feeling heat all over your body, the words you were trying to say came out kinda stuttered.
"I .. I'm ... sorry. There must have been a… misunderstanding. Nami wasn’t…, Captain... uh... yes, I... was just wondering if all those tattoos must have hurt?"
A incredibly stupid excuse.
"You know… because I heard that it hurts, not that I think you're too weak... no, i definitely don’t.. I know how strong you are... I mean... Chopper told me about it and well, our captain always talks about your fights... You..."
You were not really forming coherent sentences. You wanted to run away or sink into the ground. No matter how you turned it around, it would never become a sensible explanation.
The man in front of you had looked puzzled. You were way to nervous to look into his eyes.
If you hadn't been so focused on your sentences and the awkwardness of the situation, you might have seen how gentle his gaze was. Almost confidently smirking downwards.
He had just wanted to interrupt you and was planing on explaining his tattoos to you, when the loudest strawhat pulled Law towards him with his outstretched arms.
"Traaaaaaa Guuuuuuyyy! Haha. Look what I made for you." The boy was holding a plate in front of his face. It was a mountain out of various food. Meat. Vegetables. A huge amount of dry rice. It looked like an inedible mess that the other captain had formed with his own hands. At least that's what Law assumed when he saw the straw hat's food covered hands, sending a shiver down his spine. How could this young man be so out of his mind? Law felt the urge to loudly slap his palm against his forehead. The stupidity and naivety of the strawhat-ya was too much to bear. But with a little squint, even he realized that the mess on the plate in front of him looked a lot like one of his crew members.
" shishishi it looks like your bear friend, torao. Do you like it ? "
Law just rolled his eyes. That was the reason ? Angrily he stared down at the other captain. He couldn’t believe he had just been interrupted in the moment, he had the chance of a conversation with his crush! Well, not that y/n was a crush... no. Definitely not. Law just wanted to make conversation. Completely normal. Without any ulterior motives. After all, she was the newest member of the friendly pirate gang. That would only be polite. Law talked himself out of any palpitations. Was it just him or was it just really warm on this island? Besides, there was the campfire. That was an explanation on while he was feeling that way. He was definitely not feeling that warm because of some woman.
A really really cute woman.
A really cute woman standing a few tables next to him. Still at the same space, talking nervously to Nami.
The cold snow under your feet became less and less. It barely reached your ankles. The sun was shining on your face as you breathed in the fresh air. The world around you was clear and bright. Now you could see where you were. When you had all sought shelter to hide from the coming storm, the rain and snow had already been so thick that you could hardly see anything. You had been glad that Franky had discovered the cave with his headlights.
You weren’t even that far from the village. If you would have known you could have even climbed down the mountain during the storm. But because nobody had a clue where you guys were, it was saver to stay and wait for the storm to end. The cave was on the mountain between the harbor and its tiny town and the small fishing village on the other side of the island. The harbor was run by the marines and it was impossible to go there. But in the town, there were stores and places where Franky could get the parts he needed to repair on the Thousand Sunny. The fishermen had also reported that there was a small Inn in the small harbor town where they could spend the night. That had been the actual plan. Get fresh food and the repair parts. To spend the night in the town and then go back to the sunny to repair it. But you never got that far.
The snow glistened in the sunlight. A small smile flitted across your face. Even if the last few days hadn't been ideal, you were still really relieved. Everyone was doing well. No one had been tragically injured and the little bit of peace and quiet had certainly done everyone some good.
Next to your tracks in the snow, a few others were starting to appear. They couldn't be old. They were definitely fresh footprints. Probably boots.
The prints were bigger than yours. Had someone been missing when you left the cave? Immediately your thoughts went back to the tall captain. Your heart began to beat loudly.
Your eyes wandered over the landscape. And not far from you, a figure was sitting on a tree trunk in the snow. As you approached quietly, you realized that he wasn’t alone. From afar you couldn’t make out the other being in the white snow. His white fur, tousled as he was laying on the ground listening to Law while making snow angels. Bepo looked like a small child. Only in the body of a huge polar bear.
„How cute.“ you thought. A broad grin crossing your cheeks.
Until Law started talking.
"I really don't know what to do, Bepo. Every rule I ever set for myself is
Absolutely against this!“ he shook his head slightly. "fuck I can't stop thinking about her" cursing he put his face into his hands, looking down and taking a deep breath.
Who was he talking about? Quietly sneaking a little closer, you hoped the captain was too lost in thought to spot you with his Haki.
"Oh Captain. Doesn't it feel good? The most important thing is that you're well!"
The polar bear hugged his captain and talked to him gently.
"Never mind Bepo. I'm sorry to bother you with something like this. The last few weeks I could have used your time better than constantly talking about y/n"
Wait. Your name?
" I'm sure she's not interested in me anyway. After all, she's on a ship with that lovesick cook. Or the swordsman is probably much more interesting to her anyway."
"Don't tell yourself that Law. Chopper told me how much she appreciates you. Besides, she's probably annoyed by Zoro and Sanji's constant bickering.
I'm sure she thinks you're just as great as we do, boss."
There was a tired smile on Law's face. No matter how distressed and confused he was on the inside, Bepo was always a reason for him to make this feeling disappear. The polar bear apparently had no idea how much Law wanted your attention. Never would thoughts like his fly through his best friend's brain.
The way he craved your touch. And the way he got hot inside as soon as he thought of your innocent eyes looking at him from below. He wanted for you to like him a lot more than his crewmates did. Bepo was way to naive to understand why Law was waking up covered in sweat with his pillow covering his lower body when Bepo wanted to see how he was doing the other morning. Not for the first time, he wondered if he could get away with kidnapping you. Surely the strawhat-ya would be more than pissed. But it would be worth to have some time alone with you. Law had to sigh. His thoughts too shameful to ever voice them.
" Let's go back to the cave. We have more important things to do."
And with a quick -shambles- from Law, the two Heart Pirates disappeared out of your sight.
Relieved that you had not been seen, you were sitting behind a rock. You could hardly believe what you had overheard.
At first you were afraid Law was talking about someone else. Maybe Robin or Nami. They were both beautiful and clever. And both had already fought alongside him. You, on the other hand, had hardly any experience of fighting and although you had already noticed through Sanji's affection that other people perceived you as attractive, you would never have compared yourself to your friends. Both were so beautiful, kind and graceful
and yet Law had said your name.
Although you were automatically ashamed of this thought, you thought of Law laying in bed with you again, stroking your hair and repeating your name over and over again.
You wanted to bury your head in the cold snow. The heat caused by these thoughts was just too much. Annoyed and confused with yourself, you slowly made your way back towards the cave.
Your heart beating so loud you thought it would jump out of your chest.
Two days later
With a tired smile, you said goodbye to Bepo and Ikkaku. Penguin walked behind them. Before he left with the others to return to the harbor, he turned back to you.
"Hey y/n, if that crazy strawhat ever gets tired of the pirate life, our captain would certainly have no problem with you joining our crew."
He leaned his head in my direction and winked " I think he would be more than satisfied with you on board"
Laughing, he walked through the door. Closely followed by Shachi, who formed his hands into a heart and sang something unintelligible.
You couldn't help but roll your eyes. Was it that obvious?
But no matter how hard you tried not to react to the teasing comments, your face turned red when you saw Law in the corner of your eye. Whether he heard it or not, you knew this was going to be awkward as soon as you were standing face to face.
Law had of course heard what his crew had implied. But he could hardly think about it, because at the same moment the straw hat wrapped its arms around the doctor several times. If he was going to try hugging him even more, Law was sure he would end up literally crushing him.
"Let go of me immediately, Straw Hat-ya!“
" shishishi. Sure thing, Torao. Have a good journey."
Luffy's grin went from ear to ear.
Law didn't really know what to do next. He had planned to just calmly say goodbye to the others. Without any big words, and above all without any more hugs.
These crazy pirates brought out the worst in him anyway. He was always annoyed at how much he didn’t think about real life issues and even smiled from time to time. It could hardly go on like this. After all, he had a reputation to uphold.
He took a step back and spoke to the rest of the friendly crew.
" I'll see you again in two months. If you find out anything important, you'd better call us right away via the telesnail. It means a lot to me, that we are helping us in these troubling times as an alliance. Thank you for your support."
He was about to leave when something pulled at his long coat.
"Oh, Doctor Law, before you go, here are the books I borrowed from you. I was not aware of some of these treatments. So thank you very much. I look forward to working with you again."
Chopper stood proudly in front of him and gave Law back three thick medicine books. How the little reindeer was able to carry these books at all puzzled Law. But presumably one of the others had helped him. Probably Robin. The devil fruit user patted Chopper proudly on the head. A wry grin on her face. "We're all looking forward to seeing you again Trafalgar, aren't we
y/n ? "
Robin gently nudged your arm and looked expectantly into your flushed face. Inside you were cursing her. How could she have found out how you felt about the tattooed captain too. Apparently everyone knew by now anyway.
" Uh, yeah. Sure... I... eh, we all appreciate you very much. And we're happy to help you, of course. It's important to us to be there for you. And to support you on your mission. I hope everything goes well with you... with you and your crew. We want to see you back in good health."
You look in his direction with an innocent laugh. You felt beyond awkward. Were you making a fool out of yourself again?
You didn't really want to see all your friends making fun of you while you were desperately trying to talk to your crush. But when your lowered gaze went up, only a satisfied smile sat on Law's face.
Robin and Chopper turned towards the other Strawhats.
While Law was still glancing at you. His eyebrows furrowed as if he was thinking hard about something to say. After a moment of silence, he was clearing his throat.
Softly, he whispered a " Take care of yourself, Y/N-ya." in your direction.
"And you take care of yourself, Law."
Smiling, you looked once more at the handsome face in front of you. His eyes were almost shining and a quick glance at his lips made your heart beat faster.
Law wondered if he should say something else. Something that could give you certainty. But apart from a softly breathed "Y/N", nothing came from his lips.
The other pirates around you were long forgotten. Your friends saying goodbye to the other crew members, Luffy dancing around the room laughing while Sanji explained to him why he had to wait until the food was ready, and Chopper proudly telling Nami about his new knowledge. While Usopp was making fun of a loudly snoring swordsman.
Even Brook's singing was just background noise. The only thing you could hear was the loud pounding of your heart and the soft voice of the Supernova repeating your name again.
Without thinking, you took a step towards the man in front of you. He was so tall, you had to lean your head back quite a bit to keep seeing his face.
Law's head was in chaos. The rational part of him would now take a quick step back, not ever look at you again and run away with a grim expression.
But his heart had already chosen a different path. His body decided what to do next for him. Although a moment ago Luffy had his arms around Law and he cursed any form of embrace, now he longed for it. As if she had read his thoughts, Y/N put her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly. Even though his head was still not fully aware what was happening , law wrapped his strong arms around her body. How he would have loved to pull her even closer to him. But there was no time for that. And would she even want that? He could ask her to run away with him? He can’t believe his thoughts were this idiotic.
Than the brief moment was over. Neither of them wanted to draw any more attention to themselves.
He detached himself and gave you a nod with his hat hiding his eyes, before turning around and following his crew with determined steps.
Did that really just happen?
Yes, it was only a hug. But for you it was more than just that. The way he had whispered your name, what was he trying to tell you? Maybe he had that feeling too. Longing.
Even after the conversation between him and Bepo that you had overheard the other day, you were still unsure. Did he like you back?
While you stood there rooted to the spot for a few minutes and looked after the Surgeon of Death, your thoughts full of question marks, he was already scolding his silly crew members. Even if he wasn't doing it very well today.
And so he walked with Bepo, Shachi and Penguin back to the bay where his submarine was anchored. His face was red, his gaze downcast and his eyes still hidden under his hat. While Bepo asked questions like "Is it true that you really "like like" her? Or „if she becomes part of our crew, will she sleep in the same room as you?" Or " Penguin said something about you being all dirty? But you just had a shower, haven't you?" Or " Law? Do you think I'll ever find a bear girlfriend?"
Penguin and Shachi cried with laughter.
And although few things in his life have ever embarrassed him as much as the awkward questions and fake kissing sounds of his friends, Law was feeling way to happy and warm at that moment to really care.
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staybabblingbaby · 4 months ago
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Best Friend Protocol #3 (Bridge Part)
[Caution: These are not full fics, or even full parts of fics for some, these are part of my writing progress archive!]
Concept: You're Felix's childhood friend, and you and he have been planning a visit to see him for his birthday for what feels like years now. Unfortunately, SKZ is a very busy group, and the week-long vacation you'd planned for doesn't seem possible. Until Felix decides to ask his bandmates a favor...
Word Count: All images, so N/A. Unless someone wants to make these accessible but I don't really know how.
Notes: It's mostly a coincidence, but we're gonna pretend I was writing and positing this 2day 2 celebrate Contract Renewal <3
If you spot continuity errors no you didn't. Same w spelling errors. I am a simple Dyslexic, and texting is hard. Still struggling with the group texts. It's kind of easier if I decide what everyone is doing at a given moment. I might turn off time stamps entirely, they're 90% of what makes these difficult lol. Reader's character keeps changing ever so slightly and so does Felix's. Not sure what that's about, they're just lil guys <3 I'm excited to get more into the meat of the story. We'll be starting time skips soon, and OT8 Reader interactions start next chap.
Warnings: She/Her Reader
Leave me comments or questions or anything! Love hearing from folks <3
Masterlist | Prev Part <3 | Next Part :D
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scummy-writes · 3 months ago
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Things I've learned about being in fandoms on tumblr
Sometimes when I am navigating fandom, I will have bouts of... depression? negative feelings? regarding it. I think a lot of people go through this, but in the areas of fandom I buzz around in, I don't see many people talking about ways to sort of re-center yourself and take care of yourself in an online space. I thought I would attempt to share some of my habits I try to follow when I hit one of these moods. So here are 14 of them covering various subjects I run into the most. They will not work for everyone, but I do encourage you to think a bit about each point and see if it would work for you.
Feel free to add some of your own, but I am looking for positive advice that is not meant to put down others in a harmful way. I would also like to preface that I've been in fandoms for over seven years, most of them smaller rather than huge, but a lot of this advice is centered around someone just trying to enjoy the space/enjoying it as a fan creator (writing fanfics in my case). The 'you' used in this is a general usage of the word 'you'.
-> It's good to celebrate milestones, whether its how many followers you have, works you've made in a year, or similar.
However... Don't let this become a competition or reasons to compare yourself to others. We're here to have fun and to celebrate us doing so- don't put completely unneeded and unnessacary competition on it. What's the point of that competition other than to make yourself feel bad or to belittle others? This extends further to notes - no number games. none. You can be proud of the numbers you have gotten, but curb all impulses to swing that in a negative way. The second that starts happening, talk to friends. talk to someone IRL. do something that isn't staring at your notifs, immediately. Even if its listening to silly things while washing the dishes- get out of your notifs tab!!! The numbers game isn't a game you have to be a part of, ever.
-> Don't put other bloggers on pedestals.
It's fine to be a fan of someone's work, and to be excited when they post or even talk to you and you're surprised by it. However, we're all just nerds together in a fandom- maybe don't put them up on a pedestal and hold their opinions/words as gospel rather than things you agree with. There's an unhealthy disconnect there for both parties, and can lead to unhealthy habits of a bad comparison game with one party not even knowing you're comparing yourself or others to them. And I promise that no one likes being pitted against others in those.
-> separating my main blog from my fandom blog has done wonders for me.
This one is a lot more of a 'me' thing that MIGHT be helpful towards others, but it's such a nice thing to have a 'normal' space where I don't have to worry too much about fandomisms but want to be online. I want to reblog other things that are not just fandom related and I don't want people from the fandom blog bothering me for. For the longest time I wasn't very upfront with my main blog purely because I wanted that separation, but for others to block me properly I put it up more bluntly.
I also think that this is good when you want to write about some things, but are nervous. In my example, I get nervous writing about my ocs. So what did I do? Made a sideblog for one, briefly mentioned it, and I post untagged drabbles at times when trying to explore her character. It's more practice on not caring about the note amount each post gets for me, and it makes me more at ease with things not getting any notes while exploring different subjects I don't usually write about.
-> Does everyone seem horrible, or are you just not in a good mood?
This is silly and maybe redundant for some, but it's good to keep a track of IRL verses Online. If IRL is weighing you down so much that you use online as an unhealthy habit (self destructive behaviors towards things you worked hard on, lashing out at friends for things out of their control, lashing out on other bloggers for inane things, focusing your bad mood on notes or fake popularity contests...) then try and figure out the big important things: Have you eaten, slept, drank enough water through the day, or are in pain/annoyance with something offline that you're not realizing? Is it one person online making you feel like this? Have you blocked them? Have you taken healthy breaks offline to reground yourself? When i am randomly bitter about the online world, this is typically my frustrations with smth IRL leaking out, and so I do something to help process that or to breathe through it. My personal go to is getting out of the house so I can listen to music, watch silly videos while putting together a simple craft I bought, or doing chores/playing games.
-> Is the fandom full of cliques, or are you witnessing friends just talking to each other?
I get it, it fucking sucks not being involved in a friend group. You know what makes that worse? By looking at other's friend groups bitterly and making up shit in your mind to justify it. The reality is this: people will be friends with a limited number of people, and frequently talk to them because that is who they are comfortable with.
You not being in that friend group does not mean there is anything wrong with you OR them. The honest truth is that it's hard to keep up with a ton of friends at once, and so people may not respond to your messages, or they might mean to but it gets lost in their hectic IRL, or they just don't mesh with you- and all of that is normal!
And... Really... It takes work to build up a friend group. You have to get out of your comfort zone and send the first few messages. You have to embrace the fact that it's possible a friendship won't pan out. It's natural, it's normal, and doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you or the other person. After trying and naturally just talking to people in the fandom, I promise that you will find a friend group of your own.
We are all socially awkward people trying to nervously talk to each other. Yes, even the people you follow that seem like 'everyone' likes them- they are nervous too. we're all just nerds here, remember that.
-> Understand that no one is obligated to do anything.
This ranges from so many things. Here is a list as short as I can manage it to get my point across: No one is obligated to comment, read, like, or reblog any posts. Any posts. No one is obligated to scour for new creatives in the fandom spaces and reblog their work. No one is obligated to tag their posts/creative adventures to your liking. No one is obligated to follow by your DNIs and BYFs. Obligation does not exist. Even your friends are not obligated to do any of this.
It is courtesy to do these things. Blogs will do their best to be supportive by nature, and to try and at least do some of this at any given time, but it's not a requirement. It's NICE to do so and encouraged, but the second you drill it into your head that no one, not even you, are obligated to do this, it's a bit easier to breathe and accept that no, it's a bit insane and difficult to read through 50 fanfics a week and comment a paragraph on all of them while also working on your own things and trying to manage 15 conversations while working 40 hrs a week and and and---
Instead, focus that energy on friends and yourself when you can and accept your own limitations.
-> have other fandoms you enjoy where you DON'T feel pressured to do ANYTHING.
Due to my hard fixation at usually one to two games at a time, I am usually only writing for those at a time- but I need other things to enjoy where I don't feel like I need to make something to post online. I don't feel that pressure from myself, i don't feel the need to try and engage with others. Just a quiet enjoyment for me.
-> If creating is really stressing you out and making you feel worse than better, reflect on the reasons this may be.
Are you hanging out with people who are regurgitating really bad beliefs regarding creation ("shame, you only got twenty notes, that's nothing", "wow fifty notes? that flopped.", "how did this person's shitty work get 30 more notes than me?"). Are you getting anons putting you down? Is your depression convincing you what you've made is worthless? Look at some of the points in this post regarding friends, blocking, and if you're neglecting your body's needs. If that still persists, there may be some self-reflection as to why things get to you so badly. Try to journal out the reasons why until you believe you hit one that is not your depression speaking.
An example: I would freak out about notes because I had friends that would talk around or to me in the examples listed in the previous paragraph. Cutting them off, focusing on friends who focused on the joys of creating, and focusing more on what *I* wanted to write rather than requests... I still get depressed at times but it's been so much more managable now with better support and feeling free creatively. Usually calling myself out at staring at notes helps me shake my head and move on now.
-> Blocking/Filtering is your friend, but maybe don't over do it.
Blocking seems vaguely controversial at times, but I do believe it's needed for a positive fandom experience. Outside of the obvious, the reasons I block people are typically related to how upset I am by something the person has done or said, even if it's related to fancreations. If it's something like them berating others for not believing their headcanon/fanon? Or grossly demonizing some character's mental illness? Or harassing people who dislike some characters and vice/versa? That's all a block for me.
I personally try not to overdo it and make educated decisions based on like, hey, is this just someone misunderstanding and not realizing how they're coming off? Is this someone who I am misreading their tone? Is this just a weird one-off behavior? Ok, then maybe no block button. But if seeing poor takes makes you angry for longer than, say, 20 mins? an hour? It's a week later and you're still all huffy about it and legit pissed? Maybe dig into that while also blocking the person for now.
The Filters aspect of this is similar, but it's a lighter version of blocking for me. Maybe I don't want to block this person but seeing them talk about bugs really stresses me out, so I look at how they tag those posts and filter it out for myself. Maybe I love their fandom blog but they're multi-fandom, so i will filter out a fandom I don't want to see them post about. That's it.
-> Don't be afraid to cut anon off, even if it's for a few weeks at a time.
I feel like those of us who take requests for fan creations are terrified of this a lot, but truly, taking breaks from the anon function should be encouraged. It is indeed a button for shy people, but there are assholes everywhere regardless. When they occupy your time too much or just annoy you, take away their ability to actually say anything to you.
For a creative, sometimes this can feel like the end of the world. But... you Can turn it back on later. I frequently shut it off during major life events, fanfics I am worried I might get weird anons about, when I'm in a randomly bad mood and don't think I can handle it. I Sometimes have it off for months at a time. You can cut it back on. But if anons make you anxious just imagining getting one right now? Flip that off for now. (also please utilize the block function for mean anons!!!)
-> turn those tumblr notifs OFF!!! (mobile) Additional: Turn your status OFF!!!
The only notifications I get on my phone from tumblr is when someone IM's me, and I've had it like this for years. I cannot imagine having my phone constantly going off with random tumblr notifications, I think I would have a bad spike in anxiety having that happen. It would make any negative feelings with notes/followers/number worse for me.
The online status is debatable, some people really don't have an issue with this, but I tend to feel pressured to respond to people asap if they see that my status is online and similar. Those people have not said anything to me regarding it, it's just my personal issue. So..I turn that status off. And it helps me feel better about answering in my own time.
-> Look at who you are communicating with.
Do your friends regularly dunk or mock people on the daily, over shit that is inane and petty? Are you a creative a bit nervous with your work because your friends are pretty rude with how they view other's works? Are you scared to like a character because your friend severely hates them/is attached to them to an unhealthy degree?
There are other subsets to this, but those are ones I find really troubling and try my best to avoid. I dont want to be friends with people who regularly mock others on the legit daily. I don't want to be friends with people who nitpick notes and use notes as a measure on how much worth someone has. I don't want to be friends with people who mock other's creative endeavors.
So... I don't! If I notice things are becoming a salt pit, I try to talk things out at first, but if its clear that's not gonna work, then it's outties for me. It's very true that everyone will salt over something eventually, but it's up to you to decide how severe it is with your friend circle, how it wears you down, and are they really people you want to hang around with if they just make you anxious or stressed all the time?
-> That vaguepost isn't about you.
Friend venting about someone who sounds oddly like you? Does your favorite blog mention something they dislike and you think you fit into that catagory- guess what. It's not about you!!
It's something I struggled with for a while, but eventually I came to terms with it by going "If they truly have an issue with me, they can talk to me one on one. Otherwise, i am assuming that this isn't about me" and gritting my teeth and forcing myself to repeat that until I feel at ease. Truthfully, I also just stopped hanging out with people who do this a ton in a harmful way, so my anxiety about this decreased. If it's an issue, friends should be willing to bring it up to you personally rather than make really meanspirited vagueposts.
-> A personal one I am putting at the end since I believe can easily turn bad, is... Stop looking in the fandom tags if they continiously bum you out.
I will be transparent, I've had bouts of running into a ton of 'why you should love/hate this character' posts over and over, posts that are random but use 50 different character tags, posts about how annoying my fave is, posts from/about bloggers I dislike, etc etc. After a while, I decided to just curate my feed via whoever I was following, and stop looking into tags as often. At most, I do it once every 1-3 months.
Yes, this does limit what all you can see, however... There's only so much information I can take in at once. If I follow people who reblog a ton of fandom content I love and it's different across the board, that's good enough for me and I don't feel negative looking at the tags sometimes.
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ellecdc · 6 months ago
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While I don't like to spend time feeding into negativity on my page, I received a rude/aggressive comment which, though it had been sent to me anonymously, I have reason to suspect who it might have been from; so while I'm not going to broadcast it, it prompted something that I would like to remind anyone who might need it [which is truly maybe only 0.02% of you]
I have been on this app for 4 months; I have gotten hundreds [if not thousands] of asks sent to me during that time and I have always made a solid effort to respond to anyone and everyone who has taken time out of their day to reach out to me or even leave comments on my fics because it truly means the world to me
Over the past 4 months and throughout the hundred [or thousands] of asks and just as many comments and messages, I have only ever received 2 negative/rude/insulting asks - both were sent anonymously, one I had responded to and one I have blocked
And while this blog has grown bigger than I have ever imagined possible for myself and I now receive the most number of asks and requests than I ever had before, I continue to try to stay active, diligent in my responses, and enthusiastic in my chats and conversations with you all
I will admit that I have many unanswered asks in my inbox right now from a large number of my mutuals, listed anons, and many more requests that I have been saving for when the inspiration hits - I cannot respond to everyone and everything all of the time and for the most part, people have been very understanding about that
Sometimes I save chats for later when I have the headspace for it, sometimes I'll answer on the whim, and sometimes I save simple chats that I actually think would make for a good fic idea!
But it's important to note that I don't owe anyone the explanation I just gave to you all
The people that you interact with on this app are just that - people
People who have good days and bad days, people who have jobs and lives and loved ones who take precedence, and people who don't actually owe you anything
This is true whether you're a mutual, whether you're a dutiful fan, whether you're a listed anon, or otherwise - blogs don't owe you anything
They don't owe you a response, they don't owe you their time or energy, and they don't owe you their 110% every time you interact with them
I give my best to every single person I have spoken to on here, and some days my best is better than other days. Sometimes I get so excited when I'm out with friends or at work when I notice an ask from someone - mutual, anon, or otherwise - that I reply immediately because I just cannot wait to chat. This means I'm not always sitting down at my computer and able to give every single response the same amount of time or effort because I am a) busy, b) perhaps a little distracted and c) human
But I don't owe anyone that explanation either
This blog has always felt like a super niche book club filled with likeminded people who loved the same things I do, loved the same characters that I do, and who enjoyed chatting about it. It has also felt like a fun and wholesome community that I am happy to be apart of
And while I like to think that my blog is a safe space for everyone and anyone who might want to visit it; it's a safe space for me first
This blog is my space and my safe haven; you are welcome to it - but that welcome is a privilege, not a right - and I am not obligated to cater it to you
Like I said, I have only ever received two rude asks, but even though 99.98% of my messages are positive, the negative ones feel the loudest
Please think before you send criticizing asks to any blog; the 'saddest' thing of all is being both cowardly and cruel to people you don't know
& again, as always, thank you all for being here with me 🫶
-L
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imgeekgirlfan · 1 year ago
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Down The Road (F1 x Reader) SMAU Season 1
>> Down The Road 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩
➡  Previous Part : (End of Season 1)
Taglist: @raizelchrysanderoctavius , @laura-naruto-fan1998 , @jpg3 , @tsukishimawhore , @minkyungseokie , @roseseraj , @bbhyuneee , @omgsuperstarg (If you want to be added in this fic, just tell me in reply)
A/N : Finally, we've reached the conclusion of the first season of "Down The Road." I feel deeply touched that there are still people joining in to read both the old and new chapters. I'm delighted that you've enjoyed the stories from my head.
I must confess that SMAU fics aren't really my thing because I tend to focus more on narratives. That's why I've included captions under every image. I felt that without these extensions, it would be quite frustrating for me.
One thing you might have noticed is that I didn't use chat format to narrate the first season. because I wanted the readers to have a sense of the mockumentary format from different perspectives and then piece it together. I feel that the chat format might destroy the mystery of the story. so I decided not to include it (However, in George Russell's part for Next Season, I thought I should add a chat element).
I'm still excited to continue this series. As long as I have inspiration and support from everyone, however, this fic consumes a lot of my energy. I've been consistently writing for a full month, with only about 4 hours of sleep a day throughout the week, to write these fics for you to read. and it's affecting my health significantly. So, I need to take a temporary break before I continue with the new story in Season 2, which is about Max Verstappen x Reader (spoiler: enemies to lovers). I hope you won't forget about me and will eagerly await Season 2.
note ; I would like to express my thanks to @missmarmaladeth a dear friend and lovely reader who diligently proofreads the fic before I publish it for everyone to read. and without her help, this fic would not have been completed. I am very grateful to her.
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Season 1 : ── 𝐃𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐬 ── (Lewis Hamilton x Reader) S1 : E04 𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝐶𝘩𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑜𝑛
The 2024 Formula 1 season is more intense than ever, with three contenders for the championship: Y/N YLN, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton. Apart from keeping an eye on the new champion, what has everyone on edge is the rumor that Hamilton might retire. Is it true? Or is there something else we don't know? This is the final episode of Season 1, "Down The Road" that viewers must watch closely!
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Source : @F1
The championship has become the most closely watched position this year, with three drivers who can score points closely and have equal chances of winning this year. Will Verstappen maintain his fourth championship? Or will Hamilton succeed in claiming his eighth title? Or could it be Y/N who makes history as the first woman to win The Formula 1 Championship? So here are some of the main talking points heading to Abu Dhabi...
How possible is it for Y/N to beat the two best male drivers in the world? 
It's undeniable that Y/N plays a crucial role in propelling her team to be on par with Ferrari and Mercedes in terms of total points. However, defeating Red Bull, which boasts a superior engine, remains a distant possibility, especially considering her relatively limited experience in Formula 1, having just one year under her belt. This differs significantly from Verstappen and Hamilton, both of whom have already clinched world championships and managed the pressures on the track more effectively than Y/N.
There's another aspect to consider, and that's the complex dynamic between Hamilton and Y/N in their roles as mentor and protege. They share a close and highly respectful bond. Flashbacks to 2023 at Suzuka Circuit come to mind, where Y/N made a stunning debut by narrowly defeating Hamilton. The young driver received genuine congratulations from him. However, will he be as gracious if Y/N triumphs this season, especially given Hamilton's clear intention to secure his eighth world championship after missing out to Verstappen in 2021. Now that his former protege has become a formidable competitor, will the bond between Hamilton and Y/N come to an end?
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Source : @Motorsport
There are reports that Lewis Hamilton might be considering retirement after successfully clinching his eighth championship. 
These rumors began circulating after an interview during the United States Grand Prix 2024, where the seven-time world champion responded to media inquiries about his plans for the future, saying, "I have many things I want to do in the future. One of them is to start a family because I'm 39 years old now, and it's time for me to lay down some roots." 
While there hasn't been a clear confirmation from Hamilton, this is seen as a potential sign of retirement for one of this generation's greatest drivers.
And about the two prominent contenders who have a chance to vie for the World Championship, Max Verstappen and Y/N YLN, Hamilton acknowledges that both of them are formidable rivals with the potential to become the next world champion. However, Hamilton makes it clear that he's not willing to give up the championship for an eighth time easily.
“Their team has great engines, and it's clear that they also have talent. That's something everyone agrees with when they see them both racing in competition, especially Y/N. I hope to see her become the World Champion because, as the first woman in Formula 1, it would be a tremendous achievement for all of us to see a woman in that position. However, it won't be easy this year because I'm determined to secure a win as well, and I'm not one to give in easily.”
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Source : @SportskeedaF1
After the retirement rumors sparked significant discussion on the internet, Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team have remained tight-lipped about it. Nonetheless, fans spotted Hamilton in Italy before the upcoming #AbuDhabiGP race, He appeared to be enjoying some quality downtime with his family and friends, including several Formula 1 drivers like George Russell, Alex Albon, Y/N YLN, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, and many more. 
Additionally, there have been reports that Toto Wolff is also in Italy, and it's possible he might have a private meeting with Hamilton.
Certainly, the gathering of other Formula 1 drivers and the arrival of the CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team in Italy, especially on the brink of the race, only intensified the curiosity among fans. Up to this point, no one knows for sure what's happening in Italy, leaving fans with even more questions and speculation.
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Source : Formula 1: Drive to Survive (On Netflix)
In the show "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" Will Buxton, a Formula 1 journalist, has predicted the intense situation in Formula 1 2024 about the possibility of Lewis Hamilton's retirement and who might become the world champion this year.
"I'm sure that the decision to retire is a tough one for all racing drivers, including their fans," Buxton said. "I can't speculate on Lewis Hamilton's thoughts, so it's hard to say how he's thinking about retiring. But I'm confident that if he were to decide to retire for real, it would be a significant loss for Formula 1, and the FIA or the Mercedes team would likely not accept it."
“Lewis Hamilton is an icon of Formula 1, a fact that nobody can deny. Whether you like him or not, I believe this is the perfect time for him to create a legend as an eight-time Formula 1 World Champion”
However, Buxton believes that Hamilton's hope is not an easy matter, with both Max Verstappen and Y/N YLN having a chance to clinch the championship this year. Even though most people consider Verstappen superior, Buxton has a different perspective, stating that Y/N is a dark horse that every team should genuinely beware of.
“In the Formula 1 business, Y/N is an intriguing case. She comes from an unexpected background, not a ‘nepo baby’ or a wealthy family. She relies solely on her own abilities and has managed to climb to the position of world champion in just one year, something unprecedented in Formula 1 history. This is even more remarkable because she is a woman in a sport that has rarely given women opportunities over the past several decades. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her to come this far, and she will never give up, no matter what. I understand that not everyone may agree with what I'm saying, but I'm fairly confident that she has a better chance than Hamilton and Verstappen of claiming the championship this year.”
“Who will stand as the Formula 1 World Champion this year? Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, or Y/N? No matter who among these three becomes the champion, history has already been made.”
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Source : F1 TV (LIVE)
Narrator : “Y/N fiercely competed with Verstappen, but Verstappen exceeded the track limits, which led to a 5-second penalty, separating him from Hamilton and Y/N. It's evident that the championship this time is going to be a showdown between a former mentor and a former protege. It's bound to be a memorable conclusion for both of them”
“Oh my god, it's happening! Y/N has passed Hamilton and clinched the victory by a nose at the last second, just like it happened at Suzuka Circuit in 2023. And now, we've got the championship for this year!”
“A new page in Formula 1 history has been written right here. She is the first and only woman since the inception of Formula 1 to successfully claim the World Championship title. Congratulations, Y/N YLN!”
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Source : @F1
Y/N YLN WINS IN ABU DHABI!
Although she appeared unwell before the race, causing concern for everyone, Y/N managed to defeat Hamilton and Verstappen in a momentous victory. becoming the first and only woman to secure the Formula 1 World Championship. This is a monumental achievement that will be etched into history. Congratulations to @Y/N 
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Source: Y/N twitter & instagram (update)
Important Announcement from Me
This is a difficult decision for me, but I need to announce a temporary retirement from being a Formula 1 driver to focus on the most important thing for me, which is building our family.
Lewis Hamilton and I have known each other for a long time since my days as a driver at the F1 Academy. Our relationship began with mutual respect. He is the only driver who has cared to involve women more in the world of Formula 1, and due to his strong support, I got the opportunity to compete in Formula 1 as a full-fledged driver, which is a significant achievement in this sport.
Throughout my time in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton and I developed a close and strong relationship. He has become my idol, my mentor, my competitor, and my love. We always intended to keep these stories secret to maintain our privacy and allow us to focus on Formula 1 without distractions. However, being falsely accused by the media forced us to distance ourselves and go our separate ways. But strangely, the distance made both of us realize how much we love each other and how much we want to spend the rest of our lives together.
Lewis Hamilton and I had a private wedding ceremony in Italy, surrounded by friends, family, and other Formula 1 drivers. It was the happiest time of my life because I married the one I love and discovered that I had been pregnant for two months.
I know that my time in Formula 1 is limited. This will be the season's last race and my last race too. as I cannot devote my full attention to racing anymore because there is something even more significant that I must devote my life to: my child, who is about to be born.
I had intended to announce my retirement after winning a championship, but with support from my husband, Susie and Toto, my team, and my friends George Alex and Lando, I've decided to declare a temporary leave instead. I will return once I've managed everything.
Thank you for all the support and love you have given us.
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton
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Source : @Cosmopolitan
This is truly the shock news of the year. If you're a Formula 1 fan, you've probably heard about the new World Champion of 2024, Y/N YLN. She has announced her marriage to the legendary driver, Lewis Hamilton, in Italy and revealed the good news that she has been pregnant for two months. This has left fans around the world amazed, since there were hardly any hints before!
Going back to 2023, Y/N YLN made history by debuting as the first female Formula 1 driver in decades. Besides her professional achievements,there was something else worth noticing: her close relationship with Lewis Hamilton. She revealed that he was instrumental in pushing for her inclusion in the Formula 1 world, and she deeply respects him as a mentor. However, fans have observed that they have something more than just a professional relationship because they often spend time together, leading to speculation that they are dating.
These speculations quickly vanished from the spotlight with the emergence of Latin singer Shakira, who had a romantic connection with Hamilton, and with the appearance of Úrsula in the Formula 1 Grand Prix,sparking rumors about a previous relationship between her and Y/N. Nevertheless, these stories gradually faded away, much like the story between Y/N and Hamilton. It's evident that they both tried to keep a low profile, and they've barely appeared together since.
Sources tell us that both Y/N and Hamilton actually dated back when Y/N was still a driver at the F1 Academy. Susie Wolff, Managing Director of the F1 Academy and Toto Wolff's wife, was instrumental in introducing them. However, the media scrutiny and their roles as Formula 1 drivers led to their separation and dating others. But true love never fades, and the distance only made them realize how much they love each other and decide to start their relationship anew. now even more private than before, determined to keep it away from the public eye.
The turning point in Y/N and Hamilton's relationship came when Y/N YLN discovered that she was pregnant before the end of the 2024 season. While it should have been good news, it left Y/N deeply worried. Hamilton, on the other hand, was overjoyed about becoming a father and promised Y/N that he would retire after winning his eighth World Championship this year. He further solidified this promise with a secret wedding in Italy, attended only by family, close friends, and fellow F1 drivers.
It seems like a romantic story, unless you consider that Formula 1 is all about competition and winning, and while Lewis Hamilton had his heart set on winning his eighth championship, Y/N wanted the same. She had to choose between her family and her own Formula 1 championship; ultimately, she chose to race. and won the championship while pregnant, outshining her husband.
However, the Y/N victory didn't affect their relationship, as they openly shared their feelings with each other. Y/N told Hamilton she didn't want him to retire for her and she would retire instead, but Hamilton disagreed because he knew Y/N still wanted to compete. So they both decided to continue competing in Formula 1. Hamilton still has his goal of achieving the eighth championship and retiring, while Y/N will take a temporary break and return to racing after giving birth.
The legendary sports couple is now expecting their first child together. Congratulations to the new power couple!
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Source : Formula 1: Drive to Survive (On Netflix)
In the final episode of "Formula 1: Drive to Survive," Y/N YLN, the reigning world champion, opened up about the behind-the-scenes of her relationship and rivalry with her husband, Lewis Hamilton, before she became the world champion and made history as the first female Formula 1 champion.
"Getting pregnant during the racing season was something Lewis and I didn't anticipate. It worried me a lot, and I had to keep it a secret because it could seriously affect my professional commitments in Formula 1." 
Y/N revealed candidly about the pressures she faced as the only female driver in this era, especially considering the high expectations from everyone since she had the chance to become the world champion. Thus, she chose to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone initially.
However, Y/N decided to disclose the truth to Hamilton, as he is the father and deserved to know. This news brought immense joy to Hamilton, as he had longed for a child. This led to their decision to quietly get married, sharing the details with only those closest to them.
"Lewis is thrilled to become a father. He made me a promise that if he secures his eighth championship, he will retire and spend all his time taking care of me and the baby. I understand how important this win is to him and what it means for our family," Y/N said. "But I looked at him and thought, 'I'm sorry, honey, but I also want to be a fucking World Champion too.' "
Y/N's final competition at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was her sole decision, which caused a great deal of anxiety among those who knew about her pregnancy, especially Hamilton, who strongly disagreed. Y/N admitted the heated debates that took place but emphasized that Hamilton knows her deep love for Formula 1, as he did. So eventually, he accepted her choice to continue racing. and this decision ultimately led to her successful championship win.
When asked about her future in Formula 1, Y/N revealed that she had thought about retiring and letting Hamilton continue. Still, she felt guilty about not listening to him and decided to compete for the championship. But Hamilton was supportive and didn't want her to retire. Finally, they both agreed to continue racing in Formula 1.
"I told him I would retire on my own because he deserves to continue competing. I've already won a Championship, and I have a child to take care of. But, as I mentioned earlier, Lewis knows how much I love Formula 1, and he doesn't want me to retire. So, we both decided to stay in Formula 1 until we can't drive anymore," Y/N said, concluding with a smile.
In the end, Y/N expressed her heartfelt gratitude to fans worldwide for their warm wishes for her family. She hoped that everyone would continue to follow and support her adventures in the Formula 1 world from now on
"I know that many of you have been following our story, and your comments and encouragement mean a lot to me. Now, Lewis and I are stepping into new and crucial roles in life beyond the racetrack, as parents and husband and wife. I hope you'll continue to support us in the future and look forward to the upcoming season with new, undisclosed stories in the world of Formula 1. Please stay tuned."
End of Season 1
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Bonus : What if Lewis Hamilton is the one to announce his marriage instead of Y/N?
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(It's a joke meme I wanted to include in the fic, but never had the chance to use. Lol)
If you like it, don't forget to like and reblog for me.
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to-the-stars8 · 2 months ago
Text
Affairs and Letters
Jason Todd x Reader Regency AU! AO3 Chapters
Chapter XII
At the very least, the letters you had given Jason were restrained. There were dips in your sentences that he could have sworn held a double meaning, but he dared not assume too much. Yet, as he responded to your letters, he could not stop the vulgar words from escaping his mind. He wrote about how beautiful you were, how your smile and eyes could bring any man worth his salt to his knees. His lips wanted to touch you again and again, in all places that your dress hid and that only he would know. 
He made himself blush as he wrote and every so often had to take breaks to keep himself composed. If Jason’s father had gotten a peek at his words, he surely would have been scolded or something far worse. That is why, when Dick had thrown open his bedroom door, he had stuffed the letters into one of the slots of the desk without waiting for the ink to dry. 
“You know our lovely friend, Ms. Thompkins,” His older brother asked, taking long, wide steps toward his younger brother. 
“Yes, what of her?” Jason said, irritated. He had not thought much of Ms. Thompkins since the party where he first met you. Though you and Ms. Thompkins had been acquaintances, Jason was more than willing to praise her due to that simple fact. 
“We have just gotten an invitation for tea, but I cannot attend,” Dick said. 
Jason looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed in utter confusion before remembering one little fact about Ms. Thompkins. She was once your patron and was now one of your dearest friends. “Who will be in attendance?” 
“It does not say, but I do think she would invite you dearly beloved nanny,” Dick grinned. 
Standing, Jason would not entertain his brother’s jokes and took the note out of his hand before calling on one of the servants to have his horse prepared. He took his hurriedly written letters and shoved them into his coat pocket before riding for Ms. Thompkins.
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“Oh, Ms. Thompkins, am I such a fool as to be so enthralled by him at risk of my position? You know Lady Kent will not abide follies at the risk of reputable damage to her and her sons,” You said one day when Jon had accompanied his father into town, therefore providing you some freedom to visit your friend. Initially, it was going to be only the two of you, but, as you indulged her curiosity of your infatuation with Mr. Todd, she sought to invite him as well. 
Ms. Thompkins slowly sipped her tea before addressing you. “My dear, Mr. Todd has a reputation of goodness and aloof kindness. I do not think he would ever mean to injure your position nor be as wild as to sow his oats on a respectable young lady.” 
“Yes, I hope you are right,” You groaned. “You know I cannot help but fear fickle affection and the consequences of it on my person.”
“He is not such a man,” Ms. Thompkins insisted. “His father is all goodness, and I doubt he would ever bring his sons up in such devilish ways.”
You were going to agree again when a servant entered to inform Ms. Thompkins that Mr. Todd had arrived. Suddenly, you found yourself in a flustered disposition, with cheeks flushed and your heart beating fast. 
When Mr. Todd entered there was no question that you were very attracted to him. A tall, handsome man with a hidden passion for love made you feel very right indeed—Yes, you thought at the same time, you knew very well that such a man could not lie about his feelings. 
“Ah,” Ms. Thompkins began with excitement. “The elusive Mr. Todd bestowing his kind presence upon us—How great an occasion!”
Mr. Todd bowed his head and let her take his arm. From the moment he entered the room, his eyes only stayed upon you, scarcely looking at the host. She led him to sit next to you, giving you a mischievous grin as she did, before going to sit on the other side of the room. 
“How is your father, Mr. Todd,” She asked. 
“Very well, thank you.” 
“And your brothers and sister?” You asked. 
When you spoke, he smiled a little. “They are all well, Miss. How is Sir Kent and his family?”
“The same as yours, sir,” You smiled. 
Mr. Todd started at you with such admiration that Ms. Thompkins could thoroughly see that she was right. Not that she had any doubt or inclination that she could be wrong. 
“Mr. Todd,” the elder lady began. “Pray tell, does your father intend to host a ball soon? A house as grand as his deserves an even grander introduction to the neighborhood.”
Mr. Todd tried to smile politely. “I am not privy to this kind of information, but, be assured, when he does start to make plans—which I do not doubt will be soon—you will be the first to know, Ms. Thompkins.”
“Wonderful!” She laughed, clapping her hands. “I do not doubt that Lady Kent will be very excited for it, eh, sweet girl?”
You nodded eagerly. “Yes, my lady is always longing for a ball. Especially with a son who is getting closer to marrying age.”
“Ah, yes,” Ms. Thompkins said. “I feel in my old bones that marriages will be all about us soon. I do not doubt it!” 
You blushed before glancing over at Mr. Todd who was already looking at you with what you could only describe as admiration in his eyes. Looking back at Ms. Thompkins, you inquired about the tea, and it was then she finally realized that was the initial excuse for Mr. Todd’s presence. Standing, made the excuse that she would go fetch the tea herself, all with a sly grin. Wicked woman, you thought, executing such scandalous designs. She had fully intended to find some reason to leave you and Mr. Todd alone. Whether or not Jason noticed, you did not know, because, as soon as Mr. Thompkins was gone, he pressed a kiss to your neck. You gasped, turning to look at him. 
“Restrain yourself, sir,” said you, attempting to sound serious though a smile betrayed your true feelings. “My friend could return at any moment.”
“Forgive me,” said he, not truly meaning it. “I could not help myself.”
“I have missed you as well, Jason.” You glanced at the door before stealing a kiss. He sighed once you had left his lips cold to regain your composure. Mr. Todd took the chance of the solitude to slip you his letters, which you took with a wide grin. You spared one more kiss before scooting away from him toward your bag. 
No sooner had you put the letters away in your bag did the parlor room door swing open again. Ms. Thompkins seemed a bit disappointed not to find the two of you in a scandalous position. Oh, Ms. Thompkins surely loved a bit of scandal. Not long after her arrival, the tea came accompanied with biscuits and little sandwiches. Mr. Todd seemed much more interested in the food than he was in any sort of conversation. 
Tea had lasted well into the afternoon, and, by the time Ms. Thompkins had indicated that it was time for her guests to leave, nightfall was dangerously close. As you shrugged on your coat, you insisted to your gracious host that you would be fine walking home. Mr. Todd was quick to tell you otherwise. 
“There are all types of dangers on the road. No, no, you will not walk home. You will ride with me,” He said. 
Ms. Thompkins loved the idea and urged you to join Mr. Todd, to which, after some pressure, you agreed. As Mr Todd took your hand, you could not help but feel excited at the thought of being so close to him. You were not an impulsive person, but tonight you felt dangerously close to being one. With that in mind, you only wished it would not ruin you or leave you with regret.
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yarrystyleeza · 1 year ago
Note
Congratulations on the milestone, friend!!! 🎉🎉 I’m so excited for you! 💖
So for your sleepover event I’d like to send in a request for someone that is probably NOT expected from me. Can I please get some fluff for one of my other absolute loves Daryl Dixon? Maybe something fluffy about being unable to fall asleep? Possibly something with a love confession? Whatever feels right for you I'd be excited to read! I miss my crossbow wielding love 😭❤
Thank you so much, Bella! This was definitely a milestone, and it wouldn't have been possible without you, thank you again! 🥰💞
And as for the request, I had such a fun time writing it, I missed Daryl so much and your request brought back so many memories 🥺💞💞💞
Night Birds (D.D)
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Requested by @bellaxgiornata
Pairing and dynamic: Daryl Dixon x female!reader — friends to lovers
Prompt: fluff, one bed trope, unable to fall asleep, love confession
Word count: 2.2k!
Writer's note: this took me a while to write, not just because I haven't written anything for Daryl in more than 3 years, but the story building wasn't easy, and I just hope it's enjoyable and fun. Also, this lil fic is heavily inspired by Panic! At The Disco's out of the Vault "night birds", unfortunately it was taken down from YouTube due to copyright issues but here's a snippet of it on twt
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"shit." you muttered under your breath, looking at the one bed at the end of the cabin, you squeezed your eyes shut and pinched the bridge of your nose. You and Daryl left Alexandria and went scavenging this morning, but your journey took way longer than expected and it was dangerous for you to take the road back home in this wintery night.
You twisted your lips in a thoughtful pout, Daryl soon notices that after he had locked the cabin door. "what?" he narrows his blue eyes as he asks, "it's a..." you gesture in the direction of the bed, "oh." he commented..
The two of you stood in place—silently for a full minute before Daryl makes a suggestion. "I can sleep on the floor--" immediately, you shook your head in disapproval, "no, Daryl, it's too cold and you might get sick," you fired back, "but I don' think that thin' can hold us up together, y'know," Daryl objected, "a bed is still a bed, even though it looks old, and rusty, and small... and a little crooked..." you gesture at the odd position the bed was in, tilting your head to try to find any correct angle in this bed.
Daryl stood silent for a moment to recollect his thoughts and you eyed him patiently, he eyed you a little before speaking, you cross your arms, pout your lips and knit your brows, waiting for him to drop the bomb of a thought because you knew what he's about to say now.
"there's another cabin down the road, 15 minute walk from here..." you rolled your eyes with a very loud objective groan, uncrossing your arms, "of course no, Daryl," he mirrored your eye roll, "don't even ask why, you know why, we need to always stick together, like— how am I supposed to make sure you're okay?" you interrupted before he could defend his suggestion, "we have our walkie-talkies--" he shrugged, "we don't," you whispered and he grimaced immediately, "what d'ya mean?" his brows got knitted, you smiled your teeth out.
"I thought it was a quick trip so I thought we didn't really need them..." you twisted your fingers as you answered with a low voice.
You lied about that, you actually brought the devices and you hid them in your backpack, you just wanted him to stay with you.
You've known Daryl for a really long time, you met back at Hershel's farm. You were a lone survivor and you happen to stumble upon Daryl in the woods. You needed a shelter and Hershel's family home provided this for you and in exchange, you helped them on their search for Sophia. Unfortunately it didn't go as intended, and everyone had to face the ugly truth about her death.
But during the search—Daryl accidentally got shot by Andrea and you offered to stay and take care of him—since everyone else was busy; and you found peace in his presence. That was the day you became true friends, inseparable friends.
Wherever Daryl was, you were with him. You were always together on missions, and whenever Rick talked about a scavenging mission you were the first one signing up the moment you know Daryl was on it too. You couldn't truly connect with other members in the group, you were shy and had troubles bonding with a big group of people, but you were always nice to them.
But, Daryl holds a special place in your heart, and you could never deny that. You were two lone wolves who found a little peace of mind together.
Now, you can see how frustrated he is, the look of both anger and worry are soaking his gentle features. "I'm sorry, Daryl," you muttered softly between your teeth, he shrugged, "forget 'bout it, pet."
You took your backpack off your shoulder and placed it by the end of the bed, you kicked your shoes off and slipped out of your heavy winter jacket. You fluff your hair and gently you lie down the mattress and your body sinks in. You were exhausted.
You watch Daryl as he makes his way to the bed, his expression is a little unsure of his actions and it was confusing, you rarely saw that face of him, he's nervous, silent and red. Daryl slowly sits on the edge of the bed, he lies down on your left side and you feel how timid he is.
"goodnight, Daryl," you lie on your back and you fix your eyes on the ceiling, he shifts a little, mirroring your pose but his hands are behind his head, his leather covered elbow brushes your cheek softly. "goodnight, pet," Daryl gently replies.
And you stay like that for hours, both facing the ceiling, you start counting the cracks in the wooden surfaces and they're twenty one, you want to pull your eyes out of their sockets to force yourself to sleep but you can't, the clock hanging on the wall had long died, you feel like a nocturnal animal who's unable to close its eyes but feeling drunk and paralyzed, you're too aware of how loud your heart is pumping tonight, you can feel every particle of dust falling onto your skin, and your breathing is so audible that you feel it ringing in your ears, it's uncomfortable and overwhelming.
Your eyes glance to the side and you notice how silent Daryl is, but he wasn't asleep either. "you can't sleep, right?" you mumble, your eyes are back on the ceiling, recounting the clefts, did their number increase?
"nah, and I guess you aren'..." he replies with the same calm tone, still looking up. "do you remember that night—back at Hershel's farm when neither of us was able to fall asleep?" you try to remind him.
The night Daryl got shot, you drank a huge amount of coffee in order to stay awake and take care of him, it was a terrible decision, because you spent the night and the next morning—shaking in weakness. And Daryl was in so much pain he couldn't close his eyes either but kept lying to you—telling you it feels more like a scratch. You kept hearing him groaning quietly and you kept petting his head to try and make his focus shift to the movement of your fingers in his hair. It was a very exhausting night but you woke up collapsed over Daryl as you had sat beside him on the edge of the bed.
"I get the same vibes here," your heart beats faster, you have no idea why you're nervous but you are. "us getting stuck together and having to deal with each other," you chuckle a little as you recall the events, "you were so pissed about me following you everywhere but then you got shot and I had to stay the night and take care of you," you keep on talking, almost feeling like you're talking to yourself. Daryl was silent, it was a little heartbreaking that he had no reaction to it.
"jeez, sorry for giving you a headache--" you sigh, tears almost stray out of your heavy eyelids, "at all, pet, I love listening to ya talkin' bout anythin'," he cuts you off, you feel his weight shifting next to you, you glance to the side and you see his blue eyes shining back at you in the dim light.
"I thought you were annoying at first but, I can't lie to ya, turns out you never were, pet," you giggle at his affirmation, "maybe because I'm a little too loud to you," you admit, your energies might have never matched but you still found harmony within it.
You remember the day you got kidnapped by Merle back at Woodbury, Daryl came over with the group to rescue you, Maggie, and Glenn. You were never able to remember anything about that event, never recalled how many hours or days you were gone but there was only one thing you remember for sure, Daryl ran up to you the moment he saw you and hugged you tight—almost crushing you in his arms. Something in you changed and you felt attracted and more attached to him. The worry in his blue orbs, and his tight hug still burns your skin.
Then the day everything fell apart and you had to flee the prison. You were introduced to the overprotective side of Daryl, he never left your side since then, and you always found yourself safe in his presence.
You never wanted to be away from him, and you hated the fact that you got separated when you first arrived to Alexandria, you were so mad that you picked up a fight with him intentionally so he could spend more time talking to you. You felt torn apart whenever he had to leave for a scavenging mission without you, and you couldn't stand any lady trying to hit on him.
The realization hits you hard... You've been in love with Daryl for longer than you can imagine.
"you look tired, pet, you need t' sleep," you almost chuckle at his words, "wish I could but I can't," you mumble. He half sits on the bed, "c'mere, pet," you look up at him, his arms are open wide for you, your heart twists in your chest as you try to make up your mind. You give up and place your head over his chest, his heart pumping next to your ear, his fingers delicately slip through your hair and he gently moves his tips on your scalp in circular motions, your eyes flutter shut and you snuggle your face into him.
His movement misses around with your heartbeat, poor little thing is thundering in your chest. You truly can't live without him.
"I care so much 'bout you, pet," your heart dropped, could this mean that you weren't the only one feeling it? You weren't so sure about it yet, but you decided you should let him finish his words.
But then his hand travels down, leaving your hair, his palm cups your cheek and his thumb fondles your blushed skin. "I care— so much 'boucha that I never think of anythin' else except for ya," you shift your head to look up at him and you find him staring back down at you.
You couldn't help but lift your head off his chest to sit straight and look directly at him in disbelief, he's astonished by your reaction and you see him lowering his eyes to his now tangled fingers. "I shouldn't 've talked about it, 'm sorry," he mumbles and you shift closer to him.
You don't quite know how you did it, but you aimed a kiss to his lips and he is taken by surprise. The very first time you've ever put your lips on him feels so unique, but you're to scared to indulge in the feeling. You part away from him, his face is unreadable, he turned pale white. Realizing what you just did. Did he actually feel anything for you? Does he even like you back? Was this the right thing to do? Or did you misunderstood the whole situation? You had no answers for those questions.
You're overthinking it a lot that you don't notice him moving closer to you, cupping your cheeks and drawing you into a kiss. Your shoulders fall and your hands envelope the back of his neck, gently tugging onto his long locks. His hands round your waist and you could feel the smile on his lips, he draws you over to his lap and he hugs you tight as the kiss continues.
He kisses you sweetly, and you only melt more into him, fumbling his face with the tips of your fingers, feeling the soft stubble on his cheeks. His hands go back over your cheeks and he's softly caressing them, tucking your hair behind your ears and you feel his lips stretching once again.
Daryl slowly pulls away from you, he's shy, he's nervous, he's flustered, and surely he's shaking but his smile is so big that you could barely see his ocean blue eyes. "so sorry I didn't mean to scare you, I was just—" you say and he giggles at you, "gosh, I love you, Daryl," you chuckle, the small of your hands are still enveloping his cheeks, "I love you too, pet, always did," Daryl slowly pulls you back into another kiss, you both smile as you sip on the uniquely sweet flavor you two created.
"think you can get some sleep now, angel?" Daryl murmured while your lips are still locked upon each other, you nodded with a slight chuckle, "alright, lemme tuck you in, lil' one," you slip from over his lap and he shuffles back to his place, taking you in his arms and resting your head onto his chest, playfully messing with your hair, you round his waist with your leg and snuggle into his chest, he keeps peppering your temple with little pecks until you both fell asleep.
Daryl wakes up early and he gently pulls himself from under you—in fear of disturbing your deep sleep, he gets up and makes his way to the little dining table where he had placed his bag, he scavenges through it for food but he finds nothing.
Daryl tries his luck with your backpack and searches through it, and that's where he finds the walkie-talkies you hid all day long... And you had witnessed his finding yourself.
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Likes and reblogs are appreciated, thank you for coming to my sleepover celebration! 💞💞💞
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shmaptainwrites · 4 months ago
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𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 [𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘]
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PAIRINGS — Violet Bridgerton x fem!Reader [Modern!AU]
SUMMARY — More news comes to light about Landon, putting Violet and Reader on damage control.
WORD COUNT — 3K
WARNINGS — some descriptions of panic and anxiety
NOTE — And here's chapter 2! From here on out posts will be weekly, most likely on Fridays, but I hope you enjoy this start to the story and I can't wait to share chapter 3 with all of you!
𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐀𝐎𝟑
𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑰𝑰: 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑯𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑫 𝑴𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑮𝑶𝑻 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝒀
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A few weeks had now passed since Violet had hired you, and she couldn’t have prayed for a better fit. Even though they were behind on some of the budgeting for the gala, things were running so smoothly Violet was confident that they would catch up. 
“You look like you’re in a good mood.” 
Violet looked up from her tea at her friend who she was visiting, a smile creeping up on her lips. 
“And what if I am?” she asked. 
“I would ask why because you have been so stressed you’ve been giving me grey hair, and now, miraculously, something has changed.” 
Violet chuckled at Agatha’s dramatic flair and placed her tea down in a saucer before speaking. 
“You remember this whole thing with Landon,” she said. “Dealing with the aftermath of it was terrible, but I recently hired someone to fill his position, and she feels like a very good fit. I’m enjoying working with her.” 
“A good fit,” Agatha smiled. She had a feeling there was something else her friend wasn’t sharing, but she knew it would come with time, not wanting to press too hard quite yet. “I suppose that means the gala is raring to go?” 
“Yes, and I would be so grateful if you could attend,” Violet said with a soft look in her eyes. “I’m trying to make sure all the family is back in time for it, but you know my children.” 
“Like herding cats,” Agatha said with a chuckle, and Violet nodded with slight exasperation. “Speaking of, how is everyone?” 
“Alive,” Violet chuckled. “Anthony is still in India, he won’t be back until the gala I believe; Benedict is Lord knows where; Colin and Penelope are on assignment in Indonesia last I heard. You probably already know that Daphne and Simon are settling in with baby number three.” 
Agatha nodded. 
“Eloise is at school taking summer courses because she cannot be without some sort of mental stimulation for too long; Francesca has just started her position at the philharmonic; and Gregory and Hyacinth are at home getting on each other’s nerves as usual.”
“So I gather the house still isn’t quiet?” 
“Not in the least,” Violet shook her head. “Hyacinth is so excited I’ve agreed to let her go to this concert with Benedict. I believe I’ve heard all of the album so many times I could do the concert myself.” 
“But watching one’s mother sing is not nearly as entertaining is it?” Agatha teased and Violet laughed. 
“No, surely not.” 
Once the laughter settled down, Agatha looked at Violet, a curious glimmer in her eyes. 
“Are you sure there isn’t something else you wish to speak with me about?” she asked. “Perhaps something different from the usual?” 
Violet frowned a little, unsure as to what her friend was referring to.
“No, I don’t think there is,” she shook her head. “Why do you ask?” 
“No particular reason,” Agatha shrugged. “But you do know you can tell me anything.” 
“Of course I do,” Violet nodded her head, her lips pressed into a small, thin smile. “You are my closest friend, if there was something to tell, I would tell it to you.” 
“Good,” Agatha nodded, content with that response. 
Violet sipped her tea and thought back to Agatha’s question. Was she reading into something that wasn’t there or did she sense something Violet didn’t? The only really different thing in her life at the moment was you and, in her mind, that was normal. You were an employee who was working well, but then again so was Marianne when Violet had hired her, and she hadn’t necessarily sung her praises in front of Agatha. 
She was about to open her mouth and ask her friend further questions about what she meant, but she was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. 
Seeing your name flash across the screen, she excused herself for a moment, answering the phone and stepping outside of the room to take the call. 
“Hello?” 
“Violet, hi,” she heard your voice on the other end, you sounded a little nervous. 
“Is something going on?” she asked. 
“Nothing major,” you assured her. “Just I-I noticed some discrepancies in the accounts…Okay that’s pretty major, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry to cut your tea with your friend short, but I think we have to talk about this.” 
Violet pressed her lips together and nodded her head. 
“Are you at the house?” she asked. 
“No, I’m at my apartment in the city. I can be there in forty minutes.” 
“No need, I’m closer to you, text me your address, I’ll come over,” she said. 
“Alright, call me when you get close, I’ll come down and get you from a side entrance.” 
Violet felt a small flutter in her chest at the reminder that she may be exposing herself to wandering eyes, but your voice quickly reassured her that there were ways to be discreet. 
“I’ll see you soon,” Violet said. “Maybe call the lawyers while you’re waiting for me, I’ll call Anthony on the way.” 
You agreed and exchanged quick goodbyes before Violet entered the room, an apologetic look on her face. 
“Dinner to make up for this?” she asked. 
“Your place, you cook,” Agatha nodded and Violet chuckled. 
“Deal,” she came into the room and gave her friend a tight hug before grabbing her bag and jacket, letting herself out. 
She got into her car and began the drive to the address you had sent, calling Anthony once the GPS was set up. 
“Hey Mum,” the voice of her daughter-in-law rang through the car and Violet smiled. 
“Kate, my darling, it is so good to hear your voice,” she sighed. 
“It's good to hear yours, too,” she could practically hear Kate smile over the phone. “Let me guess, more issues with work?” 
“Unfortunately, yes,” Violet nodded. “It may be good for you to hear this as well, but can you get Anthony?” 
“Of course,” Kate assured her and went to go get her husband, informing her when they were both on the phone together. 
“Mum, what’s going on?” Anthony asked. 
“Our new manager’s just found some discrepancies in the accounts. I thought you said the lawyers didn’t find anything?”
“They didn’t,” Anthony swore quietly. “What was it?” 
“I’m not sure yet, but I would not be surprised if it has anything to do with Landon. I’m heading to her home right now to go over things with her, and she’s calling the lawyers,” Violet explained. “Just, could you maybe go on damage control with your siblings and make sure no one is spending exorbitant amounts of money on anything, not that they would, just try to keep things within limits.” 
“Okay, Kate and I can handle that,” Anthony nodded. 
“Are you sure you don’t want us to come home?” Kate asked. “My family would understand, we can come back another time.”
“Oh no, my dear,” Violet shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t want you to do that. This time is special, Eddie isn’t always going to be this young. Your family should get a chance to enjoy him like this, too.” 
“Alright,” she sighed. “But don’t hesitate to call if you need anything. I feel like we left you alone at such an inconvenient time.” 
“It’s no matter, we have a manager now who I really think we can trust. I’m sure she’ll be able to help me figure whatever this is out.” 
“We love you, Mum,” Anthony said. “Check in soon.” 
“Will do. Kisses.” 
Both Anthony and Kate made a small kiss sound over the phone before they exchanged goodbyes and hung up just before Violet pulled into the area where your apartment was.
It took her a moment to find parking, but she called you while she did and you came down to greet her by the side door, ushering her inside. 
“You found the place okay?” you asked, and Violet nodded her head. 
You could see the stress clearly in her expression, especially as she fiddled with the rings on her finger or played with the ends of her hair while you were waiting in the elevator. 
Once you finally got inside your apartment you quietly excused the mess. 
“I moved in just before I started working for you, I haven’t had the chance to get everything out of boxes yet,” you explained, bringing her over to your office that was more or less set up. “Okay, this is what I found.” 
You showed Violet the papers splayed out and began to explain them. 
“Basically, it’s a money trail,” you said. “At first glance it actually looks quite normal, which is probably why the others missed it, but I didn’t recognize this name,” you pointed to the document, “and decided to do some additional digging. I found out it actually goes all the way to this shell company working out of Seychelles. Unfortunately, I can’t touch it and it looks like there’s a couple hundred million in there.” 
Violet could feel herself growing nauseous. Ironically, she wasn’t worried about the money, but more so what kind of attention this would bring to the family. The kind of attention she was trying so desperately to avoid. 
“V-Violet, are you alright? You look a little pale,” you said softly, gently reaching to place a hand on her back. “Do you want to sit down?” 
She nodded her head, and you helped her into one of the nearby seats, watching as her eyes scanned the papers. 
“We have to call the police, don't we?” she said finally and you nodded your head. “This is my fault,” she whispered and you frowned, kneeling down in front of her. 
“How on earth is this your fault?” you asked. 
“I hired Landon,” she explained. “He worked for us for years, and I didn’t notice a single thing.”
“Violet,” you placed a hand on her knee, and her eyes moved to where you touched her. The contact was not unfamiliar, but she felt herself wanting to lean into it. “These weren’t your actions,” you said quietly. “They’re Landon’s, and it’s not like he made his intentions clear to you. He lied and was manipulative.” 
Violet chewed on the inside of her cheek, holding her forehead in her hands before running her hand through her hair and leaning back into the chair. 
“The money will find its way back-” 
“It’s not about the money,” Violet shook her head. “We have more than enough of that, and even if we didn’t…it wouldn’t be the end of the world.” 
You stayed silent, waiting to see if she would say more, but your mind found itself drifting back to the comment she had made during your interview. 
“It’s the press, isn’t it?” you asked, and she nodded her head. 
You chewed on your lip, trying to think of something, anything that might relieve her worry, but you were afraid nothing would do the trick. 
“You must think it's silly,” Violet said, leaning back in her chair, her body language becoming more closed off as the topic progressed. “That someone who has lived her whole life in the spotlight should probably be used to the press by now.” 
“I never said I think it’s silly,” you spoke softly, still kneeling by her side. “I can't imagine having my whole life available to the public, whether it is the truth or lies fabricated to get more viewership. That is not a life I think anyone sane would long for.” 
Violet pressed her lips together and sighed. 
“Then let’s try and keep this low profile for as long as we can. It will inevitably get out, but maybe by that time, things will have cooled off.” 
You nodded your head, patting her knee and standing up. 
“Of course, then we can focus on lighter things like this gala.” You smiled. “I just got word that they secured the venue you wanted, so that’s good news.” 
Violet couldn’t help but smile at that. It was good news. She’d always had good luck when she’d hosted at this venue, managing to raise more and more money each time, and she would always make sure her own family’s donations would match. 
Edmund had always said that money was a tool, and when it was used properly, it had the opportunity to do good in the world. 
Now that most of her children were able to support themselves, she worried less and less about giving more of the money away. Yes, they had lived a fairly privileged life, but she and Edmund tried to make sure they didn’t focus their spending on luxuries. 
Aside from their home, which had been in the family for eons, they kept things simple. A few people to help around the house due to its large size, security when it was necessary, but that was the extent of it. 
Violet watched as you picked up the phone to call the lead officer on Landon’s case. Eventually they had given their number to Violet in case anything suspicious came up, but she thought they were in the clear and would never have to use it. 
When you were finished talking, telling the officer you would meet him at the Bridgerton’s residence, you grabbed your keys and your purse, but Violet stopped you. 
“We can go together, I’ll bring you back afterwards,” she said. 
“Are you sure? I know today has been hectic already. I don't want to add anything on your plate.” 
“Driving is the only time I get any peace, you’d be doing me a favour,” she assured. “Plus, I just got Gregory to clean the car so it’s spotless,” she teased. 
You chuckled at what she said, still packing your keys in your purse. 
“Okay, let’s go then,” you grabbed the papers and files from your desk that were relevant and headed to Violet’s car. She took a quick look around, before giving you a nod to get inside, and she followed soon after, starting the car. Hearing the quiet hum of the hybrid engine come into the space, she pulled out of her parking spot and began the drive back to her home. 
You wouldn’t lie, you weren’t particularly expecting Violet to drive herself around, but clearly she had proven time and time again her family did not do things the typical way. 
“So you enjoy driving?” you tried to make friendly conversation. 
“I do,” she nodded. “And I find I do so much of it, I may as well get a car that’s decent for the environment.”
“Really, you drive a lot?” you asked. 
“Well, more when all of my kids were still living at home. We used to joke and say I was the family chauffeur, but I loved driving with the kids, it let me spend more time with them when everything around us felt unmanageable.”
“Are you still chauffeuring Hyacinth and Gregory?” 
“Not as much as I used to. Hyacinth definitely, but Gregory gets himself around, much to my dismay,” she chuckled lightly. “But before I know it, Hyacinth will be off to school, and I’ll be alone with a lot of time on my hands.” 
“Maybe I can engage your services, then,” you teased and Violet smiled. 
“Tit for tat, I like that,” she turned off of the highway and went to one of the less crowded offroads that led to the house. “What about yourself, do you have any simple pleasures?” 
“You know, that is a good question,” you sighed and sank back into your seat. “I love art. Even just looking at it, I suppose.”
“And how do you satisfy that need?” Violet inquired further. 
“Museums, mostly. I’ll just go and sit there for hours looking at a particular painting. Well, I used to, I don’t have enough time to do much of that anymore,” you admitted. 
“You’ll enjoy the venue for the gala then,” Violet said. “It’s filled with art, I find it gets people in the right mood to give generously.” 
“You do a lot of that, don’t you?” you asked, turning your head over to her, watching as her eyes were focused on the road ahead, sunglasses tangled in her hair, the ghost of a smile on her lips. 
“Give generously?” she asked. “Yes, I’m afraid there may have been something I failed to mention when I hired you.” 
“Which is?”
“I don’t think this is going to be a permanent position,” she said quietly. 
“And why is that?” you asked curiously. 
“Once Hyacinth is in school, Anthony and I have made plans to…essentially give away most of the money.” 
“As your financial manager, I feel compelled to advise you against that,” you said, “but as a human being. I admire your detachment.” 
“Oh, I assure you there are selfish motives as well,” she said. “Each of the children will be left with a sizable trust, I will have enough to let me have a comfortable retirement, but Anthony and I thought it was time we got rid of the thing that keeps all the cameras constantly on our family.” 
“Do all your children know about this plan?” you asked. 
“More or less,” she nodded. “They’re all capable individuals. They will live happy and comfortable lives, and I know for a fact they won't struggle and neither will any of their children, or their children after that. They just might have a chance at some semblance of normality.” 
You nodded your head, understanding. 
“I’ll obviously need your help with that transition once it happens, but after that I’m afraid I won’t have much of a need for your expertise. Unless you also do taxes, then perhaps I can keep you around,” she looked over at you briefly. 
“I don’t tend to do taxes,” you said. “But I think I’d make an exception for you, Violet.” 
Violet bit her lip and smiled. She had certainly hoped you might say that.
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