#derby rules

[largemouthbassnation]

What is an AKC Derby? ~ Field Trial Minor Stake for Dogs up to Two Years ~ The Retriever Nation

Find out what the AKC Derby is all about! Considered a minor stake of Field Trials, we’ll cover basic rules and discuss the natural … source

[in-tua-deep]

I am BOUND AND DETERMINED to actually participate in the local pride events this year

Start of mission so far is a success!! I attended Pet Pride and went with some friends to the Big Gay Market ;3c

I actually don’t have too many pics of child from pet pride lol but so many people do!! I did buy some lil professional photos from a booth and will see if I can post them when they arrive lol

Child was very popular!! I think i give the wrong image of her though - everyone comments on how well behaved and chill she is. she is ONLY that chill in her little backpack

We were not the only cat there either!! Took this cutie’s photo with permission - 10/10 extremely cute that she had rides on top of the backpack

I think I counted four cats there including child!!

Also this was my fav purchase from the big gay market:

Made by the very talented @oceamaro !! I got the last big copy - haven’t decided if it’s going up in my home or office yet ;3c

[ponysoprano]

Truthfully I don't think a vampire would be all that into me LMAO

[coff33andb00ks]

Rule Breaker - Pt 5

max Verstappen x single mom!reader (with logan sargeant)

{masterlist}{prev} {next}

warnings: cursing, minimally proofread, disgusting amount of fluff Summary: Max has it all...right? Besides, he's too busy collecting trophies and completing side quests for anything else. Until... You moved across a whole ass ocean to start over, uprooting you and your son's lives to become social media admin for cars that drive in circles. word count: 4153 auth.note: logan girlies rise up, new banner, also broke this into two parts for reasons, this is a poly fic now and I need to update the summary too don't I spotify: i made a playlist

Kevin sighed heavily, his breath fogging the window. Wiping it away with his hand, he kept staring outside. As though by sheer willpower he could change the weather. "It's rained all day."

Max chuckled, swirling his coffee in his cup. "I know, maate. But it's getting better now, yeah?"

The boy shrugged, turning and jumping down from the sofa. Max knew he had to be bored. There were only so many races and demolition derbies he could put together with the few toy cars he'd brought. The tablet he sometimes played on was charging, and they'd already watched two movies since that morning.

Sighing, Max finished his coffee in one gulp and set his cup down. "Right, come on."

Kevn looked confused, even when Max shrugged on his coat and reached for Kevin's boots. "Where we going?"

"Anywhere but here." Max grinned as the boy rushed to him, nearly falling over as he tried to shove one of his feet into a boot. "We'll go out in the rain, yeah?" he suggested, helping him get his boots on then his raincoat. "It's just a little water."

"Can we splash?" Kevin asked hopefully as he skipped to the stairs.

"Wouldn't be a walk in the rain without a splash," Max promised, picking him up and carrying him until they were outside. Kevin immediately pushed the hood of his coat back, closing his eyes and giggling as the rain landed on his face.

He made sure to get plenty of pictures for y/n of Kevin riding his scooter along the asphalt, and of him trying to jump hard enough to make the puddle water splash above his head. And then he had to do it himself, the boy's childish glee contagious to the point his side ached from laughing. The rain let up and Max knew he had to be ready to go back inside but no, it was time to hunt for wildlife. His shoes squished with water at each step as he held onto Kevin's hand, letting the boy lead him to where they'd spotted groundhogs earlier in the day.

"What if they drowned?" Kevin asked worriedly a few moments later, wringing his small hands and looking down into the flooded hole at the base of the barrier.

"I'm sure they didn't, mate. They're smart, yeah?" Max squatted down, looking at the hole. "They know how to get away from the rain."

"They're on the other side of the wall," a voice said behind them.

Max wanted to be annoyed at the interruption. But Kevin's face lit up at the sound of Logan's voice, and within seconds he was trying to scale the wall.

"I'm too small." Kevin's voice was mournful and accompanied by a world-weary sigh.

"C'mon, I'll hold you up." Logan extended his hands, giving Max a quick nod as he lifted Kevin.

Straightening, Max moved over to peer over the wall, seeing one of the groundhogs creeping away. "See, little mate? They're fine."

Kevin looked and sounded relieved, waving at the animal though it didn't seem to care. "I like animals, Mister Logan."

"Country kid. There's a bunch of geese over on the lake, you wanna go see?" Logan asked.

And he had to tag along. He couldn't just push Kevin into Logan's care, even if the guy was seeing the boy's mom. Kevin chattered nonstop about animals, telling a garbled tale about a goose that had chased him in the park. Squeezing past the turnstile, he waved at the security to indicate the child was with him. Not that he needed to worry, since Kevin already knew the person by name.

"Wow," Kevin breathed in awe as they stepped onto the temporary platform and he saw the dozens of geese gliding over the water.

He looked on as Logan affectionately pushed Kevin's damp hair back from his face, keeping a firm grip on his hand when he walked to the very edge to look down into the water. The breeze sent a chill through him and he worried that Kevin might be cold, too, but didn't want to ruin his fun. Just a few more minutes. It was almost the time y/n had said she'd be done.

"You're good with him," he said to Logan once they were on their way back. He kept his eyes on Kevin, who had gotten back on his scooter and was just ahead, steering so he splashed anyone he passed. But he felt Logan look at him in surprise.

"You think so?" Logan asked.

Max nodded. "He can be a handful, yeah?"

"Yeah, but… He's a good kid." The smile was evident in his voice. "You… You ever think about having kids?"

Only if they looked like… He sighed, nodding. "Sometimes. You?"

"Not really." Logan cleared his throat. "Not until recently."

And now it was time to change the subject. Because—

"You're close with y/n." It wasn't a question.

His stomach twisted. "She's my coworker. An important member of the team."

"Well, yeah, but… You don't watch Checo's kids when they're at the track."

Fucking Americans and their need to point out the obvious. "Okay, so I'm close. I guess I'd consider her a friend." That hurt to say and he didn't want to investigate why. "Why?"

"Maybe you don't know, if you're only – Do you know why she's shy about a relationship?"

Fuck.

"I mean, we've gone out a few times, but." Logan sighed. "I just thought you might know. You're closer to her than anyone else."

"I don't know," Max said, trying his best to not sound annoyed. Watching Kevin, he slowed when the boy stopped to show his scooter off to Oscar. He spotted a Red Bull shirt up ahead and knew it was y/n, was certain when Kevin squealed and took off towards her, leaving Oscar holding his scooter. Stopping, he turned to Logan. "I don't know why, but I think it's because she's a single mom. His dad's not around at all, that's all I know."

Logan nodded. "Thanks, mate."

Max wrinkled his nose. "You've been around Alex and Oscar too much. It sounds weird when you say mate."

"I can't help it," he laughed. "Not enough Americans around here."

"There's a couple," Max said, nodding towards Kevin and y/n, who were slowly heading back towards them. And though it hurt, the words formed in his mouth. And though he didn't want to say them, they came out. "She likes you. Little mate likes you. I think… If you don't push her, it'll work out like it's supposed to."

"Really?" Logan looked over at her, and Max felt the usual bitterness in his chest when he smiled. "Thanks, Max."

It wasn't fair. Max knew that was something that only would be acceptable if Kevin were to say it, because only a three year old could make that statement and not be looked at with disdain. So he kept it to himself, swallowing down the jealousy as Logan moved first, taking up the boy's scooter and meeting y/n and Kevin. He felt unnecessary and wondered why he moved to join them when he could be heading to the motorhome to change his shoes and get ready to go back to the hotel for the night.

She reached out, smiling as she squeezed his arm. "Thanks so much for keeping an eye on him. I can tell he had an amazing time."

Suddenly he didn't feel useless. "We both did, but he was going stir crazy."

"I'm glad you took him out." She looked him up and down while Kevin jumped in a nearby puddle, encouraging Logan to join in. "Did he splash you?"

He looked down and saw the water and bits of mud splashed up his legs. "Ah, a little bit. Then I had to do it myself."

"You did?" she giggled, squeezing his arm again and letting go. "Oh I wish I could have seen that."

"I'll send you the video," he sighed as her hand slid down his arm.

"Mama, gotta pee."

"C'mon, kleine maat." Max reached for him, waving off her insistence that she could do it. "I've got to change anyway. I'll take care of it while you get your stuff packed."

"Thank you, Max," she said softly. "I just need to check in with the other admins about tomorrow then I'll be up."

He nodded, settling Kevin on his hip. The boy wrapped his arms around his neck, head resting on his shoulder as he was carried off. "Toilet then we'll get dry yeah? And—"

"Grote maat?"

"Yeah?"

Kevin sighed and Max wondered if he was just tired. It had been a long day and as far as he knew the boy hadn't had more than a thirty minute nap just after lunch. Or maybe he wasn't sure how to say whatever it was he wanted to say. "Nothin'," he finally mumbled.

"It's something," Max said gently, catching the closing door with one foot and pushing it open so he could enter the motorhome.

"I don't have a daddy," Kevin blurted once they were upstairs and Max was setting him down.

Max blinked, freezing for a few seconds. "Hasn't your mum talked to you about that?"

"No… Yeah. She said…" His face screwed up in thought.

And Max remembered he had to use the toilet. Guiding him into the bathroom, he turned his back to give him privacy, using the time to take off his coat and sodden shoes.

"Laura has a daddy," Kevin announced once he'd flushed.

It took him a couple seconds to remember who Laura was. "Yes… Her dad has the same name as you."

"But he's not my daddy."

"No, he's not," Max sighed. Picking up the discarded raincoat, he threw it over his shoulder and held the boy up at the sink so he could wash his hands. "What did your mum say?"

Kevin drew in a deep breath. "Not everybody gets a mama or a daddy. Some people get both." He shook the water from his hands and stretched to get a paper towel, his expression far too serious for one so young. "I love mama."

Max swallowed the unbidden lump of emotion in his throat. "I know you do, kleine maat. She loves you too."

"Mister Logan likes her."

Max inhaled slowly and let it out even slower. "Yeah, I guess so," he said, setting Kevin down and ushering him from the bathroom. "But that—"

"Do you think he'd be my daddy?"

"I don't—"

"You like mama."

Oh no. No. He had to put a stop to this. "I—"

There was a gentle knock on the door and Max would have gladly kissed whoever was on the other side. "We'll talk later, yeah?" he promised in a rush, moving to wrench open the door and more relieved to see y/n than he should have been.

"Hey," she said, slipping past him. "Alright, doodle bug, let's get ready to go, okay?"

"I'm just gonna… Change," Max said, still numb from Kevin's assertion. Grabbing a clean set of clothes from his suitcase, he carried them into the bathroom and closed the door with a sigh.

Maybe spending so much time with the kid was a bad idea. Obviously he thought that time together equaled a father figure, and since that would never happen, he should pull back. Let her be happy with Logan. Or not. Whichever path she chose wouldn't include him, so there was no need for him to continue to stick around.

He could hear them talking softly, wondered what Kevin was telling her about his afternoon. Wondered what her reaction would be to her son suddenly wanting a father. He had probably brought it up before, so she would just deflect or give him her usual answer, and—

"Max? Have you got his raincoat?"

He blinked, saw the bright blue coat he'd tossed over the sink. "Yeah, sorry. A couple of his cars are in here, too. Just a minute."

"No rush, I'm making him change into dry clothes." Her voice faded as she walked away from the door.

When he came out a few moments later, Kevin was pouting as she worked a comb through his hair. Wordlessly he draped the raincoat over the back of the chair and dropped the cars into Kevin's bag then made sure to give the boy a quick smile while smoothing his own hair.

"Want Mister Max to fix it," Kevin said suddenly and Max grunted in surprise when the boy suddenly bolted towards him.

Y/n shrugged, tossing the comb to him. Sitting back on her heels, she rolled her shoulders then bent to make sure none of Kevin's toys were hiding under the couch.

Kneeling down, Max shared a smile with Kevin and began to gently work the comb through his unruly curls. "Your mum has more experience with this than me," he whispered.

"But she's tired. Work," Kevin whispered back.

He almost laughed, wondering what Kevin considered his own work that day. "Do you know what she does?"

Kevin shrugged. "It's on her phone. Pictures and movies for the online people."

"Bit more than that, but yeah. And she's very good at it," Max promised, focusing on guiding the curls back from the boy's face.

"Can you do it? Or do you just drive?"

So that was what he did. Just drove. "No, I can't do what she does." He felt her watching them and looked over at her. "She's the only one who can do it."

"What are you two talking about?" she asked.

"Taxes!" Kevin answered with a giggle.

Max grinned, shaking his head as he finished combing his hair. Aware of her disbelieving look, he shrugged. "You heard him, we're talking about taxes."

"What about taxes?" She narrowed her eyes.

"They suck," Kevin said with all the certainty only a child could produce.

Max tipped his head. "Exactly."

She snorted, taking the comb and slipping it into her bag. "You're lying but whatever. Let's get your—" She stopped, because Max was already helping Kevin with his raincoat.

"Keep your hood up outside, yeah? You don't want cold ears." Max sat down fully, stretching to get a dry pair of shoes from his suitcase. "Do you need a ride back to the hotel?"

"I was just gonna Uber," she said, zipping up the bag of Kevin's things. "Gotta stop and get some dinner, so—"

"Y/n."

"Hm?" She looked at him as he stood. And sighed. "Okay."

"Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Okay. He cleared his throat and grabbed his jacket. "Unless you and Logan…"

"No." She looked on while he moved to help Kevin with his rain boots. "He's… Got stuff on his mind."

"The car?" Max guessed, seeing her nod. "I don't blame him. It's fucking shit."

"Max!"

"It is," he said with a shrug. "He'd have better luck with a bicycle."

"That might be true, but—"

"He's good," Max told her. "It's not him, it's the team and the cars. They brought him up too soon and when he wasn't immediately amazing they lost faith in him. You can't earn points if the team is constantly shitting on you."

"Max," she hissed.

And he felt himself blush. "Sorry," he mumbled to Kevin.

"Mama says it too," the boy told him.

"The point is—"

"Vowles is stupid, that's what the point is. Instead of supporting his driver he's telling the world he's looking for someone new. He favors Alex, gives him the better car, and leaves Logan to struggle." Max straightened and sighed. "Logan's not perfect on the track, y/n, but he would be improving if his team believed in him and helped him learn."

"I know," she whispered sadly. "He's—" She pressed her lips together. "Are we even supposed to talk about it?"

They probably weren't, but he didn't care. "Doesn't matter. He's what?"

"He's worried about next year. He loves this," she said. "It's what he's worked so hard to get to, and now it's slipping away."

And Max knew she was falling for the American. She, who'd known the man for barely a month, showed more concern for him than the so-called team he drove for. He wondered if Logan had any idea. "I'm sorry," he said softly. When she looked at him doubtfully, he sighed. "I really am, y/n. But we've got more than half the season to go. Don't give up hope, yeah?"

"I'll do my best," she murmured. "I'm sorry, I just—"

"Worry," he finished with a nod. "I know. C'mon, let's go, yeah? Get him some dinner before he falls asleep."

"Not sleepy," Kevin said, ruining the announcement by yawning.

"We were talking about you," Max murmured once they were in the back seat of the car and on their way from the track.

"What?" The fading daylight was just enough for him to see her look over at him.

"Taxes."

"Oh." She chuckled, shifting Kevin in her lap as he leaned against her. "That's what I always tell him when me and Ellie are talking about something I don't want him to know."

"Good idea." He looked down at his phone, replying to the messages he'd been ignoring from his father. "Did you know I just drive?"

"Yeah, you should really start doing Uber," she teased.

He snorted. "Sixty or seventy laps, three hundred kilometers an hour. Practically a Sunday drive in the country."

"Well… Isn't it usually?"

"You're not funny," he muttered, ignoring his fathers lengthy questions about strategy and stats for the weekend and opening his messages with Christian.

"I'm hilarious. You just have no sense of humor."

"The groundhogs at the track are funnier than you – Ay!" he laughed when she shoved his shoulder.

"You're such an ass, Max."

"Y/n," he gasped in mock shock, pointedly looking at Kevin.

Kevin, who was almost asleep.

"Fine, you're such a butt, Max," she corrected.

To his delight, they playfully bickered all the way to the restaurant she'd ordered their dinner from. And from there all the way to the hotel. It was fun and playful, and kept Kevin from falling asleep, and he reveled in making her laugh so hard as they climbed out of the car at the hotel, turning to get Kevin. Max waved her off, holding the boy and pausing to greet some of the fans waiting, ignoring their questions about who Kevin was. He had a sinking feeling that the photos – and movies, as Kevin called them – would be plastered online before he reached the elevator and wondered if he should have let her carry her son inside. But she had to know it would happen, and he could only hope the fans online would be polite.

"Thanks, Max," she said when he carried Max into her hotel room. He opened his mouth to say she was welcome, but she continued, "I don't mean just this. You've done more than anyone would have expected you to for me the past couple days."

While she spoke she unpacked her and Kevin's food, and Max instinctively moved to help Kevin out of his boots and jacket, sending him to the bathroom to wash his hands. "I really don't mind."

"You sure?" she asked, looking up from her phone.

"I like—" he stopped when there was a knock on the open door.

Apparently Logan didn't have too much stuff on his mind. Exchanging a nod in greeting, Max looked away, his lightened mood dimming as y/n spoke to him, insisting he come in and eat, she'd gotten an extra burger. Despite Logan's assertion that he was fine, she had him seated at the small table in no time and Max wondered how it felt, to be fussed over so affectionately. Kevin, even though he was tired, greeted the man with exuberance, and at least he knew what that was like, and wondered if he looked that happy when the boy climbed into his lap.

"I should get going," he said, feeling like a third wheel. Like he was intruding on a private moment.

She looked ready to say he didn't have to, but nodded. "Okay. Thanks again, Max."

"Anytime," he promised.

"How do I look?"

"Amazing."

Y/n huffed. "You didn't look!"

"Sorry!" Ellie turned from the counter and her eyes widened. "Holy shit."

"Too much?" she fretted, tugging at the hem of the black dress. She would swear it had been a few inches longer in the shop.

"What's the end goal for tonight?" her friend asked.

"Dinner?" she answered slowly.

"And what else?"

She sighed. "It's just dinner, El."

Ellie leaned to make sure Kevin wasn't coming into the kitchen and lowered her voice. "Have you slept with him yet?"

"Ellie."

"I'll take that as a no." Ellie nodded. "Then it's perfect."

"What does that mean—"

"He's tall, so put on your highest heels. And since your tits are out and we're not in Carolina, grab my shawl. That blue one, it looks great with your eyes."

"My tits are not out."

"Please, one good sneeze and you'll be flashing him." Ellie smiled knowingly. "It's okay to want to have sex, you know."

Y/n huffed again, reaching to run her hands through her hair but stopping when she remembered how long she'd worked on the simple updo. So she settled for an annoyed gesture. "I know that. I just – He – I'm – El, it's been four years. And last time—"

"Not every guy is a Josh," Ellie said gently. "Give yourself some credit, babes. You were young and a little dumb, and now you're older and wiser."

"I know," she sighed.

"You worry too much. You like Logan, he likes you. He and Kevin like each other. You've been seeing him for over a month now."

Nodding, y/n opened her mouth. But her best friend kept talking.

"He's a good guy. Stop holding him at arm's length."

"But what if—"

"What if you let yourself have a little fun for the first time since you got pregnant with Kev? What if you put yourself first even if it's just for one night? What if you have the best night that makes the four hours of getting ready worth it? What if—"

"Okay, okay, okay! Point made," she said with a groan. "It was three hours."

"You really hate admitting when I'm right." Ellie crossed the small kitchen and hugged her. "You look great, sweetie. He'll drool even more than he already does when he sees you."

"Ew…"

"Fine." Ellie squeezed her tight. "No woman has ever looked more gorgeous than you look tonight, and no woman ever will. Traffic will stop, heads will turn, and everyone who sees you will wish they could be graced with one of your smiles."

"That's better." She laughed softly, hugging her friend back. "Okay, he should be here soon, I've got to get my shoes."

"And the shawl."

And the shawl. By the time she found it in Ellie's closet she was nervous, palms sweating as she fixed it around her shoulders and checked and rechecked and then triple-checked her appearance in the full length mirror. He was there, she could hear him talking to Kevin and she took several calming breaths, jumping when Ellie entered her bedroom.

"Here," her friend said, reaching to slip something into her purse.

"What—"

"Just in case. He is from Florida."

Y/n looked at what she'd dropped inside and slapped her friend's arm. "Ellie."

"Come on, before Kevin gets him to watch Cars again."

Sighing, she nodded and closed her purse after making sure she had everything. Logan was on the sofa with Kevin and her breath caught a little, both at how patiently he was listening to her son 'read' his book and at how handsome he was. She was so used to seeing him dressed casually so each time he wore something other than jeans and a hoodie it was a pleasant surprise.

"You look gorgeous," he said when they were outside. He'd said great upstairs and she still felt the surge of feminine adrenaline over how he'd stared for a full ten seconds before speaking.

"Thank you." His palm burned the small of her back as he guided her to the waiting car, and when he opened the door for her he sighed her name. She wondered if it was a good thing to start a date with a kiss and decided that it was. Because it made her feel gorgeous. Great. Beautiful.

Wanted.

Driving to the restaurant, his hand strayed to her knee and she covered it with hers, meeting his eyes when he stopped the car.

"Are we still figuring it out?" he asked softly, turning his hand and lacing their fingers together.

"I think we already have," she answered, swallowing when his hand squeezed.

Wondering why it wasn't as scary as she'd thought it would be.

Taglist:

@leodette | @trisharee | @littlegrapejuice | @lilypat | @manicpixiemom | @spookystitchery | @halleest | @lyannesworld | @llando4norris | @kravitzwhore | @younxii | @silentreader128 | @samantha-chicago | @mrsbrxkkxr | @cmleitora | @jasons-little-princess | @toldyouitwasamelodrama | @aundercover | @kiwi43-81 | @awritingtree | @voidsfics | @misartymis | @goldenchemistry |

[kamotecue]

hi!! can i request a cloe lacasse fic where her and reader are married and have children together and only their close friends know but then they decide to do a cute hard launch at an arsenal game! pure fluff please!!

her wag ➢ c. lacasse

pairing: cloe lacasse x fem!reader

it’s been two years since you’ve married the love of your life, cloe lacasse, but a year since you’ve given birth to your pride and joy, ethan and arabella lacasse. the bundle of joys were born through the ivf procedure, since it’s been a year that you retired from competing taekwondo internationally—you thought it was best to carry them.

that’s how the two of you met at a taekwondo competition, you were competing against her—let’s say she never lived it down, that you defeated her and won. just as you thought that you’d never see each other again, she took track of your competitions.

and when she was attending one of your matches, that’s when she had gotten the courage to ask you on a date. but you moved through the people, heading to your seat in the family and friends section, the two one year olds were wrapped around their blanket, and had earbuds to block out the noises from the crowd.

it was derby day, chelsea vs arsenal. you wore one of cloe’s match worn jersey’s that completed your outfit. and as someone who isn’t really a fan of football, you watched confused—but feeling a bit thankful as a person beside you had explained the rules, especially the offside rule.

when the love of your life was finally subbed on, that’s when you cheered the loudest. you kept your eyes on the field, particularly looking at your wife and nowhere else.

the game had ended with a 4-1 to arsenal, a bit happy at the results considering chelsea is one of the teams that has been dominating the league. when the whistle blew, cloe headed straight to the family and friends section—her eyes were moving, trying to see where you are.

her eyes brightened as you carefully made your way to her, giving you a soft kiss on the lips—you’ve felt her grinning into the kiss as it was a hard launch. no one knew except close friends, a few teasing whistles from her team made you a tad shy as you pulled away from her.

“well, i believe it’s time for them to meet your aunties.” cloe said, as you slowly handled the twins to her—the team had inched closer, being at aww at the lacasse twins.

┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ ｡˚ ✧ ┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ ｡˚ ✧

liked by cloe_lacasse, _jessflem, stephcatley and 5,697 others.

comments off.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Hi! I was wondering if I can request bayverse Donnie who’s dating a roller derby girl (reader)? Like sometimes she’ll come into the lair after the derby and she’d have bruises and other non-medical injuries and Donnie likes how strong she is and her strong ass legs 😚 also can it be fluff hc’s?

Donatello With A Roller Derby Girlfriend (Fluff)

Bayverse!Donatello x reader

A/N: FYI, I know nothing about roller derbies, so I’ve not gotten into too much detail. Also SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME OUT OF CLASSICAL YOUTUBE. I’VE HAD HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING STUCK IN MY HEAD FOR THREE DAYS NOW😭😂💜

Warnings: None💜

Well, first you had to explain to Donnie what roller derby is. Though he may be a genius, he has not spent a lot of time on understanding sports. Well, other than martial arts and basketball. So for once, Donnie would actually be kind of blank on the topic.

Once he knew what it was, he would stocked. His girlfriend does roller derby? Bro, that’s so fucking cool!

He will even get into it, just for your sake, getting to know the rules. A deep dive onto the internet, before letting you know everything he had learned. Not that it wasn’t things you knew already, but you would let him talk. You were happy that he found an interest in what you did, and he was happy to show you he showed interest.

Donnie has always liked your strong limbs. Especially your lower half. Not to be crude or anything but, damn. Those were firm as fuck! He would let those legs choke him! But your strength also made it a little more fun to spare with you. Not that he would make it hard for you at all, but he did enjoy you pushing back a little, and giving him a small challenge.

But the bruises he did not like. No no. Especially not when he realized how many you would get. There was this one time you came down to the lair, directly from a roller derby, and Donnie was more than shocked to find a large bruise on your leg. It took some time to convince him that you were in fact okay, and that this was normal, although bigger than what you were used to be. But even then, Donnie needed a moment to calm down.

Donnie will try to make it to your roller derbies, hiding somewhere in the shadows where no one can see him. Only you know that he is here. And afterwards he would yell and scream about how good you were, making you smile and blush like never before.

Donnie would probably play around with your rollerskates when you weren’t looking. He wouldn’t put them on. Well, he couldn’t even if he tried, but it wasn’t uncommon for him to play with the wheels and make them spin.

[wileys-russo]

tooney blurb about being her girlfriend but you were raised a die hard city fan

red vs blue II e.toone

"nah cause what the fuck are you wearin?" you smiled to yourself not even needing to turn around to know the look of pure disgust and discontempt which would be spread across your girlfriends face.

"it's derby day, no?" you glanced at her over your shoulder as you flipped the pancakes you were cooking, smile growing seeing the glare set into ella's normally soft features.

"yeah, so why the fuck are you in blue?" ella spat, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting her hip out, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow accusingly.

"we have this conversation every derby el, and every time you kick off when it doesn't change the fact i was raised a city fan...and i will die a city fan." you rolled your eyes and turned back to the pancakes, hearing your girlfriend huff.

"but you're dating a united fan and player." you felt her wrap herself around you and could hear the pout in her voice as her chin rested on your shoulder. "ugh don't remind me i'm still the family shame!" you sighed dramatically, squealing as she pinched at your sides for the comment.

"hey your parents love me thank you very much." "and yet have they ever come to watch you play?" "they was at the euros!" "...i'll let you work the rest out." you stole a kiss from her and grinned as her smile switched into an unimpressed scowl.

"i think you should take this off, you know...if you loved me you would." her hands traveled up the faded blue t-shirt adorning your top half, peppering a few gentle kisses to your neck.

"it's not even a city shirt babe you're being ridiculous." you laughed, pushing your body back and knocking her away from you. "blue is banned in this household on derby days, you know the rules!" ella warned with a wag of her finger which you only pushed away with a laugh.

"well less is coming over to watch so you'll be outnumbered anyway baby." and as usual you swooned at the way the term of endearment sounded with her accent, the girl smacking at your bum with a cheeky grin before moving away to make a coffee.

"breakfast." you kissed her cheek and slid her a plate of pancakes, grabbing your own and making your way to the table, grinning victoriously as you heard her gasp.

"OI WHY ARE THEY BLUE?"

[rosegardenofeden]

Also while I was at it I was looking up the history of fishnet stockings and.

What the hell this fucking rules. Now I want to join a roller derby team.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Homebrew Mechanic: Bumpercar Combat

I'm going to keep most of my reasoning behind developing this system below the cut but I think we can all agree that D&D's combat can be painfully static. I love fight scenes but after going down a combined stage combat/ videogame boss design rabbit hole I've realized that one of the primary elements is missing from D&D's combat system, namely: Movement

From a mechanical perspective, D&D combat needs movement to break up the monotony of non-spellcater characters throwing punches at eachother until one of them drops, to introduce increased risk and randomness without damage-spike abilities.

From a narrative perspective, D&D combat needs movement to introduce tension and to help put character into day to day fighting beyond just flavor text. Likewise, fights that give different opportunities for movement will feel different from one another, making them stand out in the party's mind.

So without further ado I present my fun new system, which will have your party and their enemies bouncing around the battlefield like a demolition derby:

Press the attack: If you attack a creature and your initial attack roll is higher than their constitution score, you can force them to shift 5 ft into any of the tree squares opposite from your position. You then move to occupy the space they did.  

Back to a Wall:  Walls and other substantial barriers grant attackers the benefits of flanking as if they were a threatening creature. 

Give Ground: If you are attacked in melee and the initial roll is lower than your dexterity score you may shift into any adjacent square, forcing the opponent to move into the space you previously occupied. If you are attacked at a range, you may still shift, but the attacker loses any cover bonuses they might have till the start of their next turn rather than moving. 

Tripping Hazard: If you force an opponent into a square that could be considered rough terrain ( such as if it was occupied by a chair, or down a slippery slope) the target drops prone. 

First things first I want to say that this system is largely inspired by the dynamic combat movement rules by raventear productions, which I found over on reddit. It's a great system but the more I thought about it the more I realized that introducing extra rolls into combat was adding extra bloat to combat, and so I needed to retool the system to ensure that the party weren't having to roll any more dice than they normally would. My goal with homebrew is always to add more options, not bloat.

Also, go check out@jillbearup over on youtube, her series breaking down cinematic fights was one of the main drivers behind wanting to find a homebrew system like this in the first place.

Finally, long hours spent watching @ohnoitstbskyen 's in depth bloodborne playthough got me thinking about the design of fights, and the right combination of enemies and environment can truly elevate the player(s) experience. I'm also working on my own bloodborne game which gave me a reason to finalize this system.

Now lets get on to why I wanted to build this system in the first place: D&D combat is at risk of being painfully slow and boring, as it's aged the depths to which it can be slow and/or boring have only increased. While part of that is up to the skill of players at the table, I largely chalk it up to the fact that the base system of combat isn't much changed from the days of old tabletop wargaming....characters and monsters control like army units, clashing up against one another till one side drops or some spellcaster drops an AoE ( artillery). That rigidity is fine when one person is controling a whole army of units, but I think every melee character has been in a position where they're slugging away with the same old attack while the wizards get to do cool shit.

The system sort of worked back In the early days when characters and monsters could only take a couple of hits before dropping, but as the editions progressed and everything got more complex what might have first been a quick life or death clash turned into a slugfest. Attacks of opportunity and rigid flanking rules specifically encouraged this slowdown, and 4th edition, the only attempt outside of the battemaster to really play with positioning crashed and burned mainly due to WotC's incompetence.

So how do I use this?

If you're having trouble thinking of why this system might be fun to implement, here's a few ideas:

It makes groupfights more dangerous, encouraging tactical thinking. Getting advantage reliably is the deciding factor in most d&d combats, with the tide turning in favour of whichever side has the most bodies. If combatants are shifting around with every missed hit then that advantage is more up for grabs

It puts increased focus on hazards and terrain features. Ledges, pits, pillars, walls, furniture, dungeon-clutter. Make no mistake that if you use this system and then design your combat arenas with some kind of terrain feature, it's GOING to be used. Where previously players and enemies alike had to chose between engaging with the arena for a potential benefit or doing raw damage reliably, here they'll be able to do both.

It gives non burst-damage melee characters a new way to play. Rolling a barbarian or fighter is supposed to come with a scene of empowerment which can be undercut one folks realize their super-strong orc berserker is being outclassed for damage by the shifty guy with the knife. Telling that player "Yeah, that person gets to roll more dice, but you get to bounce badguys off the walls like pinballs" is more than a consolation, it's what they signed up to do in the first place.

It adds drama to the fight. There's only so many ways a dm can describe enemies taking non-lethal sword hits that only take up a portion of their hp, and they're liable to run out of those long before the campaign is through. Part of what sells the importance of those hits and keeps players engaged between the first and the last is the feeling that they've had SOME kind of effect. Moving folks around is a middle ground between doing nothing and dropping a foe, changing the battlefield in a myriad of small ways that can build up to something meaningful.

Art

[sageceleste]

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[worseforwords]

Crescendo

(Alessia Russo x Reader)

Chapter III of Marshmallow

The Monday after the weekend off marked the return to training. As you locked your car door and approached the training center, your mind still replayed the events of the past weekend.

“Hi!” A sweet voice brought you back to the present. You turned around to meet Alessia’s now all-too-familiar blue eyes. “Morning Marshmallow,” you said, a half-smile playing on your lips. “So, I guess we're back to normal now, huh?” you said.

“Yeah, friends,” she replied as the two of you strolled towards the building. As you entered the changing room together, Katie let out a dramatic wolf whistle. “Well, well, if it isn’t our two lovebirds! I guess you’ve just moved in together already.”

Laughter echoed as you shot Katie a playful glare. The spotlight was on the two of you, and everyone seemed curious about the weekend’s charade. Vic decided to get straight to the point. “So, spill it. How’d it go? Your parents buy the whole lovey-dovey act?” She asked.

You nodded, trying to play down the attention. “Yeah, they bought it.” As you moved to take a seat next to Leah, Alessia found her own place, and the atmosphere in the room buzzed with curiosity. Beth couldn’t resist chiming in, “Really? You actually pulled it off?”

“Alessia here was playing the ideal daughter-in-law. Perfect performance,” you said with a smirk, earning a few chuckles. You were hoping to leave it at that, which was of course too good to be true. “So what’s the next act? Break up after a while?” Vic inquired.

Before you could respond, Alessia jumped in, “Actually, Y/N’s sister is getting married in Paris next month, and we’re going together.” Jaws practically hit the floor. “Paris!?” Katie exclaimed, clearly taken aback.

“Yeah, why not? Always wanted to go, and it’s a free trip with a friend.” Alessia said with a casual shrug. For some reason, the word ‘friend’ hit you like a sudden jolt, though you knew she wasn’t lying. You noticed yourself zoning out as the conversation continued on the other side of the room. “Hey, are you okay?” Leah suddenly asked quietly, noticing your distant expression.

“Yeah, fine,” you replied, but the truth lingered beneath the surface. You busied yourself with your shoelaces, gaze straight to the floor. “You know, I’m surprised your parents bought your little act. You’re not exactly a great liar Y/N/N,” she said as you both got up to leave the changing room, clearly not fooled by your tough act.

The rest of the month leading up to the dreaded Paris trip went by a lot faster than expected. You and Alessia seamlessly transitioned back into your roles as teammates, though there was an undeniable shift in your relationship. To everyone else, it appeared as if a new friendship was blossoming, but to you, it felt like a delicate dance between savouring your time together and avoiding getting too close.

You enjoyed the conversations you had with her and the occasional playful teasing. Yet, you set unspoken boundaries. The line between friendship and something more blurred at times, and when the teasing veered into the realm of flirtation, you found subtle excuses to distance yourself from the situation. It was a self-imposed rule, a defence mechanism to keep your emotions in check.

When the dreaded weekend arrived, it started on a high. You had won the London derby, the roar of the crowd still echoing in your ears as you and Alessia boarded the plane. An hour and a half flew by as you chatted away about the hard-fought victory. When you landed in Paris, the city of lights welcomed you with a glow that mirrored the spark in Alessia’s eyes.

Stepping into the hotel lobby, Alessia’s hand found its place on the small of your back. It was a simple yet familiar touch, a signal that the roles were back in play – girlfriends for the public eye. In that moment, a surge of conflicting emotions washed over you. The elation from the match, the allure of Paris, and the gentle touch on your back created a concoction of feelings that you knew you would have to suppress all weekend.

When you swung open the door to your shared hotel room for the weekend, you couldn’t stop your jaw from dropping as your eyes scanned the room. Soft, warm lights adorned the walls, casting a gentle glow across the room. The scent of vanilla and lavender wafted through the air, creating an atmosphere that whispered of indulgence and intimacy.

The centrepiece was a double bed, adorned with satin sheets and a multitude of plush pillows, rose petals scattered artfully across the bedspread. The suite, beyond the bedroom, featured a cozy sitting area adorned with plush armchairs and a low coffee table holding an assortment of gourmet chocolates and a bottle of champagne on ice, complementing the romantic atmosphere.

“Well, they really went all out on the couple vibes, didn’t they?” you remarked with a faint grin, glancing at Alessia. She chuckled, seemingly unfazed. “Seems like it. Guess we’ll be embracing the honeymoon suite feel.”

As you walked in, you found a little note sitting on the bedside table. “Your first romantic getaway little sis! Have fun you lovebirds. x Charlotte.” You snorted as you read it out loud to Alessia. “Typical Charlie turning her own wedding into a romantic getaway for someone else,” you remarked.

Alessia giggled as she walked up to the window, taking in the gorgeous view, whilst you found yourself staring at the double bed, only now realising its implications.

“Hm, so,” you cleared your throat. “Since they gave us only one bed...” you paused for a moment as Alessia turned around to look at you. “You can take the bed, and I’ll take the floor. I’ll go request some more blankets.”

Alessia raised an eyebrow playfully. “Come on, Y/N. We’re not twelve. If you’re okay with it, we can share the bed. If not, I’m more than happy to take the floor. Your call.”

“Yeah, sure, no big deal,” you mumbled, trying desperately to sound casual. Alessia flashed a warm smile. “Great! As long as you’re comfortable.” She looked at you in anticipation as if checking once more if it was really okay with you. “Absolutely, all good,” you replied, maybe a bit too quickly.

That night, you had planned to meet your family in the lobby for a drink, whilst Andrew, your sister’s fiancé spent some time with his own family. Alessia, charming as always, effortlessly endeared herself to your family.

The night was a success, with your parents clearly appreciating Alessia’s company. Your brother, Colin, and his wife found her delightful, and even your sister, the bride-to-be, was glad to see you with such a wonderful person—a relief, since Charlotte had a tendency to be very protective over you. Alessia’s ability to navigate through conversations, blending in with your family seamlessly, only solidified the image of her as the perfect girlfriend.

As you all left the venue, there was a warmth in the air—a promise of a beautiful wedding day and a sense that Alessia had, once again, proven her mettle in this elaborate charade. The only challenge, it seemed, was the quiet struggle within you as you continued to suppress the feelings that once again had begun to blossom. Or maybe they had never really stopped.

Later that night, your hotel room was hushed, illuminated only by the soft glow of your nightlight. You sat up against the headboard, engrossed in a book, the occasional rustle of pages filling the silence. Alessia lay beside you, already cocooned in the sheets, her rhythmic breathing like small waves washing over the stillness.

When you had first started reading, Alessia was still scrolling on her phone. Now, however, the sound of soft snores broke your mind away from the captivating narrative of your book. Your eyes wandered to where she was peacefully asleep beside you, and you couldn’t help but let a warm smile form on your face, matching the warmth you felt inside at the sight of her.

With a tender touch, you pulled the blanket further over her, shielding her exposed shoulder from the chill. But as you lingered, you found yourself entranced by the subtle rise and fall of her body with each breath. Your gaze lingered longer than intended, tracing the contours of her form.

Reality snapped back as you became aware you had been staring at your friend for minutes now. In a hurried response, you left your book on the nightstand, turned off the nightlight, and shifted your body down to let your head sink into the pillow.

You briefly stared at the ceiling, but found yourself distracted by the slightest of movements still visible from the corner of your eye as your eyes adjusted to the darkness. Fighting against the current of your emotions, you turned onto your side to face the other side of the bed.

However, even in the absence of her sight, you could feel her presence like a magnetic force against your back. With a racing heart, you stared into the black void, and when the internal struggle reached its peak, you made a decision. Quietly, you slipped out of bed, hoping not to disturb her peaceful slumber. However, Alessia, even in her sleep, seemed attuned to your movements. She stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering open.

“Everything okay?” she mumbled sleepily as she reached for her nightlight. You hesitated for a moment before replying, “Yeah, just can’t sleep.” Alessia, still in a drowsy state, offered a comforting smile. “Tea?” she suggested, the word accompanied by a gentle stretch.

She hardly gave you a chance to protest as she got up to turn on your hotel kettle, returning moments later with two cups of chamomile tea and a soft, sympathetic smile.

A quiet and peaceful minute later, with the cups emptied, Alessia encouraged you to lie back down. “Now turn to your side,” she added. A sense of vulnerability washed over you as you pondered which side, and you hesitated. You ultimately decided to face away from her again, knowing the possibility of feeling her breath on your face was simply too much for you.

Shortly after you moved, however, you felt an arm softly land on yours, gently wrapping itself around you. You tensed up a little at the unexpected contact, but you slowly felt your body relax as Alessia hesitantly edged closer to you. “Is this okay?” she whispered.

The gesture was unexpected, and you felt a mix of emotions. Somehow, it felt right. “Yeah,” you whispered back, your voice barely audible, and she held onto you a little tighter. Had you not been as sleep-deprived, your judgment of the situation might have been different, but in Alessia’s embrace, the room seemed to still, and you gradually drifted into a more peaceful state.

The morning of the wedding greeted you with a soft glow, sunlight streaming into the hotel room. As you opened your eyes, you found yourself in Alessia’s arms, her warmth a comforting presence. The gentle rise and fall of her chest against your back momentarily lulled you into a sense of security.

However, you were quick to resist the allure of the moment. With a silent sigh, you carefully escaped from Alessia’s embrace, not wanting to disturb her peaceful slumber, and slipped into the bathroom.

After your shower, Alessia had woken up and did the same. As she occupied the bathroom, you used the mirror in the bedroom for your little morning chat with yourself. Today’s chat was more of a tirade, spoken with a stern whisper, since the main character was just a door away. You kept it short, deciding to use the time to get dressed.

Earlier this year, prompted by your sister’s wedding announcement, your family had visited to a tailor, which had resulted in a cohesive theme threading through each member’s attire. A shared fabric choice subtly connected all of you in the celebration. Opting for a suit, you added a personal touch underneath—a graceful camisole that exuded both elegance and individuality.

The jacket was expertly tailored, cinching at the waist to accentuate your silhouette. The trousers were tailored to perfection, elongating your legs in a tasteful manner. As you turned back towards the mirror, you felt a sense of confidence wash over you.

However, said confidence disappeared in an instant when a little while later, Alessia emerged from the bathroom. The sight of her took you aback as she looked nothing short of stunning. Her outfit exuded elegance and grace. She wore a floor-length dress with a fitted bodice that accentuated her figure. The colour was a soft, muted tone that complemented her skin beautifully and matched the shade of your camisole. The dress had delicate lace detailing, adding a touch of sophistication. Her hair, styled in loose waves, framed her face with effortless charm. She looked beautiful.

Moments must have gone by as you stared at her before she spoke up. “How do I look?” she asked nervously, eyes moving up from the floor to yours and a shy smile on her face.

The words caught in your throat for a moment before you managed to reply, “Absolutely breathtaking.” The sincerity in your words was undeniable, even as the underlying complexity of the situation lingered. Alessia’s smile widened, appreciating the compliment.

“You look great too,” she said, scanning your suit. “I’ve never seen you in a suit before. It’s— different,” she added. You felt your cheeks flush as every drop of confidence left your body. Different? What on earth did she mean by that?

She must have noticed your slightly somber expression when she added, “Good different, I mean. It’s— I really like it.”

“Oh, thank you,” you said shyly, a soft smile creeping its way onto your face. “So, you ready, marshmallow?” You asked in an attempt to lighten the mood and she giggled. “There’s no way you’re calling me that when I look like this,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Fine. Are you ready, beautiful?” You really meant for that to sound sarcastic but were pretty sure that’s not how it came across. “Yes I am, gorgeous,” she retorted. You extended an elbow and she quickly took the invitation, intertwining her arm with yours as you left your hotel room to meet up with your family.

The ceremony itself, while undoubtedly beautiful, proved to be a bit of a blur. As vows were exchanged and the union was sealed with a kiss, your mind occasionally drifted to the subtle touches exchanged between Alessia and you. All of them part of your charade, of course.

The reception was where the day truly came to life. The venue sparkled with twinkling lights, and soft music wove through the air, casting a dreamlike aura over the celebration. Tables adorned with delicate flowers dotted the space, and laughter echoed as guests mingled. You found yourself mostly sticking by Alessia’s side, introducing her to friends and family.

Caught up in conversation with your cousin, you momentarily lost sight of your pretend girlfriend amidst the laughter and chatter. An undercurrent of panic flitted through you until, scanning the room, you spotted her engaged in a lively conversation with your mom.

As dinner unfolded, the atmosphere transformed with each heartfelt speech. Stories were shared about Charlotte and Andrew, from their initial dislike towards each other when working together to an accidental cooler confinement that changed everything.

Eventually the microphone found its way into your uncle’s hands, who fancied himself a poet after a few drinks. “Life is like music,” he began. "We all navigate through the complex cacophony that is the world as our own melodies. But it’s when we listen to those around us that we find unexpected harmonies.”

Glancing at Alessia, you found her eyes already on you. A shy smile passed between you as you related the poetic metaphor to your own story— the harmony between you and Alessia, unexpected yet undeniable.

“It’s the unexpected that makes both music and life beautiful, but love is not just about one simple harmony,” your uncle continued. “It’s about finding a way to move your melodies in sync, with whatever tempo, pitch, or dynamics the world throws at you. Charlotte, Andrew, I can’t wait to listen from afar to the next movements of the symphony of your love.”

Cheesy as the speech was, your uncle was right. No matter how much you felt the two of you harmonise when you were together, her melody wasn’t in sync with yours. It was with someone else’s.

After dinner came the highlight of the night— the party. The crowd gathered in the grand dance hall, and the band kicked off with some casual tunes. Your sister and her newly-wedded husband valued family a lot, so they wanted you all to be part of the first dance. The newlywed couple would start with a slow song, and as it progressed, close family members would join in. Then you all would do a small routine together to another song.

The original plan was for you to share the dance with your brother, a strategy devised by your mother to prevent you from being on your own. However, with Alessia as your date, plans swiftly changed. Your mother broke the news mere minutes before the grand moment. You attempted to protest by saying Alessia didn’t know the dance. However, unbeknownst to you, when your mom had briefly taken Alessia away during the reception when you whilst chatting away with your cousin, she had quickly taught her the routine.

Nerves began to bubble within your stomach as the band’s singer instructed everyone to form a large circle, with the newlyweds taking center stage. The chosen song for the dance was “Finally // beautiful stranger” by Halsey, a bit of an inside joke as it happened to be Andrew’s ultimate guilty pleasure and a challenge for him to hold back tears.

Nevertheless, to his credit, he continued slow dancing with Charlotte, and your turn was approaching. “Are you sure about this?” you asked Alessia, who responded with a nod, extending her hand for you to hold. You complied, and she practically dragged you onto the dance floor.

Not a fan of the spotlight, your face started heating up as you felt everyone’s eyes on you. Alessia must have noticed your flustered state as she quickly directed your hands to her waist, wrapping her own around your neck. She slowly guided the two of you, swaying to the music as the band launched into the final chorus.

“Beautiful stranger, here you are in my arms And I think it's finally, finally, finally, finally, finally safe For me to fall”

As you looked around you, you felt your palms getting sweaty and your throat closing up. Sensing your nerves, Alessia whispered softly, “It’s okay, just look at me.”

You did as she said, and although her bright blue eyes did not make you any less nervous, her encouraging smile made you temporarily forget about everyone else’s eyes on you, hers the only pair that mattered. Alessia became your anchor on the dance floor, subtly guiding you through the steps.

As the night unfolded into a lively party, drinks flowed freely, and the dance floor beckoned. Your pretend girlfriend, being the new addition to the family, soon found herself surrounded by eager relatives, each wanting to share a toast or pull her into a dance.

You were in the midst of a conversation with your aunt when Alessia suddenly whisked you onto the dance floor. Guiding your hands to her waist once again, she inched closer, and the dance felt different from before, carefree in a way. Her hands explored your body more intimately than usual, and you decided to attribute it to the influence of alcohol and chose to savour the moment.

Just as you were becoming lost in the dance, your brother Colin’s playful interruption cut through the enchantment with a teasing grin. “Hey, lovebirds, mind if I cut in?” His comment, though light-hearted, momentarily disrupted the dance’s spell.

Another interruption followed when Alessia’s phone chimed with an incoming call. She gracefully excused herself, walking away to take the call with an apologetic smile. However, you couldn’t help but glimpse the caller ID on her screen—Dan, accompanied by a little heart emoji.

“Who’s Dan?" Colin inquired, raising a suspicious eyebrow. It seemed you weren’t the only one who had caught a quick glimpse of the screen. “He’s just a friend of Alessia’s,” you quickly replied.

“Why did she add a heart to his name?” he persisted, unwilling to let the topic go. “They’re good friends, like family almost,” you offered in explanation.

“Family? Really? Would you take a photo like that with me?” he skeptically questioned. He seemed to have gotten a better look at the screen than you had thought. “Y/N what’s going on here?”

“Nothing is going on. You’re just looking for drama, that’s what’s going on!” you retorted, shoving your brother away as you headed to the bar, eager to escape the conversation.

Fortunately, Colin didn’t follow you, and you settled onto a barstool with a glass of water to cool down. 

“Hey, did I do something wrong?” Alessia asked when she found you at the bar a little while later. “I just ran into Colin. He was being weird. All of a sudden, he was telling me I can’t hide anything from him,” she explained.

“Shit,” you muttered before pulling Alessia into the hallway and explaining your encounter with your brother. “I don’t know what to do, Less; he might be onto us.”

A hushed silence fell between you as your minds raced to find a solution. “I think I might have an idea,” Alessia suddenly broke the silence, and you looked at her expectantly.

“It’s a bit weird, but don’t freak out please,” she said and you nodded nervously, but you both jumped when Colin’s voice suddenly rang from around the corner, calling out your name.

“Shit okay, no time to explain,” she continued, turning her body towards you. Her blue eyes locked onto yours as she took a deep breath. “Y/N, can I kiss you?”

Perhaps it was the alcohol, the rush of the situation, or simply your brain short-circuiting at the question, but whatever it was, you nodded almost instantly. “Yes?” she asked, seeking assurance, a warm hand cupping your cheek as you closed your eyes.

“Yes.”

The approaching footsteps neared the corner of the hallway where you stood when you suddenly felt a pair of soft lips crash onto yours. For a moment everything around you disappeared. Your hands found her waist once more like on autopilot, and her hand moved to the back of your neck. She slowly walked the two of you backward until you felt your back connect with the cold wall behind you. The kiss was hungry and a little sloppy, nothing like how a first kiss was supposed be, yet you never wanted this moment to end.

Had your brain still been functioning you would’ve realised the heat of it all was due to Alessia trying to perform a convincing drunken make-out. But your brain had little to do with what was happening right now. For a moment, you didn’t think. You disappeared into the kiss easily, as if the two of you had done this numerous times before. Harmony. Synchronisation.

Alessia broke away from you what must have been minutes later, your brother long gone. As you felt your heart all but beat out of your chest, you wondered whether she had noticed that just moments ago when she had you trapped against the wall.

“You think he bought it?” Alessia asked, her warm breath mingling with yours as it took you a while to form an answer. 

“I would assume so,” you finally answered, only now remembering the reason behind the moment you shared.

The party continued in a blur of lights, laughter, and music, but your mind remained in a state of disarray. The hallway kiss with Alessia left you dazed and confused. What did it mean? Why did she do it? The questions swirled in your mind, each one more bewildering than the last. One thing was certain; it didn’t feel like nothing.

As the night wore on, you and Alessia eventually decided to call it a night. The world outside the grand dance hall seemed quieter, and you both made your way back to the hotel room in a companionable silence.

Once inside, the question that had been nagging at you surfaced. “Hey, about the call from your boyfriend earlier, is everything okay?”

Alessia nodded, “Yeah, it’s fine, just had a planning issue,” she explained. Curiosity brimming, you probed further, “Is he really okay with all this?”

She hesitated for a moment. “Yeah, he’s... not really the jealous type,” she finally responded. The air grew heavy as you dared to ask the question that hung in the room, “Are you gonna tell him about the... you know, thing we did earlier?”

“I guess so,” she mumbled casually. “Doesn’t really matter anyways…” Her voice trailed off, and her gaze seemed distant, as if already lost in other thoughts.

That admission hit you like a stab to the heart. It was a stark reminder of the insignificance of the shared moments, at least from her perspective. You fell silent for a while, processing the weight of her words.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” Alessia’s voice was filled with concern. You forced a smile, “Yeah, all good. I’m just gonna take a shower.”

In the confined space of the bathroom, the sound of water cascading drowned the noise in your head. You let the water cleanse not only your body but also the lingering confusion and hurt. As you stepped out, Alessia was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps sensing the need for space, she’d let you be.

When Alessia returned, you were already in bed, eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. You remained still when you felt her quietly slip into the other side of the bed.

The next morning was a quiet one. You both packed your belongings and left for the airport, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken words. The flight was silent, with occasional glances at each other, a mixture of confusion and hurt and still, for whatever reason, curiosity in your eyes.

Neither of you dared to broach the topic of the previous night’s events. Was it a mistake, a game, or something more? Or was it really nothing? Were you making things up? The questions lingered as the plane landed, and you shared an Uber to take both of you home.

The Uber dropped Alessia off first. As she gathered her things, she turned to you. “Hey, want to come in for a bit?” The question hung in the air, loaded with unspoken implications. You hesitated but agreed, curiosity overcoming your reservations.

Inside her place, the tension was palpable. Alessia attempted to break it with a joke, "So when’s our next performance?”

You forced a chuckle, “Don’t worry, I can come up with excuses for you for the next couple of family events, and after a few months, I’ll just tell them we broke up or something.”

Alessia’s expression shifted, sensing something beneath your words. “Is everything okay, Y/N?” She asked, a concerned look on her face as she tried to catch your gaze, which you avoided.

“Yeah, fine,” you lied. “I’m just not going to drag you to every family thing ever just because you said yes to it once. It was really nice of you to help me, but you should get to spend your time off football with your actual boyfriend.”

“Right, Dan. Y/N, I—” she started but the keys jingling in the door interrupted her. The door opened, and in walked her boyfriend.

He greeted Alessia with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and your heart sank a little as you watched, unable to shake the tinge of jealousy. You wished you could hate him, find some flaw, but he was genuinely a nice guy who had done nothing wrong. Still, you couldn’t help but wish you could recreate the intimacy you shared with Alessia just yesterday, a privilege he seemed to enjoy effortlessly whenever he wanted.

When Dan asked you if you wanted to stay for lunch, you politely declined, saying you already had plans and you excused yourself, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. 

You shut the door to Alessia’s apartment and with it your pretend relationship. Why did this fake break-up hurt so real? 

One thing was for sure, it was all your fault. And still you had a lingering feeling that this wasn’t the last chapter of this strange tale.

---------------

Note: Hi! Just wanted to let you all know that I love hearing what you think about the story thus far and what you would like to see happen next so feel free to leave a comment/ask/message!

-> Chapter IV

[sunshine-theseus]

Photo Roulette | Chloe Kelly x Reader

Words: 1.6k Summary: Media day has Chloe finally revealing her relationship. Warnings: Angst, fluff, suggestive themes (I know degrees like PhDs take super long but for the sake of this story please either pretend they don’t, or that she is super smart and managed to cut the time in like half.) Requested by - @charligrantismygirlfriend

After graduating from Oxford with a bachelor’s degree and PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry, I made the move to Manchester as a clinical biochemist. Falling in love with a professional footballer was not on my list of things to do when I moved, but when a new work colleague insisted I take their extra ticket to a “derby match” as they called it, I took the chance to broaden my non-existent Manchester social circle.

And somehow, I caught the eye of the blonde forward. The number 9 jersey found it’s way into my hand with a signature and phone number and by 7pm that night, I had a date set up.

We went on a few before Chloe and I made anything official. And with making it official, came a set list of rules regarding our relationship and her work, number one was that it didn’t exist to fans. Well, it did, but no one would know who the mystery girl was. It was a tough rule to follow, it meant whenever we hung out, we had to be hyperaware of our levels of affection and what we discussed. Dates had to be at home or in a very secluded corner of a high-end restaurant with a name no one knows how to pronounce, because that means no one there would care who we are.

I was, and forever will be grateful that those places weren’t an issue for us. Both with rather lucrative professions, my starting salary slowly increasing the longer I stay, and her’s naturally growing with the popularity of the game. It also meant it was easier for us to find a more private area to buy a house, 1 ½ years without a single issue of fans knocking on the door or press waiting for some big news story to break. The perfect paradise.

No one knew who the famous Chloe Kelly is dating and had no way of finding out. Until media day.

-

“Have fun! I won’t be finished at the lab until late, so maybe we’ll get takeaway for dinner?” I kiss Chloe goodbye as I pick up my keys and bag from beside the door.

“For sure! Have a good day staring at cells. At least it’s not jail cells.” I chuckle and make my way out.

My day is in fact consumed with studying pathogens within blood and other bodily fluid. It’s nearly 6pm when Filipa taps me on the shoulder, breaking my concentration and reintroducing me to my surroundings. She helps me pack everything away, we say our farewells and I head home, picking up a vegetarian pizza on the way.

“How was media day?” I ask, plopping down on the couch next to Chloe, who rests her arm around my shoulders.

“Bloody weird as usual. I did this “go through your phone” thing, but it was all good fun. I did some mini games with Yui as well. She wants us to come over for dinner again sometime.”

“Absolutely. I miss her oh my god.” I take a bite of the pizza and rest my head on her shoulder, images on the telly flashing in front of us, neither one paying attention.

“How was your day at the lab Dr Spencer Reid?”

“You’ve been watching Criminal Minds again?”

“Mhm.”

“Spencer and I are two different types of doctors.”

“Mmhm.”

“I mean we both have the honorifics but his is like, not the same. Well it is but… never mind.” I can see Chloe’s lip twitch upward as I try to explain and lightly nudge her.

“I love listening to you get defensive about your title. You deserve it more than anyone in the world.” Her lips press gently to my hairline, then to my cheek, and finally land on my own lips.

“Plus, I love calling you doctor, it’s kind of hot.” My face flushes and I smack her arm.

“Behave!”

“Sorry… doctor.” To make it brief, the night didn’t end there. It ended much, much later, with both of us panting, the cotton sheets covering her soft skin while I splash my face with water in the ensuite.

~~~~~

I don’t give the results of Chloe’s media day another thought for a very long time. Until a month later when Fillipa, in similar fashion to the day of filming said content, breaks me from my work and places her phone on the desk in front of me.

I give her a rather confused look, but she just points to the screen and presses play.

“Well, the next part of Unlocked is one of my favourite bits; Photo Roulette.” The guy who sits next to Chloe explains the rules.

“Fillipa what is this?”

“Just keep watching.” I watch as Chloe scrolls through the thousands of photos stored on her phone, until he tells her to stop.

Her finger lands on a photo, one that no one can see yet, and she lets out a hearty laugh.

“’S it a good one?” he claps his hands together and waits to see the results. There are a few moments of silence before Chloe explains the picture, showing it to the host.

“It’s a picture of my girlfriend, Y/n. I was trying to teach her football and she comes out in this goofy old kit of mine that’s like 4 sizes too big for either of us, socks rolled all the way up with a huge grin on her face.” The smile that shines on Chloe’s face as she recounts that day makes it hard for me to feel the anger boiling in the pit of my stomach. The picture shows up on screen, taking up the whole space, and now the secret is revealed to everyone who we worked so hard to hide it from.

“Is this the secret girlfriend you’ve been hiding the identity of for over 2 years? You finally decided it’s time.” He lets out a laugh after the comment, but I can see the recognition in her eyes and the smile fades from her face. She doesn’t say anything.

It takes me 32 minutes on average, to drive home. On any other day. But when I get into the car, I have to decide whether I should take significantly longer, or cut the time in half, to confront my girlfriend with my findings.

I arrive home at 5:21. With the combination of leaving work a few minutes early, and the somehow blessed lack of traffic, it’s nearly 15 minutes earlier than usual.

“You’re home early!” a cheerful shout echoes down the hall, blissfully unaware of the rage bubbling beneath my skin.

“Just thought I’d get home before the fans tracked me down and swarmed me.” I seethe through my teeth as I kick off my shoes and make my way toward our bedroom.

“What d’you mean?” it’s almost precious, the confused look and the head tilt that greets me.

“Well now that everyone knows who I am, I didn’t want to risk being seen.” I see the moment of realisation.

“Oh fuck I completely forgot! I didn’t mean to I swear. I’m so sorry it just slipped out.”

“How do you slip up like that Chlo? That was our one agreement, our one rule. Fans would not know. God I’ve seen how cruel people are to player’s partners, I’ve seen couples break up because of fans. Chloe what the fuck!” I fall forward onto the bed and scream into the pillows.

“Well you never asked how I feel about having to hide my girlfriend from everyone! I get you want privacy and security of fans not knowing but I want to be able to celebrate with you after wins, or just rest in your arms after a loss, without worrying if someone will see. I want to be able to take you to big games and pull you onto the pitch and kiss you in front of everyone and show them how much I love you. It’s not fair that I have to pretend you mean nothing!” A tear leaks from my eye, and I soon start to sob. My shoulders shake and I can feel the puddle of tears get soaked up by the pillow.

I feel the dip of the bed beside me and Chloe’s arm wraps around me while her lips press light kisses against my back.

“I’m sorry. I want to be there for you too. Show the world I love you. I’m just scared. I’ve never really been seen by people outside of academics. I’m scared to just… be seen.” I roll over and pull Chloe down to rest her head against my chest, running my hands through her hair, untangling the small knots.

“I will love you no matter what. If you decide to continue keeping it private or if you, break up with me.”

“Chloe I will not fucking break up with you. I think- I think I want people to know. I want to love you properly.” Her head tilts up and I lean down, pressing a kiss to her lips.

~~~~~

“Chloe Kelly takes a shot… AND IT GOES IN. SHE SCORES THE WINNER IN THE 92ND MINUTE!!” I yell from the friends and family section as Chloe practices shots in front of me.

She turns dramatically toward me with a glare on her face, but I poke out my tongue and she breaks out into a smile. She makes the short jog over to me and pulls me into a kiss. A rather passionate one if you want to be specific. I grab her by the shirt and pull her close, kissing her harder as people around us jokingly cheer.

“See you after the game baby.” she pecks my lips once more before running back to her teammates who clap her on the back and tease her.

“That’s my girlfriend!” I scream and point, and the same people laugh along with me.

Thank god for media day.

[shiny-crocodile]

the best person i’ve ever met

lucy bronze x ona batlle

Summary:

lucy and ona origin story; semi-slow burn, semi-quick; multi chapters that will get a little smutty

chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, chapter 8, chapter 9, chapter 10

CHAPTER 4

Chapter summary: disguises, scarves and a photobooth

Notes: first time writing smut so would love to get feedback (good or bad)

Smut

Over the next few weeks Ona did everything she could to keep the flirting to a minimum, showing real will power to not answer Lucy’s late night face times, knowing if she saw her wrapped up in bed she would not be able to keep up her friendship rule.

The English girl would send sweaty gym selfies, knowing exactly what she was doing. Ona was completely floored every time she saw a new one sent through.

Like how could someone be that attractive? Lucy was regularly in just a sports bra and some short shorts, dripping in sweat that made her baby hairs curl slightly and her face flush in the most cute but sexy way. But it was the ice bath videos that really got Ona. Lucy would send her videos of her entering the tub, abs on full display as she submerged herself in a way that gave Ona all the butterflies.

The Spanish girl often rewatched the videos or zoomed in on the gym photos as she had her “me time” on an evening, imagining it was Lucy’s hands on her.

So of course it would be rude to use Lucy like this and not give anything back. That was true friendship, right?

Lucy never had to know about how Ona used what she sent her, just like Ona never had to know that Lucy regularly found herself with her hand between her legs at the photos she got in return and even just the thoughts of Ona, their kisses on that date replaying over and over in her head.

Lucy loved the chase, she loved slowly bringing down Ona’s walls. But 2 months had passed and she desperately needed more. She finally cracked after being sent a particularly mouth watering selfie of Ona on a jog in a sports bra, the camera angled perfectly to catch her soaked, tanned abs and defined arms.

“Right,” Lucy said to Narla sat beside her on the sofa with her favourite frog toy, “we’ve gotta get out of here.”

Lucy - you look good!!! and I miss you x

Lucy - think it’s time I paid a visit back to Manchester… you free this Saturday?

Ona - Mm, apart from a little game called the Manchester derby

Lucy - ah yes, I remember those. So do you want an extra fan in the crowd?

Ona - you’d support United for me?!?! Wow, you’re down reeeeeeal bad

Lucy - Good point, will have to be something in it for me then…

Lucy - If you let me take you out after the game you have yourself a deal

Ona - well that’s not fair, you know I’d do anything to convert someone from blue to red..

Lucy jumped off the sofa, much to Narla’s alarm, walking back into the room a minute later with her old City top in hand, draping it over Narla’s reluctant head before taking a quick photo and sending it through to Ona.

Lucy - what if I sweetened the deal by adding another city fan into the mix?

Ona - done deal, signing on the dotted line now. I’ll see you Saturday!

Lucy jumped off the sofa again and fist pumped the air, grateful there was no one around to see her embarrassing outburst of joy.

Now she had to book flights and plan. She wasn’t going to let this time be anything like the last, desperate to make sure Ona has a great time and there are zero tears.

Ona on the other hand was feeling apprehensive. Keeping it friendly over messages was one thing, she didn’t know how she was going to cope face to face with Lucy again.

/////

As Lucy rocked up to the game she was geared up in her best undercover look. Black cap pulled low, wide black sunglasses covering half her face, and a black hoodie to match. She looked more like a bank robber than a football fan, but at least she’d go unnoticed.

She didn’t particularly mind fans seeing her or asking for a photo, but she didn’t want to take the attention off the girls or the game today.

She glided through security and made her way up to the concourse before she heard a shout from behind her.

“Lucy Bronze is that you?” Yelled a Dutch accent, and Lucy turned around quickly to see Sarina walking towards her, so much for her amazing disguise.

“Hi Sarina, Hi Anton,” she said, giving her England manager and coach quick hugs in greeting.

“What are you wearing and what are you doing here?” Sarina asked bluntly, in typical Dutch style.

Lucy removed her sunglasses, they seemed silly now she was inside and had been exposed. “Well I thought I’d try go under the radar, and I played yesterday so thought I’d use the weekend to come watch my old team,” Lucy said, her answer seeming rehearsed.

Sarina smiled, knowing all too well that female footballers rarely flew to other countries on their days off just to watch ‘friends’ or ‘old teams’.

“Well I’m sorry for blowing your cover, I’m going to go one further though,” Sarina asserted, “you’ll have to come sit with us, we want to get your thoughts on the players.”

Lucy wanted nothing less than a camera inevitably being pointed at her for 90 mins, but she could never say no to Sarina. She also loved chatting football with Sarina so maybe she would have some fun despite the attention.

As the game kicked off, Lucy had her eyes glued to one player and one player only, even when she was nowhere near the ball, she couldn’t help it. She looked perfect as she moved around the pitch, switching from sprint to jog, everything she did was mesmerising and she was having an amazing game.

Sarina would ask her questions and Lucy would do her best to answer but the answers about her England teammates were pretty generic, as she was hardly watching them.

Midway through the second half, Ona pulled off an incredible sliding tackle on Lauren Hemp, forcing Lucy to clap aggressively loudly. She saw Sarina nudge her assistant manager and say, “so that’s the one then.”

Lucy ignored her, smiling a cheesy grin as she watched Ona’s teammates congratulate her for the tackle.

The English girl loved watching football, she had to watch a lot of it of course, but watching Ona was a whole different experience. She was honestly gutted when the 90 mins were up, until she realised this meant she could go and see the Spanish girl.

Ona collected her Player of the match award and looked over to the seats where Lucy was meant to be sat, but had no luck in finding her.

Lucy felt a warm fuzzy feeling watching Ona look for her, with her confused and searching facial expression. She knew Ona wouldn’t see her thanks to Sarina abducting her, and she watched the Man U player trudge off the pitch to the changing rooms.

Ona picked up her phone as soon as she got back into the changing room, something she usually saves until after the showers.

Ona - did you come?

Lucy - thought you’d save that question for later 😉

Lucy - oh god I’m sorry that was too much 🤦‍♀️ 😂

Lucy - I’m here, want to meet me in the car park? Unless you need help carrying that player of the match award? X

Ona - you are way too much. I’ll see you in the car park in 20mins, just need a shower x

Lucy - yeah, no smelly girls in my rental car thank you. See you in 20 x

Ona laughed as she placed her phone back down and headed towards the showers, trying to make this the quickest turnaround ever so she could go and greet her visitor.

“You coming for celebratory drinks, Ona?” Tooney asked as Ona finished getting dressed.

“Not today, sorry Tooney,” Ona said, picking up her things before heading towards the door, “I’m seeing a friend visiting from Spain.”

Technically it wasn’t a lie, Ona thought as she left the room, saying goodbye to everyone on her way out, as they gave her another congratulation.

/////

As she made her way to the car park in the lift Ona gave herself a pep talk on the descent. She was determined to keep this PG. She obviously fancied Lucy but she wanted to take this extra slow, wanting to make sure Lucy was 100% over the ex and 100% focused on her before pursuing anything.

The pep talk was all for nothing when the lift doors opened to show Lucy leaning against the side of a car, on her phone like something out of a movie. Ona had to catch her breath, she looked insanely good.

Lucy had ditched the hoodie to reveal a well fitted white t-shirt, not too tight but tight enough to show off her torso and chest. To top the outfit off she had a half and half scarf. Half Man United, Half Man City.

“What the hell is that?” Ona called over, giggling away at the sight of the girl at the end of the car park.

Lucy looked up quickly to see the Spanish girl. She could listen to that giggle all day and she wouldn’t mind looking at the wet haired girl all day either, she looked beautiful, even after a 90 minute match for Man U. ( 😉)

“Do you like it?” Lucy asked, taking it off to start waving it above her head, making Ona laugh harder. She started walking towards Ona now to meet her in the middle.

“Not sure about the blue part.”

“It’s the best I can offer, even if it is a footballing sin.”

The girls finally came within a meter of each other.

“Hey,” Lucy said sweetly, tilting her head to the side.

“Hey,” Ona responded, stepping up to Lucy and wrapping her in a tight hug. Lucy smelt as good as she looked and Ona didn’t want to let go, breathing in the floral but woody scent.

Lucy was doing the same to Ona as she was overwhelmed with the smell of peach conditioner. Lucy couldn’t help herself from saying, “you smell so good.”

She felt a bit embarrassed, letting that thought loose.

“I was thinking the same about you,” Ona said, always finding a way to put the northern girl at ease and remove any awkwardness.

They stood back from the hug and Lucy took Ona’s bags from her and slung them over her left shoulder, wrapping her right arm around the smaller girl as they made their way to the car.

“So what do you have planned?” Ona asked as they drove away from the stadium, having no idea what the older girl had arranged.

“Well dinner didn’t go to plan last time so I thought I’d do a 360 and booked an activity bar,” Lucy said, deciding to make light of the last date early into the evening.

Ona laughed, thankfully for Lucy, “Ooo fun, little bit of competition!”

“I know, brave move competing against the best player in Manchester,” Lucy said playfully, smiling over at the girl in the passenger seat. She nearly swerved off the road, unable to take her eyes off Ona as golden hour had well and truly arrived, setting a glow on the Spaniard’s face.

Ona grabbed Lucy’s chin and turned her face back to the road, “killing the competition feels slightly like cheating,” she joked, drawing a belly laugh from Lucy, eyes firmly back on the road.

/////

By the time they parked up at the bar Ona’s hair had pretty much dried. Lucy jumped out quickly to run round to Ona’s side and open the car door, in serious grafting mode as Ona chuckled at her keenness.

The bar had loads going on, from mini golf to arcade games, there was plenty of opportunities for the girls’ competitive sides to come out.

Lucy quickly decided that she would leave the car to pick up tomorrow, in favour of joining Ona on the drinks. They had to celebrate after all and Lucy was told she was extra charming with a bit of liquid confidence, so she headed to the bar and got them two mojitos.

“What’s first then?” Ona asked, looking around at all the options.

“Axe throwing?” Lucy offered.

Ona looked round at her, “got some anger to get out?” She asked, thinking the Keira-Lola situation might still be on her mind.

“Not at all,” Lucy said, because she honestly didn’t, “they don’t let us play that one after our second drink as it’s a deadly weapon. Also I’m good at it and you won’t be able to cope seeing me with an axe in hand.”

Ona laughed, “that sounds like a threat.” She felt slightly scared of the amount of willpower it might take her to resist Lucy for this round.

The younger player was right to be scared. This version of Lucy was proving impossible to resist. The English girl placed her half half scarf around Ona’s neck, now fully showcasing how good she looked in that white t-shirt, the tightness meaning her shoulder and back muscles were now also on full display. Ona’s mouth watered as Lucy threw the first axe, it landing perfectly in the middle, of course it did.

Ona was as competitive as Lucy and she groaned seeing how good Lucy was at this on her first throw. Although she knew losing might not be so hard when she got to drool over Lucy looking that good.

As the Spaniard stepped up to the plate, her first throw went embarrassingly wide, and she turned away in frustration, making Lucy chuckle at her cute annoyed face.

“Here, let’s try another, I’ll show you,” Lucy said, picking up another axe and handing it to Ona.

“No, no, no, I don’t need help,” Ona resisted, “it’s your turn.”

The younger brunette was firstly too stubborn and competitive to receive help, she couldn’t give Lucy that satisfaction. Secondly, she knew that Lucy would make the demonstration as sexy as possible and that would seriously mess with her promise to herself of keeping this PG.

“Suit yourself,” Lucy said, stepping up to the plate to take her second shot, another great one. Ona avoided staring at her this time, instead playing with her straw to occupy the mind.

A few more turns and Ona still wasn’t getting it, getting frustrated with herself while Lucy was keeping up her excellent tally. The older girl leaned herself against the side wall with a cheeky smile as Ona lifted her 6th axe.

“You sure you still don’t want to take me up on that offer?” Lucy asked with a teasing tone.

“Fine,” Ona said, fed up of not being good at this, “but you can instruct from over there.” She wasn’t going to make it that easy for Lucy and needed to keep some distance for her own sake.

Lucy chuckled at the girl’s continued stubbornness, but did her best to direct her from the side.

Ona still wasn’t getting it and her shot still went wide.

“Come on, let me show you,” Lucy insisted.

Ona agreed reluctantly, fully aware of what she was letting herself in for while Lucy bounced over with a spring in her step.

Lucy started the training by working on Ona’s standing position. She moved Ona’s legs, one at a time into a stance that put them level with each other and shoulder width apart, before moving round the back of Ona to work on her posture.

Obviously for this part it was absolutely necessary for Lucy to push her front into Ona’s backside, not being able to see Ona roll her eyes at how obvious she was being, but of course the Spaniard didn’t stop her.

The older girl slowly ran her hands up Ona’s side, from the outer thigh, making her giggle as she went over her armpits to get to the upper arms where she gently lifted Ona’s arms above her head.

Ona was heating up with all this touching and pressing, feeling Lucy’s breath on her neck, nose brushing against her ear as the English girl left a tender kiss on the side of Ona’s neck. “Perfect,” Lucy said, Ona unable to respond and forced to bite her lip at the praise.

Lucy moved around Ona to face her now, not missing how flustered the younger girl looked. She moved Ona’s body as she instructed her. “Right, bring the axe back now and I want you to eye up the mark just above the target rather than the target itself. Then give it what you’ve got, extend your arm half way and release once your elbows pass your ears.”

If Ona was thinking straight she would have admired how Lucy could turn down the flirting for a moment to actually give her decent instructions, but she could still feel Lucy’s mouth on her neck from a few moments ago so she wasn’t thinking straight at all.

Despite that, she followed Lucy’s steps and somehow managed to hit the target!

“MVP! MVP!” Lucy exclaimed as she picked Ona’s lighter frame up and spun her around.

Ona was so happy to hit the target that she just wrapped her legs round Lucy, allowing herself to be lifted before Lucy slowly lowered Ona, the distance between their faces now about 10 centimetres.

“About time,” Ona said, relieved to finally get a point on the board. She stepped back to reestablish the distance between herself and the English player.

They finished their round, Ona never missing now and Lucy looking on as proud as punch before returning to the bar for another drink and looking around to decide their next activity.

They moved from mini golf, to basketball hoops, to shuffle board, Lucy taking any opportunity to get close to and touch Ona. At some point the spaniard stopped even trying to warn Lucy off, the alcohol making it harder and harder.

“Let’s go take some photos in the photo booth,” Ona said, dragging Lucy by the hand to the booth in the corner of the room, both sliding in as Lucy pulled the curtain behind them.

They took some shots in different silly positions before the last couple where Lucy tilted Ona’s face towards her, leaning in extra slowly to give Ona the opportunity to say stop or push her away.

Ona gave a small nod and Lucy took her signal, attaching her lips to the younger girl’s. They both deepened the kiss as the shutter went off for the final photo.

They continued through the sound of the printer, not halted by their time in the booth being over, it wasn’t like there was a queue or anything.

The English girl was the first to slip her tongue in. This kiss was nowhere near as gentle as their first, both feeling equally desperate after the weeks of flirting and working each other up.

It was hot and heavy as the curtain shielded them from the rest of the bar, offering some privacy to let their hands roam.

Lucy bit on Ona’s lip, drawing a moan from the younger girl that Lucy was desperate to hear again and again and again.

She sat back on the seat, gripping the back of Ona’s thighs as she lifted her into her lap so the Spaniard could straddle her. The older girl ran her hands up Ona’s back, removing her top over her head, discarding it along with Lucy’s jacket onto the floor of the booth, leaving Ona in her bra.

Lucy looked up and down the girl in front of her, biting her lip.

As the kissing got steamier both girls were now so wet for the other.

Ona started grinding down on Lucy’s lap, desperate to take this further and find some kind of friction.

The desperation not going unnoticed, Lucy moved Ona’s head to the side and attached her mouth to the younger player’s neck, open mouthed kissing and sucking as Ona let out another moan, louder this time.

“Holy shit,” Ona whispered, she couldn’t get enough of Lucy who hushed her moans while pulling down Ona’s cargo trousers to sit mid-thigh, moving her hand over Ona’s clothed pussy.

While keeping up the attack on Ona’s neck, Lucy slipped her fingers into the Spaniard’s knickers. “You’re so wet,” Lucy whispered, the roughness in her voice only making the younger girl wetter.

“Can you blame me?” Ona asked, gasping as Lucy’s fingers brushed through her folds and up to her throbbing clit.

Both girls were on cloud 9, Ona couldn’t believe she’d gone from a promise of friendship to having Lucy’s hands between her legs in a photo booth in the middle of a bar. But she felt way too good to care.

The Spaniard let out her loudest moan yet as Lucy pushed a finger inside Ona with little resistance and started gently pumping. Lucy halted, remembering they were in a public place and not wanting Ona to be embarrassed later over the sounds she was making. She grabbed the half-half scarf and pushed it into Ona’s mouth to muffle the moans, the taking of control making Ona’s pussy ache.

Ona threw her head back as Lucy picked back up the pace, slipping in the second finger, feeling the tightness this time, Ona’s walls clenching around her.

“You look so fucking good right now, I’m so obsessed with you,” Lucy said, her words making Ona’s head spin and pushing her further to her peak.

Lucy saw the effect her words were having on the younger girl, continuing, “my MVP on the pitch and now in the booth, you’ll never know how perfect you are.”

“Feels so good” Ona mumbled through the scarf as she was hurtling towards her high now, hips bucking as she pushed herself deeper onto Lucy’s hand, but she needed more. She temporarily moved the scarf out of her mouth.

“Lucy, please more, my clit, please.”

So turned on by Ona’s begging, the older girl’s the wet patch was growing between her legs and giving her no choice but to comply. She used her thumb to rub circles around Ona’s clit, applying the perfect amount of pressure.

Ona moaned into the scarf, Lucy could feel how close she was and moved her hand from the younger girls waist and up to her chest, massaging her left boob through the bra as she began sucking on the right.

That was it, Ona was done for. Her head flew back a final time, cries muffled as Lucy helped her ride out her high.

Spitting the scarf out of her mouth, she wrapped herself around Lucy. The English girl slowly removed her fingers while the younger player nuzzled into her neck as they both caught their breath.

“I’m obsessed with you too by the way,” Ona said once she regained a little composure, kissing different areas of Lucy’s face and shoulders in gratitude.

“Yeah?” Lucy asked, a rare moment of self doubt, needing extra reassurance after being the one to do the chasing recently.

Ona brushed the older girl’s hair out of her face as she kissed her lips lovingly.

“Oh completely,” Ona admitted, wanting to make the English girl feel appreciated after the beautiful orgasm she’d just given her, “I so wanted and tried to keep this friendly but it’s kind of impossible when you’re you and I feel like this about you.”

Ona gave Lucy a final kiss on the forehead before removing herself slowly from Lucy’s lap, still feeling sensitive.

Lucy leaned down to give the front of Ona’s knickers a soft kiss before pulling up her cargo pants.

The tenderness didn’t stop there, Lucy helping to put Ona’s top back on, again giving Ona all the butterflies at just how caring the English girl was in everything she did.

The Spaniard took the photos from the tray and laughed, turning them to show Lucy, “I mean I think it’s pretty safe to say from these that we’re both equally obsessed.”

The photos were 1 of them facing the camera, 4 of them taking turns to look at each other lovingly as the other did something silly, 1 of them looking deep into each others eyes, and the final was of course of the kiss.

Lucy whipped her phone out to take a photo of them, smiling like a cheshire cat. “These are amazing,” she said, Ona nodding in agreement.

The taller girl leaned down to give Ona another kiss before taking her by the hand and leaving the photo booth.

As they walked away Ona stopped, remembering something.

“Wait,” Ona said as she turned back to the booth, returning with the scarf. “We’ll need this for later,” she teased, winking at Lucy as she rejoined her and walked them over to the bar.

“Food?” Ona asked, picking up a menu from the bar.

Lucy agreed looking over Ona’s shoulder at the menu, “it’s needed.”

As they perused the menu, neither girl was wowed by the options. “This is all a bit boring, should we go back to mine and get a takeaway?” Ona suggested, “maybe we could try sushi again.”

Lucy chuckled, “yeah let’s do that. Let me just grab my bag out of the car.”

Ona raised her eyebrows, “overnight bag in the car? Pretty presumptuous no? Someone was confident they’d break down these walls.”

“I mean I had hoped so,” Lucy said between laughs, “but I just didn’t have time before the game to drop it at the hotel I’ve booked. Is it good if we swing by there first and I can drop it off?”

Ona shoved her playfully, “don’t be stupid, bring it to mine.”

Lucy couldn’t hide her delight. She was telling the truth about not having time to leave it at the hotel, but was obviously beyond thrilled that she would not have to use that room at all.

[queen-of-reptiles]

MASTERLIST

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about the author:

hey, I’m Queenie.

Taurus

18 +

Bi-sexual

she/her

cis-gendered female

Hammer

Lioness Lover

Chaotic

hope you enjoy and requests are closed for now while I work through my current asks - will be open again soon! xx

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woso

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WIPS

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𝙻𝚄𝙲𝚈 𝙱𝚁𝙾𝙽𝚉𝙴 || 𝟷𝟻

• secrets - social media

• secrets part two - ficlet + photos

• my girl - ficlet + social media

𝙻𝙰𝚄𝚁𝙴𝙽 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂 || 𝟷𝟶

• hotter than yours - social media

• smiles and stands - ficlet + social media

• smiles and stands part two - ficlet (18+)

• uh oh - ficlet

• oh fuck - ficlet + social media

• one

𝙺𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙴 𝙼𝙲𝙲𝙰𝙱𝙴 || 𝟷𝟻

• swan - social media + small ficlet

• cigarettes and stolen breathes - ficlet

𝙰𝙻𝙴𝚇𝙸𝙰 𝙿𝚄𝚃𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙰𝚂 || 𝟷𝟷

• rules - social media + ficlets

𝚂𝙰𝙼 𝙺𝙴𝚁𝚁 || 𝟸𝟶

• nonsense - social media + ficlet

𝙰𝙻𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙰 𝚁𝚄𝚂𝚂𝙾 || 𝟸𝟹

• champion - social media + ficlet

𝙳𝙴𝚈𝙽𝙰 𝙲𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙾𝚂 || 𝟷𝟶

• ace - social media + ficlet

𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙴 𝙷Ö𝙱𝙸𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁 || 𝟷𝟺

• transfer - social media + ficlet

𝙼𝙸𝚂𝚂𝚈 𝙱𝙾 𝙺𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙽𝚂 || 𝟶𝟽

• merseyside derby - social media + ficlet

𝚂𝙾𝙵𝙸𝙴 𝙻𝚄𝙽𝙳𝙶𝙰𝙰𝚁𝙳 || 𝟷𝟻

• waves - social media + ficlet

𝙰𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙽𝙴𝙰 𝙳𝙴𝙻 𝙲𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙾 || 𝟸𝟸

• surprise - social media + ficlet

𝙻𝙰𝙸𝙰 𝙰𝙻𝙴𝙸𝚇𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚁𝙸 || 𝟶𝟺

• knockout - social media + ficlet

𝚅𝙸𝙲𝙺𝚈 𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙰𝙳𝙰 || 𝟶𝟼

• time to go - social media + ficlet

𝙾𝙻𝙶𝙰 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙰 || 𝟶𝟽

• safe hands - social media + ficlet

𝙿𝙾𝙿𝙿𝚈 𝙿𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙸𝙽𝚂𝙾𝙽 || 𝟶𝟹

• games - social media + ficlet

𝙳𝙰𝙶𝙽Ý 𝙱𝚁𝚈𝙽𝙹𝙰𝚁𝚂𝙳Ó𝚃𝚃𝙸𝚁 || 𝟷𝟶

• hammer time - social media + ficlet

𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙰 𝙴𝚅𝙰𝙽𝚂 || 𝟶𝟽

• velvet - social media + ficlet

𝙻𝙰𝚄𝚁𝙴𝙽 𝙷𝙴𝙼𝙿 || 𝟷𝟷

• pages - social media + ficlet

𝙻𝙰𝚄𝚁𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝙾𝙼𝙱𝚂 || 𝟶𝟽

• manchester red - social media + ficlet

𝙼𝙴𝙶𝙰𝙽 𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙶𝙰𝙽 || 𝟸𝟶

• crush - social media + ficlet

𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙷𝙰 𝙻𝙴𝙷𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙽 || 𝟶𝟽

• about time - social media + ficlet

𝙲𝙷𝙻𝙾𝙴 𝙺𝙴𝙻𝙻𝚈 || 𝟶𝟿

• sand - social media + ficlet

𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙷 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙰𝙼𝚂𝙾𝙽 || 𝟶𝟼

• hooked - social media + ficlet

𝙽𝙸𝙰𝙼𝙷 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙴𝚂 || 𝟸𝟷

• soft - social media + ficlet

𝙺𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃𝚈 𝚂𝙼𝙸𝚃𝙷 || 𝟶𝟸

• questions - ficlet + social media

𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙰 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙽𝙴𝚁 || 𝟶𝟻

• sleepy - ficlet + social media

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙸 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙽𝚃 || 𝟶𝟸

• what looks good? - ficlet + social media

𝙹𝙴𝙽𝙽𝙰 𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚁𝙺 || 𝟷𝟽

• rough - ficlet

𝙺𝙴𝙽𝚉𝙸𝙴 𝚆𝙴𝙸𝚁 || 𝟸𝟶

• wheel of love - ficlet + social media

𝙹𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙴 𝙵𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙶 || 𝟷𝟽

• candy - ficlet + social media

• guard dog - ficlet + social media

𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝙵𝙾𝚆𝙻𝙴𝚁 || 𝟶𝟾

• sunsets and sea - ficlet and social media

𝙺𝚈𝚁𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝙾𝙽𝙴𝚈-𝙲𝚁𝙾𝚂𝚂 || 𝟹𝟸

• cherry - ficlet + social media

• cherry II - ficlet + social media

𝙺𝙰𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙰 𝙶𝙾𝚁𝚁𝚈 || 𝟸𝟸

• mama - ficlet + social media

𝙺𝚁𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙴 𝙼𝙴𝚆𝙸𝚂 || 𝟷𝟻

• down for the count - ficlet + social media

𝙾𝙽𝙰 𝙱𝙰𝚃𝙻𝙻𝙴 || 𝟸𝟸

• secrets - fic + social media

part one

part two

part three

𝙼𝙰𝙿𝙸 𝙻𝙴𝙾𝙽 || 𝟶𝟺

• sister - fic + social media

part one

part two

part three

𝙼𝙰𝚉 𝙿𝙰𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙲𝙾 || 𝟹𝟹

• mark, set, go! - ficlet + social media

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[not-safe-for-democracy]

In 2017, political commentator Bill Moyers wrote about the newly elected Trump administration:

We’re a week into the Trump administration and it’s pretty obvious what he’s up to. First, Donald Trump is running a demolition derby: He wants to demolish everything he doesn’t like, and he doesn’t like a lot, especially when it comes to government.

...especially government policies and programs and agencies that protect people who don’t have his wealth, power or privilege. Affordable health care for working people? Smash it. Consumer protection against predatory banks and lenders? Run over it. Rules and regulations that rein in rapacious actors in the market? Knock ‘em down. Fair pay for working people? Crush it...

Trump came to Washington to tear the government down for parts, and as far as we can tell, he doesn’t seem to have anything at all in mind to replace it except turning back the clock to when business took what it wanted and left behind desperate workers, dirty water and polluted air.

Tell me if I’m wrong. Tell me whose side are you really on? The people of America or the cynics and predators at the very top who would climb atop the ruins of the republic for a better view of the sunset?

So now that the Supreme Court has ruled that he has immunity for official acts, what do you think Trump's governing impulses would be in a 2nd term?

[magicfootballstuff]

Derby Day - ona batlle x reader

You don’t talk to each other before the game on derby day. That’s the rule you put in place two seasons ago after a Manchester derby that ended up with a pre-match argument, a reckless challenge mid-game that earned you a yellow card, and a week of making Ona breakfast in bed to apologise for taking out your frustration on her on the pitch.

Since then, the no talking rule has been effective. No more arguments, no more stupid tackles, no more letting the Manchester rivalry cross the threshold into the apartment you share with your girlfriend.

Another unspoken rule of the derby day is that the player on the away side stays with a friend the night before the match, mostly to aid the 'no talking before the game' rule, so you crash in Leila’s spare bedroom the night before this one and catch a lift with her and Laia to meet the team bus that’ll take you to Leigh Sports Village. You’re strangely blissful as you board the coach with a coffee in a paper cup, and though thoughts of Ona cross your mind, you’re mostly focused on the game ahead. It’s a must-win for both teams in the fight for trophies and Champions League places, but you don’t allow yourself to stress about the what ifs and the knowledge that either you or Ona will end the day bitterly disappointed with the outcome.

Before the game, when both teams are out on the pitch inside a still empty stadium, you pretend that you don’t know Ona. There’s a bit of mingling between the two teams, some of the Lionesses chat with each other and Lucia says a quick hi to you. But when Leila and Laia approach Ona, you hang back and talk to some of your other teammates instead.

The no-talking rule, no matter how tempting it is to break when Ona looks so good in United’s brand new white training kit, is in place for a reason.

You don’t make eye contact with her during the warm ups, nor in the tunnel before the game. Especially not when you go down the line to fist bump each member of the United team. She’s not your girlfriend for the next two hours, just another red opponent on the pitch.

After three years of playing against Ona instead of by her side, as you did at Levante and Barcelona before that, you’ve reached the point where you can compartmentalise your relationship fairly easily. It helps that the match is so intense - an early goal, a late goal, a red card, and plenty of drama between all that - that you completely forget you’re competing against your girlfriend for large parts of the game. There are only a couple of moments where you get caught off guard, accidentally making eye contact with Ona after forgetting she’s there, and getting distracted for the briefest moment by how fucking good she looks with her hair tied back in a braid and her shirt hanging open at the collar.

When the final whistle blows, you’re gutted about the result. You left everything out on the pitch and to lose it right at the end after going down to ten players and equalising from behind. But the overwhelming feeling is one of relief. You no longer have to pretend that Ona is just another opponent, no longer have to pretend that you’re not head over heels in love with her after ninety minutes of fighting against her.

After the team huddles are over and Ona finishes giving an interview for the television cameras, you find your way to each other, desperate to return to the normality of talking, of even being able to acknowledge each other. She’s clutching a Player of the Match trophy in her hand, and despite the on-pitch rivalry and your disappointment with the result, you can’t stop the pride that swells within you and you have to admit that she’s earned it.

“I hate derby day,” you say, as Ona’s arms wrap around you and you nuzzle your face into her neck.

“Last one,” she replies, referencing your imminent transfers.

Manchester has been your home with Ona for three years, and the Manchester derby, as much as you don’t like having to play against your girlfriend, has been a part of your relationship for those three years. You don’t know if you’ll be sad to see the back of this particular fixture when you return to Spain with Ona to play on the same team next season, but you’ll definitely be sad to say goodbye to this team and this city.

“Never again,” you tell her, as you pull out of the embrace. “Same team for life now. I might even let you put this up in our new apartment.”

You gesture at the trophy in her hand, and she grins back at you as she asks, “So that you never forget that Manchester is red?”

“Okay, you’re sleeping at Lucia’s tonight.”

“No,” Ona protests, her free hand snaking around your back and squeezing your waist. “One night apart was already too much.”

She blinks at you with pleading brown eyes, a dirty yet entirely successful tactic to win you over, though you can’t deny the absolute truth to her words.

“Derby day always makes you clingy,” you tease her.

“I hate playing against you. I hate beating you.”

“Shut up,” you wriggle free from the arm around your waist and give her a playful shove. “This is the first time you’ve beaten us in the league. And the last time you’ll beat me.”

“Can’t beat you again when we play for the same team,” Ona points out. “Maybe I should sign for Madrid…”

“No,” you’re quick to protest, forgetting your faux annoyance as it’s now your turn to pull Ona closer. “Same team from now on, we agreed.”

Ona presses her lips to your temple, then murmurs in a low voice, “And you said I was clingy.”

“Stop it!”

You’re certain that even though you won’t be playing on opposite teams from next season, you and Ona will continue to find other things than the colour of Manchester to bicker and tease each other about when you move to Barcelona.