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[reviewbanker]

CardioDefend Reviews: Should You Buy Cardio Defend Heart Health Supplement?

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READ MORE ➡️ Cardio Defend Reviews — Ingredients, Side Effects, Customer Risks (CardioDefend Complaints)

READ MORE ➡️ LeanBiome Reviews: BEWARE SHOCKING RESULTS — Read Before You Buy

READ MORE ➡️ CardioDefend Reviews - Real Cardio Defend Results or Serious Customer Fraud Complaints?

READ MORE ➡️ LeanBiome Reviews: BEWARE SHOCKING RESULTS – Read Before You Buy

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Sexism in TOS: Worst Offender, or Progressive in Retrospect in Comparison?

I see a lot of folks claim that TOS was the most sexist of the Star Trek shows by a landslide -- and while I agree that it definitely suffered from the sexism of the times, I also have other perspectives to share to give some food for thought.

I am of course not insinuating that TOS isn't sexist -- it is, but I have to ask folks to consider the breadth and depth of Berman's sexism in his run and ask yourself: Was Gene Roddenberry genuinely more sexist in his storytelling and delivery than Rick Berman?

I'm not telling you to feel one way or the other, but all I ask is that you hear me out and consider some perspectives and make your own balanced assessments. Nobody is obligated to share my opinion, but it means a lot just to have folks hear it and see their thoughts on the subject. So here is what I was originally responding to:

Someone's response to this photo:

"Devil's advocate. This was a part of the popular form of cardio during the production time of TNG. Yes, it was heavily sexualised by men, but so is literally every other way women work out. Men have been caught taking pictures of women while trying to do dead lifts, running on tracks and working on sled machines. They post them online to share too. The fact is, there is no way a woman can be shown working out without it going there. And yeah,t hat includes the combat forms of workout they do in Star Trek. Just look at how Dax dresses when she spars with Worf. Yes, they're dating, but still, same goes when 7 does and any other female.

Aerobics routines like this were made dirty and cringy. This was what women wore then by and large. This is how the workout was done. We make it cringy."

My response to them:

"I respect your take, but I disagree on a few fronts.

The miniskirt was chosen by the TOS female cast, not the male cast, specifically requested by Grace LW and affirmed by Nichelle and Majel who would go on to vehemently defend the miniskirt over the years as comfortable and embraced by them.

Grace said it was comfortable and seen as a symbol of female sexual empowerment during the 60s and thought it would be a progressive garment (and turns out that it was, as it was later adapted and worn by male crew as a skant on TNG) -- FYI those were designed by a gay man and Gene approved them.

This was also supposed to be Spock's TMP outfit:

Literally lingerie.

We saw both Uhura (who saves Kirk in from Marlena Mirror Mirror) and Yeoman Landon (the first to initiate combat with a classic Kirk-esque kick to help the Captain being attacked in The Apple) carry out their combat training in their Starfleet uniforms without ever being made to change into any ridiculous workout gear.

In fact, I'd argue Jim Kirk was sexualized even more than the ladies of the week on the show and I saw his naked body more than anyone else's on a fairly regular basis. He wore red yoga tights while topless in Charlie X while the women wore full length gymnastic suits that covered their entire body. If anything, it went out of its way to avoid sexualizing women practicing fitness in those scenes and instead focused on Kirk.

Gene confessed that he asked to have Shatner filmed in suggestive/provocative ways to "give something to the ladies", so he -- as he said -- liked to "film him walking away" or have him conveniently busting out of his shirts in just about every episode as it were, because Shatner apparently had great assets. LOL

Gene made an effort to at least sexualize both if he was going to sexualize one, and he carried that attitude forward in wanting the m/m and f/f scenes in the background on Risa for TNG. He also insisted that the men and women wear skimpy outfits on THAT TNG planet. You know the one. LOL I mean the dudes even had on less than the women:

Gene also gave permission to K/S shippers to have their conventions back in the 70s when he was asked for permission. Gene and Nimoy felt with all the skimpy outfits they had the ladies wear, why not let the ladies and gay men have their fun, too? It's how we ended up with moments like this:

Yes, those are two people dressed up as Kirk and Spock's penises doing interpretive dance. Gene didn't give two damns. LOL

In my eyes, that was a very progressive take on Gene's part for the 60s. It was actually PARAMOUNT STUDIOS who had the big problem with K/S stories and vehemently tried to shut them down. Gene literally hired slash authors on his payroll and even had several slash stories/writers published in his official Star Trek books (The New Voyages & The New Voyages II).

I feel I saw Uhura and women in TOS engaged in more physical combat/altercations defending themselves that Troi or Bev were shown holding their own.

In fact, Kirk used to get furious when someone would "dress up" his female crew members without their consent (Trelane episode, Shore Leave episode) because like his male crew members, he wanted them to be treated professionally and to also have his male crew act professionally.

Berman brought some of his own personal biases into Star Trek that in some ways regressed it. While TOS had blatant sexism and was called on it time and again, that show was made in the 60s -- a solid 21 years before TNG. We as a modern audience understood why some of it was cringe/sexist due to the time period -- look at any other media coming out in the 60s and Star Trek was miles ahead of what other shows were doing.

Compare that to Berman who was churning sexist stuff out when women like Starbuck and Scully were simultaneously on screen on other programs airing, and we had already had Sigourney Weaver and other strong women in Holywood playing respectful roles.

In my eyes, there was no need of the sexism seen in TNG but especially VOY and ENT. There was no excuse for it when other shows were writing women far better and a number of those weren't even set in the future like Trek was, making it age even faster due to having those dated perspectives frequently highlighted.

In the Center Seat documentary as well as "The Fifty Year Mission" book you will find cast members, writers and other studio alumni who attest to this. Some discussions from "The Fifty Year Mission":

"First, Berman was supposed to have been a real sleaze ball . . . According to Terry Farrel, he would go on constantly about how her breasts weren't big enough, how she should do something about it, and how his secretary was a good example to follow as she had huge breasts. She even had to have fittings to get larger bras, and that was all done at his behest.

Later Berman and Braga developed a name for Jeri Ryan's character prior Seven of Nine. They originally called the character "perineum" which if you look it up it is the area between the anus and the scrotum. Later they floated the name "6 of 9". I mean, what does it tell you about where these two were coming from in the development of this character if they had names like that put forward in all seriousness for her?"

Gene Roddenberry also had some of his own more progressive ideas for TNG cut or watered down by Berman. Roddenberry agreed TNG should have homosexual relationships and representation at a con in the 80s and insisted on it in a meeting with his writers -- something Berman later would not honor. Gene wanted the AIDS episode, showing m/m and f/f in the Riza scenes -- these were some of Roddenberry's requests to include in TNG that Berman later stonewalled.

Berman's era was sadly dated by his own misogynist bias, IMO, to the point that it can somewhat hurt the shows he worked on through his cringe egoism and blatant disrespect toward his female cast.

There is a reason why Gene could keep female actresses working with him and Berman had a revolving door of women that he couldn't seem to keep working for him -- he was abhorrent to women, on and off set. Gene wasn't perfect at all, he had a lot of issues himself -- but Berman was a whole other level. Just look at what he did to poor Jolene Blalock, Marina Sirtis and his toxic commenting on her body weight which exacerbated her struggles with eating disorders, or how he treated and talked to Terry Farrell.

Anyway, just some food for thought. I'm not saying anyone is wrong regarding a take like that, but there are a variety of ways to look at this. Gene Roddenberry isn't a saint by any means, but it definitely bothers me how folks will tote the Berman era as if it were the lesser of two evils or the more progressive depiction of women when I felt there were far more concerning portrayals of women in his era with far less justification.

(P.S: I don't event want to go near the sheer amount of "creepy old dude/villain preys on innocent/naïve/scared young woman or little girl" stories there were in Berman's era, either. But that's a whole other can of worms I can write about in a part 2.)

[soullessdianthus]

have you written anything for a perv!gromsko? he is my favorite and i would love to see you write for him!

A/N: I decided to write him in the most stereotypical way which is misogynistic (men in Poland are like this fr *COUGHS*). Just because I gave myself a pass to do that bc I'm Polish, okay? *Muah* to this anon for Polish reference! (づ￣ ³￣)づ

Warnings: misogyny, sabotage in workplace, nsfw (overstimulation, darcyphilia, cockwarming, throat training, dumbification maybe?)

✧°. Gromsko is a misogynistic kind of pervert. Born and raised in a traditional Polish family he grew unaware of his deepest, darkest desires. Until.

✧°. When you enrolled into the SpecGru forces, he couldn’t believe something as delicate as a girl found herself here, within the private military company. Of course Sobiesław knew women were stronger than it seemed, but not in a fucking battlefield. In his opinion they should worry about hearth and home not a bloodshed. 

✧°. Obviously he had been working with some scary women before, but never with someone like you – still young, perhaps naive even. Your pretty body untouched with little to no scars. You were definitely a description of a delicate flower in his eyes.

✧°. His mother and grandmother raised him well – he would never risk the life of a devoted woman in a place like this. So since the first day Kościuszko saw you enter the gym hall, he couldn’t stop thinking about you.

✧°. Perv!Gromsko would stare from his spot, surrounded by his friends, yet it was you who got his full attention. How your body flexes and muscles stretch while working out or how your breasts bounce as you run on the treadmill. Dear God, don’t give him ideas.

✧°. He was already dreaming of you riding his cock into oblivion, naked while he was in full uniform. Sobiesław’s coarse hands pressing down onto your hips, making you sink further against him and his girl mewling from pleasure.

✧°. Sneaking behind everyone’s back Perv!Gromsko would do everything to be assigned with you while on a mission. Sobiesław very carefully sabotaged your work just for the superiors to punish you. 

✧°. Why? Because he would defend you in front of them, telling them you need another chance, that he would guide you. And since he was an honored soldier within the company, they made him your temporary superior as he had a higher rank than you. From now on, he was responsible for you and your doings. 

✧°. Gromsko had you where he wanted to since the very beginning – vulnerable and dependent. 

✧°. Perv!Sobiesław believed it was meant that way, because women should listen to their husbands, right? First thing he wanted to change in your training routine was cardio. 

✧°. Your comrade told you to show up at his dorm’s door in the evening. Without much thinking of it, you came straight to him, thinking he would take you to gym – how foolish.

✧°. A loud gasp escaped your mouth, when the man that was supposed to help you with your training session was pressing your face into the bedroom’s wall as his huge hands were groping your breasts! Perv!Gromsko would correct your stamina by relentlessly thrusting into your tight cunt, causing you to beg for a break with tears streaming down your eyes. 

✧°. Evening sessions with Sobiesław became an almost daily occurrence. The man would bend you in different positions on his bed, thrusting deep into your pretty pussy until you couldn’t cum anymore. Perv!Gromsko would mock your lack of stamina and threaten he would not allow you to go on a mission if you hadn’t tried harder.

✧°. So he began training your throat breath by telling you to keep his cock in your wet mouth for a good while, sucking gently from time to time. Of course your tears and sobs were causing him to feel pity for you, but Sobiesław was doing this to help you become better! :( 

✧°. He was reading a book, the one from his grandma, while you were laying between his toned legs, keeping his throbbing member warm. You would whine from time to time from the lack of enough oxygen. But then Gromsko would simply caress your pretty, silly head and tell you how good job you’re doing. <3

✧°. “Such a good girl f’me.”

✧°. “No dalej, dasz radę, Mała [pol.: Come on, you can do this, little one].”

[sunnys-out]

Dance the Night | Lucy Bronze

A/N: Based on this request. Please enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, I am actually going to have a FaceTime date with my own Northern English, defender this Sunday so wish me luck :)

Also, I imagine that these are the types of dance covers that you would post on Tik Tok btw.

Word count: 2823

Warnings: Suggestive themes/statements

Baby, you can find me under the lights

Diamonds under my eyes

Turn the rhythm up, don't you wanna just

Come along for the ride?

Oh, my outfit is so tight

You can see my heartbeat tonight

I can take the heat, baby, best believe

That's the moment I shine

Lucy and I had the shared experience of playing in an American university. The only difference was that UC Berkeley was my home for my time there. 

One of the things that I did during my four years at Cal that made them special and even was something that people loved learning about me was that I was also a part of a dance group whilst playing football. When I was in America, I found that dance was a good way to maintain my cardio and it was a fun way to keep my mind off of football for a bit. I used to do ballet as a kid and did some hip-hop dancing as I grew older so it was not something too out of the ordinary. 

Even though football was my true calling, that did not stop me from dancing in the locker rooms before games, and posting little dance covers on Tik Tok during camps at the behest of Mary Earps.  The only reason that the fans got wind of the fact that I’m that teammate constantly dancing was because of Lucy, who was filming one time before we played in a friendly against Germany and posting it on Instagram. She says that I didn’t pull her immediately that day but I know Lucy and I saw the way she watched me behind the phone as I danced to Work Out by J. Cole.

During the Euros, it became a thing, I guess, for the main Lionesses Instagram to post my pregame dances in the locker room. One of those I ended up teaching Miss Lucy Bronze how to slow dance which turned into a faster dance much to Lucy’s dismay. Lucy twirling me into a hold was the focal point of the video and I get why this one became a fan favorite and material for loads of couple edits of us. 

The caption of said post, “@bbcstrictly @y/n is waiting for her call-up! 👀” 

Of course I commented, “@y/n: @bbcstrictly ok but actually I would be down, I love love love the show 💃🙏” 

Post win at the Euros, I was getting a call from the producers of Strictly Come Dancing to perform a one-time, special dance. They said that it was some kind of honoring fit for a new European champion.

I worked it out with my management that it would definitely be something that I could do after the World Cup since that was my next objective after a successful Euros run. 

During the off time in the World Cup, I found myself talking to the producers as they had ideas of the performance and the choreography that would go with it. So, sometimes I would have to deny a walk with Lucy to figure out some logistics. I was met with a small but still visible pout from Lucy as she only nodded and would call up Jordan to take my place.

My attention was monopolized once we finalized what song and choreography we were aiming for and of course my new dance partner. I didn’t really know the guy but apparently he was on a reality show and all the girls were after him. The only taste of reality shows that I had was occasionally watching Love Island over Rachel and Millie’s shoulders on bus rides to games. I did not understand at all what went on but the drama was entertaining from what I saw. 

______________________________________________________________

“So, you’re not going to tell me the name of the song you will be dancing to?” Lucy said as she remained sitting on the hotel bed as she watched me change into something nicer than the training set I had been in all day. Eyes trained on me the whole time. 

“Nope, it’s a surprise, baby. Sworn to secrecy anyways” I said as I got ready for our walk.

Lucy frowned as she started scratching her neck “well at least show me who you are going to be dancing with, like what if it’s a weirdo you know?” 

I comply and give her my phone after I look up the name of the guy they had paired me up with. 

“Not too bad looking right?” I tease, as I put on some dunks and ask for my phone back.

Lucy raised an eyebrow and laughed a little, “I know I can’t dance like you but ya think it’s too late to ask if I could be your dance partner?”

Now it was my turn to laugh, “don’t be jealous baby, now let’s get going there is a cafe with a chocolate pastry I wanted to try!” 

I pulled her up ignoring the small pout and muttering “ ‘m not jealous” as I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and dragged her out of the door.

______________________________________________________________

After our loss at the World Cup final and a lot of tearful goodbyes to the other girls, Lucy and I made our way back to Barcelona and just took some time to decompress. 

One of Lucy’s favorite things to wake up to was seeing me in the kitchen making myself breakfast, dancing in silence with my airpods in my ears without a care in the world. 

This particular Saturday morning, however, she was confused because instead of a loose, messy  bun, my hair was brushed and down. 

Instead of one of my old, English training shirts, I was in a lilac crop top and denim shorts that showed off my legs and not my old PSG shorts. 

As she got closer, the smell of her favorite perfume on me hit her nose, suddenly Lucy stood there wondering what day it was and did she fuck up and forgot some anniversary. 

As I turned to go to our fridge to pull out the water pitcher, I caught sight of Lucy just standing by the kitchen island. 

“Baby, you know it’s rude to stare” I tease and followed up with a quick kiss on her cheek “Good Morning, sleepy head”

Lucy remained silent for a beat before going, “Why are you all dressed up on a Saturday morning?...Did I forget something?” 

She rubbed her eyes, lifting her clear glasses as she did so.

“Nope, our anniversary is still Bastille day, uh my birthday hasn’t changed and yours is still in October” I listed them off on my fingers and then continued as if I didn’t leave Lucy even more confused as I began cleaning the counter. 

A pair of arms wrapped around me stopping me in my tracks as Lucy burrowed her head into my neck taking in the perfume I wore. 

“Then will Miss L/N tell me where she is going dressed like this, hm?” She mumbled as she placed a chaste kiss on my neck.

“Going to get lunch with…ugh what was his name? The one I'm going to be dancing with for Strictly Dancing, baby” I say, nonchalantly, a smirk creeping at my mouth as I felt Lucy’s arms tighten around me and her mouth getting close to my ear.

Lucy did not show jealousy often but I loved it when she did. I loved teasing her but she would always dismiss it saying that she knew that I was hers so why should she worry.  But the tone of her voice gave her away. 

“Oh really?” She says softly in my ear before turning me around my back to the countertop now. My face remained unfazed as I nodded, even though I was loving everything about the interaction.

“Yes?” I nod over to the other counter across from me. “I made you some breakfast so ya don’t miss me too much, even cut you some fruit”. 

The softness and nonchalant nature of my voice made her jaw tightened a bit. 

“Want me to go with you?” she said not letting me go, still caging me in against the counter.

I thought for a moment and then shook my head “no” and simply replied.

“I’m a big girl. Don’t you worry, Lucia” My eyebrows raised slightly as Lucy pulled back.  

Lucy moves her arms back to her side, “Fine, but I’m driving you” 

She did end up driving me to the little brunch place and ignored my “protests” of “you don’t have to walk me to the restaurant, Luce” as she held me tightly at the waist, her hand possessively on the bare skin on my waist.

I let myself out of Lucy’s hold as I introduced myself to my dance partner. He truly was the object of every other girls dream…just not mine. He wasn’t unattractive at all. Even though Lucy came literally holding me at the waist, it didn’t stop my dance partner from subtly looking me up at down.

“Well, it’s great to meet a Euro Champion and a world cup finalist, (y/n)” he said avoiding Lucy’s glare through her sunglasses. 

I stop him and laughed, “well technically two, this is Lucy Bronze, my partner, she was just dropping me off” 

Lucy only extends her hand out to the guy and firmly shakes his hand and mutters out “pleasure”.

The guy only nods “well, I’ll make sure she gets home safely”.

I hide the smile on my face when I saw Lucy, still holding his hand, say bluntly. 

“Oh? No, I’ll be picking her up, don’t you worry” the guy’s hand falling limp as she let’s go. 

I give Lucy a hug and planned to just give her a quick kiss on the cheek but she pulled me closer to her by the waist and gave me a slow kiss on the lips,

Before I pull away, she whispered quietly in my ear, “just wanted to make sure he knows who you're coming home to”

______________________________________________________________

The little brunch outing was interesting to say the least. The boy was bold given Lucy did stare him down when she picked me up like she promised. Especially as we left the restaurant but I, kindly, avoided his “subtle” advances of him trying to lead me to Lucy’s car. 

What had been discussed about the dance and from what I could see is that I would be the main focal point and he would be, for lack of a better term, an accessory. I, of course, would not be telling Lucy that immediately, I was very much enjoying the attention she was giving me. 

It being essentially a solo dance made it easier since I have training and I wouldn't have to rely on someone else to also learn the choreography…which allowed for me to work on a little surprise for Lucy with my extra free time. 

______________________________________________________________

“Baby, can you help me with something?” I yelled down the hall of our shared apartment.

Lucy came in shortly with a raised eyebrow “ yeah what’s up?”

“Remember how you said that you wanted to be my dance partner instead of what’s his face?” I say as I move some of our furniture out of the way to make space in the middle all while trying to not hit Narla in the process. 

Lucy looked at me confused and with a laugh said, “I never said that…what’d you need though?”

I grab her hands and pull her to the middle of our living room “Well can you be my dance partner? You know with all the training and all I can’t really practice the choreo with him…so you want to help me?”

Lucy smiled and nodded as she pulled me closer to her and gave me a twirl “Ok, miss l/n, lead on”

______________________________________________________________

My, sweet, Lucia can be a wonderful dancer when she puts time into in. She followed my direction even though the “quick movements of the dance” were something she would have to get used to but eventually after a couple of weeks. She was able to fluidly hold me and move with me.

Narla definitely got a kick out of her two moms doing something akin to the salsa in the living room. I would say Lucy, even with the groans and complaints, secretly, enjoyed it as well.

The day of filming came quickly and out of nowhere and we were filming it in the streets of Barcelona; there was just no way we would be able to fly to England and back, especially with pre-season and games starting. 

I just want to give a special thank you to M&S for giving Lucy that outfit she wore during that one photoshoot we had with England, honestly, doing the Lord’s work. I had subtly asked that I would love to see her wear it again and again subtly suggested she wear it to the Strictly Dancing shoot and I just love it when she listens to me.

Luce was behind the cameras and chatted with the producers as they waited for me to come out of the dressing room ready to film.

As I was led out with my hand loosely in my dance partner’s I reveled the intensity of Lucy’s stare. 

Why? 

Well I had a silver, fringe dress with an open back and the dress came up to my mid thigh and matching high heels  and, well the fact, my dance partner was trying ever so slightly to get closer to me as we were speaking with the director. 

As we got into position, center “stage” in the streets of Barcelona, I look over to Lucy and give a quick wink to her. 

“Dance the Night by Dua Lipa” started to play on the set.  I began moving quickly and sensually and interacting very little with my partner. The fringe of the dress definitely did not leave much to the imagination. There were parts where his hand would find my waist but those lasted only a few seconds.

Lucy watched, not letting me escape her sight and hid her frown as she noted the times my dance partner would slow the movements of his hands once they reached my waist or when he looked me over as I danced a little ahead of him. 

We did not anticipate it being a one take but it was something that I wanted as it was more real in a way. As the music faded and the host came onto the stage to interview me, I caught Lucy in the corner of my eye, and she was smiling so big and visibly more relaxed.

“(y/n), so happy you could be here and we are just so happy to celebrate you and your achievements. How does it feel?” I hold the microphone, still catching my breath

“I loved this to be honest, love the show, and dancing is just something that I enjoy other than football. Uh, it’s definitely been some time since I’ve performed at this scale but it was absolutely a treat, thank you all for inviting me” I said gesturing to the crew members.

“Well, again we are happy to be a part of this and we know that another Euro Champions is in our midst, and I know that you had a little something prepared for the both of you?” The cameras now focused on a very confused Lucy.

I laugh and continue, “Yes, Miss Bronze, she thinks she has been helping me practice for this sole performance but we were actually going to dance together as well, come on babe” I gesture for her to come onto the stage.

The interviewer walks off announcing, “and now for a special dance by  the Euro Champions and World Cup Finalists choreographed by Miss (y/n) (l/n)”.

Lucy finally reached me and whispered, “You little sneak,you planned this didn’t you?” 

I only wink and immediately pushed Lucy into position like we have been doing at home in our living room.

“Maybe~”  The music restarted and Lucy with the biggest smile on her face did everything perfectly. There were some slips in the movement but they were replaced with laughter as Lucy held onto me tightly as the music faded.

She hugged me tightly whispering, “Im so proud of you” her hands finding their place at my hips.

I gave her a quick kiss on the lips as we both ignored the claps from the crew members. 

“So…would it be wrong to ask if you can keep the dress?” I smack her slightly at the question.

I give her a knowing smile, “Dress is mine to keep, but I don’t want to keep it on for too long, Miss Lucia Bronze”

I have never seen Lucy excuse herself, thank all the crew members and wish everyone a wonderful weekend so quickly before carrying me off the set in the midst of a fit of laughter. 

Let’s just say that these scenes from the recording quickly overtook the locker room dance in edits and well it was all worth the teasing from our teammates when it finally aired. 

[dollywheeler]

October 24th, 1996

Mike is such a DOUCHEBAG! What? Just because he’s back in town he thinks he can dictate how I live my fucking life?! I knew this would happen! Knew he would just go back to looking at me like the goddamn 5 year old he couldn't give a damn about! That was nothing but a nuisance!

As if I can’t take care of myself! God, if he thinks I give a shit about his opinion he’s going to be sorely disappointed! Sure, not jumping four feet in the air and possibly breaking my neck at seven in the morning where no one will find me for at least another hour, made sense. That I can place and admit to being dangerous! But just running? What? I’m so fragile I might twist my ankle?

Fuck, and the way he yelled at me? Like I’m some dumb child that should know better?? I do know better! Which is why I always leave a note with my exact route and expected time of return - not even because I think anything might happen, but because I have common human decency and don’t want mom to worry when she wakes up to find me gone! Something he could’t give a rat’s ass about!!

Seriously, it’s so fucking rich that he thinks he has the right to scold me about running around Hawkins - Hawkins of all places, as if there are more boring towns than this! - in the dark without adult supervision! I’m so mad it’s insane. I don’t think I’ve ever been this pissed off before, it’s genuinely quite impressive.

To think that an hour ago I was so content to wake up early and go for a run before school. I was in such a good mood too - he ruined it.

He just doesn’t understand! I already can’t practice my routine - not the full, difficult parts of it - so the least I can do is work on my cardio and stamina! But when I tell him that he’s all like “just ask a friend to come along next time!” And I try to tell him that’s not an option but he just - ugh. He doesn’t get it. There’s no point in practicing extra when everyone knows you’re doing it. It will just make everyone think I’m being a try-hard or a suck-up or whatever! Or just think I’m being weird for needing the extra practice!

Great, now I’m crying again because I'm pathetic! Fucking Mike. Fuck this shit.

Okay, so I didn’t actually finish this entry, for many reasons. I didn’t even start it properly - not that the “dear diary” really matters, I guess, but it’s the principle of the thing.

Anyway, even though it’s been hours, I’m still pissed off, don’t worry, but at least now I have the time and state of mind to finish. I’m skipping English as I’m writing this down - I know it’s terrible for a lot of reasons.

1, my school record, but what is Mike going to do? Report me? Fuck that. And fuck him.

2, It’s letting him win. I recognise that. But I guess I’m weak because I really can’t deal with seeing him right now. God I hate him.

3, Danny is probably wondering where I am, which means I’ll have to tell him what happened.

Damn - maybe I didn’t think this through. I can probably spin it - say I wasn’t feeling well or something. Except I don’t want to lie to him either… Well, it’s not technically a lie. Still, I’ll probably just tell him some part of the truth - he can know I was pissed at Mike. He doesn’t have any siblings but he’ll probably understand anyway.

To think that for a while I considered myself an only child… tragic. I was so fucking close to just having a cool older sister that was too far away to meddle in my life. I was in control of my life - I still am!

Mike just thinks he has a say all of a sudden - which he doesn’t. Two weeks of being civil does not a brother make!

Seriously, it was so disorientating to just be running one minute, thinking nice thoughts, wondering about the english assignment, only for Mr. Wheeler himself to actually see me and come storming out freaking out about me running in the dark! It's Hawkins in October! It's dark all the time!

I was so shocked, I could barely defend myself. God, the neighbours will probably have wondered what the fuck was going on - If our shouting match didn’t wake them I’m sure they’re dead.

The worst part was that I still had to go to school after… I'm sure everyone could tell I was off. Or at least Dylan would have, if she hadn't been a thousand miles away today herself. I'm kind of glad for it. Danny sending me worried glances was more than enough, and just getting to listen to Whitney rattle on about yearbook and today's lunch and whatever else was not living up to her standard was nice. Distracting.

Still, I wish I could just go home already - I want to lie down and mope and pretend like it's still three months ago when Mike was far far away! Then I wouldn't have to deal with his judgement and his meddling and his passive-aggressiveness towards mom and dad. And I could just kiss my boyfriend in school without fearing he might see.

Sadly, I still have cheer practice and I can't skip it. It's already bad enough that Dylan has a brace around her wrist again.

This just reminded me I'm still wearing Mike's bracelet - it really shouldn't make me feel better but it does. It's petty as hell, and he probably doesn't even remember it exists, but whatever.

He should just go back to not remembering me.

- Holly

[petertingle-yipyip]

JEALOUSY, JEALOUSY - MATT MURDOCK

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Word Count: 1,714

Summary: When you step out for a bit of cardio, you come back to a questionable scene. But your completely devoted boyfriend never falters.

The past 48 hours - give or take - had been an absolute nightmare. Matt had the brilliant idea of taking on his self proclaimed enemy on his own. The idiot came back covered in blood and slices, clattering around your bedroom and knocking over everything. The loud crashes woke you up, just in time for him to fall over as if dead and give you a heart attack. You ended up falling off the bed when you scrambled to get up since your feet were tangled in the blankets.

You hadn’t realized Foggy was outside the door and heard the entire commotion, which caused him to burst in and discover Matt’s secret.

You sat with him and Foggy all night as they argued. You tried defending Matt and you agreed with Foggy’s points too. Ultimately, playing Switzerland in their war didn’t work out well.

After Karen left that morning, you mixed your usual workout drink and went out for a run. You went up and down the building’s stairs a couple times, ran about two miles, walked back, and then did a quick cardio circuit up on the roof.

By the time that was done, you were definitely hungry for some lunch. You wiped your sleeve across your eyes and mouth as you went to the door to the apartment. You opened it carefully in case Matt was asleep, but you found the opposite.

Before you could say anything and announce your arrival, you heard her voice. Claire. Gently, you closed the door behind you and tapped your screen to pause the music. You slipped your headphones back into the case quietly before shoving both into your pocket. You were glad you hadn’t entered through the front door.

You pushed your tongue against the inside of your cheek while you scoffed softly. You ran a hand down your face to wipe the expression off as you leaned over the top railing, waiting to be discovered by the nurse. You watched with interest as Claire interacted with Matt. Matt’s attention shifted towards your direction and you saw his eyebrows raise slightly. You rolled your eyes and clicked your tongue softly.

Matt smirked that lazy, amused smirk he always did before returning his attention to Claire. You chewed the inside of your lower lip to keep your mouth shut. You pulled the sleeves of your jacket up and rubbed your hands together, an effort to move the heat radiating off your skin to your chilled digits.

“Well I got to see you with your shirt off so… That’s a plus.” Claire smiled, earning a small chuckle from Matt. You silently mocked her, shaking your head to punctuate your own annoyance.

“Thank you. And I know I say it a lot - probably doesn’t mean much anymore - but thank you.” Matt replied kindly.

They finished their small conversation before the door shut. You leaned over a little further to ensure she was gone before you looked back to your boyfriend. There was a silence that settled over you two for a few moments and you could feel it thickening in the air.

You didn’t doubt Matt could feel it, could probably feel your stare burning into his head too. He knew you were there. He would’ve heard you come in, heard that final deep breath from the other side of the door. He would’ve heard the water moving around your bottle and the faint music still playing in your headphones, the gentle scuff of your trainers against the floor and the light jingle of your keys in your pocket.

He would’ve felt the air shift as you opened and closed the door. He would’ve smelled your deodorant and the fruity smell of your workout supplements on your breath, even the sweat you had wiped away from your face.

“You’re staring at me, aren’t you?” He asked, turning his head up to you.

“You’re damn right I am.” You answered quickly as you hopped down the stairs and avoided the broken last step completely. That was a repair project slated for later that day after his fight with Stick just a few nights before. You slammed your water bottle on the coffee table - admittedly harder than you needed to - so both hands were free to gesture, though he wouldn’t see it. “What the hell was that?”

“What, Claire?” He asked innocently. You weren’t sure if he was joking or if he was really that clueless. And that made you want to punch him in his pretty face. “She- I needed her to stitch this up again. You were on a run so I called her.”

“Mmm.” You nodded, sucking your teeth as you crossed your arms. Matt huffed slightly at your reaction and offered a small pout. “That’s all? Just stitches?”

“Yes.” He nodded firmly.

“Right.” You rolled your eyes and stepped around him. Before you passed him, he reached out and grabbed your forearm. “What?”

Matt’s head was turned in your direction but he looked down. He was focusing on something other than your words as his thumb moved in small strokes against your skin so you yanked your arm away. You wondered what he was focusing on… Your heart? Your breathing? Maybe how sweaty you still were?

“You’re… jealous?” He teased.

“Of her?” You asked incredulously as you threw a hand in the direction of the door. You almost wished he would’ve just commented on your sweaty hair. “Oh please.”

“You are!” A cocky smile crossed his face.

“Shut up, Murdock.” You scoffed and made your way to the couch, purposefully stepping around him. “I’m not jealous of her.”

“So why was your skin so warm?” He asked as he sat beside you.

You mentally cursed yourself. Of course he noticed. He reached for your hand and while you defiantly crossed your legs, you let him. You ran the other hand over your neck and under your jacket to your chest. It was a lame attempt to cool down and even you had to admit that you were clearly warm.

“You’re about a degree and a half warmer than usual. And your heart-“ He leaned in and placed his head on your chest. “-is beating pretty fast.”

“I think you just wanted to put your head on my chest.” You joked and pulled your hand free of your shirt to pat the top of his head.

“Can’t blame me, sweetheart.” He shrugged weakly before turning and placing a small kiss on your sternum.

“Besides, I was on a run. Of course my heart rate is elevated and I’m gonna be warm.”

“Hmm, not like this.” He answered softly before carefully leaning back so he could face you. He put his hand on your thigh and gave a gentle squeeze. “I know your heart rate, Y/N.”

“I should be so lucky.” You replied with a small eye roll as you crossed your arms. “Tell me about my heart rate then.”

“It’s strong.” He began gently. “It almost never falters… It hardly ever gives anything away for you. It’s like- I can’t even put words to it. Your resting heart rate is pretty steady, and you regulate fairly quickly. So unless you sprinted up the stairs - which, judging by your breathing isn’t the case - something else is making your heart beat faster.”

“It’s nothing, Matt.” You used your free hand to pat his cheek gently while you smiled softly. No matter what, you always adored how he knew the little things.

“Your hands are cold.”

“Yeah, that happens.” You shrugged gently. “I think I’m anemic.”

“Hmm.” He hummed. “So what’s bugging you?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You’re tense, too.” He smiled knowingly as he adjusted on the couch so he could lay his head in your lap.

“Careful, Matty.” You said gently after he groaned. “Or you’ll have to call your new girlfriend for more stitches.”

“And this.” He reached up and tapped your crossed over thigh, ignoring your latest comment. “You sit like this when you’re full of adrenaline. So either you’re jealous of Claire or you wanna kick my ass too?”

“I should kick your ass for flirting with her.” You sighed as you put your free hand under his head. You flattened your legs and extended them slightly so he could lay at a better angle. “Better?”

“Mhmm.”

“She has a crush on you, Murdock.” You explained, gently running your fingers through his hair. “And you have to be this- this sweet, charming, handsome badass that just so happens to need stitches. You’re like the perfect damsel in distress.”

“Did you just call me handsome?” He smiled.

“And a damsel.”

“And a damsel.” He laughed.

“But seriously, have you seen yourself?” You laughed.

“Not since I was a kid, no.” He shook his head as he suppressed his smile.

“Or would you prefer ‘hottie’? Dreamboat is an old one, but it works too. Or maybe pretty boy?”

“It all sounds perfect coming from you, angel.”

“Well you look like shit right now but that’s cause you’re also stupid as hell.” Your fingers gently passed over the injuries on his face while you frowned. The cuts, the bruises, the swelling. “But overall, yes. You’re very handsome.”

“I like hearing you say that.”

“I bet.” You smiled softly. “You do know that she’s into you, right?”

He shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“You should.”

“Why? Because as far as I’m concerned, I come home to you every night. You are my priority, always.”

“I like hearing you say that.”

“But do you believe it?”

“Yeah, I know.” You said lightly.

“Y/N.” He said honestly. “You do know that I don’t need anyone but you? What woman could compare?”

“I could rattle off a handful of books that end with the edgy, brooding bad boy falling for the sweet, gentle girl that just wanted to take care of him.”

“Okay… Sure.” He nodded after a moment of thought. “But I already did that.”

He reached out and his hand found your jaw. He gently squished your cheeks, which made you laugh. You pulled your face away and took his hand in yours instead. You kissed his bruised knuckles while he squeezed your hand.

“I’m already in love with you, Y/N… My Y/N.”

“I love you too, Matty.”

[sydsaint]

Summary: The reader finds herself in the path of Austin Gunn. But luckily for her, she's friends with HOOK. And he's more than happy to defend her.

You've been at the gym for a few hours now working on your cardio in peace. But just when it looks like you've managed to get a full workout without being bothered by anyone, Austin Gunn shows up out of the blue. 

"Y/N, what's up, babe?" Austin greets you with a smug grin. 

"Austin." You reply dryly and pull your headphones down to be polite. "What's up?" You ask him. 

Austin continues to grin and stands way too close for your comfort. "It just so happens that I was looking for a gym partner." He informs you. "You free by any chance, Y/N?"

"I actually just finished up." You reply. "I've been here for a few hours already." You add. 

Austin nods and you stand in awkward silence for a moment before either of you speak again. "Are you sure?" Austin asks you. "I can be pretty useful, you know? Teach you a lot of new maneuvers on the mat." He adds in a suggestive tone. 

Before you can politely decline Austin's offer, you find Tyler at your side with his chest puffed out. "She's fine, man." He stares a hole into Austin. "We were just leaving." He grabs your arm gently and starts walking off. 

Tyler keeps his hand on your arm until you are both out in the parking lot. He finally eases up when he's 100% sure that Austin is gone. 

"Thanks, Tyler." You flash a thankful smile toward your friend and savior. "I didn't even know you were in the gym today." You add. 

"Yeah, I just got here a few minutes ago." Tyler nods. "I saw Austin bothering you so I figured I'd swoop in and save you." He grins. 

You giggle and lean forward for a hug. "My knight in shining armor." You joke. "I'm headed out for the day. But I'll see you tomorrow night for Dynamite, right?" You ask him. 

"Yeah, catch you later, Y/N." Tyler nods and releases you from his side hug. 

You walk across the lot to your car and Tyler watches you go. He heads back inside once you're gone and runs into Austin again once he's back inside. 

"I'd watch your back if I were you, pretty boy," Austin warns Tyler with a scowl. 

"Yeah?" Naturally, Tyler doesn't back down from the challenge. "Or what?" He stares right back at Austin. 

Silence falls over the pair for a moment before Austin huffs and walks off mumbling something to himself. Satisfied that he's won, Tyler goes back to his original plan to work out for a few hours. 

The next afternoon you are backstage at Dynamite waiting for your match against Britt Baker when Austin and Colten show up to bother you. 

"Oh, Y/N! Your favorite guy is here to see you." Austin saunters up to you. 

"Austin." You greet him with the same dryness as before. "Hey..."  

With Colten at his side, Austin is able to back you into a corner and bother you to his heart's content. And you've still got a while before your match, so you're stuck for the foreseeable future. 

"So what do you say after the show we go out and have some fun?" Austin asks you, leaning down as close as he can to your face. 

"Austin...I don't..." You swallow hard and try to come up with the right way to turn him down. 

Suddenly, a hand grabs your arm and pulls you away from Austin. You stumble back and find Tyler coming to your aid once again. You go to thank him again but Tyler gives you a small push toward the tunnel. "Go get Britt." He nods to the tunnel. "They won't follow you." 

You nod and head out to the ring, leaving Tyler behind with the Gunn brothers. You and Britt have a match that lasts around 10 minutes. 

Back on the other side of the tunnel, Tyler faces down Austin and Colten. "What? Was I not being clear enough for you yesterday at the gym?" He asks Austin. "Y/N's not interested. Leave her alone." 

"You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves." Austin sneers. 

"Yeah, mine too." Colten agrees. 

A fight breaks out and the three men go at it with one another. 

You come backstage from your match with Britt about ten minutes later and find a whole bunch of staff members swarming around what seems to be the aftermath of a fight. You shoulder past a couple of them and spot Tyler, his knuckles and hands smeared in blood. 

"Tyler?!" You shoulder past a few more people and Tyler turns around when he hears your voice. You make it to his side and confront him. "What the hell happened?" You ask him. "You're covered in blood." 

"None of it's mine," Tyler replies and nods to the other side of the room. 

On the other side of the room full of staff, you catch a glimpse of Austin and Colten being drug off by a few members of security. Austin's face is covered in blood, most of it coming from his nose by the looks of it. Colten also has blood smeared on his face, but it's not as bad as his brothers. 

"You fought both of them?" You turn back to Tyler and he shrugs. 

"They started it." He assures you. "All I did was ask them to leave you alone." He insists. 

You shake your head in an attempt to hide the smile forming on it. "Right, I'm sure." You grab his arm. "Come on, you've gotta get cleaned up before people start asking questions." 

"Eh, I'm not worried about it." Tyler shrugs but follows you anyway. 

"And why is that?" You reply sharply. 

"You'll vouch for me," Tyler replies with a confident grin. 

You laugh and shake your head again, knowing that he's right. 

[jamietarttsnorthernattitude]

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 in case you want to share any of those paragraphs 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

I think you will recognize this portion of the home invasion fic from your lovely bedtime story:

Roy pulled up to Jamie’s house at 3:59 am. Since Roy took the manager position, the four am training with Jamie has been few and far between. Roy was busy with match prep, training prep, having to actually read the scouting reports now, and dealing with everything he never realised his managers worked through. Jamie crawled across the finish line of the season last year, and Roy was not letting that happen again, so Jamie’s additional training was carefully rolled back to include less cardio, more active rest days. But every few weeks, Roy got to join his friend for training like old times. 

Roy felt tense as he exited his SUV, but he couldn’t pinpoint why. The air felt charged despite it being slightly warmer than it usually was in February. He shut his door and caught sight of Jamie’s cars. Both had their windshields smashed in. Roy had dropped Jamie off just last night after reviewing match tape. Even at his prickiest levels of prick, Jamie couldn’t have gotten himself into trouble in that short of time. 

 Fuck. He ran the short distance to the front door, banging on it with his fist. Four AM was the hour people were statistically least prepared to defend themselves, after all.

“Jamie! Jamie!”

He banged on the door louder and then throws his shoulder into the door. He stumbled into the foyer as the door hits something solid. In the darkness Roy can’t make out the form, but the noise it emitted as the door crashed into it will haunt Roy’s dreams. 

It’s not even a whimper, more like a whine. Not a noise humans are supposed to make. It’s so dark, and Roy’s brain can’t keep up. It had only been a minute or two since he arrived at Jamie’s, he struggled to comprehend how he got to where he was now. Another noise escaped the shape on the floor, shockingly even more pained than the previous sound. Roy switched on his headlamp.

“Fucking hell,” the blob finally whispered, voice quiet and pained.

Jamie.

[aemonds-little-belle]

FEELINGS SOLD SEPARATLY

CHAPTER ELEVEN (THE EYLA THEORY)

Modern!Aemond Targaryen x Reader

NOTES - I missed Eyla so much that I gave her an entire chapter, she's the real MVP though. (Also the dom/sub subplot just got a whole lot more main story <3

TAGS - (REPOSTED FROM AO3)

Alternate Universe - Sugar DaddySugar BabySugar Baby AUAUokay this is a whole ass story that's just one long ass brain fartliterally i am just coming up with this on the spotlow key really love it thoughSugar Baby/Sugar Daddyobviouslytalks of class issuesaemonds been hurt in the pasti think there will be some sexy stuff eventuallywait fuck i didn't mention this is a modern!aumodern!AUAlternate Universe - Modern Setting&lt;3Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen is Bad at Feelingsstop that was recommended but so accurateI don't know how to do tagsI'm SorryI promise it's goodAnd no one diesand it's just so classically a sugar baby/ sugar daddy au it hurtsreader works at a cafe ... obviouslythis will follow a similar storyline to the show just modern and also not at allFamily Issueswait probably dom/sub vibes tooDom/subLight Dom/subclearly i don't know where this is going yetmy readers are always written fat because i am fatso keep that in mindSlow Burnit's so slowbut I think it's greatlike genuinely two idiots in lovebut they take soooo long to noticeUghI love fanfiction

+ + + + + +

“Y/n!” Eyla yelled, already at the counter, wiping it down before the shop opened. “Hurry up!” 

“We aren’t even open yet!” Y/n chuckled, placing her things in her locker before putting the fake, and unlockable, lock onto it. 

“I know.” She laughed back. “But I’m dying to know how your weekend went with Mr. Fancy Pants!” Her eyes were pleading, a fake pout on her lips. 

“Eyla I don’t even know where to begin.” Y/n pouted back. “After work on Friday he took me to a small Breakfast diner for dinner, and we talked about what the arrangement would look like.” Y/n put on her apron and began turning the coffee machines on, ensuring each was working fine as Eyla stood leaned against the counter, completely engaged in the conversation. “And then he wouldn’t let me take the bus home! And now I can’t take the bus at all.” 

“He’s making you walk home? If that asshole wants you to do cardio or something you …” 

“No!” Y/n cut her off. “He’s paying for cabs, he doesn’t like me walking home, especially now when it gets dark before we get off.” She explained, looking to Eyla who was nodding her head. “Um, on saturday we went shopping.” 

“Oh I love shopping!” Eyla sang. 

“I know.” Y/n laughed. 

“What did he get you? Anything expensive?” She wiggled her eyebrows. 

“Um, he got me these new shoes.” Y/n did a little dance move to show her new all black sneakers off, getting a few ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ back from Eyla. “And then enough jeans and T-shirts to last me years. Plus he bought me a dress, or is buying me, I don’t know, I don’t even know what it looks like.” Y/n began rambling. “It’s for Wednesday, for this work event that he has.” 

“You’re getting a fancy dress for a fancy party and you don’t seem excited, what could possibly be wrong?” Eyla raised an eyebrow at Y/n. 

“Nothing’s wrong!” Y/n defended herself. “I just, it’s a custom dress, and that’s a lot of money, so I’m just worried about it.” 

“A custom dress? He’s head over heels for you!” Eyla exclaimed, bouncing on her heels slightly. 

“Maybe.” Y/n’s face heated up at the idea, could Aemond really like her? Or were they just a little flirty because of their arrangement? “He’s given me some inkling he might like me, but I really don’t know, what if that’s just regular Sugar da… behavior.” 

“Lay these inklings on me.” Eyla leaned against the counter, her arms crossed, eyes to the floor, clearly ready to contemplate something big. 

“Um, well we held hands on saturday.” 

“Mhm, mhm.” Eyla’s eyes squinted slightly. 

“Um, when we were shopping there was this girl from his past, she listed all of these places Aemond took his past sugar babies and specific gifts he bought all of them. But he never took me to a fancy restaurant, he took me to his favorite diner, and hasn’t given me a stupid gold bracelet, or I don’t know! But that’s gotta count for something right?” Y/n was begging at this point, hoping maybe, just maybe Aemond could actually like her. 

“So he’s taking you places he would take his girlfriend, not his sugar baby?” Eyla asked, crossing her legs now too. 

“I guess.” Y/n sighed, Eyla nodding. “He also almost beat up my landlord because he turned my power off.” Y/n shrugged her shoulders as if what she had said was nothing. 

“Almost?” Eyla scoffed. “He should have actually beat him up, gods know the man deserves it.” 

“That’s what Miss Falker said.” Y/n chuckled. “I would let Miss Falker guide me through life if I could, the woman is always right, so wise.” Eyla joked. 

“She also can’t see and has no idea Aemond is a real Targaryen.” Y/n chuckled as she walked to the front of the shop, unlocking the door and turning the closed sign to open.

“Miss Falker, the true Queen of Flea Bottom.” 

“Anyways.” Y/n started up again. “Maybe I could look past those things, but yesterday …” 

“Large coffee, two sugars and a cream please.” A man interrupted them, his eyes glued to his phone, Eyla rolling her eyes as she began the man's drink, Y/n ringing the man up. 

“But yesterday?” Eyla asked, placing the lid on the man's cup. 

“Yesterday we made rules, like sugar baby rules, for me to follow.” 

“Ohh, kinky!” Eyla cheered, the man totally unbothered as he walked out. 

“No!” Y/n shook her head. “They aren’t like that at all, but we made them together, and I had no idea what I was doing.” 

“Well obviously, Y/n you don’t even look like a remotely kinky girl …” 

“I will not share the tips I make while you’re on break if you keep this up.” Y/n threatened, though it was completely a lie and Eyla knew it, but she raised her hands up innocently anyways. “I asked what his rules for his other sugar babies were, as like a reference that I could work off of.” 

“Makes sense.” Eyla said, retying her apron for the fourth time this morning, as if she didn’t just put it on. 

“Well he said no, and refused to show them to me, so I think he’s not even trying to treat me like past sugar babies.” 

“What were some of your rules? Any unusually caring ones?” 

“Not really.” Y/n shrugged her shoulders. “Again, I don’t know how these things work, but he said the rules were meant to help me break bad habits, and guide me.” Y/n paused to help a customer before turning to Eyla again. “Which makes sense, he wants me to rely on him, let him help me in any way he can, which is how I’m different from the past girls.” Y/n rambled. “They just wanted someone with money to buy them pretty things, but with me he spends his money improving my life for the better.” 

“This makes so much more sense.” Eyla nodded her head as she poured coffee into a cup, stirring in some sugar as she looked Y/n up and down. “He's a dominant.”

“A what?” 

“You know?” Eyla asked, Y/n just staring back at her confused. “Oh my god! I thought you said you read books?” 

“I do!” 

“Clearly not the same kind I read.” Eyla chuckled. “A dominant is someone who you know, wants to dominate someone in bed, tell them what to do, when to do it, how to do it, etcetera.” 

“But me and Aemond aren’t in bed.” Y/n tilted her head to the side slightly. 

“No, but he does seem to tell you what to do in real life, like how he wants you to take a cab and not ride the bus, that’s him dominating your situation and changing things to make it better for you.” Eyla explained as if they weren't helping at least ten customers who were just standing around them, easily in earshot. 

“So if he is … What you say he is, what does that make me?” Y/n asked worriedly, hoping the answer wasn’t something horrible. 

“A submissive!” Eyla explained, completely enjoying the little teaching lesson she was giving. “You submit your control to him, let him make the decisions.” Eyla began a new pot of coffee, retying her apron again, something Y/n definitely thought was an anxious habit. “Submissives also want to please the dominant, and often if the submissive does well at following the rules there’s a reward.” 

“And a punishment if they don’t” Y/n whispered, things clicking in her head. 

“Yep, though I don’t think Aemond would spank you too hard.” Eyla winked. 

“Wouldn’t what?!?” Y/n’s eyes were wide as saucers, Eyla just cackling in the corner as she poured more coffee.

“I don’t know what a non sexual dominant would do, but I’m sure there’s something.” Eyla laughed. “Maybe he’ll make you shine his shoes!” 

“No. He’d take money off of a charity fund if I broke a rule.”

“Are you telling me he already has a punishment plan?” Eyla was now the one with eyes wide as saucers, her eyebrows raised as her mouth hung open. 

“Mhm.” Y/n nodded her head. 

“Has he ever given you a talking to? With a teachery voice, like hes grading your paper and you did terribly.” Y/n just looked at Eyla with shock, thinking ‘how did you know about that?’ “You are living my dream life, I swear.” 

“Well, what if he is a dominant? What do I do then?” Y/n’s demeanor changed, worry filling her mind. 

“Do you like the rules?” Y/n nodded her head. “Do you like following them?” 

“Well yeah, he said he would be disappointed if I didn’t and I want …” 

“To please him?” 

“Yes.” Y/n turned her back to Eyla, thinking over all of the information that had been cast onto her suddenly.

“Then I think you and Aemond might be a perfect match. He wants someone who will let him have control, let him make decisions he sees fit when it comes to improving their life.” Y/n nodded along. “And you seem to want that, but I can’t tell you if you’re a submissive or not, or if this will all work out in the end.” 

“Then how do I find out if I am one or not?” 

“The internet, the shop has wifi, when you go on break you should totally do a test or something.” 

“Okay, sure.” Y/n nodded her head, ringing in another customer. “What if he isn’t even a dominant and I’m doing all of this for nothing?” 

“He gave you rules and a punishment, Y/n.” Eyla deadpanned. “He’s a dominant.” 

Y/n just nodded her head, fixing the straw holder before looking back to Eyla. “Wait, what kind of books do you read?” 

[the-golden-witch-of-wanderers]

Reasons to go to the gym:

To work on your health

To gain the body of your dream

To be able to enjoy your travels and road trips with better cardio

To improve your self-esteem

To be able to defend yourself in time of need

[debbiechanclub]

I'll Be Honest (Looking at You Got Me Thinking Nonsense), Part 3 (of 3)

A “Take My Hand, Wreck My Plans” fic

Pairings: Kyle Fletcher x OFC (...and a little bit of x Jay White) Word Count: 3,930 Warnings: Just some language and angst

Nellie's weekend in London with Kyle ends on a bittersweet note, just as Jay pops up to confuse her again.

TMHWMP Timeline | Masterlist

Read it on AO3

tag squad: @aussiearrow @cowboyslariat @knifepervert @caranoirs @rusevday @missbrownstone @meteora-fc @bec0m @thatgirlforever5 @rocca09 @aussiespam

Sunday, November 21, 2021 London, England

The sheets felt smooth and cozy against Nellie’s bare legs, and she snuggled deeper underneath the blankets, not ready to leave their comfort just yet. She slid her foot toward Kyle, further, further; but she didn’t find him. She opened her eyes. No wonder—she was alone in his bed.

But no sooner had she realized it than the bedroom door pushed open. Kyle walked in, shirtless in gray sweatpants, a coffee mug in each hand. He smiled when he saw her awake.

“Good morning.”

“Mmmorning,” Nellie returned as she stretched. “Is one of those for me?”

“These?” he gestured with the mugs. “Oh, no. Sorry—I double-fist coffee in the morning.”

She sent him a flat look. His grin widened.

“Of course one of them is for you.”

She sat up against the pillows and thanked him as he handed her a mug. From the color of the coffee, it looked like he’d made it to her taste. She took a sip. It was smooth and rich with just the right amount of cream.

“I hope it’s alright,” he said as he rejoined her under the covers. I just put a bit of cream in it.”

“It’s perfect,” she told him. “Jeez, first you know my drink order and now how I take my coffee. I’m impressed.”

“Well, I pay attention. As you learned last night.”

He flashed a cheeky smirk, and heat crept up Nellie’s collar. Kyle certainly had paid attention last night, both to what she’d told him at the club beforehand and her cues in the moment—and she’d given them. Thank God Will and Torrance hadn’t been right next door; they absolutely would have heard.

But thinking of them reminded her. “We have to work tonight. I almost forgot that’s why I’m here.”

“Yeah, you have to retain that RevPro title so we can be double champions together,” Kyle grinned.

“You and Mark have to retain the RevPro tag titles for that to happen, too,” she pointed out. But Kyle scoffed.

“Please, I’m not worried about Roy and Ricky Knight Jr.”

Nellie’s eyebrows arched. “Wish I could say the same about Alex Windsor,” she said into her coffee. It surprised Kyle.

“You’re worried about facing Alex?”

She thought about it as she sipped. “I’m not worried,” she clarified. “But she’s definitely the toughest opponent I’ve defended this title against. And I’m not ready to lose it yet.”

“So don’t.”

Nellie shot him a flat look.

“I’m serious!” he returned.  “Yeah, Alex is good. But so are you. Better, I think. But I am a bit biased.”

Nellie smiled at that. “Are you?”

He held up his thumb and forefinger. “Little bit,” he said, and more than just the coffee warmed Nellie’s stomach then. “But if you really want to be prepared, you should come to the gym with me later. Getting a lift in will increase your focus. Plus, I can make sure your form’s correct. You know, on squats and stuff.”

“Oh, can you?” she smirked.

“Mhm.” He set his coffee down on his nightstand. “And if you want to get some cardio in, we could do that, too. Right now, if you want…”

He leaned in and pressed his lips to her neck, and Nellie grinned as she put her coffee down, never so eager to get in some morning cardio.

* * * *

“Okay, spill,” Torrance urged. “I want details.”

Nellie hit pause on her playlist and the music stopped in her headphones. “I was wondering how long it would take you.”

“I’ve literally been waiting to ask since Will and I got back this morning,” Torrance eagerly returned. “And since I’ve been forced to come to the gym on what’s technically my vacation, the least you can do is tell me everything.”

“No one forced you to come,” Nellie laughed as she grabbed a foam roller and a mat. “You could have stayed at the house.”

“Stop stalling. Was it good?”

They found an open area to sit down and stretch on the mats, and Torrance stared impatiently at Nellie as she started rolling out her right hamstring. Truth be told, she’d been waiting for an opportunity to dish to Torrance about her evening with Kyle, too.

“Well… I’m a little worried Mark might have heard something, after all, I’ll put it that way.”

“No.” Torrance laughed through her nose and clamped her hand over her mouth. “So it was a religious experience, then?”

“It definitely didn’t disappoint,” Nellie grinned. “He was very eager to please.”

Torrance looked like she couldn’t have been more pleased to hear it. “I can tell. You’re glowing.”

“Oh, come on,” Nellie breathed.

“I’m serious! And Kyle hasn’t stopped smiling all day.” She smiled then, too. “I’m happy for you two.”

Nellie pressed down harder on the foam roller. But something about her concentrated expression must have given away that it was because of more than just a tight muscle.

“Oh no,” Torrance recognized. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” she quietly returned. “I can just feel myself starting to overthink it already.”

Torrance’s eyebrows arched. “Well, you know I know all about that,” she commiserated. “You want to talk about it?”

Nellie considered it for a second. “No, actually. It can wait until after I retain my title,” she decided.

Torrance nodded. “Totally get that. Speaking of—did you want me to come out with you for the match? I kinda think people are lowkey expecting it because they know I’m here.”

“Did you bring anything to wear?”

Torrance paused, thinking. “Good question. I’ll figure out something,” she said, and she pushed herself up from the floor and grabbed her water bottle. “Do you need water? I’m gonna go fill up.”

“No, I’m good.”

She nodded and walked off, and Nellie resumed her playlist. K-Pop filled her ears, and she switched to rolling out her left hamstring when the music dropped for a second in her headphones. She glanced down at her phone screen—it was an Instagram notification—and when she saw what it said, she slowed to a stop.

jaywhitenz liked your story

She pursed her lips and cleared the notification with a swipe of her finger. Jay could like her gym selfies all he wanted, and he had. It wouldn’t change anything.

But then the music dropped again. That time, because of a text.

Good luck in your match tonight. Is that your sixth defense already?

Nellie stopped rolling. She stared at the message until the screen went black. How had he known it was her sixth defense? Had he actually been paying attention, or had he just looked it up, probably right before typing up that message?

Either way, it didn’t matter. Thanks, and yeah. She sent off the reply and resumed her foam rolling. She could have just left him on read, but she didn’t see the point. They were past that; she’d moved on. She was involved with someone else now. Potentially, anyway.

Are Kyle and I ‘involved’? she wondered. But then her phone pinged again. Jay’s response came quicker than she’d expected.

That’s crazy. But the RevPro title looks good on you. I know you’re happy to be working there again.

Nellie slowed to a stop again. But before she could even begin to unpack that text, another one came in.

And congrats on winning the Stardom tag league btw. I watched the final after I heard. Is the tag title match booked yet?

Nellie’s heart picked up a beat. He’d watched the tag league final? Why? Why did he want her to know he had? They hadn’t said two words to each other since her birthday; she hadn’t even told him happy birthday last month. Where was this coming from, and why now? It was barely after 9 a.m. in Florida.

She looked up and around for Torrance; she could only imagine what her reaction to all this would be. But she was nowhere in sight. And so, Nellie wrote back.

Thanks. The match isn’t booked yet and it probably won’t be until after the new year. Syuri has been too busy defending the SWA title to have a Goddess title defense, too. But honestly, I’m fine with that. Torr and I are both planning to go home for Christmas this year, and I’d rather be able to enjoy myself than rush that time around an important title match, especially since I haven’t seen my family in almost two years.

She hit send, and it wasn’t until after the message was already gone and delivered that Nellie realized she hadn’t needed to tell him all that. She could have just sent him the first three sentences and left it at that. And now she was suddenly thinking about last Christmas and how Jay had done everything he could to make it special for her because she was homesick and unable to see her family because of the pandemic. How that was the first time they’d told each other “I love you”—and Jay had said it first.

Her phone buzzed in her hand. She looked down at the screen.

Well, you know I know exactly how that feels.

“Hey.”

Nellie flinched and looked up. Kyle.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he grinned, crooked and boyish. “You about ready to head out?”

She paused her music again and pushed her phone into the slip pocket on her workout leggings. “Yeah.” She pulled her headphones off her ears and let them hang around her neck. “Where’s Torrance?”

“With Mark and Will.” He offered her his hand, and she took it and let him pull her up from the floor. “You alright?”

Nellie hesitated. Why would he ask her that? Did it seem like something was wrong? “Yeah, why?”

Kyle shrugged. “You just had this super tense look on your face when I was walking over.”

Nellie reflexively tensed when he said that. She made a conscious effort to relax. “Oh, well I was tense. I both hate and love foam rolling because it hurts when you’re doing it but feels good after.”

Kyle smirked. She rolled her eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

“Me don’t make it weird? You don’t make it weird,” he retorted. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to; it was written all over your face,” she grinned. It only made Kyle’s smile wider.

“Well, if you need extra help working out those tense muscles, I have some ideas.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“What?” he innocently asked. “I was gonna suggest a massage.”

“Oh, is that what we’re calling it?” she asked with a glance over her shoulder.

“We can call it whatever you want, babe,” Kyle returned with a wink and click of his tongue, and Nellie tried to focus on the way it made her feel and not what it made her wonder.

* * * *

Nellie had responded to Jay’s text as they’d all walked back to Will’s car. I know, she’d said, short and to the point, and she’d fully expected the conversation to die there.

But Jay had sent one more message.

But hey, maybe you’ll be a double champion the next time we see each other.

That time, Nellie did leave him on read. But hours later, she was still thinking about that stupid text—and everything it said in between the lines.

“Nellie.”

“Hm, what?” she looked up from absentmindedly lacing up her boot.

“Does this look alright?” Torrance held out her arms to showcase the outfit she’d put together: a yellow, pink, and blue plaid miniskirt with a chunky silver chain clipped at the waist; their team t-shirt that she’d cut and cropped; and sparkly Doc Martens. It screamed Torrance Taylor.

“Yeah,” Nellie nodded, and she went back to lacing up her boot. The air in the locker room was thick.

“I know you’re nervous, and I don’t blame you,” Torrance said. “But Alex hasn’t spent the last three years wrestling and training with the best joshis in the world. She’s not ready for you.”

A corner of Nellie’s mouth quirked up. “That tagline is already taken.”

Torrance dismissively rolled her eyes. “Please, I’m trying to give you a pep talk here! So go out there and use what Tam and Zack have taught you and kick Alex’s ass, and then in January we’ll kick Giulia and Syuri’s asses for the Goddess titles, and you’ll be a double champion.”

Nellie laughed to herself at the unintentional implication that Zack was one of the best joshis in the world, but for the sake of Torrance’s pep talk she didn’t mention it. Instead, she said, “You’re the third person who’s brought up the double champion thing to me today.”

“Am I?” Torrance amusedly asked. Nellie nodded, wrapping her left wrist in tape.

“Mhm. You, Kyle… and Jay.”

Torrance stopped what she was doing to stare at her open-mouthed. “I’m sorry, did you say Jay?”

She nodded again, biting off the tape. “He texted me out of nowhere at the gym.”

Torrance’s jaw unhinged further. “And you’re just telling me now?”

Rather than respond, Nellie unlocked her phone, pulled up the texts, and handed it over; it would be easier to just let Torrance see the messages herself. By the time she was done reading, her eyes were wide and round.

“Oh, he absolutely sent that last one on purpose,” she assessed.

“Right?” Nellie agreed, and Torrance handed her phone back. “And he made it sound like he’s coming back soon, didn’t he? Why the hell would he text me that?”

She looked back at Torrance, genuinely seeking a reason; but Torrance’s expression had changed. She didn’t look shocked anymore. Instead, she looked oddly guilty.

“What,” Nellie said. A statement, not a question.

“I think he might know about you and Kyle.”

Nellie blinked, confused. That was the last thing she’d expected her to say. “What? How would he possibly—”

“The video I posted last night.”

Nellie paused in realization. The dinner. Torrance had posted a video of it to her Instagram story. Now that she thought about it, Will had, too. And Jay followed them both.

“Hold on, I can literally see if he’s seen it,” Torrance remembered, and she grabbed her phone. She clicked through to the video; and while it took a few seconds to find Jay’s handle among all the views, it was there, clear as day.

“Okay yeah, he’s seen it,” she confirmed.

“Let me see it,” Nellie said, and Torrance showed her the screen. The video was mostly of Will, but because of where they’d all been seated, there was a glimpse of Nellie and Kyle at the other end of the table; and right before the video ended, Nellie reached up and used her thumb to wipe something from the corner of Kyle’s mouth as he smiled softly at her. Nellie’s stomach fluttered when she saw herself do it. She thought about Jay seeing her do it. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if it had made him wonder.

“Okay, so he’s seen it,” she dismissed as she handed Torrance back her phone. “But do you really think that’s why he decided to text me out of nowhere?”

“Maybe!” Torrance proclaimed. “I’m willing to bet he was fishing for information. He probably threw out that last text hoping you’d respond with something like, Oh, are you coming back to Japan soon? and it would lead to a conversation so he could sus out or even point-blank ask if you’re seeing anyone. Because he saw that video of you and Kyle, and now he wants to know.”

Nellie bit her lip. Nothing Torrance said was implausible. It made a lot of sense, actually. But she scoffed. “Well, if he really wants to know, he could just ask Riley.”

“What?” Torrance returned, clearly confused. Nellie sighed.

“That night we went out and ran into him?”

“Yeah?”

“I told him about Kyle.”

Torrance frowned, putting it all together in her head. “Okay,” she started. “But do Riley and Jay even talk?”

“I don’t know,” Nellie sighed. “I don’t care. If Jay asks, I’ll tell him. We’ve been officially over for three months, and unofficially for even longer than that, so it really shouldn’t come as a surprise to him that I’ve moved on.”

She finished wrapping her right wrist, bit off the tape, and tossed the roll back into her bag. She was hot now, both physically and mentally—and she was caught off-guard by her own reaction. She’d worked through all her emotions about everything that had happened between her and Jay. Hadn’t she?

The door to the locker room abruptly opened, and Nellie and Torrance both glanced over as Alex Windsor walked in. She paused and gave an awkward smile; no doubt she could sense the tension in the air.

“Hey,” Nellie offered. The last thing she needed was for her opponent to think the issue was with her.

“Hello,” she genially returned. “Welcome back.”

Nellie smiled the best she could. “Thanks,” she said, and she pushed Jay to the back of her mind and refocused on why she was there: to defend her RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship. Everything else was secondary.

* * * *

Nellie felt like she hadn’t even had a chance to kick out.

She and Alex had been going at it for just under twenty minutes, but it might as well have been double that time, back and forth, each of them just as tired, frustrated, and determined as the other.

But it was Nellie who slipped up and got caught in the end.

One second she was on her feet and the next they were over her head. When she hit the mat, she saw stars. Her leg was already hooked, and her arm already trapped by virtue of the move itself, and the referee was right there and then it was one-two-three.

She felt like she hadn’t even had a chance to kick out.

“That loss is nothing to be ashamed of, Nell,” Torrance said to her; and even though Nellie knew it was true, she didn’t feel it in that moment. She sat slumped and defeated against a turnbuckle, nursing her neck as Alex’s arm was raised in victory, the title already in her hand. There were tears in her eyes. There were tears in Nellie’s, too.

Alex walked over and held out her hand. Nellie regarded it, regarded her. But ultimately, she accepted the gesture, and Alex pulled her up and into a brief embrace, a show of respect. And then Nellie ducted out of the ring and returned backstage, her hands empty, Torrance following behind.

And then she saw Kyle, waiting for her. There were still two matches until Aussie Open’s, but there he was. He frowned at her in sympathy, and her lip quivered as she folded into him.

“I’m sorry, babe,” he gently said. Nellie breathed in his scent, focusing on the feel of his arms around her, the way he leaned his chin on top of her head because she fit just right. She wanted to live in that feeling for as long as she could.

“You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of,” Kyle said, repeating Torrance’s words almost verbatim. He moved his hands to her arms, and Nellie pulled back to look up at him. “You were—you are—a fighting champion. No one can deny that. Right?”

Nellie gave the smallest of nods. “Yeah.”

He placed a kiss on her forehead, and a tear slipped down Nellie’s cheek as she closed her eyes. But it wasn’t just the loss of the championship she was upset about now.

“Onto the next one,” Kyle encouraged. “You’ll have another championship in no time.”

“Yeah, we will,” Torrance grinned. Nellie did her best to return it.

“I’m gonna go get cleaned up,” she breathed. Kyle gave her another squeeze, and then she headed back to the women’s locker room. Straight to her suitcase. She grabbed her phone, and then it was almost as if she was outside her body, watching herself open her text chain with Jay. The most recent message, But hey, maybe you’ll be a double champion the next time we see each other, left on read. She typed back.

Well, that’s not happening now. I lost.

She sent it off and tossed the phone back into her bag. She wanted to shower, wash the grime, sweat, and defeat from her skin. She untied and pulled at her boot laces, undoing them just enough to pull the boots from her feet, and then her socks. She unwrapped her wrists and discarded the tape, grabbed her towel and toiletry bag; but as she stood from her seat, her phone pinged. She reached down and picked it up. Jay.

I’m sorry, Nell. But think of it this way: now you can put all your focus on Stardom and winning the tag titles.

Nellie had to give it to him—he had a point. But she left him on read again and headed to the shower, resisting the growing urge in her gut to ask if he was finally coming back to Japan.

* * * *

Nellie wasn’t the only one to leave the pay-per-view with less hardware. As unworried as Kyle had been about Roy and Ricky Knight Jr., Aussie Open had dropped the RevPro tag titles to them, too, and Will was left the only champion still standing. Needless to say, not much of anyone was up for going out after the show, and so they retreated back to Will’s house, somber and tired. Nellie and Torrance had a flight to catch back to Tokyo tomorrow morning, anyway, and Torrance undoubtedly wanted to soak up every hour and minute she had left with her boyfriend. Nellie was similarly aware of her time with Kyle as she lied snuggled against him on his bed—and how it was running out.

“Well, tonight sucked,” Kyle abruptly said into the silence.

“I don’t want to think about it,” Nellie returned. “I just want to enjoy what time we have left.”

Kyle laughed lightly through his nose at that. “You make it sound like we’re never gonna see each other again.”

“Well… now that I’ve lost the title, I don’t know when I’ll be back again.”

She turned her eyes up at him, looking for a reaction, an emotion, something that could clue her in to how Kyle felt about that, if he felt any type of way about it at all. But she only saw quiet contemplation.

“I wish we were working World Tag League,” he said after a while. “Hopefully we’ll get to Japan soon.”

Nellie looked back down, her head still resting on his chest. “Hopefully,” she agreed. And then, “I was afraid this would happen.”

“What?” Kyle asked.

“That I would catch feelings for you.”

There was a pregnant pause. Nellie inwardly winced, wondering if she shouldn’t have said it, if it wasn’t reciprocated, if she’d misinterpreted the entire weekend.

But then Kyle said, “You’re not the only one.”

Hearing that lifted Nellie up and weighed her down all at once. It was simultaneously a comfort to her heart and a dagger to her gut.

“But let’s just see how it goes,” Kyle thoughtfully added. “That’s all we really can do.”

Nellie nodded. “Yeah,” she quietly returned, for lack of anything better to say. Because as much as it sucked—hurt, even—Kyle was right. That really was all they could do.

[wildercrow]

Hi and happy DADWC! I'd love to see something for the prompt "❛ no offense, but you look terrible. ❜"

I do noooot have spoons to get this up on AO3 tonight, so this is like... even more slapped together than usual, but here have some Bethany & Carver featuring me projecting my health problems onto Bethany for @dadrunkwriting!

No major content warnings that I can think of for this one. Just a T-rated chronic pain fic. Enjoy!

~Nuri

~*~*~

“No offense, but you look like crap!” Carver’s voice startles Bethany out of her half-awake stupor with a yelp, sending her temporarily abandoned woodburning project clattering to the floor from her lap.

Carver tilts his head to read it. “’If I were a bird, I know who I'd shit on,’ huh? And who would that be?”

Bethany opens her mouth to answer, but the pain radiating up from her neck is so intense that she can’t think of anything clever to say, so instead she focuses on straightening her posture and tilting her head from side to side as slowly and gently as she possibly can in hopes of convincing her neck muscles to relax even a tiny bit. They’re so tight that numbness is beginning to creep into her jaw, and her head can barely tilt to the right at all without being met with a sickening crunch.

“What’re you even doing out here in the living room at four in the morning?” Carver asks, picking her woodburning project up off the floor and gently setting it down on the coffee table beside her tool kit before plopping down next to her on the couch.

The motion jars her neck so much that she has to bite down on her tongue to keep from crying out. She takes slow, deep breaths in an effort to hold back the tears stinging at her eyes. Crying now would be a surefire way to make her pain truly unbearable for days to come. Not to mention embarassing.

“Bethy?” Carver asks, concern seeping into his voice. “Did something happen? If you need me to beat up Fiadh, I will. I bet I can take ‘em in a fight!”

She barks out a laugh that she instantly regrets when pain reverberates through her head like someone hammered a chisel into the base of her skull. “You could definitely beat Fiadh in a fight,” she replies in a whisper, “but please don’t. They’re lovely. I’m out here because my neck hurt too much to stay in bed, and I can’t exactly woodburn in the dark.”

“Isn’t sleep supposed to decrease pain, not increase it?”

“You try sleeping with a neck that turns itself into a fucking brick every time you lay down for more than ten minutes!” she snaps.

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Carver holds his hands up in a placating gesture. “I wasn’t second-guessing you. I was just telling your neck to get its act together.”

“Oh,” she replies with a sheepish smile that tugs at her ear and makes her feel a bit nauseous. “Sorry. I… haven’t really slept all night.”

“Well, guess that answers my next question, which was gonna be ‘how long have you been up?’”

“Why are you up, anyways?” she asks.

“Time for my morning run!” he responds, flexing dramatically.

Bethany responds with an unimpressed snort. Or at least, that’s her intent. What actually comes out is more of a soft huff than an actual snort, but… close enough.

“But, uh…” Carver’s demeanor softens, “if you’re bored out of your skull, I can hang around here this morning instead. I’m running errands later, which is plenty of cardio for the day.”

“I’ve got my woodburning. I’ll be fine,” she says with a yawn that feels like it’s going to pull her eardrum right out of her head.

Carver raises an eyebrow. “The woodburning you were working on by… sleepily holding it in your lap with all the tools put away on the coffee table? That woodburning? So uh… tell me, how much woodburning have you gotten done, tonight?”

“I did a little!” she defends.

“Uh-huh,” he drawls. “Well, if you wanna keep doing that for another two hours until the rest of the house starts waking up, be my guest…” He mimes preparing to stand up.

“Alright, fine,” she says with a sigh. “I wouldn’t say no to the company.”

Carver’s face breaks into a victorious grin that Bethany would be rolling her eyes at if only the slightest eye movement didn’t make her head feel ready to explode.

“Not sure what you’re planning to do now that you’re here, but welcome to the un-slumber party,” she says dryly.

“I dunno, uh… I could give you a neck massage, I guess?” he proposes.

“No.”

“No? Why no? Neck massages always help me when I’ve got a stiff neck.”

She takes slow, even breaths to suppress her frustration, but even so she can feel her neck tightening in response to it. “Yes, well, this isn’t exactly an ordinary stiff neck. As we’ve established.”

“I mean, yeah, but a massage couldn’t hurt, right?”

“Poke my neck.”

“What?”

“Poke it.”

He scrunches up his face in confusion reaches out to hover a tentative finger a few inches away from her neck. “Uh… where?”

“The back. Or the side, really. Doesn’t matter much because it’s kind of everywhere. Just poke it.”

He gives her a dubious look but does as instructed. Almost as soon as his finger makes contact, his expression transforms from skepticism to horror as he recoils in alarm. “Eugh, that feels like hundred-year-old jerky! How do you live like this?!”

“Badly!”

“Seriously, are you sure you aren’t injured? Maybe Anders should—”

“Yes, I’m sure. It gets like this all the time. At least a couple times a month. More if I’m stressed. Fiadh’s uncle, the healer one, says it’s from when—” she cuts herself off, looking down at her lap and dropping back down to a whisper, “from when I hit my head…”

It’s not exactly new information. Carver knows most of her health problems are from that one fateful day more than a decade ago when her family left her for dead while fleeing the Blight. She’s told him it’s not his fault, because it isn’t. But she knows he blames himself, anyways. So it’s not often she talks about it so directly.

She takes a shaky breath and continues, “Something about my brain not healing quite right, so now it gets confused and tells my neck to tense up until it’s practically petrified itself.”

Carver’s brow furrows as he takes all this in. After what seems like an eternity, he says, “This… really fucks up your life, huh?”

She nods. Her neck disagrees with the movement, so she has to bob her entire upper body instead of just her head.

He scowls, but when he speaks he sounds more hurt than cross, “Why don’t we ever talk about this? We used to talk about everything.”

She thinks for a long moment. Not about the answer – she knows that – but about whether she wants to answer honestly. Finally, she makes up her mind and replies quietly, “I guess it’s just… I don’t always have the energy to reassure you that it’s not your fault, you know?”

His scowl deepens. “You don’t need to reassure me. That’s a me problem. C’mon, Bethy, I wanna be a part of your life again, even if it means I have to think about hard stuff sometimes. You gotta trust me to be able to handle my own shit.”

She casts a sideways glance in his direction, unable to really turn her head enough to make eye contact. “You’re sure?”

“I couldn’t be more sure if I tried! Seriously, how many other health problems have you been sweeping under the rug to spare my feelings? Gimme the whole laundry list! Out with it!”

“If you insist,” she says with a quiet puff of laughter at his enthusiasm. “Do we want to pick a day to do some catching up, or…?”

“How about, uh… as soon as I get us some breakfast?”

“Oh! You mean out with it now, okay. I mean… sure, why not? Not like I have anything better to do. Though I don’t know how much luck I’ll have with breakfast. My face hurts too much to chew.”

“Oh, I can solve that, easy. Lemme make you a protein shake! No chewing required.” Carver beams. She has to admit, that’s a clever idea.

“Okay, okay, make me one of your weird protein drinks and then I can tell you all the fun ways my body is broken. Perfectly normal morning here in the Hawke household!”

“One protein shake, coming right up!” Carver announces, already on his way to the kitchen.

“Don’t forget my straw!” she calls after him, then flinches at the ensuing pounding in her head. Despite the pain, though, a smile creeps onto her face, because at long last things are starting to feel a little more normal with Carver.

[erinsworld]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Found this gem in a notebook in the bottom of my computer bag. Not quite sure where I was going with it, other than it was post-NOLA episode, and Jack didn't come out of that with only singed feet, but I may just have to figure that out... Mac and Jack banter is always fun.

"Jack... Get in!"

"What? No... Absolutely not!"

"The chute, Jack! Get. In. The. Chute!"

"I am not gettin' in that thing! It's like... It's like willingly sliding down the gullet of some monster. 'Sides..." Jack takes a cautious step closer, his hand wrapped securely around the handle of his Glock strapped to his hip, ready to defend them against the sheets of heavy duty plastic that snap and billow in the whipping winds of the open window should the need arise. He hesitantly leans forward, brown eyes sharp and senses alert for the smallest flicker of danger, as he takes a deep inhale.

"Smells like a dead tauntaun, man. You know there's nothin' wrong with the stairs, hoss," Jack says as he glances over his shoulder and takes a couple of steps back. "Y'always tellin' me how I need to work more on my cardio. No time like the present. Why put off for tomorrow what you can do today."

Mac steps forward, his longer legs making quick work of the space Jack has put between them, and grasps his partner's shoulder.

"I know how you feel about tight spaces, Jack," Mac says, voice full of understanding. "And if there was any other way I could get us out of here I would do it in a heartbeat."

"I know you would."

"You'll be moving--"

"You mean falling."

"--Sliding. So fast it'll be over before you know it," Mac amends, trying for a word and explanation that explains the exact action of what they're about to do. Hoping that in doing so, it'll ease some of Jack's understandable anxiety. "Think of it as an amusement park ride. You love going to the amusement park."

[rhiamaykes]

"Jason! Dude, it's so great to see you! It's been ages! I know, I know, it's my fault for dying so quickly, I should have spent more time on cardio for running, I've heard it a thousand times already"

"oh man, Mike, I've missed you"

"so what finally got you in the end? Did your settlement get raided?"

"..."

"were you defending your cattle from wolves?"

"..."

"you didn't get murdered did you? Fight over a woman?"

"..mmmmm"

"I didn't make that out mate"

"I had this cut, and it got infected"

"but what about all your supplies? You had enough first aid for 10 people for 25 years stockpiled! And you could have scavenged even more"

"it's been 30 years man, and we were way more than 10 people by year 15, did you know condoms expire? and none of us knew how to make soap! And you get a lot more injuries from farming than I originally thought, and it's dirty work."

"I thought your sister was an artisanal soap maker, she had an Etsy back in the day right?"

"yeah, but in like year 2 we hadn't run out of soap, and we got into this big fight because she and her wife weren't contributing enough to the settlement, they were wasting their time planting crops you couldn't eat because they wanted to start weaving, in the end they split off with some other women. I thought you might have seen her here already actually"

"No, no I haven't seen her, but I'm sure you'll find her soon enough"

"I've been looking for her for a little while now, since I got here"

"ah, well, she might be ... You know... Still alive"

"I thought for sure they wouldn't make it on their own, they didn't take any guns!"

"yeah, but oh look, there is Zack! He died of botulism because he didn't sterilise his canning equipment properly, I think you guys will have a lot to catch up on"

Men like to believe theyd be great in apocalypse scenarios but they dont even know how to sew

[redwineconversation]

now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts (Fleury - Lyon Postgame Thoughts)

Plus side: we won by a comfortable margin.

Downside: literally everything else.

It's impossible to have watched that game and come away with any degree of confidence. It was a win, sure, but it was ugly as fuck and if we're being frank, paints a pretty bleak picture of the future. So let's talk our way through the issues.

Before I rip into the team, we need to talk about the state of the pitch because I am an equal opportunity hater. It was appalling and that Lyon walked away with no (obvious?) longterm injury is quite frankly a miracle. The French Federation cannot be bragging about how they have revamped the league while having teams play on a pitch like Fleury's. By the end it looked closer to a carpet design than actual grass.

Pitches in conditions like that aren't going to encourage players to play in the league and they're not going to encourage broadcasters to broadcast the games. This is something that needs to be fixed, urgently at that. It was ugly to look at and it was ugly to play on. No one, absolutely no one, enjoyed it.

So let's move on to the game itself.

Lyon's mentality, which used to be such a strong defining characteristic of the team, was absolutely shocking this evening. To have conceded in the opening seconds not just in the first half but also in the second half is just unacceptable for a team of this alleged caliber. They have played games before. In what world should they have switched off so easily? This isn't their first time playing in a new league against an unfamiliar opponent. They aren't amateurs even if the beginning of each half begs the contrary.

The defense wasn't ball watching on the goals which actually makes it even worse. If they were ball watching then they were jut being lazy. Instead they were unprepared and disoriented and got rightfully punished for it. People will argue that it's expected since the defense isn't used to playing in a 3-4-3.

Fine. But they shouldn't be playing in a 3-4-3 anyway.

The system doesn't work when you have the outside backs that Lyon does. Svava and Carpenter both like to break forward and be part of the attack because that's simply how Lyon plays. But in order for the 3-4-3 to properly work you need the defense to sit back the entire game. A 3-4-3 with two outside backs like Carpenter becomes more of a 1-2-4-3 and that leaves the goal incredibly exposed.

If Fleury were able to score two quick goals, imagine what teams with a bigger fire power (PSG, Paris FC) will do to that defense. The system just simply doesn't work with the defenders Lyon has.

Well, the remaining players. Gilles shouldn't have played 90 mins considering she missed the entirety of preseason due to injury. While I will celebrate Montemurro protecting my mental health by not starting Sylla and Sangare, we're back to the real problem: Gilles played because the other option was worse, and the other option was worse because Kang/Ponsot/Montemurro collectively decided that losing Mbock was acceptable because they would give academy kids playing time instead.

Twist and turn it all you want, but academy kids are not on par with Mbock. If only we had a third experienced CB who could have perhaps stepped up and played instead ...

I've ripped on Marozsan so much in the past. I still think we should sell her and I still think she's unnecessary expensive dead weight. BUT I am also not to proud to give credit where credit is due. She has been playing well lately and seems to have remembered that cardio will not, in fact, actually kill her. I'm not sure who was more surprised when Marozsan ran back and did a good defensive slide tackle, myself or the Fleury player. I don't think Marozsan's defensive efforts were necessary in a scouting report. Canal Plus also had interesting speculations about why Marozsan sat on the bench so much last season but that's something we can discuss privately.

The midfield overall was pretty meh. Van de Donk didn't play well but didn't play badly either, but definitely could have done better. I am perplexed at her fucking nutcase stans on Instagram who do not seem to understand that a player can be subbed around the 60th minute for rotation purposes and not because of injury. She is a player who wasn't playing an outstanding game and has openly spoken about burnout. There is nothing shocking or concerning about her being subbed around the 60th minute unless you a deranged parasocial freak.

Horan actually played better than I was expecting. I'm a bit like ??? at some people's willingness to vilify her. Like, she's not in my list of Top 20 players I like, but there seems to be a real interest in putting her down lately while conveniently forgetting both what she has accomplished on the field and other players who have made much more controversial decisions but seem to get a pass because of a bunch of reasons (association with Love Island FC being one of them). Anyway, it's fine, beef with whomever you want, not gonna tell you not to, but is Horan really the most unlikeable player in the world? Like, really?

Damaris was a bit meh at the beginning, was sloppy and careless for Fleury's first goal, but actually got into the game more and seemed to become more interested in the outcome of the game as it went on. Her assist was really good. Just sucks we're going to lose her for several weeks/months at one point in the season as is tradition.

Dumornay has got to learn to control her frustration better. It's frustrating as a fan because when Dumornay keeps her head down and does her job, she's really good at it and is fun to watch. But then she starts being fouled or calls going against her or whatever and she starts committing unnecessary fouls. I'm not fond of the argument "she's young and is still learning." No. Cut that shit out and focus on your job. Which she did in this game.

Canal Plus ripped into Chawinga a fair amount as well and some I think was a bit out of line and some I agree with. Is Lyon a more "technical" team than PSG? I'm not super convinced about that. I think in terms of passing and ball possession, they're not that different from each other. So I don't buy the argument she struggled because she isn't used to being on a technical team. PSG has very good technical players, this isn't the first time she would have been around quick passing.

I do agree she was making sloppy mistakes. There was a moment when she was trying to control the ball and then just kicked out of bounds from 20 cms away for a Fleury throw. She also didn't really have a go at the Fleury defense which we know from her PSG days she can do. Now again, I'll concede she is playing with a new team, but she has played in the league before and she has played against Fleury before. There wasn't really a whole lot of new if you think about it.

Diani woke up as the game went on. Scored, could have done better, have seen her ghost so I know what that looks like and this wasn't it. It'll be interesting to see what her form looks like as the season progresses.

And going back to Endler - I expected better from her. I know she is probably used to sleep watching her way through league games so she is going to be in for a rude awakening if Montemurro continues with this 3-4-3 formation. Before Endler had a stellar backline in front of her. Now she doesn't really have one at all.

Tl:dr version: this game did nothing to make me feel better about how the rest of the season is going to go.

[nameofallteams]

569 Best Fitness Team Names To Crush The Competition

When forming a fitness team, having a cool and motivational name can boost your group's morale and set the tone for success. Whether you're participating in a fitness challenge, charity run, gym event, or simply working out as a group, your team name should embody strength, energy, and determination. Here’s a list of 569 fitness team names to help inspire and motivate your squad to dominate the competition. Strong and Motivational Fitness Team Names These names are all about power, strength, and motivation, perfect for teams looking to crush their goals and take the top spot. - Powerhouses - Iron Titans - Strength Squad - The Mighty Flex - Champions in Motion - Iron Warriors - Fit Force - Power Surge - Peak Performance - The Dominators - Beast Mode Crew - Fierce and Fit - Muscle Masters - Pure Power - Hustle and Muscle - Alpha Athletes - Max Out - Iron Legends - Stronger Together - Super Strength Funny and Playful Fitness Team Names Keep it lighthearted with these funny and playful team names, perfect for bringing some humor to your fitness journey. - Swole Patrol - Flex Appeal - The Buff Muffins - Gym Class Heroes - Weights Before Dates - Six-Packs in Progress - Too Fit to Quit - Buns and Guns - The Fitness Avengers - Cardio Queens - Treadmill Titans - Squad Goals - Couch Potatoes No More - Fit Happens - WOD Warriors (Workout of the Day) - Sweat and Sassy - Fit Chicks - The Glute Squad - Squat Goals - Sore Today, Strong Tomorrow Competitive Fitness Team Names For teams that thrive on competition and are ready to win, these names emphasize drive and victory. - Victory Vibes - The Competitors - Goal Getters - The Speed Demons - Warrior Fitness - Ready, Sweat, Go - Unstoppable Force - Champions Circle - Power Players - Elite Crushers - The Hustlers - Game Changers - Top Performers - Fitness Furies - Defenders of the Gym - Peak Condition - Fight for Fitness - Fast & Furious - The Winning Formula - Victory Push CrossFit-Inspired Team Names CrossFit teams need names that reflect the intensity and community of the sport. These names are perfect for CrossFit competitors. - WOD Squad - AMRAP Stars (As Many Rounds As Possible) - Box Jump Bandits - The Barbell Beauties - Elite Lifters - The Burpee Bunch - Deadlift Divas - Rope Climbers - The CrossFit Crushers - Rep Masters - The MetCon Monsters - The Kettlebell Kings - Snatch Squad - The Wall Ball Warriors - Sweat Equity - Overhead Overlords - Functional Fitness Fanatics - Flex Freaks - The Pull-Up Pros - Squat Snatchers Cardio and Endurance Team Names If your team excels in cardio or endurance challenges, these names reflect stamina and staying power. - Run and Done - Endurance Empire - Cardio Kings - Heartbeat Hustlers - Speed Racers - Marathon Maniacs - The Finish Line Fighters - Pace Setters - Cardio Crushers - Racing Rebels - Faster Together - The Sprint Squad - Turbo Charge - Long Distance Dominators - Speed Seekers - Heart Rate Heroes - Peak Performers - Pedal Power - The Mile Masters - Revved Up Runners Gym and Weightlifting Team Names For the heavy lifters and gym-goers who pride themselves on their strength and dedication, these names are perfect. - Iron Addicts - Gains Galore - Heavy Lifters - The Bench Bros - Barbell Brawlers - Squat Squad - Lifting Legends - The Rack Pack - No Pain, No Gain - Pump It Up - Weights and Dates - The Deadlift Dynamos - The Bench Press Brigade - Flexing on You - Bulk City - The Powerhouse Pack - Lift Nation - The Weightlifters - Ripped and Ready - Iron Grip Women’s Fitness Team Names These team names are designed for female fitness groups who want to showcase their strength, empowerment, and unity. - Fit and Fierce - Wonder Women - The Lady Lifters - She Squats - Femme Fit Force - Strong Women Squad - Sassy and Strong - The Wonder Warriors - Girl Power Crew - She Hustles - Glutes and Grit - Lady Hustlers - The Strong Girls Club - Power Femme - Beauty and the Beast Mode - Fit Goddesses - Iron Queens - The Empowered Ones - Female Force - Flexing Femmes Boot Camp and HIIT Team Names Boot camp and HIIT training require high intensity and discipline. These team names reflect the toughness needed for such programs. - HIIT Squad - Boot Camp Bosses - The Sweat Soldiers - High Intensity Heroes - The Burnout Brigade - Full Body Assault - The Circuit Crushers - Boot Camp Badasses - Hard Core Hustlers - Fitness Ninjas - The Conditioning Crew - Quick Burn Team - The Interval Incredibles - Hustle Harder - Push-Up Perfection - Total Body Beatdown - Circuit Breakers - Sweat Squad - The Core Crushers - Fierce Fitness Warriors Running and Marathon Team Names Whether your team runs for fun or races competitively, these running and marathon team names will get everyone to the finish line. - Sole Mates - Blister Sisters - Run Like the Wind - Pace Chasers - Feet Fleet - Fast and Flawless - The Joggernauts - Runners High - Sole Survivors - Chafed to Perfection - The Marathon Mob - The Sprint Sisters - The Running Rebels - Finish Line Fanatics - Keep on Running - Run, Rest, Repeat - Runway Crew - The Speed Racers - The Quick Striders - Lace Up and Go How to Choose the Perfect Fitness Team Name Selecting the best name for your fitness team depends on your group's vibe, energy, and goals. Here are a few things to consider: - Reflect Your Team's Personality: Think about whether your team is serious and competitive or lighthearted and fun. The name should capture that essence. - Inspire and Motivate: The name should energize the team and help push everyone to their limits. Choose words that ignite passion and determination. - Keep It Memorable: A great team name should stick in people’s minds. It should be easy to remember and fun to shout during a competition. - Stay Relevant to Your Activity: Whether your focus is on CrossFit, running, weightlifting, or HIIT, choose a name that aligns with your chosen sport or exercise type. With this list of 569 fitness team names, you’ll be sure to find the perfect one that will not only represent your group but also motivate everyone to reach new heights. Get ready to crush the competition and take your fitness journey to the next level!. Read Also Read the full article